Really? Has it come to this?
Don't forget, Zechariah 12:3 is very clear on this issue of dividing Jerusalem, and a 'PA State" will do just that. The U.S. is actively forcing this upon Israel and it is a guarantee that the God if Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will not be happy with this at all.
[This article may be one of the most revealing so far - in terms of the honest opinions of the U.S. administration regarding Israel and the 'peace process'. It isn't pretty. The bias against Israel is extreme and as predicted the failures are all being blamed on Israel, which is light-years from reality. Anyone who has followed this story easily realizes that the failures were from Abbas' ridiculous and constantly changing demands which would never be met under any scenario. for the U.S. to now blame and threaten Israel is difficult to watch. Especially with Genesis 12:3 in view]
American officials directly involved in the failed Israeli-Palestinian peace process over the last nine months gave a leading Israeli columnist a withering assessment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the negotiations, indicated that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has completely given up on the prospect of a negotiated solution, and warned Israel that the Palestinians will achieve statehood come what may — either via international organizations or through violence.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to Nahum Barnea, a prominent columnist from Israel’s best-selling daily Yedioth Aharonoth, the officials highlighted Netanyahu’s ongoing settlement construction as the issue “largely to blame” for the failure of Secretary of State John Kerry’s July 2013-April 2014 effort to broker a permanent peace accord.
They made plain that US President Barack Obama had been prepared to release spy-for-Israel Jonathan Pollard to salvage the talks. And they warned that “the world will not keep tolerating the Israeli occupation.”
Barnea, who described his conversations with the American officials as “the closest thing to an official American version of what happened” in the talks, said the secretary is now deciding whether to wait a few months and try to renew the negotiating effort or to publicize the US’s suggested principles of an agreement.
Detailing how the US sought to solve disputes over the core issues of a two-state solution, Barnea wrote on Friday that, “Using advanced software, the Americans drew a border outline in the West Bank that gives Israel sovereignty over some 80 percent of the settlers that live there today. The remaining 20 percent were meant to evacuate. In Jerusalem, the proposed border is based on Bill Clinton’s plan — Jewish neighborhoods to Israel, Arab neighborhoods to the Palestinians.”
He quoted the Americans saying that while the Israeli government made no response to the American plan, and also failed to draw its own border outline, Abbas agreed to the US-suggested border outline.
One bitter American official told Barnea, “I guess we need another intifada to create the circumstances that would allow progress.”
A third intifada, the Americans made clear, “would be a tragedy. The Jewish people are supposed to be smart; it is true that they’re also considered a stubborn nation. You’re supposed to know how to read the map: In the 21st century, the world will not keep tolerating the Israeli occupation. The occupation threatens Israel’s status in the world and threatens Israel as a Jewish state.”
[Oh - so now the U.S. is agreeing with the inaccurate and misleading "occupation" line...Another interesting development]
Pressed by Barnea on perceived international hypocrisy over Israel’s presence in the West Bank, when the world “closes its eyes to China’s takeover of Tibet, it stutters at what Russia’s doing to Ukraine,” the Americans were quoted as responding: ”Israel is not China. It was founded by a UN resolution. Its prosperity depends on the way it is viewed by the international community.”
[Did you see that? Israel 'was founded by a UN resolution'? Well, in a technical sense perhaps - but my recollection of the book of Genesis indicates that God actually founded Israel...But I digress]
The American officials described to Barnea what they called Abbas’s loss of trust in the talks and in Netanyahu, and how his skepticism hardened as settlement-building continued, and as Israel demanded complete security control over the territories. From Abbas’s point of view, the Americans told Barnea, the sense was “that nothing was going to change on the security front. Israel was not willing to agree to time frames; its control of the West Bank would continue forever. Abbas reached the conclusion that there was nothing for him in such an agreement.
