IDF: Bomb making chemicals were disguised as EU aid The Jerusalem Post (December 29, 2007) - The IDF and Shin Bet uncovered 6.5 tons of potassium nitrate hidden in sacks that were disguised as aid from the European Union, the army announced on Saturday. Security forces discovered the stash in the cargo of a Palestinian truck at a West Bank checkpoint earlier in December. According to the IDF, the material, hidden in sugar sacks, was planned to be used by terrorists in the Gaza Strip. "Potassium Nitrate is a banned substance in the Gaza Strip and the Judea and Samaria region due to its use by terrorists for the manufacturing of explosives and Kassam rockets," the IDF spokesperson wrote in a statement. "This is another example of how the terror organizations exploit the humanitarian aid that is delivered to the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip with Israel's approval," the statement read.
Official says PA dismantling Al-Aqsa and other militant groups
Haaretz.com (December
29, 2007) - The top Palestinian security official said on
Saturday his government was dismantling militant groups, including those
connected to President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction. Officials said
Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades largely agreed to go along with the
government's security plan in the West Bank without putting up a fight.
"There is no Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades any more," Interior Minister
Abdel-Razak al-Yahya told Voice of Palestine radio, referring to Fatah's
largest armed group. The pledge by Yahya came one day after Palestinian
militants killed two Israelis who were hiking near the West Bank city of
Hebron. Two of the militants were also killed in an ensuing gunbattle.
Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed at a U.S.-sponsored peace
conference last month in Annapolis, Maryland to launch negotiations with
the goal of reaching a statehood agreement by the end of 2008. But
Israel has said it will not implement any agreement until the
Palestinians meet their obligations under the long-stalled "road map"
peace plan to rein in militants in the West Bank and the
Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Hamas Islamists seized control of Gaza in
June after routing Abbas' secular Fatah forces there, but Fatah still
holds sway in the West Bank. The Palestinians assert that they are
meeting their security obligations in the West Bank by launching a
security clampdown in some of the largest cities. After commenting on
the dismantling of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, Yahya said: "We wish
they [other groups] will respond positively and follow al-Aqsa's
example." He said Abbas's Western-backed government has started "working
to dismantle" other militant groups, though he did not spell out how
that would be accomplished. more... Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, welcomes the completion of the procedures for the accreditation of EUPOL COPPS Europa Document (December 28, 2008) - Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), today welcomed the completion of the procedures for the accreditation of EUPOL COPPS and made the following statement: "I welcome the completion of the procedure that paves the way for the accreditation of the European Union police mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS) by the Government of Israel. I wish to thank Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mrs Tzipi Livni for her support. This agreement will facilitate the implementation of the mandate of the mission." The aim of the EUPOL COPPS mission is to work with the Palestinian civilian police to support the Palestinian Authority in taking responsibility for law and order, and improving its civilian police and law enforcement capacity. EUPOL COPPS helps to establish sustainable and effective policing arrangements under Palestinian ownership in accordance with the best international standards. This mission is a central pillar of the EU Action Strategy in support of renewed peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians launched in Annapolis last November.| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |
Abbas visits Olmert's home talking peace
Breitbart.com
(December 27, 2007) - Israel's annexation
of East Jerusalem was the key topic for peace talks Thursday between
Palestinian and Israeli leaders in Jerusalem, officials said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was to meet with Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert at his official Jerusalem residence for the first
time since the U.S.-brokered summit in Annapolis, Md., late last month,
Haaretz reported. Prior to the meeting Palestinian media said two issues
are considered deal-breakers by Abbas: Israel's decades-old annexation
of East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as a capital of their
eventual state, and Israel's construction of new settlements inside the
so-called Green Line near East Jerusalem. Negotiating teams from both
sides have met twice since the Annapolis meeting and each time ran into
roadblocks on the issues, the newspaper said. Other issues the two
leaders could discuss included the removal of checkpoints in the West
Bank, the Hamas control of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian prisoners in
Israeli jails, officials told Haaretz. U.S. President George Bush is
scheduled to visit the region in January with a goal of encouraging both
sides to move forward.
People's voice thunders a clear 'yes'
The Jerusalem Post (December 25, 2007) -
The issue of Palestinian recognition of Israel's identity as a Jewish
state is emerging once again as a controversial issue in
Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. Israeli and Palestinian political and
opinion leaders have been debating this issue publicly, and leaders of
the Israeli Arab or Israeli Palestinian community have added their say.
In the process, this issue has become a tool in the hands of those who
contemplated to spoil the recent American initiative which began at
Annapolis and derail any ensuing peace process. We wish to add to the
public debate our insights based on our joint Israeli-Palestinian Public
Opinion Poll (JIPP). This project is an initiative of the Truman
Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University and the
Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in Ramallah, and
is supported by the Ford Foundation and the Adenauer Foundation. It
tracks Palestinian and Israeli public opinion on the conflict and the
attempts to resolve it since mid 2000. We repeatedly examined this hotly
debated issue since mid 2003, and not often does one obtain such
clear-cut and consistent results as we do here. Our findings have
significant implications for the negotiations following the Annapolis
conference. They clearly indicate that the best negotiating strategy is
one that frames this issue in the context of two parameters: (1) it must
be mutual; i.e., Palestinians too must receive an Israeli recognition of
the national identity of their state as they grant Israelis recognition
of the Jewish nature of their state, and (2) it must come as a crowning
step; one that seeks to assure the two sides of future intentions rather
than one that seeks to impose an Israeli precondition for future
concessions. IF FRAMED within these parameters, the people's voice
thunders a clear "yes" to mutual recognition of identity. We wish here
to expose this silent majority, and turn private opinions of the
citizens on both sides into public opinion, and a factor in public
discourse. The question we ask our Israeli and Palestinian respondents
draws on the two states for two peoples formula from the
Ayalon-Nusseibeh Peace Plan from July 2002. The question we pose to both
Israelis and Palestinians is the following: There is a proposal that
after the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and the
settlement of all issues in dispute, including the refugees and
Jerusalem issues, there will be a mutual recognition of Israel as the
state of the Jewish people and Palestine as the state of the Palestinian
people. Do you agree or disagree to this proposal? In nine polls we
conducted between 2003 and 2006, our findings show substantial and
consistent majority support in both publics for a mutual recognition of
Israel as the state of the Jewish people and Palestine as the state of
the Palestinian people when such recognition comes at the crowing stage
of negotiations. WHAT IS perhaps even more striking is the high level of
support for this formula among Palestinian citizens of Israel. As a
matter of fact, the Arab minority in Israel supports this formula at a
higher degree than Israeli Jews as well as Palestinians, and the pattern
of the findings is highly consistent. Over two thirds of Israeli Jews
and Arabs and an average of 60% of the Palestinians over the nine polls
support such a declaration. more...
Israel fears clash with U.S. over peace talks' impasse
Haaretz (December 25, 2007) -
The United States will conduct confidential assessments of whether
Israel and the Palestinians are meeting their peacemaking commitments
and share the results privately with the parties, U.S. and Western
officials said. Israel has sought to keep the U.S. process of judging
compliance with the long-stalled "road map" peace plan largely secret.
Palestinians say they favour disclosure of judgments on whether Israel
is halting all settlement activity and whether the Palestinians are
curbing militants as the plan demands. Though the Bush administration
has decided to keep the assessment process confidential, it reserves the
right to go public with its views if necessary, the officials said.
U.S. judgments will be crucial because Israel has said it
will not implement any peace deal until the Palestinians meet their
commitments to combat militants in both the West Bank and the
Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, where militants continue to fire rockets
across the border into Israel. The monitoring process may be a test of
Washington's readiness to hold a key ally to its commitments. Despite
U.S. and Palestinian pressure on Israel to freeze settlements, the
Housing Ministry said on Sunday 740 new homes would be built in East
Jerusalem next year. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas agreed at U.S.-sponsored conference in
Annapolis, Maryland last month to relaunch final-status peace talks with
the goal of reaching a statehood agreement by the end of 2008.
more...
Israeli ministry drops plans for Jerusalem homes Reuters
(December 20, 2007) - Israel's Housing Ministry backed away on
Thursday from a preliminary proposal to build homes on occupied land
near Jerusalem that had been criticized by Palestinian and Israeli
officials. "The construction is no longer being discussed," a ministry
official said. The issue of Israeli settlement building in the Jerusalem
area has clouded renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians
launched at a U.S.-sponsored conference last month. Disputes over
settlements and Jerusalem are central to the negotiations President
George W. Bush hopes can be concluded before he steps down in January
2009. The ministry said on Wednesday it had been discussing the
possibility of building homes near what Israel refers to as Atarot and
the Palestinians call Qalandia in the occupied West Bank. Israel annexed
Arab East Jerusalem after the 1967 Middle East war in a move that has
not won international recognition. It regards all of Jerusalem as its
capital. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of the
state they hope to create in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Children promise to 'wipe out' Zionists WorldNet
Daily (December 13, 2007) - Two
children have made an appearance on Hamas Television's children's
show called "Liberate" to exhort a liberation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque
on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and to promise to "wipe out"
Zionists. The
new video captured from Hamas Television is being made available
by
the Middle East Media Research Institute, which monitors and
publicizes media reports throughout the Middle East. MEMRI also
has a web page that is devoted to Al-Aqsa television clips. The
boy, in the Dec. 3, 2007, appearance, launches the message: "My
beloved brothers, as you know, today the Al-Aqsa Mosque is crying
out: 'Where are the people of the frontline, the Palestinian
people?' Yes, my dear brothers, that is the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The
subject of our lesson today is Jerusalem, to where your Prophet made
his nocturnal journey - the Al-Aqsa Mosque," he says. "Yes, my
beloved brothers, as you know today, and as you knew yesterday and
the day before, the Al-Aqsa Mosque has fallen into oppressing and
malicious hands, the hands of those who know nothing but injustice.
But let me tell you how the Al-Aqsa Mosque will be returned, how we
shall rescue it from the shackles of the occupation, from the
shackles of the Zionist entity. "Will it be through conferences? No,
not through conferences, but by means of force, because the Zionist
entity, your enemy, the enemy of Allah, the enemy of Islam, knows
nothing but injustice and the killing of Palestinians, the
persevering people on the frontline. Indeed, the [mosque] will be
returned only by means of force," he says. He continues to warn
about "what the Zionist enemy has done," lumping Israel and America
together. "But is it too late? No, it is not too late. If we all
unite, the Al-Aqsa Mosque will not remain in the hands of the
Zionist enemy, it will not remain in the hands of your enemy,
despite all their conspiracies against the Palestinian people…" the
boy says. The girl then takes over, saying, "To Al-Aqsa, to Al-Aqsa
- we shall unite our ranks. We will wipe out the people of Zion, and
will not leave a single one of them." The mosque has been the
subject of discussion in recent weeks, as President Bush's Annapolis
summit was held with the intention of getting a focus on the issues
that remain to be negotiated for a two-state Middle East, a goal he
has set to reach before his second term expires in a little more
than a year. Jerusalem and the Temple Mount have been included in
those talks, and Palestinian leaders have told WND Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert has expressed a willingness to give up control
of the Temple Mount. That is the location of the Al-Aqsa Mosque,
which was built on the location where the first and second Jewish
temples, once housing the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the
Covenant, stood. The Temple Mount currently is under Israeli
control, but both Jews and Christians are barred from praying there.
It was opened to the general public until 2000, when Palestinians
launched an intifada by throwing stones at Jewish worshipers. The
Israeli government closed the Mount to non-Muslims, but reopened it
in 2003. The mosque, however, falls under control of the Waqf, which
monitors and enforces its rules against visitors. The mosque was
built around A.D. 709. Revealed: Israel agreed to forfeit Temple Mount WorldNet Daily (December 13, 2007) - In spite of longstanding denials by top officials here, the Israeli government in 2000 agreed to relinquish the Temple Mount – Judaism's holiest site – to the Palestinians during U.S.-backed negotiations, according to declassified documents made public today. The information comes as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert earlier this month denied talks started at November's Annapolis summit would lead to Israel giving up its sovereignty over the Temple Mount, while chief Palestinian negotiators tell WND the Jewish state already agreed to forfeit Judaism's holiest site to a coalition of Arab countries. According to declassified Israeli government documents published today by Israel's Haaretz newspaper, during U.S.-led negotiations in 2000 at Camp David, Ehud Barak, then prime minister, agreed sovereignty over the Temple Mount would be either "ambiguous" or control would be determined based on the bond of each party to the site. The Palestinians would therefore control the upper sections of the Mount, which houses the Al Aqsa Mosque and also is the site of the First and Second Jewish Temples. The 2000 negotiations fell through after Palestinian President Yasser Arafat rejected an offer of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections of Jerusalem. Barak at times denied he offered the Temple Mount to the Palestinians, but he also indicated during interviews he was willing to compromise over the site. Haaretz published excerpts from a 26-page document it obtained, signed by Barak's negotiator Gilad Sher and said to be summaries of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The document was titled "The Status of the Diplomatic Process with the Palestinians Points to Update the Incoming Prime Minister." Sher also wrote in his book published after the 2000 negotiations, titled "Beyond Reach," that President Bill Clinton floated a plan that called for the Temple Mount to become Palestinian sovereign territory, while the Western Wall below and its complex would fall under Israeli sovereignty. Barak was said to have initially rejected that plan, but according to participants at the negotiations summit, he was ultimately willing to forfeit the Temple Mount. The 26-page document published by Haaretz also said Barak was willing to give up most of the West Bank and split Jerusalem into two capitals, one called Jerusalem and another Al-Quds. Negotiations would have seen Arab sections of Jerusalem being turned over to the Palestinians. The release of the document follow's last month's Annapolis summit at which Olmert committed to aim at creating a Palestinian state before the end of next year, handing strategic territory to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. In a briefing to reporters upon returning to Israel from Annapolis, Olmert claimed Israel's sovereignty over the Temple Mount is not up for discussion. He said negotiations started at this week's Annapolis summit had no bearing on the situation on the Temple Mount. But a chief Palestinian negotiator, speaking to WND on condition of anonymity, said Olmert's denials were "false." "What Olmert said (regarding the Mount) is absolutely false. I think he's not yet ready to tell the Israeli public and is waiting for the right time, and he fears his coalition with religious extremists will fall apart if he announces it now," said the negotiator. Olmert's maintains a government coalition with the religious Shas party and Russian Yisroel Beiteinu party, but if those two bolt, the prime minister could create a new coalition with leftist parties. The chief Palestinian negotiator said that in the months leading up to Annapolis, the Palestinian team was "surprised" by Olmert's willingness to give up the Mount. "We had intense debates on many topics, which remain open and unsettled, but the Harem Al-Sharif (Temple Mount) is not a sticking point. The Israelis didn't argue with us. We were pleasantly surprised Olmert didn't debate about giving the lower section of the [Mount] either, which was a sticking point in the past." more... I believe the Temple Mount will be handed over in the dividing of Israel, but I also believe that the temple will be rebuilt, just the inner court, once God reveals Himself to Israel in the destruction of the Magog invaders from Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya and others. The attitude of Israel and the world will shift dramatically, I believe, once God shows Himself in defense of Israel.
Blair
ducks MK question about Jewish state
Jerusalem Newswire (December
12, 2007) -
Israeli parliamentarians were reportedly furious December
12 when former British Prime Minister Tony Blair refused to answer a
question directed at him about Palestinian Liberation Organization [PLO]
Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' [Abu Mazen’s] recently reiterated refusal to
recognize Israel as a JEWISH state. While the PLO has consistently held
to its refusal to acknowledge and agree to Israel being a Jewish state,
it began to more blatantly and vociferously express this position in the
week before last month's Annapolis conference. And it has repeated its
position since. Blair, who is in Israel in his new role as special envoy
on behalf of the so-called Quartet of world powers, was addressing the
Knesset [Parliament] Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee when one of
its members, Likud MK Limor Livnat, questioned him on the issue.
"Members of the committee were furious when Blair did not answer,"
reported the leftist daily, Haaretz. The international community is
widely understood to agree with the Arab point of view that there should
be no Jewish state per se, but that the Jews who live in the Middle East
should agree to being citizens of a one-man-one-vote state. By contrast,
the Jews who founded Israel believed, as does virtually the entire
nation as it exists today, that a Jewish state is essential if they are
to survive as a people in this almost universally anti-Jewish world.
Israel and Palestinians launch peace talks in discord Reuters
(December 12, 2007) - The first peace talks
in seven years between Israel and the Palestinians opened in discord on
Wednesday with the Palestinians demanding a halt to settlement building
and Israel calling for a crackdown on militants. The tensions, coming
just two weeks after a U.S.-sponsored peace conference in Annapolis,
Maryland, highlighted the difficulties ahead for negotiators trying to
reach agreement on a Palestinian state before U.S. President George W.
Bush leaves office in January 2009. Wednesday's negotiating session was
supposed to lay the ground for detailed talks on final-status issues,
including borders and the future of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.
Instead, the first round was dominated by Palestinian demands Israel
halt plans to build new houses on occupied land near Jerusalem and
concerns about Israeli military activity in the Hamas-controlled Gaza
Strip, officials on both sides said. The Palestinians said future
negotiating sessions depended on Israel's response on the settlement
issue, but they stopped short of threatening to pull out of the talks.
"We want to hear a reply to our demands," said chief negotiator Ahmed
Qurie. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, said
both sides raised concerns during the 90-minute session. "This process
does not have a quick fix," he said. "It's clear the issues on the table
will demand ongoing diplomatic efforts." The United States, which pushed
for the talks, said it was important not to make snap judgments after
one meeting. "There will be ups, there will be downs," State Department
spokesman Sean McCormack said. "What is important is that they continue
to move forward and that the overall trend line is positive." The talks
came one day after Israel carried out one of its biggest raids into Gaza
since the Islamist group seized control of the coastal territory in
June. Five militants were killed. Israel's army chief, Lt. Gen. Gabi
Ashkenazi, told a security conference in Tel Aviv that a big offensive
in Gaza may be inevitable, although he said smaller Israeli strikes were
having an impact on militants firing rockets into Israel. The mayor of
Israel's border town of Sderot resigned in protest over the government's
failure to halt the rockets. more...
‘America has abandoned us’ Jerusalem
Watchman (December 9, 2007) - The newspapers
here in Israel made for sobering reading this weekend. In the words of a
visiting compatriot in the cause of Christian Zionism, it is as if, after years
of moving towards a cliff in Israel-US relations, we have suddenly arrived, and
tipped over the edge. The United States has betrayed the trust of its once
“faithful friend” in the Middle East, and things are spiraling at an alarming
speed - seemingly out of control. Israelis today believe that Washington
successfully worked to lure them to Annapolis by promising to stand
shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish state against Iran’s fevered efforts to
obtain, deploy and possibly use nuclear weapons. Largely as a result of this
“guaranteed” alliance, the Olmert government went to Annapolis despite the
refusal of the Palestinian Arabs to, among other things, recognize Israel as a
Jewish state. Once there, believing that America truly has Israel’s best
interests at heart, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to work towards the
creation of a Palestinian state by the end of the Bush presidency, and gave the
US the right to judge whether or not Jerusalem is complying with its commitments
under the Road Map. And then, with this Israeli commitment in its pocket, and
before the news crews had barely departed the US Naval Academy, Washington
suddenly lifted its threat to use force against Iran, issuing a report whose
heading announced that the genocidal mullahs had in fact halted their nuclear
weapons program in 2003 and therefore no longer posed a serious threat to Israel
or anyone else within reach of their long range, surface-to-surface missiles.
The fact that the body of the National Intelligence Estimate report soundly
contradicts its headline has done little if anything to alleviate the fallout
from its release. For Israelis, the announcement means that America has left it
dangling before the diabolical designs of the Islamic world - and particularly
of holocaust-threatening Tehran. This was the consensus of understanding, at
least on the staff of The Jerusalem Post, Israel’s biggest-circulation
English-language daily, who expressed their sense of shock and disbelief: We
have been
“bushwacked” exclaimed disbelieving editor-in-chief David Horowitz. America
has
“dropped a bomb on Israel” said reporter Ya’akov Katz. An American guest
columnist, Jonathan Tobin, said the “intelligence bombshell [had left] Bush’s
approach to Middle East peacemaking in ruins and Jerusalem isolated.” And
Post deputy managing editor and columnist Caroline Glick wrote a requiem
for Israel-US relations in her “Column One” piece hauntingly headlined:
“The abandonment of the Jews.” Elsewhere, in a
Ynetnews report Sunday Shas Party Minister Yitzhak Cohen slammed “the manner
in which the Americans relate to the intelligence report on Iran [as] similar to
the way in which they viewed those reports they received during the Holocaust on
railways transporting hundreds of thousands of Jews to their death at Auschwitz.
more... Pray for Israel. World politics are lined up against Israel as prophesied. The powers behind America have a secret agenda that falls in line with Bible prophecy as the whole world is coming against Israel. Zechariah 12:1-3 I'm learning that the world we are told of is not the world that is. Our perceptions are shaped by the powerful people who have consolidated their influence over media and politics to blind the population so they can carry out their dark plans.
Jerusalem To Be Divided, Declares Israeli Official WorldNet
Daily (December 9, 2007) - A top
member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government today announced
Israel "must" give up sections of Jerusalem for a future Palestinian
state, even conceding the Palestinians can rename Jerusalem "to
whatever they want." "We must come today and say, friends, the
Jewish neighborhoods,
including Har Homa, will remain under Israeli sovereignty, and the
Arab neighborhoods will be the Palestinian capital, which they will
call Jerusalem or whatever they want," said Israeli Vice Premier
Haim Ramon. Positions held by Ramon, a ranking member of Olmert's
Kadima party, are largely considered to be reflective of Israeli
government policy. Ramon's statements follow last month's
U.S.-sponsored Annapolis summit at which Olmert committed to aim at
completing negotiations by next year to create a Palestinian state,
with Israel expected to evacuate swaths of Jerusalem and the
strategic West Bank. Ramon said due to the city's demographics, Arab
neighborhoods of Jerusalem "should not be under Israeli sovereignty,
because they pose a threat to Jerusalem being the capital of a
Jewish Israel." About 231,000 Arabs live in Jerusalem, mostly in
eastern neighborhoods. The city has an estimated total population of
724,000. Ramon listed population statistics as the reason Olmert's
government finds it necessary to split Jerusalem. But
WND broke the story last week that according to Jerusalem
municipal employees, during 10 years as mayor of Jerusalem, Olmert
instructed city workers not to take action against hundreds of
illicit Arab building projects throughout eastern sections of
Jerusalem housing over 100,000 Arabs squatting in the city
illegally. The workers and some former employees claim Olmert even
instructed city officials to delete files documenting illegal Arab
construction of housing units in eastern Jerusalem. Olmert was
Jerusalem mayor from 1993 to 2003. As mayor he made repeated public
statements calling Jerusalem the "eternal and undivided capital" of
Israel. Jerusalem municipal employees and former workers, though,
paint a starkly contrasting picture of the prime minister. "He did
nothing about rampant illegal Arab construction in Jerusalem while
the government cracked down on illegal Jewish construction in the
West Bank," said one municipal employee who worked under Olmert. She
spoke on condition of anonymity because she still works at the
municipality. One former municipal worker during Olmert's mayoral
tenure told WND he was moved in 1999 to a new government posting
after he tried to highlight the illegal Arab construction in
Jerusalem. He also spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for his
current job. more...
Evangelical Leaders Reiterate Call for Two-State Solution for Israel and
Palestine Christianity
Today (December 3, 2007) -
Over
80 educators and ministry heads affirm efforts to negotiate lasting
peace, and warn of consequences of failure.
This week the Bush State Department is devoting its full diplomatic
efforts toward bringing a two-state resolution to the Israel-Palestine
conflict. Over the past few months, they have put on a full-court press
to gather a broad representation of Arab world leaders to join Israeli
and Palestinian negotiators for a historic meeting in Annapolis,
Maryland. Now, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian
National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have agreed to a program of
sustained and focused negotiations throughout 2008. With these cautious
but hopeful beginnings, over 80 evangelical leaders have signed a
statement indicating their belief "that the way forward is for the
Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate a fair, two-state solution."
These leaders—including Christian college and seminary presidents,
denominational heads, and other ministry leaders—pledge their "ongoing
support for the security of Israel," and state that "unless the
situation between Israel and Palestine improves quickly, the
consequences will be devastating" for Israel. Palestinians with little
economic opportunity "are increasingly sympathetic to radical
solutions." The full text of their statement and the list of signatories
follow. more... I think this is one of the consequences of not understanding Bible prophecy and what it says about the future. These leaders aren't looking at what the Bible says will happen to those that come against Israel. God said He would put Israel in the land and Jeremiah 30:20 says, "Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them." Read Ezekiel 36,37 as well. Remember it is when everyone says peace and safety that sudden destruction comes. Recognizing the Bible's prophesies is much different from actively participating in what it says will happen. These things will happen without our help and given the judgment for those that come against Israel and God's putting Israel in the land, I think it is an error for Christians to get involved. We should pray for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel knowing that will only happen when Christ returns and sets up His eternal kingdom. Who doesn't want peace and security? But be careful of who you are trusting to give it to you. The Bible says the end-times is anything but a time of peace and security and the men fomenting the chaos are doing so to implement their control of the world, not to bring peace. The spirit of antichrist destroys many with peace, Daniel 8:25, much like the loss of freedom because of terrorism and in the name of peace and security. It's all about control and power for these elite who are working with the spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:11-20 Israel's security is guaranteed by God and will be shown when Iran, Turkey, Russia, Libya and others are destroyed in the mountains of Israel. However, I do believe Israel will be divided, I just don't want to be involved with it happening.
Iran Says Ties With Syria Rock Solid
Associated Press
(December 3, 2007) - Iran's
adversaries cannot harm the strong ties between Tehran and Damascus,
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday, a week after Iran appeared to
chide Syria for its decision to take part in a Mideast summit in the
United States. State-run television quoted Ahmadinejad as telling
Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad that "enemies cannot
damage real and firm Tehran-Damascus relations." Though Iran never
directly criticized Syria for attending the summit in Annapolis, Md.
last week, Ahmadinejad and other top officials said the summit was
doomed to fail and scolded Arab nations for going. Tehran was not
invited to the meeting. But Syria's attendance and Iran's harsh
criticism of the meeting appeared to indicate at least some tension
between the two allies — a rare event in the past decades. During his
meeting Sunday with Ahmadinejad, Mekdad gave the Iranian president a
written message from Syrian President Bashar Assad and underlined the
strategic relationship between the two countries, Iran's official news
agency, IRNA, reported. No details of the message from Assad were given.
Both Ahmadinejad and Mekdad said Iran-Syrian ties remained strong.
Mekdad also said Syrian would "never let anyone harm the friendly ties"
between Iran and Syria, IRNA reported. Syria said it decided to send
Mekdad to the summit only after the issue of the Israeli-occupied Golan
Heights was added to the agenda. During the trip, the Syrian delegation
shook hands with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice — indicating a
slight thaw in the diplomatic chill between Washington and Damascus.
U.S. officials had hoped the Annapolis meeting could mark a start to
moving Syria out of its alliance with Iran and Hamas and Hezbollah, both
of which are Iranian-backed militant groups. more...
Yet another earthquake shakes Israel
Israel Today
(December 2, 2007) - A mild
earthquake was felt throughout central Israel on Sunday morning, the
fourth tremor to hit the region in the last two weeks. The Geophysical
Institute of Israel reported that the latest earthquake had registered
at 4.0 on the Richter scale, and that its epicenter was the Dead Sea.
Last Saturday, a 4.1 earthquake originating in Israel's central coastal
plain strongly shook the country. Earlier that week, two mild
earthquakes again centered on the Dead Sea struck the region. Israeli
experts have been warning of a large-scale earthquake for years, and of
the widespread damage it is expected to cause due to a general failure
to comply with safety building regulations.
Temple Institute Announces: High Priest's Crown is Ready! Israel National News (December 2, 2007) - The Temple Institute in Jerusalem announces the completion of the Tzitz, the High Priest's headplate - now ready for use in the Holy Temple. The tzitz is made of pure gold, was fashioned over the course of a more than a year by the craftsmen of the Temple Institute, and is ready to be worn by the High Priest in the rebuilt Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The words "Holy for G-d" are engraved on the headplate, in accordance with Exodus 28:36. A short video clip presenting the tzitz can be viewed here. Rabbi Chaim Richman, International Director of the Temple Institute, explained to Arutz-7 that until it can actually be used, the tzitz will be on view in the Institute's permanent exhibition display, together with other vessels and priestly garments fashioned for use in the Holy Temple by the Institute. Legal Aspects: Impurity and Hekdesh: Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, Director of the Institute, explained some of the Halakhic [Jewish legal] aspects of the fashioning of the vessels for the Temple. "For one thing," he said, "they are made in impurity - for now we are impure, and will remain impure until we are able to have a Red Heifer whose ashes can be used in the Torah-prescribed purification ceremony. If no Red Heifer is available, then the High Priest must even serve in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur in a state of impurity." Asked whether the fact that the vessels are dedicated for the Temple does not render them hekdesh (consecrated) and therefore forbidden for any other use, Rabbi Ariel explained, "There are two stages. First of all, we make it very clear to the donors and to the craftsmen that the ultimate purpose of these vessels is not to be used for exhibitions or the like, but rather for the fulfillment of Torah commandments in the Holy Temple. They must know this in advance. However, to gain the actual status of hekdesh, we similarly make it clear that this does not happen until the vessel is actually brought in to the Temple Mount for use in the Temple. This means that someone can try on and measure the headplate, for example, without worrying that he is benefiting in any way from something that has been consecrated to the Temple." Menorah Moves Closer to Temple Mount Rabbi Richman noted that in less than two weeks from now, on Rosh
Chodesh Tevet, the famous Menorah (candelabrum) - suitable for use in
the Holy Temple, familiar to visitors to the Cardo section of the Old
City of Jerusalem - will be relocated to the landing of the wide
staircase that leads down from the Jewish Quarter to the Western Wall.
It will be protected inside the same type of glass structure that now
houses it. more...
The Hammer and Tongs behind the Hugs of Annapolis DEBKAfile (December 1, 2007) - No one at UN headquarters in New York remembers a case of a draft resolution being abruptly withdrawn hours before a UN Security Council session was scheduled to approve it. This is what happened to a US draft that would have endorsed President Bush’s announcement three days earlier at the Annapolis Middle East conference of Israeli and Palestinian consent to work toward a settlement of their conflict before the end of 2008. The Council had been called into closed session Thursday night, Nov. 30 to endorse the Annapolis declaration. The text was buried hastily in an undignified scramble by the Bush administration after two days of sharp words between the White House and prime minister Ehud Olmert and his threat not to turn up for talks with the Palestinians. This incident led also to the first real falling-out between President George W. Bush and his secretary of state Condoleezza Rice. He blamed her for seeking to bolster the Annapolis declaration by Security Council endorsement, thereby exposing the hyped-up event to the world as a charade and his own declaration as too flimsy to stand up. The head of the Israeli mission, Danny Gillerman, denied being fully briefed on the American text - a diplomatic figure of speech which applies equally to the situation of the Israeli delegation at the Middle East conference in Annapolis and since. But as soon as the Israeli ambassador heard that Khalilzad had obtained the consent of the five permanent members of the Security Council to a closed session for approving the US draft, he urgently alerted Olmert and Livni in Jerusalem. Gillerman warned them that a closed session means that neither Israel nor the Palestinians would be present or given a hearing. And that was not the only undesirable aspect:
Ambassador Gillerman alerted the
Israeli prime minister and foreign minister to the short distance from
UN sponsorship of the process to the dispatch of international troops to
the region as a buffer between Israel’s counter-terror forces and the
Palestinian terrorists ruling the Gaza Strip and West Bank. In the
Israeli ambassador’s opinion, the US initiative to bring the world body
in as a party to the Annapolis declaration originated with Secretary
Rice. She sought to punish Israel for not following her lead at the
conference. He pointed out that the application to the UN directly
contravened Rice’s own accords with the Israeli foreign minister.
Gillerman’s heads-up to Jerusalem sparked an urgent series of phone
calls between the prime minister’s office and the White House. Olmert
made no bones about threatening to pull out of the entire diplomatic
track charted at Annapolis if the Security Council were to be brought in
over its head. After 36 hours of hammer and tongs, US ambassador to the
UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, was instructed to call off the Council session and
withdraw the text. But recriminations on the American side for an
unprecedented loss of face were just as bitter. The White House accused
state department officials of egging Rice on to circumvent the
agreements Bush and Olmert had concluded and running off half-cocked to
the world body in a manner which left the administration red-faced.
Khalilzad was urgently recalled to Washington. When State Department
officials pushed the blame for the shambles on him, accusing him of
drafting the Security Council resolution without consulting the
secretary of state, the US ambassador’s aides shot back with a strong
denial. This incident also brought to the surface the frustrations
experienced by Israel’s delegation to the Annapolis conference, DEBKAfile’s
political sources report. US officials consistently neglected to inform
Olmert or foreign and defense ministers Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak of
steps pre-coordinated with the Palestinians and Arab ministers,
presenting them as accomplished facts. When Israeli leaders flew out of
Washington Wednesday night, Nov. 28, none had yet been informed that the
White House had named Ret. Gen. James Jones to chair the
“US-Israel-Palestinian mechanism” accompanying the Palestinian-Israel
talks. When they read about it in the media, Olmert protested the
general's role, and it was downgraded to liaison officer. Neither did
the Americans bother to inform Israel about consultations with the
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov for a follow-up conference in
Moscow at the beginning of 2008. There, Israel will be required to agree
to the return of the Golan to Syria.
After Annapolis: PA Television Erases Israel From Map Israel
National News (November 29, 2007)
- Just one day after the Annapolis conference at which the PA recognized
the State of Israel's right to exist in peace and security, the PA's
official television station screened a map that shows a Palestinian
state in place of Israel. U.S. President George Bush, at the conference
on Tuesday, read aloud the summit's agreed-upon joint statement, which
declares, "In furtherance of the goal of two states, Israel and
Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, we agree to
immediately launch good-faith bilateral negotiations in order to
conclude a peace treaty." However, Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook of
Palestinian Media
Watch (PMW)
report that just a day later, "Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority
continues to paint a picture for its people of a world without
Israel." Specifically, PMW reports that an information clip produced a
while ago by the PA's Central Bureau of Statistics was rebroadcast on
Wednesday on Abbas-controlled PA television. The
clip shows a map in which the
Land of Israel is painted in the colors of the Palestinian flag,
symbolizing the replacement of Israel by a Palestinian state. The
Palestinian entity depicted as replacing Israel includes all of Judea,
Samaria and Gaza, though not the Golan Heights. The depiction of all of
Israel as "Palestine" is not coincidental, PMW reports, "and is part of
a formal, systematic educational approach throughout the Palestinian
Authority. This uniform message of a world without Israel is repeated in
school books, children's programs, crossword puzzles, video clips,
formal symbols, school and street names, etc. The picture painted for
the Palestinian population, both verbally and visually, is of a world
without Israel." PMW concludes: "The fact that this campaign continues
before the ink on the Annapolis agreement is even dry appears to
contradict the central promise of the Palestinians at the Annapolis
conference: that Israel has a right to exist." The television clip
appears to be loyal to widespread public opinion on the PA street. PA
forces were forced to put down anti-Israel and anti-Annapolis rallies in
several cities this week, and one protestor was even shot and killed.
The protestors stated that Abbas has no right to make "concessions"
regarding Jerusalem, refugees and the like in the name of the
Palestinian people, and that any deal he makes with Israel will not be
binding. In Hevron, PA security forces killed a demonstrator, injured
dozens, and arrested 29 when using force to disperse a mass protest. PA
forces also dispersed large protests in Ramallah, Shechem (Nablus), and
Bethlehem, making several arrests. In Hamas-controlled Gaza, the
protests were much more intense, and hundreds of thousands of people
rallied in Gaza City, emphasizing the importance of the "right of
return" for millions of Arabs and their descendants, the "liberation" of
Jerusalem, the retention of "every inch of Palestinian land" and “the
path of resistance and jihad,” i.e., terrorism. Well it seems clear what the population is being told to expect of the future. We know from Bible prophecy that a period called the time of Jacob's trouble will occur after the abomination of desolation and will involve a supernatural army that goes through Judea murdering any Jews they find. Joel 2:1-10 We also see the rhetoric calling for the destruction of the State of Israel coming from the same nations that are supposedly backing the land-for-peace deal. So it seems in reality they view this as just a first step, taken with the backing of the international community, to reach their ultimate goal of a world without Israel. The extremists working to produce the chaos their prophecies tell precede the 12th Mahdi's return from the earth are going to keep railing publicly against Israel while the front-men to the international community will work with lies and deceit to bring about the same goal in steps. Understand Muslim goals and you will readily see where this is going, right where the Bible said it would thousands of years ago. Keep watching and praying! If anyone hasn't seen Farewell Israel: Bush, Iran And The Revolt Of Islam I would recommend checking it out. They point out some of the miscommunication based on the different societies and how even speaking the same words don't have the same meaning in the two worlds. This has disastrous ends of course when you know what the two sides actually mean, not just what they say. PA official: Olmert lying about Temple Mount YNet News (November 29, 2007) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's statements on Wednesday that Israel's sovereignty over the Temple Mount is not up for negotiation are "false," according to a chief Palestinian negotiator, who told WND the Israeli leader already agreed to forfeit Judaism's holiest site to a coalition of Arab countries. "What Olmert said (regarding the Mount) is absolutely false. I think he's not yet ready to tell the Israeli public and is waiting for the right time and he fears his coalition with religious extremists will fall apart if he announces it now," said a senior Palestinian negotiator Thursady on condition his name be withheld. The chief Palestinian negotiator said in months leading up to Annapolis the Palestinian team was "surprised" by Olmert's willingness to give up the Mount. "We had intense debates on many topics, which remain open and unsettled, but the Harem Al-Sharif (Temple Mount) is not a sticking point. The Israelis didn't argue with us. We were pleasantly surprised Olmert didn't debate about giving the lower section of the Mount either, which was a sticking point in the past." According to the chief Palestinian negotiator, Olmert agreed to evacuate the Mount but not to turn it over to the Palestinians alone. The negotiator said both sides agreed the Temple Mount would be given to joint Egypt, Jordan and Palestinian Authority control. He said the Israeli government felt an umbrella group of several Arab countries controlling the holy site instead of only the PA would help ease Israeli domestic opposition to giving up the Temple Mount, since Egypt and Jordan are considered by Israeli policy to be moderate countries. The Palestinian negotiator pointed out Israeli prime ministers previously denied withdrawal plans only to later carry them out. Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, elected on a platform against evacuating territory, denied for his first year in office he would retreat from the Gaza Strip but in 2005 he carried out a Gaza withdrawal. In a briefing to reporters yesterday, Olmert claimed Israel's sovereignty over the Temple Mount is not up for discussion. He said negotiations started at this week's Annapolis summit had no bearing on the situation on the Temple Mount. At the start of Tuesday's summit, President Bush read a joint declaration agreed to by Olmert and PA President Mahmoud Abbas committing the two to launch immediate negotiations aimed at "two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side." The parties said they would aim to conclude an agreement before Bush leaves office next year, with Israel widely expected to evacuate large swaths of the West Bank and speculation about eastern sections of Jerusalem, handing Abbas the strategic territories. Israel recaptured the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount, in 1967. "The negotiations will address all of the issues which we have thus far avoided dealing with," said Olmert on Tuesday. "I am convinced that the reality that emerged in our region in 1967 will change significantly. I know this. Many of my people know this. We are prepared for it." I'm thinking that we may indeed see the Temple Mount handed over in the name of peace. I also believe that the Magog invasion will come after that division of Israel while the temporary peace is built. Ezekiel says that Israel is dwelling in safety when attacked from the North and this will only happen prophetically between now and the abomination of desolation. After that 2/3 of Israel are killed and 1/3 is taken to the wilderness for the remainder of the 70th week until Christ returns in glory. So clearly they won't be living in peace and safety then. So I believe we could see the Temple Mount handed over in the name of peace with a sudden shift in Israeli consciousness once God demonstrates His power in the destruction of the attackers with fire and brimstone from heaven. I think at that point nobody will desire to stop Israel from rebuilding the temple and many won't want to after seeing God's hand in the destruction of those coming against Israel. Time will tell, but it seems to fit together pretty well that way. Annapolis: A Day for the Prophetic History Books Fulfilled Prophecy (November 29, 2007) - Organizers and attendees appear to agree: the Annapolis Conference, Tuesday, was a success. But more than that, I think it was prophetically significant. For the first time, the entire international community -- including the United States, Israel and even the Arab nations -- gathered to declare their joint support for the creation of a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas committed to working for a peace treaty by the end of 2008. (Read their statement of Joint Understanding here.) They're now creating a steering committee that will start continuous negotiations on Dec. 12. Olmert and Abbas will meet every two weeks to advance the negotiations. Olmert and Abbas also agreed to begin immediate implementation of their nation's obligations under the Road Map for Peace, created in 2003 by the Quartet on the Middle East (the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations). They even agreed to let the United States monitor the implementation of the Road Map and judge whether both parties are fulfilling their obligations. And, today, the United States appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East Security -- General James Jones, an ex-NATO commander -- to help Abbas' government bring security to Palestine. Read about it here. Despite the naysayers, I think we may see a peace deal within the next year. Of course, that's what we'd expect if we've entered the 70th week of Daniel. That's not to say there won't be bumps in the road and times when negotiations look like they've stalled. But we may look back to this conference as the breakthrough. In my father, Herb Peters', book, Recommendation 666 (available to read free here), he cited the 1992 Israeli election as the first time Israelis began saying "Peace and safety!" -- when they voted for Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin who ran on the platform of trading land for peace. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:3, when they are saying "peace and safety!" (in other words, when Israel is willing to give up its God-given land and turn to its enemies for protection) then destruction will come on Israel suddenly. Note two very similar words in the statement of Joint Understanding read by Bush at the conference:
This is a formal
declaration made by Israel -- and witnessed by the nations of the world
-- that Israel has chosen to give up its land for peace. And it was a
U.S. president -- sad for me to say -- that pushed for it.
Yes, I think we'll look back on
this day as prophetically significant.
Summary of remarks by Javier SOLANA on the occasion of the Annapolis
Conference Europa
(November 27, 2007) - NEW MOMENTUM IN THE
PEACE PROCESS: Recent developments have created a sense of cautious
optimism for progress towards resolution of the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict. President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert are engaged in a
substantive and wide-ranging bilateral dialogue. The United States
Government is actively supporting their efforts, including by calling
for an international meeting before the end of the year, in order to
launch a bilateral negotiation process that would lead to the
establishment of a Palestinian state. The new momentum in the peace
process benefits from the full backing and active involvement of the
Quartet. Arab support has been expressed through the voice of the Arab
League follow-up Committee. Comprehensive peace in the Middle East is a
strategic objective for the European Union. Any lasting and just
settlement to the conflict should be based on the principle of land for
peace, relevant UNSC resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative, the Roadmap
and previous agreements reached between the parties. The EU considers
that the present opportunity should not be missed and is ready to take
its responsibilities, in accordance with the vital European interests
involved. The EU is therefore committed to supporting current efforts in
a serious and substantive way, offering a comprehensive and coherent
contribution to the process, including during the crucial implementation
period. The European Union calls on all other interested parties to
support the current process, bearing in mind the high cost of failure
for everyone involved. The forthcoming international meeting in
Annapolis should launch a bilateral negotiation between Israel and the
Palestinians on final status issues, as a first step towards a
comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It should
establish a robust follow-up process under the auspices of the Quartet
and with the involvement of the international community. The EU calls on
its Quartet, Arab League and other international partners to contribute
to the success of the upcoming donors conference in Paris, which will
constitute an indispensable complement to the political process launched
at Annapolis. more...
Joint
Understanding Read by President Bush at Annapolis Conference US
Department of State (November 27, 2007)
- PRESIDENT BUSH: The representatives of the government of the state of
Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, represented
respective by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and President Mahmoud Abbas in
his capacity as Chairman of the PLO Executive Committee and President of
the Palestinian Authority, have convened in Annapolis, Maryland, under
the auspices of President George W. Bush of the United States of
America, and with the support of the participants of this international
conference, having concluded the following joint understanding. We
express our determination to bring an end to bloodshed, suffering and
decades of conflict between our peoples; to usher in a new era of peace,
based on freedom, security, justice, dignity, respect and mutual
recognition; to propagate a culture of peace and nonviolence; to
confront terrorism and incitement, whether committed by Palestinians or
Israelis. In furtherance of the goal of two states, Israel and
Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, we agree to
immediately launch good-faith bilateral negotiations in order to
conclude a peace treaty, resolving all outstanding issues, including all
core issues without exception, as specified in previous agreements. We
agree to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations, and
shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008.
For this purpose, a steering committee, led jointly by the head of the
delegation of each party, will meet continuously, as agreed. The
steering committee will develop a joint work plan and establish and
oversee the work of negotiations teams to address all issues, to be
headed by one lead representative from each party. The first session of
the steering committee will be held on 12 December 2007. President Abbas
and Prime Minister Olmert will continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis to
follow up the negotiations in order to offer all necessary assistance
for their advancement. The parties also commit to immediately implement
their respective obligations under the performance-based road map to a
permanent two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, issued
by the Quartet on 30 April 2003 -- this is called the road map -- and
agree to form an American, Palestinian and Israeli mechanism, led by the
United States, to follow up on the implementation of the road map. The
parties further commit to continue the implementation of the ongoing
obligations of the road map until they reach a peace treaty. The United
States will monitor and judge the fulfillment of the commitment of both
sides of the road map. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties,
implementation of the future peace treaty will be subject to the
implementation of the road map, as judged by the United States.
Israel, Palestinians OK negotiating plan Associated
Press (November 27, 2007) -
Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed Tuesday to immediately
resume long-stalled talks toward a deal by the end of next year
that would create an independent Palestinian state, using a
U.S.-hosted Mideast peace conference to launch their first
negotiations in seven years. In a joint statement read by
President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pledged to start discussions
on the core issues of the conflict next month and accepted the
United States as arbiter of interim steps. "We agree to
immediately launch good-faith bilateral negotiations in order to
conclude a peace treaty resolving all outstanding issues,
including all core issues without exception, as specified in
previous agreements," it said. "We agree to engage in
vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations and shall make
every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008,"
said the document, which was reached after weeks of intense
diplomacy and was uncertain until just before Bush announced it.
The conference at the U.S. Naval Academy has been greeted by
heavy skepticism, with many questioning its timing and prospects
for success, especially given the weaknesses of Olmert and
Abbas, whose leadership is challenged by the militant Hamas
movement. And the task is complicated by Arab pressure to
resolve other long simmering disputes Israel has with Syria and
Lebanon. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, in his
remarks to the conference, called for the earliest possible
resumption of talks with Lebanon and Syria, which wants the
return of the Golan Heights, land seized by Israel during the
1967 war. "We have come to support the launching of serious and
continuing talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis that
will address all the core and final status issues," Saud said.
"These talks must be followed by the launching of the Syrian and
Lebanese tracks at the earliest." more... Olmert Addresses the Annapolis Mideast Conference Washington Post (November 27, 2007) - PRIME MINISTER EHUD OLMERT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The honorable president of the United States, George Bush, my colleague, president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, heads of delegations, and distinguished guests, I came here today from Jerusalem, Mr. President, at your invitation, to extend, on behalf of the people of Israel and the state of Israel, to the Palestinian people and to our neighboring Arab states, to extend a hand in peace, a hand which marks the beginning of historic reconciliation between us and you, the Palestinians, and all of the Arab nations. I had many good reasons not to come here to this meeting. Memory of failures in the near and distant past weighed heavy upon us. The dreadful terrorism perpetrated by Palestinian terrorist organizations has affected thousands of Israeli citizens, has destroyed families and has tried to disrupt the lives of the citizens of Israel. I witnessed this when I served as mayor of Jerusalem in days of bombings at cafes, on buses, and in recreational centers in Jerusalem, as well as in other cities in the state of Israel. The ongoing shooting of Qassam rockets against tens of thousands of residents in the south of Israel, particularly in the city of Sderot, serves as a warning sign, one which we cannot overlook. The absence of governmental institutions and effective law enforcement mechanisms, the role of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the ongoing activity of murderous organizations throughout all the territories of the Palestinian Authority, the absence of a legal system that meets the basic criteria of democratic government, all of these are factors which deter us from moving forward too hastily. I am not overlooking any of these obstacles which are liable to emerge along the way. I see them. But I came here, despite the concerns and the doubts and the hesitations to say to you, President Mahmoud Abbas, and through you to your people, and to the entire Arab world, the time has come. We no longer and you no longer have the privilege of adhering to dreams which are (inaudible) from the sufferings of our peoples, the hardships that they experience daily, and the burden of living under ongoing uncertainty, which offers no hope of change or of a better future. We want peace. We demand an end to terror, an end to incitement and to hatred. We are prepared to make a painful compromise, rife with risks, in order to realize these aspirations. I came here today not in order to settle historical accounts between us and you about what caused the confrontations and the hatred, and what for many years has prevented a compromise, a settlement of peace. more... | Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | America |
Thousands rally in Jerusalem against parley Jerusalem
Post (November 27, 2007) - Any
Israeli concessions that would be forged in Annapolis would make
Jerusalem and the center of the country vulnerable to the kind of
Palestinian-launched rocket attacks that the border city of Sderot has
endured for years, Sderot resident Alon Davidi said on Monday night.
"Your actions in Annapolis will cause rockets to rain on Jerusalem,"
Davidi warned Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as he looked out at thousands
of right-wing protesters who packed Paris Square in Jerusalem. "You have
sacrificed Sderot and now you want to sacrifice the rest of the
country," Davidi said. "There is a moment in the life of a nation when
you have to say, enough is enough." The prime minister, Davidi said, "is
disconnected from the nation, but we are united." Shouting out "no" to a
divided Jerusalem and "yes" to the construction of more settlements and
Jewish homes in the West Bank, the protesters sent a message to Olmert
in advance of Tuesday's peace conference in Annapolis. They followed a
larger demonstration at the Western Wall in which some 15,000 prayed for
the Annapolis talks on any territorial withdrawal to fail. Standing on a
podium set up a block from Olmert's residence, politicians
and religious leaders buoyed by cheers from the crowd of
mostly teens and young adults vowed to prevent any further concessions
to the Palestinians. Many in the crowd held large black, red and white
signs that stretched over their heads proclaiming: "The agreement of
Olmert and Abu-Bluff will explode in our faces." Between the speeches,
protesters danced to live music performed by religious bands, the songs
reminiscent of the many anti-disengagement rallies that preceded the
2005 withdrawal from Gaza. But one speaker warned that Olmert should not
be fooled and that the new campaign against further territorial
withdrawals would not be like the anti-disengagement campaign, in which
the slogan was: "With love we will win." The stakes are high and the
fears of those gathered are not a minority concern, given that the
Annapolis talks endanger all of Israel, warned Dani Dayan, who heads the
Council of Jewish Communities of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. "We
have not come just to defend the homes of Judea and Samaria, but first
and foremost the unity of Jerusalem and the security of Tel Aviv," Dayan
said. "We say 'no' to the 1967 border," which the Palestinians are
demanding, said Dayan. more... Mahmoud Abbas Remarks at Annapolis Conference Washington Post (November 27, 2007) - SPEAKER: PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): In the name of God, the compassionate, (SPEAKING IN ARABIC) with great hope, but it is accompanied with great worry that this new opportunity might be lost. But the meanings of your message are well known and they carry your personal bridge and commitment by your great country and its determination to embrace the Palestinian and Israeli peace and the Arab-Israeli peace to be converted in the arena of negotiations to be the first and foremost arena for making peace. And that this initiative would culminate your term of office is an outstanding achievement which would add a new shining star in the skies of the world, the world of the future free of violence, oppression and bigotry. And also we would like to applaud you, Mr. President, for choosing this charming city, Annapolis, as a venue for convening this international conference. In addition to its beauty and distinctive location, it bears the symbol of freedom; the most sublime value in our life. "Freedom" is the single word that stands for the future of the Palestinians and captures the meanings of all their generations. It is their sunshine and it is the life that inspires their future. It is the last word voiced by the martyrs and victims, and it is the lyric (ph) of their prisoners. I must also pay tribute to the role played by Dr. Condoleezza Rice and her aides. For without here relentless resolve and determination and her vision vis-a-vis all aspects of conflict in our region, we would not have been convening here. Dr. Rice took important strides with us in order to affirm that the path of peace is the only choice and it is irreversible. And that the path to negotiations for peace and to achieve peace is the right path. It is important for me to indicate here that this distinguished participation and large participation from sister Arab and Islamic countries, the quartet, and the group of great industrial countries, and the permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations, and many prominent European and Asian countries, as well as non-aligned countries and African states and from South America, in a unique conference in the history of the conflicts would provide impetus and protection, in addition to the fact that it carries the meanings of encouragement to pursue the path of Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations and move that forward and the need to reach the solution of two states, based on ending occupation and the establishment of the state of Palestine side by side to the state of Israel, and the resolution of all issues relating to the Palestinian- Israeli conflict, Arab-Israeli conflict in all their aspects, as an indispensable qualitative step, so that comprehensive and normal peace relations would be established in our region. I am proud that this Arab and Islamic contribution and this broad international that this Arab and Islamic contribution and this broad international participation in the work of this conference is a testimony to the fact that sister and friendly states are standing by us, the people of Palestine, as a leadership, and for our efforts to achieve peace. It is a support of our approach that calls for a balanced historical settlement that would ensure peace and security for our independent state and for Israel, as well as for all countries in the region. more...| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | America |
Text of Bush’s Remarks at Annapolis Conference NY
Times (November 27, 2007) - Here are
the remarks President Bush delivered today at the United States Naval
Academy in Annapolis, Md., as transcribed by Federal News Service, Inc.,
a private firm not affiliated with the government. Mr. Bush’s remarks
opened a meeting of Middle Eastern leaders seeking peace in that region,
and were addressed to the leaders. Thank you for coming. Prime Minister
Olmert, President Abbas, Secretary-General Ban, former Prime Minister
Blair, distinguished guests, welcome to one of the finest institutions
we have in America, the United States Naval Academy. We appreciate you
joining us in what I believe is an historic opportunity to encourage the
expansion of freedom and peace in the Holy Land. We meet to lay the
foundation for the establishment of a new nation, a democratic
Palestinian state that will live side by side with Israel in peace and
security. We meet to help bring an end to violence that has been the
true enemy to the aspirations of both the Israelis and Palestinians.
We’re off to a strong start. I’m about to read a statement that was
agreed upon by our distinguished guests. “The representatives of the
government of the state of Israel and the Palestinian Liberation
Organization, represented respectively by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and
President Mahmoud Abbas, in his capacity as chairman of the P.L.O.
Executive Committee and president of the Palestinian Authority, have
convened in Annapolis, Maryland, under the auspices of President George
W. Bush of the United States of America, and with the support of the
participants of this international conference, having concluded the
following joint understanding. “We express our determination to bring an
end to bloodshed, suffering and decades of conflict between our peoples;
to usher in a new era of peace, based on freedom, security, justice,
dignity, respect and mutual recognition; to propagate a culture of peace
and nonviolence; to confront terrorism and incitement, whether committed
by Palestinians or Israelis. In furtherance of the goal of two states,
Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, we
agree to immediately launch good-faith, bilateral negotiations in order
to conclude a peace treaty resolving all outstanding issues, including
all core issues, without exception, as specified in previous agreements.
more...
Bush: I remain personally committed to two state solution Jerusalem
Post (November
26, 2007) - "I remain personally committed to implementing my
vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by
side in peace and security," US President George W. Bush pledged in a
statement released by the White House Sunday, ahead of the Annapolis
conference. Bush said the conference would signal international support
for the Israelis' and Palestinians' intention to commence negotiations
on the establishment of a Palestinian state and the realization of peace
between the two peoples. "The broad attendance at this conference by
regional states and other key international participants demonstrates
the international resolve to seize this important opportunity to advance
freedom and peace in the Middle East," continued the statement. [Israel] for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee. Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after. [Pre 1948] Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. [Technology of Israel] Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them. And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD. And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he hath done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it. Remember Andrew and Katrina? Bill Koenig wrote a book, Eye to Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel journaling the events that transpired and the touchdown of these two hurricanes on the very days that America was working to divide the land of Israel. Coincidence? You decide. BTW, this plays right in with the comments of the story above regarding the earth changes and what is causing them. God's wrath is coming and acceptance of Yeshua is our ONLY escape. Those too proud to come humbly before Him will get to not be near Him. His wrath will make many humble and shake their foundations (wealth, strength, power, life). These all fade and every one of us comes before the God of the universe. I recommend you get His Son as your defender before the Father as your judge. American politics are not going to stop their dividing of Israel, there may be a reason they are acting the way they are. Watch this ( 1:30:27) and read through the America page.
EU expected to follow Middle East peace conference with major aid push International
Herald Tribune (November 21, 2007) -
The European Union goes to next week's Middle East peace conference
ready to back up an agreement with financial aid, recognizing that
without giving Palestinians hope for improved living standards, a
political settlement will remain out of reach. The EU, which will be
represented by its key Mideast envoys and a number of foreign ministers,
is expected, however, to take a back seat to the United States in the
diplomatic drive to restart a peace process between Israeli and the
Palestinians. The conference takes place Monday through Wednesday in
Annapolis, Maryland, and Washington. "The European Union is a bit on the
sidelines for this process. The idea is for the United States to get the
two key players together," said Alfred Pijpers, a senior researcher at
the Clingendael Netherlands Institute for International Relations. "The
European Union will be of great help for financing, and technical
assistance and investments and so on, but as far as the direct,
so-called peace process is concerned, at this moment I don't see a very
immediate and direct activity from the EU side," he said by telephone
from Amsterdam on Wednesday. The EU is the Palestinians' largest aid
donor. In 2007, the EU and its 27 member nations gave close to €1
billion (US$1.48 billion), most of it in humanitarian assistance for
Palestinians who now live under rival governments in the West Bank and
the Gaza Strip. This week, the EU foreign ministers endorsed steps to
support any peace moves emerging from the Annapolis conference, which
will also be attended by delegations from Arab nations. The steps were
outlined in a report written by Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the EU's
external relations commissioner, and Javier Solana, the EU security
affairs chief. The report makes clear EU aid will be made available for
practical purposes: money and technical assistance to boost the
Palestinian police force and to reform the Palestinians' health,
education and judiciary departments. more...
The 1,800-year Israeli drought WorldNet
Daily (November 21, 2007) - If
reports of what is to transpire at the Annapolis Mideast summit are
correct, not only is Israel prepared to give up the Temple Mount, divide
Jerusalem and hand over Judea and Samaria to terrorists, the Jewish
state is also ready to concede the so-called "right of return" to untold
numbers of Arabs – many of whom have no actual connection with the land.
I could tell you such a notion is a strategic error. I could tell you it
is a result of twisted history. I could tell you it threatens the
national security of the Jewish state. But I've said all that before.
Instead, I prefer to tell you what happened the last time the Jews left
large sections of their biblical homeland, turning it over to non-Jewish
foreigners. It happened in the first century, beginning in A.D. 70, with
the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and continuing for decades
afterward as the global empire wiped out most of the Jewish presence in
Israel. It's not a threat. It's not a promise. It's not a prophecy. It's
just a fact. It's something I learned from a rabbi in Brooklyn by the
name of Menachem Kohen, author of a new book called
"Prophecies for the Era of Muslim Terror."
Have you ever wondered why the Holy Land was a wasteland during the
1,800-year dispersion of the Jews that lasted until they returned in
significant numbers beginning in the early 20th century? Have you ever
wondered why Mark Twain was so disappointed at what he found in his
travels through the area in the 19th century? Have you ever wondered
why, during that period of nearly two millennia, no other people
successfully and permanently settled this land that is so much in
dispute today? Rabbi Kohen points out the land suffered an
unprecedented, severe and inexplicable (by anything other than
supernatural explanations) drought that lasted from the first century
until the 20th – a period of 1,800 years coinciding with the forced
dispersion of the Jews. Kohen sees this as a miraculous fulfillment of
prophecy found in the book of Deuteronomy – especially chapter 28:23-24.
"And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that
is under thee shall be iron. "The LORD shall make the rain of thy land
powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be
destroyed." The climate in Israel dramatically changed during this
1,800-period – way before Al Gore discovered "global warming." Before
the Jews entered Canaan, it was described in the Bible as a land flowing
with milk and honey. If you read what Israel's climate and natural
landscape was like from the time Joshua crossed the Jordan right up
until the time of Jesus,
it sounds like a heavily forested land. There were amazing crops raised
by the people who inhabited the land when the Jews arrived. Sometimes
I've wondered what happened to Israel to turn it into the dusty, arid
land it was when the Jews came back in the 20th century. Until I read
that prophecy in Deuteronomy, brought to my attention by Rabbi Kohen, I
had no clue. For 1,800 years, it hardly ever rained in Israel. This was
the barren land discovered by Mark Twain. So-called "Palestine" was a
wasteland – nobody lived there. There was no indigenous Arab population
to speak of. It only came after the Jews came back. Beginning in
A.D. 70 and lasting until the early 1900s – about 660,000 days – no
rain. I decided to check this out as best I could and examined the
rainfall data for 150 years in Israel beginning in the early 1800s and
leading up to the 1960s. What I found was astonishing –
increasing rainfall almost every single year – with the heaviest
rainfall coming in and around 1948 and 1967. Is this just a
coincidence? I'll be quite honest with you: I don't think so.
Nor do I think Israel can continue today to make bad stewardship
decisions regarding the land bequeathed the Jews by God without
consequences – serious consequences.
Earthquake felt across Israel YNet
News (November 20, 2007) - Two
earthquakes, measuring 3 and 4.2 on the Richter scale, were felt across
Israel on Tuesday morning. The
Geophysical Institute of Israel (GII) reported that the quakes shook the
entire country and originated in the northern Dead Sea. According to the
Magen David Adom rescue services, there were no reports of injuries or
damage. The first quake was felt at around 11:19 am and the second one
at 11:30 am. Ynet received reports from readers in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv,
Haifa and southern Israel, who said that they had felt their houses
shake for several seconds. Rami Hopshteter, manager of the GII,
explained that "this was a moderate earthquake, but was strong enough to
be felt in many areas across the country. We received reports that the
quake was felt in Haifa, Ashkelon, and of course Jerusalem, which is
close to the quake's origin. We are certain that our Jordanian neighbors
also felt it. "The quake is not surprising," he added, "As there is a
lot of activity in the Dead Sea area… However, it is impossible to draw
any clear conclusions about the future. The State of Israel has been
preparing for an earthquake since 1999, but more can be done to improve
out preparedness." Sidra Muoio from Ma'aleh Adumin, near Jerusalem,
reported that the quake "lasted for about 10 seconds and the whole house
shook". Dina Dagan, manager of the Bainkini beach in the northern Dead
Sea, also felt the quake. "It was really scary. Everything started
shaking and I suddenly saw a huge wave ascend from the Dead Sea and it
looked like it was headed toward me. "It only lasted several seconds,
but it was terrifying, like something you see in the movies. I
experienced a few minutes of real anxiety. The quake today was not as
strong as last time, but it was nonetheless scary." "Everyone felt it,
but we remained calm," said Eilon from his workplace in Herzliya. "It
lasted between five to 10 seconds." more...
Moscow Comes between Israel and Syria Kommersant (November
16, 2007)
- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Alexander Saltanov and special representative of the foreign minister
for the Middle East Sergey Yakovlev arrived in Israel yesterday. The
main topic of their talks there will be a Syrian-Israeli settlement.
Russia hopes that its influence on Syria will permit it to overtake the
United States as peacemaker in the Middle East. The Russians' visit is
being given low-key treatment. They met with Israeli Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni yesterday. The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to comment
on their talks. The Russians also met with head of the Israeli National
Security Council Ilan Mizrahi. Officially, the topic of their talks was
the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian meetings in Annapolis, Maryland. Other
sources say they talked about a conference in Moscow, which the
Kremlin has been hoping for
since 2005. Since Israel prefers to deal with the Palestinians directly
and recognizes only the U.S. as an intermediary, Moscow has revamped its
proposal as a conference on Israeli-Syrian settlement. The possibility
of returning the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in 1967, in return
for a peace settlement, is more and more frequently mentioned in Israel
now. The U.S., although jealous of its role as peacemaker in the Middle
East, has indicated that it would agree to such a conference in Moscow.
Damascus had made it know that, during the summit in Annapolis, it would
host a summit of anti-Israeli forces. Former Russian prime minister and
head of the Russian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Evgeny Primakov was able to dissuade Syria from that plan during a visit
there at the beginning of the month. Instead, Syrian President Bashar
Asad will send his own envoy to Annapolis. In return, Syria is demanding
that the conference in Moscow take place, as the first step in its
recovery of the Golan Heights. Any apparent desire of Russia to bring peace to the Middle East is overshadowed by what the Bible says about those allied with Iran currently and a future attack on Israel. In this light, it is clear that Russia is on the side of Iran who has stated in no uncertain terms that the current administration desires the State of Israel to cease to exist. The m/o of the enemy is to come in with flattery and deceive, pretending to work for a common goal in order to get close enough to their enemy to undermine them and have an advantage. Russia's government has made itself an ally with all those who vehemently oppose Israel and given the Bible's description of what is to come, peace is not their ultimate goal.
Israeli TV Stations Showing 'Gog and Magog' Charts
Israel National News
(October 17, 2007) - Israeli evening newscasts prominently
featured George W. Bush's comments regarding a possible breakout of
World War Three Wednesday evening. Both Channel 2 and Channel 10 showed
the world map and sketched the basic alignment of the two opposing axes
in the possible world war, in a way that is bound to evoke associations
of the Gog and Magog prophecy for many viewers. On one side were Israel,
the United States, Britain, France and Germany. On the other were Iran,
Russia, China, Syria and North Korea. The prophecy of Gog and Magog
refers to a great world war centered on the Holy Land and Jerusalem and
first appears in the book of Yechezkel (Ezekiel).
'Vatican-Israeli ties worsening' The Jerusalem Post (November 17, 2007) - A senior Vatican diplomat who served as papal envoy to Israel has described Vatican-Israeli relations as worsening, blaming Israel for failing to keep promises related to church land, taxes and travel restrictions on Arab clergy. Archbishop Pietro Sambi lashed out at Israel in an interview posted Friday on Terrasanta.net, an online publication about the Holy Land. "If I must be frank, the relations between the Catholic Church and the state of Israel were better when there were no diplomatic ties," said Sambi, interviewed earlier in the week in Washington, where he now serves as Pope Benedict XVI's envoy to the United States. "The Holy See decided to establish diplomatic relations (in 1993) with Israel as an act of faith, leaving to latter the serious promises to regulate concrete aspects of the life of the Catholic community and the Church" in Israel, Sambi said. Among the issues hanging are the status of expropriated church property, services that Catholic groups perform for Israel's Jewish and Arab population, and tax exemptions for the Church. The Vatican diplomat also cited a current sore point - the granting of permits for Arab Christian clergy traveling to and around the West Bank. Israel has rescinded some travel privileges for those clergy because of security concerns. Israel and the Palestinian territories are home to a small Christian minority. Sambi complained that the Knesset has failed to give necessary approval to various accords that had been signed by both sides, and noted that an impasse over taxes has been discussed on and off for nearly 10 years without resolution. He blamed the situation on Israel's "absence of political will." "Everyone can see what kind of trust you can give to Israel's promises," Sambi said. Asked about Sambi's criticisms, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said: "Israel is interested in good relations with the Vatican and Israeli and Vatican officials are working to overcome gaps that exist." Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said the interview with Sambi "reflects his thinking and his personal experience" during the diplomat's former posting in Israel. Lombardi said the Holy See reiterated the hope, expressed in September when Benedict met with Israeli President Shimon Peres, for a "rapid conclusion of the important negotiations" and a common solution to "existing problems." Earlier this year, tensions developed between the Vatican and Israel when the Holy See's ambassador to Israel initially decided to boycott a Holocaust memorial service because of allegations that during World War II Pope Pius XII was silent about the mass killings of Jews. Please learn a little of the history of the Vatican and their connection to and control of the plans for global governance through history. Much of my life I had a tendency to just accept without research and I'm discovering that things are not at all what they are made to appear to be. Keep watching.
Israeli relations with the European Union to be enhanced Reuters
(November 14, 2007)
- Israel and the European Union have established a "reflection group" to
find ways to enhance Israeli relations with the EU beyond the existing
and developed relations, with the purpose of expanding pre-existing
Israeli cooperation in European programs. In March 2007, the
Israel-European Union Association Council, headed by Vice Prime Minister
and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni and her German counterpart,
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, established a "reflection
group" to find ways to enhance Israeli relations with the EU beyond the
existing and developed relations within the framework of the Israel-EU
Association Agreement and within the framework of the European
Neighborhood Policy. A key part of the enhancement is based on Israel's
incorporation in European agencies and programs in matters of mutual
interest, including: financial issues, research and development, trade,
energy, environmental protection, culture, the media, youth issues, etc.
The purpose is to expand the already existing cooperation in European
programs such as the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for
Research and Development, the framework of the GALILEO European
Satellite Navigation System project and the framework of the
Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), which Israel
recently joined. To promote Israel's incorporation into European
agencies and programs, the MFA held an interministerial meeting on
Tuesday 13 November with Dr. Andreas Herdina, head of the Sector
Coordination Unit for European Neighbourhood Policy in the European
Commission in Brussels and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and
Labor, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Environmental
Protection, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Tourism and also the
Bank of Israel, the Council for Higher Education, the Central Bureau of
Statistics, the Manufacturer's Association of Israel, the Standards
Institution of Israel, and the Economic-Social Council. In his opening
remarks, MFA Deputy Director General Rafael Barak emphasized that Israel
has significantly advanced it relations with the European Union within
the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy, and stressed Israel's
ambition to further enhance the relationship. Dr. Herdina stated that
the EU is willing to open additional agencies and programs to Israeli
participation and described the practical means to do so. The EU has
budgeted Euro 8 million to support the operative program with Israeli
ministries for the period 2007-2010.
Rice:
Israelis are prepared to give up West Bank for peace Haaretz
(November 13, 2007) - U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday she believes that the majority of
Israelis are prepared to give up the West Bank in exchange for peace.
Rice made the comments at the final panel of the yearly General Assembly
of the United Jewish Communities (GA), in Nashville Tennessee, which
ended Tuesday. Rice added that Israelis must be prepared for difficult
and painful sacrifices to some of their longest-held aspirations during
upcoming talks with Palestinian leaders. Rice did not specify what
sacrifices might be needed but added that the Palestinians must also be
prepared for sacrifices. "The threat from violent extremists means that
failure of the talks is not an option," she said. "What is at stake is
nothing less than the future of the Middle East," she added. Rice
expressed optimism ahead of the upcoming U.S.-hosted Annapolis summit
planned for the end of November, and said that the situation in the past
years had improved greatly. She maintained that Israelis believe today
that the establishment of a Palestinian state could benefit Israel, and
that most Arab states are not questioning whether Israel will exist, but
rather what the conditions for peace are. "In our view, the security of
the democratic Jewish state required the creation of a responsible
Palestinian state," she said. She suggested that the Palestinian state
also could serve as a bulwark against the threat from violent
extremists. She praised President George W. Bush for realizing a
Palestinian democracy was a necessary precondition for meaningful
negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis. "Some think that
this focus on democracy backfired with the election of Hamas," she said.
"I disagree with that conclusion. Hamas always had power. What it never
had was responsibility for power." "Hamas has chosen violence rather
than responsible government," she said, "and for that reason it is
isolated by the international community." Rice said a two-state solution
for the Israelis and Palestinians was more urgent than ever because of
the threat from violent extremists in the Middle East, referring
specifically to Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas and Iran. "Iran is
choosing to destabilize the Middle East, pursue nuclear capabilities and
threaten our allies, especially Israel," she said. She also warned that
the mere thought of a nuclear Iran is unacceptable for the U.S., and
should be unacceptable for the international community as well. She
praised the Iranian people, maintaining that their leadership does not
properly represent them - investing million in financing terror and
developing nuclear weapons while the citizens of Iran are struggling to
find jobs.
Israel determined not to let peace meet fail: Peres AFP
(November 12, 2007) - Israeli President
Shimon Peres pledged Monday that his country would work for a tangible
result at an upcoming US-sponsored Middle East peace conference, saying
that the Jewish state is ready to make peace with the Palestinians.
"Israel has decided to make Annapolis a success, to bring an end to the
conflict, to finally make peace between the Palestinians and ourselves,"
Peres told a news conference here after talks with his Turkish
counterpart Abdullah Gul. "It takes time to make peace... but I believe
we can make peace now with the Palestinians," he said. The United States
is expected to host an international conference in Annapolis, Maryland,
later this year aimed at reviving the Middle East peace process that
broke down seven years ago. "All parties concerned are decided... not to
let this chance pass away," Peres said, but warned against expecting a
quick result from the meeting he described as a "station on the road to
peace". Gul said Turkey expects the Annapolis meeting to yield
"concrete" results to pave the way for comprehensive peace talks, but
stressed that all parties to the Middle East conflict, including Syria,
should attend the talks. Peres said those attending the talks should be
"all moderate countries which are for peace." "The more countries
participate, the stronger the voice of peace becomes," he said. No
invitations have yet been issued for the Annapolis conference, but US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday it was likely Syria
would be invited. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that
Damascus will stay away from Annapolis unless the Israeli-Arab conflict
at large is discussed, including the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Peres said Ankara would participate in the conference and described it
as a move that will bring "spirit, example and contribution to make
peace". Muslim-majority, secular Turkey believes it is in a position to
facilitate peace efforts in the Middle East, counting on its close ties
with Israel and the Palestinians both, as well as a recent rapprochement
with former foe Syria. Gul said Turkey was also ready to launch
negotiations for the release of two Israeli soldiers captured last year
by the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah. Peres is scheduled to meet Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan later
Monday. The highlight of his trip will be on Tuesday when he addresses
the Turkish parliament in Hebrew, becoming the first Israeli head of
state to speak before the legislature of a Muslim-populated country.
more...
Israel on alert for Syria air strike
Times Online
(November 11, 2007) - THE defensive missile
shield around Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor was placed on red alert 30
times last week amid fears of an air strike by Syria. A battery of
American-made Patriot antiaircraft missiles has been moved to Dimona in
the Negev desert following intelligence that a strike may be launched in
retaliation for Israel’s bombing of a suspected nuclear site in Syria
two months ago. In a highly unusual move, the officers in charge of the
missiles were permitted to talk to Israeli state television about their
preparations. “We’re ready to launch the missiles in seconds, once we’re
on full alert,” said First Lieutenant Adi, a young female officer who is
the deputy commander of the battery. Tension with Damascus has
heightened since September 6 when Israeli fighters destroyed the
suspected nuclear installation in northern Syria. “The fact that the
Syrians didn’t launch an immediate strike against Israel doesn’t mean
that they won’t retaliate in due course,” said an Israeli defense
source. “Dimona is on the top of their list.” Tension is mounting in
Israel. “Every civilian aircraft en route from Cairo to Amman, or from
Jeddah to Cairo and vice versa, which deviates even slightly from its
route, sets off an alarm and risks a missile being fired,” said the
female commander of the Patriot battery. The unit is authorized to shoot
down any aircraft which approaches, civilian or combat. An Israeli
Mirage jet that approached Dimona by mistake was shot down during the
Six-Day War in 1967, while a Libyan Boeing 727 which lost its way in a
storm in 1973 and approached Dimona was also downed. All 113 on board
were killed. Solana Links Mideast Peace to Euro-Med Partnership Fulfilled Prophecy (November 5,6, 2007) - Mr Solana underlined to ministers the importance of the meeting on the Middle East peace process to be held in Annapolis and the need for all the parties to play a constructive part. The same was true of the presidential election in Lebanon: all parties must be constructive. As regards the Barcelona Process, Mr Solana stressed the importance of discussing security and energy issues in the Euro-Mediterranean forum and pointed to the progress made in the past year.
At the joint press conference with the Portuguese Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council, Luis Amado, Mr Solana pointed to the strength and dynamism of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. The work over the past year, the communiqué - a joint text agreed by everyone - and the fact that other countries wanted to join the club, reflected this. | Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |
'We must be ready to preempt threats' The
Jerusalem Post (October 23, 2007)
- Israeli Ambassador to the US Sallai Meridor declared Monday
that Israel should always
be prepared "to preempt, to deter and to defeat if we can" when
speaking about the threats facing the country. Chief among those
threats was Iran, said Meridor, who called for a unified
international as well as domestic American front to counter the
Islamic Republic's nuclear ambitions. "This will take a united
United States on this matter, that they would not have the
illusion today that come January '09, they [Teheran] have it
their own way," he said, referring to the inauguration of
President George W. Bush's successor, who could potentially
change US policy on Iran. Meridor said "very little time"
remained to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to
avoid the worst-case scenarios, outlined by French President
Nicolas Sarkozy, of an Iranian bomb or a war with
Iran. "There may be a
third way still, but only if the diplomatic and economic steps
could be dramatically - not incrementally - intensified," he
said, adding that 33 percent of Iran's trade is with Europe.
