Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The World vs. Israel

It seems that almost every day we read stories which involve one or more countries aligned against Israel. Today seems to have a few more of these, but the point is the same:

"Europe's Jewish Problem"

Antipathy for Israel among Europeans is alarmingly increasing as campaigns of delegitimization and vilification spread across the world, fueled by Muslim propaganda and money, whetted by the hunger for oil. Even once-friendly European countries, those that helped establish the State of Israel and tried to assist Jews during the Holocaust, have become more hostile towards Israel. Europe's brief love affair with Israel seems over. Why?

Before and after World War II, the Soviet Union slaughtered, persecuted, and enslaved Jews in gulags, sponsored and trained Arab terrorists, and attempted to wipe out Judaism. Eventually, the barriers fell, Jews emigrated, and the USSR became the FSU.

For two thousand years, Europe threw out the Jews, or murdered them, or stole their property -- tried to crush their spirit -- and yet they came back even stronger. Jews are on the cutting edge of everything, while Europe can't seem to find the tools. It doesn't make sense.

Jews were supposed to be finished off in the ghettos, gas ovens, and slave labor prisons. That didn't work. OK, give them a state and let the Arabs, generously supplied by most of Europe's governments and corporations, finish them off. That didn't work, either.

OK, Oslo -- a diplomatic coup, still undecided, land-for-nothing. Welcome Iran to do the job, its nuclear reactors built by Russians, French, and Germans, financed by the ever-neutral Swiss. Well, maybe that will work.

Israel's success flaunts Europe's failure. And despite their economies going down the tubes, EU countries still have money to fund every Arab Palestinian hate group and rescue terrorists. Having used the most powerful forces in the world to eliminate the Jewish people, Europeans must feel frustrated by the audacity of Jews, who not only defend themselves, but also survive as Jews, forcing their leaders to salute a flag that bears a Jewish symbol and shake hands with Jewish generals. Instead of their traditional Jew-hatred, Europeans smile and slip cash to the Arabs to do their dirty work. Condemning Israel is easier than feeling shame

Like a supposedly dispatched victim, Israel comes back to haunt Europe -- not only to confront it with its strength, but to do so ablaze with Jewishness. What an indignity for Europeans to see flourishing Jewish communities instead of piled corpses, bones of those buried in mass execution pits renewed in Israeli children.

Europe hates Jews, finally, because it hates itself; it knows what European civilization allowed, permitted, and condoned. "Never again" is the Jewish password; Europeans know it can be.



"New British PM Calls Gaza a 'Prison Camp'"

British Prime Minister David Cameron called Gaza a "Prison Camp" and harshly criticized Israel's blockade of Gaza. Cameron, who has dubbed himself a "friend of Israel" was speaking with Turkish businessmen on a visit to Ankara.

Cameron's remarks seemed to be aimed at endearing himself to his Turkish hosts, but were received among Israelis with displeasure. The Israeli embassy in Britain said in response, "The people of Gaza are the prisoners of the terrorist organization Hamas. The situation in Gaza is the direct result of Hamas’ rule and priorities. We know that the Prime Minister would also share our grave concerns about our own prisoner in Gaza, Gilad Shalit, who has been held hostage there for over four years, without receiving a single Red Cross visit."



If that's not bad enough, we continue to see more and more evidence of the U.S. aiding and supporting Israel's enemies in the region:

"Is the U.S. Building the Next Intifada?"


The U.S. has sent almost $400 million to the PA to train their security forces since 2007. With no state in sight, fears that the arms and training will be directed at Israel have arisen.

[Since 2007, the U.S. State Department] has invested $392 million in rehabilitating and training [Palestinian Authority] security forces … more than $160 million to fund certain units of the security forces, $89 million for vehicles and nonlethal equipment, $99 million for the renovation or construction of PA security forces’ installations and $22 million in programs to increase the forces’ capacity. The State Department has requested an additional $150 million for 2011.

Indeed, as revealed by Israeli media outlets this week, Israel regards this whole enterprise as risky, whether or not a Palestinian state is on the way. Yoni Ben-Menachem, head of Israel Radio since 2003, said on Monday:

Israeli security forces show great suspicion toward the Palestinian security apparatus in the West Bank despite the fact that they battle Hamas and were trained by U.S. General Dayton. Israel assesses that a scenario of another armed intifada in the West Bank is possible and that the Palestinian security apparatus might act against the settlers and IDF soldiers.