In a rare attribution of some blame to Abbas, the Americans said they “couldn’t understand why it bothered him so much” to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. But here too, ultimately, the Americans were empathetic to Abbas: “The Palestinians came to the conclusion that Israel was pulling a nasty trick on them. They suspected there was an effort to get from them approval of the Zionist narrative.”
[Now that one is priceless. So it is a 'nasty trick' for Israel to have the PA recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. How clever]
The Americans warned that, with the talks over, Israel might be facing “quite a problem. As of now, nothing is stopping the Palestinians from turning to the international community. The Palestinians are tired of the status quo. They will get their state in the end — whether through violence or by turning to international organizations.”
[Ahhh - of course - the inevitable threats to Israel for not giving up their land and defensible borders]
Some of the warnings delivered by the Americans reflected a similar tone to that expressed by Obama in an interview he gave shortly before his last meeting with Netanyahu at the White House in March.
Israel can expect to face international isolation and possible sanctions from countries and companies across the world if Netanyahu fails to endorse a framework agreement with the Palestinians, Obama cautioned in an interview with Bloomberg at the time.
[More threats from the U.S.]
The president went on to condemn Israel’s settlement activities in the West Bank, and said that though his allegiance to the Jewish state was permanent, building settlements across the Green Line was counterproductive and would make it extremely difficult for the US to defend Israel from painful repercussions in the international community. “If you see no peace deal and continued aggressive settlement construction — and we have seen more aggressive settlement construction over the last couple years than we’ve seen in a very long time — if Palestinians come to believe that the possibility of a contiguous sovereign Palestinian state is no longer within reach, then our ability to manage the international fallout is going to be limited,” Obama warned.
[And closing with even more thinly veiled threats...How long will God put up with this?]
Interestingly, the following articles have come out this morning from Israel:
PM Netanyahu To Push for Law Declaring Israel Nation-State Of The Jews
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he would advance new legislation in the Knesset to anchor Israel’s status as the nation-state of the Jewish people, saying that opposing such a recognition would eventually undermine the country’s very right to exist.
“It is my intention to submit a Basic Law to the Knesset that would provide a constitutional anchor for Israel’s status as the national state of the Jewish people,” he said at an event to mark Israel’s Independence Day in Tel Aviv.
The new Basic Law would respect the rights of non-Jewish minorities living in the country, in accordance with Israel’s Declaration of Independence, Netanyahu said.
Israel has no constitution, but the Supreme Court has declared that Basic Laws have the same standing as one.
Jerusalem’s demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state has been one of the major sticking points in the latest round of peace negotiations, with Netanyahu saying he will never sign an agreement without it and the Palestinians refusing adamantly. Even outside the framework of peace negotiations, Netanyahu’s plan is likely to cause controversy, as some 20 percent of Israel’s population is not Jewish.
“The Declaration of Independence sets, as the cornerstone in the life of the state, the national Jewish identity of the State of Israel. To my great regret, as we have seen recently, there are those who do not recognize this natural right,” Netanyahu said, referring to the Palestinians’ refusal to even discuss recognizing Israel as a Jewish state. “They seek to undermine the historic, moral and legal justification for the existence of the State of Israel as the national state of our people.”
[Predictably, the liberals come out in full force against this]
One of Netanyahu’s coalition allies, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, panned the move, saying she would “continue to defend Israel’s values as a Jewish and democratic state, and by no means will we allow weakening the democratic values and subjugating them to the Jewish ones.”
Netanyahu said he was surprised that those who urge Israel to make territorial concessions to the Palestinians because they want to avoid a binational state are those who oppose defining Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. “One cannot favor the establishment of a Palestinian national state in order to maintain the Jewish character of the State of Israel and — at the same time — oppose recognizing that the State of Israel is the national state of the Jewish people,” the prime minister said. “Supporting the establishment of a Palestinian national state and opposing the recognition of the Jewish national state undermines — over the long term — the State of Israel’s very right to exist.”