Meridor's comments appeared to put Israel at odds with America's
approach to UN Security Council sanctions, in which the US is
pushing for a gradual increase of pressure on Iran through a
series of sanctions resolutions so long as Teheran refuses to
halt uranium enrichment. A third such resolution is currently
being considered. Israeli sources said that to their knowledge
the administration is also calling for tougher sanctions. The
ambassador said Iran
would only stop its quest for nuclear capabilities when "the
cost [is at] a level that in their minds will put at risk the
accomplishments of the [1979 Islamic] revolution." Meridor began
his remarks at an American Jewish Committee luncheon by saying,
"As strong as we are, we should always be prepared to preempt,
to deter, to defeat if we can, to protect, and not assume that
threats have evaporated. They have not." more...
Zechariah's warning to Bush and Condi WorldNet
Daily (October 18, 2007) - The
Palestinians and Israelis are scheduled to meet at the Naval Academy in
Annapolis, Md., this November. This major "peace summit" is the
brainchild of the Bush administration and is under the supervision of
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Though most of the world –
especially the Arab world – seems dubious about the summit's prospects
for success, the United States appears bent on forcing some sort of
"peace" upon that troubled region. To do so, Secretary Rice is
pressuring Israel to drop all of its redline demands. Redlines are the
points that cannot be conceded. Both sides have redlines. Both sides
have points they will not give up, boundaries they will not cross. But
the State Department is pressuring Israel to drop all of its redline
conditions. For the first time, the division of Jerusalem is on the
table. Since 1967, Israel had steadfastly claimed a united Jerusalem as
"its eternal capital, never to be divided again." I will never
forget when Gen. Moshe Dayan first stood before the Western Wall after
the amazing six-day victory in June of 1967. He dramatically declared,
"We have returned to all that is holy in our land. We have returned
never to be parted from it again." Evidently, to Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert, "eternal" and "never" means about 40 years. According to the
Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Palestinians are pressuring Secretary
Rice to guarantee that Israel will relinquish sovereignty over the
Temple Mount. What's more, they're making this guarantee a pre-condition
before they'll even show up at the conference! According to a senior
Palestinian official quoted by Haaretz, "No Arab country would agree for
a final-status arrangement in which the Temple Mount was not in Muslim
hands, particularly not Saudi Arabia." So, while Israel is not permitted
any redline issues, the Palestinian redlines are not only permitted, but
Secretary Rice is seeking guarantees of Israeli acceptance of them. And
their No. 1 redline demand is that Israel must surrender the very heart
and soul of Judaism as the price of admission to even start discussing
peace. Just suppose for a moment that Israel and the Muslims were in
reverse circumstances. Can you imagine the reaction to Israel demanding
that the Muslims guarantee the surrender of Mecca as a precondition to
"discussing" peace? The world would consider such a demand unthinkable.
Yet, according to
a report in WorldNetDaily, Secretary Rice singled out areas of
Jerusalem that will become part of a future Palestinian state. She
reportedly told Palestinian negotiators that she would publicly blame
Israel for the failure of next month's summit if the Jewish state didn't
agree to evacuate east Jerusalem neighborhoods. Rice traveled to the
Middle East this week to help the Israelis and Palestinians formulate a
joint statement ahead of November's conference. The Palestinians want
the statement to outline specifically a Palestinian state including the
Gaza Strip, West Bank and essentially all of east Jerusalem, which
includes not only the Muslim holy places, but those of the Jews and
Christians as well. They are ostensibly to be put under Jordanian
supervision. But I remember what that was like before June 1967. There
were walls and barbed wire separating East Jerusalem from Israel.
Christian pilgrims had to carry their own luggage across an intimidating
no man's land of about 40 meters while unfriendly Jordanian soldiers
looked on. I am stunned the Bush administration is pressuring Israel to
agree to all of the Palestinian demands in advance, with the threat that
they'll be blamed for the summit's failure if they don't. In view of
this, my question is, "What's the point of the conference?" "What's left
to negotiate?" President Bush and Secretary Rice have already done the
Palestinians' negotiating for them. And all of this despite the fact
that the Palestinians have not lived up to one prerequisite condition
outlined in Bush's own "Road Map for Peace." You know, I fear for both
President Bush and Secretary Rice. I also fear for my beloved country.
They must be ignorant of a prophecy God made 2,500 years ago through the
Hebrew prophet Zechariah. It applies to this precise time and situation
in history. God said, "Behold, I will make
Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples. …"
The people surrounding Jerusalem are all the current Muslim nations. As
predicted, they have become intoxicated over possessing Jerusalem. Like
drunken people, their emotions, inflamed with religious zeal, are
causing them to do unwise, reckless and violent things. The truth is
hardly any Muslims traveled to visit Jerusalem before the Jews returned
to it. Now you would think there is no other holy place on earth as
important to them. These are the exact conditions Zechariah predicted
would be part of the last stages of this age. He continues, "And
it shall happen in that day that I WILL make Jerusalem a very heavy
stone for ALL PEOPLES. …" – meaning the entire world. Now here's
the punch line: "ALL who would seek to heave it
away will surely be cut in pieces." The original Hebrew makes the
meaning of this even clearer. It reveals that everyone who tries to
remove the heavy burden of the Jerusalem crisis will be utterly
destroyed for getting involved with it. Isaac and Ishmael's fight over
possession of Jerusalem has drawn the whole world into it – just as the
prophets predicted. It is the culmination of Ishmael's 4,000-year-old
hatred of his half-brother Isaac, the forefather of the Israelites. I
pray that somehow this message will get through to President Bush and
Secretary Rice. This prophecy applies to this very moment in which we
live. And in light of what they are forcing on Israel, it applies to
them personally. While Bush and Rice strive to create legacies for
themselves – just as most presidents have tried to do with the Middle
East conflict for the last 40 years – they not only endanger themselves,
but also endanger this nation with the divine curse promised above. Mr.
President, there is nothing on this earth worth what you are doing. In
the power of God's Spirit, I warn them both, "Stop, before it's too
late!"
Syrian Confirms Israel Destroyed Nuclear Facility
Israel National News
(October 18, 2007) - A Syrian official has
admitted that the
Israeli operation on September 6 destroyed a nuclear facility - but
the admission was followed shortly afterwards by a Syrian government
denial. A Syrian representative said Tuesday at the United Nations that
reports that the target was a nuclear device were accurate. Syrian
officials, including President Bashar Assad had previously claimed that
Israel attacked an abandoned army base or an agricultural facility.
During a meeting of the UN Disarmament Commission, the Syrian
representative acknowledged that the target had been the nuclear
facility. Israeli Foreign Ministry officials were also attending. He
accused Israel of aggression for targeting the facility. In Israel,
details of the strike, beyond the fact that an operation took place on
September 6 in Syria, are still under gag order. Local media continue to
skirt the order by leaking information to foreign papers and then citing
their reports. Some analysts have said the reason for the continued
silence of the Israeli government on the September 6 attack is to avoid
humiliating Assad and leading to a possible military escalation. Dr.
Elon Liel, a former Director General of the Foreign Ministry, has gone
one step further in his hope for a conciliatory approach to Israel’s
northern neighbor, sending a letter to Education Minister Yuli Tamir
asking her to prevent high school students from participating in the “In
the Footsteps of the Warriors” tours in the Golan Heights. Liel said he
feared the tours would strengthen the students’ connection to the Golan.
He called the tours “a provocation,” saying Israel would discourage
Syria from negotiating an Israeli retreat from the Golan.
Brigadier-General Avigdor Kahalani, who participated in the liberation
of the Golan and the creation of the “In the Footsteps of the Warriors”
tours, rejected Liel’s demand as “nothing more than a leftist
initiative.” The tours are important to the students’ morale and
strengthen their sense of identification with IDF soldiers who fought in
previous wars, he said. “A bus full of students is not a provocation.”
more...
Mini-Earthquake Sets Off Predictions of a Larger One
Israel National News
(October 18, 2007) - The Patzael region in
the central Jordan Valley, just 20 kilometers north of Jericho, was
touched by a small earthquake on Saturday night, registering 3.0 on the
Richter scale. A similar quake occurred in the same area two months ago.
On Sunday morning, researchers at Tel Aviv University presented a new
study on the timeline of earthquakes throughout history. No precise
future earthquake dates can be extrapolated from the data, but the
researchers say one is on the way - as no major quake has hit the danger
area between the Dead Sea and the Kinneret in centuries. "It's like the
first winter rain," said Dr. Shmuel Marko, who took part in the study.
"The longer the dry summer lasts, the closer the first rain is. Here, as
well: The quiet is worrisome. The longer we go without a large quake,
the more we can expect one." On the other hand, experts have said that
Israel's earthquakes are in general less frequent than those in other
quake-prone regions such as California, Japan and Turkey. Israel is
located along the Syria-Africa rift, a friction point between two
subterranean plates and is therefore considered earthquake-prone. In
1927, some 250 people were killed in an earthquake that hit Jericho and
central Israel. In November 1995, a 6.2 quake caused injuries to several
people in Eilat. A minor quake, 5.0 on the Richter scale, hit Israel in
February 2004, shaking buildings in many cities and even causing damage
to the Knesset building. No one was reported hurt. The northern city of
Tzfat was hit by two earthquakes in recent centuries, in 1759 and in
1837. The latter one killed at least 2,000 people, when residents were
buried under the ruins of their homes and help did not arrive for days.
Likud official infers Temple Mount not Jewish holy place
Jerusalem
Newswire
(October 17, 2007) - The head of the
Likud Party's foreign relations department gave a massive boost to the
claims of Islam - Israel's most implacable enemy - Tuesday when he
inferred that Jerusalem's Temple Mount was not sacred to the Jewish
people. The Temple Mount is the Jewish people's holiest site. Arab and
other Muslim leaders and clerics, who assert that the hill is Islam's
third holiest site, have long and fiercely maintained that the Jews have
no historical connection or claim to the outcrop the Bible calls God's
"holy hill." While secular Jews often appear content to limit their
"right" to the Western Wall, Israelis who have the fear of the Lord and
who know that their nation's First and Second Temples were built on top
of the mount will not agree to relinquishing it to the followers of
another god. Zalman Shoval, a former ambassador to the United States,
and traditionally a right thinker on Israeli security issues, told a
meeting of the Foreign Press Association that the Likud - which is led
by former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu - could allow an Arab or
Muslim country to administer the site for the sake of securing peace for
Israel. "It is not in Israel's interest to be in any way in charge of
the holy places other than those of the Jewish faith," the secular
Shoval said, adding he believed there were "ways to adopt formulae to
this end." Using politico-speech (universally known as the language of
compromise) Shoval first insisted that "the question of Israel's
sovereignty in Jerusalem, and first and foremost the Temple Mount, is
not negotiable." But he then reminded his audience that "actually there
have been plans for a long time" to find a way around this "immovable"
political reality. "Arab and Muslim countries, Jordan for instance,
could play a leading role," and it was even possible that the
Palestinian Authority could "run" the Temple Mount if there were real
peace. more...
Rabbis urge: 'Save Jerusalem!'
WorldNet Daily
(October 16, 2007) - A group of hundreds of prominent Israeli
rabbis yesterday called on Jews worldwide to speak out against what
rabbinic leaders called the "crime of dividing Jerusalem as proposed by
the current Israeli government." The move follows a flurry of media
reports that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is contemplating handing over
sections of Jerusalem to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas'
Fatah organization. Yesterday Olmert hinted he would be willing to
divide Jerusalem, asking during a speech whether it was "really
necessary" to retain certain Arab neighborhoods in Judaism's capital. At
a Tel Aviv press conference yesterday, leaders of the Rabbinical
Congress for Peace, a coalition of more than 350 Israeli rabbinic
leaders and pulpit rabbis, including some of Israel's most prominent
Jewish leaders, urged Jews worldwide to speak out. "We must scream and
protest not only to go through the motions, but maybe our protest will
bring another one in its chain and awaken the public," said RCP leader
Rabbi David Drukman, the rabbinic leader of the Kiryat Motzkin Israeli
community. "It pains us to see that there is no public outcry against
this; everyone is complacent," Drukman said at the press conference.
Rabbi Meir Horowitz, leader of the Hassidic Bostoner community and a
U.S. citizen, addressed U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
directly: "Madam Secretary, we request that you convey to President Bush
and to the leaders of the civilized world that although Jerusalem is
also holy to the three great faiths of the world, for the Jewish people
it is our only holy city; therefore, no one can expect the Jewish people
to forgo the central theme and focus of their religion." Rabbi Avrohom
Yaakov Shreiber, who was the rabbinic leader of Kfar Darom, one of the
largest Gaza Strip Jewish communities evacuated by Israel in 2005,
pointed out that while most Jewish expulsions throughout history were
perpetuated by non-Jews, he was "stunned" the Jewish state would "expel
their brothers from their homes." Meir Porush, a nationalist Knesset
Member, called Jerusalem "the soul of the nation and just like a man
cannot live without a soul, so we cannot live without Jerusalem." Rabbi
Gerlitzky, chairman of the Rabbinical Congress, commented, "It has been
several months now that the government has been discussing dividing
Jerusalem, but it was done quietly behind our back. Now when it came out
in the open, there is no outcry. I feel as though the public has been
sprayed with some kind of sleeping gas." A Rabbinic Congress resolution,
passed at yesterday's meeting, urged the Olmert government to "come back
to your senses." "The Congress calls on the government to abandon the
'land for peace' formula. It never worked in the past, it doesn’t work
now and will never work in the future. This formula is obsolete,
outdated, leads to bloodshed." The rabbis' statements followed a speech
yesterday in which Olmert asked whether it was "really necessary" for
Israel to control Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem. more...
Israel Minister: War is Inevitable
News Max (October 15,
2007) - An Israeli mission to destroy the terrorist
infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is inevitable, an Israeli official said
Monday. According to the Jerusalem Post, Strategic Affairs Minister
Avigdor Lieberman told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Israel
should conduct a mission similar to the country's Operation Defensive
Shield in the West Bank, which occurred in the spring of 2002. Lieberman
also advised Rice not to pressure Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to take
steps that would cause the downfall of the Israeli government. "In the
current political conditions, the government cannot allow itself to make
controversial decisions on sensitive issues," Lieberman told Rice. "The
conference planned for Annapolis is a mistake. It will be just another
conference and just another document. Without a noticeable improvement
in Israeli security or Palestinian economic conditions, the conference
will not be different than any of the unsuccessful conferences of the
past."
Christians Flock to Comfort Israel
Israel Today (October 15, 2007)
-
Thousands of Christians ascended to Jerusalem as they
do every fall in a show of solidarity with Israel and in
anticipation of the prophesied Messianic Age, when all nations will
come to celebrate Sukkot, the weeklong biblical Feast of Tabernacles
(Zechariah 14:16). Three Jerusalem-based ministries hosted the
pilgrims at events with a similar focus but different approach. With
an estimated 6,000 participants, the International Christian Embassy
conference at the Jerusalem Convention Center was by far the largest
event. In fact, it is the biggest single tourism event of the year
in Israel. The “Feast” featured stunning musical productions and
speeches by Israeli officials, including Tourism Minister Yitzhak
Aharonovitch and nationalist Knesset Member Benny Elon. Despite
being an Orthodox rabbi, Elon defied a ban by Israel’s Chief
Rabbinate on Jews attending the Christian events during Sukkot
because of alleged “missionary” activity. He even thanked the
audience for “being ambassadors of Israel.” “Go tell the world the
right story,” Elon said, “[that] we are here because there is a
covenant between God of Israel and us and it is an everlasting
covenant.” Across town at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, Vision for Israel
provided the venue of choice for many Israeli believers with its
distinctive Jewish flavor. Vision for Israel is a ministry headed by
noted Messianic musicians Barry and Batya Segal. Contrasting the
indoor events of the other two ministries, the International
Christian Zionist Center (ICZC) was determined to interact with
Israelis where they are hurting most, and where their biblical
inheritance is under greatest threat. From the rocket-battered
southern town of Sderot to secular Tel Aviv to the endangered
settlements of Samaria, the ICZC set out with Isaiah 40:1 as its
motto: “Comfort, O comfort My people.” In Sderot, which has been hit
by thousands of Palestinian rocket attacks from neighboring Gaza
over the past five years, wide-eyed locals looked on in wonder as
the group’s convoy of buses pulled into town and unloaded hundreds
of enthusiastic, Israel-loving Christians. more... Shakings, Weighings and Divisions: Syria, Annapolis and the Return of YHVH - Part One - Syria David's Tent (October 13, 2007) - Israel has been in the headlines again – a mysterious Israel Air Force attack delves deep into Syria; an upcoming US-prompted peace conference in Annapolis MD discusses a major dividing up of the land of Israel; a brazen new book accuses the American Jewish community and Israel of acting against the interests of the USA, raising the ante of anti-Semitism in the USA. The sharks smell blood and are circling, while the Jewish David, one arm tied behind his back by world pressure and opinion, finds himself confronting many modern-day Goliaths. We are indeed living in significant days! Serious stirrings in Syria Some secret events in Syria have hit the headlines in recent days. Israel's strict censorship rules on military matters forbid direct reporting of certain military matters, but anonymous leaks to major journalists have somewhat dispersed the mists of war. London's Sunday Times (www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2461421.ece) reported on September 16 2007 that just after midnight on September 6, the 69th Squadron composed of eight Israeli F-15Is, F-16s and a UAV crossed the Mediterranean coastline of Syria and headed to a military target 50 miles from the Iraqi border – Deir ez-Zour. Syrian radar was somehow blocked, and a pre-positioned Israeli special forces Shaldag team (air force commandos) painted the target with laser beams. The pinpoint accurate bombing destroyed what Israeli intelligence anonymously describe as either nuclear material or a nuclear device from North Korea which could be fitted on North Korean Scud-C missiles (already in Syria's arsenal). An Israeli source said, "We’ve known for a long time that Syria has deadly chemical warheads on its Scuds, but Israel can’t live with a nuclear warhead." Over the years the world's intelligence community has given us some context for this attack. A CIA report from June 2003 stated, "Broader access to foreign expertise provides (Syria) opportunities to expand its indigenous capabilities and we are looking at Syrian nuclear intentions with growing concern." (https://www.cia.gov/library/reports/archived-reports-1/jan_jun2003.htm#7) On November 12 2003 John R. Bolton, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security at the State Department, spoke at a public gathering in Washington DC (www.state.gov/t/us/rm/26129.htm):
On April 29, 2004 Bolton told the United Nations that the Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan had "several other" customers for his nuclear bomb factories besides Iran, Libya and North Korea. Western diplomats said then that Bolton was clearly referring to Syria (see the Reform Party of Syria's article in www.aina.org/news/20050104115532.htm). The Road To Annapolis (2007) The past few weeks have seen a flurry of activity concerning a possible peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, a city that since American Colonial days has been known as the "Athens of America". Tony Blair recently stepped down from his position as Prime Minister and immediately was appointed Middle East Envoy of the Quartet (US, UK, European Union and Russia) on June 27 2007. He promptly stated that until Israel surrenders more land, there will be no peace in the Middle East. "The absolute priority is to try to give effect to what is now the consensus across the international community - that the only way of bringing stability and peace to the Middle East is a two-state solution" (PM Blair's final press briefing at Downing Street). According to Blair, it seems, Israel holds the key to Middle East and world peace. While there is a sense where Blair's words may be biblically true (Israel does hold the key to life from the dead, according to Romans 11:15), Blair's statement as it stands is grossly inaccurate, ignoring the bloody ongoing inter-Arab conflicts that churn across the Middle East on a daily basis – conflicts that have nothing to do with Israel in even the remotest way! See Dr. Daniel Pipes' article "Arab-Israeli Fatalities Rank 49th" at www.danielpipes.org/article/4990. The UK and the US seem to have come to a remarkable agreement regarding what to do with Israel. Speaking in Ramallah on October 15 2007 Secretary of State Rice said:
| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Dividing the Land | America |
Jerusalem Emerges as Stumbling Block in Mideast Peace Talks
Voice of America News
(October 11, 2007) -
Jerusalem is emerging as a major stumbling block in new peace
negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. As Robert Berger
reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, both Jews and Muslims are claiming
the city's holy sites as their own. A senior Palestinian official has
thrown a wrench into peace talks by saying that the Western Wall in
Jerusalem's Old City, the holiest place in Judaism, belongs to Islam and
the Palestinians. The Palestinian Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Adnan
Husseini says the Western Wall is a "Wakf" or Islamic Trust that must be
returned to Palestinian control. He told Israel Radio that it is a
supporting wall for the al-Aksa Mosque, the third holiest place in
Islam. For Israel, the wall is the last remnant of the biblical Temple,
and turning it over to the Palestinians is unthinkable. As Israel and
the Palestinians try to hammer out a declaration of principles to be
presented at an international peace conference this year, Jerusalem is
back on the negotiating table. In a compromise proposal earlier this
week, Israel offered to hand over some Arab neighborhoods of East
Jerusalem to Palestinian control, though that would not include the Old
City, where contested holy sites are located. Israeli parliamentarian
Reuven Rivlin, of the hawkish opposition Likud party, says the
government made a mistake by negotiating on Jerusalem in the first
place. Rivlin told Israel Radio that if you begin by offering Arab
neighborhoods to the Palestinians then you end at the Western Wall. He
said no Israeli leader has the right to negotiate over Jerusalem, which
he says is the eternal capital of the Jewish people. Reinforcing
Palestinian demands, President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel must withdraw
from all territory captured in the 1967 war, including Jerusalem's Old
City. Israel's government says that is a non-starter.
Putin To EJC: Israel, Russia Are 'Partners' In Facing Iran
The Jerusalem Post
(October 11, 2007) -
In a meeting with European Jewish Congress leaders on Wednesday, Russian
President Vladimir Putin said that the two countries most threatened by
Iran are Israel and Russia, and the two are "complete partners in this
matter," according to EJC sources familiar with the meeting. "The
president [Putin] also said he will do everything in his power to
continue to raise the issue in the upcoming Second Summit of Caspian
States [beginning October 16 in Teheran]," the source said. Earlier
Wednesday, following a meeting between Putin and French President
Nicholas Sarkozy, Putin declared that there was a lack of "objective
data" regarding an Iranian nuclear weapons plan, so "we proceed from a
position that Iran has no such plans." Even so, he said, "we are sharing
our partners' concern about making all Iranian programs transparent."
Russia has opposed the US-led push for tougher sanctions against Iran
and called for more checks and inspections of Iranian facilities by
International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, instead of
an immediate third round of sanctions. Asked about the discrepancy of
apparent concern over an Iranian nuclear threat in the meeting with the
EJC and the calmer tones prevailing in Putin's message to the
international community, an EJC spokesman said the organization did not
have an immediate comment on Putin's earlier declaration. At the
meeting, EJC President Moshe Kantor asked Putin "to bring his influence
to bear on the Iranian President" since "Iran is the major state
supporter of International terrorism. If Iran gains the ability to
export nuclear weaponry to terror organizations, the danger and horror
that awaits the world is immense." The Kremlin meeting also discussed
anti-Semitism, where the EJC praised the Russian government's work to
combat the phenomenon in Russia. According to the EJC, Putin "committed
himself to using the full force of the law to bring to account people
who perpetrate such acts." In particular, the Jewish umbrella
organization heard "positive" responses from several Russian leaders,
including Putin, regarding the formal commemoration of International
Holocaust Memorial Day in Russia. The day, which falls on January 27,
the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945, is marked
officially in Germany, Poland, the UK, Denmark and elsewhere, and was
adopted this year by the UN.
EU will back Abbas if Hamas included
The Jerusalem Post
(October 11, 2007) -
The European Union would support Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas if he reconciled with Hamas, according to Christina Gallach,
spokeswoman for EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana. Speaking to
visiting Israeli reporters in Brussels on Thursday, she said the EU,
nonetheless, still held firm to its policy not to recognize Hamas until
it recognizes Israel. Gallach said it was up to Abbas to find a way to
handle Hamas. "What we tell him [Abbas] is that he is the one we
recognize, the one we support," she said. "We work very well with him
and [PA] Prime Minister Salaam Fayad." In the past, Gallach said, the EU
found a way to move forward with Fatah when it sat in a government with
Hamas, dealing solely with Abbas and some of his Fatah ministers. Her
statements came in response to media reports of possible talks between
Hamas and Fatah just one month before the US-sponsored Middle East
meeting expected to be held in Annapolis on the Israeli-Palestinian
peace process. "We tell [Abbas] he has to do what he thinks is right,"
Gallach said. "On this issue, we will not take the lead." Hamas Prime
Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday night that Hamas would be willing
to hold talks with Fatah and hinted it would consider ceding control of
the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported. "There is a serious improvement in
Palestinian dialogue, and we have agreed to hold talks with Fatah in one
of the Arab capitals," Haniyeh reportedly said. He reportedly said the
Hamas administration in Gaza was "temporary," adding that dialogue with
Fatah would be established following Ramadan. Nabil Amr, a senior Fatah
official and key adviser to Abbas, on Thursday strongly denied reports
about secret talks between his faction and Hamas. He said Fatah would
not talk to Hamas unless the Islamist movement relinquished control over
the Gaza Strip. "Hamas is a terror organization, and any connection of
any type whatsoever to Hamas will not bring peace - not to Israel and
not to the Palestinians," a Foreign Ministry official told The Jerusalem
Post Thursday. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of former senior US
officials and congressmen pushed for dialogue with Hamas ahead of the
Annapolis peace conference. "We believe that a genuine dialogue with the
organization is far preferable to its isolation; it could be conducted,
for example, by the UN and Quartet Middle East envoys," they wrote in a
letter to the Bush administration published Wednesday. "If Syria or
Hamas are ostracized, prospects that they will play a spoiler role
increase dramatically." The signatories included former George H.W. Bush
administration national security adviser Brent Scowcroft, former Carter
administration national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski and former
Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker. The letter praised the invitation
extended to Syria and called for the conference to launch Israeli-Syrian
talks. more...
Israel signals shift on Jerusalem split
Associated Press
(October 8, 2007) -
Two senior Israeli politicians, including the prime minister's closest
ally, talked openly Monday about dividing
Jerusalem, signaling a possible shift in Israeli opinion about
one of the Mideast's most contentious issues. The dispute over Jerusalem
has derailed negotiations in the past, and the latest comments come at a
time when Israeli and Palestinian teams are trying to agree on
principles guiding future peace talks. The ideas raised by Vice Premier
Haim Ramon still fall far short of Palestinian demands to establish
their capital in all of the city's eastern sector, annexed by Israel
after the 1967 Mideast War. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert,
meanwhile, told parliament he will not be deterred from seeking a peace
deal with the Palestinians. He said Israel has missed opportunities in
the past, and warned that continued failure would mean a "demographic
struggle steeped in blood and tears." Olmert was unusually impassioned
but short on specifics. He made no mention of Jerusalem. Later Monday,
Israeli and Palestinian teams met for the first time to start drafting a
joint declaration of principles that would guide negotiators if peace
talks were to resume after a seven-year freeze. Abbas aide Yasser Abed
Rabbo said afterward that no results could have been expected from the
first meeting, but he hoped a meaningful document would emerge. The
document, which is to address the key disputes — borders, Jerusalem,
Israeli settlements, Palestinian refugees — will be the centerpiece of a
U.S.-hosted Mideast conference in November. Olmert's speech appeared to
be a careful balancing act — sending an encouraging message to the
Palestinians, while not giving his hardline critics at home too much
ammunition by going into detail. His central theme was a pledge not to
miss an opportunity to reach a long-elusive peace deal, even if it
requires costly concessions. Olmert said Israelis will have to led
go of some of the beliefs that "fed the national ethos for many years,"
a reference to giving up West Bank land. more...
Israel says peace conference not enough
Associated Press
(October 7, 2007) -
Israel's prime minister said Sunday the U.S.-sponsored Mideast
conference next month is not a substitute for direct Israeli-Palestinian
peace talks, an apparent attempt to lower expectations from the
gathering called by President Bush. However, violence threatened to
overshadow preparations. On Sunday, Gaza militants fired a Katyusha
rocket at southern Israel. No one was hurt, but it raised the dire
possibility of an escalation in the daily battles with Israeli forces if
the militants use more of the rockets, which are far more dangerous than
the homemade versions they have been using. Lebanese Hezbollah
guerrillas bombarded northern Israel with nearly 4,000 of the rockets in
their monthlong war with Israel in 2006, killing dozens of Israelis.
Palestinians were scaling back their demands before the conference,
improving chances for an agreement with Israel on an advance document.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his Cabinet on Sunday that his meetings
with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have yielded no breakthroughs.
"There have been no agreements or deals," Olmert said. The two have been
sitting down every two weeks or so, and last week they appointed
committees to draft an accord to take to the Mideast conference,
expected to convene in late November in the U.S. The teams are set to
meet for the first time on Monday, and Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice is to return to the region later this week to assess progress.
While the international conference is designed to promote peacemaking,
"it will in no way replace direct negotiations with the Palestinians,"
Olmert said. He also said there could be no actual movement toward peace
until the Palestinians implement their commitments under the 2003 "road
map" plan. That includes dismantling violent groups like Hamas, which
has in the meantime taken over Gaza and is threatening Abbas' rival
Fatah faction in the West Bank. Palestinians charge Israel has not done
its part under the road map — halting settlement expansion and removing
illegal outposts. Palestinian government spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh said
Sunday Israeli intentions are the key. "If they are serious, we will
definitely reach a political document that handles the final status
issues with a timetable for the implementation and the establishment of
the independent Palestinian state," he said. But other Palestinian
officials said a detailed agreement is no longer a condition for
attending the conference — a document that lists the issues but does not
spell out Palestinian concessions would be acceptable. The officials
spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations are still in
progress. Israel prefers a vague declaration of principles instead of a
detailed document including its concessions. The outline of a final
Israel-Palestinian peace deal has been clear for years — an Israeli
withdrawal from most of the West Bank, removal of most Jewish
settlements there, and deals over Palestinian refugees and division of
Jerusalem. The main problem is the perception on each side that the
other is too weak to make the necessary concessions to finalize such an
agreement. more...
'Syria won't hesitate to a start war with Israel to regain Golan'
The Jerusalem Post (October
7, 2007) - Syria will not hesitate to start a war with Israel in
order to restore its control over the Golan Heights, A-Baath, the
official newspaper of President Bashar Assad's government, warned
Saturday. In an article to mark 34 years since the outbreak of the Yom
Kippur War, A-Baath said: "Our people and our leadership are determined
to liberate our conquered lands using all means, methods and ways."
Meanwhile, ABC News quoted American officials as saying that the IAF
raid in Syria during September was planned for several months and was
postponed a number of times due to heavy US pressure. According to the
report, Israel presented US officials with satellite imagery which
clearly showed North Korean nuclear technology in a Syrian facility.
According to a US source, Washington officials were astonished by the
imagery and by the fact US intelligence had not picked up on the
facility previously. "Israel tends to be very thorough about its
intelligence coverage, particularly when it takes a major military step,
so they would not have acted without data from several sources," said
ABC News military consultant Tony Cordesman. A different source told ABC
News that Israel had planned the strike as early as July 14, and in
confidential meetings with high ranking US officials, debated over the
appropriate response. Several officials supported Israel's decision to
strike, although others, led by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
firmly opposed it and offered to publicly condemn Syria for operating a
nuclear facility instead. US officials who initially opposed the raid,
according to ABC , apparently feared the negative influence it might
have over the whole region. Consequently, officials in Washington
persuaded Israel to push back the raid, but in September, Israel feared
that information about the facility might be leaked to the press, and
went ahead with the strike, despite objections by Washington.
Abbas: Jerusalem key to peace
YNet News
(October 6, 2007) -
The Israeli and Palestinian teams asked to draft a joint statement ahead
of a Mideast peace conference will hold their first meeting Monday,
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said. The teams are to write down
the principles that would guide future peace talks. The US-hosted
conference is to take place in November or early December. Abbas said he
expected at least 36 states to attend, including 12 Arab states, three
Muslim nations, the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the
G-8. "We hope that the number will increase to 40 states," Abbas was
quoted as telling Palestinian dignitaries from Jerusalem on Friday
evening, during a meal breaking the dawn-to-dusk fast of the Muslim holy
month of Ramadan. The remarks were carried by the Palestinian news
agency WAFA and confirmed by a participant. Abbas did not provide a list
of countries expected to attend. The US has not released such a list, or
set a date yet. In Friday's meeting, Abbas told his guests that a
solution for Jerusalem would be key to any peace deal. Israelis and
Palestinians both claim the city as a capital. "Jerusalem has always
been in our hearts, and the hope that we have been looking at," Abbas
was quoted as saying. "There is no independent Palestinian state without
Jerusalem as its capital. It is a concern in the coming, difficult
days." Abbas has met six times since the spring with Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert, to explore the chances of resuming negotiations,
which broke down in January 2001. more...
Nasrallah: I wish Arabs would invade Palestine
YNet News
(October 5, 2007) -
Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday that "the occupation of
Palestine is one of the greatest tragedies that befell the Arab nation."
Speaking in Beirut during a ceremony to mark Al-Quds Day, Nasrallah
accused Israel of planning for war by launching airstrikes against
targets in Syria. "Israel wants to impose its authority on the region.
The flyover in Syria is aimed at harming Syria's position" ahead of the
US-sponsored peace conference in November, Nasrallah said. "No one
doubts that there Israel coordinated the strike with the Americans to
draw Syria into war. This is Bush's plan for the region, not a peace
plan but a plan for war as he did in Iraq and Lebanon." Addressing the
Arab world he said: "I wish the Arab armies would head toward Palestine,
that's a dream. 'We are a people ready to sacrifice but you have to
stand by us and support us,' that's what the Palestinian people said
during the intifada." Nasrallah also called on Arab states to boycott
the conference, which he said would only benefit Israel. "Had the
Palestinian people been supported by the Arab world, it would have
succeeded in liberating all the Palestinian lands occupied in 1967,"
Nasrallah added. "The Zionists established gangs through Britain's aide
and occupied Palestinian land, killing, massacring, looting, destroying
and establishing their state through occupation and theft," he said. He
also accused Israel of orchestrating a string of assassination of
anti-Syrian politicians, saying Jerusalem and Washington had an interest
in preventing Lebanon's rival political parties from uniting.
US 'Must Break Iran and Syria Regimes'
Telegraph (October
5, 2007) - America should seize every opportunity to force regime
change in Syria and Iran, a former senior adviser to the White House has
urged. "We need to do everything possible to destabilise the Syrian
regime and exploit every single moment they strategically overstep,"
said David Wurmser, who recently resigned after four years as Vice
President Dick Cheney's Middle East adviser. "That would include the
willingness to escalate as far as we need to go to topple the regime if
necessary." He said that an end to Baathist rule in Damascus could
trigger a domino effect that would then bring down the Teheran regime.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the first since he left
government, he argued that the United States had to be prepared to
attack both Syria and Iran to prevent the spread of Islamic
fundamentalism and nuclear proliferation in the Middle East that could
result in a much wider war. Mr Wurmser, 46, a leading neo-conservative
who has played a pivotal role in the Bush administration since the
September 11th attacks, said that diplomacy would fail to stop Iran
becoming a nuclear power. Overthrowing Teheran's theocratic regime
should therefore be a top US priority. more...
Bush says "very optimistic" on Mideast peace
Reuters (October
5, 2007) - President George W. Bush said in comments aired on
Friday he was "very optimistic" a Palestinian state could be set up
alongside Israel and that next month's Middle East conference could lead
towards peace in the region. The U.S.-sponsored conference is due to
take place in the Washington area in November, although there are doubts
over how far it will go towards ending decades of conflict and
uncertainty over which Arab states will attend. "I am very optimistic
that we can achieve a two-state solution," Bush told Al Arabiya
television. "We're hosting an international conference that will be
attended by interested parties and ... a committee from the Arab League.
It is an opportunity for serious, substantive discussions about the way
forward and a two-state solution," Bush said. "I fully understand that
the two-state solution is a part of a comprehensive peace in the Middle
East. Our strategy is to get all concerned countries to the table to get
this comprehensive peace, and move forward in a way that is tangible."
Reuters obtained a tape of Bush's remarks in English in the interview,
which was dubbed into Arabic by the network. Israeli and Palestinian
leaders agreed on Wednesday that formal negotiations on Palestinian
statehood would begin after the peace conference. But Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert has balked at Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's
call for setting a specific timeframe for the resolution of key issues
including borders and the fate of Jerusalem and the Palestinian
refugees. Abbas said on Thursday that formal negotiations for statehood
could be completed six months after the conference. more... Ex-US officials: Divide Jerusalem YNet News (October 4, 2007) - Five former State Department and Pentagon officials are proposing Israeli and Palestinian capitals in Jerusalem and excluding Arab refugees from returning to Israel as part of an Middle East accord. In a six-page policy statement submitted to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, they also suggested a series of peace conferences following the one she hopes to convene next month, probably in Annapolis, Maryland, near Washington. Hamas, which controls Gaza and about one-third of Palestinian-held land, has not met US terms for attending. Those conditions are recognizing Israel's right to exist and abandoning violence against the Jewish state. But the ex-officials suggested Hamas might be drawn to attend a second conference, which implicitly would accept the first one and Israel's existence. They called the role of Hamas the most difficult issue in peacemaking. Jerusalem's future and that of Palestinian refugees have snarled past US peace efforts. Former President Bill Clinton's mediation efforts between the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak envisioned sharing Jerusalem. Clinton ruled out requiring Israel to take in most Palestinians or their families who claimed to have been forced out of Israel during creation of the Jewish state in 1947-8. It will be very difficult, "but not impossible," said Robert Pelletreau, a former US ambassador to Egypt and ex-assistant secretary of state for the region. "There is a little bit of momentum starting to build" with talks between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as a mediator, he said in a telephone interview. Along with announcement of the conference, he said, "You have several things that can reinforce each other if they are framed properly." "The refugee issue is the most difficult," he said. "And Jerusalem is right up with it." more... | Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | 1st Seal | America |
Syrian guerrilla group 'ready for attacks' WorldNet
Daily (October 4, 2007) - A
recently formed Syrian guerrilla group modeling itself after the
Lebanese Hezbollah militia is preparing for "resistance attacks"
against the Jewish state, leaders of the purported group stated
during in-person interviews released in a new book. The information
comes as Israel yesterday broke its nearly four-week silence and
admitted officially the Jewish state's warplanes struck a "military
installation" in Syria last month, prompting some officials in
Damascus to call for retaliation, including guerrilla raids against
Israel. In his new book, "Schmoozing
with Terrorists: From Hollywood to the Holy Land, Jihadists Reveal
their Global Plans – to a Jew!" WND
Jerusalem bureau chief obtained access to the leadership of the new
purported Syrian group, calling itself the Committees for the
Liberation of the Golan. "If an agreement is not quickly forged
between Israel and Syria [for an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan],
we will begin attacks," a senior leader of the Committees told
Klein, speaking on condition his name be withheld. The Golan Heights
is strategic mountainous territory looking down on Israeli and
Syrian population centers captured by Israel after Damascus twice
used the territory to attack the Jewish state. The Committees leader
stated Syria watched as Israel "lost" a war against the Lebanese
Hezbollah militia in the summer of 2006 and noted the Syrian
leadership learned that "fighting" is more effective than peace
negotiations with regard to gaining territory. The leader explained
in "Schmoozing"
his group will initiate rocket attacks and Hezbollah-like raids
against Israeli troop positions and Golan-based Jewish communities
in hopes of eventually provoking a conflict or generating domestic
Israeli pressure for Israel to vacate the Golan. Much of the Israeli
sections of the Golan look down on Syria, and there are U.N. posts
at international buffer areas between the Israeli and Syrian sides
of the territory, but the Committees leader explained there are
multiple points of vulnerability along the Syria-Israel border that
can be exploited, including many Israeli sections of the Golan that
are at level with the Syrian sides. The Committees for the
Liberation of the Golan Heights consists of Syrian volunteers, many
from the Syrian border with Turkey and from Palestinian refugee
camps near Damascus, the Committees leader stated. He said Syria
held registration for volunteers to join the Committees last
June. Israel is taking seriously the claims of formation of the
Committees. Amos Yadlin, head of the IDF's intelligence branch,
stated Syria is indeed in the early stages of forming a
Hezbollah-like group. Israeli security officials speaking to WND
said Syrian President Bashar Assad is under heavy pressure from Iran
and from senior elements within his military to retaliate for the
Israeli aerial strike, especially since the Israel Defense Forces
yesterday officially confirmed a raid in Syria took place. The
security officials said if pressure continues to escalate or if the
IDF conducts other operation inside Syria, Assad, realizing his army
it not prepared for a direct confrontation with Israel, may respond
by launching guerrilla attacks against the Golan Heights. Yesterday,
Mohammad Habbash, a member of the Syrian parliament, told reporters
Syria may resort to a guerrilla war: "If the Israeli side launches
attacks, believe me we will be very harsh in our response," stated
Habbash. "It will be a guerrilla war. There will be guerrilla
warfare coming from Lebanon and Syria, and it will be very harsh."
In an interview with the BBC Monday, Assad said Syria is still
considering an "appropriate" response to the Israeli aerial attack.
He said it wouldn't have to be "missile-for-missile" but could be a
political reaction. Assad claimed Israeli jets hit an unmanned
military facility in the Sept. 6 raid. The IDF has not announced the
exact target of its missile strike except that it was a military
installation, but multiple newspapers reports have alleged Israel
destroyed a facility at which North Korea was transferring nuclear
technology to the Syrians.
Abbas: Peace Deal Possible By May
YNet News (September
28, 2007) - Israel and the Palestinians could sign a peace deal
within six months of an international peace conference scheduled for
November, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas told AFP on Friday. "The
meeting in November should define the principles settling the questions
over the final status (of the Palestinian territories)," Abbas said in
an interview in New York, where he is attending the UN General Assembly.
"Then we will begin negotiations on the details under a timeframe, which
ought not to exceed six months, to reach a peace treaty," he added. The
leader of the Palestinian Authority, who has met with several foreign
leaders during his stay in New York, said that the US-sponsored talks
would open in Washington on November 15. The leader of the Palestinian
Authority, who has met with several key foreign leaders during his stay
in New York, said that the US-sponsored talks would open in Washington
on November 15. "We have noted that the whole world is interested in
this meeting and attaches great hopes to its success," he added. Abbas
said that Palestinian and Israeli negotiators would start to tackle
preparations for the gathering in the coming days. "We want to prepare a
framework agreement defining clear principles and without equivocation
that will serve as a basis for the settlement. Immediately after the
meeting we will hold negotiations on the basis of this document." Key
stumbling blocks in previous talks between Israel and the Palestinians
have included the borders of a future Palestinian state, the fate of the
Jewish settlements, the status of Jerusalem and the question of
Palestinian refugees. "We, the Israelis and the Arabs, must make this
meeting succeed," he said. more...
Rare opportunity for peace YNet
News (September
27, 2007) - Last month, Jordan's Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah
Khatib and his Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Abul Gheit, presented to our
prime minister and political leaders the details of the Arab initiative
ratified in Saudi Arabia. The initiative, which was rejected by former
premier Ariel Sharon, who was busy with the disengagement at the time,
is back on the international stage, and constitutes a rare window of
opportunity. For the first time in 60 years, all Arab countries are
willing to recognize the existence of the Jewish state and even maintain
normal relations with it. The conditions for it, according to a source
involved in drafting the initiative, are very general: Israel is
obligated to withdraw from the occupied territories and grant the
Palestinians an independent state whose capital is east Jerusalem. In
addition, the initiative calls for a fair solution to the Palestinian
refugee problem. However, the initiative does not require the parties to
base an agreement on the precise 1967 borders or allow refugees to enter
Israel. In addition, the initiative does not stipulate that the Old City
in Jerusalem become the Palestinian capital. What makes this initiative
unique is the agreement of all Arab states to accept any solution worked
out by the parties, as long as it constitutes an end to the conflict.
According to sources involved in the matter, the initiative is not an
outline of red lines for ending the conflict, but rather, constitutes a
sort of general umbrella for any agreement between any Arab state and
the State of Israel, or between the Palestinians and Israel. Another
issue that stems from the decisions taken in the Riyadh summit and was
not publicized, perhaps because of the sensitivity of the issue within
Arab states and among the Palestinians, is the solution to the refugee
problem within the borders of a future Palestinian state: Saudi Arabia
and other Gulf states expressed their willingness to take part in a
special compensation fund that will be established under American and
Israeli direction. The Saudis, who have played a significant role in
marketing the initiative, convinced other Arab countries to accept any
agreement signed by Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud Olmert. Saudi Arabia
continues to relay calming and positive messages to Israel via the US
while also receiving regular updates from the parties involved regarding
the progress in negotiations. Hence, the initiative's significance stems
from the fact all Arab states, including Syria, agreed to it, and its
implementation is not far removed from reality. We are facing a one-time
opportunity and a basis for a long-term agreement that will guarantee
quiet for many years to come. These developments, and the fall summit in
the US, encourage our prime minister to vigorously advance on the
Palestinian track. In addition, in light of the rare window of
opportunity, we must not view Olmert's desire to advance on the
Palestinian track as a mere matter of political survival and an attempt
to distract attention from the Winograd Commission or other affairs
threatening him. This may also be the reason for Ehud Barak's and
Tzipi's Livni's deep involvement in the process.
more... Hizbullah: If Israel attacks Syria, we'll respond Fulfilled Prophecy (September 27, 2007) - "If Israel dares to make an adventurous move against Syria, it will pay a heavy price," a member of Hizbulla's political council warned Thursday. In an interview with the Nazareth-based Kul al-Arab newspaper scheduled to be published on Friday, Dr Ahmad Malli warned Israel against considering an attack on Syria, saying that the Lebanese organization would respond to such an offensive with full force. "I believe that things have changed," Malli explained. "The times when everyone was afraid of the Israeli threats are over. The Zionist entity knows more than anyone that the price of such adventurousness would be heavy, and the Israelis know the price more than anyone. "Since 2006 we have begun a new stage in the Arab-Israeli conflict and have demonstrated this during the Israeli aggression in July (the Second Lebanon War). If anyone wants to make an adventurous move, it will baer responsibility for this aggression." Asked whether he was referring to aggression both against Lebanon and against Syria, Malli replied, "We are all in one Middle East." Ahmad Jibril, secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, also warned Thursday that if Israel attacked Syria or Hizbullah his organization would also respond. In an interview with the al-Hadat newspaper, which is published in Arabic in the Galilee city of Tamra, Jibril warned that Israel planned to invade Syria in coordination with Arab countries. The interview is scheduled to be published Friday. According to Jibril, if such an attack takes place, Iran and Hizbullah will stand by Damascus and respond in full force. "I believe that the Israelis and the Americans will carry out attacks against Syria as soon as possible, in other words in the near future. I do not reject the possibility that the Israeli aircraft will attack us – the Palestinians in Syria. more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |
Bush
to U.N.: Lay Off Israel
Israel National News (September
25, 2007) - United States President George W. Bush urged the
United Nations to reform its Human Rights Council Tuesday, criticizing
the body for ignoring abuses in places like Iran "while focusing its
criticism excessively on Israel.” "The American people are disappointed
by the failures of the Human Rights Council," Bush said. "The United
Nations must reform its own Human Rights Council." In the course of his
speech, Bush pointed out several regimes which he termed "brutal" and
"cruel." He announced new sanctions against the military dictatorship in
Myanmar (Burma), accusing it of imposing "a 19-year reign of fear" that
denies the basic freedoms of speech, assembly and worship. "Americans
are outraged by the situation in Burma," the president said in an
address to the U.N. General Assembly. He purposely used the country's
old name, Burma: the military junta renamed the Asian country Myanmar
but the U.S. refuses to recognize the change. "Basic freedoms of speech,
assembly and worship are severely restricted," he said. "Ethnic
minorities are persecuted. Forced child labor, human trafficking and
rape are common. The regime is holding more than a thousand political
prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party was elected
overwhelmingly by the Burmese people in 1990. "The ruling junta remains
unyielding, yet the people's desire for freedom is unmistakable," Bush
said. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sat in the chamber and
checked his watch during Bush's remarks. First Lady Laura Bush, also
present for the president's speech, walked by the seated Iranian
president without making contact, and Israeli Ambassador Danny Gillerman,
too, made a point of avoiding Ahmadinejad. Bush urged the world's
nations to support countries that are struggling for democracy.
more... Solana calls for more substance in Israeli-Palestinian talks EU Business (September 24, 2007) - "The issues that are fundamental have been stated already many, many times," Solana said as the members of the quartet -- the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia -- began two hours of talks. "We have to go beyond the mere stating of the issues and try to put some more meat on every issue," he said. "Water, borders, security, Jerusalem, refugees -- those are the fundamental issues that have to be resolved at the end of the day," he said, adding: "We can not afford a failure." "Without any doubt, it would be going back several years. We cannot afford that to happen," he added. more...| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |
Netanyahu says was in on Syrian mission plans
YNet News (September
20, 2007) - Opposition leader Benjamin
Netanyahu said Wednesday [September 19] that he had been informed about
the reported Israel Defense Forces [IDF] operation in Syria “from the
start” and praised Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for carrying out the
mission. He was the first Israeli official to break the silence and
admit that the overflight in Syria did take place. Netahyahu’s office
said in response that he was not referring to a specific operation and
that he did not reveal any details. In an interview with Channel 1 news
Wednesday, Netanyahu personally congratulated Olmert on the operation:
“When a prime minister does things that I believe are important and
necessary, I give my full support,” he said. “I was in on it from the
first moment, and I gave my support—but it’s too soon to discuss the
matter.” Later, however, in a conversation with Ynet, Netanyahu chose to
criticize the Olmert administration and its stance on Jerusalem and
willingness to make concessions. “Jerusalem isn’t just any city. The
Western Wall isn’t real estate, and the Temple Mount isn’t any piece of
land. “These concepts are at the root of our identity and national
existence. The unbearable lightness with which a government—that has no
mandate or support from the Jewish people—surrenders Zion shows the
deterioration of the values of Israeli society,” he said. Wednesday
night Netanyahu met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for over
an hour regarding the upcoming Middle East peace summit in Washington.
Netanyahu also ruled out joining a government led by Olmert, which he
called “dangerous to Israel.” “I think Olmert’s policies regarding
Jerusalem are very dangerous. Unfortunately, they haven’t learned their
lesson. Today, we understand that we have no partner. What they’re doing
doesn’t advance peace—it advances terrorism, it brings the missiles
closer to the heart of the country. It threatens the things most holy to
the Jewish people. “Who are they depending on—the UN?—to protect our
holy places and freedom of religion for three faiths? The Temple Mount
is in our hands only as long as the IDF is there,” he said. As for
Israel’s designation of Gaza and Hamas as “hostile entities,” Netanyahu
said the decision to do so came too late and endangers Israel. He said
he doesn’t trust Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas [Abu
Mazen] either, but trusts only the IDF. “We'll end up with Hamas in the
heart of Jerusalem,” he said. “The fact that the IDF is there is the
only reason the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] hasn’t become Hamastan.”
Terror group broadcasting from Temple Mount Associated
Press (September 18, 2007) - The
official radio network of a major terror organization has been
exclusively broadcasting daily from the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest
site, WND has learned. The radio network regularly features Iranian and
anti-Semitic propaganda and death threats against Jews. The Al-Quds
network, the official radio station of the Islamic Jihad terror group,
has been exclusively broadcasting special nightly Ramadan prayers from
the Mount's Al Aqsa Mosque since last week. The station also is
broadcasting the Tarawih prayers, special Sunni Muslim prayers recited
at night during Ramadan. Saleh Al-Massri, Al-Quds radio station manager,
told WND the Temple Mount broadcasts provide Islamic Jihad with "an
opportunity to spread Islam and its values and to bring some happiness
to the suffering Palestinians who can't reach the Al Aqsa Mosque for
Tarawih prayers." Islamic Jihad, together with Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs
Brigades terror group, took responsibility for every suicide bombing in
Israel the last three years. Islamic Jihad also carried out scores of
deadly rocket and shooting attacks and is one of the most active
Palestinian terrorist organizations. According to Palestinian leaders in
the Gaza Strip, the nightly prayer broadcast on Islamic Jihad's station
is currently the most popular radio program in the Palestinian
territories. The last few days the special broadcasts, sampled by WND,
have been preceded and followed by Islamic Jihad speeches featuring
anti-Israel propaganda, such as calling for the destruction of the
Jewish state and advocating Palestinian solidarity with Iran. It was
unclear whether Islamic Jihad had official permission from Israel or
from the Waqf Islamic custodians of the Temple Mount to broadcast from
the holy site, located in Jerusalem and jointly administered by the Waqf
and Israeli police. A spokesman for Israel's Police Authority did not
return phone calls before press time. According to Palestinian security
sources speaking to WND, Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds radio has been using
technicians from the Voice of Palestine, the official radio network of
the Palestinian Authority, to facilitate the Temple Mount broadcasts,
even though the program is not aired on PA radio. The sources said the
Waqf as well as the PA is "well aware" Islamic Jihad is broadcasting
from the Mount. more...
Report: Syria had planned 'devastating surprise' for Israel Haaretz
(September 16, 2007) - Former United Nations ambassador John Bolton said
Sunday that Israel's reported military operation inside Syria
earlier this month should be regarded as a 'clear message to Iran'
that its nuclear efforts will not be ignored by the international
community. "I think it would be unusual for Israel to conduct a
military operation inside Syria other than for a very high value
target, and certainly a Syrian effort in the nuclear weapons area
would qualify," Bolton told Channel 10 in an interview broadcast
Sunday. "I think this is a clear message not only to Syria, I think
it's a clear message to Iran as well, that its continued efforts to
acquire nuclear weapons are not going to go unanswered," Bolton
said. Bolton, who has long called for a hard line against the Syrian
and Iranian regimes, did not indicate that he had first-hand
information about the incident. The U.K. newspaper The Sunday Times
quoted an Israeli source on Sunday as saying that Syria had been
planning a "devastating surprise" for Israel, in the wake of reports
that the Israel Air Force carried out an air strike against a North
Korean nuclear shipment to Syria. The paper quoted Israeli sources
as saying that planning for the strike began shortly after Meir
Dagan, chief of the Mossad intelligence agency, presented Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert in late spring with evidence that Syria was
seeking to buy a nuclear device from North Korea. Dagan apparently
feared such a device could eventually be installed on
North-Korean-made Scud-C missiles, the paper reported. "This was
supposed to be a devastating Syrian surprise for Israel," the Sunday
Times quoted an Israeli source as saying. "We've known for a long
time that Syria has deadly chemical warheads on its Scuds, but
Israel can't live with a nuclear warhead." South Korea's Yonhap news
agency reported Sunday that a senior North Korean official denied a
Washington Post report that Pyongyang was giving nuclear expertise
to Syria. The report suggested intelligence including satellite
images revealed a facility in Syria which may be used to build
nuclear warheads. "They often say things that are groundless,"
Yonhap quoted deputy chief of the North Korean mission to the United
Nations Kim Myong-gil as saying in response to the Post report. When
asked to elaborate Kim hung up the phone, Yonhap reported. more...
'As many as eight IAF jets involved in strike on Syria' The
Jerusalem Post (September 16, 2007)
- Unconfirmed details of Israel's alleged foray into Syrian airspace
10 days ago continued to circulate Sunday in foreign media with a
latest report by The Sunday Times. According to the report,
at a rendezvous point on the ground, a Shaldag air force commando
team waited to direct their laser beams at the target for the
approaching IAF planes. The team had arrived a day earlier, taking
up position near a large underground depot. Soon the bunkers were in
flames. According to Israeli sources, the Times continued,
preparations for the attack had been going on since late spring,
when Meir Dagan, the head of Mossad, presented the PM with evidence
that Syria was seeking to buy a nuclear device from North Korea.
Dagan feared such a device could later be mounted on
North-Korean-made Scud-C missiles, the report said. "This was
supposed to be a devastating Syrian surprise for Israel," said an
Israeli source to the Times. "We've known for a long time
that Syria has deadly chemical warheads on its Scuds, but Israel
can't live with a nuclear warhead." According to an IAF source, the
Israeli satellite Ofek 7, launched in June, was diverted from Iran
to Syria. It sent out high-quality images of a northeastern area
every hour and a half, making it easy for air force officials to
spot the facility, the Times reported. According to the
report, early in the summer, Defense Minister Ehud Barak had given the order to double IDF
presence in the Golan Heights border with Syria in anticipation of
possible retaliation by Damascus in the event of air strikes. Sergei
Kirpichenko, the Russian ambassador to Syria, warned President
Bashar al-Assad last month that Israel was
planning an attack, but suggested the target was the Golan Heights.
Israeli intelligence sources claim Syrian special forces moved
towards the Israeli outpost of Mount Hermon on the Golan Heights.
Tension rose, but nobody knew why. more...
Syrian
denies saying Damascus wouldn't respond to IAF attack Haaretz (September
15, 2007) - The Syrian
deputy foreign minister on Saturday denied reports that he had said
Damascus was not planning a military response, 10 days after Syria
accused that Israel Air Force warplanes
bombed targets in its
territory. (Click
here for map). Damascus said on September 6 that IAF jets had
violated its airspace in the early hours of the morning, and had been
fired upon by Syrian air defenses. Shortly after the first announcement,
Damascus said that the IAF had bombed targets, but the Syrian envoy to
the U.S. over the weekend denied that an IAF attack had occurred. Israel
has declined to comment about the incident at all. Syrian Deputy Foreign
Minister Faysal Mekdad told a Lebanese newspaper that his words were
taken out of context and that Syria has never remained silent in the
face of a military penetration of its territory. Mekdad warned after a
meeting with his Russian counterpart Friday that growing tension could
spark a violent outbreak in the region, and that Syria has the "means to
respond in ways that will preserve its position of power." In an
interview with Newsweek published Friday, Syria's ambassador to
Washington, Imad Moustapha, said that Israel would "pay a price" for
violating Syria's airspace. He told the American publication that it
went against Syria's national interests not to respond to Israel's
provocation. He also denied
reports in the U.S. media
that the IAF had been targeting a nuclear project that Syria was
developing in cooperation with North Korea. European diplomats who met
with Syrian Vice President Walid Moallem earlier this week had told
Haaretz that they had received the impression that Syria would not
retaliate militarily. Syria protested Tuesday to the United Nations
about the strike, but said that no targets had been struck and that
there was no damage. According to Syria's envoy to the United Nations,
Bashar al-Jaafari, the protest complained of Israel's "aggression and
violation of [Syrian] sovereignty." more...
U.S.: Syria on nuclear watch list Associated
Press (September 14, 2007) - A
senior U.S. nuclear official said Friday that North Koreans were in
Syria and that Damascus may have had contacts with "secret suppliers" to
obtain nuclear equipment. Andrew Semmel, acting deputy assistant
secretary of state for nuclear nonproliferation policy, did not identify
the suppliers, but said North Koreans were in the country and that he
could not exclude that the network run by the disgraced Pakistan nuclear
scientist A.Q. Khan may have been involved. He said it was not known if
the contacts had produced any results. "Whether anything transpired
remains to be seen," he said. Syria has never commented publicly on its
nuclear program. It has a small research nuclear reactor, as do several
other countries in the region, including Egypt. While Israel and the
U.S. have expressed concerns in the past, Damascus has not been known to
make a serious push to develop a nuclear energy or weapons program. In
Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack declined to
comment on Semmel's remarks but noted that the United States had
longstanding concerns about North Korea and nuclear proliferation.
"We've also expressed, over time, our concerns about North Korea's
activities in terms of dealing with A.Q. Khan and others around the
globe," he told reporters. McCormack said he was not aware of any
specific link between North Korea and Syria. Proliferation experts have
said that Syria's weak economy would make it hard-pressed to afford
nuclear technology, and that Damascus — which is believed to have some
chemical weapons stocks — may have taken the position that it does not
also need nuclear weapons. Semmel was responding to questions about an
Israeli airstrike in northern Syria last week. Neither side has
explained what exactly happened, but a U.S. government official
confirmed that Israeli warplanes were targeting weapons from Iran and
destined for Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. The Washington Post
reported Thursday that Israel had gathered satellite imagery showing
possible North Korean cooperation with Syria on a nuclear facility.
North Korea, which has a longstanding alliance with Syria, condemned the
Israeli air incursion. Israeli experts say North Korea and Iran both
have been major suppliers of Syria's missile stock. Syrian Information
Minister Mohsen Bilal told the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat on
Thursday that the accusations of North Korean nuclear help were a "new
American spin to cover up" for Israel. more... 'Advisors to Assad pressuring him to respond with force' The Jerusalem Post (September 12, 2007) - Advisors to Syrian President Bashar Assad are pressuring him to respond to the alleged IAF attack by "landing a blow to an Israeli target," the Kuwait-based Al-Jareeda reported Wednesday. According to the report, Israel targeted long-range missile batteries that were brought to Syria from Iran. The report said five IAF fighter jets carried out the attack. Israel Radio quoted the Kuwaiti paper to the effect that the group advocating a military response is being spearheaded by Assad's brother in law, who has met in recent days with senior Hizbullah and Hamas officials in an effort to draw up an operation plan. The Kuwaiti paper also reported that the Syrian army has begun drafting reservists from the armed corps, missile corps and anti-aircraft units, and quoted "sources in the know" who said the draft was a response to Israel raising its level of readiness in the north. Meanwhile, Syria's UN Ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, denied the reports on Wednesday, claiming the Israeli jets escaped without hitting their target, Israel Radio reported. Ja'afari also said Israel's silence over the alleged strike resulted from the fact it constituted a violation of international law. According to a report by The Nazareth-based al-Sinara newspaper Wednesday, the IAF targeted a joint Syrian-Iranian missile base in northern Syria. Reportedly, the Iranian-funded installation was razed to the ground. The report claimed its information was gleaned from an "Israeli source." more... | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | It appears the tensions may not be founded on Israel bombing anything, but some are trying to paint it that way as a reason for and aggressive response. Whether or not the Israeli Air Force bombed any installations in Syria doesn't matter when it comes to the rising tensions between the two nations.
Dividing Jerusalem, it's a done deal. Below are pictures to prove it The
Golden Report (November 5, 2007) - The
politicians would like for you to believe that nothing has been decided
on Israel’s surrender to the Islamic Arabs on the division of
Jerusalem. But thanks to George Bush, Rice and God only knows who else,
the lines have been drawn and Border Crossings and walls are going up as
you read this article. If
we listen to the Media and believe what they say, and I am not stupid
enough to think anyone reading is does. They would have us believe that
the fences, borders and walls are going up in areas only to protect us
from the Islamic suicide bombers, that is true but not the whole truth
and what is really happening is they are using that to cover up the
division of Jerusalem. more... View pictures at link above.
EU Holds Talks with Israelis, Palestinians; Praises Olmert Deutsche
Welle (November 5, 2007) - The foreign
ministers will talk separately with senior European Union in Lisbon at the 9th
Euro-Mediterranean Conference which runs until Tuesday, Nov. 6. Discussions are
expected to focus on the Middle East peace process. Tensions are now high in the
Middle East after Israeli air and ground strikes on Sunday killed four
Palestinians, including three civilians. Palestinian militants fired six
missiles at western Israel, causing a power outage in one town. There are not
expected to be any direct talks between Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and
her Palestinian counterpart, Riyad Malki, but the two of them are expected to
face each other during a dinner Monday with fellow foreign ministers from the EU
and the Mediterranean area. The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was set up in
1995 and aims on establishing a common area of peace and security and works
toward enhancing cooperation between the EU and 10 of its southern neighbors. The European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Monday praised the
"constructive" approach of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to the upcoming
US-sponsored conference on the Middle East, saying it could help
bring peace to the region. Preparations are being made for the international
conference to be held later this year in Annapolis, Maryland, although no
specific date has been set. "Olmert yesterday gave a very constructive speech,
one of his best in recent times," Solana said. "If that is the spirit
with which he is approaching the [Middle East peace] process, I think we have
many chances of having a positive outcome." Solana was addressing
reporters in Lisbon ahead of talks between senior EU officials and the foreign
ministers of Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Speaking in Israel on
Sunday, Olmert said he was willing to deal with the core issues of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the conference. "[The conference] will be the
start of a future process ... we will enter into intense and continuous
negotiations," Olmert said. more...
Israel, with US support, says peace possible by end of 2008 Breitbart.com
(November 4, 2007) -
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said
he may be able to make peace with the Palestinians by the end of 2008 as
the United States vowed to defend Israel's security during the difficult
process. "If we act decisively together, we and the Palestinians, there
is a chance for us to reach real achievements, maybe even before the end
of President (George W.) Bush's term," he said at the Saban Forum
think-tank in Jerusalem. "There is no intention to drag out the
negotiations without end. There is no reason to again hit the
foot-dragging that characterised our talks in the past," the premier
said. Israel and the Palestinians have been engaged in intensive talks
in an effort to draft a joint statement outlining a solution to the
decades-old conflict ahead of a meeting in Annapolis, Maryland expected
later this year. The two sides plan to launch intensive bilateral talks
on a permanent agreement following the international meeting, aimed at
reviving a
peace process that has been
dormant for seven years. The Palestinians have repeatedly demanded that
the joint statement include a clear timetable for the negotiations, but
Israel has insisted on a looser document based on a 2003 peace blueprint
known as the roadmap. At the same event US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice vowed to
defend Israel as it pushes ahead with the peace process, saying that it
was time for all sides to make the difficult decisions necessary for a
lasting peace. "All Israelis should be confident that America is fully
behind you, that we are fully committed to your security and that you
can thus be bold in your pursuit of peace," she said. Rice, on her
eighth visit to the region since the begining of the year, warned that
if peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians flounder,
extremists would take over the Palestinian leadership. "If we do not act
now to show the Palestinians a way forward, others will show them a way
forward," Rice said. "Failure is simply not an option." Around 2,000
Jewish settlers protested against the talks in central Jerusalem, saying
they would lead to painful concessions on the fate of the city, which
they call the indivisible, eternal capital of Israel. "We know perfectly
well that with the concessions envisaged by Olmert, Hamas will end up in
the
West Bank and the heart of
Israel will be within the range of their rockets," Shaul Goldstein, a
protest leader, said. The Islamist movement Hamas, which has ruled the
Gaza Strip since a bloody
takeover in which security forces loyal to Abbas were defeated nearly
five months ago, has also rejected the conference. "It's well-known
goals are normalisation with the Arabs, the hardening of internal
divisions and the preparation for the coming attack on Iran and Gaza and
Syria and Lebanon," Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said in Gaza City on
Sunday. Special Middle East envoy Tony Blair nevertheless insisted that
despite the differences between Israel and the Palestinians, everyone
involved in the negotiations knows what a final agreement will look
like. "The irony is the final settlement is not hard to see. It is
visible in the distance, the house on the hill. But the path to it is
utterly fraught," he said. Israeli negotiators and their Palestinian
counterparts have been divided for weeks over a joint document which
will form the basis of future negotiations, and until now have not
written a word. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has pushed for a
document with a timetable that addresses the most hotly contested issues
of the conflict -- the borders of a
Palestinian state and the fate
of Jerusalem and the refugees. On
Sunday, Olmert said he was not opposed to discussing the so-called final
status issues, but that he preferred to wait until after the conference
that Washington hopes to convene before the end of the year.
more...
EU seeks mediating role in Mideast conflict - looking to develop
Mediterranean Union
Monsters & Critics News (November
3, 2007) - EU officials hope to play a 'constructive' role in
the Middle East peace process when they meet delegations from Israel and
the Palestinian territories in Lisbon on Monday. The talks are due to
take place just hours before a meeting of foreign ministers from Europe
and the Mediterranean area and several weeks before a US-sponsored
conference on Palestinian statehood is due to take place in Maryland.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who planned to send his foreign
minister Bernard Kouchner to the Portuguese capital on Monday, has
recently called on Israel and the Palestinians to 'take a risk' and
'make peace'. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited
both Tel Aviv and Ramallah this week and later said talks between
Israelis and Palestinians had entered 'a decisive phase'. During his
visit to the Middle East, Steinmeier unveiled a German-initiated plan
aimed at supporting Palestinian businesses, education and security
services. He said the initiative was designed to allocate European aid
in a timely and organized manner. The EU's executive, the Commission,
has announced its intention of resuming direct financial aid to the
Palestinian government of President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah. But the
plan, announced by EU External Relations Commissioner Benita
Ferrero-Waldner in Portugal two months ago, has yet to be put into
practice as the EU has yet to finish providing the necessary training to
Palestinian finance ministry officials. Soldiers from Italy and France
are leading peace-keeping operations in southern Lebanon and Israel
tends to view the EU as traditionally pro-Arab. Such feelings were
likely to have been reinforced when Brussels issued a number of
statements criticizing Israel over its decision to reduce the supply of
fuel to Gaza. 'While condemning the unacceptable and continued attacks
on Israel's territory and recognizing Israel's legitimate right to self
defence, the EU underlines the need for carefully weighing the negative
impact of such measures on a civilian population already living under
very difficult conditions,' a statement from the Portuguese presidency
of the EU said. Ferrero-Waldener had earlier described the move as a
form of 'collective punishment' against the people of Gaza. Palestinian
Foreign and Information Minister Riyad Malki was expected to represent
the Palestinians at the talks in Lisbon, while it was not yet confirmed
whether Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni would be attending. Malki
said he planned to inform EU officials about 'the importance of lifting
the siege and sanctions on the Gaza Strip.' more...
Hamas setting stage for West Bank seizure
WorldNet Daily (November
1, 2007) - Hamas is setting the stage for a takeover of the
West Bank similar to the coup in which the terror group seized
control of the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli and Palestinian
security officials. Hamas leaders confirmed to WND they are planning
a West Bank takeover. "Fatah will fall in a matter of weeks at most,
and the Islamic resistance (Hamas) will reign in the West Bank just
as we do in Gaza," said Abu Abdullah, considered one of the most
important operational members of Hamas' so-called resistance
department. The West Bank borders Jerusalem and is within rocket
range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. U.S. Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice, slated to arrive here next week for her
second visit this month, has been serving as mediator for an
upcoming U.S.-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian summit later this month.
At the meeting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is widely expected to
outline a Palestinian state in most of the West Bank, ultimately
handing the strategic territory to security forces associated with
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah militias. But
Israeli security officials are warning Abbas' forces are not strong
enough to contend with controlling the West Bank without the aid of
the Israel Defense Forces. Yuval Diskin, head of Israel's Shin Bet
Security Services, estimated during a Knesset meeting earlier his
week that if control of the West Bank were handed over to Abbas,
Israel would suffer a "significant threat to its security."
Palestinian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity,
admitted to WND they cannot control the West Bank without Israeli
intervention. According to the officials, Fatah's intelligence
apparatus routinely hands the IDF lists of Hamas militants that
threaten Fatah rule, requesting that Israel make arrests. Israeli
and Palestinian security officials told WND they have specific
information Hamas is quietly setting the stages for an imminent West
Bank takeover attempt. The officials said that among other things,
Hamas has been acquiring weaponry in the West Bank and has set up a
sophisticated system of communication between cells for a seizure
attempt. In what is considered the most threatening Hamas move,
according to the officials, the terror group is thought to have
heavily infiltrated all major Fatah forces in the West Bank and has
been attempting to buy off Fatah militia members, many times
successfully. According to Palestinian sources, Hamas has, among
other things, recruited important members of Fatah's declared
military wing, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. The terror group
particularly has targeted those who were against a deal this past
summer in which Olmert extended amnesty to Brigades members as a
gesture to Abbas. The Brigades, along with the Islamic Jihad terror
group, has taken responsibility for every suicide bombing in Israel
the past three years along with thousands of shootings and rocket
firings against Jewish civilian population centers. According to the
Palestinian sources, a West Bank shooting against a Jewish vehicle
last week carried out by the Brigades was planned by Hamas. The
shooting, in which a man was seriously wounded at a major junction
near the Jewish community of Ariel, was perpetrated by a Brigades
cell calling itself the Army of al-Boraq, named after the Muslim
prophet Muhammad's horse. The cell used weapons given by Hamas, the
sources said. The issue of Hamas infiltration of Fatah was thought
to have been the Achilles heel that led to the terror group's
takeover last summer of the entire Gaza Strip, including dozens of
major, U.S.-backed Fatah security compounds there. Hamas' seizure is
thought to be a partial consequence of Israel evacuating Gaza in
2005. more...
Palestinians demand deadline for statehood One
News Now (October 30, 2007) -
The chief Palestinian
peace negotiator threatened on Tuesday that there would be no talks with
Israel unless a deadline is set for establishing a Palestinian state -
the first indication the Palestinians could scuttle a U.S.-sponsored
peace summit over the issue.
Palestinian officials have repeatedly said they want a detailed timeline
for talks that are expected to begin in earnest after a U.S.-sponsored
Mideast conference in November or December. But although Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert has consistently resisted the notion of a deadline,
they had never before made the matter a condition for talks. On Tuesday,
lead negotiator Ahmed Qureia tightened the screws. "The Israeli prime
minister has stated that he will not accept a timetable, and we say we
will not accept negotiations without a timetable," Qureia said at a news
conference with the European Union's external affairs commissioner,
Benita Ferrero-Waldner. He delivered the ultimatum as the two sides
struggle to bridge yawning gaps ahead of the fall peace summit. It
wasn't clear whether the Palestinians would really carry out the threat,
or were trying to wrest concessions from Israel. In the past, however,
deadlines have been set and ignored. No date has been set for the
U.S.-sponsored summit, set to take place in Annapolis, Md., because the
two sides remain so far apart on the starting point for talks. Israel
wants a vague, joint statement of objectives. The Palestinians want a
detailed outline that would address core issues that need to be resolved
before peace can be achieved and a Palestinian state can be established.
These are final borders, sovereignty over disputed Jerusalem, and a
solution for Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes in
the war that followed Israel's creation in 1948. Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas have met several times in recent months to try to come up with a
joint platform ahead of the meeting, and negotiating teams from both
sides have recently entered the process. more...
Hezbollah-like Syrian cells plan provocations to force war between
Damascus, Israel
WorldNet Daily (October
4, 2007) - A recently formed
Syrian guerrilla group modeling itself after the Lebanese Hezbollah
militia is preparing for "resistance attacks" against the Jewish state,
leaders of the purported group stated during in-person interviews
released in a new book. The information comes as Israel yesterday broke
its nearly four-week silence and admitted officially the Jewish state's
warplanes struck a "military installation" in Syria last month,
prompting some officials in Damascus to call for retaliation, including
guerrilla raids against Israel. In his new book, "Schmoozing
with Terrorists: From Hollywood to the Holy Land, Jihadists Reveal their
Global Plans – to a Jew!" WND Jerusalem bureau chief obtained access
to the leadership of the new purported Syrian group, calling itself the
Committees for the Liberation of the Golan. "If an agreement is not
quickly forged between Israel and Syria [for an Israeli withdrawal from
the Golan], we will begin attacks," a senior leader of the Committees
told Klein, speaking on condition his name be withheld. The Golan
Heights is strategic mountainous territory looking down on Israeli and
Syrian population centers captured by Israel after Damascus twice used
the territory to attack the Jewish state. The Committees leader stated
Syria watched as Israel "lost" a war against the Lebanese Hezbollah
militia in the summer of 2006 and noted the Syrian leadership learned
that "fighting" is more effective than peace negotiations with regard to
gaining territory. The leader explained in "Schmoozing"
his group will initiate rocket attacks and Hezbollah-like raids against
Israeli troop positions and Golan-based Jewish communities in hopes of
eventually provoking a conflict or generating domestic Israeli pressure
for Israel to vacate the Golan. Much of the Israeli sections of the
Golan look down on Syria, and there are U.N. posts at international
buffer areas between the Israeli and Syrian sides of the territory, but
the Committees leader explained there are multiple points of
vulnerability along the Syria-Israel border that can be exploited,
including many Israeli sections of the Golan that are at level with the
Syrian sides. The Committees for the Liberation of the Golan Heights
consists of Syrian volunteers, many from the Syrian border with Turkey
and from Palestinian refugee camps near Damascus, the Committees leader
stated. He said Syria held registration for volunteers to join the
Committees last June. more...
More than half of Jews under 35 would not view the destruction of Israel
as a personal tragedy Jewish
World Review (September 12, 2007)
- Sociologists Stephen Cohen and Ari Kelman have now confirmed what
everyone already knew: Young American Jews do not care very much about
Israel. They are not just apathetic about Israel, that indifference is
"giving way to downright alienation," write Cohen and Kelman. More than
half of Jews under 35 said that they would not view the destruction of
Israel as a personal tragedy. The death and expulsion of millions is
something they could live with. By those standards, they probably would
not see the Holocaust as a "personal" tragedy either. "These results are
very upsetting," said Jewish Agency chairman Zev Bielski. He then
proceeded to give an inane explanation for those numbers: the
comfortable life of most American Jews. Cohen and Kelman know better.
And their answer is summed up in the demographic they did not interview
for their study: Orthodox Jews. A survey of young Orthodox Jews would
have yielded a diametrically opposed and highly embarrassing result.
