Zechariah 12 In View: 'This Is The Word Of The Lord Concerning Israel'

It doesn't get any more clear than that does it?

Zechariah 12:1-3

"This is the word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares:

'I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be beseiged as well as Jerusalem. 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.'"

With that scripture as a reference guide, we come to today's news, with the understanding that the new "PA Statehood" involves a return to the 1967 borders which includes a division of Jerusalem. 

In fact, one could argue that Jerusalem is the cornerstone - the ultimate goal -  of this entire effort by the "PA":

Israel Approves New Jewish Construction After UN Vote

Israel responds to the UN recognition of 'Palestine' by approving new homes in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. PA outraged.

Less than 24 hours after the United Nations voted to recognize the Palestinian Authority as a non-member observer state, Israel has responded by approving construction of new Jewish homes.

On Friday afternoon, the forum of nine senior ministers approved the construction of 3,000 housing units in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
In addition, the nine ministers decided to promote the building of thousands of housing units in Jerusalem and in the so-called ‘settlement blocs’, including the area known as E1 and which connects Jerusalem and Maale Adumim.

As expected, PA officials reacted with anger to the Israeli decision.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned on Thursday night, as the UN approved the PA resolution, that Israel would respond in the manner it would find appropriate.
“By going to the UN, the Palestinians have violated the agreements with Israel and Israel will act accordingly,” said a statement by Netanyahu’s office.

Right defends Building Plans As Left Takes Aim

The Palestinian Authority (PA) needs to know that there are two sides to every coin, said Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich (Yisrael Beytenu) on Saturday in defense of thegovernment's approval of 3,000 new housing units in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The move came on Friday in response to the UN approving the Palestinian UN bid for  non-member observer state status. The inner cabinet also decided on Friday to give the go ahead for the planning of thousands of housing units in area E1 that connects Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim.

"Those who violate an agreement need to know that there are two sides to a coin," he asserted.

"There is a national agreement on a united Jerusalem and settlement blocs" he added. "Wadi Ara may be included in a land swap in the future."

Sadly, the U.S. response reveals a continuing trend which opposes God's written commands:

Last week, Washington urged Israel not to allow construction in the area known as E-1 between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim as a possible response to the Palestinian UN bid.
Building in E-1, which would create contiguity between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim to the northeast beyond the Green Line, is something various Israeli governments have long wanted to do, but which US opposition has prevented.

Make no mistake about it - everything we are seeing now from the PA and their fake "statehood" will ultimately boil down to who controls Jerusalem - exactly as the prophetic scriptures indicate:

White House Opposes New Israeli Settlement Construction

The White House condemned Israel's decision to build more than 3,000 new settlements in the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem.
"We reiterate our longstanding opposition to settlements and East Jerusalem construction and announcements," National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said.

"We believe these actions are counterproductive and make it harder to resume direct negotiations or achieve a two state solution. Direct negotiations remain our goal and we encourage all parties to take steps to make that easier to achieve," Vietor said.

Israeli officials announced Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government had approved the construction of thousands of new housing units, and were laying the groundwork for more.

The settlements — considered by some as illegal under international law — are a key sticking point in any future negotiations between Israel and a Palestinian state.

The settlements caused a diplomatic row in 2009 between President Obama and Netanyahu, when Obama stunned Netanyahu by calling for a settlement freeze with the prime minister by his side.

Clinton Condemns Jerusalem's Settlement Plans

Also note the prophetically related statements when we see the calls for 'living side by side in peace and security' (note: see 1 Thessalonians 5)

 Clinton said Friday night in a speech at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy in Washington. “America supports the goal of a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security with Israel. But this week’s vote at the UN won’t bring Palestinians any closer, and it may bring new challenges for the United Nations system and for Israel.”

The rough contours of any agreement are clear. The two sides would have borders based on Israel’s boundaries before the 1967 Mideast war, with agreed land swaps for Israeli security, to take into account population movements on the ground and ensure that Palestinian lands are connected. The two sides would also have to reach long-sought understandings on water supplies, Palestinian refugees and Jerusalem — which both Jews and Muslims consider to be their holy cities and which both sides claim as their capital.

UK Urges Israel To Reverse Decision On Settlement

British Foreign Secretary William Hague harshly criticized on Saturday Israel’s authorization for the construction of 3,000 housing units in parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and he called on Israeli leaders to reverse the decision.

Hague said he was “extremely concerned” about the Israeli construction plans in what he termed “illegal” settlements.

“Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and undermine trust between the parties,” according to the foreign secretary. Echoing comments by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday, he said proceeding with the plans would make the two-state solution difficult to achieve.

“[The plans] would undermine Israel’s international reputation and create doubts about its stated commitment to achieving peace with the Palestinians,” Hague added.

U.S. Condemns Decision To Approve Construction

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