Livni Bashes PM's Plan To Codify Israel's Jewish Status
Also see:
Washington Intends Russia's Demise
Dozens Killed As Ukrainian Government Says Eastern Unrest Has Become 'A War'
PM Netanyahu To Push for Law Declaring Israel Nation-State Of The Jews
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he would advance new legislation in the Knesset to anchor Israel’s status as the nation-state of the Jewish people, saying that opposing such a recognition would eventually undermine the country’s very right to exist.
“It is my intention to submit a Basic Law to the Knesset that would provide a constitutional anchor for Israel’s status as the national state of the Jewish people,” he said at an event to mark Israel’s Independence Day in Tel Aviv.
The new Basic Law would respect the rights of non-Jewish minorities living in the country, in accordance with Israel’s Declaration of Independence, Netanyahu said.
Israel has no constitution, but the Supreme Court has declared that Basic Laws have the same standing as one.
Jerusalem’s demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state has been one of the major sticking points in the latest round of peace negotiations, with Netanyahu saying he will never sign an agreement without it and the Palestinians refusing adamantly. Even outside the framework of peace negotiations, Netanyahu’s plan is likely to cause controversy, as some 20 percent of Israel’s population is not Jewish.
“The Declaration of Independence sets, as the cornerstone in the life of the state, the national Jewish identity of the State of Israel. To my great regret, as we have seen recently, there are those who do not recognize this natural right,” Netanyahu said, referring to the Palestinians’ refusal to even discuss recognizing Israel as a Jewish state. “They seek to undermine the historic, moral and legal justification for the existence of the State of Israel as the national state of our people.”
Netanyahu clarified during his remarks that enshrining Israel’s status as Jewish state will have no bearing on the status of Israel’s large non-Jewish minority.
“The State of Israel will always preserve the full equality, in personal and civil rights, of all its citizens, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, in a Jewish and democratic country,” he said. “And indeed, in Israel, individual and civil rights are assured for everyone, which sets us apart in the large expanse of the Middle East and even beyond.”
[Predictably, the liberals come out in full force against this]
One of Netanyahu’s coalition allies, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, panned the move, saying she would “continue to defend Israel’s values as a Jewish and democratic state, and by no means will we allow weakening the democratic values and subjugating them to the Jewish ones.”
Leaders from left-wing Knesset parties railed against Netanyahu’s proposal, saying the move would be ineffectual. “The political failure from Netanyahu’s camp is leading to the loss of a Jewish majority and making Israel a binational state,” Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Labor Party) said. ”This distressing fact, no law can conceal.”
Meretz party leader Zahava Gal-on called it “a superfluous legal declaration that will not help Israel remain a Jewish state.”
“In the State of Israel there are also non-Jewish citizens and therefore the state must define itself as the state for the Jewish people and all its citizens,” she said.
“Was the state declared anew? Did Netanyahu fulfill his dream?” Peace Now director Yariv Oppenheimer tweeted. “Can we return to our routine now or do we have to go out and dance on the streets?”
Netanyahu said he was surprised that those who urge Israel to make territorial concessions to the Palestinians because they want to avoid a binational state are those who oppose defining Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. “One cannot favor the establishment of a Palestinian national state in order to maintain the Jewish character of the State of Israel and — at the same time — oppose recognizing that the State of Israel is the national state of the Jewish people,” the prime minister said. “Supporting the establishment of a Palestinian national state and opposing the recognition of the Jewish national state undermines — over the long term — the State of Israel’s very right to exist.”
Livni Bashes PM's Plan To Codify Israel's Jewish Status
Also see:
Washington Intends Russia's Demise
Dozens Killed As Ukrainian Government Says Eastern Unrest Has Become 'A War'
2 comments:
Scott, thank you again for your faithfulness. When I read the articles and the USA position, I realize that we are now on borrowed time. God will not be mocked!
Sandra
Sandra - many thanks - and its my great pleasure to do so. And no - God will not be mocked nor is the U.S. immune to Genesis 12:3 and Zechariah 12. sadly.
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