Among younger Jews, those for whom their Judaism is important —
primarily the Orthodox — will remain connected to the fate of their
fellow Jews in Israel. Most Orthodox American youth will study in Israel
after high school, some for many years. And almost all will visit Israel
many times. Eretz Yisrael is not a mere abstraction for them, but the
center of the spiritual life of the Jewish people. Even an anti-Zionist
Satmar chassid living in the secluded village of Monroe will intensify
his prayers when Israel is at war and follow the action closely. Why?
Because for him the name Jew means something. The majority of young
American Jews and the majority of young Israelis share in common a lack
of interest in their Judaism. But that shared negativity provides little
basis for a relationship. Shared gene pools won't do it either — that
smacks of racism. And ethnic identity, it turns out, cannot be passed
down, or survive the breakup of ethnically homogeneous neighborhoods.
What young Jews under 35 feel towards Israel goes beyond apathy to
outright resentment. Israel complicates their social lives and muddies
their political identity. Only 54% profess to be comfortable with the
idea of a Jewish state at all. In Europe and on elite American campuses,
internationalism and a world-without-borders are the rage. The Jews of
Israel, with their stubborn insistence on protecting their nation-state,
are, as always, out-of-sync. more... This would explain why the dividing of Israel may work out at first. It also shows how quickly a generation forgets things like the holocaust and fail to recognize the spiritual hatred for their people as significant. I also think this attitude will change significantly once God destroys the attacking armies of Iran, Russia, Turkey and Libya. This could also represent many of those who could be blinded enough not to run at the abomination of desolation to be killed by the antichrist. Zechariah 13:8,9
Report: Israel spots nuclear installations in Syria YNet
News (September 12, 2007) -
Washington official says Israeli surveillance shows possible Syrian
nuclear installation stocked by North Korea, Israeli Arab newspaper
claims target of alleged raid last week was Syrian missile base financed
by Iran. Israel believes that North Korea has been supplying Syria and
Iran with nuclear materials, a Washington defense official told the New
York Times. “The Israelis think North Korea is selling to Iran and Syria
what little they have left,” he said. The official added that recent
Israeli reconnaissance flights over Syria revealed possible nuclear
installations that Israeli officials estimate might have been supplied
with material from North Korea. Meanwhile on Wednesday the
Nazareth-based Israeli Arab newspaper The Assennara cited anonymous
Israeli sources as saying that Israeli jets "bombed a Syrian-Iranian
missile base in northern Syria that was financed by Iran... It appears
that the base was completely destroyed." According to the Times,
American officials confirmed Tuesday that Israeli jets launched an
airstrike inside Syria. Sources said that Israel struck at least one
target in northeastern Syria, but could not provide more details. The
most likely target was, according to some administration officials,
weapon caches sent by Iran to Hizbullah through Syria. North Korea
commented on the incident Tuesday, calling it a "dangerous provocation",
Chinese News Agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday. "This is a very
dangerous provocation little short of wantonly violating the sovereignty
of Syria and seriously harassing the regional peace and security," a
North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said. "The Democratic People's
Republic of Korea strongly denounces the above-said intrusion and
extends full support and solidarity to the Syrian people in their just
cause to defend the national security and the regional peace."
Turkey Lines Up Alongside Syria To Condemn Israeli Incursions Eurasia
Daily Monitor (September 11, 2007)
- Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan’s blunt condemnation of an
alleged violation of the Turkey’s airspace by Israeli warplanes has
dealt another blow to already deteriorating relations between the
two countries. In 1996 a military training agreement between Israel
and Turkey was hailed by many as heralding a new strategic alignment
in the eastern Mediterranean. Over the years that followed Israeli
jets regularly used the Turkish air force base in Konya for training
missions while Turkish pilots underwent specialized training in
facilities belonging to the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in the Negev
Desert. There was also extensive cooperation in the defense
industry, with Israeli firms receiving a string of lucrative defense
contracts. American Jewish lobby groups became Turkey’s strongest
supporters in Washington. However, plans to underpin the
relationship by transporting Turkish water to Israel came to
nothing. While a number of disagreements over defense contracts, and
allegation of corruption involving Israeli defense suppliers, soured
relations between the two countries’ militaries. Relations began to
cool rapidly following the victory of the moderate Islamist Justice
and Development Party (AKP) in the Turkish general election of
November 2002. Although the AKP’s leaders publicly reaffirmed
Turkey’s commitment to friendship with Israel, much of the party’s
grassroots support remained simply and viscerally anti-Semitic.
After taking power, the AKP downplayed ties with Israel, while
trying to form a closer relationship with other Muslim states in the
Middle East, particularly its neighbors Syria and Iran. The last
five years have seen an unprecedented increase in bilateral contacts
and AKP leaders have become frequent visitors to both Damascus and
Tehran. On September 6, after the Syrian government claimed that
Israeli warplanes had overflown its territory and dropped munitions
onto deserted areas, fuel tanks belonging to IAF warplanes were
found on the Turkish side of the country’s border with Syria. The
assumption is that they were jettisoned in order to increase the IAF
planes’ maneuverability as they sought to avoid Syrian ground fire.
On September 6, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement
supporting the Syrian protests and informing the Israeli government
that Ankara took “a harsh view of the invasion of Syrian airspace by
the IAF” (Hurriyet, Milliyet, September 7). On September 9, Syrian
Foreign Minister Wallid Moallem flew to Ankara to seek Turkish
support and met with Babacan, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and President Abdullah Gul (Sabah, September 11). On September 10,
Moallem and Babacan held a joint conference to condemn the IAF’s
incursions on September 6. more...
Syrian vice president a-Shara: 'We will respond soon enough' The
Jerusalem Post (September 8, 2007)
- "Top [Syrian] political and military men are examining a series of
potential responses. The results will come soon enough," Syrian Vice
President Farouk a-Shara said Saturday evening, referring to the
alleged IAF foray into Syrian airspace undertaken, so Syria claims,
Wednesday overnight. A-Shara, speaking to the Italian La
Republica, revealed no other details, saying the matter was of
"top national security." Earlier Saturday, a Syrian government
newspaper accused the US of encouraging Israel's reported violation
of Syrian airspace by remaining silent on the issue. "This new
Israeli hostile operation was carried out in coordination between
Washington and Tel Aviv," the Tishrin newspaper said in a
front-page editorial. US silence can only be interpreted as an
"overt and scandalous encouragement of Israel," it said. Damascus
has said that Israeli jets broke the sound barrier flying over
northern Syria before dawn Thursday, then "dropped munitions" onto
deserted areas after being shot at by Syria's air defenses. It is
still unclear exactly what happened, and Syria has stopped short of
accusing Israel of purposely bombing its territory. An Israeli
spokesman has said he could not comment on military operations. "How
could a superpower call for the establishment of peace and send
invitations to some countries to convene a peace conference at a
time when it maintains silence over a clear violation of the
simplest laws and international norms?" Tishrin said in its
editorial on Saturday. The newspaper also criticized Arab countries
for planning to attend the proposed conference. "How would they go
to Bush's conference and how would they justify to their people
shaking hands with those who kill Palestinians and Iraqis and
threaten the Arabs' future with grave consequences?" it said.
Iran offers to aid Syria following tensions with Israel YNet
News (September 6, 2007)
- Iran's ambassador to Damascus, Mu , assured security
officials in Syria that Teheran would be ready to offer Damascus any
assistance it may need, Iranian media reported on Thursday afternoon
following a resurgence of tensions between Israel and Syria. Syria
claims that IDF aircraft entered Syrian airspace overnight. Olmert Offers Judea, Samaria, Divides Jerusalem in Draft Accord Israel National News (September 6, 2007) - Israel's government has agreed, in writing, to hand over 6,250 square kilometers of land – the equivalent of its entire biblical and strategic heartland - to an Arab terror state. So reports Dr. Guy Bechor, a leading expert on Arab affairs, who also supplies some of the details of the negotiations. Bechor reports, based on "leaks from the Palestinian side," that Israel has, in the past few days, presented Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas at least one draft of an "agreement of principles."
| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | 1st Seal |
Solana: ‘Israel has our solidarity in fighting terrorism’ European
Jewish Press (September 4, 2007)
- Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief,
condemned Monday the Qassam rocket attack from Gaza on a
kindergarten school in the Israeli southern city of Sderot. Speaking at a
press conference after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
in Jerusalem, Solana, who is on a new Middle East trip, declared: "I
would like to offer my solidarity to the people of Sderot and I
condemn the rocket attack on a school today". “I was there with the
minister not long ago and we were welcomed together there, and I
know what it means. And to see Sderot again today - once again,
seeing the same spirit of the people of Sderot, particularly the
kids in the schools. I think that this is something that I have to
condemn,” he added. Asked about EU support for Israeli operations in
Gaza to stop the rockets, Solana, whose official title is EU High
Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP),
said: "Israel has our solidarity in fighting terrorism. We have
continued to search for efficient measures against terrorism.
Sometimes we do not agree 100% on exactly how to combat it but we
offer our full solidarity with Israel in it’s efforts to fight
terroris. Israel knows that you have it.” Solana’s trip is aimed at
preparing the EU for an intensive period of activity in the coming
months and at restarting the peace process. He pointed to the
meeting of the ad hoc liaison committee and the Quartet meeting
during the UN General Assembly week later this month in New York and
the international conference to take place in the late autumn
probably in Washington. This conference was called for by US
President George Bush as part of efforts to jumpstart the dormant
peace process in the wake of the takeover of Gaza by Hamas in
mid-June. Solana said: "We don’t know exactly when the conference
will take place but it must be a success. We can not allow it to
fail and we must therefore define success". The EU would help and
cooperate as much as possible in the preparations of the event, he
added. more...
Solana beating US conference drum Associated
Press (September 4, 2007) -
European Union Foreign Policy chief
Javier Solana has arrived in Egypt for talks with the Egyptian
officials on Middle East peace process. Solana will hold talks with
the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit and the Arab League
Chief Amr Moussa, according to DPA. Solana's multi-leg tour of the
Middle East takes place ahead of a major US-sponsored international
conference on Middle Peace which is scheduled to be held in
Washington this autumn. The main discussions between the EU's top
diplomat and the Egyptian officials are expected to be held on
Wednesday. During the two-day visit Solana will make efforts to
bring the Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table.
Solana held similar talks in Amman on Monday. So far, Solana's
statements had signaled hope. During his Sunday's visit to the West
Bank city of Ramallah, Solana predicted that the coming months
would witness a series of important forums in which the peace
process will be discussed. He had also said that that the Middle
East Quartet, which comprises the United States, Russia, the EU and
the United Nations, will meet with members of the Arab League in
December. One obvious flaw in the much-ballyhooed US sponsored
conference is that it has consciously failed to allow Hamas to
attend. The militant group has consistently refused to recognize
Israel and in the January 2006 elections soundly trounced
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party
throughout the occupied territories.
Israeli-Palestinian talks raise hope of peace Telegraph
UK (September 4, 2007) - For most Israelis
and Palestinians, peace seems such a remote prospect that it is scarcely worth
thinking about. Even officials involved in the peace process are working hard to
damp down optimism, fearful that hopes will once again be cruelly dashed. Yet
there is a slowly dawning sense in parts of the Middle East that, after seven
years of violence in the latest intifada, Israeli-Palestinian efforts are
quietly gaining momentum. Ahead of a
US-backed conference planned for
November, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli prime minister,
Ehud Olmert, have begun tackling the core issues of the conflict - final
borders, the division of Jerusalem, and the resettlement of Palestinian
refugees. They have been meeting one-on-one, and seem to be getting along well,
according to insiders. In their meetings, Mr Abbas smokes the occasional
cigarette, and Mr Olmert the occasional cigar. There have been almost no
unwanted leaks to the media, unlike the briefings and counter-briefings that
have marred previous peace efforts. Just a few months ago, Israel was insisting
that there was no Palestinian partner for peace and was ignoring the Palestinian
government. Such talks were unthinkable. But in the weeks since Hamas's dramatic
takeover in Gaza, the US and Israel have recalculated. They have concluded that
a true peace push that offers Palestinians hope will be the best, and perhaps
only, chance for Mr Abbas to fend off the rising power of Palestinian Islamists.
Now supporters of Mr Abbas, as well as Israeli leaders, believe that a tangible
peace document, endorsed by Arab leaders further afield and with an explicit
endgame in sight, may split Hamas's ranks and tip the scales back towards the
president's Fatah party. The US is lobbying moderate Arab powers, especially
Saudi Arabia, to secure their involvement in the peace conference. Saudi Arabia
has said it will sign on if it is convinced the talks will produce more than
empty promises. Even the Arab League sent a delegation to Israel earlier this
year for the first time. "Things are churning. There is a lot of scuttling and
running around," said Danny Seidemann, a human rights lawyer and long-standing
Israeli peace activist. Iran warns US over risks of military action YNet News (September 4, 2007) - New special military advisor to supreme leader Ali Khamenei says Washington could never foresee size of Tehran's response against US troops in region; adds reaction could affect Israel. Iran on Tuesday issued a stark warning to the United States over the danger of launching a military attack, saying Washington could never foresee the size of its response against US troops in the region. "The US will face three problems if it attacks Iran. Firstly, it does not know the volume of our response," said General Rahim Yahya Safavi, the new special military advisor to supreme leader Ali Khamenei. "Also, it can not evaluate the vulnerability of its 200,000 troops in the region, since we have accurately identified all of their camps," added Safavi, who stepped down last week as head of the elite Revolutionary Guards. Safavi also warned over how Iran's reaction to a US attack could affect Israel - Tehran's regional archfoe - and also crude oil supply from the world's fourth-largest producer. "Secondly, it does not know what will happen to Israel and, thirdly, the United States does not know what will happen to the oil flow," he was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying. Washington has never ruled out taking military action against Tehran, and its tone has sharpened again over the past week, with President George W. Bush warning that Iran's atomic program could lead to a "nuclear holocaust." Iran has always insisted it would never launch any attack against a foreign country, but has also warned of a crushing response to any aggression against its soil. Tehran has an array of medium range missiles, and claims that its longer-range Shahab-3 missile has a reach of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), which would put Israel and US bases on the Arabian Peninsula within reach. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dismissed the chance of any US attack against Iran, but influential former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has warned of the dangers still posed by the United States. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America |
Life under the “Color Red” Alert
YNet News (September
4, 2007)
- A baby's heart-wrenching cry is heard against a backdrop of
falling Qassam rockets. Mothers fearfully dart to kindergartens to check
whether their children have been hurt. Helpless people run about the
streets seeking shelter. These are the pictures that came out of Sderot
Monday; a city located less than an hour's drive away from the heart of
Tel Aviv. And it's not as if we didn't know what was going on there. For
the past seven years we have been clicking our tongues each time we hear
of another Qassam rocket landing there, another house that has
collapsed, more shock victims. Once in a while we read articles about
these people who live in the shadows of the "Color Red" alert system,
after which we let out a few words of solidarity, less than a proper
sentence so that we can appear righteous. So that we can prove to
someone - or even to ourselves - that we care. Something the likes of:
How terrible, or how can one live like this. Then we proceed with our
daily lives. But to what extent do we really understand the lives of
these people, who beyond the daily anxieties accompanying every Israeli
citizen raising children here, must face a constant tangible,
existential and statistical threat. A threat so chilling it is almost
surreal: Will my house be hit by a Qassam rocket today? Or where will my
child be in the next Qassam attack? And the dilemma of each sane parent
in Sderot: Am I being irresponsible by continuing to live in a place
where my children are in danger's way? Hence, the images from Sderot
Monday were so effective. They didn't depict ruined houses or the cries
of residents following a Qassam attack. They depicted people in their
daily routine: People like you and I, who take their children to
kindergarten or to school in the morning. Mothers who heavy-heartedly
part from their babies, who would from that moment on become dependent
on the resourcefulness, the courage and resilience of the kindergarten
teacher. more... Muslims Ransacking Israel’s Temple Mount
Jerusalem Newswire (September 3, 2007)
- Two thousand years ago, Roman Legions pillaged and burned Israel’s
Second Temple, turning the hilltop on which it once stood into a
desolate heap. As they wandered the planet, looking for a place to find
rest for their feet, hounded and harried everywhere by anti-Semitic
Christians and others, the descendants of the exiled Jews prayed for and
looked toward their return to the Temple Mount and the rebuilding of the
house of worship to their God. It is their holiest site—the place where
God’s glory once shone visibly for the entire nation to see, and the
place from which their Messiah is prophesied to reign. And yet, despite
this purported highest importance to their nation, Israel’s government
is apparently unmoved by reports of ongoing and unrestrained destruction
of the site and its priceless remains at the hands of the Palestinian
Islamic Waqf. In an exclusive report Monday [September 3], WorldNetDaily
[WND] revealed that the Waqf—or Islamic Trust—has been caught
“red-handed” destroying Temple-era antiquities, including parts of what
may well be a wall from the Second Temple. The destruction is being
wrought as the Arabs blast trenches in which to lay new electrical
wiring for their mosques and other Muslim-controlled structures. Whereas
Muslims throughout the Middle East and around the world have rioted and
protested violently any plans by Israel to carry out excavations or
repair work anywhere near the Temple Mount, Israel’s Jews are
conspicuous by their silence and almost total lack of interest in what
the Muslims are doing to their holy of holies. One of the few Israelis
to register their shock and anger is Eilat Mazar, considered one of the
most prominent Temple Mount archaeologists. WND reports Mazar analyzed a
photo showing damaged stone elements and said they “might be part of a
Jewish Temple wall Israeli archaeologists charge the Waqf found and has
been attempting to destroy.” “It certainly looks like Second Temple
antiquity and could very well be part of a Second Temple courtyard
wall,” Mazar said. If authenticated, said WND, the wall would be one of
the most important Temple Mount archaeological discoveries in recent
history. Mazar said she would need to examine the stone in the photo to
certify it. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reportedly gave the Waqf
permission to use earth-moving gear to dig a long, deep trench across
the top of the mount. Israeli police are protecting the diggers and, in
fact, helping oversee the destruction of the most important piece of
their national heritage. Archaeologists like Mazar are prevented from
inspecting how the work is being done. more... Solana hopes for developments in Mideast peace process YNet News (September 2, 2007) - Following meeting with Palestinian president in Ramallah, EU foreign policy chief says, 'We have to take advantage of the opportunity created.' Abbas stresses that 'there will be no dialogue with Hamas until it goes back on the coup it carried out in June'. It is time for the Palestinian people to reap the fruits of security and peace, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Sunday following his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. In a press conference held after the meeting, Solana said he hoped for positive developments in the coming months. According to the foreign policy chief, he came to the Middle East to advance the peace process. He stressed that the Europe Union would continue to help Abbas and his government with financial and security aid. "We need to see achievements by the end of the year. We have to take advantage of the opportunity created," he added. Solana noted that the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians would be backed by the EU and expressed his hope that the talks would succeed and that each side would be open to the other side's suggestions. Addressing the US-sponsored peace conference scheduled to take place in November, the foreign policy chief said that "a solution will not be achieved tomorrow, but we have to make progress." The Palestinian president said that his meetings with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert dealt with all the relevant issues, both daily issued and disputed diplomatic issues. "Every such meeting requires a lot of preparation, so that it is not defined as a failure," he said. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |
Solana to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders European
Jewish Press (August 31, 2007) - EU’s
foreign policy chief Javier Solana will travel to Israel and the Palestinian
Territories over the weekend as part of the European Union’s desire to play an
important role in the Quartet of international Middle East mediators,
his spokeswoman, Mary Brazier, told
EJP. Solana will have talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders ahead of
several important gatherings later this year, including the informal meeting of
EU Foreign Ministers on 9 September in Portugal, the Quartet meeting in New York
next month and the international Mideast peace conference to be convened in
November at the initiative of US president George Bush. Solana is to meet on
Sunday in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister
Salam Fayyad before meetings in Jerusalem Sunday and Monday with Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defence Minister Ehud Barak
and Knesset (Israel’s parliament) Speaker Dalia Itsik. Solana is said to be
“cautiously optimistic” about Israeli-Palestinian peace prospects and
appreciates the current momentum created by the talks between Olmert and Abbas.
He also feels that there is for the first time in seven years a “unique
opportunity” to seize with Bush’s peace conference proposal. His spokesperson
said that there is “no change” in the EU’s policy towards Hamas. “There is no
political contact with Hamas,” Mary Brazier, said. During his visit, Solana will
also meet the heads of the EU border assistance mission at the Rafah crossing
point (EU BAM Rafah) and of the EU Police Mission in the Palestinian territories
(EUPOL COPPS) which is helping the Palestinian Authority to establish a modern
and effective civil police service and develop security capacity.
more...
Ban Ki-Moon calls for peace World
News Network (August 31, 2007)
- The time has come, says the UN Secretary-General.
Ban Ki-Moon Pledges UN Support to End Israeli Occupation Of
Palestinian Land. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has
called for a just and lasting solution to the conflict in Palestine.
Addressing the UN International conference Of Civil Society In
support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace in Brussels, Belgium he said,
the gathering reflects the deep and enduring desire of people across
the world for a comprehensive, just and lasting resolution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Such a settlement is also one of the
foremost priorities of the United Nations. The continued occupation
of the Palestinian territory prolongs hardship and injustice for
millions of Palestinians, yet it has also failed to ensure the
security of Israeli civilians. The Secretary general said he was
encouraged by recent international and regional efforts to get the
Palestinians and the Israelis back on the negotiating track. The
Arab Peace Initiative, Tony Blair’s appointment as the Quartet
Representative, and President Bush’s decision to convene a Middle
East Peace meeting all have the potential to result in a significant
breakthrough. He said, “Amidst this activity, I particularly welcome
the decision by Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas to meet
regularly to discuss a range of issues. I hope that the internal
challenges each faces will not deter them from moving forward with
discussions on the political horizon.” The Secretary General added,
“Of course, movement on the political front cannot obscure the dire
humanitarian situation on the ground. The unsustainable division of
the West Bank and Gaza Strip has grave humanitarian and political
implications. Conditions in the Gaza Strip have become particularly
acute; they demand the urgent reopening of border crossings for
commercial and humanitarian deliveries. To alleviate this crisis,
UNRWA and other UN Agencies are doing everything they can to support
the affected populations. Their efforts, however, cannot compensate
for the effect of the closed crossings. Today, I again encourage
both parties to demonstrate a true commitment to peace through a
negotiated two-State solution. Israel should cease settlement
activity and the construction of the barrier, ease Palestinian
movement and implement the Agreement on Movement and Access.
Palestinians, for their part, need to make every effort to end
violence by militant groups and make progress on building robust
institutions. The United Nations will continue to support
international efforts aimed at bringing an end to the occupation,
and achieving a two-State solution. This work is not easy, but it
would prove close to impossible without the active participation and
support of innumerable civil society groups and individuals in
Israel, in the occupied Palestinian territory, and around the world.
Civil society actors are helping build bridges between the Israeli
and Palestinian peoples. They are strengthening institutions and
providing critical humanitarian and other assistance. In every
aspect of their work, they are contributing towards a just solution
to this decades-old conflict. Working together, we can achieve our
goal: a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement, based on
Security Council resolutions 242, 338, 1397, 1515 and the principle
of land for peace. It is clear who is on Israel's side and who is not. In the face of historical fact, for the first time in history a nation is being forced to give up land won in a war a generation ago. Indeed all the nations of the earth are gathered against Israel to divide the land God portioned for her, and woe to the nations who interfere with God's design! We have been warned in the Bible regarding this and it has even been pointed out in Eye To Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel by Bill Koenig.
Sheikh Salah: Israel wants to encroach on parts of Temple Mount
YNet News (August 30, 2007)
- Israel is conspiring to encroach on the Temple Mount to build a Jewish
temple near the Al-Aqsa mosque, Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the
Islamic Movement northern branch, said Thursday. Salah called on Arab
and Muslim nations to "prevent the division of the Al-Aqsa by Israel."
In a letter to Arab kings and leaders of Muslim countries, Salah urged
all Muslims to torpedo "Israel's plan that aims at dividing the Al-Aqsa
Mosque between Muslims and Jews whereas in the Jewish part it plans to
build its imaginary temple." Salah also lamented Israel's practice of
allowing groups of religious Jews to visit the Temple Mount, and
according to Salah, to pray and perform religious rituals. The Temple
Mount, which houses the Al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock Mosques, is the
holiest site for Jews. The Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest Muslim
shrine, nests just above the last remaining wall of the Temple, the
Western Wall. Salah said the whole complex was Muslim but Israel was
trying to expropriate parts of it.
'Hamas in Damascus instructed W. Bank cells to launch mega attack'
Jerusalem
Post (August 26, 2007) - Yahiya Moussa, a member of the Hamas parliament in
Gaza, said the organization did not change its policy regarding
suicide attacks, Israel Radio reported Sunday evening. He said
reports aired in Israeli media earlier Sunday were meant to "set the
ground for renewed Israeli violence against the Palestinians."
Moussa added, however, that Hamas was not in complete control over
its activists and that "pressure against activists in the [West]
Bank could lead bring about an explosion." A Palestinian source in
Ramallah contradicted Moussa, and confirmed that the leadership in
Damascus had indeed instructed West Bank Hamas members to carry out
a large-scale attack. Earlier Sunday, the Shin Bet (Israel Security
Agency) deputy director said at the cabinet meeting that Hamas
leaders in Damascus have told the group's loyalists in the West Bank
to carry out a large-scale terrorist attack inside Israel. Due to
Hamas's current frustrations, he said, there was an increased chance
it would become more actively involved in carrying out attacks here
and abroad. Hamas, the official told the ministers, was irritated it
had not been able to break out of its international isolation and
had been unable to create a mechanism that would bring about
dialogue with Fatah. The organization, he said, was also finding it
increasingly difficult to effectively govern the Gaza Strip. In
addition, he said, there were increasing signs of economic
separation between Gaza and the West Bank, with the economic
situation in Gaza getting worse, while recently there had been some
improvement in the West Bank's private economic sector. "There is no
real threat to Hamas in Gaza," the Shin Bet official added. "Its
situation is stable." He said Hamas was continuing to smuggle large
quantities of arms and explosives from Egypt. In the two months
since it took control of Gaza, he said, some 40 tons of explosives
had been smuggled in, representing half of the amount of explosives
smuggled since Israel left Gaza in 2005. The Shin Bet official said
there had been a recent decrease in Egyptian efforts to stop the
smuggling. more...
The Blood-Red Moon, the Temple Mount and the Bible Bill
Koenig (August 28, 2007) - August
28, 2007, had very revealing headlines: A Blood-Red Moon
Rises over North America | Olmert Offers Temple Mount Sovereignty
to the Palestinians | Olmert and Abbas Meet on Israel's Land and
Jerusalem | Bush Says Iran's Actions Could Lead to a Shadow of a
Nuclear Holocaust | Bush Arrives in New Orleans for his 15th
Post-Katrina Visit |
These
were the news headlines on the day of a total lunar eclipse that
produced a "blood-red" moon, the second one in seven years with a
connection to the Temple Mount. A total lunar eclipse/"blood-red" moon
occurred on July 16, 2000, while U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat were
at the Middle East Summit at Camp David. The sticking point that
caused the summit to fail had to do with who would have sovereignty over
the Temple Mount — the Israelis or the Palestinian Arabs. During
this year's total lunar eclipse/"blood-red" moon of Aug. 28, 2007, that
rose over North America, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered
the Palestinians sovereignty over the Temple Mount. What was so
incredible about the timing of this offer is that it didn't take place
days, weeks or months after the "blood-red" moon but on the very same
day. In other words, the Temple Mount’s sovereignty was a central
focus during both total lunar eclipse/ "blood-red" moons in 2000 and
this week. Blood-Red Moon The Old and New Testaments speak of
blood-red moons prior to the Tribulation.
Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the
moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come.
Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord
come. The Jewish Talmud (book of tradition/ interpretation) says,
"When the moon is in eclipse, it is a bad omen for
Israel. If its face is as red as blood, [it is a sign that] the sword is
coming to the world." Total-eclipse “blood-red” moons are rare.
The next total-eclipse/ "blood-red" moon will occur on Feb. 21, 2008.
Having another total eclipse this close to a previous one is extremely
rare; to say the least, we will be watching that day with much interest.
News From
the Last Two Blood-Red Moons more...
Israel offers Palestinians control of Temple Mount WorldNetDaily (August
28, 2007) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office
today presented the Palestinian Authority with a formal plan in which
the Jewish state would forfeit the Temple Mount – Judaism's holiest site
– to Muslim control, according to top Palestinian sources. The sources
said Olmert's plan calls for the entire Temple Mount plaza to fall under
Arab sovereignty; Jerusalem's Old City holy sites near the Mount to be
governed by a Jewish, Christian and Muslim task force; and the Western
Wall plaza below the Mount to be controlled by Israel. The report
follows a
WND exclusive article last week stating Palestinian negotiators
drafting an agreement behind the scenes with Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert's office made clear they will not accept any final peace deal
with Israel unless the Jewish state forfeits the Temple Mount. According
to Palestinian negotiators who took part in today's Olmert-Abbas
meeting, the Israeli leader today also presented Abbas with a plan for
Israel to evacuate most of the West Bank and cede eastern sections of
Jerusalem. The plan called for Israel to retain three main settlement
blocks and in exchange Israel would offer the Palestinians Israeli Arab
towns in the north of the country, the Palestinian negotiators told WND.
David Baker, a spokesman for Olmert, would neither confirm nor deny the
prime minister offered the Temple Mount. He said ahead of today's talks
the summit would center on "the development of Palestinian-governing
institutions, bolstering Abbas' government and issues concerning
Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side." Over the weekend, an
Egyptian newspaper reported Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the
Egyptian government the Jewish state is willing to forfeit control of
the Temple Mount to the management of Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian
Authority. The Al Massrioun daily reported Barak informed Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and the Jordanian
government Israel is willing to hand them joint control over the Temple
Mount. According to the Egyptian report, Barak stated an umbrella group
of several Arab countries controlling the holy site instead of only the
PA would help ease Israeli domestic opposition to giving up the Temple
Mount, since Egypt and Jordan are considered by Israeli policy to be
moderate countries. Ronen Moshe, a spokesman for Barak, told WND the
Egyptian media report is "untrue." "We do not comment on the specifics
of private conversations with world leaders, but this report is not what
was said during the talks," Moshe said. A senior Palestinian official,
speaking on condition his name be withheld, told WND yesterday Israel
"understands there won't be any deal with the Palestinians unless it
forfeits the Temple Mount." more...
Olmert, Abbas aim to pave way for two-state deal The
Jerusalem Post (August 28, 2007)
- Amid a swirl of reports that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas are drafting an
agreement on principles dealing with Jerusalem,
borders and refugees, officials from both sides adamantly denied
Tuesday night that such a document was exchanged when the two
leaders met earlier in Jerusalem. Al Jazeera satellite television
broadcast on Tuesday what it claimed was the two-page document drawn
up by the two sides, but Israel dismissed the report as false.
"There is no such document," a spokesman in the Prime Minister's
Office said. "It doesn't exist." The official, continuing with the
office's policy of releasing only minimal information about what is
being discussed with Abbas and the PA, said the two leaders - in a
90-minute private meeting at Olmert's official residence - "spoke
about the fundamental issues essential to arriving at two states for
two peoples." The two are widely believed to be putting together an
agreement that will be brought to the US-sponsored international
conference in the fall. A willingness to discuss these issues at the
international meeting is widely considered in Jerusalem as a
prerequisite to Saudi participation, which both Israel and the US
are very keen on securing. Olmert and Abbas, who last met on August
6, are expected to meet again before the scheduled visit in
mid-September of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Israeli government officials say that discussions on Jerusalem,
refugees and borders are being conducted at a very general level,
with details to be filled in at negotiating sessions that will be
held after the international summit. Meanwhile, PA officials played
down the significance of Tuesday's meeting, saying the two leaders
did not exchange any written documents and that in any case Abbas
was planning to call a national referendum on any agreement he
reached with Israel. They expressed doubt that a majority of
Palestinians would endorse an agreement that did not call for a full
Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders, including leaving east
Jerusalem. "Today's meeting was good and thorough, but until now we
haven't discussed any details related to the fundamental issues,"
said chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat. "Nor have we reached the stage
of exchanging documents. We did not hand over to the Israelis any
written document. Likewise, we did not receive from them anything in
writing." Erekat said Abbas's goal was to achieve a just and
comprehensive peace with Israel based on the two-state solution. He
warned against attempts to "prejudice" the Israeli-Palestinian
talks, saying some parties were operating outside the frame of the
official negotiations. more...
Holy forfeit! Israel willing to give up Temple Mount World
Net Daily (August 28, 2007) -
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Egyptian government the
Jewish state is willing to forfeit control over the Temple Mount –
Judaism's holiest site – to the management of Egypt, Jordan and the
Palestinian Authority, according to an Arab media report. The
Egyptian Al Massrioun daily reported last weekend Barak informed
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and the
Jordanian government Israel is willing to hand them joint control
over the Temple Mount. The report follows a
WND exclusive article last
week stating Palestinian negotiators drafting an agreement behind
the scenes with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office made clear they
will not accept any final peace deal with Israel unless the Jewish
state forfeits the Temple Mount. According to the Egyptian media
report over the weekend, Barak stated an umbrella group of several
Arab countries controlling the holy site instead of only the PA
would help ease Israeli domestic opposition to giving up the Temple
Mount, since Egypt and Jordan are considered by Israeli policy to be
moderate countries. Ronen Moshe, a spokesman for Barak, told WND the
Egyptian media report is "untrue." "We do not comment on the
specifics of private conversations with world leaders, but this
report is not what was said during the talks," Moshe said. A senior
Palestinian official, speaking on condition his name be withheld,
told WND yesterday Israel "understands there won't be any deal with
the Palestinians unless it forfeits the Temple Mount." The official
said the Mount was previously a sticking point in
Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, but he said Prime Minister
Olmert's government has expressed a number of times a willingness to
compromise on the Temple Mount. "We've recently received many
Israeli plans that showed Israel is willing to allow another body,
whether Palestinian or international, to control the [Temple Mount].
The issue is no longer a sticking point," the Palestinian official
said. During U.S.-led negotiations in 2000, Barak, then prime
minister, reportedly was willing to forfeit the Temple Mount to
international control. Those negotiations fell through after
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat rejected an offer of a
Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections
of Jerusalem. Adviser Gilad Sher – who represented Barak at initial
Israeli-Palestinian planning meetings in 2000 during which President
Clinton discussed the Temple Mount – wrote in his book "Beyond
Reach" that Clinton's plan called for the Temple Mount to become
complete Palestinian sovereign territory, while the Western Wall
below and its complex would fall under Israeli sovereignty. Barak
was said to have initially rejected that plan, but according to
participants at the negotiations summit, he was ultimately willing
to place the Mount under international sovereignty. Some reports
claimed Barak offered the Temple Mount to the Palestinians, but the
Israeli politician has denied those claims. more...
Are Turkey’s Relations With Israel Crumbling?
Today's Zaman (August
25, 2007) - Just as
Turkey is tackling domestic issues surrounding the election of its
next president, the decision of an influential Jewish group -- the
New York-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) -- to recognize the
World War I killing of Anatolian Armenians as genocide, kicked the
genocide debates back onto Turkey’s agenda again. Israel and Jewish
lobbyists have so far pursued a policy of siding with Turkey on this
controversial issue, refusing to recognize those incidents as
genocide, but this long-time policy has been reversed with the ADL’s
move, arousing suspicion that something might be askew in
Turkey-Israel relations, which cannot be considered independent from
Jewish groups operating in the US. There is a widely held view that
Turkey’s improving relations with neighboring countries,
particularly Iran, has disturbed both Israel and the US, resulting
in such consequence. Milliyet columnist Taha Akyol speculates about
the possible reasons for such an attitude change among Jewish groups
in the US and connects this to recent political developments. Akyol
thinks it was the politics of yesterday that prompted Jews to take
sides with Turkey on this controversial issue and it is politics
again that has made their stance change. Akyol, for instance, shows
that Turkey’s rejection of a motion in 2003 that would have allowed
US troops to be deployed in Turkey during the Iraq War and Hamas
leader Khaled Mashaal visiting Turkey after winning elections in
Palestine as some of the reasons for deteriorating relations with
the Bush administration neocons, who are in political and economic
alliance with Zionism. He also talks about Turkey’s improving
relations with Iran and Syria as possible reasons for the change in
stance among Jewish groups. “The Jewish groups do no act
independently from Israel. So, their taking a stance against Turkey
will undoubtedly deal a severe blow to Turkish-Israeli relations.
Turkey, Israel and the US will all suffer from the deteriorating
relations,” argues Akyol. more...
PA - Temple Mount the price for peace
Jerusalem Newswire
(August 21, 2007) - The
Palestine Liberation Organization/Palestinian Authority will enter
into no peace pact with Israel that does not award the Muslim Arabs
who call themselves "Palestinians" full and irreversible control
over the site most sacred to the Jewish people. This is according to
a
WorldNetDaily report published Friday detailing some of the
issues being discussed in secret meetings between officials
representing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Arabs
negotiating on behalf of PLO/PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The meetings
are meant to be setting the stage for the International Middle East
Peace Conference called for by US President George W. Bush and
scheduled to be held in November this year under the chairmanship of
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Headlined with the question,
"Israel to give up the Temple Mount?" the report suggested that the
Olmert government would be willing to consider such a demand, a
suspicion fueled by the fact that three days have passed since its
publication without an outright denial from the Prime Minister's
Office. This "Palestinian" position, long held by the PLO leadership
at the aggressive insistence of the entire Islamic world, remains as
solid and unyielding today as it did when it helped scupper the
talks at Camp David in July 2000. There, under the benevolent eye of
US President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered
PLO chief Yasser Arafat all of Gaza, 97 percent of Judea and Samaria
- with the other two percent exchanged for pieces of land from
"Israel proper" - the Arab-populated eastern parts of Israel's
capital, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Temple Mount. What put
an abrupt end to the summit, and caused Arafat to hurl insults in
Barak's direction and storm out of the room, was the Israeli
leader's groveling plea for his nation to be awarded sovereignty
over the rubble from the First and Second Temple periods that lies
buried beneath the Temple Mount platform. Arafat could have
everything possible for the creation of his state, including the
coveted site of the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Barak
said. All Israel wished for was control over the "sub-terrace
spaces" containing dried-out pottery shards and other dusty remains
from an era those who discount the Bible don't even believe existed
at all. The arch-terrorist responded by returning to the Middle East
and igniting the Oslo War - or Al-Aqsa Intifada - that saw gallons
of Jewish blood spilled in Israel. But while the explosion of
terrorism awakened many deluded Israelis to the true goal and nature
of the "Palestinian" leadership and people - who consistently
supported and celebrated "suicide" and other massacres - it drove
dyed-in-the-wool Jewish leftists to advocate even further extremes
and carte blanch appeasement. more...
Evangelical pastor told to leave Israel
Haaretz
(August 18, 2007) -
An American evangelical
pastor and his wife who have been living in Israel for
nearly two decades have been ordered to leave the country
within two weeks, after their request for permanent
residency was turned down, officials said on Thursday.
Ron Cantrell, 59, and his wife Carol, 54, have run
a small Jerusalem-based ministry,
Shalom
Shalom Jerusalem, for the past four years. Cantrell
previously worked for
Bridges for Peace,
an evangelical organization, for 14 years. Two of the
couple’s children have married Israelis and have Israeli ID
cards. Interior Ministry officials said the decision was
made following suspicions that Cantrell was involved in
missionary work. The pastor categorically denied the
allegations as baseless. Cantrell, who has been active in
raising money for Israel as well as working on behalf of
Soviet Jews, had resided in Israel on a special clergy visa
during his work for Bridges for Peace, but then went back to
a regular tourist visa, which needed to be renewed every
three or six months, he said. The highly-coveted but
sparsely-distributed clergy visa is primarily given to
officials from mainstream Christian organizations. Cantrell,
who travels extensively on lecture tours, could have
continued living in Israel if he had left the country at
least once every three months, but said that was an
“unworkable solution” for his wife. Cantrell said the
Interior Ministry had cited no reason for rejecting the
residency request. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Sabine
Haddad said that the couple’s request to receive residency
status, after residing in Israel for years on various
temporary permits, had been brought before all ministry
levels up to the acting head of the population authority,
who was also the director-general of the office. The request
was turned down last month, she said. Ministry officials
cited suspicions of missionary work. The Shalom Shalom
Jerusalem Web site says that the couple “encourages
Christians and
Messianic Jewish believers in their understanding of the
prophetic Scriptures” and “encourages believers to
participate in God’s end-time plans by being involved in
positive support for the nation of Israel and Jewish
communities worldwide … in the regathering of the Jewish
people to their homeland.” The issue underscored the
delicate balancing act
evangelical Christian supporters of Israel face, between
proselytizing, which is banned in Israel, and their
fundamental belief that the return of the Jews to the Holy
Land was foretold in the Scriptures and heralds the return
of the messiah.
European Parliament to Host Anti-Israel Hate-Fest
UN Watch (August 16, 2007)
- Under the auspices of the UN's Committee
on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People,
a "Conference of Civil Society in Support of Israeli-Palestinian
Peace" will take place on August 30-31 in Belgium. These meetings
are part of a round-robin of anti-Israel gatherings organized
year-round by the UN's 16-member Division
for Palestinian Rights. It all dates back to 1975,
when these mechanisms were installed within the UN on the same day
that the General Assembly adopted its infamous "Zionism is Racism"
resolution. What is new, however, is the venue: the European
Parliament in Brussels. What the conference will pronounce is
pre-determined. Carefully pre-determined: the UN's Palestinian
Division runs a tightly-controlled operation that accredits only
anti-Israel NGOs and speakers. And recently they've become quite
clever. Without altering the virulently anti-Israel nature of their
meetings, the organizers instead seek to mask their
activities — under such innocent-sounding titles as "support for
Israeli-Palestinian peace." Moreover, to add credence to their
cover, they invite specially approved "Israelis" — a select group of
radicals who openly espouse hatred of Israel, claiming the license
to do so because of their citizenship. Both tactics give conference
organizers the cover they need for their allies and enablers to then
use the material. Among the speakers at the conference are Michel
Warschawski, who proudly describes himself as a "well-known
anti-Zionist activist." Others speakers include Nurit
Peled Elhannan, Amira Hass, Raji Sourani, Jamal Jumaa
(Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign), Mohammed Khatib (Popular Committee
of Bilin Coordinator), and David Shearer (OCHA). See the recent
meeting in South Africa, featuring Gideon Levy and
others, to get a sense of what to expect in Brussels. None of the
radical Israeli Jews at the Brussels conference represents even a
tiny segment of the Israeli Jewish population. So it's like holding
a conference on U.S.-Islamic rapprochement and inviting John Walker
Lindh—the American who joined the Taliban—to represent America's
position. Technically, Walker is as American as Warschawski and Hass
are Israeli. But only a scoundrel or a fool would treat either
exercise as anything but a sham. Who was behind the European
Parliament's decision to play host to this poorly disguised
hate-fest? With the conference façade removed, who in Europe will
now have the courage to speak out?
Giuliani: No Palestinian State; It Would Support Terror
Jerusalem Newswire
(August 15, 2007)
- A candidate for the US Republican Party's presidential nominee has
taken a stand against supporting the creation of a Palestinian state
on Israel's biblical heartland at this time. Laying out his foreign
policy positions in a magazine article, Rudy Giuliani said it "is
not in the interest of the United States, at a time when it is being
threatened by Islamist terrorists, to assist the creation of another
state that will support terrorism." The former New York mayor
stressed that "America's commitment to Israel's security is a
permanent feature of our foreign policy." If the Palestinians wanted
a state they would have to earn it "through sustained good
governance, a clear commitment to fighting terrorism, and a
willingness to live in peace with Israel." Giuliani took a swipe at
President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who
have become almost obsessive about getting a Palestinian state
established before the end of the presidential term. "Too much
emphasis" has been put on trying to secure an agreement between
Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, he said. Turning to Iran, Giuliani
said that, if he is made president, he would threaten to use a "big
stick" to put a stop to Tehran's nuclear program. Iranian president
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is universally believed to be committed to
developing an atomic bomb and has vowed to wipe Israel off the map.
Israel's Netanyahu wins re-election as Likud chief Reuters
(August 14, 2007) - Former Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu easily won re-election as head of the
rightist Likud party and pledged on Wednesday to reclaim Israel's
leadership. A year after Likud was routed in a national election,
Netanyahu has rebounded in opinion polls that have shown a steep
plunge in the popularity of the current prime minister, Ehud Olmert,
who leads the centrist Kadima party. Official results of Tuesday's
Likud balloting gave Netanyahu 75 percent of the vote in a sweeping
victory against his main challenger, West Bank settler Moshe
Feiglin, who opposes relinquishing Israeli-occupied land to the
Palestinians. "The internal battle ended tonight and tomorrow we
will focus our efforts on bringing Israel a new leadership,"
Netanyahu, 57, said in a victory speech. A Netanyahu win was never
in doubt in the party he led out of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's
government in 2005 in protest over Israel's withdrawal of troops and
settlers from the Gaza Strip that year. Whether the Likud, Israel's
main opposition party, can claw its way back to power is an open
question. The party won only 12 seats in the 120-member parliament
in last year's election, down from 38 in the previous poll. A
general election is not due until 2010. But Olmert has been plagued
by a string of corruption scandals and a potentially damaging final
report by a government-appointed panel examining the Lebanon war is
still pending. Some political commentators anticipate a face-off at
the ballot box as early as next year, with Netanyahu staking a more
centrist ground. Despite the U.S.-educated Netanyahu's hawkish
views, he handed over part of a West Bank town to Palestinian
control under pressure from Washington while prime minister from
1996 to 1999. His star has been rising. He is widely seen in Israel
and among financial institutions that deal with the Jewish state as
having turned its economy around while pursuing free market policies
as Sharon's finance minister. Netanyahu's warnings against pulling
out of the Gaza Strip are also regarded by many Israelis as having
been prophetic. Hamas Islamists now control the territory and
militants frequently fire rockets from Gaza at southern Israel.
'Secret' plan would give Palestinians West Bank
World Net Daily
(August 13, 2007)
- Newly installed Israeli President Shimon Peres has quietly drafted
a plan for the Jewish state to evacuate and transfer to the
Palestinians nearly the entire West Bank and several Arab Israeli
cities located within territory that is undisputedly Israel's
according to the international community, WND has learned. The West
Bank is strategic territory that runs alongside Jerusalem and is
within rocket range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport.
It is home to many biblical Jewish communities and some of Judaism's
holiest sites. Peres has presented his initiative to Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert and to top aides for Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas the past few weeks, after he took office as Israeli
president last month, diplomatic sources in Jerusalem told WND. The
official role of president here is limited largely to ceremonial
matters; the president does not create foreign policy. Olmert is
mulling over the plan and agrees with much of its contents, the
diplomatic sources said. Peres' plan calls for Israel to hand
97-percent of the West Bank over to Abbas, with Israel retaining a
small number of the territory's Jewish communities. In exchange for
Israel keeping some land, the Jewish state will give the PA control
of Arab Israeli cities north of Tel Aviv which, together with the
evacuated West Bank territory, would amount to the equivalent of 100
percent of the West Bank. Diplomatic sources said aside from Abbas
and Olmert, Peres has presented his plan to European Union
officials. Top EU diplomats in recent days told the media they want
a U.S.-sponsored international conference scheduled for November to
lead to negotiations on a final agreement with the Palestinians.
That international conference and talk from the Bush administration
the past few weeks has led many here to speculate the U.S. will push
in the near future for intense Israeli-Palestinian negotiations
leading to a Palestinian state. With a year and a half left in
office, Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have been
urging meetings between Abbas and Olmert to establish a framework
for momentum leading to a breakthrough at November's conference.
Olmert and Abbas have been meeting bi-monthly in summits brokered by
the U.S. Already Olmert during the meetings has granted a number of
security concessions to Abbas regarding increased Palestinian
control of the West Bank. The Israeli prime minister
last month amnesty to 178 gunmen from Abbas' Fatah organization
who comprise most of the senior leadership of the Al Aqsa Martyrs
Brigades, the declared military wing of Fatah that is responsible
for every suicide bombing in Israel the past three years. more...
Israel's Barak dismisses peace push "fantasies" Reuters
(August 10, 2007) -
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak was quoted as saying on Friday
that talk of any peace deal with the Palestinians anytime soon was a
"fantasy," in a challenge to U.S.-led efforts to revive
negotiations. In private conversations reported by Israel's Yedioth
Ahronoth newspaper, Barak said he would not carry out plans by
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to remove roadblocks in the West
Bank as a gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But senior
Abbas aide Saeb Erakat said on Friday the Palestinians were told
that Barak will present a "map" to remove the checkpoints next week.
Barak's office stopped short of denying the Yedioth report in its
entirety, but said: "There is no change in Barak's stance regarding
the importance of the political process alongside our obligation to
protect Israel's security." A spokesman for Olmert declined to
comment on the report in the mass circulation daily. Barak, who as
prime minister spearheaded talks with the Palestinians that ended in
failure in 2001, was quoted in Yedioth as saying a peace deal would
not be possible for at least three to five years. Barak said that is
how much time would be needed for Israel to develop defenses against
rockets, which Palestinian militants regularly fire into southern
Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. "You can't feed
Israelis fantasies about an arrangement with the Palestinians
anytime soon," Barak was quoted as saying.
The Hal Lindsey Report Hal
Lindsey Oracle (August 10, 2007) -
Hal Lindsey discusses the Israel/Palestinian talks and the dividing
of Israel in this 28:30 min. video. "If the West Bank is a soveriegn
Palestinian state, then Israel's entering into it to pursue the
terrorists would be an act of war. Even if the terrorists used it
for a base for the attacks. And the liberal international community,
they would always blame Israel for the aggression and forget the
terrorist provocation. Hey, that's what they're doing now! Conceivibly
it's a perfect trap. Palestine becomes a state. It's used as a base
for terrorist attacks into Israel. To defend itself, Israel enters
into Palestine. Palestine then calls upon the Arab nations to defend
it, and the Arab world has a perfect excuse to attack Israel from
all sides once again. Before last year's Lebanon debackle, this
would have been unthinkable. But now, if Hamas thinks it can defeat
Israel, just imagine what the other Arab nations must now believe."
Peres: Talk to P.A. without preconditions JTA
(August 9, 2007) - Shimon Peres
said Israel should not place preconditions on peace talks with the
new Palestinian Authority government. Israel Radio
quoted Peres as saying Thursday that Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who set up a new,
Western-backed administration in the West Bank after breaking with
Hamas over its Gaza takeover in June, deserve to be treated as full
negotiating partners. "I get the impression that Abu Mazen wants to
hold serious negotiations, and we have to talk to him without
preconditions," Peres was quoted as telling visiting U.S.
congressmen. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has recently
signaled willingness to talk to Abbas about the formation of a
Palestinian state, though the latter has yet to prove the extent of
his mandate after the schism with Hamas.
Cabinet meets on prospect of conflict with Syria Haaretz
(August 9, 2007)
- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday evening addressed the
possibility of a military conflict with Syria during a Kadima
conference held at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem,
saying that Israel and Syria have no interest in a war. "I believe
that we can expect a calm summer, a calm autumn and a calm winter,"
Olmert said, "naturally, we are dealing with strengthening the
Israel Defense Forces' capabilities...but we have no plans, no will,
and no interest in a confrontation in the north of the country or in
the south." "I believe that the Syrians also have no interest in
fighting us," he added, "there is always an exaggeration in creating
an atmosphere of tension, but a responsible leadership knows how to
control itself, exercise self-restraint and maintain its
equanimity," he added. The members of the security cabinet met
Wednesday morning to discuss the situation on Israel's northern
front and the possibility that a conflict will break out between
Israel and Syria. The meeting was labeled "very sensitive," and the
ministers were asked to leave their cellular phones outside the room
where the meeting took place. The cabinet has recently and with
increasing frequency been holding meetings about the northern border
and the preparation of the home front in case of a violent
confrontation with Syria. Wednesday's meeting is the sixth meeting
in the last six weeks on the issue. Echoing similar statements made
earlier, Olmert conveyed that the meeting's purpose was to prepare
for the possibility of a Syrian miscalculation regarding Israel's
intentions, and that Israel doesn't intend to attack. Most of the
ministers in the security cabinet attended the meeting, including
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and ministers Tzipi Livni, Ehud Barak,
Haim Ramon, Avigdor Lieberman, Eli Yishai, Rafi Eitan, Avi Dichter,
Shaul Mofaz, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer and Daniel Friedmann. Sources from
the prime minister's bureau have said in the last several days that
the meetings have been held because of the "possibility of a
miscalculation in terms of Syria, but not because of new information
of a shift in Syrian activity."
more...
Russia eyes return to the Middle East
Detroit News (August 9, 2007)
- Days after Russia sent the diplomatic world reeling with its
audacious flag-planting beneath the ice of the North Pole, the
Kremlin is moving to reassert itself in warmer climes as well,
plotting the return of the Russian fleet to a Syrian port on the
Mediterranean Sea. The head of the Russian navy announced that he
wanted next to plant the white-blue-and-red Russian banner in the
Middle East. The new Russian strategy envisions returning warships
to a Soviet-era naval base at the port of Tartus. "The Mediterranean
Sea is very important strategically for the Black Sea fleet,"
Admiral Vladimir Masorin said as he toured a Russian base in the
Ukrainian port city of Sevastopol. "I propose that, with the
involvement of the Northern and Baltic fleets, the Russian navy
should restore its permanent presence there." It would mark the
first time Russia has established a military presence outside the
borders of the former Soviet Union since the USSR fell apart in
1991. "It's a symbol, the planting of a flag. Just like the one
Russia put under the North Pole," said Alexei Malashenko, an expert
on the Muslim world at the Carnegie Moscow Center. The intent, he
said, is to declare that Russia has returned to the Middle East,
where Moscow held wide influence during the Cold War, backing the
socialist regimes of Syria, Iraq and Egypt against U.S.-supported
Israel. It's a move many in Israel and the United States will have
trouble separating from a broader pattern of renewed Russian support
for countries and groups Washington and Tel Aviv see as enemies.
"The Russians are coming" read a front-page headline in Monday's
edition of Israel's mass-circulation Yediot Aharonot newspaper. "A
Russian flag on Syrian soil has significant strategic implications.
Firstly, it challenges the United States and the dominance of the
Sixth Fleet stationed in the Mediterranean. Secondly, with its
actual presence in Syria, Russia is announcing that it is actively
participating in any process and conflict in the Middle East, that
it has a stance of its own and that it must be reckoned with," the
article read. Russian President Vladimir Putin and President George
W. Bush have both gone to great lengths to insist the two countries
are not on the verge of another Cold War. But the Kremlin and the
White House, already butting heads in Eastern Europe and Central
Asia, are increasingly at odds across this volatile region.
Israel sends conciliatory messages to Damascus to avoid war Haaretz
(August 8, 2007) - Israel has
sent several messages to Damascus in recent weeks reiterating that
it has no desire to attack Syria, in an effort to keep Syria from
misreading Israel's intentions and therefore deciding to launch a
war. The messages have been sent via various foreign channels, a
senior government source said. In addition, Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert has made public statements to this effect. But while doing
its best to reassure Syria, the government also has been preparing
intensively for the possibility that war might nevertheless break
out: Yesterday, the ministerial committee on the northern front held
its sixth meeting in the past two months. As yet, there are no signs
of progress that would enable a resumption of Israeli-Syrian
negotiations. Nevertheless, a senior European diplomat said,
"European officials who have given Olmert messages from Damascus
regarding its desire to resume negotiations have received the
impression that he is keeping an open mind." "The situation on the
northern border is fragile and sensitive, but the European Union
believes there is no danger of war, since neither side wants to
start a conflict," the diplomat added. Nevertheless, he said, "in
the present atmosphere, it is important that there not be confusing
messages." The ministerial committee, which includes Olmert, Defense
Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and ministers Eli
Yishai, Avi Dichter, Shaul Mofaz, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, Rafi Eitan
and Avigdor Lieberman, is preparing for a possible conflict with
either Syria or Hezbollah. It has been discussing issues including
intelligence reports on the deployment of the Syrian army and on
Hezbollah's efforts to rebuild following last summer's war in
Lebanon; intelligence reports on Syria's network of rockets and
surface-to-surface missiles, which threaten Israel's home front; and
the home front's preparations for a missile attack, including
installing additional warning systems, renovating bomb shelters and
assessing the ability of the nation's infrastructure to withstand a
rocket attack. The Prime Minister's Office stressed yesterday that
these meetings are being held solely to prepare for any eventuality;
they do not indicate any Israeli intention of attacking Syria or any
Syrian intention of attacking Israel. A senior government source
explained that the Second Lebanon War revealed major gaps in
Israel's home front defenses, "and that's the major issue we're
trying to solve now." more...
IDF Intel: Syria May Launch Missile Attack Soon Israel
National News (August 8, 2007)
- Contrary to the official Military Intelligence line, according to
which Syria does not intend to attack Israel in the near future,
many researchers in the intelligence community suspect that Syria is
waiting for the right moment to strike, and that the moment may come
soon. This is the reason that Israel's Home Front Readiness Cabinet
met Wednesday to discuss the possibility of a massive Syrian missile
attack, according to Ynet's veteran military analyst, Ron
Ben-Yishai. Ben-Yishai says Syria is completing the construction of
a large rocket array aimed at Israel from the Syrian Golan Heights.
These are not Katyusha rockets but larger ones with a much greater
range: 222 mm., 302 mm. and 600 mm. rockets with a payload of up to
half a ton, which can reach Tel Aviv. Dozens of launchers have
already been set up and these are capable of firing hundreds of
missiles simultaneously. Syria also has SCUD missiles which can
reach southern Israel, but these can supposedly be intercepted by
the Israeli Arrow anti-missile system. The heavy missiles in the
Golan cannot be intercepted by the Arrow, however. According to Ben-Yishai,
all this means that the Syrians can launch a massive attack on
Israel's home front without Israel having any advance warning of the
attack.
Israel holds 'very sensitive' meeting on war with Syria
World Net Daily (August
8, 2007)
- Israel's security cabinet, composed of the country's top
ministers, today held what was deemed a "very sensitive" closed-door
meeting to plan for the possibility of war with Syria. Ministers
were asked to leave their cell phones outside to prevent the
possibility of leaks. In attendance were Prime Minister Ehud Olmert,
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Strategic
Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman and nine top lawmakers. It was
the sixth such security cabinet meeting in recent weeks. According
to security officials, the ministers were briefed on recent Syrian
military movements and Damascus' acquisition of missiles and rockets
capable of hitting civilian population centers, including Jerusalem
and Tel Aviv. The ministers were told Syria recently stepped up the
pace of its own rocket production and moved some rockets close to
the Israeli border. The ministers were briefed on possible war
scenarios, Israeli military options for countering any Syrian attack
and the readiness of Israel's home front, including bomb shelters
and anti-missile systems, security sources said.
WND reported last week that with the exception of the north, the
Jewish state's home front, Israelis – especially in Jerusalem and
Tel Aviv – are unprepared for the event of war, with only enough
existing bomb shelters for 70 to 80 percent of the area's residents. Security officials told the ministers
during today's meeting Syria is preparing for war with the Jewish
state but that its preparations were seen as defensive in nature.
They said they were concerned Syria might miscalculate Israel's
intentions and launch a war based on faulty intelligence. During a
portion of the meeting that was made public, Olmert told ministers
Israel has no intention to attack Syria. "But there is concern that
someone might mistakenly think that there will be an offensive and a
war which no one is interested in," Olmert said. "Therefore, we must
prepare for any scenario, so that Israel can be ready." Israeli
security officials say Syria boosted its military near the Syrian
side of the Golan Heights with strengthened forces after carrying
out increased training the past few months. The Syrian army has
improved its fortifications, according to the Israeli security
officials, and has received modern, Russian-made anti-tank missiles
similar to the missiles that devastated Israeli tanks during the
last Lebanon war, causing the highest number of Israeli troop
casualties during the 34-days of military confrontations. Syria also
received from Russia advanced anti-aircraft missiles. The security
officials said any conflict with Syria could degenerate into a
larger war involving Hezbollah along Israel's northern border and
Palestinian terror groups launching attacks from Gaza in the south
and the West Bank toward the center of Israel. The officials noted
Syria stepped up the pace of weapons, including rockets, being
shipped from the Syrian border to the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
The security officials said the greatest threats Syria poses to the
Jewish state are the country's missiles and rockets. They noted
Syria recently test-fired two Scud-D surface-to-surface missiles,
which have a range of about 250 miles, covering most Israeli
territory. The officials said the Syrian missile test was
coordinated with Iran and is believed to have been successful. It is
not known what type of warhead the missiles had. more...
Olmert to comply with 100% of Palestinian land demands Israel
Today (August 7, 2007)
- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is considering a final status
peace deal with the Palestinians that would require Israel to allow
the creation of a Palestinian state on the 100 percent of the
territory liberated by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War. According to
the proposal, which was first reported on by Ha'aretz,
Israel would retain control over several large settlement blocs in
the West Bank, and in exchange transfer a number of Arab towns
insider sovereign Israel to Palestinian control. Olmert's office
issued a denial of the original Ha'aretz report, but the
newspaper got confirmation from aides to Israeli President Shimon
Peres that the prime minister had in fact adopted the plan, which
was formulated by their boss when he was serving as Olmert's deputy.
Meanwhile, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that
Monday's meeting between Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman
Mahmoud Abbas had accelerated the establishment of a Palestinian
state on Israel's biblical heartland. “Abbas and Olmert discussed
the fundamentals that will allow a Palestinian state to be
established in an expeditious manner,” Erekat told Israel's Army
Radio.
PM: Israel, PA to expand talks on establishing Palestinian state as
soon as possible Haaretz (August
7, 2007) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Palestinian
Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas at a meeting in the West Bank on
Monday he would push for the establishment of a Palestinian state as
"fast as possible." In a Jericho meeting with the PA chairman,
Olmert refrained from setting a schedule, but said statehood would
be achieved by adherence to the internationally brokered road map to
Middle East peace, and through mutual understanding. "We have
decided to expand the scope of the negotiations between us in order
to advance mutual understanding and formulate the framework that
will allow us to move forward toward establishing a Palestinian
state," Olmert said. Monday's meeting marked the first time an
Israeli prime minister has visited the Palestinian Authority since
the outbreak of the second intifada in September 2000. The meeting
took place under heavy security. Palestinian Presidential Guard
officials and Shin Bet security service VIP officers held a number
of meetings in recent days to lay the groundwork for the security at
this historical meeting. While Olmert did not present a timetable,
he declared that he has no intention to stall for time on the issue
of Palestinian statehood. "Our mutual goal is to realize the shared
vision between us and [U.S. President George] Bush regarding the
establishment of two states for two peoples who live side by side in
security and peace. We want to achieve this as soon as possible,"
Olmert added. Olmert also mentioned that the basis for negotiations
"will continue to be the road map, which is acceptable to both
sides." The prime minister was referring to a peace plan proposed by
the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators - the United States,
the European Union, the United Nations and Russia - that calls for
an independent Palestinian state. During the meeting between the two
leaders, Abbas told Olmert that Israel's release of the 255
Palestinian prisoners last month had a positive effect on the
Palestinian people, and requested the release of additional
prisoners in the coming weeks. Olmert said he would consider Abbas'
request. more...
PM, Peres deny 'Palestinian state plan' Jerusalem
Post (August 7, 2007)
- The offices of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon
Peres vigorously denied a report in Tuesday's Ha'aretz newspaper alleging that they crafted a plan to establish a
Palestinian state on the equivalent of 100 percent of the land in
the West Bank. "We are not aware of any such plan described in the
article," Olmert's office said in the most strongly worded denial
the office has ever issued. "It is not being considered or
discussed. We are amazed by the false report, which was published
without asking for a response or checking whether it was true."
Abbas to PM: I won't talk to Hamas According to the plan,
Israel would maintain settlement blocs totaling five percent of the
West Bank and compensate the Palestinians with land inside pre-1967
Israel from blocs of Arab communities, with the residents'
acquiescence. The paper said Peres presented the plan to Olmert
after he became president. Olmert said at a Kadima event two weeks
ago that he would welcome Peres's involvement in diplomatic issues,
but Peres's associates said the plan published fits more with the
ideology of Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman. A similar
plan is the diplomatic platform of Lieberman's Israel Beiteinu
party. But even he distanced himself from the report in a statement
released Tuesday. "I welcome the acceptance of my idea of population
exchanges, because there is no other solution," Lieberman said. "The
solution must include all of the settlement blocs and leave
Jerusalem united under Israeli sovereignty. But there is no sense in
talking about a Palestinian state until the PA proves itself. .
Peres' aides confirm plan for PA state on land equal to 100% of West
Bank Haaretz (August
7, 2007) - Aides to President Shimon Peres confirmed
Tuesday a Haaretz report that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is
examining a new framework for peace, in which Israel will propose
transferring to the Palestinian state areas equivalent to 100
percent of the territories conquered in 1967. According to the
aides, the proposal was formulated while Peres was vice premier, and
presented to Olmert a few days after he entered the President's
Residence. The PMO, however, denied the existance of the proposal
Tuesday. "We do not know of any plan as described in the [Haaretz]
article," the prime minister's office said in a statement. "We would
like to clarify that such a plan has not been considered, nor is it
being raised for discussion in any forum." The proposal includes a
timetable for negotiations for the final status agreement and
implementing it, similar to the framework of the Peres-Abu Ala
agreement reached at the end of 2001. Israel will suggest to the
Palestinians to conduct negotiations for adequate territorial
compensation from Israel's sovereign territory, in exchange for
settlement blocs amounting to about 5 percent of the West Bank's
area. Israel is also examining various options of exchanging
settlement blocs with Arab community blocs within Israel, in
agreement with the residents. An agreement on this issue would
enable Yisrael Beiteinu, headed by Avigdor Lieberman, to remain in
the coalition. Olmert has not yet decided on his position regarding
all the plan's clauses, but apparently has not dismissed its main
ideas. Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas agreed Monday that cooperation
between Israel and the Palestinian Authority would be expanded, in
an effort to expedite progress in their talks for the establishment
of the Palestinian state. "Exchanges between the two sides will
become increasingly more substantive, and will deal less with
routine matters," a senior political source in Jerusalem said
Monday.
Christian Zionist Leader Denounces Evangelicals' Pro-Palestinian
Letter The
Christian Post (August 7, 2007) - A Christian Zionist leader has denounced the recent
letter by some of America’s leading evangelicals voicing support for
a Palestinian state, criticizing the signers for their “appalling
ignorance.” Dr. Jim Hutchens, president of the Jerusalem Connection
and the Washington-area director for Christian United for Israel,
acknowledged the “deep chasm” growing among evangelicals regarding
Israel. He contends, however, that the modern state of Israel is
part of the fulfillment of God’s covenant of a homeland for the
Jewish people. Evangelicals supporting a Palestinian state have an
“appalling ignorance of both secular and biblical history,” said
Hutchens, according to OneNewsNow. The Zionist leader noted that
there has never been a sovereign state of “Palestine.” In July, 34
prominent evangelical leaders signed a letter voicing support for
President Bush’s Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, emphasizing
their support for a two-state solution. The leaders also said they
wanted to repair the “serious misconception” that all American
evangelicals are against the two-state solution and the creation of
a new Palestinian state. “Historical honesty compels us to recognize
that both Israelis and Palestinians have legitimate rights
stretching back for millennia to the lands of Israel/Palestine,”
states the letter dated July 27 and published in the New York Times.
Signers included Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological
Seminary; David Neff, editor of Christianity Today; Richard Stearns,
president of World Vision; Tony Campolo, president/founder of
Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education; Stephen
Hayner, former president InterVarsity Christian Fellowship; and Joel
Hunter, senior pastor of Northland Church in Longwood, Fla., and
member of the executive committee of the National Association of
Evangelicals. Hutchens, however, disagrees and points to the
Replacement Theory as the theological explanation for evangelical
support of a Palestinian state. “I would suggest that the basic
theological underpinning of this is super-cessionism,” he said,
according to OneNewsNow, “and that is to say that the church is the
new Israel, that Christians have replaced Jews as the covenant
people of God … [and that] the covenants that God made with Israel
and the Jews are now null and void because they have not accepted
Jesus as the Messiah.” Yet Hutchens believes that the covenant
between God and Israel still holds. He proposes as solution to the
Israel-Palestinian problem that Israel annex the West Bank and Gaza
and for the Israeli military to uproot terrorists in the region. The
debate on Israel and Christian support for the biblical land has
stirred tension among evangelicals – arguably the world’s most vocal
supporters of the state; evangelicals make up 1/3 of American
tourists that visit Israel, second only to American Jews. Among the
critics are those against the “blind support” that some Christians
give to Israel despite the fact that the Knesset – Israel’s
legislative body – bans evangelism in the country and has proposed
punishment including imprisonment and heavy fines for guilty
parties. Megachurch pastor Joel Hunter, one of the signers
supporting a Palestinian state, noted: “There is a part of the
evangelical family which is what I call Christian Zionists, who are
just so staunchly pro-Israel that Israel and their side can do no
wrong, and it’s almost anti-biblical to criticize Israel for
anything,” he said, according to the New York Times. “But there are
many more evangelicals who are really open and seek justice for both
parties.” more... It seems to me the blindness is on the side of those who have no clue what is happening in the world according to Bible prophecy. Peace sounds great, who doesn't want it? The peace that is coming will only arrive once Yeshua does.
The difference between the milk and meat is discernment of both good and evil.
Understanding the will of the Lord is paramount in determining our direction because His goals are our goals. The end He wrote about is the end we will experience. We can develop all kinds of our own plans, but His will always win out and are motivated by love. Sometimes the motives of men is selfish and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So let us guard our minds with the Word of God in all things, clinging to Truth and rejecting the lies and deceptions. God gave us His Book to guide us and light our path for us. Understanding the end helps determine direction for the present.
Pro-Syria politician wins Lebanese seat Associated
Press (August 6, 2007) -
The pro-U.S. government suffered a blow Monday when its candidate in
a closely watched parliamentary race conceded defeat to a
little-known figure from the Syrian-backed opposition. The vote in
the Christian stronghold of Metn north of Beirut was widely seen as
a proxy struggle for the loyalties of Lebanon's Christians, who have
been nearly evenly split between the government and opposition.
Lebanon has been locked for months in a political standoff between
the anti-Syrian ruling coalition, which is mainly Sunni, and the
opposition led by the Shiite Muslim, pro-Syrian Hezbollah. Official
results of Sunday's parliamentary race showed opposition candidate
Kamil Khoury narrowly beating Amin Gemayel, Lebanon's president from
1982-88 and the head of one of the country's most powerful Maronite
Christian families. Gemayel ran in his home district for the seat
his son, Pierre, an outspoken anti-Syria figure, held when he was
shot to death by gunmen as he left a church in a Beirut suburb in
November. Many supporters blamed Syria for the killing. Khoury,
backed by Michel Aoun, the most prominent Christian in the
opposition, won by a margin of 418 votes, with 39,534 votes against
Gemayel's 39,116, Interior Minister Hassan Sabei announced. Turnout
was 46 percent Gemayel said that he would abide by the Interior
Ministry's results. A second seat contested Sunday, in Beirut, was
won by a pro-government candidate who ran virtually unopposed.
Sunday's votes were not expected to have any immediate or direct
effect on Lebanese political deadlock. The government of Prime
Minister Fuad Saniora retains a 5-seat edge over the opposition
majority in parliament, which has not met for months because of the
standoff. more...
Israel, Palestinians may both be onside for peace talks this fall CanWest
News Service (August 3, 2007)
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday his government
was prepared to negotiate "a declaration of principles" proposed by
Israel to help guide the first serious Middle East peace talks in
more than seven years and give both sides a much better idea "what
the end game will be," with specific details to be agreed to later.
For its part, Israel would discuss "fundamental" issues at the
U.S.-sponsored talks, which may take place in New York this autumn,
according to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice returned
home Thursday after a round of talks in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel
and the West Bank, where she met with Abbas. "Fundamental issues"
were, in this case, diplomatic code for talks about three of the
most divisive and potentially explosive subjects in the Middle East
-- the borders of a future Palestine, the fate of Palestinian
refugees living in neighbouring countries, and what to do about
Jerusalem, which both sides proclaim as their capital. Rice, at a
news conference she attended with Abbas in Ramallah, described her
diplomacy as an attempt to foster "a deepening of the dialogue
between the Palestinians and the Israelis on all of the issues."
Answering suspicions from both the Palestinian and Israeli sides,
she vowed that by calling the peace summit, President George W. Bush
was not just trying to arrange "a photo-op." While open to these
talks, Israel's position has been that because of the current
security situation and the danger of creating false expectations, it
was best to proceed cautiously and negotiate a final settlement
later on the most sensitive issues. A day after a senior Saudi
Arabian official said his country might join the Americans,
Palestinians and Israelis at such a peace summit, Tzipi Livni, the
Israeli foreign minister, urged other Arab countries without
relations with the Jewish state to support the peace process by
taking part, too. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on
Wednesday that he had encouraged the U.S. to invite moderate Gulf
states as well as Morocco and Tunisia to be part of the talks.
Before returning to Washington on Thursday, Rice met with Abbas and
his emergency cabinet, as well as with his new prime minister,
Salaam Fayyad. It was the secretary's first visit to the West Bank
since Abbas' secular Fatah faction lost political and military
control of the Gaza Strip to the Islamist Hamas movement six weeks
ago. To underscore the White House's support for the Abbas
government and as part of its continuing effort to keep Hamas
isolated because it refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist or
renounce terrorism, Rice told her hosts in Ramallah the U.S. would
provide $80 million to begin reforming the Palestinian Authority's
much-maligned security forces.
Primor: EU Troops Could Bring Peace to Middle East Deutsche
Welle (August 1, 2007)
- DW-WORLD.DE:
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said last week that he thought a
peace agreement could be reached by the end of 2008. One of the
reasons he gave was because US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
assured him of it. Is it wishful thinking? As the head of the WEU, the 10 member-state military wing of the European Union, Javier Solana has emergency powers over the E.U.'s military. If a peace is going to happen and a great diplomat get the credit for it, things seem to be falling in order. This peace will also play into the dividing of the land of Israel, required in order for Islam to even consider peace. This will probably also result in the dividing of the Temple Mount such that the outer court area of the rebuilt temple will be "left out," Revelation 11:1,2, to allow the co-habitation of the Dome of the Rock and the Jewish temple.
Israel and PA negotiating final status agreement
Unsealed Prophecy (August
1, 2007) - “Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas
are engaged in secret talks on final status issues,
Israel Radio quoted the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hayyat
as reporting Tuesday. According to the report,
the two leaders agreed to open a secret channel to discuss the
issues, which include such sticking points as refugees, Jerusalem,
and final borders, during their meeting roughly two weeks ago.”
“Olmert
confirmed
last week that he intends to engage in negotiations with Abbas on
the formation of a Palestinian state.” The Scriptures seem to
indicate that the European Union will be involved in any final
settlement, which will see the city of Jerusalem divided and Judea
and Samaria ceded to the Gentiles. Daniel’s prophecy says of the
Antichrist that he will strengthen an already existing agreement,
and will “divide the land for gain“,
Daniel 11:39
The fact that these
discussions are happening now , something
that would have been unthinkable only a
few years ago, shows us how close we are to the return of Christ for
His Church, and the beginning of the great tribulation. And that,
knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep:
for now our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Romans 13:11
US "Evangelicals"—Divide the Land of Israel
Jerusalem Newswire
(July 30, 2007)
- The issue of where to take a stand concerning the Land and
People of Israel continues to split Christians who choose to
reinterpret the scriptures through liberal and socialist lenses
from those who insist that the Bible is the unchanging Word of
God. In a letter published in the Sunday edition of the New York
Times, 34 self-described "evangelical leaders" wrote to US
President George W. Bush, urging him to forge ahead with his
plan to implement a "two state solution" to the
"Palestinian"-Israeli conflict. The document appears to have
been drawn up in reaction to the statements of high-profile
evangelicals like John Hagee who have recently asserted anew
that tens of millions of American evangelicals identify
themselves as Christian Zionists and oppose the
globally-supported effort to establish an Arab state on the
biblical heartland and national cradle of the Jewish people.
Twisting both the meaning of scripture and historic fact to
support their position, the signatories to the letter - who
claimed to speak on behalf of "large numbers of evangelicals
throughout the US" - sought to "encourage" Bush with the
assertion that not "all American evangelicals are opposed to a
two-state solution and creation of a new Palestinian state that
includes the vast majority of the West Bank [sic]." They had
written "to thank [Bush] for [his] efforts (including the major
address on July 16) to reinvigorate the Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations to achieve a lasting peace in the region. "We
affirm your clear call for a two-state solution. We urge that
your administration not grow weary in the time it has left in
office to utilize the vast influence of America to demonstrate
creative, consistent and determined US leadership to create a
new future for Israelis and Palestinians [sic]."
more...
