Terry James: Israel And The Art Of The Deal

Israel and the Art of the Deal 

Terry James

With America’s midterm elections done, except for all the shenanigans going on in Florida and Arizona at the time of this writing, focus of President Trump’s agenda seems destined to soon turn to Israel. His friend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has election problems of his own looming. Trump’s actions and reactions with regard to Israel, therefore, present intriguing potentiality.

The intrigue involves a primary matter of Bible prophecy set for fulfillment in the near future. The peace process involving the Jewish state and its enemy neighbors is at the heart of the intrigue, of course. There is, it is well known in diplomatic circles, a “deal” in the works.

The Trump administration is holding the key elements within this brewing deal close to its presidential vest. But, the man who is known for the “art of the deal” is obviously operating in his interaction with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the same way he always deals. He is a master of keeping his counterparts in negotiations off-balance, most often coming in with proposals at the most crucial time, forcing decisions that leave interlocutors within negotiations without recourse but to agree.

There is no more important negotiation in which Trump could possibly be engaged than this one. We are talking about the very heart of Bible prophecy yet future. This matter involves getting dangerously close to what God, Himself, calls “the apple of my eye.” The nation–the people called Israel–is a most sensitive matter in God’s holy view.

The Israeli prime minister has for years now been subjected to much the same sort of accusation and innuendo Donald Trump has faced. He is embattled on all sides by opposition politicians and by both Israeli national and international news media.

Still, according to polls, it looks like Netanyahu will be reelected in the upcoming election.

He will almost certainly be forced to dissolve the present government and call an election. The question is whether the election will be called next year or sometime very soon–before the end of the year.

One opinion piece explains:

Two clocks are ticking, one in Jerusalem and one in Washington. The problem is that for the time being, they are not synchronized.

With the midterm elections over in the US, President Donald Trump now has the bandwidth and time to shift his focus back to foreign policy issues, including the so-called “deal of the century” that he longs to broker between Israel and the Palestinians. The finishing touches are being put on the plan, and it could be rolled out as early as next month or in January.

The US schedule doesn’t seem to match up with Israel’s schedule, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is apparently toying with the idea of moving up the elections, scheduled now for November 2019. No one in the coalition believes the government will last until then, and almost everyone thinks something – either the haredi draft bill or Netanyahu’s criminal investigations – will prompt the prime minister to dissolve the government in the coming months.

This is important because if the government is dissolved in December, there would be no point in rolling out a peace deal that Israel will not be able to embrace…

This is important because if the government is dissolved in December, there would be no point in rolling out a peace deal that Israel will not be able to embrace. (What will come first – Israeli elections or the U.S. peace plan rollout? by Yaakov Katz,  Opinion – Jerusalem Post, November 10, 2018)

Benjamin Netanyahu wants to show the world that he wants to say yes to Israel’s good friend America in the matter of a peace deal. He has most always answered “no” to pressures by American presidents. This is understandable, because these pressures have been brought about by the likes of President Clinton and President Obama. These–and even George W. Bush, with the likes of James Baker pushing matters–have wanted Israel to give up too much to enemies blood-vowed to push all Jews into the Mediterranean.

But now Netanyahu has a president to deal with who has demonstrated both a love for Israel and the ability to accomplish what few, if any, have been able to accomplish.

Does the Trump plan, held closely to the presidential vest, include giving the Palestinian Authority the state they want? Will this mean dividing God’s most beloved city? These are intriguing–and dangerously so- questions to be sure.

Proceed very cautiously, Mr. President.