Tag Archives: Israel

Religion

Iran Warns of Coming “Great Event”

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Iran has hosted a World Conference to mark the anniversary of the Arab Spring. At the conference the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei addressed over 600 youth from across the Middle East. He told them that, “the Zionists and the Great Satan (America) will soon be defeated”.

He went on to urge them to be vigilant, that there is a “great event coming”. Khamenei and the President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, believe they have been called by Allah to usher in the reign of the Mahdi, or 12th Imam. The Mahdi is a messianic type figure in Islam, who is said to appear during an Armageddon type war, in which Israel and her allies are destroyed.

Iran have refused to give up on their nuclear program and made no secret of their hatred for Israel and America.

 

News

Iran’s Army Prepare for War

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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard have been placed on a war footing. Iran is again facing international pressure over it’s nuclear program, and it is now increasingly apparent that Iran will not give up it’s nuclear ambitions.

The Iranian government believe it’s nuclear program is the victim of a concerted and sustained attack from the West, beginning last year with a cyber attack directly upon it’s nuclear facilities. Iran also believe the West is responsible for two recent explosions, both military targets.

“It looks like the 21st century form of war,” said Patrick Clawson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a Washington think tank, told the Los Angeles Times. “It does appear that there is a campaign of assassinations and cyber war, as well as the semi-acknowledged campaign of sabotage.”

Iran have been hitting back by raiding the British embassy in Tehran and shooting down a US spy drone. Iran have seized computers from the British embassy, and the US security services are concerned over the loss of the spy drone.

This escalation in the region has to be taken seriously. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly spoken of his belief that he is God’s chosen vessel to usher in the coming of the Mahdi, an Islamic Messianic figure.

The Mahdi, or 12th Imam is prophesied to come in the midst of an apocalyptic type war, resulting in the destruction of Israel. It is little wonder that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is taking the threat very seriously. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said Israel would make “the right decision at the right moment”. For Israel, an Iran with a nuclear arsenal is not an option that they will tolerate.

 

News

Palestinian Bid for UN Membership

Friday 23rd September sees the Palestinian Authority submit and application to the United Nations for full UN Membership.

The UN has three types of status:

1. Full Membership: According to the charter of the United Nations, “membership is open to peaceful nations that are willing and able to carry out the duties required by the charter”. Upon the recommendation of the Security Council, the General Assembly decides whether to approve a nation’s candidacy.

2. Non-Member Status: Can also be conferred, allowing certain countries, organisations or entities to benefit from collaborations with any of the UN’s specialised agencies

3. Observer: Grants permission to attend UN General Assembly meetings. The Vatican and the Palestinian Authority currently have observer status.

It is highly unlikely the bid will succeed, since Full Membership has to be voted on by the UN Security Council, and America has a veto within the Council. However, America is unable to veto any vote in the General Assembly, therefore it is more likely Palestine will be granted Non-Member status.

This would strengthen Palestine’s hand, and place significant pressure on Israel and America to concede to the Palestinian demands of statehood, along the lines of pre-1967 borders (these borders have been deemed as indefensible for Israel, in previous UN resolutions), with East-Jerusalem as the capital.

However if the bid for full membership is not pursued violence could erupt in the Palestinian areas against Israel, so either way this is a very sensitive and potentially inflammatory situation.  Pray for God’s wisdom over all the leaders of the United Nations and particularly Netanyahu and Abbas to reach agreement outside of the United Nations forum.

 

News

U.N. About to Seize Land From Israel?

During the Washington D.C. Kalachakra ritual there was a vitally important meeting being held, with potentially global consequences.

As the Dalai Lama conducted his witchcraft in the city to bring about a change in the “age” there was another meeting taking place: with the United Nations, European Union, Russian, and American delegates – known as the Quartet, to discuss the way forward with regards to Israel.

In the meeting they proposed a plan to re-establish Israel’s borders along pre-1967 lines. This would mean the UN seizing half the Israeli land, including East Jerusalem, to establish a Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as the capitol.

The Quartet decided on a United Nation Security Council Meeting to discuss the proposals on July 26th. For land to be seized it would require a UN resolution to be voted upon. Within the UN five nations have veto rights, these are: USA, Britain, China, France, and Russia. President Obama has already spoken about his wish to see Israel’s borders set at pre-1967 lines, in his May 19th speech on the Middle East.