Lack of understanding Bible prophecy is a main issue with this I believe. For those who don't believe Israel's right to the land, they come up against the Word of God. For those who think Israel isn't part of God's plan for the end-times, it shows a deep lack of understanding of the Hebrew Bible. It is the historical record of the children of Israel through which our Messiah was born. Romans 11 explains how God has not cast them off completely. And it is our Lord Yeshua Himself who connects Israel's existence to the end-times. On the mount of Olives, the disciples asked Yeshua, "when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" According to Yeshua, "the end" comes at the abomination of desolation. Matthew 24:14-22 That is when the great tribulation begins, which is the antichrist's 3 1/2 year reign on the earth. Daniel 7:25 It begins with the time of Jacob's trouble in Judea, which is why Christ said for those in Judea to run to the mountains at the abomination of desolation. But I digress. Christ referred to Daniel, an Old Testament prophet, regarding what time was being referred to. Daniel 9:27 places that event in the middle of the final week of years (7 years) of the prophecy given to Daniel about the future of Israel! That means that Israel is the absolute center of Yeshua coming again! Here's what the prophecy began by stating, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy." If the 70 weeks are for Israel and the last one has "the end" in the middle of it, that must mean Israel is significant to end-time Bible prophecy. For those who don't believe there is any future aspect to Bible prophecy, you have a big surprise coming. The Bible lays out the future, trust in God's Word and it will be a light to your path leading straight to Christ. Psalm 119:105 The church needs to wake up to God's plans so their own don't counter His Will. Those who don't believe God has a plan don't know His Word or don't take Him at His Word. And if you don't believe in the Bible, you have bigger problems coming. Certainly not from me, but God is just and without believing in Christ and obeying God's Word, we show we have no love for Him (John 14:15-21) and He respects our desires. To be separated from God is hell, beyond the wildest imaginations. Nobody is tough enough to deal with it and it's forever. I don't want anyone to get their wish to be separated from God. Eventually reality will always overcome vain imaginings. May God reveal His Word in greater detail as you get to know Him better. Get alone in your prayer closet and just speak to Him. He is worthy of our praise! 2 Timothy 4:1-4
Israeli Researchers Take First Step toward Live Computer Chip
Israel21c (July 29, 2007)
- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein might have been unprecedented in
its time, but since then, popular culture has been clogged with
a fascination for the concept of artificial intelligence, from
the eerily humanoid robots of The Twilight Zone to films like AI
and Robocop. People can't seem to get enough of the idea that
advanced technology may one day create sentient life, but at the
same time seem to dread the consequences of an apparent
transgression against the laws of nature. It may therefore come
as a surprise to find that advances in the field of nano
biotechnology are now taking place that have nothing to do with
creating monsters. Instead, for Professor Eshel Ben-Jacob and
his graduate student, Itay Baruchi of Tel Aviv University's
Department of Exact Sciences, the goal is to find treatments for
neurological disorders such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and
Parkinson's disease. With the use of chemical stimulation,
Ben-Jacob and Baruchi discovered that they could trigger a
man-made network of neurons to imprint patterns—the same process
by which the brain creates memories. This discovery marks an
early but crucial step toward the invention of a computer chip
with the capability to create and store information the same way
our own brains do. By linking the network of neurons to software
which reads the neural activity, the network and the computer
can work together to carry out tasks of which computers are
currently incapable. "Computers don't have cognitive function
because they lack plasticity—they are fixed," Ben-Jacob told
ISRAEL21c. "We're therefore thinking of adding features to
computers to make them more flexible and adaptable, like human
brains." It's the connection between the computer and the neural
network, which would communicate with one another, that creates
a new kind of machine. Ben-Jacob elaborates: "The network won't
replace the computer, but it will do the softer cognitive
functions of decision-making, interaction with the environment,
and sound recognition." According to Baruchi, biological
computing might also lead to technology that Microsoft has been
working to achieve, without success: handwriting recognition,
made possible by virtue of the biological system's ability to
detect patterns. "The ability of the regular silicon-based
computer to detect patterns is very low, and it needs a very
sophisticated algorithm. With the biological system it's very
easy, because humans and animals can easily detect patterns,"
said Baruchi, who has been working with Ben-Jacob for seven
years. more...
The Sampson Option
Hal Lindsey (July
28, 2007) - Last week, WorldNetDaily
reported a stunning admission from a Syrian official. He said that
Syria had "learned from the Hezbollah experience last summer and we
can have hundreds of missiles hitting Tel Aviv that will overwhelm
Israel's anti-missile batteries." He claimed Syria has "proof"
Israel is also readying for a war. "We hear about special Israeli
trainings to take Damascus. We see that Israel is re-establishing
bases of the Israeli army in the Golan that are unusual and not
needed except for war. We believe the Israeli government has an
interest in confronting Syria to rehabilitate its image of losing to
Hezbollah." The WorldNetDaily report also says that Damascus
believes newly-installed Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, a
former prime minister, "wants to prove he is a military expert."
This information is perfectly in line with the official statements
made by both Bashar Assad and Mushen Bilal to several major Arab
newspapers. Furthermore, London's Daily Telegraph reported June 25
that Tehran was establishing a missile defense shield for Syria.
Iran is also preparing to ship sophisticated military hardware,
including "dozens of medium-range Shahab-3 and Russian-made Scud-C
missiles, together with Scud-B missiles." Syria recently test-fired
two Scud-D surface-to-surface missiles that have a range of about
250 miles. This puts virtually all of Israel's population centers
within range. Analysts say the planned Iranian arms shipment to
Syria may be coordinated with the delivery of advanced Russian
fighter jets. Syria is also known to be producing non-conventional
warheads, including those containing VX gas for delivery via the new
longer range and more accurate Scuds. All Israel's cities are within
range of these missiles. Most of them can be reached in less than
three minutes. Syria is gambling that Israel's performance in the
Hezbollah war of June 2006 means that it has seen all Israel has to
offer. Apparently, Bashar Assad now believes Israel can be beaten.
Assad is miscalculating. In the event Syria launches a gas attack on
Israel, it's a virtual certainty that Damascus would be instantly
obliterated by Israeli nuclear weapons. The thought of being gassed
evokes a visceral response among Israel's Holocaust survivors and
their descendants that Damascus wildly underestimates. Israel has
more than 400 nuclear weapons in hidden silos in various places
within its borders, as well as at least two submarines in the
Mediterranean that are launch capable. And you can be certain that
in the event of a massive WMD attack by the Syrians, Israel will
respond in kind. more...
0:15:58 if you would like to begin at the scalar weapons talk.
High time for Middle East peace: UAE to Blair The
New Zealand Herald (July
26, 2007) - The United Arab Emirates said it
was high time for serious efforts towards Middle East peace as Tony
Blair arrived in the Gulf state on his first visit to the region as
an international envoy. "It is high time to find real mechanism to
achieve peace ... all efforts should be exerted towards just and
comprehensive peace in the Middle East so that the Palestinian
people achieve their legitimate rights," UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh
Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan told Blair. The official WAM news
agency said Sheikh Abdullah also voiced support for Blair's mandate
to revive the stalled peace process between Palestinians and Israel.
The former British prime minister earlier spoke of a "moment of
opportunity" after he met Palestinian and Israeli leaders on Tuesday
but warned that steps towards peace would take time. On the Gulf leg
of his regional tour, Blair is expected to also visit Bahrain. The
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan form a group set up at an Arab
League summit this year to promote an Arab offer to Israel of normal
relations in return for full withdrawal from lands occupied by the
Jewish state in the 1967 Middle East war. Blair's meetings in the
Gulf coincide with a visit by the foreign ministers of Egypt and
Jordan to Israel to promote the Arab peace proposal, which also
calls for a just settlement for Palestinians displaced by the
creation of Israel in 1948. Blair said earlier on his trip that he
had come to the Middle East to "listen and reflect" and that he
would return for a longer visit in early September. Blair was
appointed this month as envoy for the Quartet of Middle East peace
brokers - the United States, United Nations, European Union and
Russia.
Secy. Rice: Israel Must End Occupation of 'West Bank' Israel
National News (July
26, 2007) - Speaking with Arabic-language
Radio Sawa, based in Washington and Dubai, U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleeza Rice went further in her demands on Israel than President
Bush did in his recent speech on Israel. Rice, about to depart for
the Middle East to prepare an upcoming international meeting of
regional leaders, said that President Bush recently stated "very
clearly that Israel's future will rest in Israel, in places like
Galilee and in the Negev - and that the occupation of the West
Bank will have to end, and a Palestinian state will need to be
established." In fact, however, in his recent speech, President Bush
did not phrase this as a demand upon Israel, but rather cited Prime
Minister Olmert as having "made clear that Israel's future lies in
developing areas like the Negev and Galilee - not in continuing
occupation of the West Bank. This is a reality that Prime Minister
Sharon recognized, as well. So unauthorized outposts should be
removed and settlement expansion ended." Rice Sets New
Standard Pres. Bush also stopped short of saying Israel
must withdraw from all of Judea and Samaria. Bush said rather that
future Israel-PA negotiations must "lead to a territorial
settlement, with mutually agreed borders reflecting previous lines
and current realities, and mutually agreed adjustments." By stating
so clearly that the "the occupation of the West Bank will have to
end," Rice has set a new standard for United States officials of her
stature in opposition to Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria.
Secretary Rice did not deal with the question of what to do with
the 240,000 Jews living in the non-annexed areas of Judea and
Samaria (nor the roughly equal amount living in the outlying
neighborhoods of Jerusalem beyond Israel's pre-1967 borders).
Israel has not yet been able to solve the problems of the fewer than
10,000 Jews it evicted from Gaza two years ago; those Jews are still
living in transient camps of temporary pre-fab houses, with no
long-term housing or employment solutions in sight.
more...
Feiglin: Leadership denying Judaism
YNet News (July
25, 2007) - Right-wing activist Moshe Feiglin,
a candidate for the Likud leadership, will launch his campaign
against party leader Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday evening. In an
interview with Ynet, Feiglin said he was running for the position
because he wanted to bring the “spirit” back to Israel. “My main
message is that without spirit, all of the material success we’ve
supposedly achieved means nothing,” he said. “The most difficult
problem lies in the fact that citizens of Israel do not believe in
the future of their country, with all its financial success. It’s
proven in the polls, and it’s a terrible thing. “That’s why we need
to get the spirit back. That’s what I want, that’s why I’m running,
and I believe I will succeed.” Do you believe a higher power will
give you the victory? No, no. I’m neither a wise man, nor a prophet.
I’m not trying to convince anyone to change the way they live. The
leadership of this country has lost faith in the righteous path and
in God. The basic beliefs that kept this nation going for hundreds
of years must be brought back. The people of Zion deserve a
leadership with faith. Only that type of leadership will get us out
of this mess. These days, the leadership lacks faith. Take
(President Shimon) Peres for example. He says, ‘I hate history.
Everything begins with me, and behind me all is white, clean.’ Our
leadership has reached the point of denying Judaism and faith.
Arab League delegation visits Israel Associated
Press (July
25, 2007) - The foreign ministers of Egypt and
Jordan began a historic visit to Israel on Wednesday to formally
present an Arab peace plan, saying they were extending "a hand of
peace" on behalf of the region. The ministers arrived as
representatives of the Arab League, the first time the 22-member
group has sent a delegation to the Jewish state. The Arab League
peace plan envisions full recognition of Israel in return for
evacuation of lands captured in the 1967 Middle East war. "We are
extending a hand of peace on behalf of the whole region to you, and
we hope that we will be able to create the momentum needed to resume
fruitful and productive negotiations" between Israel and the
Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world, Jordan's foreign
minister, Abdul-Ilah Khatib, said at a news conference with Israeli
President Shimon Peres. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit
said the two delegates had been asked by the league "to come and
offer Israel the Arab peace initiative." He urged Israel to consider
the plan seriously. "We hope that upon our return, we would also
convey to the Arab League ... the responses of Israel and I hope
that such responses will be positive," he said. Aboul Gheit and
Khatib were slated to meet later Wednesday with Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert and to appear at the Israeli parliament. The visit, which
came a day after former British Prime Minister Tony Blair made his
first trip as new Mideast peace envoy, is part of a flurry of
diplomatic efforts meant to restart peace talks after a seven-year
lull. Egypt and Jordan both have peace treaties with Israel and have
sent their leaders to the country before, but never on behalf of the
Arab League, which has traditionally been hostile toward the Jewish
state. Foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev said the visit was
historic. "This is the first time that a delegation is coming here
under the auspices of the Arab League," he said. "In the past, the
Arab League has opposed dialogue, normalization and any contact with
Israel and this is the first time the Arab League has authorized a
delegation to visit Israel." The Arab League asked Jordan and Egypt
to take the lead in pushing forward their newly revived peace plan,
which offers a comprehensive peace agreement in exchange for
Israel's withdrawal from all territories captured in 1967.
more...
Netanyahu says rejects Arab peace initiative YNet
News
(July 25, 2007) - Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu met in
Jerusalem with the foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt and told
them that he rejected the Arab peace initiative. "The withdrawal
from Gaza two years ago proved that any Israeli withdrawal,
particularly a unilateral one, does not advance peace but
establishes a terror base for radical Islam. I am in favor of
economic cooperation and the promotion of regional initiatives –
economy will be a leverage for peace," Netanyahu said.
A matter for religious Jews YNet
News
(July 24, 2007) - Contrary to Yom Kippur, secular Israelis don't care about Ninth of
Av. Unfortunately the Temple was destroyed in July-August. Two
thousand years later, secular Israel is too busy during these two
months to remember anything about what happened so long ago. In the
midst of the summer break and on the beach, the Ninth of Av creeps
up with stubble on its face and that Temple where cows were
slaughtered, as if there were no quinoa in the world. The Ninth of
Av is not a popular day in Israel. Israeli society likes to
celebrate, including Israel's festivals, but fast days are no small
headache. Israelis like to think that the Ninth of Av is only
related to the past, to some distant temple, which they do not
particularly miss and certainly do not wish to see reappear all of a
sudden. And then, on a seemingly normal summer's eve, TV sets start
airing black-and-white films with no commercials in between.
Suddenly there are pictures of Jerusalem and religious people
everywhere, wearing sneakers and hair on their faces as they sit on
the ground at the Western Wall. "What's going on? Who died? Oh yes,
the Temple, yes the Temple, and I for a brief moment thought
something happened." "It's a problem," thinks to himself a would-be
religious Reuven Adler-type advertising executive, "Yom Kippur is in
fact a success story. Perhaps because it entails no sadness, but
rather, seriousness. The streets become empty; plus, the memory of
the Yom Kippur War has been added to the cloak of respect given to
this day. Once a year Israelis act as religious Jews and then go
back to their pleasant secularism in the remaining 364 days. On Yom
Kippur, without any special law and without having to be asked,
almost everyone partakes in the prayers and fast. Why doesn't the
Ninth of Av work that way as well? How can we sell this day to the
masses?" he ponders. Israelis' attitude to Yom Kippur is similar to
the attitude towards a mezuzah, whereas the attitude to the Ninth of
Av more resembles an Yizkor for a great-grandfather. The mezuzah
emanates a mystical air. If it doesn't help it won't do any harm.
Besides, we are Jews. So why shouldn't we fast on Yom Kippur? Many Israelis maintain that
there is no benefit to the Ninth of Av. It's just a day of memory
and depression. Who remembers grandfather's Yahrzeit? Who has the
patience to look for a kippah in the glove compartment and to go the
cemetery when no one remembers anyway?
more...
I think this attitude about the 9th of Av will change once Israel as a nation begins turning back to God. I believe the event that will trigger this is the Magog invasion. I believe that may prompt the rebuilding of the temple too.
Should Jews build the Third Temple? The
Jerusalem Post (July 24, 2007) -
Traditionally the Temple Mount Faithful attempt to set up a
foundation stone for the Third Temple on Tisha Be'av, and the police
routinely prevent them from doing so. The occasion for this street
theater is the anniversary of the destruction of the First Temple in
586 BCE and that of the Second Temple in 70 CE, both said to have
occurred on the same calendar date. It is certainly right that the
date be commemorated; but would rebuilding the Temple be an
appropriate act for the State of Israel today? Assuming there were
no Dome of the Rock and no Muslim presence on the Temple Mount, no Wakf and no Aksa
Mosque, the pressure to rebuild the Temple would be enormous - but
would it, in historical terms, be sound? The last time such an
opportunity occurred was in the time of Julian the Apostate, in 362
CE. That Roman Emperor, who succeeded Constantine, reversed his
predecessor's decision to turn the empire into a Christian state and
returned to the former pagan religions, which were permissive of
other cults, including the Jewish one. It seems that he gave
permission for the Temple to be rebuilt, and then went off to fight
his enemies. In Jerusalem work commenced on reconstructing the altar, but hardly had a few
stones been put one on another, when a massive earthquake hit the
area and the work collapsed. Worse still, Julian was killed in
Persia and his place was taken by the Emperor Jovian, who
reinstalled Christianity as the official religion. Any hope of
rebuilding the Temple ceased, never to return. IN 638 CE, the hordes
of Islam conquered Jerusalem and by 692 the Caliph Abd al-Malik had
completed the Dome of the Rock, which stood on the mountain inviolate for the following 1,315
years. During the Crusader years it was converted to Christian use,
and most Crusaders thought it had been built originally as the
Temple of Solomon, but it was not changed structurally and returned
to the Muslims on expulsion of the Crusaders in 1187. However, it
did not return as a mosque, as it had never been one. more...
This article has a negative slant toward the rebuilding of the temple, viewing it more as welcoming another tragedy. I think these kinds of views will change after the attempted Magog invasion, even if they are correct. Rebuilding the temple will play into Bible prophecy and some terrible things will happen surrounding it. That is where the antichrist will declare himself God. Soon after that, he will try to kill all the Jews. Only those who run to the mountains will be safe within the time of Jacob's trouble. Syrian Official: War with Israel will be Ballistic Israel National News (July 23, 2007) - Syria sees the next war with Israel as involving missile attacks on civilian infrastructure and front-line guerilla warfare, an anonymous senior official in the Syrian Ministry of Defense told Defense News Weekly, in an interview appearing Monday. Syria prefers to avoid a direct, "classic" confrontation with Israel, he said. Instead, the next war will involve Katyusha rocket and ballistic missiles that will target strategic points in Israel, especially civilian infrastructure. The official said that the war will not be limited to a single strike, but will be protracted in nature. "This will be a war of attrition, which the Israelis are not good at," he explained. The conflict, he said, "will be more like a war between cities than a war on the battlefield." According to Arab affairs expert Dr. Guy Bechor, the Syrian assessment is a result of the Second Lebanon War. After that war, the Syrians understood that they do not need a large ground force to defeat Israel, but rather missiles aimed at dense Israeli population centers. For the past two years the Syrians have been engaged in massive acquisitions from Russia, after an $11 billion debt was partially forgiven by Russia in 2005, and partially covered by Iran. Following the unimpressive performance by the IDF in last year’s war, Bechor explains, Syria began equipping itself with advanced anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank missiles and cruise missiles. The Syrian army numbers 650,000 soldiers, including 354,000 reservists, according to Defense News. Its tanks are outdated Soviet models, however, and its air force is inferior to Israel's. more... | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Just a guess, but perhaps they want Israel to make the first strike so in the eyes of the world they are not the aggressors. If they can keep spinning things to make Israel look bad, they'll have valid reason for the Magog invasion. I have no doubt that those trying to push the destruction of Israel could care less about losing people if it means they can get at Israel. If they get Israel so worried about war that they act first to prevent it, maybe they think they will look like the victims, something they're continually trying to portray in the world even if it is a lie. Solana talks of revival The European Weekly (July 21, 2007) - The European Union has vowed full support for US President George W Bush’s renewed drive to revive stalled Middle East peace talks and seek a two-state solution to the conflict. EU foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana said the 27-nation bloc also backed Bush’s call for an international conference to explore moves to create an independent Palestinian state. “The European Union will continue to work side by side with the United States ... in a determined effort to bring about an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict,” said Solana. Solana said the proposed international meeting would also give substantial support to the parties in negotiations towards a permanent settlement. The diplomatic Quartet - whose members include the US and the EU as well as Russia and the United Nations - would have a “major part” to play in such a gathering, he added. Solana is also expected to underline EU support for the Bush initiative in talks with the new Quartet envoy and former British premier Tony Blair who was in Brussels for meetings with key EU officials. The Quartet was to meet in Lisbon for the first time since the appointment of Blair. It was also the first encounter of the group since Hamas captured the Gaza Strip in June and the subsequent nomination of a non-Hamas interim government led by Palestinian prime minister-designate Salam Fayyad. Bush has said the US will provide full backing to Blair’s peace efforts but several EU officials and ministers, including Solana, were taken aback by the US push to give the former British premier the Quartet job. Like the US, the EU has pledged to improve the clout and standing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his moderate Fatah movement. But unlike Washington, the EU has yet to release millions of dollars in direct aid to the Fatah-led Palestinian government. The funds were frozen after last year’s Hamas electoral victory. The militant group is black-listed as a terrorist organisation by the EU and the US. The EU has, however, been channelling aid for the Palestinian health and security sector through non-governmental aid groups. Officials said an estimated 700 million Euro in such emergency aid was sent to Gaza and the West Bank last year. The money was used to pay the salaries of teachers, doctors and health workers and for supplies of fuel, water and electricity to the territories. Bush has announced USD 190 million in direct aid to the Palestinian government, with an additional USD 80 million for security. The amount includes funding humanitarian causes in Gaza. “We are showing the Palestinian people that a commitment to peace leads to the generous support of the United States,” Bush said. | Israel | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Dividing the Land | America | Who Needs Israel Anyway? WorldNet Daily (July 21, 2007) - The above question, either in word or implication, is being voiced by way too many these days, as people and governments cast about desperately for lasting solutions in the Middle East. Many Western and European political leaders – having heard the deprecations and the determination to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, from the likes of Palestinian Yasser Arafat, Saudi Arabian Osama bin Laden, Iraq's Saddam Hussein, Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and so many other power brokers in the region – have come dangerously close to deciding that little Israel is the "thorn in the side" of world order. The next logical thought is: "Who needs Israel? Let her be erased, her people dispersed (or whatever), and the Middle East can settle comfortably into a harmonious Islamic community of states. Problem solved!" What folly. What suicidal blindness. I just returned from a momentous event in our nation's capital. An organization called Christians United for Israel, or CUFI, convened 4,000 people from all 50 states in several days of briefings and strategy sessions, culminating in an exhilarating, rousing rally in the D.C. Convention Center featuring Jewish leaders and top Christian ministers celebrating the things we hold in common and the spiritual bonds that unite us. The next day, several thousand of the participants fanned out over Washington and Capitol Hill, lobbying virtually every representative and senator on behalf of Israel and its sovereignty. Why? Couldn't we all see this is an exercise in futility, an unnecessary bother … that we'd all be better off if Israel didn't exist? No, we all see clearly that the world needs Israel. The whole world. What do I mean? Consider:
It goes on and on. The Weizmann Institute of Science has been voted "the best university in the world for life scientists to conduct research." Israeli researchers have:
These are only a few of Israel's recent contributions to the welfare
of the world. There are just too many to list here. Water shortage,
global warming, space travel, anti-virus, anti-smallpox, blood pressure,
solar power, paralysis, diabetes, data storage – these and hundreds more
– are being addressed by Israel's scientists. They're pioneering in DNA
research, using tiny strands to create human transistors that can
literally build themselves – and playing an important role in
identifying a defective gene that causes a rare and usually fatal
disease in Arab infants! more... DEBKAfile reports: Problem of Jews and Christians expelled from Arab lands must be dealt with in any Middle East peace process – US Congressional caucus states DEBKAfile (July 21, 2007) - Of the million-strong, 2,500-year old Jewish communities of the Middle East, only 8,000 remain in 10 Arab countries, said former Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada Dr. Irwin Cotler in his briefing to the bipartisan Congressional Human Rights Caucus in Washington co-headed by Frank R. Wolf (R.-VA) and Tom Lantos (D-CA), Thursday, July 19. Yet against the 101 UN resolutions passed on the Palestinian refugees since 1947, not one addressed the forcible expulsion of Jews from Arab countries by state-orchestrated oppression, persecutions and pogroms. This raises serious questions about the appropriateness of the United Nations having a role in the Middle East Quartet meeting in Lisbon Thursday, said Cotler, counsel to former prisoners of conscience Andrei Sakharov and Nelson Mandela. he whole question of refugees and refugee claims is at the forefront of the Peace Process, and integral to the Roadmap. Rights for Jewish refugees from Arab countries, 600,000 of whom were absorbed in Israel, have to be part of any peace process with a claim to integrity. The Caucus, after hearing four speakers on behalf of the Justice for Jews from Arab Countries organization, decided to promote two Middle East refugee resolutions already before Congress. They would instruct the President to ensure that in all international forums dealing withMiddle East refugees, US representatives must ensure that reference to Palestinian refugees is matched with explicit reference to Jewish, Christian and other refugees expelled from Arab lands. Stanley Urman, Executive Director of JJAC said, "When the issue of 'refugees' is raised within the context of the Middle East, people invariably refer to 'Palestinian refugees', virtually never to the plight and flight of Jews, Christians and other minority populations from Arab countries. As a matter of law and equity, history records two refugee populations – not one - created as a result of the longstanding dispute in the Middle East. Regina Bublil-Waldman, whose family escaped Libya in 1967, said that forgetting the nearly one-million Jews who were indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa means that we have a distorted view of the Middle East Refugee Problem today. Prof. Henry Green noted that the Jewish legacy in Arab lands is eight times older than American Jewry, going back 2,800 years and including periods of Jewish sovereign statehood in the Babylonian and Roman eras. The campaign to secure rights and redress for Jews forced to flee Arab countries is not a campaign against Palestinian refugees but a quest for truth and justice. It is also a call for other minorities to be recognized and addressed. Today, Christians are exiting the Middle East in greater numbers than ever before. | Israel | Islam | America | Israel hopes inmate release boosts Abbas Associated Press (July 20, 2007) - Family and friends joyously hugged 255 Palestinians freed by Israel on Friday, hoisting them on shoulders for a boisterous heroes' welcome meant to give President Mahmoud Abbas a political boost in his power struggle with Hamas. But thousands more Palestinians remained in Israeli jails, and aides to Abbas said Israel must do more to help the moderate leader after years of failed peace efforts. The Islamic militant Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip by force last month, belittled the prisoner release. Most of those let go were members of Abbas' largely secular Fatah movement and none belonged to Hamas. Elation reigned at Abbas' West Bank headquarters. Thousands of whistling, cheering and clapping Palestinians greeted the freed men as their buses rolled into the walled compound in Ramallah. Shaded from the fierce sun by a big Palestinian flag, Mohammed Abdullah scoured the buses for a glimpse of his 27-year-old son, Majdi, who served half of a 10-year sentence for anti-Israeli activities as a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent Fatah offshoot. After spotting Majdi, Abdullah and his wife, Fatima, embraced their son, showered him with candy and said they had slaughter a calf in his honor. "This is the beginning of a new stage, when we can live in two countries next to each other in peace," Abdullah said later, after taking Majdi home. Abdullah, a father of 11, said he was jailed by Israel as a young man and four of his sons had been locked up. Some of the prisoners suggested the era of armed attacks on Israel is over. "We want to send a message to the rest of the world that we want peace for our people," Majdi Abdullah said. Others said they were eager to take revenge against Hamas for the Gaza takeover. more... | Israel | Islam | Ahmadinejad Meets Assad, Nasrallah, Hopes there will be Victories this Summer Naharnet News (July 20, 2007) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out Thursday at the region's enemies and called for Lebanese unity during meetings in Damascus with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. "The enemies of the region should abandon plans to attack the interests of this region, or they will be burned by the wrath of the region's peoples," the hardline Iranian leader said at a joint press conference with Assad. Both Iran and Syria face U.S. accusations of fueling violence in Iraq and supporting Hizbullah. They are also accused of supporting anti-Israeli militant Palestinian groups, like the Islamic Hamas. In a joint statement, the two leaders said that it "is necessary to consolidate national unity and harmony among all Lebanese to assure the stability and security of Lebanon." They expressed their "support for all decisions taken by all Lebanese," and called on the international community to help "stop repeated Zionist aggression against Lebanese sovereignty." The statement also referred to the "right of the Lebanese people to resist repeated Israeli aggressions ... and to recover land occupied" by Israel, calling on the international community to force a halt to those alleged aggressions. Later Thursday, Ahmadinejad met Nasrallah in what was believed to be the first encounter of the two since last summer's war between Israel and Hizbullah. Nasrallah vowed to "suppress any Zionist conspiracy." Nasrallah also declared that he would thwart any plot aimed at stirring inter-Lebanese strife. "We will not let this happen," he said. His remarks were carried by Lebanese newspapers on Friday. At the news conference, Ahmadinejad voiced support for Hizbullah, alluding to the 2006 war. "We hope that the hot weather of this summer would coincide with similar victories for the region's peoples, and with consequent defeat for the region's enemies," Ahmadinejad said. He described Syrian-Iranian relations as "amicable, excellent and extremely deep," adding that the two countries have common stands on regional issues and face common enemies. Assad mentioned those relations and said the "farsighted policies" of both governments have proven to be correct. The Syrian leader said they also discussed "ways of restoring dialogue among all Palestinian factions." Syria also backed Iran's right to pursue a nuclear program and the two called for the "departure of all occupation forces" from Iraq — a reference to U.S. troops. The Iranian president also held a meeting Thursday with a delegation from Hamas led by Khaled Meshaal, a senior Palestinian official told Agence France Presse. | Iran | Israel | Islam | 'Syrian Officials Interested in Renewing Talks with Israel' YNet News (July 20, 2007) - London-based al-Hayat reports Syrian officials told Denmark's foreign minister Damascus ready to revive negotiations with Israel. Senior Syrian officials told the Danish foreign minister, Per Stig Møller, that their country was "ready to renew negotiations with Israel under the auspices of the international Quartet," London-based Arabic newspaper al-Hayat reported Friday. The paper reported that Møller has expressed his willingness to act "in order to expand the Road Map to include the Syrian channel as well." According to al-Hayat, a Danish mediation was needed due to Israel's hesitancy to revive the talks, and because of the US' lack of willingness to get involved in such a process. Syrian President Bashar Assad said this week that Turkey and other European countries have been involved in third-party negotiations between Israel and Damascus. Diplomats in Damascus commented on Assad's statements by saying that "the Syrian president's speech about negotiations for peace with Israel was clear and threw the ball in Israel's court and in the face of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert." The diplomats said it was possible for Israel and Syria to hold talks in Turkey if Israel agreed to Syrian demands that a withdrawal from the Golan Heights would be the basis for any peace agreement. | Israel | Islam | 'Iran-Syria Ties Prevent Damascus Peace Talks' The Jerusalem Post (July 20, 2007) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Damascus proves that Israel must not open negotiations with Syria, GIL Chairman Rafi Eitan said Friday. "[Syrian President Bashar] Assad is not showing any indication that he will cut his strong ties with Iran, Hamas and Hizbullah even after he starts peace talks with Israel," Eitan told Israel Radio. | Iran | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Israel Slams Iran-Syria Alliance Africasia.com (July 20, 2007) - Israel on Friday denounced an alliance between Iran and Syria that it said cast doubts on Syrian peace intentions, following a visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Damascus. "The fact that the Damascus regime chose Ahmadinejad as a partner in a strategic alliance raises serious doubt on recent statements from Syria on its intentions for peace," foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev told AFP. "You cannot be friends with someone who embodies the most extreme refusal of peace (with Israel) and expect the international community to consider Syria a country working for peace," he added. Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit said the visit by Ahmadinejad -- who has caused fear and alarm in Israel over calls for the Jewish state to be wiped off the map -- had "weakened Syria's position as a partner for peace." Pensioner Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan, also member of the powerful security cabinet, ruled out an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights and said the visit was "further proof that Syria does not really want peace." Any withdrawal from the Golan, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in 1981, would see the Jewish state "find itself without peace and without the Golan," Eitan said. During meetings in Damascus on Thursday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Ahmadinejad openly mocked Israel, saying the Jewish state was "becoming weaker every day." The Iranian president also held talks with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and a delegation from Hamas led by Khaled Meshaal, its exiled head in Damascus and another sworn enemy of Israel. Assad on Tuesday told Syria's parliament after being sworn in for a second seven-year term that he wanted direct and open talks with the Jewish state. Direct peace talks with Israel have been frozen since January 2000. Damascus demands the return of the Golan Heights. | Iran | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Israel Releases 250 Palestinian Prisoners as Goodwill Gesture Fox News (July 20, 2007) - Israel released more than 250 Palestinian prisoners Friday in a gesture to embattled President Mahmoud Abbas, who pledged not to rest until Israel's jails were emptied of its thousands of Palestinians. The release was meant to bolster Abbas in his power struggle with the Islamic militant Hamas, which took control of Gaza by force last month. Several thousand chanting, clapping Palestinians greeted the prisoners as their buses rolled into Abbas' headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Prisoners were hoisted onto the shoulders of dancing supporters, before they performed noon prayers in a large, open-sided tent. "This is the beginning," said Abbas, wearing a black-and-white checkered baseball cap, a symbol of Palestinian nationalism. "Efforts must continue. Our work must continue until every prisoner returns to the his home," he said. Israeli and officials of Abbas' government said they hoped the release marked a new chapter in relations, following seven years of bloody fighting. "All the suffering, all the pain is gone," said released prisoner Iyad Milhem, 30, as he rode on one of the buses. "But we still hope for the release of all the other prisoners." Most of those freed were from Abbas' Fatah movement. Prominent among them was 61-year-old Abdel Rahim Malouh, second-in-command in a small PLO faction, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which assassinated an Israeli Cabinet minister in 2001. Friday's release began shortly after daybreak when the shackled prisoners left the Ketziot prison camp in southern Israel and boarded buses with darkened windows that took them to the West Bank. At an Israeli military checkpoint in the West Bank, the prisoners got off the buses, some kissing the ground, and boarded Palestinian buses that took them to Ramallah. Israel had agreed to release 256 prisoners, but one was held back for further security checks, said Eli Gadizon, of the Israel Prisons' Service. All the inmates were required to sign an undertaking not to engage in anti-Israel violence. Amjad Namura, 24, Hebron, who was freed after serving half of a four-year sentence, said he was happy to comply with any agreement signed off by Abbas. "We are with the decisions of the president no matter what. Whatever Fatah tells me to do I will do it," he said. more... | Israel | Islam | Rabbis: 'Peres must repent' WorldNet Daily (July 19, 2007) - A group of hundreds of prominent Israeli rabbis today urged veteran politician Shimon Peres to immediately "repent" for calling on the Jewish state to evacuate strategic territory the they fear will be used by terrorists to attack Israel. Peres officially was installed as Israeli president earlier this week. Upon his inauguration, he immediately stated Israel must withdraw from the West Bank, which borders Jerusalem and is within rocket range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. "We call on Shimon Peres to publicly retract his 'shameful' remarks on the day of his inauguration calling for Israel to 'rid itself of the territories,' referring to the biblical Judea and Samaria (West Bank)," read a statement by the Rabbinical Congress for Peace, a coalition of more than 350 Israeli rabbinic leaders and pulpit rabbis. "Our sages tell us in the Talmud that when a person assumes an exalted position, all of his sins previously committed are forgiven. But you, Mr. Peres, missed the opportunity to rectify your historical blunders when you declared so blindly that Israel must rid itself of the territories. You caused tremendous damage not only to Jews in Israel but to the status of the Jewish people the world over." The rabbis called on Peres to "repent, stand up and proclaim with authentic Jewish pride that you no longer support the hazardous and futile formula of 'territory for peace.'" The rabbinic leaders blasted Peres for leading the 1993 Oslo Accords, in which Israel evacuated strategic territory in exchange for pledges from the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to refrain from terror and make peace with the Jewish state. "Today it is crystal clear to everyone the Oslo Accords and Israeli evacuations lead to spilling of Jewish blood in all parts of Israel. This is exactly why the Jewish Code of Law forbids Jews to give up a border town – it opens the way for enemies to conquer the land," the rabbis stated. more... | Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land Ahmadinejad: It will be a 'hot' summer Jerusalem Post (July 19, 2007) - It's going to be a "hot" summer in the Middle East, said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad following a surprise meeting with Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah in Damascus on Thursday evening, Channel 10 reported. Nasrallah allegedly entered Syria via an underground tunnel, the television channel said. "We hope that the hot weather of this summer will coincide with similar victories for the region's peoples, and with consequent defeat for the region's enemies," Ahmadinejad added, in an apparent reference to Israel. During his one-day trip to Damascus, Ahmadinejad held talks with counterpart Bashar Assad which focused on the Iraq situation, Palestinian territories and Lebanon, where both Teheran and Damascus wield influence. "The enemies of the region should abandon plans to attack the interests of this region, or they would be burned by the wrath of the region's peoples," the hardline Iranian leader said at a joint press conference with Assad. Ahmadinejad, accompanied by a high-level delegation, was greeted at Damascus airport by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem ahead of the official reception by Assad at the People's Palace. Assad was sworn in Tuesday for a second seven-year term. He described Syrian-Iranian relations as "amicable, excellent and extremely deep," adding that the two countries have common stands on regional issues and face common enemies. Assad said Ahmadinejad's visit came in the context of the continuous developing relations between the two nations whose "farsighted policies" have proven to be correct. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | We know that God brings the Magog invasion with hooks in their jaws, implying a snaring into attack. We also know that Damascus, the oldest continually inhabited city will be a ruinous heap at some time in the future and the Assyrians will leave their cities "because of the children of Israel." Ahmadinejad's warning to the "enemies of the region" speaks to this vengeance that it would seem brings on the Magog invasion if indeed it is the result of the destruction of Damascus. We see his attitude currently is one of counterattack and I doubt that will change. One of the prerequisites for the Magog invasion though, is that Israel is dwelling in safety. Now even though they are living without gates and walls, they are dealing with missile attacks from the surrounding Muslim nations and threats of greater attacks. This doesn't really describe the peace that is described just before the attack. So if the current time truly is not considered peaceful living for Israelis, we should expect that peace to develop first before Damascus is destroyed and before the Magog invasion of Israel. This is currently in the works with America, the EU, Israel and Turkey mediating for Syria and Israel. I have a feeling that to everyone's shock, a peace agreement will be developed that will divide the land of Israel, giving away the Golan Heights and create a Palestinian State. At some point, it may be that Israel catches wind of what Syria is planning attack-wise and preemptively strikes, bringing the wrath of Turkey, Russia, Libya and Iran on them. This in turn brings God's wrath on the attackers in the mountains of Israel and the nation of Israel recognizes the God of their fathers, focusing on rebuilding the temple and a return to worship Him as a nation the only way they believe, through the daily sacrifice at the temple. This is all my best estimation from what I've learned so far, seen in the news, and studied in Bible prophecy so I could be wrong, but that's how I see it for now. Keep watching! Beit Hanassi: The Peace President The Jerusalem Post (July 19, 2007) - President Shimon Peres, Israel's eldest statesman known for his vision of "a new Middle East," proclaimed in his inaugural speech in the Knesset on Sunday that he was leaving divisive politics after six decades to devote himself "to unifying the nation." But, the 83-year-old declared defiantly, he would not shy away from using the presidency to promote peace in the region. "When the opportunity for peace is created, it must not be missed," Peres told a packed house after taking the oath of office. "[The president] must encourage peace processes. At home. With our neighbors. In the entire region." Five Arab MKs chose to attend a poetry reading in Haifa by Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish instead of the inauguration, but the gallery was full of VIPs and invited guests. The ceremony ushering in Peres as the country's ninth president capped a momentous career that included international acclaim and a Nobel Peace Prize but also a string of embarrassing electoral defeats - including his last presidential race against Moshe Katsav seven years ago. In a half-hour interview with the Associated Press on the day of his inauguration, Peres pledged to fight poverty and global warming and even expressed the hope of making peace with Iran. "After such a long career, let me just say something: My appetite to manage is over. My inclination to dream and to envisage is greater," he said, looking vigorous and discounting age as a factor that could slow him down. He wasted no time in getting down to business, moving into Beit Hanassi a day later. He told staff at the presidential residence: "Remember, we are the servants of the people, and not their masters." He then began a flurry of diplomatic meetings, most notably welcoming EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Wednesday. Peres told him that those residents of Gaza who voted Hamas into power must not be allowed to determine the future of the whole Palestinian people. He commended Solana for the work he has done over the years to try to bring peace to the region and argued that despite the current difficulties, there are "new opportunities." "Europe can play a major role," he said. Solana concurred, saying he hoped that the peace that they had discussed "so many times together" would one day become a reality. Then, addressing Peres directly, he said: "Mr. President and my dear friend, it is a moving moment to see you here." Solana was plainly confident that as president Peres would be able to do much more to advance the peace process than anyone else. more... | Israel | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Dividing the Land Bush's, Peres's rosy scenario The Jerusalem Post (July 18, 2007) - There is something touching about the naivete of presidents George W. Bush and Shimon Peres, who this week outlined the steps needed to achieve the long-sought-after peace settlement in the Middle East. Perhaps they genuinely believe, or at least hope, that we can reach a settlement. Perhaps they are just going through the motions because, after all, politicians have to strive for peace and promise a better future even if they know in their hearts that it is not really feasible. There is no chance for peace because there will always be those among the Palestinians and Arab countries and in the Muslim world who will obstruct any attempt to reach a settlement that recognizes the existence of Israel as a Jewish state, to say nothing of one that does not guarantee the "right of return" of the Palestinian refugees. Anyone who claims that the peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan prove that peace is possible is forgetting that peace does not end with the signing of an agreement. The peace in Jordan is being maintained, with great difficulty, by the royal family and the elite surrounding it. They do this contrary to the view held by the majority of the Jordanian public and despite vehement opposition from the Jordanian intelligentsia: academics and students, writers and journalists, doctors and lawyers. The situation in Egypt is similar: President Hosni Mubarak maintains relations with Israel the way porcupines make love: very carefully. And that too evokes intense opposition from both the general public and the intellectuals. The Jordanian crown is somewhat shaky, and the Egyptian regime could be overthrown by an uprising of the Muslim Brotherhood - and Israel could find itself surrounded by enemies in the south and east. The difficult reality is that there will never be true peace here, and it is important to internalize that fact so as not to set out on paths from which there is no return. more... | Israel | Islam | America | Oslo Accords Redux Israel National News (July 18, 2007) - Israel is poised to re-establish a joint committee with the Palestinian Authority to discuss the legal status of land in Judea and Samaria, according to a report published Tuesday in the London-based Arabic-language newspaper, Al-Hayat. The interview quoted Chief PA Negotiator Saeb Erekat, a veteran of numerous talks held with Israel over the years, as saying the committee will renew discussions on the issues that preceded the Oslo War, also known as the second intifada, which broke out in September 2000. Among the items to be discussed, according to a report on the interview posted by the Bethelehem-based Ma’an news agency, is the determination of the legal status of land in Judea and Samaria. “The committee has [already] started dealing with the issue of the intifada activists, the ‘wanted’ fighters and also the issue of the nativity church deportees,” said Erekat. A Quick Primer on the Oslo Accords: Israel and the PA came to the agreement known as the Oslo Accords in the Norwegian capital on August 20, 1993. The deal was signed by arch-terrorist and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat and then-Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin. This was the document that handed jurisdiction over large parts of Judea, Samaria and Gaza to the PA, defining those areas as a single territorial unit. According to the Oslo Accords, a five-year transitional period ending in a permanent status agreement was to begin with Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and Jericho. The establishment and structure for a PA government, including a PA Legislative Council, and a PA police force began with this document as well. Ultimately, upon the establishment of the council, Israel’s civil administration over Judea, Samaria and Gaza (“Yesha”) was to be dissolved and the IDF was to be withdrawn. A joint Israeli-PA Liaison Committee was established to deal with coordination on security and other issues, and various agreements on Israeli-PA economic cooperation were signed as well. The final agreement was to include establishment of a PA state, covering the status of Jerusalem, a Law of Return for millions of the descendants of Arabs who fled the state during the 1948 wars and those who became residents of post-1967 Israeli-controlled areas, Jewish communities in the disputed Yesha areas, security arrangements and borders. more... | Israel | Islam | 1st Seal | See also, Dividing the Land Concessions package for Olmert-Abbas meeting Monday promises big prize: IDF withdrawal from West Bank DEBKAfile (July 16, 2007) - A parade of 178 wanted Palestinian terrorists handed in their weapons to the Palestinian Authority Sunday, July 15, and signed a non-violence pledge, earning generous personal remuneration. Less than 100 had turned up by end of day Monday. still, three days earlier, Israeli defense forces and Shin Bet suspended their pursuit of all Palestinian gunmen on the West Bank. This happens to be the key proviso of Mahmoud Abbas’ archenemy, Hamas-Gaza, for halting its missile campaign on Israeli towns and villages. DEBKAfile’s exclusive military sources disclose: These steps launch a new Saudi-backed Bush administration master plan for a phased Israel’s military pullback from the West Bank as the basis for reconciliation between Abbas’ defeated Fatah and Hamas in Gaza. Israeli prime minister Olmert and Abbas are playing their assigned roles in the US project, which many security experts regard as a reckless gamble with Israel’s national security. More about the new US-Palestinian master-plan in DEBKAfile’s Exclusive Report. more... | Israel | Islam | 1st Seal | Bush to call for regional summit on Mideast peace process Haaretz (July 16, 2007) - U.S. President George W. will call for a regional conference on restarting the Middle East peace process during a special address Monday, a U.S. official said ahead of the speach. The U.S. president will also announce $190 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority, the official said. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would lead the peace conference, which would include representatives of Israel and neighbors in the region, said a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The speech to be given by the U.S. president will express a plan for "activism" on the part of the Bush administration, according to a senior Israeli political source who was briefed in advance about it. Bush's tone is meant to express his approval of the formation of a new Palestinian Authority government under Salam Fayad, as well as the appointment of former British prime minister Tony Blair as the special envoy for the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators. White House officials said Bush was planning to rally diplomatic and financial support for Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' government. Abbas controls only the West Bank after the Islamic militant group Hamas gained authority in Gaza in June. more... | Israel | Islam | America | Does this dividing of the land of Israel fulfill Bible prophecy? Ezekiel 38,39 talks of a relative peace prior to an attack by Russia, Turkey, Iran and Libya among others. If the land is divided and a Palestinian state created, a temporary peace would go into effect. Israelis would be moved from their residence now to that land marked for Israel from this dividing and visa-versa. This sounds a lot like Zechariah 14:1-3, "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." I believe the Lord going forth to fight these nations could be referring to the day of the Lord, which comes as sudden destruction from the Almighty. Isaiah 13:6-13 The ultimate end of this battle will be at Armageddon when Christ returns in glory and destroys the armies gathered there from the sixth bowl to do battle. America's participation in this dividing of the land of Israel will come back to haunt us I believe. Jeremiah 30:20, "Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them." For more history on natural disasters that coordinated with our government signing policy against Israel like Hurricane Andrea and Katrina, read Bill Koenig's Eye To Eye. President Peres: Time to sever Israel's biblical heartland Israel Today (July 16, 2007) - Just hours before being sworn in as Israel's ninth president on Sunday, Shimon Peres said the time had come for his nation to surrender its biblical heartland in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) to the Palestinian Arabs. “We have to get rid of the territories,” Peres said in an interview with The Associated Press. The elder statesman insisted, contrary to recent opinion polls, that an overwhelming majority of Israelis agree with him on this issue. In his inauguration speech later in the evening, Peres expounding upon his vision of peace for the Middle East, but Israel National News pointed out that he did not once mention ongoing Arab terrorism against the Jewish state that has made the conclusion of any peace deal impossible. Despite filling a largely ceremonial role, an Israeli diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post that Peres can be expected to continue behaving like a “one-man foreign ministry” as he works to forward his own agenda. | Israel | Islam | 1st Seal | Dividing the Land I actually came across this story on the 19th, I'm a little behind. Peres is dividing the land of Israel for peace, that is his goal. How fitting then seeing it in Daniel 5:28, "PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." The verb Peres in Hebrew means "to break in two, divide.” Could we soon see the dividing of Israel for peace? If that were to happen, Israelis would have to move to Israeli areas or risk falling prey to their new Islamic neighbors. We know what has happened in Gaza with the pullout. How long would a Jew last remaining there? Their houses will be rifled and I'm sure women will get ravished if they were to remain. But half is described as remaining. This means that it can't be the time of Jacob's trouble because Christ makes it clear that running to the mountains is the only safe place to be. From there, they are taken to the wilderness and protected from the antichrist and his master Lucifer the dragon. Revelation 12 Iran locked on to 600 targets in Israel Israel Today (July 15, 2007) - Iran has marked 600 targets for its long-range missiles inside Israel, the Qatari newspaper Al Watan reported on Sunday. According to the report, Iran is threatening to hit the Jewish state with a massive missile strike if either Israel or the US attack the Islamic Republic or its allies in Syria. Recent political talk in Jerusalem and Washington indicate the time is rapidly approaching that Israel and the US will have no choice but to intervene militarily to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Likewise, Israeli military experts are predicting a full-scale war with Syria sometime in the coming six months, possibly set off by a renewal of low-level cross-border Hizballah aggression. | Iran | Israel | Peres sworn in as Israel's president Breitbart.com (July 15, 2007) - Israel's elder statesman and Nobel peace laureate Shimon Peres was sworn in president on Sunday, crowning an unrivaled career stretching back half a century. Peres assumes the largely ceremonial post less than three weeks shy of his 84th birthday, replacing the disgraced Moshe Katsav, and will serve a seven-year term as Israel's ninth president. | Israel | Related possibly to the news above regarding the dividing of Israel... Daniel 5:28, "PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." The verb PERES means "to break in two, divide." Could the new Israeli President who's last name means to divide be the one that will help bring about the dividing of the land of Israel to create a Palestinian state? Will that be the fulfillment of the coming dividing of the land of Israel for peace? Keep watching! Israel preparing for war with Syria, confirms general Associated Press (July 14, 2007) - A senior Israeli general on Monday confirmed that the army is preparing for a full-scale war with Syria in the very near future. Speaking at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, Maj.-Gen. Eyal Ben-Reuven, who served as deputy commander of Israel's northern forces during last summer's war in Lebanon, said that the army is “preparing itself for an all-out war, and this is a major change in the military's working premise” following the 34-day conflict with Hizballah that many Israelis feel their nation failed to win. The general said that when war breaks out, Syria will be prepared to suffer mass military and civilian casualties, while at the same time playing on Israel's sensitivity to civilian losses by striking Israel's home front with as many missiles as possible. Syria “will try to hit Israel's home front in order to win diplomatic gains in peace talks that will follow, and also cause another split in Israeli society,” Israel National News quoted Ben-Reuven as saying. In order to deny Syria this victory, Ben-Reuven said the Israeli army is training for a swift and overwhelming invasion of Syria “to knock out the areas from where missiles are launched against Israel as quickly as possible.” He lamented that if Israel had responded to Hizballah's rocket attacks in such a manner, the Second Lebanon War would have ended much differently. | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Olmert: Israel, Syria don't want war The Jerusalem Post (July 12, 2007) - Israel does not want war with Syria, and does not believe Syria wants war either, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday. At the same time, he said that the fact that neither side was interested in war did not automatically open the door to immediate negotiations. Speaking to EU ambassadors, Olmert said he was not concerned about an imminent war with Syria, but that he was unhappy with the very public discussion about the matter, which itself created a dangerous and unnecessary "momentum." Olmert said that Syrian President Bashar Assad wanted to use negotiations with Israel as a way to conduct a dialogue with the US, which is why Assad was insisting the US mediate any talks with Israel. Olmert said that when Assad speaks about making peace with Israel, he means making peace with US President George W. Bush, and that Israel was just a tool to make this happen. Olmert, according to participants at the meeting, said Israel would be "very interested" if Assad said he was willing to hold "direct, unconditional bilateral talks." The prime minister said that he would be willing to hold negotiations without any preconditions from either side. more... | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Jerusalem hosts month of Temple activities Israel Today (July 10, 2007) - A full range of activities focusing on the history and future of Israel's Temple to the Almighty will be held in Jerusalem this month. Israel National News reported that the activities will include seminars with leading experts and rabbis, exhibits of rebuilt Temple artifacts, and walking tours on and around the Temple Mount. Many of the tours will also look at the events of the past 60 years that have moved Israel closer to the day of the construction of the Third Temple. The activities have been scheduled to coincide with the period of mourning leading up to Tisha B'Av (July 24), which is the Hebrew calendar date on which both the First and Second Temples were destroyed. | Israel | Temple Mount | Temple Awareness: A Summer of Seminars and Tours China Supports Syria's right to restore the occupied Golan Syrian Arab News Agency (July 10, 2007) - Premier of the Chinese State Council Wen Jiabao on Tuesday underlined his country's support to Syria's right to restore the occupied Syrian Golan. Jiabao, meeting Syrian Deputy Premier for Economic affairs Abdullah Dardari, expressed China's commitment to boost ties with Syria and develop them in all domains. "The trade exchange volume between Syria and China reached to more than $ 1.400 billion," the Chinese official said, showing his government's commitment to deal with the issue of commerce surplus and double efforts to see more Syrian goods in the Chinese markets. "China will study the establishment of financial fund to back the investment projects in Syria," he added, referring to the stability Syria enjoys and the economic growth in the country. Dardari, for his part, called China to establish different projects in Syria, thanking it for backing the Arab issues and for Syria's right to restore its occupied lands. | Israel | Islam | Syria rejects offer to hold peace talks The Jerusalem Post (July 10, 2007) - Damascus has rejected Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's offer to hold peace talks with President Bashar Assad, Army Radio reported on Tuesday morning. Syrian parliament member Muhammad Habash said late Monday night that Damascus did not believe Olmert's overtures were serious. In an historic interview with Saudi satellite station Al Arabiya, aired by Channel 10 Monday evening, Olmert invited Assad to Jerusalem to talk. In his first appearance on a major Arabic news station in over six years, Olmert, speaking in an office adorned with the blue and white Israeli flag, told his Hebrew-speaking interviewer: "Bashar Assad, you know … I am ready to hold direct negotiations with you, and you also know that it's you who insists on speaking to the Americans. The American president says: 'I don't want to stand between Bashar Assad and Ehud Olmert. If you want to talk, sit down and talk." Assad has "heard many things from me already," Olmert added. When asked where he would hold such talks with Assad, Olmert said "any place he [Assad] would agree to meet," hinting that Assad would even be welcome in Jerusalem. Public Security Minister Avi Dichter told Army Radio that Olmert indeed wants a resumption of negotiations with Syria and his offer was "genuine and real." But Dichter was not optimistic that Assad would agree to renew the talks. "Bashar Assad apparently has other plans than making peace with Israel," Dichter said. "And now we will listen and wait." | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Keep watching, summer is nigh. Syria Advises its Citizens to Leave Lebanon by July 15 Monsters & Critics (July 9, 2007) - Syria has urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country before July 15 because of fears that the volatile political climate in the country will deteriorate, Syrian sources said Monday. 'In the past few days, all Syrian nationals were asked through the Syrian government to leave, as Lebanon's current political crisis may become violent,' said a Syrian construction worker who requested anonymity. 'We are asked to leave Lebanon before July 15.' Hundreds of thousands of Syrian workers, mainly farmers and construction workers, used to work in Lebanon. But their numbers have noticeably dwindled since the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, which many Lebanese blame on Syria. July 15 comes one day before a special UN Security Council meeting which is expected to discuss the possibility of stationing international experts on the Syria-Lebanon border in order to monitor illegal arms trafficking to the Shiite Hezbollah movement, thought to be originating from Iran and Syria. The Security Council is also expected to meet next week to discuss a key report on the assassination of Hariri, a development which may bode ill for Syria. On July 5 the Iranian news agency IRNA reported that Syrian authorities had instructed all Syrian citizens residing in Lebanon to leave Lebanon in July. Observers believe that the Syrian authorities may resort to closing the border with Lebanon. The latest rumours have sparked caused anxiety and fear among the Lebanese. 'I am trying to take my kids out of Lebanon on July 10 to a nearby Arab country to observe the situation until the end of August,' housewife Amal Salameh said. 'If things stays the same I will return, if not I will take them back to the US.' 'There is probably nothing in it, but we're told to expect some major event on that day,' said Rana Naamani, another Lebanese housewife who decided to go to the mountains northeast of Beirut to stay away from the capital. Almost a year after the blistering July 12 war between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon is mired in political and economic crisis and faces a deadly new challenge from an al-Qaeda-inspired Islamist militia. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Ten EU FMs tell Blair road map is dead, call for int'l conference Jerusalem Post (July 9, 2007) - A group of 10 EU foreign ministers has called for an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling the road map peace plan dead. In a letter to the Quartet's new Middle East envoy, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the foreign ministers said the status quo that had prevailed since 2000 was leading nowhere. Signing the letter, which was published in the French daily Le Monde on Monday, were the foreign ministers of France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, Slovenia and Malta. They called on Israel to make more concessions to boost the standing of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, such as the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners including Fatah leaders, and the immediate release of all the frozen Palestinian customs duties. A senior official in Jerusalem noted that the letter did not constitute a change in policy of either the EU or the Quartet, and both bodies remain officially committed to the road map. The official also noted that individual European foreign ministers would sometimes state opinions on Middle East issues that actually contradicted the policy of the governments in which they serve. Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said Israel remained committed to the road map. He said the reason why there had been no progress on the plan until now was because the Palestinian leadership rejected peace and implementation of the measures called for in it. "Hopefully, with the formation of a new Palestinian government, we can take steps towards implementation of the road map," Regev said. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal | Iraqi FM: Turkey massing 140,000 troops Associated Press (July 9, 2007) - Turkey has massed 140,000 soldiers on its border with northern Iraq, Iraq's foreign minister said Monday, calling the neighboring country's fears of Kurdish rebels based there "legitimate" but better resolved through negotiation. The Turkish military had no comment to the remarks by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd from northern Iraq, and it was unclear where he got the figures. If they are accurate, Turkey would have nearly as many soldiers along its border with Iraq as the 155,000 troops which the U.S. has in the country. Zebari's comments came amid calls by Turkey's military for the government to give it the green light to carry out military operations in northern Iraqi against the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. "Turkey is building up forces on the border. There are 140,000 soldiers fully armed on the border. We are against any military interference or violation of Iraqi sovereignty," Zebari said in Baghdad. Turkey has been pressuring the United States and Iraq to eliminate PKK bases in Kurdish-controlled parts of northern Iraq and has said it will carry out a cross-border offensive if necessary. "Turkey's fears are legitimate but such things can be discussed," Zebari said. ""The perfect solution is the withdrawal of the Turkish forces from the borders." He added: "No one wants a new military conflict in the region." He said there had been no "Turkey military violation until now," citing artillery shelling and Turkish surveillance overflights. Pentagon officials said they could not immediately confirm the report from Zebari, and repeated the hope that Turkey would not launch an incursion into Iraq. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I place this under the Gog/Magog category because this conflict between the Iraq Kurds is amassing troops which are Bible prophecy says will be used against Israel. With the concern of war between Syria and Israel this summer, I have no doubt that Syria and Turkey are in diplomatic communication and given what Bible prophecy says about Turkey joining Russia, Iran, and Libya among others, It seems convenient to have that many troops massing for the Kurdish issue. Time will tell, keep watching. EU Med states call for Mideast peace conference Reuters (July 9, 2007) - The foreign ministers of France, Italy, Spain and seven other European states called on Monday for an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said Israel should make more concessions for peace. Israeli officials said on Sunday that an Arab League delegation from Egypt and Jordan had proposed visiting Israel this week for long-delayed talks on an Arab peace initiative. In an open letter to new big-power Middle East envoy Tony Blair, the foreign ministers of the EU's Mediterranean states -- Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Romania and Slovenia -- welcomed Arab states' efforts for peace following the stalled U.S.-backed "road map." "The road map has failed. The status quo that has prevailed since 2000 is leading to nothing," the ministers said in their letter, published in French daily Le Monde. The ministers said there was a need to "redefine our objectives," adding that Europe and the Quartet of Middle East mediators should firmly tell Israel to make more concessions in support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel's cabinet agreed on Sunday to release 250 Palestinian prisoners in the latest attempt to strengthen the Western-backed president after Hamas's seizure of the Gaza Strip. Abbas, a member of Fatah, disbanded a Hamas-led government and appointed an emergency government after Hamas's violent takeover of the Gaza Strip on June 14. The ministers said one of their new objectives was "to obtain from Israel concrete and immediate measures in favor of Mahmoud Abbas. "Among these, the transfer of all taxes due, the release of the thousands of prisoners who do not have blood on their hands, the release as well of the main Palestinian leaders to ensure succession within Fatah, a freeze in new settlements and the evacuation of unauthorized settlements," they said. Israel has handed over only part of Palestinian tax revenues it has withheld since Hamas won election in 2006. The ministers said another aim was to take into account Israel's need for security and consider creating an international force to impose a ceasefire among Palestinians, as Abbas has called for. The idea of a robust international force, of the NATO or U.N. Chapter VII kind, deserves to be examined," they said. Chapter VII allows the use of force. The 10 ministers who signed the letter are not as such part of the Quartet -- which is composed of the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union -- but they influence the EU element. "We know how inventive and resolute you are," the ministers told Blair in their letter. "We are therefore certain you will deal with these problems in a global manner. Hence the importance of holding without delay an international conference including all the parties to the conflict," said the ministers, who met on Friday. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal | It continues to be apparent that Europe is very much biased against Israel. Regardless of the clear history of where the conflict began, Europe and friends are working for the appeasement of the radical Islamic element and pushing Israel to concede more and more. Even releasing those who were jailed and are going to turn around and try to kill Israelis upon their release. We can also see the push to move away from the U.S. road map towards another solution which is being headed through Europe. This falls right in line with Bible prophecy that puts a seven-year confirmation of a covenant in the 70th week of Daniel. In the middle of that seven years the abomination of desolation will take place and the stage is being set for that now. Europe has a leader who has produced a seven-year European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) that has a mid-term review. The fourth kingdom is becoming the center of the push for peace in the Middle East and they are clearly biased against Israel. For more of the factual historical analysis of Israel's right to the land, read Joan Peters book, From Time Immemorial: The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict over Palestine. War And Peace In The Middle East Unsealed Prophecy (July 8, 2007) - Perspective by Jack Kelley: In a study of contrasts, two major coming events were announced this week that demonstrate the volatility of the Middle East these days. The first was a report I received stating that a meeting between Quartet (US, UN, EU, and Russia), Palestinian Authority, and Israeli leaders will take place in Egypt in mid-July. The meeting was announced by the EU’s Javier Solana, and will feature Tony Blair in his first big assignment as the Quartet’s Middle East envoy. According to a report in the The Daily Star Egypt these countries are very close to finalizing a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians. It would feature a two-state solution similar to the one Yassir Arafat was said to have been offered at the 2000 Camp David meeting by then Israeli PM Ehud Barak and then US Pres. Bill Clinton. (Although it was practically everything he had demanded, Arafat turned it down and went home to begin the 2000 Intifada.) Apparently ‘moderate’ Palestinians are now ready to sign such a peace treaty with Israel. “It is looking positive in the West Bank,” the report says, where Israel has returned tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority and the EU has resumed relations with the PA. Palestinian President Abbas also enjoys the support of the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Abbas is actually stronger than before as he and his Fatah party no longer need approval from Hamas, as was the case under their unity government. If this plan succeeds, Hamas will be relegated to the status of a terrorist organization in control of an isolated Gaza Strip, while the Palestinian State would occupy a substantially enlarged area of the West Bank. Hamas’ recent success in gaining the release of BBC reporter Alan Johnston was an attempt to counter this marginalization and get back into the mainstream. Some are saying that this meeting in Egypt could actually result in peace between Israel and the Palestinians before the end of July. If it really does, and if the treaty’s provisions are adhered to, it could begin the period of peace that leads us to the Battle of Ezekiel 38. Think of the possibilities. The security fence could come down, to be replaced by an international peace keeping force that gives Israel a false sense of security in a land of unwalled villages. The peace keeping force could even include Russians, giving them an excuse to have a contingent of troops in the Middle East. This one bears watching. The opposition believes that the Lebanese army will remain neutral in this coup attempt, and the UN troops, stationed there to prevent another war with Israel, will realize their safety cannot be assured and depart. Syria has also opened a border crossing with Israel that’s been closed for 40 years. It’s in the Golan and its purpose is to allow Syrian terrorists into Israel. These terrorists call themselves resistance fighters whose goal is to liberate the Golan. They’ll be following a strategy similar to that which the Palestinians have used against Israel in the south, with suicide bombings and other attacks against civilian and military targets. They’ve been training in Syria over the past year and are now ready to go on the offense. Observers believe that this is another attempt to lure Israel into a confrontation with Syria and its client Hizballah. It seems like new experts come forward with predictions for a summer war between Israel and Syria almost every day. The latest is Dennis Ross, the former senior American Middle East peace negotiator. If Syria’s coup attempt in Lebanon is allowed to mature, the odds are that the war everyone’s predicting will in fact take place. And as incredible as this sounds, Syria is arming missiles with chemical warheads for use against Israel, believing that if they launch them, Israel will flatten Damascus in retaliation. Accordingly they’re moving the country’s archives out of Damascus to preserve their records against such an eventuality. It’s like they’ve read Isaiah 17 and accepted the outcome as a reasonable price to pay. We’ll know in a week or two whether either or both of these events will take place as announced. If it’s not God’s timing something will happen at the last minute to stop them. But if they are at the top of His agenda, then by the end of July, it’s quite possible that the “birth pangs” we’re experiencing will have taken a big leap in both frequency and intensity, meaning that our “delivery” may be coming sooner than we think. If you still have one foot in the Kingdom and the other in the World, it’s time to take the final step and get serious about preparing for your next life. This one may be about over. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 07-07-07 more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | The implications of this possible coming "peace" in the Middle East could very well lead us to the Magog invasion of Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya, and others as the Magog invasion gives a prerequisite of Israel living in safety. While they have been relatively safe in the past, lately the daily bombardment of rockets diminishes this safety. If peace were to come before the end of July, the Magog attack could come at any time after that. 'Jerusalem not holy to Muslims' YNet News (July 1, 2007) - Jerusalem is "not holy to Muslims at all," the president of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), Morton Klein, told a Quebec synagogue congregation, the Canadian Jewish News (CJN) reported on Friday. Klein said Jerusalem had never been important to Muslims, and that the Islamic claim on Jerusalem was designed "to take away our heart and our soul," the CJN said. He added that Palestinians "have never been a real people because there was never an actual country called 'Palestine,'" the report added. "He even accused Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of being willing to sell out Israel for the chance at 'peace,' when 'peace' has never been on Palestinian leaders' minds," CJN quoted Klein as saying. Meanwhile, in Ramallah, Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has rejected calls by the Syrian ambassador for Australia to take a less pro-Israel stance, the Australian Jewish News (AJN) reported. "What some ambassador - the Syrian Ambassador I think it is - says in Canberra, well my only response to that is I would like Syria to play a truly constructive role in constraining extremism," Downer was quoted as saying. "For Syria to constrain the activities of Hizbullah in southern Lebanon and in Lebanon more generally, and for Syria to exercise constraint over the activities of Hamas - that will help," Donwer added. Downer met with Palestinian Prime Minister in the West Bank Salam Fayyad, and described the Hamas military coup in Gaza as "a disaster." He added that "Hamas would continue to be isolated from efforts to strike a lasting deal between Palestinians and Israelis." more... | Israel | Islam | Israelis, Palestinians discuss final peace accord – report YNet News (April 24, 2007) - Israeli and Palestinian officials discussed a number of sticky issues at an undisclosed European location in preparation for final-status peace talks, the al-Quds newspaper reported Tuesday. The final borders of the future Palestinian state, the plight of Palestinian refugees, the status of Jerusalem and the future of Jewish settlements built in the West Bank were on the agenda, the Palestinian daily added. The report quoted a senior Palestinian official as saying that the meeting reflected the willingness of Israeli and Palestinian leaders to fulfill US President George W. Bush will to establish an independent Palestinian state by the end of his presidency next year. The report also said that Israel initially resisted the meeting but acquiesced to pressure from Washington and the European Union. Under the Oslo Accord negotiations over final status talks should have ended in May 1999. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel was ready to make "painful concessions" to achieve peace with the Palestinians, but warned that no Palestinian refugees will be allowed into Israel's sovereign territory. The Palestinians insist that all refugees who fled Palestine during the 1948 Israeli-Arab war should be allowed back into their homes according with United Nations Resolution 194. | Israel | Islam | America | Israel is our main enemy, Haniyeh tells Iranian foreign minister YNet News (July 5, 2007) - "Our main conflict is with the Zionist enemy," Dismissed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh told Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in a telephone conversation. According to a statement issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, "The Iranian foreign minister called on all the Palestinian factions to solve their differenced through a dialogue, as only unity between the Palestinians will bring about a solution to the situation." | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Mideast peace treaty possible this month, says expert Daily Star Egypt (July 4, 2007) - A meeting between the Quartet, the Palestinian Authority, and Israeli leaders will take place in Egypt mid-July, announced EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. "Toward the middle of the month, we will recuperate this initiative," he said. Political analyst from the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies Emad Gad told The Daily Star Egypt that he believed the countries were very close to negotiating a peace treaty delineating a two-state solution “very close” to what former PM Arafat was said to have been offered at the 2000 Camp David meeting. He believes that “ ‘moderate’ Palestinians are ready to sign a peace treaty with Israel.” While the Quartet meeting was postponed from late June due to high tensions within the Palestinian territories, Gad explains that the situation is very different now. “It is looking positive in the West Bank,” he says, where Israel has returned tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority and the EU has resumed relations with the territory. Abbas is also supported by the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Abbas is actually stronger than before, explains Gad, as he and his Fatah party no longer need to take approval or agreement from Hamas, as was the case under their unity government. “Hamas is now controlling Gaza only.” The meeting will also represent former British PM Tony Blair’s first test as Middle East envoy for the Quartet — composed of the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States. Despite being generally considered pro-Israel, Abbas had welcomed Blair as the new representative, saying the Arabs were ready to deal with Blair as mideast negotiator. “Blair can play a positive role in convincing the Palestinians and Israelis to negotiate,” says Gad. He explains that Blair’s close ties to US President Bush put him in an advantageous position, as the US is in a position to pressure the Israelis to resume negotiations. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | There are two sides to the Middle East position on Israel, the "radical" Islamic side and the "moderate" Islamic side. As far as Bible prophecy goes, I believe we are about to see the moderate and radical paths played out in our near future. On the radical Islamic path, the Magog invasion that is stopped with fire and brimstone from heaven will soon play out when Israel is attacked by Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya, and others. This is building now and the alliances are already in place. The moderate side for peace between Islam and Israel will come to fruition after that invasion fails, I believe. Israel won't cave in politically as much as they do now and Islam will have a better idea of who they're up against and will fake the peace game brought about through the work of the European Union's push for peace in the Middle East. So we have this mix of war and peace on the horizon that is eventually going to end up with the rebuilding of the temple on the Temple Mount and then later the abomination of desolation that begins the great tribulation. Report: Israel, Syria fortifying northern border The Jerusalem Post (July 2, 2007) - Both Israel and Syria are conducting reinforcement work on each side of the border in the Golan Heights, Channel 10 reported Monday evening. An Israel laborer told Channel 10 that he was hired to build ramps for the transport of tanks. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said during Monday's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting that although Israel was maintaining a higher level of military preparedness, Syria did not pose an immediate threat. | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Hamas TV to replace "martyred" Mickey Mouse look-alike Reuters UK (July 2, 2007) - A Hamas television station that last week killed off a Mickey Mouse look-alike who urged children to fight against Israel will use other famous characters to further their Islamist agenda, station officials said on Monday. The host of the children's show "Tomorrow's Pioneers", Farfur, dressed in a full body-suit to resemble the Walt Disney cartoon character. The character was beaten to death in the show's final episode last week by a character posing as an Israeli. Farfur and a female co-host instructed their young viewers on Hamas's militant brand of Muslim piety and urged children to support armed resistance against Israel. Mohammad Saeed, the director of production at Al-Aqsa Television, told Reuters the station would use other famous cartoon characters in future shows. "Farfur was a story alive and he has turned into another story as a (martyr)," Saeed said. The show had drawn complaints from Israeli watchdog groups. | Israel | Islam | Israel Begins Major Military Exercise In Golan, Reassures Syria Combined Jewish Philantanthropies (July 2, 2007) - Text of report by Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv [Report by Amir Rapaport: "IDF Begins Large-Scale Exercise in Golan"] : Against the backdrop of the tension between Israel and Syria, the IDF will soon begin a broad series of training exercises on the Golan Heights. Jerusalem sent Damascus a message, according to which there is no plan to attack the Syrians, and that this is only defensive training. The current activity is part of the system of exercises decided on in the framework of the process of drawing lessons from the Second Lebanon War, in an effort to prevent a repeat situation in which forces are insufficiently trained. The Israeli-Syrian tension began to mount a short time after the war in Lebanon, in the wake of statements by Syrian President Bashar al-Asad. At the time, Al-Asad said that if Israel did not heed his calls to conduct negotiations for returning the Golan through peaceful means, Syria would also prepare for the possibility of war. Officials in Israel internalized the statements and, on the order of IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, the IDF is currently completing its preparations in the event of war against Syria as early as this summer. Financial Assistance From the Iranians: The Syrian military is also in the midst of efforts to prepare for a possible war, including training and infrastructure work on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. Recently, Syria has even accelerated procurement of advanced weapons from Russia, among other ways through financial assistance that it is receiving from its ally, Iran. A few days ago, Syrian Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shar'a [as reported] said that "Syria is taking seriously the preparations in Israel ahead of a war between the countries." According to him, "Syria prefers peace, but it is not interested in secret talks with Israel." He added that officials in Damascus have the impression that Israel, like the United States, does not want to move forward in the peace process. "Ehud Olmert is not serious about peace. Israel will make peace with us if we compromise on the return of all of our occupied land, but we won't do that." