The non-issue of Israel announcing construction plans in East Jerusalem has become yet another "created crisis" which has become the favorite M.O. by the current U.S. administration. Over the weekend, when the F.A.C.T.S. emerged about this housing development, I was shocked at the distortions by the mainstream media. The housing development is primarily proposed for the arabs in the region, although most news sources are declaring it a "Jewish settlement". That is not the case - it is a development open to all citizens - the problem is - there is no specific exclusion NOT allowing Jews to settle there. Quite a difference.
But for whatever reasons - the U.S. administration has decided (again) that they will create a crisis from this non-issue, in an apparent move to appease the local terrorist groups and the "international community" where a strong anti-Israeli bias dominates.
There are a lot of articles being written about this situation:
"Obama runs out of patience with Israel"
Quotes:
"The US is now said to be demanding substantive concessions from Israel after a warning by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that he would not take part in talks..."
"There was no official confirmation of reports in the Israeli press that the US was also demanding other measures, including an early release of Palestinian prisoners and a clear Israeli promise that talks, if and when they begin, would genuinely deal with the core issues between the two sides: borders, Palestinian refugees, and the future of Jerusalem. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state."
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Commentaries on this situation:
"Obama's dangerous overreaction on Israel"
and
"Outrageous outrage: Washington anger at Israeli gaffe was way over the top"
Quotes:
"The Obama administration has just finished - it is hoped - an unfair, unwise and unconscionable pummeling of Israel, of which no good will come."
"The deliberately calibrated fury directed at the Jewish state by Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Clinton and top White House aide David Axelrod since last week was grossly disproportionate to Israel's perceived offense."
"Still worse, Biden's anger at what he called a "step that undermines the trust we need right now" was stupendously selective. The very next day, with the winking approval of Palestinian officials, locals renamed a town square in honor of Dalal Mughrabi, architect of one of the worst terror attacks ever on Israel."
"The Palestinians lionized Mughrabi for leading a 1978 rampage, called the coastal road bus hijacking, that killed 38 Israeli civilians, 13 of them children. On that subject, Biden was silent when true condemnation was in order - condemnation for celebrating a human atrocity, not for a diplomatic dustup triggered by good-faith blundering."
The second article contained the appropriate conclusion:
"The secretary is on a new team now, one that appears to believe, against the overwhelming weight of history, both that Israel is an obstacle to peace and that hammering an ally will bring the Palestinians into good fellowship."
"This is naive in the extreme, and Axelrod's suggestion of Israeli sabotage was beyond dangerous. It fed the Palestinians' fabrication that Israel is intent on grabbing land, thus - the fiction goes - dashing fervent Palestinian hopes for living side by side with a nation they not only refuse to recognize but bombard with missiles."
"Israel must be able to trust that America has its back, and the Palestinians have got to hear, loudly and clearly, the single message that terrorism, not manufactured grievances over Israel's rightful capital, is the barrier to their having a full-fledged state. The Obama administration's bullying has damaged both causes."
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At the same time, the "unrest" continues in Jerusalem:
"Palestinian unrest continues in Jerusalem"
"Violence flares in Jerusalem after Hamas declares 'day of rage'"
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Perhaps we finally see an article which exposes the bottom line on this whole situation:
U.S. row shows Jerusalem is cornerstone of peace"
Has this author been reading the book of Zechariah?
Probably not, but the headline could have been taken directly from biblical prophecy.
As could the following quote from the article:
The story of Ramat Shlomo reminds all those who truly love Jerusalem that this tough city is the cornerstone of peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and between the city and the three monotheistic religions who believe that it is holy. The current crisis over the violation of the status quo in East Jerusalem underlines the risk inherent in the proposal to postpone a solution on sovereignty over this tinderbox until the end of final-status talks. As long as this powder keg remains open, some extremist and/or fool, Mayor Nir Barkat and/or the Islamic Movement's Sheikh Raed Salah will light a match.
The bottom line, which characterizes the entire situation in the Middle East in today's world - according to the Bible:
"I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling"
"On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves."
(Zechariah 12:1-3)
The specificity and accuracy of biblical prophecy never ceases to amaze me. But God has a tendency to do that - for people seeking the truth.
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(discovered following on web - John)
PRETRIB RAPTURE POLITICS
Many are still unaware of the eccentric, 180-year-old British theory underlying the politics of American evangelicals and Christian Zionists.
Journalist and historian Dave MacPherson has spent more than 40 years focusing on the origin and spread of what is known as the apocalyptic "pretribulation rapture" - the inspiration behind Hal Lindsey's bestsellers of the 1970s and Tim LaHaye's today.
Although promoters of this endtime evacuation from earth constantly repeat their slogan that "it's imminent and always has been" (which critics view more as a sales pitch than a scriptural statement), it was unknown in all official theology and organized religion before 1830.
And MacPherson's research also reveals how hostile the pretrib rapture view has been to other faiths:
It is anti-Islam. TV preacher John Hagee has been advocating "a pre-emptive military strike against Iran." (Google "Roots of Warlike Christian Zionism.")
It is anti-Jewish. MacPherson's book "The Rapture Plot" (see Armageddon Books etc.) exposes hypocritical anti-Jewishness in even the theory's foundation.
It is anti-Catholic. Lindsey and C. I. Scofield are two of many leaders who claim that the final Antichrist will be a Roman Catholic. (Google "Pretrib Hypocrisy.")
It is anti-Protestant. For this reason no major Protestant denomination has ever adopted this escapist view.
It even has some anti-evangelical aspects. The first publication promoting this novel endtime view spoke degradingly of "the name by which the mixed multitude of modern Moabites love to be distinguished, - the Evangelical World." (MacPherson's "Plot," p. 85)
Despite the above, MacPherson proves that the "glue" that holds constantly in-fighting evangelicals together long enough to be victorious voting blocs in elections is the same "fly away" view. He notes that Jerry Falwell, when giving political speeches just before an election, would unfailingly state: "We believe in the pretribulational rapture!"
In addition to "The Rapture Plot," MacPherson's many internet articles include "Famous Rapture Watchers," "Pretrib Rapture Diehards," "Edward Irving is Unnerving," "America's Pretrib Rapture Traffickers," "Thomas Ice (Bloopers)," "Pretrib Rapture Secrecy" and "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty" (massive plagiarism, phony doctorates, changing of early "rapture" documents in order to falsely credit John Darby with this view, etc.!).
Because of his devastating discoveries, MacPherson is now No. 1 on the "hate" list of pretrib rapture leaders!
There's no question that the leading promoters of this bizarre 19th century end-of-the-world doctrine are solidly pro-Israel and necessarily anti-Palestinian. In light of recently uncovered facts about this fringe-British-invented belief which has always been riddled with dishonesty, many are wondering why it should ever have any influence on Middle East affairs.
This Johnny-come-lately view raises millions of dollars for political agendas. Only when scholars of all faiths begin to look deeply at it and widely air its "dirty linen" will it cease to be a power. It is the one theological view no one needs!
With apologies to Winston Churchill - never has so much deception been foisted on so many by so few!
[Also Google "David Letterman's Hate, Etc." and "Obama Supports Public Depravity."]
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