If the resolution is passed they plan to seize the land in September of this year. Israel would most likely refuse to recognise such a vote, thus when Palestine declares independence in September, a bloody war could ensue.

However, under previous United Nations Security Council Resolutions such a vote ought to be illegal. The Washington Times, writes, “A unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood would be an illegal act that would violate the letter and the spirit of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). Those binding resolutions called for a negotiated settlement of the dispute with Israel with ‘secure and recognized boundaries.'” This is because the pre-1967 borders were simply militarily indefensible. For the borders to be set along these lines again would leave Israel utterly unprotected.

One of the problems lies with the apparent inability of the progressive liberal left to understand that for many Arabs, the very existence of Israel is the problem. There are many Palestinians who will never recognize Israel’s right to exist, so leaving Israel with no way to defend her borders could jeopardize the very existence of Israel itself.

Furthermore, the Palestinian authority are also seeking September membership into the United Nations, in doing so they would be recognized as an independent state with East Jerusalem as it’s capitol.

To avert a war in Israel this September, any such plans must be vetoed, however Obama looks increasingly unlikely to take such a step. President Obama wrote in his book “I will stand with [Muslims] if the political winds shift in an ugly direction”.

Palestinian President Abbas, has also said, “President Obama says he wants to see an independent Palestinian state by September.” The Palestinian mood is optimistic, they see this is the best time to  make their move, side-stepping any talks with Israel. Israel say they would re-enter talks with the Palestinians tomorrow, however the Palestinians are refusing to come to the negotiating table.

The coming few weeks are vital for the very existence of Israel. Those who think this move by the Quartet will bring peace to Israel, are very much mistaken. This is the time to, “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

 

News

Egypt Calls US to back Palestinian State Declaration

Last week a deal was reached in Egypt between Hamas and Fatah. The agreement constituted a reconciliation between the two opposing Palestinian powers. As a consequence of the deal, the new Egyptian government has declared it now fully supports the Palestinian plan to declare a separate Palestinian State.

This marks an important change in policy in Egypt, under President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt was always an ally of Israel, and refused to work with the terrorist organisation Hamas. However, since Mubarak’s removal from power in March, Egypt has been quick to break ties with Israel, a move popular with most Egyptians.

Egypt is urging the US to follow their lead and also declare support for the Palestinian State Declaration, however America has so far continued to hold firm to it’s policy of not doing business with Hamas.

 

Religion

The Coming of the Mahdi?

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Within Islam there is a belief that there is a coming messianic figure, referred to as the 12th Imam or Mahdi. Although this belief is more or less universal across the sects of Islam, the Shiites have a particularly fundamental perspective on the Islamic teachings regarding the 12th Imam. And these teachings ought to be taken very seriously by the West and the Church.

Iran is a predominately Shiite nation, and the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is evangelical in his beliefs. He sees himself as called by Allah to usher in the reign of the Mahdi, and that the Mahdi will unite the Muslim world, ruling from Iraq and bringing peace. However, to bring forth his appearing, terrible destruction must first be in place, as well as the destruction of Israel. Ahmadinejad has made no secret of his hate for the West and Israel, and has spoken publicly of his desire to see “Israel wiped off the face of the map”.

Ahmadinejad now sees the recent unrest in the Middle East as “prophetic” signs that the Mahdi is near. However, intelligence also suggests that Iran have been manipulating the troubles to bring about their own agenda. Iran have been circulating videos throughout the Middle East calling on the people to rise up and over-throw their rulers, sympathizers of the Iranian regime have infiltrated these countries, like Egypt and Yemen, in a bid to seize power and make alliances with the Iran.

As previously stated, the Mahdi will only appear after the destruction of Israel, and seeing Jerusalem in Muslim hands. What are the West doing? Ahmadinejad sees America as weak at this time, and looks to capitalize on her weakness, by pressing forward with their nuclear ambitions. The Church is called to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem”, however half the church is anticipating the destruction of Israel. This is especially a time for the Church to stand in the gap for Israel; and pray for America, that she will once again be a friend and ally to Jerusalem.