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Blair not to mediate in Middle East, Solana says M&C News (June 29, 2007) - Middle East quartet envoy Tony Blair will not be charged with mediating in the Middle East conflict, but with channelling aid towards the construction of a Palestinian state, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana was Friday quoted as saying. Former British Premier Blair, whose appointment has been met with skepticism in parts of the region, will not conduct a peace process, the Spanish daily El Pais quoted Solana as saying in Lisbon. Blair's task will be to mobilize political and economic aid, 'will and solidarity' to create a government structure for a Palestinian state, Solana explained. The current situation in the Palestinian territories, with the confrontation between Fatah and Hamas, did not make Blair's task easy, Solana added. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Blair prepares to say hasta la vista to No 10 The Herald (June 26, 2007) - Tony Blair will hold his last official foreign talks today plus his final press conference as Prime Minister when he welcomes ex-film star Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California, to Downing Street. The breakfast meeting with the "Governator" at No 10, primarily on climate change, is expected to come just hours before Mr Blair's appointment as a special envoy to the Middle East is confirmed by a meeting of representatives from the Quartet - the UN, US, EU and Russia - in Jerusalem. Yesterday, when the Prime Minister's spokesman was asked about Mr Blair's appointment, he refused to deny it, saying only: "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." One source close to the Quartet said: "Blair's appointment has been 150% approved. The Jerusalem meeting is all about arranging the logistics, making final arrangements and getting the announcement out." The prime mover behind the PM's appointment has been American President George W Bush with support from Ehud Olmert, the Israeli premier. Given Mr Blair's central role in the Iraq war, the prospect of his appointment has raised eyebrows in certain quarters, though it is thought Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has decided not to object. Javier Solana, the EU's high representative on foreign affairs, is believed to be unhappy at Mr Blair's appointment because it could distract from his own role in the region. However, diplomats have insisted the PM's new role will focus on Palestine and will not directly involve talks between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government. more... | Israel | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Hamas releases audio of captured Israeli Associated Press (June 25, 2007) - Hamas militants posted an audio message on Monday from an Israeli soldier captured a year ago at an army base near the Gaza Strip, the first sign of life from the young serviceman since he was seized. In the message, which came as Israeli and Arab leaders met to bolster moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Cpl. Gilad Shalit sent greetings to his family and said his health was failing. He also expressed disappointment in the "lack of interest" of the Israeli government in his fate. The recording may have been an attempt by Hamas to influence the summit, which was meant to give a push to the peace process and contain Hamas after its victory in Gaza. "I have spent a full year in prison, and my health is still deteriorating, and I need a prolonged hospitalization. I regret the lack of interest on the part of the Israeli government and the Israel Defense Forces in my case and their refusal to meet the demands of the al-Qassam brigades," he said, speaking in Hebrew. Shalit was captured on June 25, 2006, in a cross-border raid by militants from Hamas and two allied groups who tunneled into Israel from the Gaza Strip. Negotiations for his release, mediated by Egypt, have repeatedly broken down and been complicated since Hamas took control of Gaza two weeks ago. In the tape, Shalit called on the Israeli government to meet Palestinian demands for a large-scale prisoner swap. Israeli commentators said Shalit appeared to be reading a text that was written for him, noting the statement was not in typical spoken Hebrew and appeared to be clumsily translated from Arabic. Olmert's spokeswoman, Miri Eisin, called the tape a "cruel gimmick." "How cruel can Hamas be?" she asked. "We will not cooperate with Hamas. We will not compromise with Hamas." Still, Olmert could face growing pressure to talk directly to Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist group. Cabinet Minister Eli Yishai and called on the government to begin negotiations with Hamas. more... | Israel | Islam | Israel announces mass prisoner release WorldNetDaily (June 25, 2007) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday he will release 250 Fatah members from Israeli prisons in a goodwill gesture aimed at strengthening Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after Hamas' victory in Gaza. Olmert announced the prisoner release at a summit with Abbas and the leaders of Egypt and Jordan that the Arabs and Palestinians are hoping can push forward the peace process and strengthen Abbas' hand. "As a gesture of good will towards the Palestinians, I will bring before the Israeli Cabinet a proposal to free 250 Fatah prisoners who do not have blood on their hands, after they sign a commitment not to return to violence," Olmert told the gathering. Ahead of the gathering in this Red Sea resort, a series of messages released by militants underlined Gaza's turmoil. Hamas-linked militants holding an Israeli soldier for the past year released an audiotape of him urging Israel to strike a deal for his release. A British journalist kidnapped in Gaza appeared in a video wearing an explosives belt that his captors threatened to detonate if security forces try to free him. And al-Qaida's deputy leader tried to woo Hamas into an alliance and called on Muslims to attack American and Israeli interests in support of the group. In his speech, Olmert also promised to "improve freedom of movement of the Palestinian population in the West Bank substatinally" and reopen trade ties with the territory, saying he wanted to show the Palestinians that "choosing the path of no terror or violence the way of peace and dialogue will bring a better, more comfortable, more peaceful life." more... | Israel | Islam | So much for not dealing with the terrorists. Israel braces for July war with up to five enemies World Tribune (June 25, 2007) - Israel is preparing for an imminent war with Iran, Syria and/or their non-state clients. Israeli military intelligence has projected that a major attack could come from any of five adversaries in the Middle East. Officials said such a strike could spark a war as early as July 2007. On Sunday, Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin told the Cabinet that the Jewish state faces five adversaries in what could result in an imminent confrontation. Yadlin cited Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, Hamas and Al Qaida. "Each of these adversaries is capable of sparking a war in the summer," Yadlin was quoted as saying. [On Monday, Al Qaida's No. 2 Ayman Zawahiri endorsed the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip, Middle East Newsline reported. The Al Qaida statement came after Zawahiri repeatedly criticized Hamas for tolerating Palestinian Authority cooperation with the United States.] Yadlin said Hamas could be planning a major attack to divert attention away from efforts by the Palestinian Authority to isolate the Gaza Strip. He said Syria might be promoting such an attack. Officials said Iran has direct influence over Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas. He said Al Qaida has increasingly come under Iranian influence and was being used by Iran and Syria in such countries as Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. Already, military intelligence has assessed that Hamas acquired more than 50 missiles with a range of 22 kilometers. Officials said this would allow Palestinian missile strikes on any part of Ashkelon, the largest city in southeastern Israel and which contains strategic sites. Hamas has also deployed at least 20 SA-7 anti-aircraft systems, officials said. They said the missiles threaten Israeli combat helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft that conduct missions over the Gaza Strip. On Monday, Palestinian gunners continued missile fire into Israel. Hours earlier, the Israel Air Force struck an Islamic Jihad squad said to have been driving toward the northern Gaza Strip to launch missiles toward Israel. One Jihad operative was killed and two others were injured. Israeli military intelligence has assessed that Hamas was being quietly supported by neighboring Egypt. Officials said that despite Egypt's announced ban, Cairo has continued to allow Hamas leaders to enter the Sinai Peninsula from the Gaza Strip. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | UN Human Rights Council to Absolve Cuba and Belarus; Israel Facing Permanent Indictment UN Watch (June 17, 2007) - Dictators Fidel Castro of Cuba and Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus will be celebrating the UN Human Rights Council's likely adoption tomorrow of a new reform package that will see both regimes dropped from a blacklist, while Israel is placed under permanent indictment. Contrary to all the promises of reform issued last year, the proposal released today by Council President Luis Alfonso de Alba targets Israel for permanent indictment under a special agenda item: "Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories," which includes "Human rights violations and implications of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and other occupied Arab territories"; and "Right to self-determination of the Palestinian people." No other situation in the world is singled out -- not genocide in Sudan, not child slavery in China, nor the persecution of democracy dissidents in Egypt and elsewhere. Moreover, the council's one-sided investigative mandate of "Israeli violations of international law" is the only one without a set term, to be renewed "until the end of the occupation." As the same time, the proposal eliminates the experts charged with reporting on violations by Cuba and Belarus, despite the latest reports of massive violations by both regimes. As for the experts on other countries -- on Burundi, Cambodia, North Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Liberia, Burma, Somalia and Sudan -- all of these may soon be eliminated, as threatened by the council's majority of dictatorships and other Third World countries, under a gradual "review" process. Pending their fate, all experts will be subjected to a new "Code of Conduct," submitted by Algeria in the name of the African group, designed to intimidate and restrict the independence of the human rights experts. The complete package is expected to be adopted by consensus tomorrow—unless the governments of Canada and other Western democracies uphold principle by opposing the entrenchment of bias as a permanent feature of the new council. more... | Israel | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Envoys from Mideast Quartet to meet in Jerusalem on Tuesday Haaretz (June 22, 2007) - Envoys from the Quartet of Middle East peace brokers are to meet in Jerusalem on Tuesday, a day after Olmert and Abbas are due to attend a summit in Egypt. Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Olmert, said "low-level officials" from the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia would meet. Sources in Jerusalem said the attendees would be special envoys rather than ministers. Olmert is set to announce the release of frozen Palestinian tax funds as part of a "package of gestures" in the regional summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, diplomats and Israeli officials said Friday. Sergei Yakovlev, a Russian Foreign Ministry envoy for Middle East peacemaking, said the envoys "will discuss the situation in the region, the talks for the Quartet and plans of action for the future," Russia's Interfax news agency reported. A higher-level meeting of officials from the Quartet - the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations - was to have taken place Monday in Egypt. But that session was delayed to allow Quartet officials time to assess changes in the region after Hamas' violent takeover of the Gaza Strip last week. There has been no official announcement from the Quartet of the planned meeting, but in Moscow, a Russian envoy said the meeting would take place. Yakovlev said the envoys will discuss the situation in the region, the talks for the Quartet and plans of action for the future, Interax reported. Peace efforts have been complicated by the emergence of a two Palestinian entities, one ruled by Hamas in Gaza and the other by Fatah in the West Bank. But moderate regional leaders have been quick to use this development to promote peacemaking between Israel and moderate Palestinians in the West Bank. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Farouk al-Shara strongly supports Syria's ties with Iran Islamic Republic News Agency (June 22, 2007) - Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Shara here on Thursday strongly supports his country's ties with Tehran and underlined that it would be to the benefit of Arab countries. The Syrian official made the remarks in a press conference with domestic and foreign reporters in Damascus. "If Iran had remained under reign of its formal monarchical regime, the Zionist regime would have occupied the whole region," he said. "We always find friends for ourselves prior to any confrontation with the Zionist regime," he said. Relations between Iran and Syria in the past or at present have always safeguarded the interests of Arab states and Iran, he pointed out. Syria seeks to meet the interests of Persian Gulf littoral states by consolidating its ties with Tehran, he said, adding that "We have always tried to boost relations between Iran and these Arab countries." The Zionist regime has called on Syria to sever ties with Tehran as a precondition for resumption of talks, he said, adding that "If Syria calls on the Zionist regime to sever ties with the US, will they accept?" he asked. Those who set such preconditions are actually unwilling to make peace, he said. | Iran | Israel | Islam | Israel on the Brink, Again The Conservative Voice (June 19, 2007) - Last summer we saw a bungled war between Israel and Hezbollah that ended in a stalemate, which is not what Israel intended when it began. Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert sounded like he meant business when he declared that Hezbollah would be driven out of Lebanon. But Israel made the same mistake as we continue to make in Iraq. We are allowing too much concern for civilian casualties to interfere with winning the war. This is a mistake that neither Israel nor the US has learned to avoid, I'm sorry to say. To make things worse, Olmert gave the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians as a “peace offering.” He should have known better and we can only hope that he learned a lesson from it. Today, Gaza is now a threat to Israel’s very survival and any responsible leader should have seen this coming. Anything you give to Palestinians, they will take but instead of saying “thank you” they only demand more. Sound familiar? Things were kind of ok there for a while as long as President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party was holding the guns and could control the militias. But the rivalry between Abbas and the democratically elected representatives of Hamas continued to heat up ever since the election in January, 2006. Hamas is not a political party. It is a terrorist organization which pretended to be a political party for the election. But let’s make one thing clear. Fatah party members are just as responsible for terrorism on Israel as is Hamas, if not more. It’s hard to know which is worse, but Fatah is considered a little more moderate and willing to work for peace. Hamas, on the other hand, has but one goal - the obliteration of Israel. Neither one is a friend to the US or Israel. In Gaza, over the past couple of weeks, fighting between Fatah and Hamas militias has reached the boiling point. Fatah soldiers have been killed or driven out of Gaza, leaving the entire region in the hands of Hamas. During the takeover, stockpiles of American weapons supplied to Fatah were seized by Hamas as were critical CIA records covering CIA activities in the Middle East and tactics to defeat the radicals. This Friday, Abbas dissolved the Palestinian government, kicked Hamas out of Parliament, and appointed a new Prime Minister who is currently without a cabinet. Fatah is the old Yasir Arafat P.L.O. party. Now the western media is naively asking “How is Hamas going to govern in Gaza when they don’t have access to government money and resources?” Do they really think Hamas took Gaza so they could “govern” it? Hamas’s only concern for governing consists of giving free stuff to the poor, just like the American Democrat Party does, for the purpose of holding their support. They have renamed Gaza to “Hamasistan”. Hamas doesn’t care about Gaza but it does put them in a valuable strategic position to attack Israel from the south. I’m sure they won’t have any trouble getting money from Iran and Syria which is where they get their weapons, except of course, the ones they just got from America. The media is calling this a “civil war” but I think it’s much more than that, just as Iraq is much more than a civil war. Now that they have Gaza, Hamas intends to take the West Bank as well which, will put them within shooting range of Tel Aviv. The Bush Administration is sending reinforcements to Fatah troops in the West Bank which so far have been holding off Hamas fighters. The question to be asked is should the US be taking sides and sending more arms to either Palestinian side? Considering what happened with them in Gaza, I don’t think so. A second shipment is under consideration. A little further north, Syrian troops have been gathering on the border in the Golan Heights and conducting war games to pass the time while they wait - for what? Just to their west in Lebanon, Hezbollah has recovered from last year’s war. They have rebuilt their tunnels along the northern Israeli border and stocked them with from 20,000 to 25,000 Russian made Kasam, Katusha and “tank buster” rockets. And all of this was done right under the watchful eyes of the UN peacekeepers planted there last year for the expressed purpose of preventing it. Is there really any question about whose side the UN is on? more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | America | This article is a good overview of the latest events that I believe will lead up to the Gog/Magog invasion. Read the whole article. In the bigger picture, the war between Islam and the West, I actually believe that the ultimate goal is for both sides to continue the war as long as possible so that the world is fed up with it and are more willing to accept a savior. That's the idea behind what Albert Pike wrote in 1871. The ultimate goal of that plan? "...Then everywhere, the citizens, obliged to defend themselves against the world minority of revolutionaries, will exterminate those destroyers of civilization, and the multitude, disillusioned with Christianity, whose deistic spirits will from that moment be without compass or direction, anxious for an ideal, but without knowing where to render its adoration, will receive the true light through the universal manifestation of the pure doctrine of Lucifer, brought finally out in the public view. This manifestation will result from the general reactionary movement which will follow the destruction of Christianity and atheism, both conquered and exterminated at the same time." Just a bunch of conspiracy mumbo-jumbo? We're dealing with an angel of light, existent for millennia, working for the destruction of the human race while influencing people through pride and selfishness to bring the world under his dominion. He is the master conspirator and he's way smarter than any of us. Keep watching! Report: Syria's Assad Linked to Katyusha Rocket Attack Jerusalem Post (June 18, 2007) - Syrian President Bashar Assad was linked to Sunday's Katyusha rocket attack on Kiryat Shmona, the Kuwaiti Al Siyasah newspaper reported on Monday. In an exclusive article, the paper claimed that Assad's motive was his anger at the Arab League foreign ministers' positions during last week's Cairo summit, particularly the stances of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, who called for an end to Syrian involvement in Lebanon. UNIFIL: Rocket fire breach of cease-fire According to the newspaper, Assad reacted harshly to the criticism, saying: "They will see how I will plough up Lebanon." A previously unknown Islamic terrorist group claimed responsibility on Monday for the Katyusha attack. The self-proclaimed group, "the Jihadi Badr Brigades - Lebanon branch," vowed in a statement to continue attacks on Israel. "We had promised our people Jihad (holy war). Here, we again strike the Zionists when a group from the Jihadi Badr Brigades struck the Zionists in the occupied Palestinian territory," the statement said. Al Siyasah did not say whether the Katyusha attack was perpetrated with Assad's silent agreement or after a specific instruction from the Syrian leader. | Israel | Islam |Rockets fired at Israel from Lebanon Associated Press (June 17, 2007) - Militants in Lebanon fired at least two rockets into Israel on Sunday, causing no casualties and little damage, but raising the possibility of a new flare-up on the volatile border less than a year after Israel's bloody monthlong war against Hezbollah. The Lebanese prime minister said the attack was geared at undermining the stability of Lebanon, while the U.N. condemned Sunday's incident as a serious violation to a cease-fire that ended the conflict last year. Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group, denied involvement, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert it was mostly likely the work of "a small Palestinian movement." Israel's initial reaction was muted, but security officials were meeting to debate a response. "We are still clarifying the circumstances," Olmert said in New York, where he was meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "Lebanon has been very quiet in the last nine months and hopefully will continue to be so." The rockets were the first fired from Lebanon since last summer's war, when almost 4,000 rockets exploded in Israel. The latest rockets landed in the northern town of Kiryat Shemona, which was hard hit during that conflict. An official with Olmert indicated Israel would not hit back. "Israel will not succumb to this provocation but will monitor the situation carefully," the official said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Al-Manar, the Hezbollah TV station in Lebanon, broadcast a denial that Hezbollah was involved. more... | Israel | Islam | DEBKAfile Exclusive: Hamas – and its Syrian and Iranian sponsors - capture priceless Palestinian Authority intelligence archives in Gaza putsch DEBKAfile (June 17, 2007) - The Fatah-led general intelligence and security services caved in too fast to shred, wipe or burn documents, computer disks and archives. The entire collection fell into Hamas' hands when they seized Palestinian Preventive Intelligence HQ at Tel Awa (henceforth Tel al-Islam) and the Palestinian General Intelligence center near Gaza port. DEBKAfile's intelligence sources say: Never before has a bonanza of Western intelligence secrets on this scale ever reached an implacably hostile Islamist terrorist gang. The US, British and Israeli intelligence services may have suffered their greatest debacle in the war on Islamist terror. It will take them many years to recover. Hamas has taken possession of hundreds of thousands of documents cataloguing the clandestine operations of Western intelligence services in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the oil emirates. It is now the owner of complete archives of Palestinian undercover links with foreign intelligence services going back decades, with names of spies, political collaborators and double agents. The documentation covers the secret ties Palestinian intelligence maintained from the 1970s, when Yasser Arafat was based in Lebanon, with the Americans, the British, the French, the Israelis and many others. Most intelligence experts say Israel should have bombed the two buildings and destroyed their contents rather than letting them fall into the hands of an organization and country dedicated to its eclipse. For Hamas, this booty is priceless – and not only as the repository of bombs for planting under Mahmoud Abbas and his cohorts. The Palestinian group's Syrian and Iranian sponsors will pay a king's ransom for this unique collection of explosive secrets hidden by many a Western intelligence agency and government. Damascus and Tehran will be hugely empowered with the means to stay a jump ahead of American moves in the region and tools to sabotage US policies at any time. They will have a store of national secrets and compromising information to hold over the heads of Western leaders and officials, lists of undercover agents, and records of covert operations carried out by the Israeli Mossad, Shin Bet and Military Intelligence, CIA, British MI6 and other Western agencies. Iran, Syria and Hamas will know the names of politicians, including Israelis, who worked secretly with Palestinians and their shady deals. One intelligence expert said that the Gaza hoard left in enemy hands by Abbas and Mohammed Dahlan are the crown jewels compared with the Saddam Hussein's intelligence archives. In the Palestinian security service building, Hamas found computer hard disks covering years of undercover activity and a complete set of sophisticated wiretapping and surveillance equipment and sensors which the CIA and MI6 gave Mahmoud Abbas and his forces. It was all in perfect condition ready to switch on. After the Nazi regime was defeated at the end of World War II and Eastern Germany fell in the 1990s, there were officials willing to make a desperate effort to destroy or hide their intelligence treasure. Palestinian intelligence officers did not burn a single page. | Iran | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | America | Hamas bans masks for Gaza gunmen Herald Sun (June 16, 2007) - IN their first order since seizing control of the Gaza Strip, Hamas Islamists banned gunmen from wearing masks - unless they are shooting at Israel. The masks have become commonplace in the Gaza Strip during weeks of factional fighting between the ruling Hamas movement and President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah faction. Both sides wore the masks to hide their identities. “A decision was taken last night to prevent (people from wearing) masks,” Khaled Abu Hilal, a spokesman for the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry, said. Hamas made one exception, for militants carrying out cross-border attacks on Israel. “Wearing masks should only be near the borders and in fighting the Zionist enemy, not in the streets and near people's homes,” Abu Hilal said. | Israel | Islam | Terrorist Calls During Interview with Aaron Klein IsraelNationalRadio (June 14, 2007) - In what may be a first in the history of news talk radio, conversation with Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades leader is broadcast live on air when he calls Aaron Klein to describe Gaza battle. (Aaron Klein is the Jerusalem Bureau Chief for WorldNetDaily.com) | Israel | Islam | Aaron discusses the current happenings in Gaza currently including the CIA documents taken by Hamas as well as the weapons America gave to Fatah now in Hamas hands. Now America is thinking about giving more weapons to Fatah AGAIN! It is this kind of news that makes me believe that the plans of the New World Order are in play. It is becoming clear that there are plans that defy logic, yet are working toward a goal of creating more chaos. This is the plan of the NWO to bring people to a place of exhaustion so they will more easily fall for one who can bring a reprieve from the chaos.Arab Media Reports Syria Making Preparations for War with Israel Israel National News (June 15, 2007) - A Qatari newspaper, Al Watan, reported Friday that Syria is making concrete preparations for war with Israel, saying that the Syrian government has removed the Government and State Archives from the Damascus area. According to the paper, this move indicates preparations for war. Syrian parliament member Muhammad Habash confirmed on Al-Jazeera Arabic world news satellite TV last week that Syria is indeed engaged in active preparations for a war with Israel. The conflict, said the Syrian MP, is expected to break out during the summer months. Officials close to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reported Sunday that their efforts to begin negotiations with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad have gone unanswered. They also said that Mr. Assad’s failure to reply signaled that his claims of wanting peace were not honest and were meant to improve his own status in the international community. Last week, the head of Mossad, Israel’s international intelligence agency, Meir Dagan, warned that Syrian President Assad was putting up a smoke screen by claiming he wants to open peace talks with the Jewish State. IDF Chief of Staff Lt-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi has also raised the issue numerous times. “The IDF is preparing for an escalation on both the Palestinian and the northern fronts,” he said bluntly during a speech to the IDF Officers Training School earlier in the year. more... | Israel | Islam | Shimon Peres elected ninth president The Jerusalem Post (June 13, 2007) - Vice Premier Shimon Peres put an end to his historic losing streak Wednesday by beating MKs Reuven Rivlin (Likud) and Colette Avital (Labor) to become Israel's ninth president. The Knesset elected Peres in a second round of voting in which Peres was the only candidate. 86 MKs voted in his favor, while 23 voted against him. In his presidential acceptance speech, Peres, wearing a white yarmulke, gave thanks to his fellow candidates Avital and Rivlin, and paid tribute to his family. "I have been in the Knesset for 48 years and not for one moment have I lost faith or hope in Israel,' said Peres. "What Israel has achieved in 60 years, no other country has been able to achieve. I hope I can be representative of our faith not because there are no problems but because we all want to overcome them." "I will dedicate myself wholly to the nation," continued Peres, vowing to continue efforts to bring back the kidnapped IDF soldiers. Earlier, during the election, Rivlin, a former Knesset Speaker, and Avital, a former diplomat, dropped out after the first round in which they earned 37 and 21 votes respectively. The 83-year-old Peres will assume the presidency on July 15 for his seven-year term. The largely ceremonial position will cap Peres six-decade long career, in which he served in nearly all of Israel's top civilian posts, and won the Nobel Prize in 1993 for reaching an interim peace deal alongside Yitzhak Rabin and the late Yasser Arafat. more... | Israel | Mideast 'may see full-scale war' The Press Association (June 12, 2007) - UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen has warned that the Middle East could see full-scale war. He said a fresh effort was needed to contain the current violence, or energetic diplomacy to try to bring peace. "The picture which emerges is very dark, and apparently getting darker," he said. "So there are reasons for real concerns in the international community." Roed-Larsen, the current UN envoy for Lebanon-Syria issues who for many years was the top UN Mideast envoy, said "the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East has changed fundamentally over a few years". "A few years ago, as it had been over many, many decades, the centre of gravity for all the conflicts were the Israeli-Arab conflicts," he said. "Now, there seems to be four epicentres of conflict in the region with their own dynamics, the Iraqi issues, the Iranian issues, the Syrian-Lebanese issues, and of course the heart of hearts, the traditional conflict, the Palestinian-Israeli issue." | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal | It is clear that Jerusalem is a burdensome stone for all people. Zechariah 12:1-3, "The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." It's recognized as the center of the conflict brought about by radical Islam because it centers on that age-old conflict between Isaac and Ishmael. The conflict centers on the ownership of the land. The "Palestinian" claim is built on lies and deception repeated over and over like a mantra so those who don't have the desire to search out the truth are pulled into accepting the lie. They don't understand Islam very well, in my opinion. They are told its ok to lie to non-Muslims, or kuffah. Hamas TV: We have taken over the northern Gaza Strip The Jerusalem Post (June 12, 2007) - Hamas forces captured the headquarters of the Fatah-allied security forces in northern Gaza, seizing control of a key prize in the bloody power struggle between the sides, Hamas and Fatah officials said. Hamas attacked the compound with mortars and automatic gunfire, and after several hours of battle, seized control, said Hamas commander Wael al-Shakra. A Fatah security official confirmed the building had been lost. He said at least 10 people were killed and 30 wounded. The attack was part of a full-scale assault launched by Hamas earlier Tuesday afternoon against Fatah security bases and positions in Gaza. Hamas-affiliated television said that the organization overtook the entire northern section of the Gaza Strip. After airing the report, the station was attacked by PA security forces and forced to play pro-Fatah songs. Israel Radio also reported that a top Fatah military official sent a message to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas stating that security forces were holding their ground, but calling on the Fatah leader to order an end to the current policy of restraint, allowing troops to return fire. more... | Israel | Islam | Officials: Iran, Syria orchestrated raid on Jewish state WorldNetDaily (June 11, 2007) - An attempted Palestinian raid of the Israeli border this weekend, purportedly to kidnap an Israeli soldier, was orchestrated by Syria and Iran, according to security officials associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday thwarted an attempt by the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad terror group to kidnap a soldier on the Israeli side of a major crossing into the Gaza Strip. Four terrorists approached the Israeli border in an SUV bearing "TV" signs in an attempt to disguise themselves as journalists. Reporters working in Gaza usually travel in cars with "TV" symbols to identify themselves. Upon reaching the crossing, the terrorists blew a hole in the border fence and attempted to storm an IDF position. IDF troops rushed to the scene, chasing three of the gunmen back to the Gaza Strip. One of militants, 19-year-old Mohammed Jaabari, became separated from the group and hid inside Israel. Jaabari was shot dead after he opened fire when soldiers approached him, the IDF said. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. "The aim of the operation was to retreat with a prisoner," said Abu Ahmed, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad. "This was prevented by the use of Israeli helicopters." This attempted kidnapping took place just before the one year anniversary of the kidnapping by Hamas and two other groups of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held in Gaza and is being used as a bargaining chip by the Hamas-led Palestinian government to release Palestinian prisoners, including arrested terrorists, held in Israeli jails. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Is the constant warnings of a coming war with Syria, Iran, and Israel starting to cause you to lose interest like it's the same old story never coming to pass? That's part of what Bible prophecy says will happen in the end, wars and rumors of war. Matthew 24:3-6 Keep watching! Iran Threatens Gulf Blitz If US Hits Nuclear Plants Times Online (June 10, 2007) - IRAN has threatened to launch a missile blitz against the Gulf states and plunge the entire Middle East into war if America attacks its nuclear facilities. Admiral Ali Shamkhani, a senior defence adviser to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that Gulf states providing the US with military cooperation would be the key targets of a barrage of ballistic missiles. Shamkhani told the US journal Defense News that missiles would be launched not only at US military bases but also at strategic targets such as oil refineries and power stations. Qatar, Bahrain and Oman all host important US bases and British forces are based in all three countries. Any Iranian attack would be bound to draw in the other Gulf Cooperation Council states: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The attacks on Arab states would be in addition to air strikes on Israel, which have been threatened repeatedly. An Iranian foreign ministry official said: “The objective would be to overwhelm US missile defence systems with dozens and maybe hundreds of missiles fired simultaneously at specific targets.” Shamkhani, a former Iranian defence minister, accused the Gulf states of “helping the US establish legitimacy for its anticipated aggression against Iran”. Shamkhani is the head of Iran’s Centre for Strategic Studies, a think tank made up of former foreign, defence and interior ministers that advises the supreme leader. Another Iranian official said to be familiar with the “retaliation plan” claimed it would be launched within an hour of a US attack and would be accompanied by increased support for terrorist groups. “The US will be as surprised with Iranian military capabilities as the Israelis were with Hezbollah in last summer’s war in Lebanon,” he said. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | Indonesians Rally Against Israeli 'Occupation' of Palestinian Territories YNet News (June 10, 2007) - Thousands of Indonesians rallied across the world's most populous Muslim nation Sunday to protest 40 years of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, some carrying banners that said "Israel is the enemy" and "Save our Palestine." Police estimated that crowds swelled to 10,000 in the two largest cities of Jakarta and Medan, where demonstrators clad in flowing white gowns waved flags and accused Israel of human rights abuses. | Israel | Islam | I find it interesting that this day an earthquake also hit Indonesia. Israeli therapy kills brain cancer cells with electrical fields Israel21c (June 10, 2007) - An Israeli-developed treatment that specifically targets rapidly growing cancer cells with electrical fields shows great promise in treating patients with brain cancer. The Novo-TTF (Tumor-Treating Fields) device, invented by Technion Professor emeritus Yoram Palti, uses electrical fields to disrupt tumor growth by interfering with cell division of cancerous cells, causing them to stop proliferating and die off instead of dividing and growing. Healthy brain cells rarely divide and have different electrical properties than cancerous brain cells. This allows the device to target cancer cells without affecting the healthy cells. Early results of cell culture, animal and early phase human trials showed that compared to historical data, the device more than doubled the median overall survival rates in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive type of malignant brain tumor. The findings were reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal article. Palti, MD, Ph.D, founded a company NovoCure in 2000 to develop his research in treating cancer with electrical fields. According to Palti, this is the first time that electrical fields are being used to kill cancer cells, and it opens the door for other forms of cancer to be treated as well. "This is a new general modality for treating cancer. In a way it's similar to radiation, it's physical in the same sense, but the major difference is that there are no side effects," he told ISRAEL21c from his office at Novocure's headquarters in Haifa. more... | Israel | Technology | Israeli official confirms Syria messages Associated Press (June 9, 2007) - Israel has put out secret feelers to Syria, but has not received a response, Israel's deputy prime minister confirmed Saturday. The comments came a day after an Israeli newspaper reported that Israel has told Syrian leaders it is willing to give up the captured Golan Heights as part of a peace deal that would require Syria to distance itself from Iran's virulently anti-Israel regime. Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz, speaking Saturday to Israel Radio, confirmed that a message was sent to Syria, but would not describe the content in detail. "In light of the tensions in the current period, and considering the fact that in the past ... the Syrians sent messages that they want peace, I thought and I still think today that a secret channel is one of the channels for checking intentions and expectations," Mofaz said. "And such an approach, in a secret channel, was done. And this was said clearly by the prime minister's office. At this stage, there is no Syrian response, or any comment on this issue." Mofaz said he considered a back channel to be important, noting that Israeli peace agreements with other Arab countries started in such a way. He said Syria seemed to be ambivalent about peace talks with Israel. "At the beginning, they (the Syrians) speak about their desire to renew talks and the process, and after messages are sent, there is no answer," he said. At this stage, he said, Israel is not sure what Syria's intentions are. Syrian officials were not immediately available for comment. more... | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | I think the silence is telling. This method of speaking out both sides of the mouth is popular with Islam and seen as normal operating procedures since according to their holy book, lying to non-Muslims is perfectly ok and encouraged to further the cause of Islam. When that ultimate end is world-domination and the destruction of Israel, is it any surprise that they would lie to bide their time? I don't think so, and I think Israel is going to catch wind of Syria's true intentions in their alliances with Iran, Russia, and Islam's ultimate goals. Gog/Magog by Yom Kippur this year, (September 22, 2007)? Keep watching. Israel, offering Golan, awaits Syria proposals Reuters (June 8, 2007) - Israel has told Syria it is willing to trade land for peace and is waiting to hear whether President Bashar al-Assad would cut ties with Iran and hostile guerrilla groups in return, Israeli officials said on Friday. One said Syrian officials had so far indicated a willingness to conduct discreet contacts that might lead to a resumption of formal peace talks after a seven-year hiatus. In two weeks, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is due to meet President George W. Bush, who would play a crucial role in any such process. Two days after Olmert confirmed Israel had sent conciliatory messages to Damascus, Israeli media widely reported a leak to a newspaper that quoted a senior diplomat saying Syria had been reminded that Israel was ready to discuss returning the Golan Heights, captured 40 years ago this week, if peace talks resume. A former Israeli diplomat who has taken part in efforts to revive dialogue said Olmert -- deeply unpopular after last year's inconclusive war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon -- was preparing his voters for possible concessions to Syria in a process that will probably need strong U.S. support to succeed. A senior serving Israeli official told Reuters that Syrian officials appeared open to discreet dialogue and Israel was now trying to determine what concessions Damascus might be willing to make, notably in severing alliances with Israel's enemies in Iran, Hezbollah and Palestinian militant movements like Hamas. "Nobody knows the answer," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity and has been involved in the discussions. "We don't know what is the Syrian definition of peace -- if Syria will really position itself with the U.S. and its Western allies or stay with Iran and Hezbollah and Hamas? "There are no preconditions for the beginning of the negotiations. But (Assad) will have to send an indication." more... | Israel | Islam | As FreeInHim said on FulfilledProphecy, "The situation reminds me of a man throwing a juicy steak at a mad dog charging him, as though that would serve as a viable distraction. For now, it might." I have a feeling this is just going to embolden Islam to create more terror and fear to get more land. The know Israel doesn't want war. I think if Israeli leadership changes to someone like Netanyahu though, that Damascus will be in trouble, which fits right in with Isaiah 17. Israel has every reason to destroy that terrorist den, and doing so would inevitably lead to an attack by Syria's allies, Iran, Russia, and Turkey. When God destroys them in the mountains of Israel, it will connect ancient Bible prophecy to every Jew in Israel personally and I think that will wake them up the the reality of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. See how quickly things will change in the Middle East then! Keep watching! Fears of war as Israel and Syria show army might Scotsman (June 7, 2007) - CONCERN is growing that Israel and Syria may be heading towards war, with signs that both are preparing their armies. The preparations are being made across both sides of the ceasefire line in the Golan Heights area occupied by Israel since 1967. Syria has increased troop numbers and brought in rocket units similar to those used by Hezbollah against Israel in last summer's war in Lebanon, according to intelligence estimates. The Syrians have also brought in new anti-aircraft guns and tanks from Russia and recently conducted a frontline exercise of troops. Israel yesterday appointed a team of senior ministers to handle policy towards Syria, but denied it was a "war cabinet". The move came just a day after Israeli troops held a widely publicised training exercise in which they captured what army officials described as a model of a Syrian village. In an apparent attempt to reassure Damascus, the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Omert, was quoted as telling the security cabinet yesterday: "Israel does not want a war with Syria and one needs to be careful about a scenario of miscalculation that leads to a security deterioration." Amos Yadlin, the Israeli army intelligence chief, told Knesset MPs that "the Syrians have a lot to lose if a war breaks out". He said that the Syrian president, Bashar Assad, "has a regime, an airforce, civilian networks, an electricity network and civilian infrastructure: all of these are liable to be harmed in a war". Since the war between Israel and Hezbollah, Mr Assad has expressed interest in resuming the talks with Israel that stalled seven years ago over the extent of an Israeli pullback in the Golan Heights, but he has also hinted that Syria might resort to force if Israel shunned diplomacy. According to Israeli army intelligence, the Syrian army preparations are defensive and they also believe that Mr Assad does not want to initiate hostilities. Israel has been talking about war and peace simultaneously, albeit without embracing Mr Assad's offer of talks. more... | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | 'Syria, Iran, Hizbullah planning war' The Jerusalem Post (June 6, 2007) - Syria, Iran and Hizbullah are preparing for the possibility of a war with Israel on the Syrian front, Channel Two reported on Wednesday night. Reportedly, Damascus has set August as the month for final war preparations. The report followed an earlier security cabinet meeting devoted almost exclusively to Syria, during which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel is working through various diplomatic channels to assure Damascus that Jerusalem wants peace and is not interested in a war. His comments come amid a flurry of reports about a Syrian military buildup and concern in the defense establishment that if various Syrian overtures were not well received in Israel, the Syrians might initiate military action to try and retain the Golan, or a piece of it.
"Israel is not interested in a war with
Syria, and we have to be careful about a scenario where a miscalculation
could
lead to a deterioration in the security situation," Olmert said at
the end of the meeting. He added that Israel has sent this message to
Damascus through "different diplomatic channels." Housing and
Construction Minister Meir Sheetrit told reporters after the meeting
that Olmert called for direct negotiations with Syria, something that
was not reflected in the statement the Prime Minister's Office issued
after the meeting. "I want to make clear that we have no aggressive
intentions at all against Syria," Sheetrit said. "The prime minister
made that clear, and even called for direct peace talks with the
Syrians. All the comments about a possible war with Syria are
unnecessary, everyone needs to cool down."
The ministers received various intelligence and security briefings
during the meeting, with military intelligence officials saying that the
Syrians were on a defensive posture on the Golan. The ministers also
heard estimations that if a war would break out with Damascus, it would
include a renewed confrontation with Hizbullah.
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Gog/Magog |
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Isaiah 17
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Brussels Plenary 6-7 June: Constitution, Middle East, Visas European
Parliament (June
6, 2007) - Javier Solana briefed MEPs on his view of the situation
as it stands in the region amid renewed violence betwen Israel and the
Palestinians and in Lebanon. He told Members that "we've faced 40 years of
suffering from both sides...we can look back at the past and see what
mistakes we've made, or we can look at the future". Although painting a
stark picture of the situation he did express some optimism that the time
may be right for progress towards peace. Indeed he said that not since the
2000 Camp David talks has there been a better time for peace. He
stressed three reasons why he thought this the case.
José Salafranca for the Parliament's
largest political group the European People's Party and European
Democrats called for the Palestinian government to "commit itself to
democracy and the renunciation of violence". He went on to say that the
EU should present a united front and support the work of the Quartet.
What the region needs is an international buffer force to prevent
further violence in Gaza according to Pasqualina Napolitano of the PSE
group. She also called for the EU to support the Palestinian National
Unity Government openly. This theme of support for the
Palestinian authorities was picked up by Brian Crowley for the Union of
Europe for the Nations Group (UEN). He said the EU "had
sent the wrong signal" whan it cut money to the Palestinians following
the election of Hamas deputies. The Greens/EFA speaker backed this
point calling for financial aid to the Palestinians. He said that "
Israel had won the six-day war, but lost the 40-year peace". The leaders
of Parliament's respective delegations to the region also spoke. The
Chair of the delegation to Israel Jana Hybášková stressed "we face not
only 'Iraqisation' but also 'Iranization' in the Middle East. Extremist
groups are endangering citizens as well as the peace process," she
said. Kyriacos Triantaphyllides - chair of the delegation for relations
with the Palestinian Legislative Council - expressed his solidarity with
"our Palestinian colleagues imprisoned by Israel", referring to the fact
Israel has detained 45 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council in
the last year. The Commissioner for External Relations Benita
Ferrero-Waldner asked for the release of both Palestinian and Israeli
political prisoners, as well as BBC journalist Alan Johnston and for
funds to the Palestinian Authority to be released by Israel. The
vote on a resolution on the Middle East will take place during the next
plenary session in Strasbourg later this month.
more...
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Israel |
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EU/UN /
4th Kingdom | Solana
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1st Seal |
Solana, EU Commissioner discuss Middle East Alarab Online (June 6, 2007) - Javier Solana, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner discussed the situation in the Middle East with Members of the European Parliament on Wednesday during plenary session in Brussels. Before they made their statements, Kyriacos Triantaphyllides (GUE/NGL, Cyprus), Chairman of the European Parliament delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council, read out a statement on behalf of 45 MEPs expressing solidarity with 45 imprisoned Palestinian MPs. In response, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering recalled that during his speech to the Knesset on 30 May he had called for the release of the MPs. Solana looked back at 40 years of Israeli occupation and settlements and suffering by Palestinian and Israeli citizens on the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War. He said there was a choice of looking back at the mistakes of the past or looking ahead and working towards a solution to the conflict. He chose the latter, a rapid settlement to make peace a reality, which would require "will and determination." He reported on his recent visit to the Middle East, describing “difficult moments” for the Palestinians, renewed conflict, and ceasefires not maintained by either side. He called for another ceasefire and for Israel to show moderation and release Palestinian tax and customs revenues. Solana considered the latest meeting of the Middle East Quartet "probably one of most important" so far. He said the Quartet would go to the region for the first time next week and meet with leaders there. He saw peace "on the horizon," supported by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Brian Crowley, (UEN, Ireland) said the focus should be on solving the Arab-Israeli conflict, on which everything in the Middle East depends. Francis Wurtz, President of the GUE/ NGL Group, believes "doing nothing makes us guilty too." Jana Hybášková (EPP-ED, Czech Republic) warned of the danger of an "Iraqisation" of the Gaza Strip and "Iranisation" of the Middle East, “a threat to us all,” and called for Palestinian recognition of Israel after quoting statements made to the contrary on Al Jazeera. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | House of Representatives: Move US Embassy to Jerusalem YNet News (June 6, 2007) - The House of Representatives on Tuesday [June 5] unanimously passed a resolution calling on President George W. Bush to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, this on the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War. The senate is expected to approve a similar motion later in the day. In the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, Congress determined that Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel and that the US Embassy should be established there no later than May 31, 1999. However, the Clinton and Bush administrations have refrained from moving the embassy for fear of riots against American embassies in Arab countries and a possible decline in the status of the United States. “The House congratulates the citizens of Israel on the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War in which Israel defeated enemies aiming to destroy the Jewish state. Jerusalem has been the focal point of Jewish religious devotion and the site of a continuous Jewish presence for over three millennia, with a Jewish majority since at least 1896,” the resolution said. “The vibrant Jewish population of the historic Old City of Jerusalem was driven out by force during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. In six days of war, Israel defeated those forces seeking its destruction and reunited the city of Jerusalem which had been artificially divided for 19 years.” | Israel | America | Solana: Gaza peace force possible Jerusalem Post (June 6, 2007) - It is possible that an international peacekeeping force would be stationed in the Gaza Strip, even though it would probably be difficult for Egypt to agree to its deployment, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana said on Wednesday. Solana told the European Parliament in Brussels that "for the first time in many, many years, the idea of an international force" was not out of the question. Solana said two groups in the Knesset had said it may be the moment to call for such a force south of Rafah Crossing. "We are working on that," he said. "The Israelis are also considering that possibility, the Palestinians are considering that possibility, the Egyptians are considering that possibility." Solana said it would probably be difficult for Egypt as deployment of such a force might give the impression it was not able to control that part of the border. However, he added: "I think we can still get into discussions on these issues and maybe eventually get a solution." The EU's External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told the parliament an international mechanism to provide direct aid to the Palestinians would be extended for a further three months. She said humanitarian conditions remained "dire" and urged EU members states to offer extra funds." | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | I think we're going to see this idea of an international police force become more prevalent. Ultimately there has to be a system in place for the antichrist to exert his control through. I think that force will start with his kingdom and through peace and security efforts, spread world-wide rapidly. Because the U.S. is blind to the spiritual forces at work, the nation will probably join right up with it. Israeli portal plans to connect the world, family by family Israel21c.com (June 6, 2007) - The goal of Famillion's web site, which allows users to create their own personal family trees, is to map the entire world through these trees. This sounds preposterous, until Danny Rolls explains that by the end of this year the site will have mapped the entire Jewish population of the world - some 12-13 million people, and within about two years will have mapped the Western world. "Our vision is to connect all the people in the world through family trees," Rolls tells ISRAEL21c. "We are all connected, wherever we come from, and once people realize that, it will change the way they think. People are always afraid of someone who is different from us, someone who is a stranger - it's a basic trait of human nature. When people understand that we are all connected to one another, this sense of difference will disappear." Famillion's strength compared to other genealogy or family network sites is that once a user has posted their family tree, the Famillion technology can recognize genealogical matches between individuals and families, enabling it to be merged with other related trees. As a result family trees begin to connect automatically, allowing users to discover new family members they might otherwise have been unaware of. According to company information, as the trees connect, "the global family grows and relationships can be found between any two people in the world." Some members may find new family members, while others might be pleased to discover they have familial connections to Bill Gates say, or maybe Albert Einstein, or any other famous personality. more... | Israel | Technology | Foreign Ministry Promoting Relations With the EU Israel National News (June 5, 2007) - A series of special events taking place this week is devoted to enhancing Israel-EU relations. Some of the events are on the government level, others involve the private sector. On Sunday, senior European and Israeli officials met at a one-day forum addressing the future of EU-Israel relations. The meeting, called at the initiative of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, was arranged with the assistance and coordination of the German head of the rotating EU presidency and EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. The objective of the day-long event was to examine possibilities of improving relations between Israel and the European states in various fields. The forum will submit a written report by the end of the year to the European and Israeli foreign ministers, including recommendations and practical suggestions. The Israeli delegates to the forum included many senior officials, among them the Governor of the Bank of Israel, the Director General of the Ministry of Infrastructures, the Assistant Attorney General, the Director General of the Council for Higher Education, and officials from the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Environmental Protection, Finance and Transportation, as well as representatives from the National Security Council.The following day, Monday, saw the annual meeting of senior officials responsible for ongoing Israel-EU bilateral relations. The subjects on the agenda included renewal of the mandate for European observers at the Gaza-Egypt Rafiach crossing, and the Israeli demand that the EU continue to refrain from transferring funds directly to the Palestinian Authority government headed by Hamas. Other subjects raised at the meeting included bilateral trade, cultural exchanges, mutual research and development projects, and international legal issues. Also discussed was the new Israeli-EU Chamber of Commerce, inaugurated on Tuesday. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal | Army chief: IDF preparing for escalation on both fronts Ynetnews (June 5, 2007) - Lt.-Gen. Ashkenazi tells officer training course cadets army preparing for possible escalation on both Palestinian front and northern front. Defense Minister Peretz states Israel has no intelligence indicating Syria wants war. "The IDF is preparing for an escalation on the Palestinian front and the northern front," IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi stated Tuesday during a drill at the Shizafon army base in the south. "The army's next objective is to improve its readiness and fitness, while continuing to fight terror," Lieutenant General Ashkenazi told officer training course cadets who came to watch the drill. "The drill here displays very impressive abilities. There's only one thing missing – an enemy," he added. Ashkenazi said that he did not know whether the security situation in the region would deteriorate to war, stressing, "The people of Israel trust us, and I trust you." Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who also attended the exercise, said, "We have no intelligence indicating that Syria is interested in starting a war." However, he added, "I hope that the escalation in words does not bring about an escalation in reality." Peretz emphasized that Israel was only performing training, and that he hoped the Syrians would not misinterpret the IDF's actions. | Israel | Islam | Syrian MP confirms preparation for war Jerusalem Post (June 5, 2007) - A member of the Syrian parliament, Muhammad Habash, confirmed on Tuesday that his country was actively preparing for war with Israel, expected to break out in the summer, Israel Radio reported. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Habash said it was no secret that the Syrian military was arming itself for the upcoming confrontation with the IDF. He also claimed that the Israeli government was the one that wanted the war so that it could survive politically. Meanwhile, Pensioners Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan (GIL Pensioners) said on Tuesday that in negotiations with Syria, Israel must relate to the matter of the Golan Heights as a real estate issue. "Negotiations need to be about the property value," he said. National Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor), said he believed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should respond positively to any offer of peace talks from Syrian President Bashar Assad. However, Shas ministers Eli Yishai and Yitzhak Cohen insisted that the Syrians must take steps to show their intentions were serious before Israel negotiated with them. On Wednesday, the Security Cabinet was set to discuss the question of whether to examine the option of talks with Damascus. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Could this push Israel to pre-emptively attack Damascus? Keep watching. Iranian Leader: Countdown to Israel's Destruction Has Begun IsraelNationalNews (June 4, 2007) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday the countdown to Israel’s destruction has begun. Ahmadinejad said that Hizbullah began the countdown in its war with the IDF last summer. "With Allah’s help, the countdown button to this regime’s [Israel's] destruction has been pushed by the hands of Lebanon and Palestine’s children,” he said in a speech to foreign guests in Tehran in honor of the 18th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran’s first Supreme Leader. " By Allah's will, we will witness the destruction of this regime in the near future thanks to the endeavors of Palestinian and Lebanese fighters." Ahmadinejad’s previous statement, regarding Israel being “wiped off the map,” was a quote of Khomeini. Iran’s “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khameini declared Monday that Iran refuses to “beg world powers for its right to develop nuclear technology” and has demonstrated that it will not retreat from the "field of danger" and will protect those rights. "The world has learned from experience that an Iranian will never step back from the field of danger when defending his rights," Khameini said during a televised address Monday. Ahmadinejad spoke with Syrian president Bashar Assad this past week, during which Assad is reported, by Iran’s state-run news agency, to have said that “added coordination between Iran and Syria in confrontation with the Zionist regime and the USA can bear better results in the future.” The Iranian president congratulated Assad on his reelection. Assad ran unopposed and won 97% of the vote. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Another Yom Kippur? Ynetnews (June 3, 2007) - Assad advocates diplomatic talks, yet evidence shows he is preparing for war. The UN Security Council's decision to establish an international court to try Basher Assad and his relatives for the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has made the Syrian government frantic. This development may come at Israel's expense, as within the battle for his survival Assad may embark on a war against Israel sooner than expected. It's difficult not to notice that the Syrians are heading for war since they are convinced that Israel has lost its former "killer instinct" and fears a conflict. The Syrians followed the suicidal attitude that prevailed here following the Second Lebanon War with gaping mouths. They view the public criticism prevalent in the Israeli press and culture, as well as the Winograd's Commission's testimonies, as their strategic assets. As a result of the last war they understood that there is no need for a large ground force, but rather, missiles aimed at dense Israeli population centers. For the past two years the Syrians have been engaged in massive acquisitions from Russia. In the past they owed some $11 billion to the Russians, yet in 2005 the Russians erased part of the debt and the rest was covered by the Iranians. Syria began equipping itself with advanced anti-aircraft missiles in order to crush our Air Force, anti-tank missiles - as the last war demonstrated that our armored corps weren't prepared - and cruise missiles against our Navy. The Saudi London-based daily al-Sharq al-Awsat reported that Syria has completed the deployment of Chinese C-802 cruise missiles, which it acquired from Iran, and that the deployment of its Air Force has also been completed. Russia has expressed its willingness to also sell the Syrians its most advanced 280 kilometers (174 miles) range Iskander missile, more than enough to strike at any destination in Israel. Each such missile features an optical GPS navigational system that allows operators to guide missiles to their targets. more... | Israel | Islam | Israeli printing technology could deliver 1,000 pages a minute Israel21c.com (June 3, 2007) - Imagine a bookstore that prints your purchases while you settle the bill or a personalized newspaper that contains only the news you want to read. Such expedient printing may soon become a reality using a new Israeli technology that will enable printing 1,000 pages a minute at affordable prices. Two researchers from The College of Judea and Samaria - Moshe and Nissim Einat - have developed a revolutionary printing technique called Jetrix, which enables simultaneous high- speed printing of an entire page of text. The technology combines printing and Liquid Crystal Technology (LCD) methods to make a page-sized printing array that emits ink instead of light. "We are reducing the limitations of printing heads," explains Moshe Einat, senior lecturer at the college's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Einat's inspiration for rethinking print methods came from flat-screen display technologies. In the past display screens used a cathode ray tube to 'scan' the picture across the screen similar to the way a printer fills a page with text. With LCDs a screen-sized array of light emitting diodes creates the displayed picture and simultaneously changes to display each new image. Einat posed the question whether the same concept could not be applied to a printed page? "If you can do it with light, why not with ink?" he asked. Early printers used a continuous jet of ink to print on pages but were later replaced by modern Drop On Demand (DOD) printers in which a traveling head of tiny nozzles squirts ink at the page. The dots combine to produce the desired print. Current printers use a single print head that scans across the page but mechanical and physical limitations present a range of barriers that cap print speeds. more... | Israel | Technology | Netanyahu Calls For Government To Be Replaced Jerusalem Post (June 3, 2007) - The current government has failed and needs to be replaced, opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu told Army Radio on Sunday morning. Netanyahu referred to the Winograd Committee's interim report on the Second Lebanon War, indicating that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's administration was unsuccessful in its judgment and irresponsible. Olmert is heavily lacking in knowledge of military management, he added. Therefore, he continued, "it is necessary to replace the [current] leadership. The report said that the entire government failed. We cannot continue to be complacent over our forgotten deterrence," said the Likud chairman. "We must change the leadership… Everyone has the opportunity to argue their points of view, but the public will decide. I am not afraid of elections," he added. | Israel | Ahmadinejad: Israel's Destruction Getting Close Fox News (June 3, 2007) - Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday said the world would witness the destruction of Israel soon, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Ahmadinejad said last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah showed for the first time that the "hegemony of the occupier regime [Israel] had collapsed, and the Lebanese nation pushed the button to begin counting the days until the destruction of the Zionist regime," IRNA quoted him as saying. "God willing, in the near future we will witness the destruction of the corrupt occupier regime," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying during a speech to foreign guests who attended ceremonies marking the 18th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who is known as the father of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Embattled Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has lost public support after Israel failed to achieve its goals during last summer's 34-day war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon — freeing two captured soldiers and crushing the militant group. The war was sparked after two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped by Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah militants in a cross-border raid. The fighting ended with a U.N.-brokered cease-fire that called for deployment of U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanese troops in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel. Ahmadinejad has made anti-Israel comments in the past. In October 2005, he caused outrage in the West when he said in a speech that Israel's "Zionist regime should be wiped off the map." His supporters have argued Ahmadinejad's words were mistranslated and should have been better translated as "vanish from the pages of time" — implying Israel would vanish on its own rather be destroyed. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Ahmadinejad: Israel's Destruction Getting Close Fox News (June 3, 2007) - Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday said the world would witness the destruction of Israel soon, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Ahmadinejad said last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah showed for the first time that the "hegemony of the occupier regime [Israel] had collapsed, and the Lebanese nation pushed the button to begin counting the days until the destruction of the Zionist regime," IRNA quoted him as saying. "God willing, in the near future we will witness the destruction of the corrupt occupier regime," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying during a speech to foreign guests who attended ceremonies marking the 18th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who is known as the father of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Embattled Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has lost public support after Israel failed to achieve its goals during last summer's 34-day war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon — freeing two captured soldiers and crushing the militant group. The war was sparked after two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped by Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah militants in a cross-border raid. The fighting ended with a U.N.-brokered cease-fire that called for deployment of U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanese troops in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel. Ahmadinejad has made anti-Israel comments in the past. In October 2005, he caused outrage in the West when he said in a speech that Israel's "Zionist regime should be wiped off the map." His supporters have argued Ahmadinejad's words were mistranslated and should have been better translated as "vanish from the pages of time" — implying Israel would vanish on its own rather be destroyed. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | The other war / Syria, not Gaza Haaretz (June 2, 2007) - The main reason the Israel Defense Forces is not currently recommending a major ground operation in the Gaza Strip is fear that war might break out with Syria this summer, IDF sources say. This argument is rarely mentioned publicly, in part because intelligence analysts are still uncertain about whether Syrian President Bashar Assad intends to start a war or is merely trying to pressure Israel to resume peace talks. But Syria has clearly been preparing for the possibility of war, both through troop training and major arms deals. As a result, the IDF believes it must also be ready for this possibility, and excessive activity on the southern front would undermine its capabilities in the north. From the army's perspective, Syria is the biggest threat; the Palestinian front is secondary. The army is also concerned that miscalculations of the enemy's intentions, on either side of the border, could lead to war between Syria and Israel even if neither side wants it. Precisely this scenario was the subject of a major military exercise last month. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Making Water From Thin Air Newswise (June 1, 2007) - An architect pursuing a PhD at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and his colleague have devised a low-tech way to collect dew from the air and turn it into fresh water. Their invention recently won an international competition seeking to make clean, safe water available to millions around the world. The brainchild of Technion Architecture and Building Planning grad student Joseph Cory and his colleague Eyal Malka, “WatAir,” is an inverted pyramid array of panels that collects dew from the air and turns it into fresh water in almost any climate. Inspired by the dew-collecting properties of leaves, one 315 sq ft unit can extract a minimum of 48 liters of fresh water from the air each day. Depending on the number of collectors used, an unlimited daily supply of water could be produced even in remote and polluted places. According to Cory, WatAir can be easily incorporated into both rural and urban landscapes because it has a relatively small base. Its vertical and diagonal design utilizes gravity to increase the collection areas. The panels are flexible and easy to collapse when not in use, and provide shelter from rain and heat and play areas for children. “WatAir is a wonderfully simple concept which draws its inspiration from nature,” said competition judge Jo da Silva. “This is a simple and effective idea using tried and tested technology.” The project was selected from 100 entries from North America, Europe, Africa and Asia as the winner of the “drawing water challenge” sponsored by Arup – a global firm of designers, engineers, planners and business consultants specializing in innovative and sustainable design. Geotectura and Malka Architects, the respective architectural studios of Cory and Malka, are located in Haifa, Israel. The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is Israel's leading science and technology university. Home to the country’s winners of the Nobel Prize in science, it commands a worldwide reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, computer science, biotechnology, water-resource management, materials engineering, aerospace and medicine. The majority of the founders and managers of Israel's high-tech companies are alumni. Based in New York City, the American Technion Society is the leading American organization supporting higher education in Israel, with 17 offices around the country. | Israel | Technology | You can see pictures of the concept in this second article. Chief rabbis, EU president discuss 'interfaith UN' Jerusalem Post (May 30, 2007) - European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pottering said Wednesday in a meeting with Israel's chief rabbis that he would support the establishment of an "interfaith United Nations" that would bring together religious leaders from all over the world to promote peace. Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger first proposed the idea at an interfaith meeting several months ago. But Metzger said that Wednesday's meeting with Pottering marked the first time a political figure had shown interest in concrete steps towards achieving that idea. "After our meeting, the president sent an envoy to discuss in more detail the creation of an international body made up of religious leaders who could foster peace," said Metzger. "I envision the body being based in the holy city of Jerusalem, which is sacred to the three monotheistic religious. But disputes over its location should not delay the establishment of the interfaith UN," Metzger added. In a press release, the Chief Rabbinate said an interfaith UN could help combat anti-Semitism. Metzger said that the controversy sparked by the Mughrabi bridge excavations near the Temple Mount was a perfect example of how dialogue between religious leaders assuaged religious extremist rancor sparked by misinformation. "After explaining in the international media that construction of the bridge did not endanger Al-Aksa Mosque, people calmed down," said Metzger. more... | Israel | EU /UN / 4th Kingdom | Apostasy | 'Boycott call reminiscent of witch hunt' Ynet News (May 31, 2007) - Responding to UK lecturers' call to boycott Israel, Bar Ilan professor says Israel not apartheid state, shouldn't be held to higher standards than other countries, including US and Britain. "The British lecturers' union is trying to de-legitimize Israel by promoting radical prejudice," Dr Jonathan Rynhold of Bar Ilan University and member of the international Advisory Board for Academic Freedom said Wednesday following a decision by Britain's University and College Union (UCU) to consider boycotting Israeli academic institutions. According to Rynhold, the decision was reminiscent of "McCarthy's witch hunt." The UCU has called on the European Union to cut funding to the Israeli academia until Israel obeys UN Security Council resolutions and withdraws from the West Bank. This is the fourth time since 2003 that British lecturer groups are calling to boycott Israeli universities. Rynhold stated that the UCU's "hypocritical" decision was the result of pressure by the radical Left, which believed Israel had no right to exist. "This isn't anti-Semitism, but it's prejudice, according to which the Palestinians and other nations have the right for self-determination, while the Jews don't. "It's clear to everyone that Israel is not one of the most problematic countries in terms of human rights violations, such as China, Saudi Arabia and even the United States and Britain, which operate in Iraq and whose behavior is much more problematic. And still, it is Israel that is being threatened with this boycott." Rynhold warned of the dangerous link between the academic world and politics. "Only in very extreme cases should academia and politics be bound together, but what goes on in Israel is far from being an extreme case. There is no apartheid here, as some try to portray it. "In an apartheid state there wouldn't be Arab parties or an Arab judge. We have academic freedom and minority rights, and the Israeli academia encourages peace and enables both sides to get to know each other better." | Israel | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Hamas: Islam Will Rule the World, Destroy Israel and the Jews Israel National News (May 30, 2007) - The Hamas terrorist organization is conducting a simultaneous battle against Israel and its coalition partner, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction, but not without a "higher" purpose. According to the Palestinian Media Watch, the Hamas charter specifically mandates the murder of Jews in compliance with what it believes is Divine will. Violence and terror, which Hamas refers to as "resistance", are considered legitimate tools to be used for this purpose. Hamas has worked hard to promote this ideology and to train the current and future generations toward this end, using a Mickey Mouse-like character to teach the precepts to PA Arab children and other TV and radio programs to reach the adults. The PA population has, for the most part, responded enthusiastically to this campaign. Others who are frightened by the fanaticism and culture of murder are doing their best to flee. Branch offices of foreign ministries from various Arab countries report they have been besieged with tens of thousands of applications by PA Arabs who are desperate to take their families out of the madness. Islamic clerics, meanwhile, exhort them to remain, resorting even to religious legal rulings that it is forbidden to leave the Palestinian Authority territories and abandon what they insist is their land. It is clear that Hamas has no intention of ever recognizing the State of Israel's right to exist. Nor does it intend to end its terrorism, regardless of international mandates to do so. "We will liberate Palestine, all of Palestine... Palestine will not be liberated by negotiations, committees and decisions. It will only be liberated by the rifle and the al-Kassam [rocket -ed.]. Therefore, prepare yourselves," declared Hamas spokesman Dr. Ismail Radwan in an April interview with the Hamas-controlled Al-Risalah newspaper. Ultimately, states former Foreign Minister and Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahhar in a March interview with the Arabic Al-Ayyam newspaper, "Our position is the liberation of Palestine, all of Palestine. This is the final and strategic solution for us..Anyone who denies it must check his faith and his Islam." To view the entire report on the Palestinian Media Watch website, click here. | Israel | Islam | Jihadists moving into Lebanon from Syria The Washington Times (May 29, 2007) - Heavily armed foreign jihadists have been entering Lebanon from Syria from around the time Western authorities noticed a drop in the infiltration of foreign fighters from Syria to Iraq, Lebanese officials say. Syrian authorities, hoping to disrupt Lebanon so they can reassert control of the country, "have stopped sending [the jihadists] to Iraq and are now sending them here," charged Mohammed Salam, a specialist in Palestinian affairs in Lebanon. "They sent those people to die in Lebanon." Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, commander of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, said about half of the militants who have been battling Lebanese forces in the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp outside Tripoli for nine days had fought previously in Iraq. "They are very dangerous," he said in an interview. "We have no choice, we have to combat them." Officials traveling with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said before Miss Rice's meeting with her Syrian counterpart in Egypt early this month that Syria appeared to be taking "positive" steps to guard its border with Iraq, resulting in a reduced number of jihadists crossing the border. But U.N. officials running the Nahr el-Bared camp told The Washington Times that a large band of foreigners carrying mortars, rockets, explosive belts and other heavy weapons entered the camp in a group several months ago. That is near the time that infiltration of militants from Syria into Iraq fell off, according to Lebanese authorities, who suspect the jihadists were simply redirected by Damascus. Several thousand residents have been trapped in the Palestinian refugee camp since fighting broke out May 20 between the army and several hundred militants of a group called Fatah Islam, which includes a large number of foreign fighters. Palestinian leaders tried yesterday to negotiate an end to the standoff, in which Lebanese army forces are ringed around the camp, but Prime Minister Fuad Siniora insisted that the militants surrender and face justice. Gen. Rifi said the foreigners began arriving in Lebanon during the war between Hezbollah and Israel last summer, when between 60 and 70 jihadists were integrated into Fatah al-Intifada, a group set up by Syrian intelligence in the 1980s. In November last year, a Palestinian with Jordanian citizenship named Shaker Youssef al-Absi broke with Fatah al-Intifada and set up a new group, Fatah Islam, based in the Nahr el-Bared camp. Gen. Rifi said Fatah Islam has about 250 fighters, of which about 50 have been killed so far. "They are parasites," the general said. "Even in Nahr el-Bared, there are not a lot of Palestinians with Fatah Islam." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Increasing number of rabbis are allowing Jews to enter Temple Mount Haaretz (May 26, 2007) - An increasing number of religious Zionist rabbis are allowing their followers to enter the Temple Mount, contrary to the religious consensus on the matter. This weekend, the rabbis Haim Druckman and Avraham Zukerman, of the Bnei Akiva youth movement, and Tzafania Drori, chief rabbi of Kiryat Shmona, are set to join this growing group with an ad in the Orthodox media. The rabbis, who are major figures in the religious Zionist movement, will call on Jews wishing to enter the Temple Mount "in purity, to ascend at this time to the to the places permitted for Jews to enter." The three rabbis are known for their principle support for letting Jews on to the Temple Mount. But they had not yet expressed their stand formally, because of the religious sensitivity of the issue. Now, in honor of the 40th anniversary of Jerusalem's unification, with many right-wing movements placing the Temple Mount on their agenda, the rabbis have decided to call publicly on Jews to go to the Mount. In publishing the ad, they will be joining dozens of other rabbis of the religious Zionist stream, among them rabbis in West Bank settlements, who in recent years have allowed Jews to go to the Temple Mount within the bounds of Jewish law. Currently, rabbinic consensus in the religious Zionist and the ultra-Orthodox world prohibits Jews from entering the Temple Mount. This is because the exact location of the Holy of Holies is not known, and therefore Jews who have not properly purified themselves may accidentally walk there or through other prohibited places. Rabbis who allow their supporters to ascend to the Temple Mount set stipulations for entry, including the mandating of ritual immersion beforehand, the wearing of cloth shoes, the keeping to areas permitted to Jews under Jewish custom, and the studying of relevant religious regulations. There are two Islamic shrines on the Mount, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Over the years, successive Israeli governments, backed by the High Court of Justice, have allowed Jews to visit the Temple Mount, but have prohibited them from praying there. | Israel | Temple Mount | The March to War: Syria Preparing for US-Israeli Attacks Global Research (May 25, 2007) - "To the east there is the Resistance in Iraq, to the west there is the Resistance in Lebanon and to the south there is the Resistance of the Palestinian people. We, in Syria, are at the heart of all these events!" -Basher Al-Assad, 10th President of Syria (April 30, 2007) Syria was in the sights of the White House and Pentagon since the advent of the "Global War on Terror." Attacks on Lebanon and Syria have long been expected as a phase in the American-led war march unfolding in the Middle East and Central Asia in the wake of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The U.S. government itself has clarified that it was considering invading Syria after the fall of Baghdad in 2003. [1] The U.S. Congress in 2003 also started to re-evaluate strengthening the Syrian Accountability Act. The Guardian, a major British newspaper, reported during the initial days of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in April of 2003 that Syria was a potential military target: In the past few weeks, the U.S. defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, ordered contingency plans for a war on Syria to be reviewed following the fall of Baghdad. Meanwhile, his undersecretary for policy, Doug Feith, and William Luti, the head of the Pentagon's office of special plans, were asked to put together a briefing paper on the case for war against Syria, outlining its role in supplying weapons to Saddam Hussein, its links with Middle East terrorist groups and its allegedly advanced chemical weapons programme. Mr. Feith and Mr. Luti were both instrumental in persuading the White House to go to war in Iraq. Mr. Feith and other conservatives now playing important roles in the Bush administration, advised the Israeli government in 1996 that it could "shape its strategic environment... by weakening, containing and even rolling back Syria." [2] The 2006 Israeli war against Lebanon was also initiated for strategic reasons, which included the subjugation of Syria, as a continuation of the Pentagon's plans to strike Syria. This has been acknowledged by Israeli and U.S. government officials and there are numerous international press reports to validate this. In fact on October 8, 2003, months after the fall of Baghdad to U.S. tanks and soldiers, Israeli fighter jets made air raids inside Syrian territory. The Syrians restrained themselves, refusing to be baited into a war. The Syrian President gave a rare public response to the Israeli air strike in Syria accusing Ariel Sharon and the Israeli government of trying to drag Syria and the entire region into a "new war." [3] Syria is now the subject of intense covert and overt diplomatic U.S. and E.U. pressure as the Anglo-American war machine is running out of time. Attempts are also underway to create a wedge between Iran and Syria. Military provisions are additionally underway on the immediate borders of Syria for a possible war in the Levant and a broader Middle Eastern war that would stretch from the borders of Egypt and Turkey to the frontier of Western China. Israel is also making preparations for yet another war, while the U.S. and British militaries continue to marshal their armed forces into Afghanistan, Iraq, and the broader Middle East. Controlling Syria can heavily influence the geo-strategic realities and environment in the Middle East. The geo-strategic position of Syria places it at a critical juncture between Lebanon, Palestine, and Anglo-American occupied Iraq; three fronts that the U.S. and its allies are actively engaged in. Three intertwined wars of intelligence, proxy, public relations, civil, covert, and military dimensions are being waged in Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq. The conquest of Damascus is a prerequisite to winning these fronts and would greatly strengthen the American-led position in a possible showdown against Iran and its allies. Although, it should be mentioned that after the strategic 2006 defeat of Israel in Lebanon, it seems that preparations are now being made for a simultaneous war against both Syria and Iran. more... | Israel | Islam | America |
Hezbollah to Lebanese army: Stay
out of refugee camp CNN
(May 25, 2007) - The leader
of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Sheikh
Hassan Nasrallah, has warned the
Lebanese army not to enter the
Palestinian refugee camp north of
Tripoli where it has been
confronting Islamic militants.
Nasrallah -- in a televised
address to mark the seventh
anniversary of Israel's withdrawal
from Lebanon -- said that to enter
the camp would be crossing a red
line, and the Palestinians should
not be touched. "Suppose that the
government is having a war on
terror, that doesn't mean they
should kill half of the people on
the street," he said in a
reference to Palestinian civilians
crammed into the Nahr el-Bared
camp. (Read
about Lebanon's warning to
militants) He also criticized
the militants of Fatah al-Islam,
who are holed up inside the camp,
accusing them of an aggression
against the army that was an
aggression against all of Lebanon.
Hezbollah, a Shiite organization,
views extremist Sunni groups such
as al Qaeda and Fatah al-Islam as
enemies. Nasrallah said that a
negotiated political settlement
according to the rule of law
should be reached to preserve the
integrity of the Lebanese army.
The Lebanese military stays out of
the Palestinian camps under a 1969
agreement that allows the
Palestinians to run them. Lebanese
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told
CNN's Brent Sadler he considers
the battle part of the war on
terrorism, not a conflict between
Lebanon and the Palestinians. "To
the contrary, I believe strongly
that this war is targeting Lebanon
on the one hand and the
Palestinians on the other," he
said. "Either they will surrender,
or the Lebanese government and the
Lebanese army is going to really
pursue the matter to the end,"
Siniora said. "If left, I can
assure you, this is going to be
very contagious. It's like cancer.