Ben-Menachem goes on to cite General Avi Mizrahi, head of Israel’s Central Command, saying in a speech last May at the national training center:

[The] IDF must also be prepared for an escalation in fighting against Palestinian security personnel trained in Jordan by U.S. General Dayton.

This is a trained force, better equipped by an American mentor, and the upshot is that at the beginning of combat, the price we pay will be higher.

The Palestinian state that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel could accept would have to be a demilitarized one. Yet even today, a top Israeli general describes the PA as having an “infantry force,” already casting the prospective state’s “demilitarization” in doubt.

And if, as seems very likely these days, that state is actually not going to arise soon, then General Dayton’s words about “big risks” and a short “shelf life” could prove all too prophetic as the well-trained but aimless forces seek a target for their new capabilities.


As mentioned so many times in the past, the entire world is aligned against Israel, and it is only getting worse. Just over the last week, we see the U.K. leadership siding with and appeasing Turkey, arguably Israel's most vocal enemy at the moment; we see the U.S. pouring money and arms into the region to support Israel's enemies and we see Europe continuing to turn against Israel.

It is a well known road to destruction. All one has to do is read the book of Ezekiel which is full of stories about God's judgment of the Nations who have opposed Israel, and it will be no different in today's world. God's plan hasn't changed, nor will it ever change. The same God that judged those nations is the same God today - He hasn't changed.

As the sayng goes - the only thing one learns from history, is that people don't learn from history. Or something like that.

Ultimately, we know that God Himself will protect Israel. Can "The Nations" say the same? We know the answer to that one. But Man's arrogance never seems to diminish through the ages. We know that much from history, and today's world is no different. Man hasn't learned. All they have to do is open the Holy Bible and read a few chapters, but that won't happen.

The world is racing towards its destruction. I thank God daily that we will have a different fate.

It won't be long now.

7 comments:

Keri said...

I love the way you speak...I've learned so much.

Thanks for teaching us!

Keri said...

Matt and I just got done listening to your first sermon. I believe you said that you believe the generation started with WW1. You also stated an age range that you believe would be considered a generation. I'm curious as to why you don't say a generation is 120 years, as possibly indicated in Genesis 6:3,

Scott said...

Hi Keri

I usually do mention Genesis 6:3, and I thought I had in that audio, but perhaps I forgot. I think Genesis 6:3 is highly germane - and quite possibly the explanation.

With "The Church" (unlike prophecies intended for the Nation of Israel) - we usually don't get specific times and dates.

Jesus stated that all of the "signs" and the "events" (including the Trib and 2nd Coming) would occur within a generation, so it is somewhere "inside" whatever a generation is.

People are living to between 110-120 now, so I'd roughly place a generation between those "dates". 120 would represent the very most extreme longest possible period IMO. Somewhere in the neighborhood of slightly over 100 years.

Also, don;t forget, if we are looking at the Rapture, then one has to subtract 7 years from that time-frame, so that takes the 120 - 7= 113 years.

But the bottom line is - no matter how you cut it, we're very close IMO. Very close. Whether its 110 or 120 years, we'll be taken up 7+ years inside of that period, so I always sub-consciously subtract 7 years from the very end of a generation.

God Bless
Scott

Joe Agnello said...

Scott,

Great points you make! We often overlook that anti-Semitism itself is a sign that we are approaching the end. As God warned through Zechariah, “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.” Zechariah 12:2 (NKJV). We know that day is coming, and the rise of extreme and outspoken anti-Semitism shows us that we are getting closer to it.

Check out this video from Maoz Israel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eupkfyd1ulc , it points out the craziness of those who claim Israel is the Middle East oppressor. If you're not familiar with Maoz Israel, they are a Messianic Jewish organization out of Tel Aviv. They're really a solid group of believers. Pray for them too when you think of it. Messianic Jews in Israel experience quite a bit of persecution from other Jews.

Thanks for your blog Scott!

Joe Agnello

Scott said...

Joe

Many thanks - and it is indeed my great pleasure to serve the Lord in this way. I thank Him every day that He allows me to do the work that I love so dearly.

I agree - it is often overlooked that the hatred directed towards the Nation of Israel is highly prophetic. I think it goes unnoticed by many, because it is much like the proverbial frog in the pot of boiling water.

We have become slowly conditioned to see Israel as the "enemy" and the obstruction of peace in the M-E and that gets spun to being "Israel is the cause of many of the world problems" - certainly as it pertains to the Islamic world - as you state.

Thanks again
God Bless
Scott

Keri said...

Thanks for the explanation, Scott. We look forward to hearing more.

Scott said...

Many thanks Keri

God Bless

Scott