It has to be really removed
completely, otherwise it's going
to expand. ..."I believe that what
we are doing, it is in the
interest of the Palestinians, it
is in the interest of the
Lebanese," Siniora said. (Watch
Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora say the
army are not killers
Officials: Hamas ready to halt rockets The Jerusalem Post (May 24, 2007) - Israel's threat to target senior Hamas leaders in response to the Kassam rocket attacks from Gaza has prompted the group to agree to a unilateral cease-fire with Israel, Palestinian Authority officials said Wednesday. "Hamas wants to stop the Kassam rockets. They are especially worried about reports that Israel may assassinate [PA Prime Minister] Ismail Haniyeh and [Hamas chief] Khaled Mashaal," the officials told The Jerusalem Post. The officials were speaking shortly after PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Haniyeh met in Gaza City to discuss the possibility of declaring a unilateral truce with Israel. Journalists were not allowed to cover the meeting, which was held under tight security. "At first, Haniyeh did not want to attend the meeting because of Israeli threats to kill him," said one PA official. "The venue and time of the meeting were only agreed upon at the last minute for security reasons. Hamas is taking the Israeli threats very seriously." Muhammad Nazzal, a senior Hamas official in Syria, said his movement was taking the Israeli threats "in a very serious manner," adding, "These are real and dangerous threats. The Zionist entity has long been practicing state terror. This is a bloody and murderous entity that wants to assassinate an elected prime minister." Hamas legislator Salah Bardaweel also expressed concern over the Israeli threats against Haniyeh and Mashaal. He confirmed that Haniyeh had postponed his meeting with Abbas several times because of the threats. "We don't have Arab or Western assurances that Israel won't try to assassinate the prime minister," he said, warning that the Palestinians' response would be "very painful." According to another PA official, Haniyeh made it clear during Wednesday's meeting that Hamas was prepared to halt the firing of Kassam rockets "if Israel stops its aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank." Abbas, for his part, urged Haniyeh to do his utmost to avoid providing Israel with an excuse to launch a massive military operation in the Gaza Strip. Abbas and Haniyeh agreed to form a joint Fatah-Hamas force in the Strip to implement a cease-fire with Israel and to enforce law and order. more... | Israel | Islam | 'Peacemaker' Solana heads to Mideast Jerusalem Newswire (May 21, 2007) - European Union foreign policy czar Javier Solana arrived in the Middle East Monday in his latest bid to reduce tension between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs after a week of spiraling violence. Eight Arabs were reportedly killed Sunday evening as Israel continued efforts to stop the firing of Kassam rockets from Gaza at civilians in southern Israel. Dozens of missiles have fallen on and around the Negev town of Sderot in the past week, injuring Israelis and damaging buildings - including a school classroom, kindergarten and petrol station. Solana, whose "solution" to the decades' old conflict sees Israel surrendering more Jewish lands to Arab control, plans to visit Jerusalem, areas Israel has given to the "Palestinians," Egypt - which is also able to exert pressure on Israel, and Lebanon. According to a statement from his office, Solana will let Israel know that the EU backs the Arab League's "peace" plan. He will tell the Arabs in Samaria, Judea and Gaza that it is important for them to stop fighting among themselves so that they can get a "State of Palestine" as soon as possible. And he will likely convey to the Israeli government Europe's displeasure at the IDF's defensive actions against the terrorists in the Gaza Strip. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | State Of Emergency Declared In Israel (May 20, 2007) - Israel's defense minister declared a state of emergency Sunday in Sderot, which has been under near constant rocket attack from Gaza. Minister Amir Peretz's declaration came as a new barrage of five Qassam rockets stuck Sderot Sunday morning. No one was reported killed or seriously injured, though some residents were hospitalized in shock. Sderot residents called the emergency declaration too little, too late, the Jerusalem Post reported. "Only after dozens of Qassam rockets and thousands of residents have left Sderot, the government only now understands that there is a state of emergency in Sderot," said Alon Davidi, a Sderot resident. The declaration gives civilian authority to Israel's Home Front Command to close factories and schools and order medical clinics, the Post said. Peretz declared a similar state of emergency in northern Israel following Hezbollah rocket attacks last summer during Israel's war on Lebanon. About 4,000 of Sderot's 23,000 residents have left the city for temporary "relief" shelters in safer parts of Israel, the Post reported. | Israel | Islam | Israel launches new airstrikes on Hamas (May 20, 2007) - Israel's air force fired a missile at a house in Gaza City late Sunday, killing at least eight people, residents and hospital officials said. The strike followed a decision to step up attacks against Islamic militants in response to rocket fire from Gaza. Israeli air attacks on militant targets earlier in the day killed another three Palestinians. The attack on the house was the deadliest airstrike since last Tuesday when Israel started reprisals for the rocket barrages. Residents said the house belonged to a Hamas lawmaker Khalil al-Haya, and six of the dead were members of his family. Al-Haya was not at home and was not harmed, they said. He was one of the Hamas representatives in cease-fire talks with Fatah and was attending an Egyptian-sponsored truce meeting just before the strike, residents said. The missile hit a room used as a meeting place for the extended family, relatives said. Hospital officials said eight people were killed and 13 injured. The Israeli military said the missile hit a group of armed militants outside a house. At Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, there was pandemonium as cars brought in the victims, some of them dismembered by the blast. Al-Haya went to the hospital to visit his wounded relatives. "We will go ahead despite the challenges, despite the martyrs, despite the pain that I am suffering and my people are suffering," he told reporters at the hospital, in remarks carried by local radio stations. Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, said those killed were civilian members of the al-Haya family, and the attack was a sign that Israel is targeting "everyone — civilians and leaders." "This escalation is very serious," he said. "All options are open" for responding to this. In a statement, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for international pressure to stop the Israeli attacks. more... | Israel | Islam | Revered Israeli apocalyptic kabbalah leader shocks Jews, Christians with name ‘Yeshua’ (May 18, 2007) - A controversy is raging in Israel, in evangelical circles in the U.S. and on kabbalah web forums worldwide following the posthumous release of what a revered Sephardic rabbi claimed to be the name of the Messiah. When Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri died in February 2006, somewhere between the age of 106 and 117, 300,000 attended his funeral in Jerusalem. The Baghdad-born kabbalist had gained notoriety around the world for issuing apocalyptic warnings and for saying he personally met the long-awaited Jewish Messiah in November 2003. Before Kaduri died, he reportedly wrote the name of the Messiah on a small note, requesting it remained sealed for one year after his death. The note revealed the name of the Messiah as "Yehoshua" or "Yeshua" – or the Hebrew name Jesus. However, complicating the story further, the note is being challenged as a forgery by his 80-year-old son Rabbi David Kaduri. "It's not his writing," he is quoted as telling Israel Today. The note, written in Hebrew and signed in the rabbi's name, said: "Concerning the letter abbreviation of the Messiah's name, He will lift the people and prove that his word and law are valid. This I have signed in the month of mercy." The Hebrew sentence consists of six words. The first letter of each of those words spells out the Hebrew name Yehoshua or Yeshua. The finding has raised a combination of excitement and controversy in both Jewish and Christian circles – but scarcely any media attention. Jewish blogs and web forums are filled with skeptical analysis and puzzlement. "So this means Rabbi Kaduri was a Christian?" asked one poster rhetorically. Another wrote: "The Christians are dancing and celebrating." Not exactly. In fact, many Christian discussion boards say Kaduri's description of the Messiah – no matter what his name – doesn't fit the biblical account of a returned Jesus of Nazareth, who, they believe, will rule and reign on Earth from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. About his encounter with the Messiah Kaduri claimed is alive in Israel today, he reportedly told close relatives: "He is not saying, 'I am the Messiah, give me the leadership.' Rather the nation is pushing him to lead them, after they find [in my words] signs showing that he has the status of Messiah." Kaduri was also quoted as saying the imminent arrival of the Messiah will "save Jerusalem from Islam and Christianity that wish to take Jerusalem from the Jewish Nation – but they will not succeed, and they will fight each other." Statements like that have some Christians wondering if Kaduri might be talking about another Yeshua – perhaps even a miracle-performing "false Christ" many evangelicals believe will precede the return of Jesus. Aviel Schneider, the author of the Israel Today story, said the worldwide reaction to news of Kaduri's note has been "crazy." He said he has never received so many emails and calls from around the globe. He said he was urged not to publish the story by the rabbi's yeshiva, where officials said it was "impossible" that the note was actually written by Kaduri. But Schneider was given access to many of the rabbi's manuscripts, written in his own hand for the exclusive use of his students. He was struck by symbols painted by Kaduri all over the pages. "They were crosses," said Schneider. "In the Jewish tradition, you don't use crosses. You don't even use plus signs because they might be mistaken for crosses. But there they were, painted in his own hand." Asked what those symbols meant, Kaduri's family said they were "signs of the angel." more... | Israel | I wonder if he was given understanding that Yeshua is the Messiah, but still holding to long-held beliefs, it got mixed in with what God showed him? It seems odd he would draw crosses and name Yeshua after the millennia of denial of such in their teachings. However, there are still elements that are distincly contrary to scripture such as the Messiah being here now and having met him. That is unless he had a vision that he misinterpreted. At any rate, I think it's very interesting that a Jew would name Yeshua as the Messiah. Matthew 24:23-27, "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." See also, Luke 17:24-37. “How The Six Day War Almost Led To Armageddon” (May 17, 2007) - June, 1967. War clouds had been building for months. The Israelis found themselves increasingly surrounded by Soviet-backed forces of the Arab and Islamic world, all of whose leaders were vowing to “throw the Jews into the sea,” and the Israelis were considering a first strike. The element of surprise might be their only hope of survival, they figured. But President Lyndon Johnson had warned Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol in no uncertain terms that such a move would be a serious mistake. As historian Michael B. Oren noted in his highly praised book, Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East, Johnson sent a secret message to Eskhol saying that “it is essential that Israel not take any preemptive military action and thereby make itself responsible for the initiation of hostilities. Preemptive action by Israel would make it impossible for the friends of Israel to stand at your side.” Oren noted that Johnson specifically “warned of the possibility of direct Soviet intervention.” Marshal Andrei Antonovich Grechko, the Soviet deputy defense minister, had told his Egyptian counterparts in Cairo that the Kremlin had dispatched “destroyers and submarines to the waters near Egypt, some armed with missiles and secret weapons” to help wipe out the Zionists. One of Israel’s top experts on Soviet foreign policy told Israeli Defense Forces intelligence that “the USSR would muster all its influence and power to maintain its Middle East position” and when asked if the Soviets would intervene directly, replied, “of course.” Soviet Premier Kosygin, meanwhile, sent a cable to Prime Minister Eshkol warning that “if the Israeli Government insists on taking upon itself the responsibility for the outbreak of armed confrontation then it will pay the full price of such an action.” But at 8:44 a.m. on the morning of June 5, 1967, Eshkol sent an urgent message back to President Johnson informing him that it was too late. War had begun. “After weeks in which our peril has grown day by day, we are now engaged in repelling the aggression which [Egyptian President] Nasser has been building up against us,” Eshkol wrote, explaining his rationale for the preemptive strike Israel had just launched. “Israel’s existence and integrity have been endangered. The provocative [Arab] troop concentrations in Sinai, now amounting to five infantry and two armored divisions; the placing of more than 900 tanks against our southern frontier; . . . the illegal blockade of the Straits of Tiran; . . . the imminent introduction of MiG-21 aircraft under Iraqi command [into the theater]; Nasser’s announcement of ‘total war against Israel’ and of his basic aim to annihilate Israel. . . . All of this amounts to an extraordinary catalogue of aggression, abhorred and condemned by world opinion and in your great country and amongst all peace-loving nations.” more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Pastor John Hagee's D.C. Meeting Worries Jews (May 17, 2007) - Pastor John Hagee says Armageddon will soon strike the nation of Israel, so he's enlisting Christians to help protect Israel against an attack from Iran. Hagee, who has close ties to the Bush administration, has some in the Jewish community worried about his efforts to help Israel and his talk of a coming war with Iran. The well-known pastor and author, who broadcasts nationwide from his mega Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, has been seeking to help Jewish groups raise money from Christians for Israel. "The enemies of Israel are the enemies of America," Hagee said. "They are the enemies of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These enemies have drawn the battle line. If a line has to be drawn – then draw that line around both Christians and Jews! We are one; we are united!" Such polemics from Hagee hail the fiery theme of the 2nd Annual Israel/Washington D.C. Summit slated for July 16-19 in the nation's capital. As a warm up to the main July enclave, Washington area residents can attend a "Night to Honor Israel" in nearby Alexandria, Va., on May 20, also sponsored by Hagee. Hagee, an unapologetic Christian Zionist, has hosted "Nights to Honor Israel" dinners in over 40 cities around the country – with help from a dedicated all-volunteer staff of 13 regional directors, 46 state directors and more than 85 city directors. The most profitable evening, held last October in Hagee's hometown of San Antonio, snared some $7 million. Funds flow directly into the coffers of various Jewish federations. This past summer, for instance, $1 million was donated to the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston for the Israel Emergency Campaign – an effort to aid the embattled northern region of Israel. Fundamentalist Christians like Hagee believe they have a Biblical injunction to bless Jews and the State of Israel as God's "chosen people." Hagee's efforts appear innocuous enough on its face, but some Jewish groups see his Christian Zionist movement with either skepticism or anger. At the heart of the movement is Hagee's Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Founded in February 2006, this Christian, pro-Israel lobbying group is hard at work extending Hagee's influence beyond Washington – to Jewish and evangelical communities around the nation. For his part, Hagee does not minimize the scope of his movement, stating that CUFI "will have organized offices in every state in the union, mobilizing every Christian and whoever will work with us on a pro-Israeli agenda." | Gog/Magog | Israel | Ezekiel 38,39 indicates that it is God who will destroy the armies in the mountains of Israel, not anything we do. I think prayer will help more than getting involved politically, especially when seeing how corrupt politics is. We know government is going to turn on Israel and give their power to one leader in the future and that leader will attempt to kill all the Jews in the time of Jacob's trouble. I believe we should pray for Israel, trusting that God can provide what is needed and that His Word will come to pass 100%. IDF troops, tanks enter Gaza; 7 dead, including 4 Hamas, in IAF strikes (May 17, 2007) - Israel Defense Forces infantry troops and tanks entered several hundred meters into the Gaza Strip Thursday evening at two points, following four Israel Air Force attacks on Gaza which left at least seven Palestinians dead. The IDF took position in the Gaza Strip west of Sderot, as well as on the ruins of former Jewish settlements Nisanit and Elei Sinai. However, the troops are not preparing for an extensive operation in the strip. The IDF tanks entered Gaza earlier on Thursday, attaining outlook positions just inside the northern strip. Palestinian militants fired some 17 Qassam rockets at the western Negev on Thursday, one of which slammed into a high school on the outskirts of Sderot, lightly wounding two people. In the first of the four IAF strikes on Thursday, a Hamas Executive Force compound in Gaza City was hit, killing a Hamas militant and wounding dozens of people. Later, the IAF fired missiles at car belonging to Hamas in Gaza City, killing two militants. Hamas identified one of the dead as Imad Shbana, a senior member of the organization. Later Thursday, the IAF hit Gaza City for a third time, striking a Hamas position in the city and killing at least one militant. The IAF carried out a fourth strike on Thursday evening, firing a missile at a vehicle in southern Gaza at sundown. Israel confirmed the strike, saying that the vehicle had been carrying members of the militant Islamic Jihad organization. The Palestinian security officials said the vehicle was a small truck belonging to the Rafah town council and had been on its way to inspect a garbage dump. Since such vehicles are sometimes used to carry rockets, the officials said, it might have been a case of mistaken identity. Gaza hospital officials said that one of the dead was a teenager. Hamas militants said they fired three rockets from that area shortly before the airstrike. Hamas' armed wing threatened to resume suicide bombings in Israel after the first attack leveled the multi-story Executive Force compound. "This is an open war launched against Hamas. All options are open, including martyrdom operations," said Abu Ubaida, spokesman of Hamas' armed wing. more... | Israel | Islam | PM: I'm ready to negotiate Saudi peace plan with Arab leaders (May 15, 2007) - While visiting Jordan Tuesday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert invited 22 leaders of Arab nations to convene and invite Israel to negotiate the Saudi peace plan without preconditions. Olmert added that if they were willing to invite him somewhere for talks, then "I'm ready to come." The Saudi peace plan calls normalized ties between Israel and the Arab world in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from lands captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. "We heard about the Arab peace initiative and we say come and present it to us. You want to talk to us about it, we are ready to sit down and talk about it carefully," Olmert told reporters. Jordan's King Abdullah, however, told Olmert during their meeting in the seaside resort of Aqaba that Israel first had to take concrete steps to improve relations with the Palestinians. The king stressed first and foremost to Olmert that talking about new settlements or expanding existing ones is in contradiction of Israel's desire for peace, said Amjad Adayleh, the director of the information department at the Royal Palace. Olmert told the king that such reports were baseless, Adayleh said. He added that Abdullah also urged Olmert to lift an economic blockade on Palestinians, making it easier for them to cross borders and immediately unfreeze all Palestinian funds held by Israel. A palace statement added that Abdullah "called on Olmert to agree with the Palestinians to put a specific timeframe to implement the Arab peace initiative over a short period." more... | Israel | Islam | 1st Seal | Something to make you think (May 15, 2007) - I believe most of you are familiar with this verse: Daniel 9:27, "And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate." I am going to go outside the view of most prophecy scholars and bring you some views that I want you to study to see if it is so. The popular view is that the Antichrist will break his seven year peace covenant with Israel after 42 months. But the verse says that he will cause sacrifice and the oblation to cease. When Antichrist walks into the Temple, it will not be to break a covenant, but to stop the animal sacrifices by the priests. Regular readers will know that I lean to the view that the seven year ENP might be the fulfillment of this prophecy. We can not be totally sure of it, but the signs are there. I have done some layman studying of the ENP and found that there are action plans written into it to protect animal rights. It must be fully implemented by 2010, halfway trough the ENP seven year period. Israel was one of the first to sign the ENP. Israel wants to have a Temple to resume daily sacrifice. Sacrificing of animals is against the action plans of the ENP. By sacrificing of animals, Israel will violate the ENP, and that can cause the Antichrist to walk into the Temple and stop the sacrificing. Here are some snippets from the official animal welfare document:
These are just snippets of the 9 page document. If you can read the whole document, please do so. The foundation for the fulfillment of Daniels prophecy might already be in place. Only time will tell if it is so. Maybe this will blow over and lead to nothing, or we might see it happen in just over three years time. We still need a Temple and there are not much time left for it to be build, but if we are seeing the unfolding of this prophecy, we will not wait to long. | Israel | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Temple Mount | Olmert: Israel seeks world acceptance of a united Jerusalem under its sovereignty (May 14, 2007) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Sunday he would seek to expand the borders of Jerusalem and that he hoped for eventual world acceptance Israeli sovereignty over the entire city. At a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the reunification of the city in 1967, Olmert said: "The past 40 years are only the beginning. I believe, hope and pray that we will continue to work together to strengthen Jerusalem, to expand its borders, to cultivate its foundations, to build its neighborhoods." In his remarks at the Western Wall remnant of an ancient Jewish temple in Jerusalem, Olmert said Israel hoped to achieve world acceptance of its rule in the city, by respecting its holiness to three faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. "If we do this with wisdom and caution, we will preserve this city always under our sovereignty, complete and united and accepted by the entire world. This is our goal," Olmert said. Meanwhile, the ambassadors from the United States and the European Union countries will not attend the celebrations Wednesday to mark the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, the Israeli media reported Sunday. Ra'am-Ta'al MK Ahmed Tibi welcomed the decision not to attend celebrations for what he termed "the so-called unification of Jerusalem." According to Army Radio, the envoy from Germany declined the invitation in the name of all EU states due to a dispute over the status of East Jerusalem as part of the Israeli capital. A short time later, Israel Radio reported that American Ambassador Richard Jones will also not attend. The Foreign Ministry explained it had invited diplomats to attend a ceremoney commemorating 40 years since the unification of East and West Jerusalem at the Knesset. "We regret the EU's announcement by which its representatives will not take part in this event, and expect the participation of many other diplomats," it added. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | America | Palestinians mark 'catastrophe' of Israel creation (May 14, 2007) - Palestinian refugees in Syria Monday marked the 59th anniversary of the "catastrophe" of Israel's creation with a call for resistance until the birth of a Palestinian state and the return of refugees. "Fifty-nine years have passed since the Palestinian and Arab Naqba [Catastrophe] in 1948," the Damascus-based Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine said in a statement. Israel declared independence May 14, 1948, triggering a regional war that saw more than 700,000 Palestinians being driven out or fleeing their homes. Israel has never accepted UN General Assembly Resolution 194, passed in 1949, under which refugees have the right to return to their homes or be compensated for their losses. Palestinian refugees' rights have also been mentioned as a stumbling block to a recently reinvigorated Arab peace plan that would see Arab recognition of Israel in return for lands seized in 1967 and the return of refugees. "No one has the right to sell off the refugees' right of return. Abandoning this right amounts to high treason," said a statement from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The hard-line PFLP founder George Habash said in a statement that the Palestinian resistance "will only stop with the emergence of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital." | Israel | Islam | Syria Advances Military Exercise Schedule (May 13, 2007) - Syria has advanced its military schedule in what could signal plans for war with Israel in 2007. Officials said Syria has decided to conduct a series of major military exercises in May through July. They said the decision was meant to accelerate preparations for a war against Israel in the summer of 2007. "Syria is now in the middle of an unprecedented process of a huge military buildup," Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said. "They have acquired state-of-the-art Russian weapons, huge quantities of long-range rockets and missiles." Officials said Syria was close to concluding negotiations to purchase advanced anti-aircraft systems from Russia. They said the systems could include the S-300PMU1 air and missile defense system as well as the TOR-M1 mobile short-range anti-aircraft battery. | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Livni: Israel must hand over parts of West Bank for peace (May 12, 2007) - Any future Palestinian state will require Israel to withdraw from the West Bank, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said in an interview to Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram on Saturday. According to Livni, Israel is ready to move forward in negotiations with the Palestinians, and is waiting for the Palestinians to take responsibility for the violence and extreme forces within Palestinian society. "The majority of the Israeli nation understands not only the need for peace, but also the need to compromise for a solution to achieve this peace. "And in this context, I present the vision, shared by the majority, of a two-state solution, one for Jews and one for Palestinians… the path to the [creation of] a Palestinian state begins with the denunciation of terrorism. I am convinced that this reflects not only the interests of Israel, but also the interests of the Palestinians. During the interview, which took place as part of the foreign minister's visit to Cairo, Livni said that the 2005 Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip was a necessary and crucial step in the peace process. Livni said that in order to complete this process and create a Palestinian state, Israel will need to withdraw from the West Bank as well. "I can assure you that Gaza is not the last step, we are convinced that to establish a Palestinian state, we have to withdraw from other areas," she said. "We do not want to control the Palestinians." Livni's visit culminated in a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdelelah Al-Khatib in Cairo, where the Arab League peace initiative was discussed. | Israel | Islam |
Report: Hamas threatens to kill
Schalit if IDF enters Gaza (May
8, 2007) - Hamas
on Tuesday denied reports that
it had threatened to kill
kidnapped Cpl. Gilad Schalit if
the IDF invades the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli-Arab weekly Panorama quoted Abu Obaidah,
a spokesman for Izzadin Kassam
(Hamas's military wing), warning
that Schalit would be killed in
the event of a military
offensive in the Gaza Strip. But
Abu Obaidah denied that Hamas
had any intention of killing
Schalit. "The invasion of the
Gaza Strip [by the IDF] will
endanger the lives of many
Palestinians, including the
Israeli soldier," he said. "Schalit
was captured to trade him for
Palestinian prisoners held in
Israeli jails. We are ready to
hold him for months and years to
achieve our goal." Abu Obaidah
warned Israel against launching
a military operation to stop the
Kassam rocket attacks, saying it
would pay dearly for such an
offensive. The possibility that
Hamas would execute Schalit if
the IDF invades the Gaza Strip
was a consideration for the
defense establishment, but
ultimately will not prevent the
decision to launch an operation,
senior defense and diplomatic
officials said Tuesday.
Government officials said the
possibility Hamas would execute
Schalit was being taken into
consideration. "This is one of
the aspects that are taken into
consideration when considering
whether to go into Gaza," the
official said. "But that doesn't
mean you don't do it if you feel
that you need to."
more...|
Israel
|
Islam
|
Muslim Extremists Attack Gaza
Elementary School (May
8, 2007) - Muslim
extremists in long white robes
attacked a children's festival
at a U.N.-run elementary school
with guns and homemade bombs
Sunday, killing a politician's
bodyguard in plain view of
terrified youngsters — just the
latest incident of lawlessness
engulfing the Gaza Strip.
The new Palestinian unity
government, formed two months
ago, appeared powerless to end
growing clan fighting,
kidnappings and attacks by
shadowy extremist groups on
foreigners, music shops and
Internet cafes.
Hours after Sunday's attack,
which also left seven people
wounded, moderate Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas
of Fatah
and Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh
of Hamas
were meeting in another attempt
to put together a security plan.
Interior Minister Hani Kawasmeh,
the author of the plan, has
threatened to resign because
security commanders refuse to
cooperate with him, mainly
because of rivalries between
coalition partners Hamas and
Fatah. In
Palestinian-Israeli violence on
Sunday, two Israelis were
seriously wounded. A security
guard for a tanker truck was
wounded in a drive-by shooting
in the West Bank, and the other
was hurt by a rocket fired from
Gaza. The rocket exploded near a
gas station next to the town of
Sderot, a frequent target of
rockets from Gaza. In
other violence, a grenade was
thrown in the northern Israeli
city of Nahariya at sunset
Sunday, police said, and one
person was wounded. Police said
it was apparently a criminal
attack. Nahariya, not far from
the Lebanon border, was hit hard
by rockets fired from Lebanon
during last year's war between
Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.
New statistics, meanwhile,
illustrated the sharp increase
in internal violence in Gaza.
more...
|
Israel
|
Islam
|
Hezbollah: Rockets fired into Israel directed by Iran (May 7, 2007) - All of Hezbollah's policies and activities are coordinated with the leadership of Iran, including the firing of rockets into Israeli population centers for which direct Iranian approval is required, said a senior Hezbollah official in a rare admission. "Even when it comes to firing rockets on Israeli civilians, when they [Israel] bombed the civilians on our side, even that decision requires an in-principle permission from [the ruling jurisprudent]," said Sheikh Naim Qassem, the deputy chief of Hezbollah, in an Arabic language interview translated yesterday by the Information and Terrorism Center at Israel's Center for Special Studies. According to the Center, "the ruling jurisprudent," or "al-wali al-faqih" in Arabic, is the title of Supreme Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the interview, given last month to the Al-Kawthar, Iranian Arabic-language TV channel, Qassem says Khamenei's authority is crucial for all Hezbollah operations: "Hezbollah relied and relies still in its Islamic religious position, which has to do with its activity in general and its jihadist activity in particular, on the decision of (Khamenei). The ruling jurisprudent is the one who allows and the one who prohibits." He said Khamenei approves acts suicide terror. "We ask, receive answers, and then apply [them]. This is even true for acts of suicide for the sake of Allah – no one may kill himself without a jurisprudent permission (from Khamenei)." During Israel's war in Lebanon last summer, Hezbollah fired over 3,000 rockets into Israeli civilian population centers, killing 43 civilians and injuring thousands. There were multiple reports, denied by Hezbollah, of Iranian officers operating in Lebanon to aid the militia. more... | Israel | Islam | Peretz: Israel Ready For Gaza War, IDF: He's Waiting For Deaths (May 6, 2007) - Defense Minister Amir Peretz said following a Sabbath of rockets fired on Sderot that Israel is prepared for an operation in Gaza. According to Yisraeli newspaper, defense officials say he is waiting for Israeli deaths to launch a full scale retaliation. “We are prepared for a war in Gaza more than we were in the Second Lebanon War,” Peretz said over the weekend. “There is a plan.” Peretz made the comments following a barrage of at least eight rockets on Sderot and other western Negev communities. One rocket fell on a home in Sderot and exploded, but the family was not in the house at the time. The IDF responded, but failed to strike any of the rocket-firing squads. IDF officials told the Yisraeli daily commuter paper that the Gaza region will be “heating up” in the coming months. They said that the government has operative plans ready, but will not allow the IDF to carry them out unless there are fatal injuries due to a Kassam rocket strike. Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal says that the ruling Hamas Islamist group will “not stop the shooting of Kassams.” He rejected an American proposal that Hamas stop the rockets and stop smuggling weapons over the Gaza-Egypt border in return for Israel’s easing of restrictions on the movement of PA Arabs in Judea and Samaria. | Israel | Islam | Israeli Envoy: Syrian Build-up - the Strongest Since 1973 War (May 5, 2007) - Israel's Ambassador in Washington says Syria is developing its most serious threat against Israel since it attacked Israel in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. "We see Syria developing a very serious threat on the northern border," Ambassador Sallai Meridor told journalists in Washington on Wednesday. He said the threat is manifest in military activity, training, great investments in military equipment - and the build-up of a large arsenal of Scud missiles. "In the past," Meridor said, "the assumption was that the Syrians' tanks and air force were not among the most advanced. Now, however, we are concerned that they might think that with a large arsenal of rockets that can reach everywhere in Israel, they have the capacity... to threaten us." The last time Israel's north-eastern neighbor threatened Israel so fiercely build-up was the 1973 Yom Kippur War. That war was set off when Syria and Egypt simultaneously attacked Israel on the holiest day of the Jewish year. "We hope they do not have offensive intentions," Meridor said, "but we cannot be sure." The ambassador said that Israel is attempting to pass "calming messages" to Syria, but that Syria continues to "thwart attempts to create attempts to create an atmosphere that will promote peace." Syria has demanded for 40 years that Israel relinquish control over the Golan Heights - the mountainous area from which Syria often launched attacks against Israeli communities below until Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Six Day War. Long one of Israel's most implacable enemies, Syria continues to provide assistance, money and training to Hamas, Hizbullah, and other terrorist groups. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Companion Story | An interesting link to make for sure! Final Trumpet, one of the watchmen at Fulfilled Prophecy, just recently shared with me an interesting observation that leads me to believe Syria, Russia, Turkey, and Iran among others may be planning for a September 22 attack on Israel. There's other news about an expected war in the summer of 2007. And September 22 is also Yom Kippur! Keep watching! Palestinian leader: 'Kill every American and Jew' (May 3, 2007) - Every American and Jew in the world must be killed, demanded Ahmad Bahar, the speaker of the Palestinian Authority parliament in a televised speech, explaining the U.S. is on its way to collapse. "Allah, take hold of the Jews and their allies, Allah, take hold of the Americans and their allies. ... Allah, count them and kill them to the last one and don't leave even one," said Bahar last week in a speech broadcast on official PA television, which is controlled by PA President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. Bahar, a Hamas member, is a senior figure in the Hamas-Fatah unity government headed by Abbas. His speech was translated this week by Palestinian Media Watch, which provided a video excerpt that can be seen here. Bahar declared the U.S. has been defeated. "Be certain that America is on its way to disappear. America is wallowing [in blood] today in Iraq and Afghanistan, America is defeated and Israel is defeated, and was defeated in Lebanon and Palestine. ... Make us victorious over the infidel people. "This is Islam, that was ahead of its time with regards to human rights in the treatment of prisoners, but our people was afflicted by the cancerous lump, that is the Jews, in the heart of the Arab nation." Fatah and Hamas in February forged a unity government that grants Hamas veto rights over any agreement with Israel. The U.S. backs talks with the Palestinian government and last month brokered bi-weekly meetings between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert meant to eventually lead to the creation of a Palestinian state. Earlier this week, a Hamas leader stated in an Arabic language interview Abbas does not have full authority to engage in negotiations with Israel, and Hamas will block any deal reached during talks with Olmert. more... | Israel | Islam | America | Iran, Syria Hold Conferences on a 'Culture of Resistance' (May 3, 2007) - As Iran was hosting an international conference this week under the banner "The Muslim World: Victim of Terrorism," Syria was holding its own international conference on "Arab and Islamic Media Support of the Palestinian People." In both countries, the theme was how the Islamic or Arab peoples are under assault and occupation by Israel and the United States. On Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the audience at the first-ever Culture of Resistance Conference, held in Tehran, that the Islamic world has been victimized by terrorism perpetrated by "the arrogant powers." It is those powers, Ahmadinejad said, that have created and promoted international terrorist organizations. "Unfortunately," the Iranian leader said, "Islam's enemies are trying to cover up their failures by wrongly portraying Islam as a religion of violence." Ahmadinejad called the United States a terrorist regime and claimed that Israel, with Western backing, is continually threatening other nations. "Islam is nowadays the victim of organized terrorism," he declared. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mohammadi told conference attendees, "We strongly condemn all forms of terrorism because we have suffered most from it." The two-day Tehran conference, which had as its explicit goal the promotion of a "culture of resistance," ended on Wednesday and was attended by guests from 46 states. At the same time as the Iranian event, a three-day conference in Syria drew 350 people from around the globe, as well. Like its sister gathering in Tehran, the Syrian conference expressed a commitment to "deepen the culture of resistance." Specifically, the conference offered support for the Hizbullah terrorist organization, referred to in Syrian media as "the Lebanese national resistance." The final statement of the conference further praised the war Hizbullah launched against Israel in July 2006, "which defeated the US-Israeli schemes," according to the Syrian government's news agency, SANA. In their closing statement, the Syrian conference organizers called on Arab and Islamic media to put the Arab-Israeli conflict at the top of their agenda, especially regarding the release of convicted Arab terrorists in Israeli jails. more... | Israel | Islam | America | So radical Islam attacks with suicide bombers, kidnappings, etc. and now that the reprocussions are on them, they use that as propaganda to brainwash the population into feeling dominated and fighting back. I honestly think this is all planned and both sides may be controlled by the same spirit using them as pawns to affect conflict on the earth. The question is how much of what is going on is planned? I don't know, but the propaganda machines of the enemy work extremely well. Syria hiding secret missile bunkers (May 1, 2007) - Syria has built a huge underground compound that includes 30 steel-reinforced concrete bunkers, production facilities, development labs and command posts for missiles that can strike the entire area of Israel, Yediot Ahronot reports. In contrast to mobile launch pads that are easily destroyed from the air, the bunker system is designed to enable Syria to fire missiles at Israel before the Israel Air Force can take them out. Syria has hundreds of new generation long-range Scud missiles, many from North Korea and has recently received 100 Chinese cruise missiles from Iran. | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Mass Military Maneuvers Foresee Syrian Attack (April 29, 2007) - The Israel Defense Forces, which although one of the world’s top battle-tested armies was bested by the Lebanese Hizb’allah terror group 10 months ago, is undergoing intensive drills in anticipation of a surprise Syrian attack on the Golan Heights. Last Thursday saw thousands of IDF troops and hundreds of tanks deployed for war games in the Judean wilderness, in what observers called one of the largest training exercises carried out in a number of years. Security analysts in Israel believe Syrian dictator Bashar el-Assad to be a weak leader who could initiate a surprise grab of the Golan Heights in an effort to earn esteem in the eyes of his people. Assad is believed to have been wowed by Hizb’allah’s successful use of rocket fire to drive fear into the hearts of millions of Israelis and deal heavy blows to the Israeli economy. Since last summer, heads of Israel’s various intelligence agencies have reported Syria gearing up for war, though most assessments agree the process is defensive rather than offensive. Nonetheless, Israel’s war scenarios include the use of elite Syrian troops backed by advanced Russian-made tanks and ballistic surface-to-surface missiles capable of hitting any Israeli center. While IDF officials interviewed about last week’s mass military maneuvers said any Syrian strike was likely to be conventional, Damascus is known to possess non-conventional weapons, including VX gas warheads for its SCUD missiles. US Secretary of State Robert Gates recently cautioned Israel that the situation with Syria was increasingly volatile and could explode if not handled carefully. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Ashkenazi: Hizbullah trying to cross into southern Lebanon (April 29, 2007) - Even as the country was awaiting the Winograd Committee's report into why ground troops were not introduced into Lebanon last summer, chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi indicated at the weekly cabinet meeting Sunday that there may be no choice but to put IDF boots on the ground to stop attacks from Gaza. After telling the cabinet that the military buildup of Hamas was continuing, and that Hamas had also begun active involvement in attacks against Israel, Ashkenazi said that if this situation continued "there would be no choice but to stop it, as the prime minister has said." Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is expected to be criticized by the Winograd Committee Monday over his handling of the summer's Second Lebanon War, said at the opening of the meeting that while Israel was not interested in an escalation with the Palestinians, "we will not in any way be prevented from taking the necessary steps to stop those who are trying to harm Israeli citizens in the South." During the meeting, Olmert said that one question that needed to be asked regarding a possible incursion into Gaza was what would happen the minute the IDF pulled out. He said that Israel needed to work intensively with the international community and Egypt in an effort to stop Hamas's military buildup before taking military action. Ashkenazi said that it was difficult to call the situation that had existed in Gaza over the last five months a truce, as Hamas called it, since there have been some 250 firings of rockets and mortars on Israel, and in addition there have been numerous attempts to infiltrate into Israel, fire on soldiers and set roadside bombs. Regarding Lebanon, Ashkenazi said that Hizbullah was only one government minister away from being able to veto the moves of the Lebanese government, something that was significant since the government would be called upon in the near future to renew the mandate of the UNIFIL force in southern Lebanon. Ashkenazi said that Hizbullah was trying to move forces south of the Litani River, and was having better luck penetrating cities in the area, rather than open spaces where UNIFIL forces blocked their penetration. While praising the coordination that exists between Israel and UNIFIL, Ashkenazi bewailed the continued smuggling of arms across the Lebanese-Syrian border, and said that Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora was not powerful enough to send an effective monitoring force to the long border. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Now what on earth would Iranian Hizbullah be wanting to get to Southern Lebanon for? The Countdown Has Begun (April 29, 2007) - The intelligence information gathered by the Unites States regarding Iran's technological breakthrough that could lead Teheran to an atom bomb in less than three years bodes well with President George Bush's political desperation. The new intelligence indicates that Iran is making accelerated progress in acquiring the required amount of enriched uranium for assembling its first nuclear bomb. Until recently, American intelligence estimated that this would only happen in 2015. Now US intelligence is falling into line with its colleagues in Israel and is estimating that an Iranian bomb can be expected as early as 2010. Contrary to the war in Iraq, the American public does indeed view Iran as a real threat. The combination of a radical religious regime and weapons of mass destruction is America's worst nightmare. Publication of the information is part and parcel of the imminent beating of war drums: On the one hand the Bush Administration is building a significant naval force along the Iranian coast, and on the other it is signaling to the public that the Iranian threat is approaching in great strides. When the information was revealed on CBS, senior officials at the Pentagon were quoted as saying that now there will be more pressure on Israel to carry out a preventative strike on Iran, just as it did in 1981 in Iraq. And indeed less than two days elapsed since the publication and Israel's prime minister was quoted in the German weekly Focus as outlining the possibility of such an attack, which would include firing 1,000 cruise missiles in 10 days. more... | Iran | Israel | Islam | America | Hamas: Truce with Israel at end (April 24, 2007) - Hamas militants fired a barrage of rockets and mortar shells toward Israel on its independence day Tuesday, and said they considered it the end of a five-month truce with Israel. Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, whose Hamas-led government negotiated the cease-fire with its militant wing, blamed Israel: "We made great efforts at keeping the truce and there was a positive Palestinian position, but unfortunately this position was met by expanding the aggression and escalating it against the Palestinian people," he said. "It's not a Palestinian problem, it is an Israeli problem." Nine Palestinians were killed in fighting with Israel over the weekend, most of them militants, but also two civilians. The barrage, which came on Israel's 59th independence day, did not cause any damage or injury, but it marked the first time Hamas acknowledged firing shells toward Israel since agreeing to a cease-fire along the Gaza-Israel border in November. Hamas is tightly organized, and Israel says attacks from Gaza have the tacit approval from the militant group's political leaders. Israel Radio, citing military officials, said the rocket attack appeared to be an unsuccessful attempt to create a diversion in order to capture an Israeli soldier posted at the Gaza border. In June, Hamas-allied militants had tunneled from Gaza into Israel and seized an Israeli soldier, Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who is still being held. In Israel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his defense minister discussed a possible response. More security consultations were planned for Wednesday, government officials said. The Israeli military has warned of a Hamas arms buildup in Gaza, and has readied contingency plans for a large-scale invasion of the territory. However, Olmert said earlier this month that the time is not ripe for a major ground campaign. Hamas had held back attacks on Israel for months, especially during power-sharing talks with the Fatah movement of moderate President Mahmoud Abbas. A spokesman for the Islamic group's armed wing said the group considered the truce over. "The cease-fire has been over for a long time, and Israel is responsible for that," the spokesman, Abu Obeida, told the Voice of Palestine radio station. "We are ready to kidnap more and more, and kill more and more of your soldiers." Hamas-allied militants have demanded hundreds of Palestinian prisoners for the release of Shalit, the captured Israeli soldier. On Monday, Olmert said freeing soldiers is important to the government, but that it would not repeat "mistakes made in the past" by releasing violent prisoners who then carried out more attacks against Israelis. But Olmert said there would be "no escape in the end from making a difficult decision" on trading prisoners for the captured troops. more...| Israel | Islam | Syria Deploys Iranian Missiles (April 23, 2007) - Israel's military has assessed that Syria deployed an Iranian-origin cruise missile. Military sources said Syria has obtained and deployed the Iranian version of the Chinese-origin C-802 anti-ship missile. They said the missile was used successfully by Hizbullah during the war against Israel in mid-2006. "Syria has ordered scores, if not hundreds, of such missiles," a military source said. "The C-802 would keep the Israel Navy away from the Syrian coast in any future war." The C-802 employs a small turbojet engine and contains a range of 120 kilometers. The missile could be launched from aircraft, ships, submarines and land-based vehicles. | Iran | Israel | Islam | Abbas: Mideast peace can pacify 'all flash points in the world' (April 23, 2007) - Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Monday said a resolution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict would pacify all major conflicts around the world. Speaking in Athens after talks Monday with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, Abbas said, "Everyone recognizes that peace in the Middle East and a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can put out the fires at all the flash points in the world." Abbas also appealed to the international community to lift an aid embargo imposed on the Palestinian Authority after Hamas came into power, saying the sanctions hurt prospects for peace in the Middle East. "If the international community wants to help us, it must lift this embargo so that we can lead a normal life," Abbas said. "We are requesting that the embargo be lifted." "The Palestinian people have suffered in the past year because of this blockade," Abbas added. "They are living through a tragedy - on a social, economic and political level." Abbas' three-day visit to Greece, was part of a seven-nation tour of European Union countries. He also met Greek President Karolos Papoulias, and on Saturday he met Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis. Greece has traditionally close ties with the Palestinians and with Arab nations. Direct financial aid to the Palestinian Authority was frozen after Hamas swept to power in January 2006 elections, but Abbas has argued the restrictions should be lifted because a new unity government includes members of his more moderate Fatah party. | Israel | Islam | Israel: Syria readying for war (April 22, 2007) - The gist of the Israeli message in its recent talks with United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates is that Syria is preparing for a military confrontation with Israel. The U.S. message to Israel on Syria, in contrast, remained unchanged: Israel should at present avoid diplomatic talks with Damascus because President Bashar Assad plans on using such talks to extricate Syria from its isolation. Israeli talks with Damascus would be a knife in the back of the government of Fouad Siniora in Lebanon. No tangible evidence exists, Israel told the U.S., that Damascus is planning an all-out war with Israel. But it is believed that Damascus has concluded that Israel might respond to various Syrian actions and that would be the cause of a full-blown confrontation. Such an Israeli response might come following Syrian assistance to Hezbollah or Palestinian terror organizations like Islamic Jihad. Damascus would have no choice but to respond with a more extensive operation. Such evaluations have been made before and proven mistaken. However, facts on the ground show the Syrian army is increasing its battle readiness, munitions production (especially of rockets and missiles), emergency stores and is acquiring more weapons systems from Iran. It has purchased a large number of advanced anti-tank missiles from the Russians, with whom it also negotiating the purchase of Russia's latest anti-aircraft missiles. The Syrians have deployed Iranian naval missiles (originally Chinese), the C. 802. The destructive power and range of Syria's rockets and missiles has clearly grown in recent years. Israel does not rule out a possible Syrian grab for the Golan, assuming that if Israel counter-attacks the Syrian lines it will incur heavy losses. Thus, the IDF's power has also increased, especially that of the Israel Air Force. Like the Syrians, the Israelis are upgrading the training of their units and providing them with the latest equipment. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Hamas calls for new attacks on Israel (April 22, 2007) - Hamas on Sunday called for new attacks on Israel after nine Palestinians were killed in a surge of fighting over the weekend. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum urged Palestinians to be prepared for a new round of confrontation. "The blood of our people is not cheap," he said in a statement faxed to The Associated Press. "Therefore we are calling on ... (Hamas's armed wing) and the Palestinian resistance groups to be united in the trench of resistance and to use all possible means of resistance and to respond to the massacres." Meanwhile, IDF troops on Sunday morning shot and killed a Palestinian youth near Ramallah as he prepared to throw a Molotov cocktail at the soldiers. Overnight Saturday, an IDF soldier was lightly wounded by gunfire during arrest operations in the West Bank city of Nablus, as troops killed two Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades operatives in the city. more... | Israel | Islam | Palestinians disavow 'right of return' (April 18, 2007) - A large and growing number of young Palestinians born abroad have no interest in coming to the Palestinian Authority or Israel, Palestinians in London have told Ynetnews. They expressed anger at Palestinian leaders for continuing to trumpet a "right of return," a call which is neither desirable nor realistic, the men said, adding that the demand is merely an attempt to force concessions out of Israel during peace talks. Seeking a good standard of living, Palestinians born in Lebanon have left for Europe and North America to escape the state-imposed discrimination placed on them by the Lebanese government which does not grant them citizenship or basic rights, the men say. "Most Palestinian refugees who live in Lebanon are not concerned about returning to Palestine or to Israel because we have been outside of Palestine for 60 years," Rami Abdel Rahim, a 26 year-old Palestinian living in London, said. "If we returned to the Palestinian territories, we would feel like second class citizens," he added. "We have different accents. We don't have any homes in West Bank and Gaza. For us, it will be more desirable to live in Arab countries and Europe," he explained. "No one wants to live there, not because we don't like our country Palestine, but because we can't live there," Rahim added. "If we all went, it would destroy the Palestinian economy. If we got an opportunity to live in Europe, we would enjoy a good standard of life. We can visit Palestine," he said. more... | Israel | Islam | Netanyahu Going Into Action to Topple Olmert (April 18, 2007) - Likud Chairman and head of the Opposition Binyamin Netanyahu has decided to abandon his wait-and-see strategy and to launch a public campaign for toppling Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government. In a rally held Tuesday at the Likud headquarters building 'Metzudat Ze'ev' in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu reportedly told his supporters "this government has to go home and we need to start acting to make this happen." He told them to begin holding weekly protest vigils every Friday in busy intersections throughout Israel as well as street demonstrations. "The slogan is simple," he said: "'You've Failed – Go Home'." According to NRG, the meeting was attended by dozens of Likud branch chairmen and other central activists from all parts of Israel. Netanyahu informed them of a working plan for country-wide protest vigils with the intention of creating an atmosphere conducive to bringing down the government. Netanyahu assured the activists that he would be joining the protests on a regular basis. Netanyahu's move appears to be timed with precision, as the date of release of the interim report by the Winograd Commission approaches. The Winograd Commission was appointed to investigate failures in the conduct of the Second Lebanon War last summer and is expected to have harsh criticism for the government and its heads. Prime Minister Olmert has received record-setting low marks of support in the polls, one of which recently gave him an amazingly low 3% support level – less than the margin of error. more... | Israel | Syria threatens violence over Arab plan (April 17, 2007) - Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal threatened on Monday evening to return the Golan Heights to Syrian hands "by way of resistance if Israel [rejects] the Arab peace initiative." Bilal did not elaborate, but some analysts raised the possibility of either a full scale conventional war or a terror campaign in the Golan as one of the means to undertake a mukawama ("resistance" in Arabic). After saying that "Syria wishes to revive the peace process with Israel with the help of US and Russian mediators," Bilal immediately added a threat, saying that "if Israel [rejects] the Arab peace initiative, the only way to get the Golan Heights back would be the way of resistance." Bilal, speaking at a press conference in Damascus, was referring to the Arab peace initiative of 2002. | Israel | Islam | Russia Warns Israel Against Syria War (April 16, 2007) - Russian National Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov, during a visit to Israel, has warned Israel to be wary of conflict with Syria. Ivanov said last week that the tense cease-fire between Tel-Aviv and Damascus might escalate into war if the two parties mutually miscalculate their strength; the Haaretz daily reported. Ivanov, responding to Israeli National Security Council Head Ilan Mizrahi's claim that Russia was supplying Syria with modern weapons and missiles, said Russia was supplying both Iran and Syria with defensive weapon systems only. He went on to tell the Israeli officials that the Syrian President Bashar Assad was genuinely interested in negotiating a peace agreement with Israel. "As I told you in November, you will find a partner in Assad," he said, adding that Russia supported the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. As for the Iranian nuclear program, Ivanov said diplomatic talks to resolve the crisis revolving the Iranian nuclear effort have not been exhausted, and that there was "still much to be done in that respect." Ivanov also relayed Russia's apprehensions regarding a possible joint American-Israeli military strike against Iran. | Gog/Magog | Israel | It's becoming easier to see why Russia will join Iran and Turkey in attacking Israel. There are already Chechen Muslim troops and Turkish troops acting as "peacekeepers" on the Northern border of Israel. The alliances are becoming clear and present. Olmert says ready for talks based on Saudi plan (April 16, 2007) - Israel said on Monday it was ready to start talks based on a Saudi Arabian land-for-peace initiative but made clear it wanted Riyadh and other Arab League members with no formal ties to the Jewish state to take part. "I'm ready to sit with them on the basis of the Saudi plan. And I'm ready to listen very carefully to their proposal on the basis of this plan and to see how we can work together to ultimately find common ground," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in an interview. The comments came ahead of a meeting in Cairo on Wednesday of an Arab League committee expected to set up several working groups to promote the 2002 peace initiative, including one that would hold contacts with Israel. Under U.S. pressure, Olmert signalled this week that Israel would be prepared to take part in talks with the working group, which was expected to include countries like Egypt and Jordan that already have formal relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia was not expected to join directly. Diplomats have sent mixed messages about whether this working group could be charged with negotiating with Israel over the details of the initiative, which offers normal relations to the Jewish state in return for land occupied since 1967. Egypt's foreign minister said at the weekend the working groups were not "mandated to negotiate", but other diplomats in the region said initial contacts could lead to direct negotiations. Olmert signalled his support for the talks when he told his cabinet on Sunday that he was "willing to hold a dialogue with any grouping of Arab states about their ideas". But Israeli officials made clear that they want the Arab League to include a wider range of countries, including those like Saudi Arabia that do not have formal ties with Israel, in any future talks. Olmert said Saudi Arabia could play a central role. Even though the kingdom does not have formal relations with the Jewish state, Olmert strongly hinted that unofficial contacts have already taken place. The Saudis have rejected Olmert's call for a regional conference that would include them and other Arab states. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, speaking in Paris, said the broader Arab world will not agree to normalise relations with Israel before a peace deal is reached. "We can come to a solution through negotiations," Mubarak said. "But it's not possible to normalise and then start talks." The land-for-peace initiative, relaunched at an Arab League summit in Riyadh, offers Israel normal ties with all Arab states in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it seized in the 1967 Middle East war, creation of a Palestinian state and a "just solution" for Palestinian refugees. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal | Here is an excerpt from a booklet titled Big Lies: Demolishing the Myths of the Propaganda War Against Israel by David Meir-Levi. It goes over history and the lies about the "right of return" of the "Palestinians." Syria threatens to take Golan Heights by force (April 16, 2007) - "Syria wishes to revive the peace process with Israel with the help of US and Russian mediators," the Syrian Information Minister was quoted as saying by Israel Radio, Monday. The minister immediately added a threat that "If Israel rejects the Arab peace initiatives, the only way to get the Golan Heights back would be the way of resistance." The minister was speaking at a press conference in Damascus. Last week, a Syrian-born American businessman, Abe Suleiman, promised the Foreign Affairs and Defense committee of the Knesset that "peace with Syria could be achieved within six months." Syria said Suleiman was speaking on his own behalf and was in no way affiliated with the Syrian leadership. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | As I've been saying, I believe that the destruction of Damascus prophesied in Isaiah 17 may be the "hooks in the jaws" that brings Iran, Turkey, and Russia against Israel in the Gog/Magog invasion. This kind of "our way or the highway" diplomacy may just be what pushes Israel to attack the den of terrorism, Damascus. Keep watching! Attacks Against Jews Double In 2006 Report Reveals (April 15, 2007) - The number of anti-Semitic acts around the world, especially in Europe, registered a large increase during 2006. According to a report, 590 acts of vandalism and violence were committed during 2006 against Jewish people, property and institutes such as synagogues and cemeteries. The number of physical attacks against Jews, including children and adolescents, doubled compared to 2005. This information was published Sunday morning in a report compiled by the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism in Tel Aviv University together with the World Jewish Congress. The report was released for the Holocaust Memorial Day, on Monday. The report stated that the attacks were mostly random, making it very difficult to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice. In reality, many of the attacks were committed by Muslim immigrants and far-right groups. A total of 324 violent incidents was registered in Europe, higher than in other regions of the world. The highest number of anti-Semitic acts commited in the UK in the last 20 years was registered. The statistics in France and Belgium also show an increase in anti-Semitism. Germany remained steady but high, holding the record for desecrating cemeteries and Holocaust-memorial monuments. Anti-Semitism rears its ugly head not only in Europe. Australia, Canada (especially in the French speaking regions) and South Africa have registered alarming increases in anti-Semitic incitends. In the US, however, anti-Semitic acts dropped by 12 percent, although some of the cases reported were severe, like premeditated murder. A concentration of incidents was recorded during the Second Lebanon War and immediately after it. The writers of the report explained: "There is no doubt that the war and the hostile mood surrounding it brought violence by Muslim extremists and far-right groups against Jews to escalate worldwide." more... | Israel | Islam | Signs of the Times | EU official: 'New momentum' in the Mideast peace (April 14, 2007) - There is "new momentum" in the Middle East peace process, a high-ranking European Union official said after meeting the UN secretary-general. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner pointed to the recent Arab League peace initiative, the formation of a Palestinian national unity government including Hamas and Fatah, and regular meetings between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. "I think the recent developments ... have brought indeed a new momentum to this peace process," she said Friday. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Ferrero-Waldner discussed these developments and the next meeting of the Quartet, the international group comprising the UN, the US, the EU and Russia that produced the stalled roadmap to Israeli-Palestinian peace culminating with statehood for the Palestinians. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Don't underestimate Syria's military (April 12, 2007) - While the Knesset heard about potential scenarios for reaching peace with Damascus on Thursday, senior defense officials warned of an unprecedented military buildup in Syria and said that prevailing in a war with Israel's northeastern neighbor would not be as simple as some might have been led to believe. Following the Second Lebanon War, IDF Military Intelligence noticed a change within the Syrian military. Syria feels empowered by Hizbullah's surprising success last summer and Damascus now believes it can use Hizbullah-like tactics in a future confrontation with Israel and possibly even defeat the once-thought-to-be invincible IDF. "For years we thought that the IDF had a clear upper hand over Syria's military," a top official told The Jerusalem Post. "After the war in Lebanon we now know that this assumption was not accurate." Syria has emphasized missile development in recent months. According to Western sources, Syria has the ability to independently manufacture Scud missiles, and it has 300 of them deployed just north of the demilitarized zone in the Syrian part of the Golan Heights. A division of some 10,000 troops is responsible for operating the missiles, which include an small number of Scud D's with a range of 700 kilometers and said to be capable of carrying nonconventional warheads. Syria has close to 30 launchers for its Scud missiles, according to foreign sources. Syria keeps the projectiles in bunkers at several locations; most are in a valley near Hama, where it has built a missile electronic and assembly facility. Syria has a massive military divided into 12 divisions and totaling close to 400,000 soldiers at full mobilization. One of the divisions is made up of 10,000 elite commandos, a formidable force that would serve as Syria's first line in an offensive against the IDF. Since the Second Lebanon War, Syria has established new commando units and is said to have increased urban and guerrilla warfare training. "Syria saw the difficulty the IDF had during the fighting inside the southern Lebanese villages and now the military there wants to draw us - in the event of a war - into battles in built-up areas where they think they will have the upper hand," explained a source in the IDF Northern Command. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | It's easy to see why Israel may eventually attack Syria and Damascus specifically. Keep watching! Iran, Syria Prepare For War In Mid-2007 (April 6, 2007) - Israel's intelligence community has assessed that Iran and Syria were preparing for war in mid-2007. Officials said the war was expected to be sparked by a U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear weapons facilities. At that point, they said, Iran, Syria and Hizbullah would also attack Israel with a range of missiles and rockets. "Nobody wants to initiate the war, but everybody is ready to join," an official said. On Sunday, Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin said Israel could be attacked in the summer of 2007 along the northern front. Yadlin said Israel was monitoring military preparations in Lebanon and Syria, which included the deployment of short- and medium-range missiles and rockets. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Kabbalist Elder: Israel on Brink of War (April 6, 2007) - A highly-regarded kabbalist elder from Bnei Barak has issued a warning that the next war in Israel is on the way. Rabbi Eliyahu Leon Levi, who frequents the Western Wall every Saturday night to recite Psalms and teach Torah, told his students that there is an "evil decree" of war looming on the horizon. According to the Rabbi, Syria is liable to join Lebanon in firing missiles at the Jewish State in the pending war. The missiles will have a much greater range and carry much larger warheads than the katyusha rockets fired against Israel this past summer in the Second Lebanon War which claimed some 156 lives, he noted. "It's not going to be 'katyushas shmatyushas' this time which have only tens of kilograms of explosives. The enemy will launch, G-d forbid, rockets carrying 500 and 600 kilograms of explosives," Rabbi Levi told his students. On several occasions, Rabbi Levi first alerted Israeli military authorities of security threats and movements of massive amounts of enemy weapons, that were subsequently verified by IDF intelligence. The kabbalist Rabbi said just before the Passover holiday that he does not want to cause panic, but suggested that the Israeli public stock up on two weeks of water, food supplies, candles and matches in case the delivery of basic commodities is disrupted. Rabbi Levi said that though Israel "may, G-d forbid, pay a heavy price initially, the Jewish People would muster strength to crush their enemies leading to a great sanctification of G-d's name through ultimate victory." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Destruction of Damascus | PMO denies peace message to Assad (April 5, 2007) - The Prime Minister's Office issued a rare "clarification" Wednesday that, in gentle diplomatic terms, contradicted US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's statement in Damascus that she had brought a message from Israel about a willingness to engage in peace talks. According to the statement, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert emphasized in his meeting with Pelosi on Sunday that "although Israel is interested in peace with Syria, that country continues to be part of the Axis of Evil and a force that encourages terror in the entire Middle East." Olmert, the statement clarified, told Pelosi that Syria's sincerity about a genuine peace with Israel would be judged by its willingness to "cease its support of terror, cease its sponsoring of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad organizations, refrain from providing weapons to Hizbullah and bringing about the destabilizing of Lebanon, cease its support of terror in Iraq, and relinquish the strategic ties it is building with the extremist regime in Iran." The statement said Olmert had not communicated to Pelosi any change in Israeli policy on Damascus. Pelosi, who met in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Assad over the objections of US President George W. Bush, said she brought a message to Assad from Olmert saying that Israel was ready for peace talks. "We were very pleased with the reassurances we received from the president [Assad] that he was ready to resume the peace process. He was ready to engage in negotiations for peace with Israel," Pelosi said after meeting Assad. She said the meeting with the Syrian leader "enabled us to communicate a message from Prime Minister Olmert that Israel was ready to engage in peace talks as well." According to officials in the Prime Minister's Office, however, this was not what transpired during her meeting with Olmert. The officials said Olmert had told Pelosi that he thought her trip to Damascus was a mistake, and that when she asked - nevertheless - whether he had a message for Assad, Olmert said Syria should first stop supporting terrorism and "act like a normal country," and only then would Israel be willing to hold discussions. The first part of that message, the officials said, was lost in what was reported from Damascus on Wednesday. Pelosi said the congressional delegation she led raised the issue of kidnapped IDF soldiers Gilad Schalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev and conveyed "the importance of Syria's role in promoting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis." She also said she had pressed Assad on Syrian support for Hamas and Hizbullah. In a related development, Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed al-Khalifa told the Bahrain daily Al-Ayam on Tuesday that the Riyadh Arab League summit set up "panels to communicate with all influential parties, including Israel, to activate the Arab Peace Initiative." According to the Bahrain News Agency, Khalifa said the Arab League has formed "working teams to communicate with all parties, including Israel, the United Nations, the US, China and the European Union." more... | Israel | Islam | America | Israeli minister: Everyone knows we'll surrender the Golan (April 4, 2007) - A minister in the government of Ehud Olmert said openly Thursday Israel would eventually give in to Arab demands and European insistence and surrender the Golan Heights to the Syrians. "We know that the price will be, in the end, that Israel will come down from the Golan Heights," Immigrant Absorption Minister Ze'ev Boim said. The Kadima Party member's irresponsible and capitulatory statement echoed sentiments expressed by individual wrong-thinking Israeli leaders over the past decade-and-a-half. They came a day after another liberal lawmaker, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, defied her president's policies and flew to Damascus to try her hand at Middle East peace making, at Israel's expense. (See Olmert: We sent no message with Pelosi) Towering high over the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights forms a strategically important part of the Land of Israel, serving, since 1967, as a preventative to Syrian aggression against the Jewish state. The territory was designated as the inheritance of the half-tribe of Manasseh and 2000 years ago they were - as they are today - home to thriving Jewish communities. Roman armies attacked them - most notably at sites like Gamla - and drove those who survived into exile. In 1914 the Heights were included in the land set apart for close Jewish settlement by the Balfour Declaration, which was ratified at the 1920 San Remo Conference and confirmed by the League of Nations in 1922. Almost immediately on being granted a mandate to oversee the creation of the Jewish homeland, the British government lopped off the Golan and handed it to French-controlled Syria, which in 1946 became an independent Arab state. Syria attacked newly reborn Israel in 1948 from the Golan, and for the following 19 years occupied the Heights, using them as a platform from which to fire down on the Jews farming in the valley below. Israel retook them in 1967, and has spent the last 40 years resettling and developing them against the backdrop of increasingly strident Syrian demands for their "return." | Israel | Islam | 1st Seal | Why Does Tehran Free the Britons But Refuse to Signal the Release of the Three Israeli Servicemen? (April 4, 2007) - The 15 British sailors and marines were seized by a Revolutionary Guards task force Friday, March 23, in northern Gulf waters that have been disputed between Iraq and Iran. Their families saw them alive and well in one Iranian television broadcast after another. In contrast, all three Israeli soldiers were abducted in cross-border raids - Gideon Shalit by a Hamas-led band which crossed from Gaza in June 2006, and Udi Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, kidnapped in Israel by the Hizballah the following the month. None of the three have been seen or heard of since. No international visitors are allowed, no letters or any other access to their hidden places of imprisonment. But the British and Israeli cases do have a common factor: Iran, which captured and freed the British sailors and marines, also has the authority to weigh in for the Israeli captives’ release with its Lebanese proxy and the Hamas-led group of Popular Resistance Committees and al Qaeda Falastin in Gaza. It is in Iran’s power to end the long agony of uncertainty suffered by their families. But Tehran refuses to give the signal. Iran’s leaders appreciate that Israel’s military strength is at least three times that of the British army, air force and navy. The trouble is they do not respect Israel’s prime minister Ehud Olmert. They believe the Lebanon War fiasco has deprived him of international leverage for generating the political and military pressure to force Tehran’s hand. Tony Blair’s campaign to free the sailors was backed by American military might. His declaration Tuesday, April 3, that the next 48 hours would be critical in solving the crisis, was received in Tehran as an ultimatum, after which UK-US military action would be on the cards. Iran’s leaders decided to take no chances. In the nick of time, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was ordered by his more pragmatic superior, the Supreme Ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to announce the captives would be freed “as a gift to the British people.” In contrast, Olmert vowed at the outset of the Lebanon War in July 2006 that Israel would fight on until the two kidnapped soldiers were recovered. His failure to meet this goal - and the war’s other objectives - has irreparably damaged his credibility in the Arab and Muslim world. This showed up clearly in their derisive response to the prime minister’s Eve of Passover call Sunday, April 1, for a peace conference attended by Arab rulers and himself. The prime minister’s office in Jerusalem had no comeback to this response. This inertia is part of a broader malaise: the Olmert government has refrained from action to stem the massive rearmament of Hizballah in Lebanon since the war and the war build-up of the Palestinian Hamas and Jihad Islami in the Gaza Strip since Israel’s pull-back in 2005. It does not seem to occur to Ehud Olmert and his ministers that every ton of war materiel reaching these groups adds to their strength and their determination not to let their Israeli hostages go. Noam Shalit, father of one of the kidnapped soldiers, remarked at one of the many popular demonstrations of support he attended: “I would like to say to the prime minister: This is not a property deal.” more... | Iran | Israel | Islam | Syria back in the Arab fold (April 3, 2007) - Syrian Ambassador Imad Mustapha corrected one of his dinner guests last week, commenting that the recent Arab summit in Saudi Arabia had welcomed Syria back into the Arab fold. "It's the rest of the Arab world that has come around to accept Syria's point of view. Syria had never left the fold," said the Syrian diplomat. Supporting his argument, the Syrian ambassador reminded the small group of dinner guests, gathered around his table to a delicious meal that started with traditional Lebanese hors d'oeuvres, the fact that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia -- a staunch U.S. ally in the region -- had called the U.S. intervention in Iraq "an illegitimate occupation." "In beloved Iraq, blood is flowing between brothers, in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and abhorrent sectarianism threatens a civil war," said Abdullah. Saudi Arabia had initially supported the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. King Abdullah's remarks were made at the opening of the two-day Arab summit in Riyadh. Asked if the king's critical statement should be regarded as a wake-up call by the United States, a Saudi security expert who asked that his name not be used told United Press International, "The United States needs more than a wake-up call." The Saudi expert referred to what is generally perceived in the Arab world as a failed Middle East policy adopted by the Bush administration. Among the most crucial points of concern to the Arab world, which were raised by the Saudi monarch at the Riyadh summit, included the following: The position taken by the Bush administration in Iraq and the catastrophic results it yielded for the people of Iraq. Tens of thousands of dead, and the country plunged in violent sectarian civil war. The nonchalant approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, a dossier largely ignored by the administration until just recently. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is now working overtime in an effort to make up for wasted time. The tension between Iran and the U.S. over Iran's nuclear ambitions. Indeed, another wake-up call for Bush administration Middle East policies came when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a planned visit Syria, where she will meet with President Bashar Assad as part of a regional tour including Israel and Lebanon. News of her Damascus visit has angered the White House, whose policy regarding Damascus has been to ignore it. Washington accuses Syria of helping insurgents in Iraq by supporting them with weapons and money and in facilitating their passage to Iraq across the Syrian border. Also, Washington wants Syria to stop supporting what it calls terrorist groups, such as Hamas in the Palestinian territories and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Washington also wants to see the international tribunal investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and several other prominent politicians and journalists proceed with its findings and trial. The investigation has identified several top Syrian and Lebanese officials as prime suspects. Syria would like to see the whole affair disappear. Mrs. Pelosi, a Democrat, will be the first high-ranking U.S. official to visit Syria since relations deteriorated between the two countries. She also will become the highest-ranking American official to meet with a Syrian president since President Bill Clinton met with the late Hafez Assad in 1994. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Syria back in the Arab fold is a sign of how close we could be to Gog/Magog. If you have read through my coming times page, you know I believe the destruction of Damascus may have something to do with the "hooks in the jaw" of the Gog/Magog invasion attempt. I believe this peace must develop first, but it's looking as though that may be coming soon. All Israel needs is a whiff from Damascus of a planned attack and they would attack Damascus. Since that's a kind of terrorist capital of the world, the idea of catching wind of a plan from there isn't too far-fetched and Israel has threatened to attack Damascus before. Keep watching! 'Iran, Syria prepping for U.S. summer war' (April 1, 2007) - Iran, Syria and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia are preparing for a U.S.-led war this summer, according to the Israeli Defense Forces. "Their preparation is defensive ahead of war. ... They fear a war initiated by the Americans because they understand that there might be an attack against Iran over the summer, but not by Israel," IDF Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told the Knesset today. Yadlin said Iran and Syria believe a war this summer will be initiated by the U.S. and that Israel will be involved. He said Israel has been monitoring Iranian fortification of Tehran's military positions; Syrian military movements and indications of war preparation with the help of Iran; and the large-scale smuggling of Iranian-supplied weapons to Hezbollah. Yadlin noted the war preparations are defensive. He said Israel doesn't expect Iran or Syria to start a confrontation. "What we are seeing is their preparation for the possibility of war in the summer. My assessment is that they are defensive preparations for war," Yadlin told the Knesset. The military intelligence chief, though, said he feared hostilities could break out even without a U.S.-led strike because of "the involvement of many players." WND previously reported Brigadier General Yossi Baidatz, head of the IDF's intelligence research division, said the Syrian army has been placed on high alert for attacks. He said Syrian President Bashar Assad ordered increased production of long-range missiles and instructed the Syrian military to position anti-tank missiles closer to the Syrian border with Israel. Security officials told WND there have been indications Syria is seeking to launch a provocation. Assad has made multiple statements to his state-run media he is preparing his army for war. Also the officials say state-run Syrian media have been broadcasting regular warlike messages unseen since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, in which Syria and Egypt launched invasions from the Golan and the Sinai desert. "The tone [in Syria] is one of preparing the public for a war," said a senior security official. He said any Syrian provocation would likely be coordinated with Iran. Tehran and Damascus, which both support Hezbollah, have signed several military pacts. Also, according to Israeli intelligence officials, Iran and Syria have been smuggling mass quantities of weaponry to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The officials say Hezbollah has regained most of its strength since the militia's war last summer with the Jewish state and that the rate of weapons smuggling has nearly doubled the past few weeks. "The Iranian weapons are coming in so furiously, there are even indications Syria is worried about Israeli deterrent action against Hezbollah," a security official said. WND reported earlier this month Iran has been working with Palestinian groups in Gaza to help improve the range of Palestinian rockets, smuggle in mass quantities of weapons, construct underground bunkers and build guerrilla-like armies. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This has been building for a while. If the peace comes about soon, I would expect Gog/Magog to soon follow. From that point, Israel would really push to rebuild the temple. We may be seeing the buildup for God's soon intervention to protect Israel. Keep watching! Merkel says EU committed to Israel's safety (April 1, 2007) - Germany and the European Union are committed to the safety of Israel's citizens, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday after meeting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Merkel said that endorsing the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict necessitates recognition of Israel's right to exist, and renouncing violence. The German leader spoke of the horrors of her country's Nazi era, and said that Germany, along with the Quartet were making efforts to ensure that Israel lives in peace. Olmert, on his part, lauded Merkel for her efforts on the issue of the kidnapped soldiers' release and for her contribution to the strengthening of ties between Israel and Germany. The prime minister said that Israel was at an important junction of making decisions regarding its future, and that the strategic partnership with Germany would play a crucial role in the efforts to promote peace in the region. more... | Israel | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Olmert reaches out to Saudis over peace plan (March 30, 2007) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he was ready to hold talks with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states about their renewed peace plan but rejected any return of Palestinian refugees as "out of the question." In interviews with Israeli newspapers published on Friday, Olmert said the plan endorsed by Arab leaders at a summit in Riyadh could help create positive momentum in future negotiations. "There is a significant chance that in the next five years Israel can get to a comprehensive peace," Olmert said. But he made clear aspects of the Arab plan were "problematic" and that Israel was not prepared to embrace it, "jump in and say 'This is it."' The Arab plan offers Israel normal ties with all Arab countries in return for withdrawal from land seized in the 1967 Middle East war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a "just solution" for Palestinians displaced in 1948 with Israel's creation. Israel opposes giving Palestinian refugees the right of return to their former homes in what is now the Jewish state, and it wants to hold onto some of the major settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank. "There are interesting ideas there (in the Arab plan), and we are ready to hold discussions and hear from the Saudis about their approach and to tell them about ours," Olmert told the Haaretz newspaper. But he added: "We will act cautiously and wisely out of a willingness to create a dynamic that will improve and strengthen the process." The right of return, Olmert told the Jerusalem Post, is "something we certainly can't agree to and we won't agree to." It is out of the question, he said. "I'll never accept a solution that is based on their return to Israel, any number." Israelis fears that any mass return of refugees would threaten the Jewish character of their state. Islamist group Hamas, which heads the Palestinian government, has not voiced opposition of the Arab plan but called on Arab leaders not to compromise on the right of refugees to return. Arab leaders in Riyadh gave the green light to creating a committee that could negotiate details of the plan with the Jewish state and others. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Please read Whose Plan Is It Really? by Herb Peters. "According to today's news, the Arab states have gathered and formally reactivated the 2002 Saudi Peace Plan. And wouldn't you know it, the EU's Solana was there. 'Several of the great and the good of world diplomacy - including Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary-General, and the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana - gathered at today's [3/28/07] opening session, in which leaders urged Israel to accept the Saudi-brokered initiative." This is connected to Javier Solana's proposal to Iran delivered on 6/6/06. It's getting harder and harder to deny what is going on lines up with Bible prophecy. How is your relationship with Christ? Arab leaders unanimously approve Saudi peace initiative at Riyadh summit (March 28, 2007) - The plan offers Israel recognition and permanent peace with all Arab countries in return for an Israeli withdrawal from lands captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. It also calls for setting up a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and a just solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees. At the summit, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah called for an end to the international blockade on the Palestinian government. The king said: "It has become necessary to end the unjust blockade imposed on the Palestinian people as soon as possible so the peace process can proceed." The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, yesterday urged Arab states to be flexible in their land-for-peace offer to Israel. Addressing the Arab summit, Solana called for an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 boundaries. He called the Arab initiative a general concept that has to be developed. He also urged Arabs and Israel to deal with the plan as a starting point in negotiations. In a written message to the Arab leaders gathered in Riyadh, Solana said the EU hopes all the members of the Arab League will fulfill their responsibilities and contribute to the success of this enterprise. "Failure to rise to today's challenges will put the Middle East at risk of missing the train of human and economic development," he said in the message. Before arriving in Riyadh, Solana expressed optimism that the relaunched initiative could reinvigorate the Middle East peace process. Solana's presence at the summit was designed to highlight the European Union's support for the peace initiative, officials said. If Israel rejects the Arab peace initiative, it means it is not interested in reaching a peaceful solution with its neighbors, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said yesterday. Speaking at the summit, al-Faisal said, "If Israel refuses, that means it doesn't want peace." Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh urged Arab leaders not to compromise on the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homes in Israel, a clause in the initiative which Israel has asked to modify. "I expect the Arab summit meeting to reiterate the Arab countries' commitment not to compromise on the Palestinian refugees right of return," Haniyeh said. At the summit, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Arab leaders to prove they were serious about peace with Israel by reviving their five-year-old initiative. "The Arab peace initiative is one of the pillars for the peace process ... This initiative sends a signal that the Arabs are serious about achieving peace," Ban told Arab leaders. "When I was in Israel I urged my Israeli friends to take a new look at the initiative. Here in Riyadh, I also urge you, my Arab friends, to benefit from this initiative and reiterate your commitment to it." At the summit, Arab League chief Amr Moussa urged Israel to accept the initiative rather than ask for changes. "The Israeli response was to ask for an amendment. We tell them to accept it first," Moussa told Arab leaders. "We are at a crossroads - either we move toward a real peace or see an escalation in the situation." | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | It appears to be in the hands of Israel now. They have been threatened with continued violence if they don't cave and give up the land. They have said in the past that they would never give up that land retaken in 1967, but given their past concessions and fears of the future, will that position hold? I believe peace will come out of this time, even if it is a false, temporary peace. The EU is on the side of the Muslims, wanting the land given up to them. If Israel caves in under the fear and pressure, they will get a temporary peace, but it will be short-lived. See my estimation from my research of the coming times. Accept peace plan or face war, Israel told (March 28, 2007) - The "lords of war" will decide Israel's future if it rejects a blueprint for peace crafted by the entire Arab world, Saudi Arabia's veteran foreign minister warned yesterday. As leaders began gathering in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, for today's summit of the Arab League, Prince Saud al-Faisal told The Daily Telegraph that the Middle East risks perpetual conflict if the peace plan fails. Under this Saudi-drafted proposal, every Arab country would formally recognize Israel in return for a withdrawal from all the land captured in the war of 1967. This would entail a Palestinian state embracing the entire West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as its capital. Every Arab country will almost certainly endorse this blueprint when the Riyadh summit concludes tomorrow. Prince Saud said Israel should accept or reject this final offer. "What we have the power to do in the Arab world, we think we have done," he said. "So now it is up to the other side because if you want peace, it is not enough for one side only to want it. Both sides must want it equally." Speaking inside his whitewashed palace, surrounded by luxuriant lawns and manicured flower beds resembling a green oasis in the drabness of Riyadh, Prince Saud delivered an unequivocal warning to Israel. "If Israel refuses, that means it doesn't want peace and it places everything back into the hands of fate. They will be putting their future not in the hands of the peacemakers but in the hands of the lords of war," he said. Prince Saud dismissed any further diplomatic overtures towards Israel. "It has never been proven that reaching out to Israel achieves anything," he said. "Other Arab countries have recognised Israel and what has that achieved? "The largest Arab country, Egypt, recognized Israel and what was the result? Not one iota of change happened in the attitude of Israel towards peace." Israel has numerous reservations about the Arab peace plan - which was previously proposed at a summit in 2002. Israel fears any hint that Palestinian refugees would have the right to return to their homes in the event of a peace settlement. more... | Israel | Islam | 1st Seal | Israel, Palestinian Leaders Agree To Regular Talks (March 27, 2007) - Israeli and Palestinian leaders have agreed to hold confidence-building talks every two weeks that could eventually lead to discussions on a Palestinian state, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday. An official in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office, speaking amid Israeli media reports of dissonance with Rice over how to proceed toward peacemaking, made clear substantive negotiations on statehood would not be on the agenda for now. "The issues would be security, humanitarian and the political horizon," the official said, the latter term a loose reference to a U.S.-backed vision of a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. "Political horizon is not about specifics," the official said, appearing to rule out any discussion soon on core issues such as the future of Jerusalem, the borders of a Palestinian state and the fate of Palestinian refugees. On her fourth visit in four months, Rice has been trying to revive peace hopes dimmed last year by the establishment of a Hamas-led Palestinian government and further complicated by the creation earlier this month of a unity administration. The power-sharing partnership between Hamas Islamists and President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction has not met demands by a Quartet of Middle East mediators to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept existing interim peace accords. At a news conference postponed from Monday evening after reported discord with Olmert, Rice said the prime minister and Abbas "have agreed that they plan to meet together bi-weekly." "We are not yet at final-status negotiations. These are initial discussions to build confidence," Rice said. Olmert told reporters on Monday he would maintain constant contacts with Abbas, but did not say how frequently they would meet. The Israeli leader said after the unity government was inaugurated he would limit such talks to humanitarian issues. Saeb Erekat, a senior adviser to Abbas, said Rice "managed to keep the door open between us and the Israelis which was closing rapidly in the past few days." more... | Israel | Islam | 1st Seal | America | I'll consider summit with Arab leaders, PM tells UN chief (March 27, 2007) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will leave Israel on Tuesday for the Arab leaders' summit in Riyadh, where he is expected tell Saudi King Abdullah that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is willing to consider a peace summit between Israel, Saudi Arabia and the moderate Arab countries. The UN chief is expected to deliver a message to the king from Olmert, who believes that the Saudi peace initiative is "good and challenging" and could serve as a basis for a dialogue, excluding a number of reservations. In their meeting Monday, Ban told Olmert about the Quartet's plan to convene a summit between Saudi Arabia, Israel and moderate Arab countries in order to advance the peace process based on the Saudi initiative. "If I receive such an invitation, I will consider it positively," the prime minister replied with a smile. The UN secretary-general will convey this message to King Abdullah, as well as Olmert's praises for the king's courage and decisiveness. "The Saudi initiative points to the kind's leadership," the prime minister said. Olmert does not accept the clause in the Saudi initiative discussing the right of return, but Quartet representatives made it clear on Monday that a dialogue could be launched in order to decide on the agreements and leave the disagreements for the end. The UN chief is expected to tell the Saudi king and the Arab leaders that Olmert is furious over the fact that the kidnapped Israeli soldiers have yet to be released, and that he made it clear that if there was dramatic development in that area he would find it difficult to convince the Israeli public that there was room for peace initiative. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal | America | Peace is definitely more spoken of now than before in the Middle East. Fear, funding, and deception are all playing part in this play for peace in the Middle East. Israel fears the chants of destruction and Islam fears the lack of funding to accomplish their chants. The European Union is supplying the funding through the ENP, a seven year deal strengthening a previous 1995 agreement. Deception is being played all around the table as the two faces of Islam confuse and divide the West. One face plays the part of peacemaker while the other shows the true heart of Islam as written in their holy book, the Koran. It is the spirit behind the lies, and Lucifer is the master of lies. In diplomacy, the lies mask the truth, which is chanted daily in the streets of Islamic nations and daily in the mosques around the world. Death to Israel, death to the USA. I believe the first seal has been opened. The rider on the white horse is going forth to conquer by peace. He has been given a crown and authority by the 10 horns [10 voting member-states], who have also given him their power. There is so much more than meets the eye of those not watching, which is why I'm sharing my observations with you. I know these kinds of things have been said before, but never before have so many events lined up with Bible prophecy from the description of the man of sin to the description of his kingdom and actions. Drive for Mideast peace gains momentum (March 26, 2007) - An international diplomatic drive for Mideast peace gained momentum Monday, with Israel welcoming the idea of a regional peace summit and Saudi Arabia suggesting it would consider changes in a dormant peace initiative to make it more acceptable to Israel. Senior U.S. and U.N. officials confirmed they were trying to bring Israelis and Arabs together in a wide push for peace, but acknowledged the idea is still at an early stage. The new developments came at a time of high-profile diplomacy, with the U.N. chief Ban Ki-Moon and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice both in the region for talks with Israeli and Arab leaders. The international officials are trying to break an impasse following formation of a Palestinian unity government that includes the Hamas militant group. Immediately after the government was formed, Israel ruled out peace talks with the Palestinians until Hamas explicitly recognizes the Jewish state. But on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he "wouldn't hesitate" to take part in a regional summit. Palestinian officials cautiously endorsed the idea. Any such meeting — especially if Saudi and Israeli officials were to publicly meet — would be a huge symbolic breakthrough. Saudis and Israelis are believed to have held private meetings in the last year. Hopes have been raised in the past, only to be subsequently dashed. This trip follows several months in which Rice has tried to put substance to the goal of President Bush four years ago to eventually have an independent Palestinian state. On this trip, Rice says she is developing a common set of questions that both sides can use for discussions with her or on their own. After talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials, she traveled to Amman, Jordan, for a second meeting with the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, and separate talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan. "Some good things are there. We just have to put them together," Rice said Monday before returning to Israel, where she was to meet for a second time with Olmert, too. A senior U.S. official traveling with Rice said Monday that one idea that is being pursued is to bring Israel and the Palestinians together as part of wider talks involving moderate Arab countries and the "Quartet" of Mideast peacemakers — the U.S., European Union, U.N. and Russia. The Arab countries involved in the efforts would include Egypt and Jordan, which both have peace agreements with Israel, as well as Saudi Arabia, which does not. "It's a good idea that's out there," the U.S. official said, adding it was "premature" to schedule a meeting. He said talks were taking in place in Washington and Arab countries. "The options are being looked at for how you have a more active Arab-Israeli track," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the proposal hasn't been formally unveiled. At a joint news conference with Olmert in Jerusalem, Ban confirmed that consultations on bringing the many parties together were "ongoing," but said further talks were needed. Olmert said he would look at an invitation to such a summit "in a very positive manner." more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal | America | Europe claims Israel preparing for war (March 22, 2007) - European officials have been claiming to Syrian leaders the past few weeks Israel is preparing for a military confrontation with Damascus, in some cases providing Syria with inaccurate information, WND has learned. A top source in Syrian President Bashar Assad's Baath party told WND European leaders visiting Damascus in recent weeks delivered messages stating Israel was taking measures in advance of a large-scale conflict with Syria, including updating battle plans, training reservist soldiers and preparing the home front for missile attacks. One senior European Union official told Assad the Israeli government instructed its major hospitals not to allow staff to take vacation time during the summer months for fear a conflict will break out during that period, according to the Baath party source. Israeli security officials and spokesmen for several major Israeli hospitals denied the claim. The European officials advised Assad to engage in dialogue with the Jewish state and the U.S. leading to a full Israeli withdrawal of the Golan Heights, the Baath official said. The Golan is strategic mountainous territory looking down on Israeli population centers twice used by Syria to mount ground invasions into Israel. Israel this week engaged in a nationwide drill, acting out responses to various wartime scenarios, including salvoes of chemical-tipped missiles and major terrorist attacks. It was the largest war drill held in Israel since its establishment in 1948. Israeli government spokesmen said the drills were to test lessons learned during last summer's war against the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Israeli security sources confirmed stepped-up training schedules for Israel Defense Forces reservist troops have been implemented. They say the training is not related to any expected confrontations, but is in response to internal military investigations that found reservists were not properly trained for the Lebanon war. According to a report today in the London-based Al-Hayat daily, talks between Israel and France concerning Syria concluded Israel is not interested in weakening Assad, because it does not know whether his replacement would present superior diplomatic alternatives. French officials told the newspaper Israel perceives Assad as weak but is not interested in confronting Syria out of fear that intervention would alter the political situation there. Assad, who signed a military alliance with Iran, is accused of supporting the insurgency against U.S. troops in Iraq and funneling money and weapons to Hezbollah. Leaders of major Palestinian terror groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, reside openly in Damascus. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | If you go through the Coming Times list, I have the destruction of Damascus from Isaiah 17. I'm still unsure completely how it will come down, but I have a theory. Gog/Magog is brought about by "hooks in the jaws" of the attackers. I believe the defense agreement between Iran and Syria may be that hook that brings Iran against Israel. Why would that happen? According to Isaiah 17, people leave their cities "because of the children of Israel." This is followed by "The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind." We also see in Isaiah 10:5-22, that "Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his [Assyrian's] thorns and his briers in one day." This story shows the distrust and expectations for confrontation soon. So keep watching and reading the Bible, prepare to witness the glory of God defend His chosen people. Our God is a God of promises kept and He is not done with His people, Israel. He will woo them back and a remnant will accept the Messiah their fathers rejected. Leader says Iran will retaliate if attacked (March 21, 2007) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday Iran would hit back with everything it has if attacked over its nuclear program, which the United States believes is aimed at making atom bombs. Khamenei, who has previously threatened U.S. regional interests if attacked, was speaking in the northeastern city of Mashhad to mark the Iranian new year, which falls on March 21. "If they want to threaten us and use force and violence against us, they should not doubt that Iranian officials will use all they have in their power to deal a blow to those who assault them," he said in an address carried by Iranian television news. The United Nations Security Council is considering new sanctions against Iran over its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment program, whose product can be used to make fuel for power generation or, when more highly enriched, nuclear weapons. Iran, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, insists the program is peaceful and aimed solely at generating electricity. Khamenei said Iran's nuclear work followed international rules, but if major powers via the Security Council took "illegal actions" and ignored Iran's rights, "we can also carry out illegal actions and we will do that." Washington has said it would prefer a diplomatic solution to the standoff, but has not ruled out military options. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | DEBKAfile Exclusive: Bowing to Washington, Olmert agrees to go directly and unconditionally to final-status talks with Palestinians (March 17, 2007) - Prime minister Ehud Olmert conceded key Israeli policy points in his talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem Sunday, March 11, according to DEBKAfile’s Middle East and Washington sources – contrary to advance statements from his office that the meeting was only a formality. Last week, Bush administration officials notified Olmert’s senor aides Yoram Turbovitch and Shalom Turjman in Washington that the wait for the Palestinians to comply with roadmap conditions to recognize Israel and renounce violence was at an end. Whether a Palestinian government was led by Hamas or shared with Fatah, they were told, Israel must now initiate final settlement talks with Abbas. Saudi and Jordanian leaders had won President George W. Bush over on this point as leverage for cooperation on the Iraq and Iranian issues.. At the Sunday cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, the prime minister therefore announced he was seriously considering accepting the 2002 Saudi peace plan. He already knew the Saudis had informed the White House that the plan would not be revised at the coming Arab summit in Riyadh on March 28. This means that Olmert has agreed to rescind the road map’s conditions for peace talks in favor of the tough Saudi peace plan. It was left to Abbas to run down for Olmert’s benefit the steps expected from Israel, now that the road map’s provisions were out of the way:
DEBKAfile’s sources note that the Olmert-Abbas conversation did not discuss the role to be played by Hamas in the diplomatic process dictated the Israeli government, when it heads the Palestinian government. Also left up in the air was the framework in which the moderate Arab and Muslim governments would “normalize” their relations with Israel. This would call for amendments of the Saudi peace plan. However, Riyadh has informed Washington that no such amendments would be tabled at the coming Arab summit. | Israel | Islam | America | Iranian Defense Minister in Syria (March 17, 2007) - Iran's Defense Minister, Brigadier-General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, is in Syria on an official visit, and is scheduled to attend talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "Expansion of defense and military cooperation between Iran and Syria" was the focus of the first round of talks by the two countries' defense ministers in Damascus on Saturday, according to Iranian news agency Fars. The two ministers also "explored... ways of accelerating implementation of the two countries' agreements." General Najjar arrived in Damascus Friday night on a three-day visit, and was given an official welcome by his Syrian counterpart Lieutenant General Hassan Ali Turkman. The visit follows Turkmani's trip to Tehran last June. Report: Syria stations missiles along Israeli border Syria has stationed thousands of missiles along the Israeli border, Agence France-Presse reported, relying on unnamed military sources who said the rockets are camouflaged or hidden underground and can strike at targets from the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) to Haifa. IDF officials responded that they have not noted any unusual activity and that Syria is not preparing to attack Israel. They said, however, that increased arms sales from Russia to Syria have brought back bitter memories of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Then, top military and intelligence advisors convinced Golda Meir, who was Prime Minister, that her fears of war were exaggerated. The day before the Yom Kippur War broke out on the Egyptian and Syrian fronts, "we received a report that worried me," the former Prime Minister wrote in her book 'My Life'. She gathered top officials in her office hours before the beginning of Yom Kippur and told them, "I have a terrible feeling that this has all happened before" - referring to the days before the Six Day War in 1967. At the end of the meeting, the head of intelligence told her aide, "Don't worry. There won't be a war." Several hours later, Syria and Egypt staged a two-pronged attack that caught the country unaware and with its back to the wall. All sources now agree that Syria is arming, but do not agree on why. Russia has proposed a $1 billion sale of advanced anti-tank rockets to Syria, similar to the weapons that Hizbullah has successfully used against the IDF in last summer's war. The weapons have a range of six kilometers (almost four miles), and some of the rockets probably would go to Hizbullah, which Israeli officials have repeatedly insisted is smuggling weapons into Lebanon from Syria. One scenario that discounts war is that Syria simply is preparing its defense against an Israeli attack. Former military intelligence chief Gen. Aharon Ze'evi-Farkash recently said, "In Syria's estimation it is preparing for a war this [coming] summer initiated by Israel, not Syria, and so it is focusing on reinforcing its arsenal." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Has the Middle East Turned a Corner? (March 16, 2007) - Two weeks ago, it seemed as if the Middle East was on the brink of war. U.S. carrier strike forces were heading for the Gulf while Vice-President Dick Cheney growled that, if Tehran did not halt uranium enrichment, 'all options were on the table'. Washington's belligerent neocons seemed to be making a come-back and their organ, the Weekly Standard, was baying for war. Suddenly, a break in the clouds suggests that better weather lies ahead. A striking development has been a surge of Saudi diplomacy in a great many directions. The Saudis brokered last month's Mecca agreement between Fatah and Hamas, opening the way for a Palestinian national unity government, and they are proposing, in the near future, to hold a similar meeting of reconciliation for all Lebanese factions. Underpinned by Saudi Arabia's religious authority and financial muscle, these are promising developments, establishing the Kingdom as the Arab world's leading actor. Braving Washington's displeasure, Riyadh has embarked on an intense dialogue with Iran - first through Prince Bandar bin Sultan and Ali Larijani, the respective heads of their countries' national security councils, and then at a recent summit meeting in Riyadh between King Abdallah bin Abdulaziz and Iran's President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. The two countries have a strong common interest a) in preventing Sunni-Shi'i violence in Iraq from spilling over into the region; b) in damping down the flames of conflict in the Palestinian and Lebanese arenas; and, above all, c) in preventing a U.S.-Iranian war, which would be catastrophic for the whole Middle East, and especially for the vulnerable Arab Gulf states. The Saudi-Iranian dialogue is a strong signal that these two leading countries are determined to take the destinies of the region into their own hands, free from the intervention of external powers. It is a clear message directed at the United States, whose influence and authority are much diminished because of its calamitous war in Iraq. All this would seem to be in preparation for the important Arab summit meeting in Riyadh on 28-29 March. In the past, these summits have often been derided as ineffectual, because they have rarely been followed by concerted action. This time, however, there is a new sense of urgency. The Riyadh summit is widely expected to re-launch the Arab Peace Initiative, first proposed by King Abdallah when he was Crown Prince, and then endorsed by the entire Arab world at the Beirut summit of March 2002. It offered Israel peace and normal relations with all 22 members of the Arab League if it withdrew from all territories occupied in the 1967 war; recognised the establishment of a Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza, with its capital in Arab East Jerusalem; and provided for a just solution of the Palestine refugee problem to be agreed in accordance with the UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (which in effect gave refugees the choice between return to their former homes or compensation.) When it was first launched, Israel scornfully rejected the Arab Peace Initiative, but times have changed. Voices are now being raised in Israel - not least that of Foreign Minister Tsipi Livni - suggesting that the Initiative could provide the basis for negotiations. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Israel Will Never Return Golan Heights (March 14, 2007) - “Israel will never retreat from the Golan Heights; the region is an integral part of Israel and vital for its security and protection,” Likud Knesset Member Yisrael Katz said Wednesday evening in response to the European Union’s support of Syria’s claim to regain the disputed territory. Earlier on Wednesday EU Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana told a joint news conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem in Damascus that, “We would like to work as much as possible to see your country Syria recuperate the territory taken in 1967." Katz said Solana should focus on “pressuring the Syrian president (Bashar Assad ) to stop supporting Palestinian terror and the flow of Iranian arms to Hizbullah as part of the regional axis of evil.” 'Most Israelis would support such a deal' Fellow Likud Knesset member and former Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Solana’s comments are indicative of a “complete diplomatic collapse.” “After Europe decided to talk to Hamas, today it announces that it supports the return of the Golan (to Syria),” he said. “This is a disturbing development. The relations with Europe are very important to Israel, and everything must be done to get them back on the right track.” However, Knesset members from the other side of the political spectrum welcomed Solana’s statements. “Negotiations (on the Golan) must lead to security arrangements and the end of Syria’s contacts with Israel’s enemies,” Meretz chairman Yossi Beilin said. “Israel will have to return the Golan Heights region, which was under Syrian sovereignty until 1967.” | Israel | Islam | Shas seeks harsher punishment for missionaries (March 14, 2007) - A war on missionaries in Israel was declared on Tuesday, March 13, when the theocratic party known as the Shas faction, which is headed by MK Yakov Margi, proposed a bill stating that Israel's laws against proselytism should be aggravated. A story written by Neta Sela in www.ynetnews.com said that, backed by six other faction members and in concordance with Shas' spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's instructions, Margi proposed the sentence for preaching conversion should be one year imprisonment. “Every time he (Rabbi Ovadia Yosef) hears of a case where someone falls into missionary hands, he feels great sadness and asks us to try and save at least one soul in Israel,” said Margi. “Whether it's Christians coming from abroad or Jewish converts working in Israel, they all have the same agenda – to destroy every trace and memory of the people of Israel, and they plan to do this by converting Jews. These bodies are operating mainly among the Jewish population which is under physical, social and spiritual distress,” said the proposal. Neta Sela went on to say, “Currently, Israeli law deals with conversion on two levels. Firstly, anyone offering money or material products in exchange for conversion faces five years in prison or a monetary fine. The person on the accepting end of the offer also faces a certain punishment. “On the second level, regarding minors, anyone acting in favor of or conducting a conversion ceremony on a minor, faces six month in jail.” “The law does not address attempts to convert adults over the age of 18, making it completely legitimate. “Shas members claim that the current law does not deter proselytizers and even though many complaints are filed in the matter, very few of them actually turn into indictments. “The proposal claimed that the weaker populations, such as Ethiopians and new immigrants, were more susceptible to missionary persuasion.” The proposal said, “There is no choice but to adopt the rules applying to forbidding proselytism among minors, for all matter relating to adults as well. In other words, completely forbidding preaching and proselytism.” Shas was also sure to defend the bill from accusations of violating Israel's freedom of religion principal, saying that “we do not mean to violate freedom of religion or freedom from religion. We mean to allow everyone to believe in their own religion, and prevent harassment by any source trying to harm the basic democratic right according to which 'every man may live in his religion.'“ The proposal pointed out that the law does not specify which religion it applies to and therefore also forbids the proselytism of non-Jews to Judaism. “The law also applies to Jewish sects bringing Muslims from the Old City to convert to Judaism,” it said. | Israel | Israel truly is blinded by God. Luke 19:41-44 They're so afraid of losing their Jewish identity without realizing that Yeshua the Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of everything they believe. Solana: EU supports Syrian initiative to regain Golan Heights (March 14, 2007) - The European Union supports Syria's goal of regaining the Golan Heights from Israel, the EU foreign policy chief said after meeting President Bashar Assad on Wednesday. "We would like to work as much as possible to see your country Syria recuperate the territory taken in 1967," Javier Solana told a joint news conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem. Syria has made it clear that its cooperation to help end violence in Iraq would be tied to Western - especially U.S. - support for its peaceful campaign to regain the Golan Heights, which Israel conquered during the Six Day War four decades ago. Solana also discussed the Lebanese crisis with Syrian leaders Wednesday on what was the first high-level visit by an EU official to Syria in more than two years. Syria, through its state-run press, welcomed Solana's visit as a good move after a long absence. Solana came to Syria on the final stop of a three-nation attempt to mediate an end to the crisis in Lebanon, where the Hezbollah-led opposition has staged three months of mass protests in a bid to topple the government. Nine people have been killed in street battles between government and opposition supporters. He held talks with Moallem and Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa on Wednesday morning and was scheduled to meet President Bashar Assad later. In Lebanon on Monday, where he began his mediating, Solana said he hoped his trip to Damascus would help spur an improvement in relations between the EU and Syria, but he added that Syrian policies had to change. "In order to resume the relationship, we have to have a frank and sincere discussion about things that can change ... and we have to see how the behavior of our friends in Syria may change," Solana said. Solana's visit to Damascus is a big and important step on the road to repairing two years of damage in Arab-EU relations, the official Syrian newspaper Tishrin said in an editorial Wednesday. Syria is receiving Solana with a lot of openness and a readiness to hear what he has to say as an EU envoy. Solana visited Saudi Arabia on Tuesday where he discussed Lebanon with the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, in Riyadh. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | UN chief announces Middle East visit (March 10, 2007) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday he will visit Israel and the Palestinian territories later this month in an effort to help revive the peace process between the two sides. Ban said he would make the trip, which will include a stop in Lebanon, on his way to the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on March 28-29. Ban said he chose the Middle East for his second major overseas trip as UN chief because "security in the Middle East is one of the most important issues which we are now facing." He visited several African countries last month. He singled out the Israel-Palestinian conflict as one of the most pressing in the region, saying resolving it would create a "conducive political atmosphere for the resolution of other issues in the Middle East." I'm looking forward to, first of all, a meeting with leaders in the region and making myself available for any consultation and to make a contribution to (the) peace process," he said. Ban has been involved in US-backed efforts to restart the Israel-Palestinian peace effort after a six-year freeze. He said he would participate in two months in another round of talks among the so-called Quartet of Mideast peacemakers - the UN, the US, the European Union and Russia. On Sunday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet for the second time in a month in an effort to keep their line of communication open. Both sides, however, said they expected no major breakthroughs. Abbas, a moderate who is eager to restart peace talks, has been trying to finalize a power-sharing agreement with Hamas, an Islamic group that calls for Israel's destruction and has a majority in the Palestinian parliament. Israel says it does not want to delve into real issues of peace talks unless the new government meets international demands to renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept existing peace agreements. The power-sharing deal falls short of those demands, but Abbas says its the best he can get from Hamas. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal | Israeli military and government sources report Syria has positioned thousands of rockets on its border with Israel (March 9, 2007) - Quoting three Israeli military and two government sources, the French news agency AFP reports the Syrian army has accelerated its deployment of medium and long-range rockets capable of striking major towns across northern Israel. DEBKAfile’s sources note the timing of the unusual disclosure, the day before the Iraqi neighbors’ conference in Baghdad. It appears to be aimed at deterring Syria from being tempted into military action to ease the sense of isolation which the Baghdad meeting will tend to aggravate. In its detailed report, AFP discloses that most of the Syrian rockets positioned on Israel’s border are 220 mm with a range of 70 km and 302 mm rockets with a reach of 100 km, AFP reports. The latter could reach Israel’s third largest port city of Haifa and its industries, as well as Tiberias and Kiryat Shemona. Many are hidden in underground chambers and camouflaged silos. The Israeli sources said Syria had built a system of fortified underground tunnels along its border with Israel. They also believed Syria had deployed several FROG rocket launchers with a 550-kilogram warhead and 70-km range in areas between the border and the capital Damascus, 40 km away. Syria concentrates most of its long-range surface missiles in the north. Its decision to bring them so close to the border may indicate that Damascus is seriously thinking of attacking Israel. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that this redeployment indicates Syria is anticipating an Israeli response to a potential attack by moving tank and armored infantry across the border to strike the rocket formations. The FROG rockets would be used against this incursion. AFP’s sources see the deployment as an indication that Damascus may be preparing for future “low intensity warfare.” The massive deployment of well-entrenched rockets poses “a real strategic threat” to Israel. Those sources therefore rebut the low expectations of war with Syria this summer as voiced by Israel’s chief of staff and military intelligence chiefs on Feb. 25. At the time, DEBKAfile’s military experts challenged this evaluation and criticized Lt. Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi for reflecting the Olmert government minister’s political line which is one of unquestioning alignment with the current US-Saudi strategy regardless of Israel’s national interests. A senior government official also told AFP: Israel has absolute superiority in several fields of warfare,” referring to advanced air force and “smart” weapons. DEBKAfile has reported that Russia was selling Syria thousands more advanced anti-tank missiles capable of piercing tank armor of the types which reached Hizballah from Syria in last year’s conflict. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Update 3-10-07 No Syrian troop movements on border, says IDF EU's Solana says Palestinians must give clear recognition of Israel (March 8, 2007) - The Palestinian unity government being formed by Hamas and Fatah must clearly state that it recognizes Israel, the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Thursday. "There are many ways whereby you can express the recognition of Israel," Solana told The Associated Press. "I am not going to define what is the manner that would be the most appropriate, that's for them to decide, but in any case it has to be sufficiently clear that statement can be read and not only imagined." Solana spoke in an interview before an EU summit where French President Jacques Chirac pressed other European leaders to support the Palestinian efforts to form a coalition government. The EU presidency, held by Germany, also backed recent progress. "We note the important step taken in Mecca," said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, referring to the deal in the Saudi city last month which pledges to "respect" certain agreements with Israel even though it does not explicitly recognize Israel. "It's not at the end of the matter yet but it's a basis for further work," Steinmeier said. French diplomats said at the summit that last month the power-sharing deal between Hamas and Fatah was "a first step toward the realization of the conditions" set by the EU, U.S. and others for the restoration of aid to the Palestinian government. Those conditions include recognition of Israel, renunciation of violence and respect for previous peace agreements. Solana said the movement toward unity among the Palestinians was "a good decision" following outbreaks of fighting between Fatah and Hamas militants. He said Palestinian unity was also positive for Israel, but stressed that the EU would have to wait to see what the power-sharing deal would mean in practice before making any decisions. "These agreements have to be implemented," he said. "We'll have to make the final judgment ... when they are implemented." Despite the Mecca agreement, Fatah and Hamas have failed to agree on the formation of a unity government with differences focused on who would be interior minister, controlling security forces. more... | Israel | Islam | EU | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | America | Bill Clinton sees new dynamic at work in troubled Middle East (March 7, 2007) - Former President Clinton said last night that fear of Iran throughout the Middle East created a potential opening for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. In a speech to the United Jewish Federation of San Diego County's 70th anniversary dinner, Clinton, who tried and failed to broker such an agreement during his presidency, said a new dynamic had emerged in the region since he left office: that Sunni Arab states have come to fear Iran more than they do Israel. “The Arab states will lobby the Palestinians to take a reasonable deal because they need it for their own existence,” he told the audience of about 2,000 people at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. “The Israelis need to keep in mind what they could get in a deal now from the Arab states that they never could have gotten before. We aren't quite there on the formula yet, but I think there's a deal to be had there and I wouldn't want the Israelis to miss it.” Clinton said that although economic sanctions over Iran's nuclear program were working, “we should not take the military option off the table.” The former president divides his time between his foundation, which promotes medical care and economic development around the world, and the campaign of his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. Clinton stressed that for serious Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to resume, the Hamas government of the Palestinian Authority must cool its demands for a major rollback of Israeli territory and unequivocally recognize Israel's right to exist. He warned that the United States must be prepared militarily to enforce any agreement. “The United States has to be prepared to give a security guarantee like we give our NATO allies both to Israel and to the new Palestinian state because they will both be under attack,” he said. Clinton criticized former President Carter's controversial book on the Middle East, which likens Israel's policies to the apartheid system of South Africa. “If I were an Israeli, I wouldn't like it because it's not factually accurate and it's not fair,” he said. more... | Israel | Islam | EU | 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal | America | Clinton's noticed too. Jordan’s King Urges U.S. to Pursue Peace in Mideast (March 7, 2007) - King Abdullah II of Jordan, in a rare appearance before a joint meeting of Congress, made an impassioned plea today for the United States to lead in an active pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian peace, saying that without it none of Middle East’s other problems would be solved. He implored the lawmakers to exert American “leadership in a peace process that delivers results not next year, not in five years, but this year.” The king pleaded as well for greater concern for the Palestinian people — a theme often heard in Europe but rarely in the halls of Congress. It met with a relatively tepid response, paling next to the applause for his broader calls for regional peace. “Sixty years of Palestinian dispossession, 40 years under occupation, a stop-and-go peace process — all this has left a bitter legacy of disappointment and despair on all sides,” he said. Palestinians grievances, the 45-year-old monarch said, were the "core issue" underlying violence throughout the region. "The wellspring of regional division — the source of resentment and frustration far beyond — is the denial of justice and peace in Palestine," Abdullah said. His plea for the United States to play a "central role" for peace in the Middle East came as the Bush administration, stung by setbacks from Iraq to Lebanon, has taken a broader diplomatic approach to the region, including a decision to meet on Saturday in Baghdad with Iranian, Syrian and other regional representatives to discuss security in Iraq. more... | Israel | Islam | EU | 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal | America | Israel responds cautiously to PA offer of truce for end to boycott (March 7, 2007) - Israel responded cautiously Wednesday to a Palestinian offer for a complete cease-fire if Jerusalem supports an end to the international aid boycott imposed on the Palestinians following Hamas' victory in the January 2006 parliamentary elections. A senior Hamas official told Haaretz on Tuesday that if Israel agrees to persuade the international community not to boycott the new Palestinian unity government, the Palestinians "will offer a promise from Hamas and Fatah of a total cease-fire with Israel, including a complete halt to Qassam [rocket] fire and suicide bombings." But said Prime Ehud Olmert's spokeswoman Miri Eisen, "We need to see that you can actually implement the ceasefire [in Gaza] before we can consider an extension." Eisen said Israel has not responded to repeated Qassam rocket fire on southern Israel since the cease-fire in Gaza took effect. "It's about time Palestinians deliver on a promise instead of just Israel delivering on ours." But a senior leader of Islamic Jihad, a group that carried out a suicide bombing in Israel in January and did not sign a Gaza truce in November, said it opposed the idea raised in negotiations on finalizing a unity government. "We cannot talk about calm while the Zionist aggression is continuing against our Palestinian people in the West Bank and the escalation against Islamic Jihad members and leaders," the leader, Khaled al-Batsh, said. Israel has killed three Islamic Jihad militants in raids in the occupied West Bank since a Jan. 29 suicide attack in the Red Sea resort of Eilat killed three Israelis. Batsh said his group was planning attacks to avenge the deaths of its men. more...| Israel | Islam | Syria ready with bio-terror if U.S. hits Iran (March 5, 2007) - An American biodefense analyst living in Europe says if the U.S. invades Iran to halt its nuclear ambitions, Syria is ready to respond with weapons of mass destruction – specifically biological weapons. "Syria is positioned to launch a biological attack on Israel or Europe should the U.S. attack Iran," Jill Bellamy-Dekker told WND. "The Syrians are embedding their biological weapons program into their commercial pharmaceuticals business and their veterinary vaccine-research facilities. The intelligence service oversees Syria's 'bio-farm' program and the Ministry of Defense is well interfaced into the effort." Bellamy-Decker currently directs the Public Health Preparedness program for the European Homeland Security Association under the French High Committee for Civil Defense. She anticipates a variation of smallpox is the biological agent Syria would utilize. "The Syrians are also working on orthopox viruses that are related to smallpox," Bellamy-Decker said, "and it's a good way to get around international treaties against offensive biological weapons development. They work on camelpox as a cover for smallpox." According to the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota, camelpox is a virus closely related to smallpox, that causes a "severe and economically important disease in camels," but rarely, if ever, causes the disease in humans. WND asked Bellamy-Decker if the Syrians have any history of having used biological weapons. "I believe they are testing biological weapons right now, in Sudan, in the conflict in Darfur," she answered. "There is credible information about flyover activity in Darfur, where little parachutes have been dropped down on the population. This is consistent with dispersal methods in bioweapons attacks. I've also seen evidence of bodies that have been recovered from Darfur that look as if they had been exposed to biological weapons." President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran met with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum Feb. 28 to exchange expressions of support and solidarity. "The Syrians now consider biological weapons as part of their arsenal," Bellamy-Decker said. "The Syrian military is also beginning to plan the eventual integration of biological weapons in its tactical and strategic arsenals." She referenced an April 2000 article published by Syrian defense minister General Mustafa Talas, titled "Biological (Germ) Warfare: A New and Effective Method in Modern Warfare." The article was republished in a Farsi translation in Tehran. more... | Iran | Israel | Islam | Arabs To Re-launch Peace Bid With Israel (March 4, 2007) - Arabs will relaunch a 2002 land-for-peace offer in an effort to end the decades-long conflict with Israel at a summit later this month, but without changes Israel has been pushing, the Arab League's Secretary-General said Sunday. Amr Moussa's remarks to a meeting of Arab foreign ministers came as Saudi Arabia announced that hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad offered support for the initiative during talks with Saudi officials, though Iran later denied the two discussed the peace plan. "The Arab peace initiative expresses an Arab consensus and will not be redrafted as demanded by some foreign powers," Moussa told the ministers, who were meeting in Cairo ahead of the Arab League summit scheduled for March 28-29 in the Saudi capital. "Maneuvering and watering down (the initiative) will be a strategic mistake," Moussa said. "It perhaps will lead to new bloodshed. Last week, Israeli newspapers quoted Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni as saying Israel would not accept the Arab peace plan as is and asked to drop any reference to the right of the Palestinians displaced in the 1948 Mideast war to return to their homes inside the Jewish state. Moussa reiterated that Israel should give back all territories it seized in the 1967 war and allow Palestinian refugees to return. The 2002 plan calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state and full recognition of Israel in return for an Israeli withdrawal from all territory captured in the Arab-Israeli wars. A later version of the initiative states that Israel should return all Arab land and also allow Palestinian refugees to return. more... | Israel | Islam | 1st Seal | I find it interesting how this push for peace was kicked up a notch after the new year rang in with the ENPI. Could it be the funding promised mixed with fear of radical Islam is resulting in a coming false peace? The next story sure seems to demonstrate the Israeli government's willingness to give up. Peres: We Will Surrender Judea-Samaria (March 4, 2007) - Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres said on Saturday that the current government still very much intends to uproot thousands of Jews from Judea and Samaria and surrender their homes to the "Palestinians." In an interview on Israel's Channel 2 TV, Peres stated matter-of-factly: "The government will evacuate...dozens of settlements by the end of its term." Prime Minister Ehud Olmert originally ran on a platform of additional "disengagement" from the biblical Land of Israel. But his plummeting popularity following Israel's failures in last summer's Lebanon war called into question the ability to implement such a controversial policy, and Olmert put the issue on the back burner. At the time, Olmert claimed that he had been forced to change his mind due to the fact that Israel's withdrawals from southern Lebanon and Gaza had brought increased violence instead of peace. But the fact that Peres made his latest remarks at a time when hostility from Lebanon and Gaza continues unabated calls into question whether or not Olmert has really learned his lesson. | Israel | Islam | 1st Seal | With this kind of results, I'm not surprised Islam is using these terrorist tactics. They work quite well to accomplish their desires. Peres says U.S. mediation bid stymied by internal PA divisions (March 4, 2007) - Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Saturday that while Jordan's King Abdullah would like to see a stronger U.S. role in resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict, greater American intervention is being thwarted by internal divisions within the Palestinians. "The Americans are ready to be more involved, but they encounter factions within the Palestinian camp itself, and also disagreements between Sunni and Shiites, who influence the Palestinians as well." Speaking on state television in Amman on Friday ahead of a visit to the U.S., Abdullah said the United States was the country most capable of influencing Israel. "It is time that the [U.S.] employ this influence to prove its transparency to the people of the region, and that it is not biased," Abdullah said. The king, who has long urged America to make a greater effort on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, is likely to make the same point when he addresses the U.S. Congress on Wednesday. He called on Israelis to choose between a "fortress" mentality or living in peace and security with their neighbors. "The Middle East faces two choices - either the choice of peace or the choice of chaos, violence and destruction," the king told Jordanian television, to which he rarely gives interviews. He said that a solution to the Palestinian problem would spare the region disaster and chaos. Referring to the United States, he said: "It is our duty to push this great state, and others, to take balanced positions and support the peace process." Abdullah said that he realized that Washington was preoccupied with Iraq, and said Jordan too wanted to see reconciliation and stability in Iraq. But, the king added, "the principal problem in the region is the Palestinian issue and, if it is not solved, it will be impossible to solve the other problems." more... | Israel | Islam | America | The 70th Week Herb L. Peters (March 3, 2007) - For those having trouble reading the writing, this report spells it out Read about it here. It begins by saying: Israel is examining the idea of upgrading its relations with the European Union and gaining the status of Norway and Switzerland. It goes on to talk about the foundational agreement that exists between the many EU nations and the Mediterranean nations -- including Israel. As you may know, I strongly suspect that this 1995 agreement -- known as the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership for Peace, the Barcelona Process, and sometimes just Euromed -- could be the covenant with many that's foretold in Daniel 9:27. Close ties The EU-Israel Association Agreement, signed in 1995, included in its preamble a declaration that the European Union, the member states and Israel are interested in promoting the integration of Israel's economy into the European economy. Interestingly, this agreement with many nations entered into force with Israel while the 10-nation Western European Union was adopting and implementing its Recommendation 666. The report says: The Agreement underwent a ratification process between 1996-2000, and entered into force in 2000 [It entered into force on June 1. Recommendation 666 was adopted June 5]. Now, as if following the outline of Bible prophecy, we come to a seven-year program that, if you have been following the news, appears to be changing the face of the Middle East and making a lasting and comprehensive peace possible. The report continues: European Neighbourhood Policy Monday's EU-Israel bilateral discussions will also focus on the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) framework under which the EU offers its neighbours a privileged relationship that brings advantages to both sides. The European Commission has proposed to promote the ENP policy in order to strengthen political, trade, economic and human rights agreements between the EU and nearby countries, including Israel. You see, when the Commission proposed to promote the ENP, it was proposing a new seven-year push to strengthen existing agreements under what's called the "New" ENP. And this "New" ENP began on January 1, 2007. And as I said before, this new push appears to be already baring fruit Read about it here I And here. So, in this one report, we serious students of Bible prophecy may have all we need to suspect that we could already be in the 70th week of Daniel. And in my opinion, the only arguments that can be raised against this possibility are based either on past speculations, or ignorance of the facts on the ground -- not the Bible. Does that mean I know for sure we're in the 70th week? Although I believe all the evidence suggests this, I allow room that I could be reading things wrong. However, I know what I see. And so far, what I see matches the prophecy of Daniel's 70th week. Stay tuned. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 1st Seal | Israel, E.U. talk improved ties (March 3, 2007) - Israel and the European Union discussed upgrading their relations. The E.U.-Israel Association Council, the ministerial body that monitors E.U.-Israel relations in the framework of the 2000 Association Agreement, held its annual meeting Monday in Brussels. It was attended by Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, E.U. foreign policy chief Javier Solana and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Israel expressed an interest in joining European agencies, including Europol, Eurojust and the new European Environmental agency, as well as participating in E.U. cultural programs. The discussions also focused on the European Neighborhood Policy, a framework designed by the European Commission to strengthen political, trade and human rights agreements between the E.U. and nearby countries, including Israel. "We are more than willing to explore all possibilities to tighten our relations with the E.U., and we congratulate the decision to create a common team for that purpose," Livni said. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 1st Seal | See Also: MK Dotan: Israel interested in closer ties with EU (March 3, 2007) Enough gladiator games, the Middle East must talk (March 3, 2007) - Suddenly, the diplomatic season seems to have broken out all over the Middle East. The main players perhaps have seen the looming catastrophe hovering over the region, and decided to pull back from the brink. The most important meeting is the one this weekend between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah. Other significant gatherings include the March 10 meeting in Baghdad of regional states and world powers who will explore how to restore security in and sovereignty to Iraq; the trip of an American assistant secretary of state to Syria to discuss humanitarian issues related to Iraqi refugee flows; last month's meetings of Palestinian and Israeli leaders with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; and the Hamas-Fatah leaders' meeting and agreement in Mecca under Saudi auspices. This movement reflects a growing realization that everybody will lose if things continue on their present trajectory in the Middle East. The danger signs are embodied in two continuing violent trends that plague the region: the steady expansion and popularity of militias, resistance organizations, other powerful armed political groups, and terrorists, that are beyond the control of governments and often challenge these; and, the steady build-up of American-led armed forces in the region, combined with diplomatic pressure, aimed against Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, Hamas and others who oppose the American-, British-, and Israeli-led alignment that includes several Arab governments. This trend culminated in last summer's Israel-Hizbullah war, a worsening security situation in Iraq, and the continuing pressures against Iran and Syria. Both sides in this regional face-off continue to prove their strength in public opinion and in their determination to face down and, if necessary, militarily fight the other side. The big losers are incumbent Arab regimes, who are squeezed between the indigenous militancy of their own people and the aggressive militarism of their foreign allies. Lost, too, is the wellbeing of ordinary citizens throughout the Arab world and Iran, who do not wish to see themselves collapse into the incoherence and suffering of open war that are the natural consequence of intemperate policies. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 1st Seal | Border Guard Officer Kills Two Terrorists in a Week (March 1, 2007) - Chief superintendent M., a company commander in the Border Guard, on Wednesday morning killed the commander of Islamic Jihad in Jenin, Ashraf Sa'adi, who was responsible for launching several suicide attacks in 2005 and 2006. The company was operating in the Jenin refugee camp. M. describes the morning's events for Ynet: "We received specific information about a vehicle. When we noticed it, we tried to capture the three terrorist inside. "They escaped into one of the alleyways and started to shoot in our direction. We returned fire. I felt something hit me in my shoulder but continued fighting. I then saw someone run away from the vehicle. I shot and killed him. That was Ashraf Sa'adi." The other two gunmen, also wanted terrorists, were shot down by the company. M. was lightly injured in his shoulder but refused to be evacuated for medical treatment. "I did not want to leave until it was over and everyone was out. I went to hospital when we were done," he explained. This is the second recent successful operation for M. The same unit was responsible for last week's killing of Mahmoud abu Abid, who was responsible for sending the suicide bomber caught by police in Bat Yam. more... | Israel | Islam | Islamic Jihad Vows Retaliation for Killing (February 28, 2007) - The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is vowing a violent retaliation for the killing of the group’s leader in the West Bank city of Jenin. Israeli military and security forces killed Ashraf Sa’adi, 28, and two of his aides in an operation on Wednesday morning. The PIJ is warning Israel will pay a high price for its actions. “The accountability bill with the Zionist enemy is increasing,” Abu Ahmad, a spokesman for the organization said on the PIJ website. He vowed the response would be violent and shocking. Palestinian news sources said two of the people assassinated were senior members of the PIJ-affiliated Al-Quds Brigades. The third person, a driver, was a member of the PIJ. Israel said Sa’adi was responsible for numerous terror attacks against Israelis over the past two years. Armed members of the PIJ and the Al-Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades gathered in the streets of Jenin for an “anger rally” after the killing and vowed revenge, the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency reported. This was the second targeting of senior PIJ members in a week. The Israeli army killed 21-year-old Mahmoud Al-‘Ubeid in Jenin last Wednesday. The army said he had been wanted by the security forces for a long time for recruiting suicide bombers to attack Israeli civilians and for manufacturing explosives. Meanwhile, Israeli army forces are continuing to engage in an anti-terror sweep in Nablus. | Israel | Islam | Present-day Sanhedrin court seeks to revive ancient Temple rituals (February 28, 2007) - The present-day Sanhedrin Court decided Tuesday to purchase a herd of sheep for ritual sacrifice at the site of the Temple on the eve of Passover, conditions on the Temple Mount permitting. The modern Sanhedrin was established several years ago and is headed by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. It claims to be renewing the ancient Jewish high court, which existed until roughly 1600 years ago, and meets once a week. Professor Hillel Weiss, a member of the Sanhedrin, told Haaretz on Tuesday that the action, even if merely symbolic, is designed to demonstrate in a way that is obvious to all that the expectation of Temple rituals will resume is real, and not just talk. Several years ago, a number of members of the various Temple movements performed a symbolic sacrifice on Givat Hananya, which overlooks the Temple Mount from Jerusalem's Abu Tur neighborhood. During the ceremony, participants sacrificed a young goat that was donated by a resident of Tekoa. The participants also built a special two-meter tall oven, in accordance with halakha (Jewish law). The Passover sacrifice is considered a simple ceremony, relative to other works performed in the Temple. On Wednesday, the Sanhedrin will hold its main conference, entitled "Existential threats and ways to correct them." Rabbi Menachem Froman, far-right activist Moshe Feiglin, and Nativ editor Arieh Stav will participate in the conference. The guest of honor will be Makor Rishon publisher Shlomo Ben-Zvi. | Israel | Temple Mount |
Russia Moves in Support of Syria, Iran, Hamas-led PA
(February
27, 2007) - Russia’s announcement Tuesday [February 27]
that it would work to promote international support for the
Hamas-led Palestinian Authority [PA], its intention to supply
missiles to Syria, and its opposition to sanctions against Iran
present a worrying trend for Israel. Russian officials said that
the agreement reached between the leaders of Hamas and PA
Chairman Mahmoud Abbas [Abu Mazen] to incorporate the latter’s
Fatah terrorist organization in the PA governing coalition is
sufficient cause to end the international boycott of the PA. The
Western nations imposed the financial boycott of the PA in
January of last year, when the Islamic fundamentalist Hamas
organization swept the majority of the seats in the PA
parliament in a landslide election victory. Top EU Official Assesses MidEast Peace (February 27, 2007) - I am not here with an Austrian hat today – instead my task is to wear a European hat and talk to you about relations between Israel and the European Union as a whole. Those few sentences hint at the complexity of modern European identity. As professional Europe-watchers you are familiar with the way we switch between one identity and another, reconciling them as we go. The question of “European-ness” is on the one hand fraught and uncertain; and on the other an ever-shifting, all-embracing, infinitely malleable concept. I believe this flexibility in attaching the label “European” to different identities, while not entirely problem-free, does set us out as a model for others. But perhaps it also makes it hard for our partners to understand us. Even when we think we have made clear our desire for deeper relations, maybe it’s not so easy to decide how to work more closely with us. That, I suspect, is the point we have now reached in EU-Israel relations. But before I come to that, let us look at where we currently stand. Relations between us have certainly moved into a warmer era. We may not agree on everything, but there’s definitely a new spirit of collaboration in the air. We have also made more effort to get to know one another; perhaps some of you saw the series "See you in my place" on Israeli TV last year? It follows the experiences of border guards, chefs and teachers from Israel and the EU as they swap jobs, homes and countries for a week. Many of the preconceptions we have of each other turn out to be wrong when we see each other close-up. We’re already seeing the results of this new rapprochement: I don’t know how much is due to “See you in my place”, but according to an opinion poll published last week, 75% of Israelis would like their country to become part of the EU. Israel's participation in the European Neighbourhood Policy has also helped give new energy and focus to our relations. The European Commission made it a priority to include Israel in the first wave of ENP Action Plans, so it was especially meaningful when Israel became the first partner to agree an Action Plan with us. The purpose of the Action Plan is to gradually integrate Israel into European policies and programmes. Every step we take is determined by both sides and the Action Plan is tailor-made to reflect Israel’s interests and priorities. We have both been working hard to make the plan a reality. Our cooperation on areas as diverse as political dialogue, anti-terrorism, trade and investment promotion, justice and security, science and technology has significantly improved. We offered Israel the opportunity to take part in the EU’s internal programmes and agencies, and received an enthusiastic response. We are currently working on opening those programmes, dealing with issues as varied as customs, taxation, culture, youth and film. Just last week we agreed Israel’s participation in the EU’s 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development, making Israel an integral part of the fast-expanding European Research Area. And we will soon start work on Israel’s participation in the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme, one of the EU’s flagship programmes. more... | Israel | EU/UN | 'Devastating response' if Iran nukes attacked (February 26, 2007) - Iran is anticipating a U.S. or Israeli military strike on its nuclear facilities and has been providing Palestinian terrorists and other regional allies with contingency plans for attacks against the Jewish state and American regional interests in the event of war, according to Palestinian terrorist leaders. A senior leader of the Islamic Jihad terror group, which Israel says is backed by Iran, told WND Tehran is expecting to be attacked, but he didn't provide a time frame in which Iran anticipates a strike. He claimed during any attack his organization has been directed by Iran to "wreak havoc" on Israel with suicide bombings, rocket attacks and "special surprises." He said rocket attacks would be launched from both the Gaza Strip and from the West Bank, which borders Jerusalem. He threatened his terror group will target American interests in the Middle East whether any purported strike against Tehran is carried out by Israel or the U.S. "The Zionists and the Americans are coordinated 100 percent. It doesn't matter who attacks Iran, we are planning to hit them both," said the Islamic Jihad leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he said the topic was "very sensitive." He said overall Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shallah has been coordinating war plans with Iran, Syria and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah Lebanese militia. Shallah resides in Damascus and travels frequently to Tehran. Abu Ahmed, the northern West Bank chief of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror organization, told WND all major Palestinian militant organizations are preparing to work together in the event Iran is attacked. "Our strategy is not to leave the Islamic alliance (Iran) alone against the enemy. All Palestinian organizations will work together in shooting rockets, suicide bomb attacks and other steps and actions decided closely." The Brigades is the declared military wing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party. Together with Islamic Jihad, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has taken responsibility for every suicide bombing in Israel the last two years, including a bombing last month in Eilat and an attack in Tel Aviv last April that killed eight Israelis and American teenager Daniel Wultz. Israel says major Brigades cells in the Gaza Strip and West Bank receive Iranian funding through contacts with Hezbollah. Abu Ahmed said in his terror group's estimation Iran will indeed be attacked. "It's not a question of if, but when. The campaign now in the American media is just like the campaign before the invasion of Iraq," he charged. A senior leader of the Popular Resistance Committees terror group, speaking on condition of anonymity, told WND his group has also been preparing for what he called "the upcoming war." The Committees is a coalition of terror organizations operating in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank responsible for hundreds of anti-Israel rocket and shooting attacks. It is accused of bombing a U.S. convoy in Gaza in 2003 in which three American government contractors were killed. "We are preparing the tomb that Allah is digging for the Zionists and Americans," said the Committees leader. He claimed during any U.S. or Israeli military strike against Tehran, a response will be directed against Israel and American interests by Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorists. "The war will be a war on more than one front. It will be everybody against everybody. Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and the Palestinian organizations will work together. War with Iran is coming and it means the Middle East will not remain the same after it," the Committees leader said. Syria and Iran signed a military agreement in which either will respond if the other is attacked. Israeli security officials told WND Israel is not currently planning to strike Iran. Speaking theoretically, they said if any war breaks out involving Iran, they expect Syria, Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorists to join the fray and attack Israel. The security officials said the greatest threat Syria poses to the Jewish state are the country's missiles. They noted Syria recently test-fired two Scud-D surface-to-surface missiles, which have a range of about 250 miles, covering most Israeli territory. The officials said the Syrian missile test was coordinated with Iran and is believed to have been successful. It is not known what type of warhead the missiles were armed with. In addition to longer range Scuds, Syria is in possession of shorter range missiles such as 220mm and 305mm rockets, some of which have been passed on to Hezbollah. According to information received by Israel, Russia is set to conclude a deal worth several hundred million dollars transferring thousands of advanced antitank missiles to Syria. Antitank missiles used by Hezbollah during Israel's war in Lebanon this past summer devastated Israeli tanks and caused the highest number of Israeli troop casualties during the 34 days of military confrontations. Last week, a senior officer from the intelligence unit of the Israeli Defense Forces announced Hezbollah is stronger today than before the 2006 Lebanon war. "Hezbollah has reinforced and it is stronger today than it was before the war in Lebanon," General Yossi Beidatz, head of the IDF's intelligence research department, told the Knesset. During the war in Lebanon, Hezbollah fired more than 3,000 rockets into northern Israel, killing 39 civilians and devastating many northern towns. Beidatz also said Syria is reinforcing its military to prepare for the possibility of a new armed conflict in the region. According to reports in the Israeli media, Syria, aided by Iranian officers, has been boosting its army and navy. The reports, denied by Damascus, claimed Syria last week was moving troops closer to the border with Israel. The claim by Palestinian terrorists Iran is preparing for war come as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday his country's nuclear program cannot stop while a deputy foreign minister vowed Tehran was prepared for any eventuality, "even for war." "Iran has obtained the technology to produce nuclear fuel and Iran's move is like a train ... which has no brake and no reverse gear," Ahmadinejad said, according to Iranian state media. Manouchehr Mohammadi, a deputy at Iran's foreign ministry commented, "We have prepared ourselves for any situation, even for war." Iranian military commanders have said recent war games, the latest of which involved testing several missiles this month, show Iran's readiness to counter any attack. Meanwhile U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said over the weekend Iran's atomic ambitions must be curbed. He told reporters "all options" were on the table. During a visit to Australia, Cheney said it would be a "serious mistake" to allow Iran to become a nuclear power. An Australian newspaper quoted Cheney endorsing comments by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that the only thing worse than a military confrontation with Iran would be a nuclear-armed Iran. Iran ignored last week's United Nations deadline to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to fuel for nuclear power plants or produce material for warheads. Tehran claims it wants to negotiate but has repeatedly ruled out suspending its atomic program. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | See any reason why Israel might attack Damascus? I would imagine that Syria would participate in the Gog/Magog invasion, but they are missing from the list of prominent attackers. You might think Syria would be part of that group since they're so heavily involved now... unless Israel attacked them first, prompting a backlash from Iran, Russia, and Turkey. Given the fear of Syria's missiles, they would want to wipe those out first in a pre-emptive attack. It may not happen that way, but keep watching it will happen. Report: Hizbullah readying for war (February 26, 2007) - The Shiite group Hizbullah is building a new line of defenses in the United Nations-controlled zone in south Lebanon in preparation for a potential conflict with Israel, the Times of London reported Monday. Hizbullah gunmen have been guarding valleys and hillsides north of the Litani River where a military build-up is taking shape, merely six months since the end of last summer's confrontation with Israel. United Nations Resolution 1701, which ended the fighting, mandated a 12,000-strong international peacekeeping force to deploy south of the Litani River and stipulated that the Shiite group should have no visible presence there. The Times reported that Christian and Druze-owned land is being purchased by a Shia businessman, a move Hizbullah's opponents believe is aimed at creating a Shia-populated belt south of the Litani where the group can operate safely. “The state of Hizbullah is already in existence in south Lebanon,” the Druze leader and arch Hizbullah critic Walid Jumblatt told The Times. “There have been no instances of attempts to smuggle weapons into the area,” said Milos Strugar, a senior adviser for the UN force in Lebanon, adding that no armed fighters had been seen since September, the Times said. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Do you see how peace is coming from the West and war from the East? They are coming about the same time and I think that fits perfectly into scripture because Ezekiel 38 places the attack by Iran, Turkey, Russia, and others when Israel is dwelling in safety in the land. When God destroys the attackers with fire and brimstone from heaven, then Israel will turn back to God in the only way they know, the way of their forefathers. Christ blinded them at the triumphal entry because they didn't recognize the time of His visitation as prophesied in Daniel 9. They are blinded until the fullness of the Gentiles and through that fall, salvation came to the Gentiles. Romans 11 So I expect to see the EU work its magic in the Middle East to stop the violence of Islam and gain the recognition of Israel by her Muslim neighbor governments. At the very least, bring safety to Israel, if only for a short time. EU plans to renew aid to PA once int'l terms have been met (February 26, 2007) - The European Union has formulated a plan to renew economic aid to the Palestinian Authority, if and when the new unity government agrees to meet international demands. According to the program, the details of which were handed over to Israel, Europe is prepared to grant humanitarian and economic aid to the Palestinians. The program also includes "economic construction" to help bolster Palestinian governmental capabilities, as well as aid to build institutions for a new state, to create a legal system and support for a "blue" police force. If the Palestinians agree to international demands, the current system of humanitarian aid - a program known as the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM), which bypasses contacts with Hamas - will be replaced with the International Mechanism, a program which will deal directly with the Palestinian government. The program was presented and well-recieved last week during a summit of the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators. European leaders have told PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that the new unity government must clearly meet international demands to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept interim peace deals for sanctions to end, Abbas aides said on Sunday. "We have asked the Europeans to help us lift the sanctions but their response was that the Palestinian government must be clear in its acceptance of the Quartet conditions," senior Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said after a European tour in which Abbas sought support for his power-sharing deal with Hamas Islamists. Israel on Sunday welcomed the European Union's initial reaction to the Palestinian deal, saying European leaders remain committed to their demands of any Palestinian government. Meanwhile, Egypt on Sunday rejected imposing any conditions on the new Palestinian unity government and said it was up to the Palestinians to convince key international mediators to end the U.S.-led financial sanctions. Jordan's King Abdullah has said there was common Arab ground that the unity government must adhere to the demands of the Quartet. The king's remarks in an interview broadcast on Saturday cast doubts on the willingness of major Arab donors to sidestep a U.S.-led embargo of the Hamas-led government. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Recognition of Israel and stopping the violence are conditions to money flow to the PA. The moderate nations of Islam are in agreement with the quartet putting forth these conditions. They need outside funding and support to survive because they can't govern themselves as has been clearly seen in history. Look at what happened in Gaza once Israel pulled out. For instance, they left standing a greenhouse facility for the PA to utilize. The first thing they did was tear it apart and scrap it. They can't keep from fighting amongst themselves for power and wealth. They clearly don't have the common people in mind. They are pawns used to try and lay claim to what they have no claim to. Read From Time Immemorial: The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict over Palestine by Joan Peters for more detail on the history of the land of Israel and the false claims to it by Islam. There is also an asserted effort by Islam to cover up and destroy any and all evidence of Jewish existence on the Temple Mount. The piles of rubble they carted out from there are full of archaeological evidence of Israel's existence there. Yet the world drones on in the loudest mantra they hear out of fear, turning against Israel in favor of those who kill each other and war against those who don't accept Allah. What gets me is that these people favor appeasement even as "death to America" is chanted by the very people they're trying to appease! I guess it's true, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. I believe Romans 1:16-32 speaks directly to the humanist liberal mindset that permeates the world today. Olmert: Prepare for war with Syria (February 25, 2007) - While chances for all-out war with Syria in 2007 are deemed low by Israel's top intelligence officials, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert instructed the defense establishment on Sunday to prepare for the possibility. The cabinet heard intelligence assessments from the Mossad, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), Military Intelligence, the National Security Council and the Foreign Ministry. Military Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin opened the briefing and told the ministers that "Israel is surrounded by negative processes... that create more instability in the Middle East than in the past." Yadlin and Mossad head Meir Dagan agreed that the chances for war with Syria are low, but they differed concerning the sincerity of Damascus's calls for peace talks. Yadlin said the chances that Syria would initiate an all-out conventional war "like the Yom Kippur and Six Day Wars" was low, although it was likely that President Bashar Assad would respond aggressively to any Israeli action along the border. In June, IAF warplanes buzzed Assad's summer home to convey a message to Syria to use its influence with Hamas to release captive IDF Cpl. Gilad Schalit. The overflight prompted no reaction from Syria, but intelligence officials told the cabinet Sunday that if such a flight was made now, it would be met with an aggressive Syrian response. "The chances for a full-scale Syrian-initiated war are low," Yadlin told the ministers. "The chances are high, however, that Syria would respond militarily to Israeli acts." Dagan agreed, saying in his briefing he did not believe Israel would go to war in 2007. He supported the IDF's forecast that while Syria would not initiate a war, it would respond to Israel operations. He refrained from elaborating, but officials said that war could erupt in response to a renewed conflict with Hizbullah or to IDF action in Syria. "I want us to be ready, even in the areas where the probability for a conflict are low," Olmert told the ministers, adding that in the next few weeks, he plans to begin a series of security consultations on practical conclusions drawn from the annual intelligence assessment. Military Intelligence warned the global Jihad movement saw Israel as a target, and that Sunni-Shi'ite tensions could spread throughout the region. more... | Israel | Islam | Israel seeks all clear for Iran air strike (February 25, 2007) - Israel is negotiating with the United States for permission to fly over Iraq as part of a plan to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, The Daily Telegraph can reveal. To conduct surgical air strikes against Iran's nuclear programme, Israeli war planes would need to fly across Iraq. But to do so the Israeli military authorities in Tel Aviv need permission from the Pentagon. A senior Israeli defence official said negotiations were now underway between the two countries for the US-led coalition in Iraq to provide an "air corridor" in the event of the Israeli government deciding on unilateral military action to prevent Teheran developing nuclear weapons. "We are planning for every eventuality, and sorting out issues such as these are crucially important," said the official, who asked not to be named. "The only way to do this is to fly through US-controlled air space. If we don't sort these issues out now we could have a situation where American and Israeli war planes start shooting at each other." As Iran continues to defy UN demands to stop producing material which could be used to build a nuclear bomb, Israel's military establishment is moving on to a war footing, with preparations now well under way for the Jewish state to launch air strikes against Teheran if diplomatic efforts fail to resolve the crisis. The pace of military planning in Israel has accelerated markedly since the start of this year after Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, provided a stark intelligence assessment that Iran, given the current rate of progress being made on its uranium enrichment programme, could have enough fissile material for a nuclear warhead by 2009. more... | Iran | Israel | Survey: 75 percent of Israelis want to join the EU (February 25, 2007) - A survey carried out by the Israeli office of a German political foundation has found that three quarters of Israelis would like to see Israel join the EU. The study by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s Israel office and conducted by KEEVOON Research, Strategy & Communications, also revealed that Germany has a very favorable image among Israelis, with 67 percent seeing Germany in a positive light and the same number saying they would like to see a more dominant Germany within the EU. The poll came just a few weeks after Germany took over the presidency of the European Union and promised to place the Middle East peace process high on the agenda. The Germans also placed emphasis on the importance of the EU partnership programme which promotes ties between the eU and non-member states such as Israel. This is the first comprehensive poll that was sanctioned after the Quartet Peace Initiative that examined Israeli attitudes towards the EU and not EU attitudes towards Israel. Dr. Lars Hänsel, Director of the KAS Israel office said: "The results show how deep the German-Israeli bond is and will help to bring Europe and Israel even closer. Germany is committed to Israel’s security having recently sent Peace-keeping forces to the shores off Lebanon to help protect Israel and subsidized the sale of three Dolphin class submarines to the Israeli Navy. This poll proves that Israelis want to strengthen the German-Israel ties, too". Further results from the poll showed that Germany is one of the EU countries with the most positive image amongst Israelis. Accordingly, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is one of the most favored in Israel (50 percent favorable as opposed to 9 percent unfavorable). Israelis also believe that Merkel’s election as the first woman Chancellor improves Germany’s image throughout the world (60 percent). The poll also discovered the strong patriotic sentiments in Israel and showed that despite the fact that 77 percent of Israelis feel that Israel is not on the right track, only 11 percent would immigrate to Europe if given EU citizenship. more... | Israel | EU/UN | This is exactly what the Bible talks about, a beast with 10 horns representing 10 kings who give their power to the little horn. The EU has 10 voting members who have elected Javier Solana as their High Representative. The EU, with Javier in the lead, is now pushing this peace in the Middle East that everyone seems to be going for except the radical elements. These are the groups I believe the man of sin will go forth conquering in order to bring peace and security. Eventually, all religious fundamentalist believers will come under his attacks, including Christians and Jews. However, I believe it will remain focused on the clear radical elements in Islam for now. Once that peace is developed and Israel is living in safety, that's when Ezekiel 38,39 spells out the Gog/Magog invasion. I believe that God saving Israel from that sudden attack will be what prompts Jews worldwide to Aliyah as well as demanding the temple be rebuilt as well as a return to the daily sacrifice once the rebuilding is accomplished. Islam, having just been spanked, won't be in a condition to stand against God, but once their messiah shows up in the form of the antichrist, they will see themselves powerful enough to accomplish their goal of the destruction of Israel. God will allow it, but with the promise of the saving of the remnant of Israel in the wilderness. The bottom line is though, that Israel's wide acceptance of the EU and desire to participate will eventually spell disaster for them since this group only appears peaceful and once the restrainer allows the revealing of the man of sin, the EU and the world will turn on Israel in a most vicious way. Pray for Israel! A Web of Peace Herb L. Peters (February 24, 2007) - Traveling close to icebergs can be dangerous. That's because friendly looking icebergs can roll over at any time. When they roll, because most of their huge mass is hidden beneath a calm surface, the event can be surprising and violent. Well, our lull in the prophecy related news appears over. And once again, I'm scrambling to fit the new pieces. While posting the links to this morning's news Read about it here I Here I Here I And here, I struggled for a way to describe what we're seeing. It's obvious that today many of the news reports coming from the Middle East and Europe are, in one fashion or another, related. But, figuring out exactly how they're related isn't always easy. The description that came to mind was, A Web of Peace. I think that's what we're seeing. And, I think Israel is the target. All serious students of Bible prophecy should be standing up and taking notice. These Arab peace summits are unprecedented. So is Israel's desire for bringing about a permanent end to the Palestinian conflict. The interesting thing is, as far as many in the so-called "moderate" world community are concerned, the remaining stumbling blocks to finding lasting peace in the Middle East are religious in nature -- with the Hamas part of the new Palestinian government, and with powerful political elements within American. Perhaps that's one reason Jordan's King Abdulla II will soon be pitching the 2002 Arab Peace Plan before a joint session of the U.S. Congress Read about it here I And here. Friends, I believe we are seeing the end-time prophecies being fulfilled before our eyes. And if so, this naturally brings up many important questions. Right now we'll only consider one: As we see the prophecies being fulfilled, how should we respond to those who are involved? I believe the Bible provides us a clear answer. From the cross, Jesus asked His Father to forgive His killers because they didn't know what they were doing (Luke 23:34). And Paul explains why. He says our enemy is not flesh and blood, but the spiritual powers of wickedness in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). So, we believers today should see things no differently. Yes, I believe we're seeing a web of peace -- false peace -- being spun around Israel, just like the Bible so long ago foretold. If so, it won't be long until all the final events of Bible prophecy will happen. If by now you're not a believer, your odds of experiencing eternal life are growing slimmer by the moment. When Jesus appears, our time of grace will be over; the friendly looking iceberg will suddenly roll. And unbelief and ignorance will be no excuse. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner to Visit the Middle East PDF (February 23, 2007) - On the eve of her visit, Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said, "We all have an interest in maintaining the political momentum of recent weeks. I look forward to discussing with all parties how we can each play our part in keeping the hope of progress towards peace in the Middle East alive." She added, "Through the ENP the EU offers its neighbors a privileged relationship that brings advantages to both sides. It strengthens our co-operation in areas of mutual interest like trade relations, energy, migration and visa issues and people to people contacts. Through our joint Action Plans, we are deepening our political relationships and economic integeration - supporting reforms where they are needed, always in line with each country's own priorities for itself." Continues with itinerary... more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | The EU views the ENP as the tool to bring economic prosperity dependent upon participation in peaceful trade, etc. Can you see how this could bring about a false peace in the Middle East? There's money involved, which will bring people to the table that wouldn't come without incentive since many of them refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. How trustworthy are those "peacemakers?" Outward appearances to those who don't pay attention to what they are saying may think things are turning around. The truth is that they've been blindfolded by the controlled media whom they trust. Many believe if it's really important, the news will cover it. However, the Bible is quite clear that the majority of people in the world do not believe in the True God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It also describes a people of this world who are so wrapped up in their world that they don't see the sudden destruction coming upon them and they won't escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Have you obtained salvation by our Lord Yeshua the Christ? Peretz urges Israel to avoid verbal escalation with Syria (February 22, 2007) - Responding to a Haaretz report that Syria is boosting its army and moving troops closer to its border with Israel, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Thursday that Israel should refrain from making further statements regarding Syria, and urged officials to avoid a verbal escalation of tensions. Speaking at his weekly meeting with Defense Ministry officials, Peretz said that the situation would be assessed based on concrete information, and that the army would prepare itself as necessary. Earlier Thursday, Israel Radio quoting Syrian parliament member Mohammed Habash as denying the Haaretz report. According to the radio, Habash told the Dubai-based Al Arabiya satellite channel that nothing has changed in terms of troop size along the border, but "Syria is fully prepared for any situation [that may develop]." Habash warned that should "Israel decide to do something stupid, it would pay a heavy price." Addressing the charge that Syria's military buildup is being funded by Iran, the radio quoted Habash as saying that the "cooperation between Damascus and Tehran is no secret, as both are being faced with a direct threat." The Syrian armed forces are being strengthened in an unprecedented way in recent memory with the help of generous funding from Iran and its troops appear to be moving closer to the border with Israel. The Syrians are bolstering their forces in all areas except the air force, which has been believed to be weak for some time. The main emphasis of the efforts has been missiles and long-range rockets to compensate for the weak air force. The Syrian navy, after years of neglect, is also being reinforced with an Iranian version of a Chinese anti-ship missile, similar to the one used by Hezbollah during the second Lebanon war to strike the Israeli destroyer INS Hanit. In addition to the overall strengthening of the armed forces in Syria, there has been a redeployment of forces along the front lines. It appears that the Syrians have moved forces closer to the border with Israel on the Golan Heights. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This tension could very well build up to the destruction of Damascus prophesied in Isaiah 17. Keep watching! Lull In The Race Herb L. Peters (February 22, 2007) - I'm accustom to lulls in the prophecy related news. But this one feels different. It's more like a lull in a race. You may recall, as we approached the year 2007, the prophecy related news was coming so fast that it was difficult to adjust to it. Yet after the first of the year, it's like we all slipped into neutral. Going into the new year, my attention has been on the Middle East peace process. That's because we've seen an entire series of events in Europe, the Middle East and the broader international community that seem to match quite well the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. And these events point in one direction -- that we're soon going to see the final remaining events of end-time prophecy. What frustrates me is how so few of God's people are able to see it. But, I guess it's to be expected. The Bible tells us that, when the end-time comes, most believers will only listen to teachers who tell them what they want to hear (2 Timothy 4:1-4). And believe me, hardly no one wants to hear the message I'm bringing. At times I don't even like it myself. Nevertheless, facts are facts. And it's only the facts that I've been reporting. The way I see it, the stage may now be set for all the final events of prophecy. I can find no political or scriptural reason to say that it isn't. Sure, some disagree. But so far no one has been able to show me from either Scripture or the world stage where I'm wrong. What people may not realize is I wish someone could. In fact, you may recall it was while I was praying for God to send me someone who could show me where I was wrong that I stumbled on the Western European Union's Assembly Recommendation 666. Let's look again at the events. Israel was reborn in 1948. The Roman Empire began reviving in 1950. The Western European Union became an alliance of 10 nations in 1995. The first Mr. Europe appeared among the 10 nations and the reviving Roman Empire in 1999. After completing a covenant with many nations -- including Israel -- back in 1995, the first Mr. Europe began confirming his covenant with many for a seven-year period on January 1, 2007. And that's why, since the first of the year, I've been watching the Middle East peace process so closely. Don't underestimate these events. The only reason the U.S. and Israel haven't already walked from the recent peace initiatives is because neither have anywhere to go. U.S. support may only be around a little longer and Israel is desperately shopping a long-term peace. New power blocs are forming in the south, north, east and west, anticipating a possible American withdrawal. Last summer's war and political scandals have weakened Israel and removed options leaving Israel's leaders with almost nowhere to turn. Adding to the mix, Iran has become Israel's and the international community's nightmare of nightmares. Yes, there may be a lull in the prophecy related news. But after all the amazing events that we have witnessed so far, this one feels different to me. It's more like a lull in the race. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Keep watching with Herb. He is being used of God to speak the truth about the times we live in. I will try to keep bringing this information to you in the newsletter, but I recommend you also get involved in watching directly from his site and get involved with the conversations with other believers on his bulletin board. (FYI: I recommend using a hotmail account to set up your user on the board. Comcast seems to block the e-mails from Herb's website automatically so you won't be able to validate your account because you won't get the e-mail.) Arab ministers interested in relations with Israel (February 22, 2007) - Senior Arab officials on Thursday evening expressed their desire "to advance together toward recognition and normalizing relations with Israel." The remark was made in a joint statement issued at the end of a Spanish-Arab conference in Madrid hosted by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. The conference was attended by 19 members of the Arab League, including the foreign ministers of Syria, Yemen, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Tunisia. In the statement, the officials expressed their hope that the Mecca agreement signed between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah would lead to the establishment of a national unity government in the Palestinian Authority, "which could contribute to finding a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." Moratinos said that the agreement expressed in the joint statement reemphasized the vision expressed in the 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut, but that in the meantime Israel pulled out from the Gaza Strip. Palestinian official Nabil Shaath called on the West to stop the boycott on the Hamas-led government, which he called "unfair and illegal" and harming peace efforts. At the start of the conference, Moratinos called for an end to negative perceptions diving the West and the Arab world and contributing to the creation of Islamophobia and anti-Western feelings. He said that he country wanted to work together with the European Union in order to enable a Palestinian government to be a partner for a dialogue with the international community. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Here is another example of the sudden shift in Middle East politics since the ENPI went into effect at the beginning of 2007. There are several reasons for it, one of which is the ENPI and serious push by the EU to bring about peace in the Middle East. With the funding through the ENPI, I believe that it has brought groups to the table for talks. Bible prophecy lays out two paths that intersect several times leading up to the abomination of desolation. One path is an apparent peace for Israel and rest that she so desperately desires. Israel will accept this peace. The other path is that of the people who have no problem making their hatred for the Jews known. I think this is all Satan's little chess game. Both paths, peace and war, are actually interlinked and run by the same dark spirit. By being in control of both and playing them off each other, that which is controlled by evil can appear good and deceive those so desperately desiring peace. I think radical Islam will be used so that the antichrist can go forth conquering by peace (subduing the radical elements). This makes him look like the good guy while biding his time for the restrainer to allow his revealing at the abomination of desolation. It also has another positive effect for his plans. Ultimately the antichrist will turn against all religious fundamentalism, including Christians and Jews, in favor of bringing about worship of himself. By Islam claiming sole ownership of the truth and acting as it does, time will eventually allow association of all religions claiming sole ownership of the truth to that kind of radicalism. In this way, the war will be turned to them.
Hamas’s Military Wing: Truce Is Over
(February
21, 2007) - Hamas’s Kassam Brigade have declared an end
to a cease-fire with Israel, according to a statement released
on Wednesday evening [February 21]. The call to end the truce
appeared on Hamas’s official Web site, in both English and
Arabic, and is the first time in months that Palestinian armed
forces directly under the control of the Hamas government openly
threatened to attack Israel. Abu Obaida, spokesman for the
Kassam Brigade, said in the statement that “the truce with the
Israeli occupation is no longer valid,” citing the assassination
of Islamic Jihad commander Mahmoud Qassem as the reason. He was
shot dead in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] by Israeli Border
Police on Tuesday, after security forces traced a foiled suicide
bomb attack planned for Tel Aviv back to him. Preparing Armageddon Herb L. Peters (February 17, 2007) - John Walvoord points out that there are four blocs of nations that will converge on Israel in the final days of end-time prophecy. They are a southern alliance of nations (in relation to Israel), a northern alliance, an eastern alliance, and a western alliance (The Nations in Prophecy, page 103). What strikes me about today's news is, that's exactly what appears to be forming. Let's begin with the new military alliance being formed by a powerful king south of Israel. In our first report we read: Pakistan will play a pivotal role in a Saudi-devised strategy to build a strong Sunni block to counter the perceived growing influence in the Middle East of Shiites led by Iran, diplomatic sources in Islamabad have told Adnkronos International (AKI). The strategy includes the creation of a multinational Muslim peacekeeping force comprising troops from core Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) member states Saudi King of South. I've also been reporting how Putin's Russia has been pursuing a new, more aggressive strategy in the Middle East. In this report we read: Russia is returning to the [Middle East] region with a visage that bears hardly any resemblance to the Soviet era. Russia today is vastly leaner, more agile, resourceful and imaginative than previously. It has evidently done a lot of homework as to where things went wrong in the Soviet era. Putin's visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan in the past week harnesses a one-year period of extraordinary success in Russia's Middle East policy Russian King of North. In the east we find a new alliance forming against American interests between China, India and Russia. Here we read: In the communique issued at the end of the meeting, the foreign ministers of China, Russia and India call for the democratization of international relations. They praised multi-polarization based on equality among all countries, and mutual respect of each other's sovereignty and territory integrity China and India, Kings of East. And at the same time, we find a new European leader from an alliance of nations to Israel's west calling for much the same things as the leaders in the east. The western leaders says: The nature of the problems thrown up by globalisation mean there is no alternative to multilateral co-operation. But we need new forms, which reflect the problems and power distribution of today's world rather than that of 1945. For us in the West, it also means making space at top tables. At the UN Security Council of course. But also in terms of IMF votes. And, why not, G-8 membership? EU King of West pdf As I thought about these four blocs, I realized that all four include nuclear powers. And, all four are very interested in securing for themselves the important energy supplies of the Middle East. It's really no wonder that we're seeing these alliances now forming. And preparing Armageddon. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Russia straddles Sunni-Shi'ite divide (February 17, 2007) - "We see that new 'Berlin Walls' are being erected. Instead of a common space, what we see is that this 'Berlin Wall' is simply being shifted further east and that new bases are being established." These were Russian President Vladimir Putin's words in a media interview in Moscow last week. Never before had Putin come so close to acknowledging that he has heard the drumbeat of the "cold warriors" in the West. That Putin chose an Arab media outlet to make such a stark description should come as no surprise. Of all regions, it is in the Middle East that the tensions that have been accruing in Russia-US relations over recent years have begun outstripping other turfs - the Black Sea, the Caspian, the Caucasus, Central Asia. The Middle East is also a region where it is to Russia's advantage tactically to differentiate its policies from those of the West. Russia-US discord in the Middle East has picked up the thread from where the two powers left off some two decades ago. But Russia is returning to the region with a visage that bears hardly any resemblance to the Soviet era. Russia today is vastly leaner, more agile, resourceful and imaginative than previously. It has evidently done a lot of homework as to where things went wrong in the Soviet era. Putin's visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan in the past week harnesses a one-year period of extraordinary success in Russia's Middle East policy. It all began last March when a Hamas delegation led by Khaled Meshaal was hosted by Moscow. The event was a loud declaration that Russia was returning to big-time politics. Israel promptly protested that the Russian act was a "real knife in the back". But Moscow was undeterred. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov affirmed, "The talks in Moscow are not a one-off action." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Is it any wonder Russia will be part of the Turkey/Iran attack on Israel? 2,000-year-old date seed grows in the Arava (February 15, 2007) - The wind ruffles the leaves of the date sapling in its planter, and Dr. Elaine Soloway quickly shields it. "There's only one plant like this in the world, and I'm still worried about it," she says. Methuselah - that is the sapling's name - is indeed unique. In 2005, Soloway, from Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava, germinated it from a 2,000-year-old date seed found at Masada. For the past two millennia, since approximately the time of the Great Revolt of the Jews against the Romans, in 66-73 C.E., the seed lay dormant, until Soloway and her team breathed life into it, making it the oldest seed ever to germinate. For two years, the seed was kept in isolation in a plant nursery to protect it from the modern diseases to which it would have been vulnerable. Now that it is stronger, Soloway is planning on transplanting it. "I think it has a future," she says. Last week, Methuselah underwent chronological testing, using the radioactive isotope Carbon-14, which confirmed that the tree grew from a seed that lived when the Romans ruled the land. If the sapling continues to flourish, Soloway believes they will be able to renew a species of date that grew in the Kingdom of Judea at that time. Soloway says the type of date grown by ancient Judeans disappeared in the centuries following the repression of the revolt. Dates presently grown in Israel were brought here from other countries in the Middle East, particularly Iraq, and do not derive from ancient stock. more... | Israel | Read Ezekiel 36:8-15. Putin calls for convening broad int'l conference on Mideast issues (February 14, 2007) - Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin called here on Tuesday for convening a new broad international conference on Middle East issues which all concerned parties, including Lebanon and Syria, should participate in. At a joint press conference with Jordan's King Abdullah II after their talks, Putin said, "We confirm our call for a broad international conference in the Middle East and we see the number of supporters of this proposal growing." "But it should be well prepared and the agenda should include the Palestinian and the Lebanese Syrian tracks," said Putin, who arrived in Jordan late on Monday on the final leg of his regional tour. The two leaders vowed in their talks to exert efforts and further cooperate to achieve a Palestinian-Israeli settlement and turn the Middle East into a zone free from weapons of mass destruction. Putin said Russia, a member of the Quartet on the Middle East, would "use its influence in the region, its special relations with Arab friends and Israel" to achieve a settlement. The Russian president is due to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, currently on a visit to Amman, later in the day to discuss ways to revive the long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | As Herb Peters stated in His post, Like Reading the Bible, "it appears possible part of Putin's new Middle East strategy could be to lure Israel into her foretold false sense of security." Damascus Masses Condemn Israeli Aggressions on al-Aqsa Mosque (February 13, 2007) - Damascus expressed in a mass rally Tuesday a vehement angry and condemnation over Israeli aggressions against al-Aqsa mosque. With the participation of political, economic, religious and social activities, Hundreds of thousands of citizens have come from Damascus city main axis till Youssef al-Azma square in Damascus down town, carrying Syrian flags, photos of President al-Assad and embodiments representing al-Aqsa mosque , as well as banners expressing the strong condemnation of the Israeli daily and continued crimes against the Palestinian people and Muslims holy places. The banners are reading as "here I am !at your service… Oh, Aqsa the first two Qiblateens", secondly "with our blood we sacrifice al-Aqsa" then " We demand the Islamic People to protect al-Aqsa " , and "We will not surrender to the Zionist and US plots" , in addition to "We bless the Palestinian national unity in face of Zionist Occupation ", finally "we are coming for liberating Golan". The demonstrators burned the Israeli flag, asserting their support to Syria's pan-Arab and national stances and to the sisterly Palestinian people and their just cause till liberating the land, restoring their legitimate rights and establishing the independent state as Jerusalem its capital. | Israel | Islam | Report: Saudi Arabia reaching out to Israel (February 12, 2007) - Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have been sending overtures to Israel and US Jews in a campaign aimed at countering Iran 's rising sway in the region and denting its nuclear program, USA Today reported Monday. Saudi Arabia is keen on shoring up its influence in the Middle East by brokering a unity deal between rival Palestinian factions and defusing tensions between the Hizbullah-led opposition and the western-backed government in Lebanon. Preventing Iraq from sliding into an all-out civil war is also on the agenda. The most evident sign of rapprochement came in the form of the attendance of Saudi Arabia's outgoing ambassador to the US to a ceremony in Washington held by American Jewish organizations in honor of a State Department official appointed to fight anti-Semitism. William Daroff of the United Jewish Communities told USA Today that Prince Turki al-Faisal's presence at the reception was "unprecedented." The paper reported that Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have made similar outreach gestures towards Israel and American Jews. The overtures have been blessed by the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who has said that six Gulf states, alongside Egypt, Jordan and Israel form a new moderate alignment to counter Iran and Syria, whom Washington accuses of supporting extremist groups like Hizbullah and Hamas. more... | Israel | Islam |
EU
Working Hard For Mid-East Peace
(February 12, 2007) -
This week EU foreign ministers are looking for
ways to expand funding to the Palestinian Authority. Last week
German Chancellor Angela Merkel went on a four-day tour of
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and some of the gulf states. Germany holds
the EU's rotating presidency, and is hoping to harness Ms
Merkel's growing stature as the EU's most influential leader, in
the twilight days of both Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac.
Officials and politicians in Berlin say she is assiduously
working on what she sees as the two big issues at the heart of
the crisis in the Middle East - Iran, and the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She has been particularly active,
they say, since the war in Lebanon last summer, pursuing a
relatively quiet but intensive diplomatic strategy and "working
the phones" to all the key players. Putin, Saudi king meet in landmark visit (February 12, 2007) - President Vladimir Putin of Russia held talks yesterday with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the first visit by a Russian leader to the kingdom. King Abdullah gave Putin, who accused the United States on Saturday of making the world a more dangerous place, a red carpet welcome. Prior to the talks urged Moscow to help revive the Arab-Israeli peace process. "There is no doubt that Russia has an important role in achieving peace," the king told Russia's Itar-Tass news agency ahead of the trip, which Moscow hopes will help restore Soviet-era links with the Middle Eastern region. Saudi media has said Moscow also wants to sell Riyadh, which enjoyed a record budget surplus of $78 billion last year on high oil prices, military hardware including tanks, and antimissile systems as well as win a tender to expand Saudi railways. Putin's trip highlights a growing connection between the two nations after the king's visit to Moscow in 2003. Riyadh revived its ties with Moscow in 1990 as the communist Soviet era ended. The two nations first established diplomatic ties in the 1920s. King Abdullah had said he hoped Putin's visit would further cooperation on oil and in investment and air transport, but he gave no details. Ahead of the visit, Putin criticized the United States, saying Washington was making the world a more dangerous place by pursuing policies aimed at making it the "one single master." His remarks coincided with disagreement between Russia and the United States over the Iraq war and the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Abbas looks forward to Rice meeting with Israeli PM (February 11, 2007) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday he hoped an upcoming meeting between Israel's prime minister and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would jump start a permanent peace process. Abbas, who met with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo, said the Feb. 19 meeting with Rice and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would "lay the features of the road to start the permanent peace process." He also said the meeting would help the so-called Quartet — whose members are the U.S., EU, U.N. and Russia — play a more active role in promoting Mideast peace in their meeting in Berlin on Feb. 21. But Abbas declined to say whether he thought the United States and Israel would accept an accord he signed with his rival, the militant group Hamas, establishing a Palestinian coalition government. The new government "should commit itself to it in spirit and letter without going into details, expressing other opinion or elaborating about this issue," Abbas told reporters. The accord said the new government would "respect" past peace deals signed with Israel by the Palestine Liberation Organization, now led by Abbas. But the United States and Israel have demanded the new government explicitly renounce violence, recognize Israel and agree to uphold past peace accords. Since the deal was signed late Thursday in the Saudi city of Mecca, Palestinian officials have been trying to persuade the international community to embrace the deal and lift crippling sanctions on their government. Olmert said Sunday his government had "urgent consultations" over the weekend about the deal, but had not decided whether to reject or accept the agreements. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Temple Mount | America | 2 earthquakes felt in Israel (February 10, 2007) - Two earthquakes measuring 3.6 and 4.5 on the Richter Scale were felt from the Negev Desert to the Sharon region in central Israel at around 12:15 a.m. Saturday. No injuries or damage were reported. Rami Hofstetter of the Geophysical Institute of Israel told Ynet that the earthquakes were small to moderate in magnitude, adding that the epicenter was on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea. The earthquakes occurred about a minute apart, he said. “The chair I was sitting on began to wobble,” a Rishon Letzion resident recounted, “but the house itself did not shake.” Aharon Deutch of Tel Aviv told Ynet “I live on the 6th floor; I was lying in bed when I felt the room start shaking.” A Netanya resident said the earthquake that hit the area lasted about two minutes. In 2004 an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter Scale rattled the country; several injuries were reported and a number of buildings were damaged. more... | Israel | Earth Changes | Lebanon to use seized Hizbullah arms to fight Israel (February 10, 2007) - The Lebanese army will use weapons seized from the Shiite group Hizbullah to fight Israel in case of any future violation of Lebanese sovereignty, Defense Minister Elias Murr said. "The truck and its content are now with the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon ," Murr said in reference to a truck carrying Hizbullah arms -- including Grad rockets -- seized east of Beirut on Thursday. "If Israel carries out another violation, we will use these weapons to confront it," he told reporters on Friday after a meeting with the commander of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, Major General Claudio Graziano. Murr said he told Graziano that "the Lebanese army deployed in southern Lebanon has orders to confront Israeli forces in case of any new violation" of Lebanese sovereignty. Lebanese and Israeli troops clashed across the border on Wednesday for the first time in decades, causing no casualties. The incident was sparked by Israeli sappers moving towards the border to clear unexploded ordnance. UN chief Ban Ki-Moon called for restraint, saying the clashes breached the ceasefire that ended Israel's devastating war against Hizbullah last year. Hizbullah senior official Mohamad Yazbeck reiterated on Friday that the seized truck was carrying munitions destined for his group's fighters and asked for the weaponry to be returned. "The security and judicial authorities should return the truck which was carrying arms for the Resistance from the (eastern) Bekaa to the south," he said at Friday prayers in the eastern city of Baalbek. more... | Israel | Islam |
Iran Consults With Russia On Security
(February 9, 2007) -
Yesterday Russian President Vladimir Putin met in the Kremlin
with Ali Akbar Velayati, the personal envoy of Iranian Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran is making a concerted
effort to convince Moscow to lend its support in Iran's standoff
with Washington. To show the seriousness of its intentions, Iran
yesterday carried out a test of a Russian anti-aircraft Top-M1
missile system, and the country's top spiritual leader
threatened to strike "at American interests around the world."
Tehran is making its bid for the goodwill of the Russian
president on the eve of an international security summit in
Munich, at which President Putin is scheduled to give the
keynote address. Police, rioters clash on Temple Mount (February 9, 2007) - After police managed to contain Muslim riots near the Temple Mount in protest of Israeli excavations there, Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi explained the disturbances were sparked by a group of masked youths who managed to infiltrate the site despite the over-45 age restriction. A week of tensions reached its peak Friday afternoon, when police forced their way into the Temple Mount compound, firing stun grenades at rioters who hurled stones, Molotov cocktails and metal shards at policemen shortly after Friday prayers ended. Five Arab youths were arrested outside the Old City, police said, for hurling stones and inciting for violence. A total of 17 arrests were made. A number of worshipers who barricaded themselves inside the al-Aqsa Mosque to avoid police arrest were convinced by Arab MKs to vacate peacefully after police officer promised not to arrest them for throwing stones. Over 3,000 policemen were deployed in Jerusalem as police raised the level of alert. The controversial excavations were paused for the weekend, but were slated to resume Sunday. Until then, Karadi said, the police would assess the circumstances and make recommendations according to their conclusions. Jerusalem District Police chief Ilan Franco noted that the police’s decision to “break into the Temple Mount compound was difficult and complex – but justified.” “Police were on high alert all week and have enforced age restrictions for entry to the site since Sunday. We were on the highest alert today. We knew today’s events were planned and would test our forces,” Franco said. Police said all forces would leave the Temple Mount complex once the group evacuates the mosque, Islam's third holiest shrine. The Waqf, the religious Muslim endowment that rules the Temple Mount, warned police against storming the mosque to nab the suspects. Hadash MK Mohammad Barakeh demanded that Israel withdraw its "occupation forces" from the Temple Mount and "occupied Jerusalem," describing the police's confrontation with rioters as a deliberate act of aggression. "This government is determined to play with fire that will spill blood ... It is the Palestinians' right to protest at the provocative works near the al-Aqsa Mosque," Barakeh added. more... | Israel | Islam | Temple Mount | Is it really possible that the Jewish temple could be rebuilt soon given the uproar over just this excavating? If God destroys the Islamic armies who are coming to wipe out Israel with fire and brimstone from heaven as prophesied by Ezekiel thousands of years ago, I believe yes. Keep watching! The Biblical Roses Herb L. Peters (February 8, 2007) - When news came that Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf had begun touring the Middle East peddling his own peace initiative, I didn't pay much attention. Yet as the reports of his official visits began to mount Read about it here, I began taking notice. I realized there might be something more going on. The idea that came to me was the Western and moderate Arab leaders may feel they need a Muslim to carry foreword their peace scheme in the Muslim Middle East. But, even so, what was Musharraf proposing? Well, now we may know. Musharraf apparently is telling his fellow Muslim states, in order to establish the UN's "comprehensive" peace -- as called for in UN Resolution 1701, the time has come to recognize Israel Read about it here. Friends, I've been reporting the Middle East peace process since I began my newspaper columns in 1991. What we're seeing today is unprecedented in the history of the Israeli/Arab struggle. In my last commentary, I said it was time to wake up and smell the biblical roses. I was speaking to unbelievers. Today, I'm saying it to the church. What many don't realize is God sometimes gives us what we want, even when it's contrary to His will. In the book of Psalm we read: So they [children of Israel] ate and were well filled, and their desire He gave to them. Before they had satisfied their desire, while their food was in their mouths, the anger of God rose against them and killed some of their stoutest ones, and subdued the choice men of Israel (Psalm 78:29-31 New American Standard Bible). God allows us Christians to have the teachers we want too. Paul tells Timothy: For the time will come when they [professing Christians] will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires ( 2 Timothy 4:3). Hal Lindsey's, The Late Great Planet Earth, became a global, number one best seller. When I read it, I remember thinking the time wasn't right for the things to happen that Hal wrote about. My reasoning was, the Bible suggests the end time events will happen when God's people aren't watching. And at the time, Hal seemed to have the whole world watching. My book, Recommendation 666, records events happening in Europe and the Middle East almost exactly as Hal's book foresaw. And instead of being a number one best seller, I posted it for free to get more people to read it. But, if the events that I've been reporting are the fulfillment of the prophecies, this would be the very situation that I was expecting. Friends, if the Arab world is preparing to recognize Israel, it may be time for us Christians to smell the biblical roses. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Assad: 'Syria continues to back Hamas, Hizbullah' (February 8, 2007) - Syrian President Bashar Assad said "Syria would continue to support Hamas and Hizbullah," Israel Radio reported overnight Wednesday. Assad spoke in a two-day convention of the Ba'ath Party. He mentioned "the legitimate right of these groups to continue the resistance, until we regain occupied land." Sources in the convention quoted Assad as saying that peace throughout the Middle East would only come when Israel returned "stolen Arab land", including the Golan Heights. The Ba'ath convention precedes a referendum which is in effect the Syrian form of elections. Ba'ath sources expect the party, and Assad, to continue holding Syria's reins in the coming seven years. | Israel | Islam | Ahmadinejad warns of 'deterioration' (February 7, 2007) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Israel's excavation work at the Mugrabi gate near the Temple Mount was a "provocative action which would lead to the deterioration of hostilities in the region," the Fars news agency reported Wednesday evening. The Iranian president added that "destruction, conflict and tension constitute the nature of the Zionist regime." He also called on the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the world Muslim states to "foil the devilish plot of the Israeli regime," and slammed the United Nations over what he described as "their silence in the face of the incident." Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini echoed Ahmadinejad's statement, claiming that "the destruction of al-Aqsa was part of a premeditated plot against Muslims." A few hours earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the Jerusalem excavations and called on Islamic nations to retaliate against Israel. ''The world of Islam should show a serious reaction to the Zionist regime's insult to Al-Aqsa Mosque,'' Iranian state television quoted Khamenei as saying during a meeting with Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, leader of the Islamic Jihad organization. "Silence is not an option given these actions, the Muslim world must respond," said Khamenei. Khamenei did not say what sort of response he intended, but said Israel should be made to ''regret'' what it is doing. Khamenei also addressed the violent clashes within the Palestinian Authority: "Everyone, including the Palestinian factions and Islamic states, needs to make an effort to agree on a ceasefire soon so that the enemy's plot will fail." "Hizbullah's victory, the successes of Hamas and Iran's achievements all fulfill Allah's promises and fill the hearts of Muslims with hope and determination," said Khamenei. Meanwhile Damascus also condemned the Mugrabi works on Wednesday. A Syrian Foreign Ministry official told the state-run news agency that, "Syria strongly condemns these violations, and considers them a blatant affront to Muslim waqfs and the feelings of Muslims worldwide." Jordanian King Abdullah also had harsh words regarding the works on Tuesday: "Israeli excavation works near the al-Aqsa mosque in the holy city of Jerusalem have led to a dangerous rise in Middle East tensions and could derail revival of Arab-Israeli peace talks. "What Israel is doing in its practices and attacks against our sacred Muslim sites in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa is a blatant violation that is not acceptable under any pretext," the monarch was quoted by the state news agency Petra as saying. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | No Negotiations Regarding Mt. Zion (February 7, 2007) - Minister Yaakov Edry says that contacts will not be held with the Vatican over the transfer of the David's Tomb complex on Jerusalem's Mt. Zion. Despite the repeated requests by the Vatican, Edry said that Israel views the area as totally Israel and will not hold talks on the matter. Edry was responding to a Knesset query submitted by MK Yaakov Amsalem of United Torah Judaism. | Israel | RCC | Well it's good to see Israel stand up for her heritage and Promised Land. I think this shows that it won't take much for Israel to return to the ways of their fathers once they see God's real protection in the Gog/Magog invasion. I think that will be one of the defining moments in Israel's modern history and they will no more profane the name of God. Ezekiel 38,39
Work Starts Near Jerusalem Shrine (February
6, 2007) - Work has begun to repair an
ancient mound near Jerusalem's holiest site, raising tensions
between Palestinians and Israelis. The Israeli authorities say
the work is needed to restore a walkway leading to the al-Aqsa
Mosque or Temple Mount compound in East Jerusalem. Palestinian
leaders say it threatens Islamic archaeological remains. In
1996, work to open a tunnel alongside the compound sparked
clashes in which 80 people died.
And in 2000, the Palestinian uprising began at the mosque
following a controversial tour of the site by Israel's then
opposition leader Ariel Sharon. Israeli police are deployed
throughout East Jerusalem's mainly-Arab Old City area and are
blocking access to the compound to non-Muslims and
Palestinians under 45. A senior Muslim cleric urged
Palestinians to rush to the compound to protest against the
work at the so-called Dung Gate walkway. Echoing that call,
Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of the Hamas-led government
called for Palestinian unity amid factional fighting between
Hamas and its rival Fatah. The Islamic authorities in charge of the
compound say two underground rooms lie under the mound which
is due for levelling. The centuries-old walkway partially
collapsed in 2004. The current work is intended to secure the
area and protect archaeological artefacts that have not been
uncovered, Israeli officials say. The al-Aqsa is the third
holiest site in Islam, believed to be where the Prophet
Muhammad made an ascent to heaven into the presence of God.
The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism, believed to
be where Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God
and the location of Solomon's Temple. Israel captured East
Jerusalem in the 1967 war. Since then, the compound has
remained under Muslim jurisdiction in conjunction with
neighbouring Jordan. On Sunday, Jordan's King Abdullah warned
against "any attack on Islamic sites" and condemned Israeli
attempts "seeking to change the nature of these sites and
erase their Muslim character". |
Israel |
Islam |
Iran 'Prepared to Teach a Lesson to Possible Aggressors ... to Make Them Repent Forever' (February 6, 2007) - Iran's defense minister reportedly warned the U.S. that if it attacks, Tehran is ready to teach Americans a lesson that will make them "repent forever." Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, quoted Tuesday in an interview with the Algerian News Network, charged that U.S. troop presence in the region creates "crisis" and "insecurity" in the region, and called for the removal of American presence in the region. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) carried the defense minister's remarks on its Web site. Iran is "fully prepared to teach a lesson to possible aggressors," Mohammad-Najjar said. Iran is ready and willing to "confront any threat" from the U.S., and its "hostile approach" toward the country's nuclear installations, he added. "By resorting to psychological war, the U.S. attempts to exert pressure on Iran. But such methods will rather increase the problems and complications facing the American forces in the region," he said. Click here to read Islamic Republic News Agency version of the story. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | A Circle of Deals Herb L. Peters (February 5, 2007) - Today's geo-strategic puzzle is fascinating. I can see how those involved could become totally engrossed in the game. In order to bring peace to the Middle East -- which appears to be the goal -- a circle of inter related deals will have to be made and joined together. You see, all the players want something. So, the secret to peace in the Middle East is finding a way to give everybody what they want. For a starting point, there can be no Palestinian state without a unified Palestinian government. So, the international community wants an agreement found between rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah. However, Hamas continues to call for the destruction of Israel. Fatah, on the other hand, continues to refuse Israel's demand that a Palestinian state have temporary borders Read about it here. And U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appears to be shying from Israel's demand in favor of granting Fatah's call for permanent borders Read about it here. Looking at all these contrary desires, it seems unlikely a way can be found to make all players happy. However, even while all this negative news is pouring out, we find British Prime Minister Tony Blair saying a breakthrough in the Middle East peace process could soon be made Read about it here. When I read this, I thought about how the EU's Javier Solana recently said pretty much the same Read about it here. Friends, what do Blair and Solana know that we don't? Perhaps here is where we find our answer. Evidently, Solana is talking about another breakthrough. As you may recall, the EU and Russia have failed to reach agreement over energy. The EU depends on the vast flow of energy that only Russian can supply. But, Russia has begun making demands that alarm some EU member states. You see, Russian wants a strategic partnership with the EU -- one like the EU has with America. Nevertheless, according to Solana, a deal between the EU and Russia could finally be in the works Read about it here | And here. If so, that brings up an obvious question: What is Russia really getting in return? And as far as Solana making peace in the Middle East, there's more to consider. His new deal between the EU and Russia may bring us full circle back to a possible deal between Hamas and Fatah. You see, Hamas is controlled by Syria, and Syria already has a strategic partnership with Russia. Yes, it's a circle of deals. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | I believe we may be seeing the first seal happening before our eyes. Revelation 6:2, "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." Many people view "conquering" as having to do with war. I agree that this is usually what conquering takes. However, I would like to point out a couple things. First of all, Daniel 8:25 tells us about an antichrist named Antiochus IV. He was the cause of the Maccabean revolt that is celebrated by Israel every winter in a holiday called Hanukkah. This is what it says, "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." How do you destroy many by peace? I believe it will be a war on religious fundamentalism prompted by the terrist activities of radical Islam. Eventually, anyone who claims sole ownership of the truth, as the Bible does, will become part of this group who is destroyed in the name of peace and security. Also, from the Watchman Newsletter September 30, 2006 edition, Fascinating or Sensationalism: "A primary purpose for the Alliance Of Civilizations is to fight all forms of religious fundamentalism See 1st pdf here. Another AOC report even discusses the importance of symbols and calls for the creation -- in as many cities as possible -- of temples and houses of religions (plural). And, it calls for the AOC to be fully operational in 2010 -- the middle of the coming seven-year period See 2nd pdf here. And, if all of this is not enough to convince us, the events in the UN are also connected to Recommendation 666. You see, the AOC was introduced to the UN by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Zapatero is a member of the same Spanish Socialist Party as is Javier Solana -- the man who negotiated the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership for Peace (a covenant with many) and implemented the elements of Recommendation 666 into the EU." Do you see the pieces coming together??? Another thing of note for your research is Comet McNaught and how that may also be a sign in the heavens. Keep watching!!! Just Connecting Dots Herb L. Peters (February 2, 2007) - We all have dots. The problem is connecting them. But, it's my job to try. I don't believe the street fighting between Hamas and Fatah is independent from what happened at the Quartet meeting in Washington. I notice that the on again, off again, cease-fire is being negotiated by Fatah in Gaza and Hamas, not in Gaza, but Hamas' supreme leader in Syria. This report says: The cease-fire agreement was announced late Friday on the deadliest single day of battles between the two sides, who have been fighting for control of the Palestinian government since the Islamic militant Hamas ousted Fatah from power in last year's elections. Palestinian officials said the deal was approved by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Hamas' supreme leader, Khaled Mashaal. But the cease-fire - the second announced this week - showed no signs of taking hold Read about it here. Then at yesterday's gathering of the so-called Quartet, Russian's Sergey Lavrov surprised other members of the group with an off key solo. Lavrov insisted both Syria and Hamas had to be included in the negotiations for the creation of a Palestinian state Read about it here. The interesting thing here is, Russia has recently entered into new security arrangements with Syria. In other words, Syria has become a Russian proxy and Hamas a Syrian proxy. Now, if on the side Russia is singing trio with Syria and Hamas, what would Russia be wanting from the Quartet? Perhaps this interesting piece provides a possible answer. Quoting Lavrov: "There are alarming developments. The balance of conventional weapons in East and West has shifted considerably," he [Lavrov] said, noting most former members of the Soviet-aligned Warsaw Pact had joined NATO since the break-up of the Soviet Union. "And ultimately the military presence of the United States in Europe is becoming a strategic factor," he added. Lavrov reiterated Russian concerns about U.S. plans to site a missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic and noted there was little to separate this technology from systems that could be used for offensive purposes. "This is creating a completely new situation," he said. "We want to be told quite clearly why this is happening. We don't see any objective reason for this step" Read about it here. For the Israeli and the Palestinian people the sad fact is, even in the Quartet, the group of important international players that was created to bring peace to the tormented Middle East, personal interests remain the bottom line. Hamas wants to destroy Israel, Syria wants its way in Lebanon and the return of the Golan Heights, and Russia wants the growing strategic alliance between America and the EU to back away from her doorstep. That's why I suspect the fighting between Hamas and Fatah may be related to what happened at the Quartet meeting. For peace in the Middle East, a few more deals must be made. Just connecting dots. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | If Israel fulfilled Isaiah 17's destruction of Damascus, it would make sense that both Russia and Iran would have security agreements and be very close politically. Perhaps this then is the "hooks in the jaws" that bring them against Israel? Just a thought... Iranian Weapons Experts Arrested in Gaza, Ceasefire in Tatters ( February 2, 2007) - Five Iranian weapons experts were caught in a raid by Fatah loyalists late Thursday night, according to PA sources. One Iranian committed suicide during the operation. An Iranian general was reportedly one of those captured in the raid at the Islamic University in Gaza City, long considered a Hamas stronghold. No names or photos of the Iranian operatives have been released. Fierce battles between Hamas and Fatah continued on Friday, and at least another seven Gaza men were reported killed. Hamas operatives first killed two Fatah intelligence officers, and shortly afterwards, a number of Force 17 men stationed in a Fatah outpost were reported seriously wounded. Hamas fired mortar shells on Fatah positions throughout Gaza early Friday afternoon. Some 25 PA residents were wounded overnight as Fatah and Hamas warred for control of the government, tearing the ceasefire to tatters. Palestinian Authority officials called for Gazan residents to donate blood to help treat the many wounded. On Thursday, the Fatah forces also stormed and took control of Hamas-controlled PA government offices as well as setting fire to a building at the university. Between six and nine Palestinian Authority residents, including terrorists, were killed, and some 1,400 guns and missiles were found in the university and confiscated. Fatah officials said Ahmad Ja’abri, a Hamas commander believed to have planned the raid in which IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit was kidnapped last June, was seriously wounded during the raid. Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said Friday morning that Iran has been “very intensely involved [in] upgrading the professional capacity of the terrorist groups” in Gaza. Meanwhile, an Israeli security source sided with the Fatah version of yesterday's clash that left six Gazan Arabs dead. The Israeli source told Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman that the Egyptian truck convoy that entered Gaza in fact contained no weapons - just as Fatah had claimed. The convoy contained logistical equipment such as tents, chemical lavatories and cars, the source said. Hamas had claimed that the convoy contained weapons destined for Fatah, and therefore mounted a large-scale attack upon the trucks and guards. Five Fatah terrorists and one child were killed, and a dozen Fatah men were kidnapped. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
Quartet Statement
(February
2, 2007) - The Quartet Principals - Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, High
Representative for European Foreign and Security Policy Javier
Solana, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and
European Commissioner for External Relations Benita
Ferrero-Waldner - met today in Washington to discuss the
situation in the Middle East. The Quartet welcomed UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the representative of the EU
Presidency, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Recognizing the critical need to end the Palestinian/Israeli
conflict, which would contribute to security and stability in
the region, the Quartet pledged to support efforts to
put in place a process with the goal of ending the
occupation that began in 1967 and creating an
independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state, living
side-by-side in peace and security with Israel, and reaffirmed
its commitment to a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace
based on UNSCRs 242 and 338. The Quartet expressed
the hope that the result-oriented dialogue initiated between
Israeli and Palestinian leaders will continue in the framework
of a renewed political process with the aim of launching
meaningful negotiations. The Quartet undertook to give active
follow-up to these meetings and to remain closely engaged at
this moment of increased activity and dialogue. The Quartet
reaffirmed its commitment to meet regularly at both the
principals and envoys level according to an agreed calendar,
including with the parties and other regional partners, to
monitor developments and actions taken by the parties and to
discuss the way ahead. The Quartet noted its support for
renewed dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian leaders and
welcomed the December 23 meeting between Israeli PM Olmert and
PA President Abbas, and the subsequent implementation of some
steps discussed at that meeting. The Quartet urged the parties
to implement fully steps discussed at the December 23 meeting,
to refrain from taking any measures that could predetermine
the number of issues that will be resolved in negotiations, to
meet their respective obligations under phase one of the
Roadmap and under the Agreement on Movement and Access, and to
seek to fulfill their obligations under the Sharm el-Sheikh
Understandings of 2005. more...
|
Iran |
Gog/Magog |
Israel |
Islam |
EU/UN | Solana
|
America
| I think God has a
couple things to say about this and given the history of those
who try to get Israel out of the Land, I think it should be
understood that God will punish those that come against Israel
whom He Himself has placed there as prophesied in
Ezekiel 36,37. However, God has also
made it clear that those who come against Israel will be cut
to pieces. Zechariah 12:1-3,
"The burden of the word of the LORD for
Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens,
and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit
of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of
trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be
in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in
that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all
people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in
pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered
together against it." God also promises to punish all
those who oppress Israel. Jeremiah
30:18-20, "Thus saith the
LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's
tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city
shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall
remain after the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed
thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will
multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify
them, and they shall not be small. Their children also shall
be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be
established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them."
As the US/EU policy moves forward to take away the Promised
Land given to Israel in 1967, expect God's protection to be
removed and replaced with His punishment.
Don't mess with Israel, open letter to Iranians says (February 1, 2007) - Israeli citizens write letter reading, 'Your current leadership will be held responsible for the destruction of the Iranian nation'; initiators hoping to get 100,000 Israelis to sign letter, distribute it to Ahmadinejad's blog, Iranian Mission to the United Nations and official Iranian internet sites. "People of Iran, beware. Your leaders are taking you down a dead-end street. If they continue, it will end in a terrible blow to the Iranian people and their country and bedlam in the whole region, an open letter written by a group of Israeli citizens begins. The writers of the letter are hoping to get 100,000 Israelis to sign the letter and then plan to send it to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ran Porat, deputy editor and security affairs reporter at internet site Omedia, who came up with the idea for the letter, explains: "It is about making a statement – for the Israeli public, instilling the feeling that there is something we can do, and for international public opinion, so they realize that we, in Israel, are taking this problem seriously." In addition, he says, the letter is making a statement to the Iranian public. "We are separating the Iranian public from their leadership. We support the Iranian people in their struggle to release themselves from an oppressing regime, and we know that they are not looking for war with us," Porat says. The writers of the letter are telling the Iranian people that Ahmadinejad is "leading a monstrous and shameful attempt to vilify the memory of the six million Jews who were destroyed in the Holocaust, with a dubious academic excuse. By doing this he is viewed by the nations in a ridiculous light and he is giving Iran the image of a racist, boorish country, that propagates hatred and lacks basic humanitarian values. "Your regime is working diligently to acquire nuclear capabilities for military purposes. It would appear that they would not shy away from methods that could cause the death of thousands or even millions of you and others," reads the letter. more... | Iran | Israel | Israel Wants “Bibi” Back (February 1, 2007) - The nation of Israel, reeling from the one-two punch of its famed IDF losing the battle against Hizb’allah last July, and of political leader after political leader being accused of corruption and immoral conduct in recent months, is ready to sweep Likud Party leader and former prime minister, Binyamin “Bibi” Netanyahu, back into power. This is according to a new poll whose results were published by the most widely-read Israeli newspaper, Yedi’ot Ahronot, Tuesday. The survey found that, were elections held today, the Likud would win a whopping 32 mandates while as candidate for prime minister, Netanyahu would thrash his closest rival with more than double the number of percentage points, taking 34. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s ruling Kadima Party, which less than a year ago took the country by storm with a 29-seat victory, would plummet to 12 seats today. Olmert himself, who has been roundly criticized by Israelis for apparently “achieving nothing” during his first year in the chair, would not even feature as a serious contender for office, as just three percent of the voting public would want him to lead. His Kadima colleague and foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, would win 16 percent as would Labor Party member Ami Ayalon. Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, a contender for the party leadership, would garner eight percent. Netanyahu served as premier from June 1996 to July 1999. While in office he introduced and sought to insist on “reciprocity” from the Arab side in the often-stalled Israeli-“Palestinian” diplomatic process. He was not able to stick to his guns, however. Stymied by a gridlocked coalition government he buckled a number of times under US pressure, surrendering most of Hebron to the PLO. He did earn the distinction of being the only leader since the 1993 Oslo Accords were signed during whose tenure not a single successful “suicide” bombing was carried out. more... | Israel | If we're truly as close to the end as my studies point, then after Gog/Magog, when the spiritual shift in Israel brings them back to the ways of their fathers, a man like "Bibi" might just be who they turn to. Time will tell. The Muslim Bear? <Link broken by Mark Hitchcock - Ezekiel's prophecy and Russia's changing demographics. The prophet Ezekiel predicted almost 2,600 years ago that Rosh (modern Russia) would lead an end time invasion of Israel. The allies of Russia in this invasion are ancient places that today are Central Asia (Magog), Iran (Persia), Libya (Put), Turkey (Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Togarmah), and Sudan (Cush)—all of which are Islamic nations. In previous articles we have speculated about what could possibly draw Russia into such an alliance against Israel. Several reasons have been suggested: 1) Russia's desire for regional supremacy, 2) Russia's need to maintain a counter-balance of power against the West, or 3) Russia's reassertion of its might after its humiliation in the early 1990s when the might Soviet Empire disintegrated. All of these are plausible, reasonable explanations for Russia's involvement in this future attack on Israel. However, a recent article sheds some fascinating new light on this subject. Mark Steyn at SteynOnline recently presented some startling statistics about the rapidly changing demographics in Russia. Here's what he said. There are ten million people in Moscow. Do you know how many of them are Muslim? Two and a half million. Or about a quarter of the population. The ethnic Russians are older; the Muslims are younger. The ethnic Russians are already in net population decline; the Muslim population in the country has increased by 40% in the last 15 years. Seven out of ten Russian pregnancies (according to some surveys) are aborted; in some Muslim communities, the fertility rate is ten babies per woman. Russian men have record rates of heart disease, liver disease, drug addiction and Aids; Muslims are the only guys in the country who aren't face down in the vodka. Faced with these trends, most experts extrapolate: thus, it's generally accepted that by mid-century the Russian Federation will be majority Muslim. But you don't really need to extrapolate when the future's already checking in at reception. The Toronto Star (which is Canada's biggest-selling newspaper and impeccably liberal) recently noted that by 2015 Muslims will make up a majority of Russia's army. . . . What will happen in Russia? A remorseless evolution into a majority Muslim state? Bosnian-style civil war? The secession of a dozen or so of Russia's 89 federal regions? A Muslim military coup? Or a panicky attempt to arrest decline by selling off your few remaining assets, including national resources to the Chinese and nukes to anyone who wants them? None of us knows, but we should know enough to know we don't know. The Russia of 15 years ago is already ancient history. . . . By 2050, Russia will be the umpteenth Muslim nuclear power, but the first with a permanent seat on the UNSC. (Mark Steyn "The Bear Goes Walkabout," marksteyn.com. 2/2/07 [Scroll down the page a little]). Imagine that. The great Muslim bear poised to the north of Israel. Assuming the accuracy of these facts, or even anything close, one can see another explanation for Russia's participation in the Islamic invasion of Israel in the end times. Russia will lead this Islamic invading force, because Russia itself will be dominated by Muslims. This is something that no one could have envisioned even a decade or two ago. Yet, it appears to be happening right before our eyes. No one knows when the battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39 will occur, but if it's several years in the future, this dramatic demographic shift in Russia could very well play a key part in setting the stage for this major event of the end times. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Is it any wonder Russia will attack Israel too? The anti-Semitism is spreading throughout the world and Islam is helping it along quite well. This is also why I believe Islam will be one of the main tools the antichrist uses to control the world. Keep in mind that beheading is the choice of execution for Islam and also the cause of many martyrs deaths in the great tribulation. Islam is already integrated into all societies, regardless of nationality. They view their religion as the future world-wide religion. While that will morph into worshipping the man of sin and his puppet master, I'm sure many things, like execution methods, will remain quite the same. I used to think guillotines when I thought of the great tribulation, but swords work much easier and faster. The stronger Islam gets, the quicker those without any faith or grounding will join to save their mortal lives, giving up their eternal existence in God's presence for eternal separation. Many will be deceived, we who know the truth must speak up and warn them. The New, New Middle East (January 30, 2007) - ISRAEL, says Tel Aviv University historian Paul Liptz, now has more "friends among [its] enemies than ever before," including some "who don't necessarily want to talk to us." It is an arresting argument, given the outcome of the Lebanon war last summer and the subsequent elevation of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to an iconic status. (As the war wound down, even Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak said Hezbollah was "part of the Lebanese national fabric.") But Liptz points to recent reported diplomatic contacts between Israel and Saudi Arabia--"kind of like Earth and Mars getting married." The region's most salient fissure, he believes, divides the "status quo" forces (such as Egypt and Jordan) from those of radicalism and revolution (such as Iran and Hezbollah). This seems a common view among Israelis, which explains why they may look askance at George W. Bush's freedom agenda. Speaking to a visiting delegation of journalists sponsored by the pro-Israel American Israel Education Foundation (which supports the American Israel Public Affairs Committee), Liptz scorns the notion that democracy can transform illiberal Middle Eastern societies. Former Labour party minister Matan Vilnai, an ex-army general, calls America's democratization program "nonsense." On the Israeli right, Silvan Shalom, a Likud party member of the Knesset, blames the U.S.-led democracy push for enabling Hamas to win the Palestinian elections in January 2006. "In my personal judgment, it is a mistake," says Ephraim Kam, a former military intelligence official, who notes that "moderate" Arab leaders--the ones Israel is trying to cultivate--have resisted democratization. Another Israeli security source carves the Middle East into two groups: a "radical" camp (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas) and a "moderate" camp (including Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia). Notice that the "moderates" are all Sunni Arab autocracies, who fear not only a nuclear-armed Persian Iran but also an Iranian-led "Shiite crescent" that might dominate the region. Already frightened at the prospect of a U.S. pullout from Iraq, which would leave Iraqi Sunnis prey for murderous Shiite militias and possibly pave the way for Iranian intervention, status quo states such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia now have more reason than ever to work with Jerusalem and Washington. (Though how much they will remains unclear.) more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | America | A kind of peace is coming to the Middle East. I believe the fear of radical Islam and the leadership of a good diplomat will bring about this false peace. I also believe according to scripture, that during this time of peace Iran, Russia, Turkey, and several others will attempt to attack Israel from the North. Ezekiel 38,39 Look for the ENP to also help bring in this peace and EU funding as incentive for peace. After Gog/Magog is stopped by God, then I believe Israel will rebuild their temple. Time will tell, keep watching! Kadima Proposes Handing Judea and Samaria to Europe (January 25, 2007) - A member of PM Ehud Olmert's Kadima party proposed transferring control of Judea and Samaria to a European task force until the establishment of a Palestinian state. Following the establishment of the state, the strategic territory would be handed to security forces associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The proposal comes after WND broke the story earlier this week according to top European and Egyptian diplomatic sources Israel has been conducting behind-the-scene negotiations to hand over most of Judea and Samaria to Abbas' security forces. The sources said the transfer of security control to Abbas would be coordinated by the European Union and Jordan. Judea and Samaria encompass Jerusalem and are within rocket-firing range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. At Israel's prestigious Herzliya Conference, Knesset Member Shlomo Breznitz, reportedly a close confidante of Olmert, said the Judea and Samaria should be temporarily transferred to the Europeans and that most of the territory's Jewish communities should be evacuated. "The only way to get out of the impasse is to transfer the territories, for a limited time, to an international mandate, that will run them until the establishment of a Palestinian state," said Breznitz at the conference. The Herzliya Conference is attended by Israel's top leadership and regularly maps out the country's agenda for the coming year. In 2004, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his plan to withdraw from Gaza at the conference. They sources, who said they were directly involved in behind-the-scene negotiations, said one proposal being considered is for the E.U. and Jordan to supervise the transfer of northern Samaria to Abbas' security forces, which reportedly are receiving aid, weapons and training from the U.S. The sources said major changes in Israeli-Palestinian affairs are expected within a few weeks to two months. According to an aide to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, speaking on condition of anonymity, there will be a "historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000." more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Woolsey Warns of Global Jihad at Herzliya Conference (January 23, 2007) - Two Islam experts warned participants at the Herzliya Conference on Monday that global jihad is on the rise -- and must be taken seriously. Islamic expert and historian Bernard Lewis spoke back-to-back with former CIA director James Woolsey at the Herzliya Conference Monday, sounding the alarm on the global Jihad and dismissing the concept of a Palestinian state. “In the self-perception of the Muslim world, their primary identity is to deliver Islam to the world – to not keep it selflessly to themselves but to give it to mankind,” explained Lewis. He added that the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 signified the first major victory in the global Islamic push toward that goal. “There are competing leaders to take this fight ahead,” he said. “The Sunni Wahabi cause is represented by Bin Laden. Another is the Shi’ite version, which began with the first Iranian revolution, and the second Iranian revolution, taking place at this moment. The whole Arab and Muslim world is experiencing the second stage of the Islamic revolution in Iran. “I have been told by Iranian friends that Ahmadinejad is indeed crazy, but not stupid,” Lewis warned. “He really believes in the end of days that he is heralding. There is a widespread belief among Shi’ites that that time has come. Mutually assured destruction is not a deterrent to Ahmadinejad, but an inducement.” James Woolsey, former director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, addressed the conference next. Unlike many of the speakers, Woolsey, a guest of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs was present the previous day and attended nearly all of the conference’s Sunday sessions. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran: Israel, US will soon die (January 23, 2007) - Israel and the United States will soon be destroyed, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday during a meeting with Syria's foreign minister, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) website said in a report. Iran's official FARS news agency also reported the comments. "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad… assured that the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel will soon come to the end of their lives," the Iranian president was quoted as saying. "Sparking discord among Muslims, especially between the Shiites and Sunnis, is a plot hatched by the Zionists and the US for dominating regional nations and looting their resources," Ahmadinejad added, according to the report. The Iranian president also directly tied events in Lebanon to a wider plan aimed at Israel's destruction. He called on "regional countries" to "support the Islamic resistance of the Lebanese people and strive to enhance solidarity and unity among the different Palestinian groups in a bid to pave the ground for the undermining of the Zionist regime whose demise is, of course, imminent." Ahmadinejad has threatened the State of Israel with annihilation several times in recent months, and has recently added the US and Britain to the list of countries he says will be destroyed. Syria's Foreign Minister, Wailed Mualem, accused the US of attempting to carry out a "massacre of Muslims" and of sowing "discord among Islamic faiths in the region." Mualem called on "regional states to pave the ground for the establishment of peace and tranquillity… while preventing further genocide of the Muslims," the IRIB website said. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | What can I say that he didn't? Bible prophecy states that Iran (Persia) as well as Turkey, Russia, and other minor players will attack Israel. They're saying they plan on Israel being gone, how much longer will it take to implement that plan? Keep watching! A buzz of secret talks in the Middle East (January 23, 2007) - Some progress in the Israel-PA-Syria standoff may be in the works, as reported by sources ranging from the Jerusalem Post to WorldNetDaily and others. A lot of the leaks may be misleading, to prevent the secret talks from being blocked by premature publicity. Nevertheless, some of the elements seem to be: 1. A big US-Israeli effort to separate Syria from the "Shiite crescent" --- the alliance from Shiites in Iraq, to Iran, to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The weak link is Syria, which has a Shiite-like minority regime. Israel is willing to demilitarize the Golan Heights and cede it back to Syria, on the same lines as the peace agreement with Egypt, which demilitarized the Sinai desert. The United States is key, in part because it provides the security force in the Sinai to monitor the agreement with Egypt. The US and/or NATO would have a similar role on the Golan Heights. Strategically, such a move would cut the Shiite crescent, and isolate Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iranian expansion would be hindered in the Levant. 2. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf sheikdoms are openly concerned about Iranian aggression. Saddam Hussein is no longer there to be the balancing scorpion against Ahmadinejad. The Saudis are not afraid of Israel, because there is no threat from there. An incentive for the Saudis might be joint control over the El Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, which is now run by the Jordanian-influenced Muslim Waqf. 3. Parts of the Jerusalem may be accorded extraterritorial status by Israel, as an incentive to the Palestinian Authority and to the Saudis to have a Vatican-like enclave there. The PA could claim that its capital is Jerusalem, just as Israel does. A dual capital is not unprecedented: Berlin had such a status during the Cold War. There would be few security implications for Israel, any more than the Vatican poses a security threat to the Italian government in Rome. more... | Iran | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Temple Mount | Here's the peace side of the coin. Iran, Syria, Russia seem to be siding together with distinct and vocal hatred for Israel and the Jews while at the same time the hatred is being muted and covered on the European front where there are talks to bring peace to Israel and "Palestine." I believe after the Gog/Magog attack, which occurs when Israel is living in peace (coming together now), will be what spurs the rebuilding of the temple. Keep watching! Activity Picks Up for Mideast Talks (January 22, 2007) - After months of inaction, a flurry of diplomatic activity toward reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking is under way. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is planning a summit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, top Israeli officials are floating peace initiatives and the moderate Palestinian president says he is ready to discuss the outlines of a final settlement. But with Hamas militants dominating the Palestinian parliament and Cabinet, and weak leadership on all sides, no one expects a deal any time soon. The U.S. and Israel are trying to build on the "road map'' peace plan by initiating confidence-building steps such as easing financial sanctions on the Palestinians and lifting West Bank roadblocks. They are also holding out the prospect of more wide-ranging concessions to help Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his power struggle against Hamas militants. "We're at the pre-negotiation stage where the emphasis is on confidence-building measures,'' Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said Monday. "But we're not talking about the substance.'' The 2003 road map - which outlines a staged plan for creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel - never got off the ground because each side failed to meet its initial obligations. With the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in deep freeze since 2000, and the political rise of Hamas in the Palestinian territories, moderates on each side have found themselves with little choice but to start talking again. In the past few weeks, the Israeli and Palestinian leaders held their first substantive meeting, and Israel followed up by transferring $100 million in frozen tax revenues to Abbas. Rice has promised to lead a summit with Abbas and Olmert by mid-February, and is talking about reinvigorating U.S. involvement in Mideast peacemaking. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | America | Peace in the Middle East? I expect it to come. I also expect the EU and Javier Solana to be the main players in making it happen. He is "Mr. Europe" and wears many crowns as: High Representative and Secretary-General of the Council of European Union, Secretary-General of the WEU (Western European Union), Chairman of the Political Security Committee for the European Union, and the main political head behind the 1995 Euro-Med agreement that has just been confirmed for 7 years starting January 1, 2007. If this sounds eerily like Bible prophecy, I think there's a good reason. The EU fits the picture of the beast with 7 heads and 10 horns. The EU has 10 voting member nations. It is also connected intimately with the ancient Roman empire which is interesting given the dream given to Nebuchadnezzar that Daniel interpreted in Daniel 2. The two legs of iron represent the Eastern and Western Roman empire. The feet are made partly of iron. These are the only two kingdoms in the statue made of the same metal. Keep watching! The Damascus meeting / Waiting for the Quartet (January 22, 2007) - The two grooms had already enjoyed a piece of Palestinian wedding cake, even before the wedding actually took place. The two are Syrian President Bashar Assad, who extended the invitation to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to visit Damascus, and Ali Larijani, chairman of the Iranian National Security Council, who visited the Syrian capital yesterday. Thus did Syria manage to send out the message, even if for a short while, that the center of gravity in the handling of the Palestinian problem had moved to her turf, and that her role was much greater than her "modesty" in merely playing host to the leadership of the Palestinian factions. For its part, Iran had also made it clear that it too is an essential player in the regional conflicts, not only in Iraq. Palestinian sources said yesterday that had it not been for active Syrian involvement, it is unlikely that the meeting between Abbas and Khaled Meshal, the Hamas political bureau chief, would have taken place. In the end, the two did meet, as a gesture of good will toward their hosts. Also active were Saudi Arabian officials, who held intensive meetings with the Syrian president and with Abbas and Meshal, in an effort to reach an agreeable formula that can serve as a platform for a Palestinian national unity government. An unusual common denominator was reached, linking the Saudis, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Hamas, all of which agreed that there is no need for early elections in the Palestinian Authority. Hamas wants to avoid a possible defeat at the polls, whereas the others are afraid of yet another electoral victory for the radical Islamic organization. This was the motive for pushing Abbas toward a compromise solution on the formation of a national unity government. But herein also lies the main problem, which is the political platform of a unity government and its willingness to accept the Arab League resolution that was agreed upon during the Beirut summit of 2002 - or at least a version of that resolution that would appear to be a recognition of Israel and an agreement to honor previous Palestinian accords with it. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I wonder what might give Israel a reason to attack Damascus? Isaiah 17 Jews flee homes after Muslim death threats (January 22, 2007) - Many of Yemen's Jews this weekend fled their homes for a hotel after receiving death threats from Islamic militants accusing the country's tiny Jewish community of serving as agents for "global Zionism." The Jews said they feared for their lives. It was disclosed they had been forced to pay special taxes that Islam imposes on Jews and Christians in return for protection and security. About 45 Jews left their village in Sa'ada county in Yemen after Dawoud Yousuf Mousa, one of the heads of the local Jewish community, was warned Jan. 10 if the Jews don't leave within 10 days they would be exposed to killings, abductions and looting. Four masked militants approached Mousa and delivered a letter to him warning the Jewish community had been under Islamic surveillance. "After accurate surveillance over the Jews residing in Al Haid, it has become clear to us that they were doing things which serve mainly global Zionism, which seeks to corrupt the people and distance them from their principles, their values, their morals, and their religion," the letter stated. "Islam calls upon us to fight against the disseminators of decay," the letter said. The threats have been attributed to disciples of Shiite religious leader Hossein Bader a-Din al-Khouty. Mousa reportedly told local authorities the militants told him if the Jews don't flee within 10 days "the Jewish community would bear the consequences." According to a recent Yemeni immigrant to Israel with contacts in Sa'ada, the Jewish community there received another letter Friday warning, "whoever remains at his home, will be killed or his children will be taken away." Sa'ada's Jewish community had lived in the village for generations. They were forced to evacuate their homes and leave some of their possessions with local sheiks. The displaced Jews are staying at a hotel in the center of Sa'ada, where they have been petitioning local authorities for protection. The Yemen Jews say the government has refused to offer assistance other than to temporarily pay for the hotel stays. more... | Israel | Islam | Anti-Semitism and unholy alliance Western leftists, Islamists have nothing in common except disdain for Israel (January 21, 2007) - This past week the United States celebrates the rich moral and political legacy of Martin Luther King. I am reminded of one of his powerful messages. He claimed that history will view the actions as well as the inactions of individuals. He powerfully asserted that every action has an effect, while every non-action has equally powerful repercussions. King was not especially concerned with the actions of the few bad people in society, but was troubled by the inaction of the vast majority of good and decent people. Given the recent state of affairs with regard to global anti-Semitism, King’s message is relevant today. It feels as if the recent Holocaust denial conference held in Tehran during December is but a distant memory, as the news cycle on the globalized information highway has changed so many times it seems like a distant bad dream. Unfortunately, it is not. The global social movement of extreme Islamists continues to work towards one of its main goals, the de-legitimatization of Israel so to bring about its destruction, while also aiming to usurp the global order and replace regimes throughout Islamic societies. While this theocratic social movement carries on with its clearly articulated genocidal objectives, Western human rights advocates and progressives, especially in Western Europe, remain largely silent. How is it that social democratic intellectuals and progressives are voiceless in the face of theocratic, homophobic, sexist, anti-democratic racists, who make unequivocal public genocidal statements, backed up with actions consistent with this goal on the ground? Among much of the West’s chattering classes Israel has been criticized in a disproportionate manner for decades. The rhetorical and ideological blinders have made it difficult for some on the Left, mainly in Europe, to assess the current situation in a coherent manner. This while levels of anti-Semitism increase significantly throughout much of Europe. British Jews, for example, are four times more likely to be attacked then Muslims, even though Islamophobia is also on the rise. Much of the expression of the extreme Left in the UK and in Western Europe focuses on portraying Israel as some sort of omnipresent power that mysteriously holds sway over western governments, namely – though not limited to - Washington. This demonization utilizes classical anti-Semitic tropes, accusing Jewish citizens of dual loyalty. This form of dehumanizing stereotype played a key role in the devastating violence and dislocation of European Jewry historically. more... | Islam | Israel | EU/UN | NewWorldOrder | America | Is it any wonder that the future head of the world will turn, along with the rest of the Western nations, against Israel? The dislike is there and you can see the clear bias in favor of Islam. I don't know if it's out of fear of Islam's power or if it's because they really are on the same page and influenced by the same spirit of hatred. Given the future of the world and their attitude toward God and His chosen people, Jew and Gentile, I'd guess they follow the same spirit. Defense official: Time to break Iran-Syria alliance (January 21, 2007) - VIDEO - Israel must sever the alliance between Tehran and Damascus within the next year, senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad said Sunday evening during a session of the Herzliya Conference. "Israel must uproot the Iran-Syria alliance, either by diplomacy or through military means, within the next year," said Gilad, the director of the Defense Ministry's Political-Military Bureau. He added that the alliance between the two countries was based purely on common interests, and that "the Iranians do not like the Syrian regime." Outlining Syria's capabilities, Amos said Damascus could "bring down the Lebanese government, and destroy the legitimacy of international forces. Syria can and does support Hamas and Islamic Jihad with weapons and finances, and can collapse the Palestinian Authority," he added, saying such factors meant that Syria's union with Iran must be severed. Gilad said Arab Sunni states had reached a point of "deep fear" of Iran, and have begun talking about creating their own nuclear programs to counter the Iranian threat. "In the Middle East, when you start talking, you don't know where it can lead," he said, adding that Israel was faced with an ideal opportunity to form an alliance with Egypt, Jordan, and other Sunni Arab states to confront Iran. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Here's a 1-year timeline to stop the Syrian-Iranian alliance. Isaiah 17 states that Damascus is a ruinous heap. It's the longest continually inhabited city and clearly hasn't experienced this prophecy... yet. It also says they leave their cities because of the children of Israel. Iran has a defense agreement with Syria and Ezekiel 38 describes Gog/Magog as being started with hooks being put into the jaws of those involved to bring them against Israel. The enforcement of that defense agreement after Israel destroys Damascus for it's terrorist leaders could be seen as "hooks in the jaws" that bring Iran and company against Israel. Just a thought on possibilities. Solana: There is chance to launch new political process in Mideast (January 21, 2007) - EU senior politician and Middle East expert said there is an opportunity to launch a new political process and resolve the Middle East conflict. "There is an opportunity that should not be missed to improve living conditions of the Palestinians or open a political process to settle the conflict," EU foreign policy Chief Javier Solana said during a news conference at the conclusion of his visit to Jordan on Sunday. "What we need is the political will. Time has come to change the method and approach of crisis management that has been followed so far and replace it by conflict resolution, " he said. "We know very well that the crisis management method has not yielded fruit; rather it has prolonged and deepened suffering of the people," said Solana before heading for Tel Aviv, the second leg of his Middle East tour. He added that the tour was aimed to rally friends in the Arab world and wield efforts and political will to start this political process as soon as possible. Europe would like to start a political process that gives the perspective to the people, the Palestinians and the countries in the region that a solution can be reached, Solana told reporters. He said his talks with officials in the United States and in the region showed that they have had the needed political will. He added next Thursday he will meet U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and will have talks with the Quartet Committee in February in addition to his talks with leaders from the region with the main objective is to bring about the needed momentum and to give the political process a push forward. King Abdullah II of Jordan is playing a pivotal role in peace making and can influence events in more than way, he said. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | As the West tries to bring peace, radical Islam is getting louder and more confident. This is dividing up precisely how I would expect it to bring both a false peace as well as the Gog/Magog invasion around the same time-frame, before the abomination of desolation. If the study regarding my belief that we may be in the 70th week now is correct, it's not to far away. Keep watching! Tale of 2 Seminars: Cooperation between Israel, Europe developed significantly in recent years (January 17, 2007) - At the beginning of 2005 Israel and the European Union adopted a comprehensive joint Action Plan to upgrade their relations in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy. On December 4, 2006 the European Commission released a progress report on the achievements under the EU-Israel Action Plan so far. It found that the framework of EU-Israel relations was now better defined and that co-operation had significantly developed in the areas of political dialogue, anti-terrorism, promotion of trade and investment, justice and security and science and technology. To get a better idea of how the European Union and Israel are using the Action Plan to exchange knowledge and best practice, let us take a quick look at two seminars, both of which took place on December 7. In Tel Aviv, European experts contributed their experience to Israeli financial institutions and green organizations at a seminar on "Managing Environmental Risks in Financial Institutions." Meanwhile, in Brussels, Israeli and European experts held a joint seminar on the "Fight against Racism, Xenophobia and Anti-Semitism." Other technical workshops have been organized on subjects ranging from preventing terrorist financing, to fighting trafficking in human beings. The progress report on Israel was part of a set of proposals I made to further strengthen European Neighborhood Policy. In Israel's case I believe that they contain even more attractive incentives to upgrade our relations: more contacts between business people, students, youth, researchers and artists; deepening economic and trade relations and stronger co-operation on energy and transport. more... | Israel | EU/UN | Solana | De Facto Power by Herb Peters (January 15, 2007) - The advantage of de facto power is deniability. Where there's legal power, it's an easy paper trail to those responsible. But where there's de facto power, no such trail exists. The power, however, is just as real. And although legal power can be learned in school, de facto power is best learned in the streets. This brings us to why I believe God's people are failing to see what's occurring. While they're waiting for the the legal framework for the coming Antichrist to appear, the de facto framework may already be here. Former German president Roman Herzog is warning that Germany's democracy is threatened by the de facto power being exercised by Brussels. Herzog is reported saying, "EU policies suffer to an alarming degree from a lack of democracy and a de facto suspension of the separation of powers." He also says, " By far the biggest part of the current laws in Germany are agreed by the council of ministers [member states representation in Brussels] and not the German parliament" Read about it here. As I've been reporting, the EU's true seat of power is the Council of Ministers. This is where the EU's 27 member states exercise their power over the Union. And, when their legal powers fail -- which is quite often, their de facto powers kick in. For example, the EU member states have created a de facto, super Foreign Minister post for their High Representative, Javier Solana. When the EU's constitution failed -- and the legal route was no longer available -- the de facto route was taken. As of January 1, 2007, Solana has his de facto seat within the Commission -- from where he can oversee his New European Neighborhood Policy. Solana's Middle East EU mandate, however, is not de facto -- it's legal. That was necessary in order for Solana to take the EU's new Middle East peace plan to the Quartet and the rest of the international community. The EU's peace plan, among other things, calls for convening an international conference on the order of the 1991 Madrid Conference. This idea has been rejected by both Israel and the Bush Administration. Yet, on January 10-12, the so-called "Madrid+15 Conference" occurred. This meeting, referred to only as a reunion, brought together all the major international players from the old 1991 conference. Friends, no matter what they call it, I believe what we had was a de facto, international Middle East peace conference. Even though the conference was said to be unofficial, it was just as real. Today's news is about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's trip to the Middle East and a possible three-way summit between Rice, PA Chairman Mahoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Read about it here. Earlier this month, while in Washington, it was announced that Solana would be following in Rice's steps. And, after closed door talks at the Madrid+15 Conference, I believe Solana may have expressed the new feeling of most of the international community. Solana said, "the moment of action has come" Read about it here. The last area of de facto power I will mention is in regard to the UN's Alliance of Civilisations (AoC). As you know, I believe the AoC may be the perfect mechanism from which the coming Antichrist and his 10 kings can wage their foretold war against the saints of God. Although the AoC won't be legally binding, it will -- like all international treaties -- be politically binding. In other words, the AoC will have de facto power. And, as I said before: The advantage of de facto power is deniability. Where there's legal power, it's an easy paper trail to those responsible. But where there's de facto power, no such trail exists. The power, however, is just as real. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Palestinian Opposes Provisional State (January 14, 2007) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, pledging deeper engagement in the Middle East peace process, met today with the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, who rejected suggestions for establishing a temporary state within provisional borders and pledged that any American money to bolster his security forces would not be misused. “I have heard loud and clear the call for deeper American engagement in these processes,” Ms. Rice said after two and a half hours of talks with Mr. Abbas. “The United States is absolutely committed to helping to find a solution where Israelis and Palestinians can live in security, in which they can live in peace and in which they can live in democracy,” she said, adding, “You will have my commitment to do precisely that.” Ms. Rice’s visit to the Palestinian government headquarters was clearly an effort to bolster Mr. Abbas in his struggle to regain the political advantage over Hamas, which took control of the parliament in recent elections. But, likewise, the Israeli officials she is meeting during two days of shuttling between Israeli and Palestinian officials also are showing weakness in the polls. And Ms. Rice’s job of trying to accelerate progress on the “road map” — a step-by-step process for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian dispute — is overshadowed in the minds of many here by new Bush administration initiatives toward Iraq and Iran. None of the parties to the talks here predicted any speedy breakthrough. Although no formal proposal has been presented, some Israeli officials have floated the idea that the peace process could be accelerated by establishing a provisional Palestinian state within temporary borders to be subsequently set. more... | Israel | Islam | America | EU To Launch Mideast Peace Process Effort (January 12, 2007) - The European Union intends to launch an effort to reactivate the Middle East peace process in the first six months of this year, the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said today. Mr Solana warned that it was crucial to do so before the United States enters its campaign period for the 2008 presidential elections. "If in the first semester of 2007 we don't get the process at least framed, I don't say finished, but framed, I have my doubts that we will be able to do it before 2008," Mr Solana said. "We have to put the political process in motion," he said at the end of a two-day conference in Madrid that aimed to revive optimism into stalled Middle East peace. The conference, organised by private foundations, brought together diplomats, academics and politicians from Europe, the United States, Russia and Middle Eastern countries. It was called to commemorate the 15th anniversary of landmark 1991 Madrid peace conference that brought Israelis and Arabs to the negotiating table for the first time. The latest conference has been criticised by some given that none of the major players in the region sent senior representatives. But Mr Solana said the important thing was to get people talking. Earlier Jordan's King Abdullah II urged George Bush to make greater efforts to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process when the US president telephoned the Jordanian monarch, the palace said in a statement. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Solana: It's time for action in Mideast (January 12, 2007) - The Madrid + 15 Peace Conference concluded Friday with a decision to put the peace train back on track during the first half of 2007. Spanish President Felipe Gonzalez attributed the failure of the Oslo Accords, which were reached before the PLO had recognized Israel, to the fact that the negotiations had moved from the private into the public domain before the agreements had become permanent. He compared the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference to the present one, saying that in 1991, the language had been "tougher than the present language, the distance between the parties was greater and the hope for achieving a true and lasting peace was less." This time, he said, the language had been more direct and rational. Gonzalez referred to the 2002 Arab League Initiative as "amazing," saying he could not believe that the international community had not recognized it as an irreversible step. He asked that the US play a part in the peace process without "too much involvement." "The Arab-Israeli issue may or may not be the epicenter of the problem," said Gonzalez, "but if it is not solved we cannot advance to the other issues." more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Ban, Solana Agree the Middle East Issue Has to be Resolved "Rapidly" (January 9, 2007) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana late Monday agreed that three issues, including that of the Middle East at large, should be dealt with "rapidly." "We have three main geographical problems that we have to tackle, and tackle rapidly," Solana told reporters following a meeting with Ban. They are the Middle East, Darfur and Somalia in Africa, and Kosovo. "Within the Middle East, I would like to insist as strongly as possible, that we have to tackle the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. I hope very much that he (Ban) will also play an important role in invigorating the Quartet," he said. The Quarter, made of UN, EU, US and Russia, may meet later this month, he said, on the sidelines of the Paris Donors Conference for Lebanon. "This must be for us a priority of great significance at this period of time," he added. He said the two officials are also concerned with the situation in Lebanon and called for the resolution of the Sheba'a farms issue as quickly as possible. "I insist very much that following the resolutions of the Security Council, the question of Sheba'a farms has to be resolved, the sooner the better," he said. "We need to solve problems. We don't need to talk about the problems... This is the spirit in which I'm going to work, in which the new Secretary-General is going to work," he said. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Russia Slams US Sanctions on its Military Firms Ties with Iran (January 7, 2007) - "This is by far not the first time the US resorts to illegal attempts to spread its internal legislation on foreign companies and force them to abide by the US rules," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Federal Register, a record of US policy actions, published a State Department notice on Friday listing 24 businesses -- including four in Russia and others in China, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Mexico, North Korea, Sudan and Syria -- that it said engaged in actions that triggered the sanctions. The sanctions went into effect Dec. 28, the notice said, and will remain in place for two years unless the secretary of state lifts them. The notice said the 24 incurred sanctions under the Iran and Syria Nonproliferation Act by providing materials that could contribute to the development of weapons of mass destruction or cruise or ballistic missile systems by Iran or Syria. A call for comment to the US State Department was not returned on Saturday. Rosoboronexport, one of the world's biggest arms traders, has recently won control of the Russian firm VSMPO-Avisma, the world's largest titanium producer. It is a key supplier of titanium parts to US aviation giant Boeing and Europe's EADS. In August, Washington slapped sanctions on Rosoboronexport and warplane maker Sukhoi under a US law that penalizes companies for working with Iran. In November, Washington formally lifted the sanctions against Sukhoi, which is developing the Russian Regional Jet with Boeing. Moscow said the latest US sanctions against its arms firms were again groundless and added, "And yet once again, the United States is embarking on this vicious circle. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | Revealed: Israel plans nuclear strike on Iran (January 7, 2007) - ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons. Two Israeli air force squadrons are training to blow up an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear “bunker-busters”, according to several Israeli military sources. The attack would be the first with nuclear weapons since 1945, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Israeli weapons would each have a force equivalent to one-fifteenth of the Hiroshima bomb. Under the plans, conventional laser-guided bombs would open “tunnels” into the targets. “Mini-nukes” would then immediately be fired into a plant at Natanz, exploding deep underground to reduce the risk of radioactive fallout. “As soon as the green light is given, it will be one mission, one strike and the Iranian nuclear project will be demolished,” said one of the sources. The plans, disclosed to The Sunday Times last week, have been prompted in part by the Israeli intelligence service Mossad’s assessment that Iran is on the verge of producing enough enriched uranium to make nuclear weapons within two years. Israeli military commanders believe conventional strikes may no longer be enough to annihilate increasingly well-defended enrichment facilities. Several have been built beneath at least 70ft of concrete and rock. However, the nuclear-tipped bunker-busters would be used only if a conventional attack was ruled out and if the United States declined to intervene, senior sources said. Israeli and American officials have met several times to consider military action. Military analysts said the disclosure of the plans could be intended to put pressure on Tehran to halt enrichment, cajole America into action or soften up world opinion in advance of an Israeli attack. Some analysts warned that Iranian retaliation for such a strike could range from disruption of oil supplies to the West to terrorist attacks against Jewish targets around the world. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran Warns Against Attacking After Report Says Israel Planning Nuclear Strike (January 7, 2007) - Israel is denying a report in a British newspaper that the country has drawn up secret plans to target Iran's nuclear facilities with tactical nuclear weapons. Speculation has been rife about an Israeli pre-emptive strike against Iran since the Iranian president threatened to destroy the Jewish state. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem. Israel's Foreign Ministry denied a report in London's Sunday Times that said the Israeli air force is training for a tactical nuclear strike on uranium enrichment facilities in Iran. Quoting Israeli military sources, the paper said the secret plan involves using low-yield nuclear "bunker busters." The report said Israeli pilots have flown to Gibraltar in recent weeks to train for the 3,000-kilometer round-trip flight to Iranian targets. But, in a brief statement, the Foreign Ministry said Israel prefers diplomacy, including full implementation of U.N. sanctions on Iran. At the same time, Israel believes those sanctions are not strong enough. Israeli analyst Cameron Brown: "They are very, very light sanctions, and very limited in scope. Sanctions that have been imposed are totally insufficient to convince the Iranians that the price is far too high to bear," Brown says. Brown says what is needed is a series of sanctions ... "...that are going to have to become much, much more comprehensive, and going to have to be much more penetrating, if they are going to have any chance of success at all," he says. More than a year ago, the Iranian president threatened to wipe Israel off the map, and, since then, Israeli officials have said repeatedly that they cannot allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. The Israeli air force destroyed Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981, but an attack on Iran is much more complicated. Iran's nuclear facilities are spread out and fortified deep underground in concrete. Therefore, some experts believe the only way Israel can destroy Iran's nuclear facilities is with tactical nuclear weapons. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | New UN chief – Israel At The Heart Of The Problem (January 5, 2007) - Israel, which as a nation does not celebrate the Gregorian New Year, nonetheless woke up on January 1 to learn that their little country is set to be more than ever at the center of world scrutiny and pressure in 2007. In an interview published concomitant with his assumption of office on the first day of the year, brand new United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon revealed that he, like British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the majority of world leaders, saw solving the Israel-‘Palestine’ conflict as key to sorting out the rest of the mess in the Middle East. This does not necessarily mean Ban believes Israel per se is to blame– Israelis have expressed the hope that he would be friendly towards their country. It strongly suggests, however, that under his leadership the international community which is pushing so hard to see Israel surrender its land to the Arabs will continue – and very likely intensify – that push; and all the more as an appeasement-inclined West becomes desperate to defuse the Iranian nuclear standoff. “If the issues with the conflicts between Israel and Palestine go well, [resolutions of] other issues in the Middle East, including Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Syria, are likely to follow suit. I will meet with the concerned parties as soon as possible,” Ban told the South Korean Hankyoreh. His urgency echoes Blair’s. Due to resign later this year, the British premier has pledged to do “everything in my power” to oversee the implementation of a solution to the ‘Palestinian’-Israeli conflict. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Zechariah 12:1-3 "The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. " It's about that time... War doesn't work. How about trying peace? (January 4, 2007) - It's such a radical-sounding notion that, just maybe, it might work. Since war in the Middle East hasn't worked after many years of bloody fighting, especially in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is widely seen as the root of many of the region's problems (except by George W. Bush, who rejected the Iraq Study Group's proposals on the subject), why not try to give peace a chance? That's the recommendation of a "high-level group of eminent personalities" that had been brought together by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and charged with doing what it could to "advance the Alliance of Civilizations." That little-known U.N. initiative has sought to formulate specific policy proposals to foster peace by dealing realistically with problems between peoples of different countries, cultures, religions and political systems. The news media almost completely ignored the high-level advisory group's report, which was released in mid-November. Now, in an op-ed piece in Le Monde, two members of the U.N.'s Alliance of Civilizations group summarize its proposals. In the French daily, André Azoulay and Hubert Védrine write that, lately, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has indicated it would be open to thinking about Jordanian King Abdallah II's call for peace-making that would simultaneously address instability in Iraq, the Israeli-controlled Palestinian territories and Lebanon. (Said Abdallah: "We have to know how to walk and chew gum at the same time....We cannot focus on just one issue.") (MondayMorning.com) Azoulay and Védrine also find it encouraging that Israel's education minister recently "proposed changing school textbooks to include, in the name of historical truth, [mention of] the 'Green Line' borders" between Israel and the Palestinian territories that had existed and had been recognized before Israel's occupation of the terriroties began in 1967. "Inventing peace between Palestine and Israel is at the heart of the Alliance of Civilizations project," Azoulay and Védrine explain. The effort their U.N. advisory group recommends for achieving such a peace takes as its starting points and insists that both Palestinians and Israelis must also embrace...: more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | US to give $86 million to Abbas's forces (January 3, 2007) - The US government plans to transfer $86.4 million to the security forces of embattled Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in the coming days, senior Washington officials said on Friday. According to the officials, the funds will be earmarked to beef up the security around Abbas, and to fund the PA Chairman's stated commitment to to dismantling the terrorist infrastructure within the Palestinian cities. PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh met with Abbas on Thursday night to discuss a solution to the current inter-faction violence after a day of clashes between Hamas and Fatah loyalists left eight Palestinians dead. According to Army Radio, Haniyeh, of Hamas, said the two had agreed at the meeting to work toward ending the infighting in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. "We are going to end all armed displays in the streets," Haniyeh told reporters. he said. Abbas had no comment. The eight Palestinians killed in Thursday's armed confrontations brought the death toll to 13 over the past 48 hours. At least 16 Palestinians were wounded in Thursday's fighting. Haniyeh, who returned to the Gaza Strip after a week-long visit to Saudi Arabia, appealed to the warring factions to halt the fighting and to direct their weapons toward Israel. Fatah officials, on the other hand, accused Hamas of operating "death squads" in the Gaza Strip. The body of Gen. Muhammed Gharib, chief of the Fatah-dominated Preventive Security Service in northern Gaza, riddled with bullets and mutilated by stab wounds, was found in his home in northern Gaza Thursday after a daylong battle with Hamas gunmen. Gharib's two daughters were also killed during the fighting, according to reports. Gharib was on the phone to Palestine TV just moments before his death and appealed for help as his house came under attack. "They are killers," he said of the Hamas gunmen. "They are targeting the house, children are dying, they are bleeding. For God's sake, send an ambulance, we want an ambulance, somebody move." During the standoff outside Gharib's home in Beit Lahiya, dozens of women rushed into the streets in protest, chanting "Spare the bullets, shame, shame." more... | Israel | Islam | America | Do you know why the women chanted, "spare the bullets, shame, shame?" Because their desire is to use those bullets against Israel. They're condemning the killing because it means less bullets for Israel. Given the kind of brainwashing those poor people are in, it's not surprising. Pray for them. Clouds of War: The Year Ahead for Israel (January 2, 2007) - On its northern border, Israel watches Hezbollah regroup and grow in power after last summer's four-week war. On its southern border near the sea, chaos reigns in Gaza - one of the world's chief collecting points for terrorists and weapons. To the north and east is Syria, stocked with chemical weapons and eager to make mischief against Lebanon and Israel. And finally, from the Persian Gulf sits Iran bidding to be nuclear, dedicated to Israel's destruction, and eager for the Islamic re-conquest of Jerusalem. Just five months from now, Israel will mark the 40th anniversary of the six-day war, when Israeli soldiers expanded the nation's borders and put Jerusalem under Jewish control for the first time in 2,000 years. In 2007, Israel's enemies will try to advance their jihadist plan to take back Jerusalem and Israel for Islam. At the forefront is Iran, which funds Islamic terrorist groups and militias, and by the account of most experts is one to four years away from making nuclear weapons. "Israel would like to see sanctions imposed on Iran before it tests a nuclear device. But in addition to pessimism about the effect of those sanctions, Israel is also planning for the possibility they may go at it alone militarily against Iran and launch a military strike. And that day may come," said Yaakov Katz, military reporter for the Jerusalem Post. Iran's proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, is now the strongest political force in the country. Israel's military sees the re-arming of Hezbollah from the Syrian border, but can do little about it. "One way to stop that would be bomb the trucks, bomb the convoys," said Katz. "But there would be major diplomatic backlash as a result of that, which Israel at this point isn't able to risk." While some in Washington call for dialogue with Israel's enemies, some Middle East analysts, such as author and lecturer Michael Widlanski, warn that such a move would send the wrong signal. "If we try to placate Syria and Iran, it'll be like trying to placate a fire by throwing more twigs on the flames. The fire isn't gonna be convinced, it'll just get bigger," said Widlanski. Widlanski says the Islamists are feeding off of the perceived defeats of the U.S. in Iraq and Israel in Lebanon. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Islam Poised to Swallow Jesus' Boyhood Home (January 2, 2007) - The Islamic world’s ambition of forcing Judeo-Christian civilization into submission to Allah is steadily being realized in the Land of Israel–birthplace of both targeted faiths. According to a report in WorldNetDaily [WND] Monday [January 1], Nazareth, the Galilee town marking the place where Jesus lived as a boy with His mother Mary and carpenter “step-father” Joseph, is on the verge of being submerged under the authority of a Muslim-dominated city council. Like Bethlehem in Judea, the population of Nazareth, once overwhelmingly Christian, has long been replaced by a Muslim majority. As Muslims have grown in number, Christians have increasingly felt threatened by them and are leaving. WND has Israel’s Bureau of Statistics today pegging the Christian population [in Nazareth] at 37% and on a steadily downward trend. Sunday saw hundreds of Nazareth’s Muslims marching militantly through the streets, purportedly in “celebration” of the Islamic holiday of Eid but, in the eyes of many of the city’s Christians, in an act of intentional intimidation. According to a Muslim Nazareth city councilor quoted in the report, tension between the Muslim and Christian Arabs is “very bad.” Nazareth was sitting on a powder keg, said Siham El-Fahum. Another round of anti-Christian riots could break out “at any time.” WND reported that tens of thousands of residents looked on while leaders of the Islamic Movement–the main Muslim political party in Nazareth–paraded down the main thoroughfare in battle gear, beating their drums and “brandishing their party’s green flag…as a man on loudspeaker repeatedly exclaimed in Arabic, ‘Allah is great,’ [and] hundreds of activists strutted screaming Islamist epithets, including ‘Islam is the only truth’ and ‘Islam shall rule all!’” Islam is well on the way to ruling Nazareth and Bethlehem, plum pickings indeed for the religion that has become (whether or not the politically correct admit it) the archenemy of Christians and Jews. Apart from being Jesus' hometown, Nazareth is revered by millions of Christians as the place where the angel Gabriel visited Miriam (Mary) and informed her that she would become the mother of the Messiah. Marking this event is the largest church building in Nazareth–the Church of the Annunciation. In 2002, the Israeli government, under pressure from a variety of Christian groups including the Vatican, prevented the city’s Muslims from building an enormous mosque right in front of the church. It is believed that the structure, in accordance with the Muslim tradition of expressing Islam’s “superiority” over Jewish and Christian sacred sites, would have had a number of minarets towering over the Church of Annunciation. Muslim members of Nazareth’s city council believe that as soon as they hold a majority, they will be able to move ahead and build their mosque. They are currently just one councilor short of being able to do so. Unwilling even to wait until then, Muslims are already holding regular prayer services on the designated plot of land. Christians inside the church are able to clearly hear the imam’s loud proclamations of “Islam will dominate the world!” more... | Israel | Islam |
Iran
Says 2007 Could Bring Islamic Messiah, Possibly This Spring
Joel C. Rosenberg
(January 2, 2007) - The New Year may not be so happy if
Iranian leaders have their way. The Islamic Messiah known as the
“Twelfth Imam” or the “Mahdi” may come to earth in 2007 and
could be revealed to the world as early as the Spring Equinox,
reports an official Iranian government news Web site. The
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Web site says the
world is now in its “last days.” It claims that the Mahdi will
first appear in Mecca, and then Medina. He will conquer all of
Arabia, Syria, Iraq, destroy Israel, and then set up a “global
government” based in Iraq, interestingly enough, not Iran. Such
Islamic eschatology (end-time theology) is driving the Iranian
regime and helps explains why Iran has no interest in helping
the United States and European Union create peace in Iraq or the
region, much less in ending its bid for nuclear weapons, the
“Iraq Study Group Report” notwithstanding. A television series
on IRIB called “The World toward Illumination” has been running
since last November to help answer the many questions Iranians
have about the end of the world as we know it. The series
explains the signs of the last days and what to expect when the
Islamic Messiah arrives. The program also says that Jesus is
coming back to earth soon as a Shiite Muslim leader and it
denounces “born-again Christians” for supporting “the illegal
Zionist state of Israel.” An Israeli news site was the first to
pick up the story and its significance to Israeli national
security, noting that the Mahdi will soon “form an army to
defeat Islam’s enemies in a series of apocalyptic battles” and
“will overcome his arch villain in Jerusalem.” Iran’s calendar
year ends on March 20, the usual date of the Spring Equinox. Is
Ahmadinejad signaling that Iran will have nuclear weapons by
then? Is he suggesting that an apocalyptic war to annihilate
Jews and Christians in Israel and the US could come in 2007,
perhaps as early as this spring or summer? It is not yet clear,
though Ahmadinejad today vowed to “humiliate” the US and
continues to vow that Israel will “vanish” soon. The IRIB series
is important in that it offers some intriguing clues as to how
Iranian Shiites believe their prophecies will play out. [Go to
Rosenberg’s blog site to read details about their beliefs.] Too
many Western analysts are missing the central importance of
Shiite eschatology in Iranian foreign policy. They mistakenly
believe that Iran’s current leadership can be somehow cajoled
into making peace with the West. Nothing could be further from
the truth.
more... FYI: Joel Richardson has a reaction to this piece because the initial site that WND got the information from doesn't actually place a time of 2007, just that some believe the Mahdi will reappear at the spring equinox. Joel says,
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