The Omega Letter Intelligence Digest
Vol: 51 Issue: 14 - Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Sharon to Divide Jerusalem, Hamas Campaigns on Israel's Destruction
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's senior campaign advisor has hinted that, if Sharon wins re-election, he will divide Jerusalem as part of his disengagement process with the Palestinians.
Kalman Gayer discussed with Newsweek the extent of the concessions Sharon is prepared to make in the West Bank areas of biblical Judea, Samaria -- and Jerusalem. Noted Newsweek:
"In theory, Gayer says, Sharon would accept a Palestinian state in Gaza and 90 percent of the West Bank, and a compromise on Jerusalem, in exchange for peace. But the Israeli leader does not believe Palestinians will be able to deliver peace or make other compromises — like forgoing the right of refugees to return to their old homes in Israel — in his lifetime."
When the remarks were published, it caused an immediate uproar in Israel, no surprise there, and, again unsurprisingly, Sharon immediately denied them on Israeli state-run TV.
"The remarks attributed to Kalman Gayer absolutely contradict my positions and my views," Sharon said. "If those remarks were indeed made, they were made by Kalman Gayer alone and they are complete nonsense. United Jerusalem will remain Israel’s capital forever."
After issuing his denial, Sharon then reiterated his commitment to the Road Map plan. Anybody paying close attention would note that the Road Map DOES divide Jerusalem.
It specifically references "East Jerusalem" as a separate entity where the Palestinian Authority will set up its government offices. So, if 'East Jerusalem' isn't part of 'West' Jerusalem in the Road Map, then how can, as Sharon promised, "united Jerusalem remain Israelis capital forever"?
It is a fairly simple answer. It can't.
The division of Jerusalem as part of any compromise with the Palestinians was sealed by President George W. Bush when he infamously announced the US view that any Israeli existence outside the 1948 Armistice Lines would only come by 'mutual agreement'.
The 1948 Partition lines divide Jerusalem, leaving ALL of the Temple Mount and Western Wall on the Arab side. For Israel to retain ALL of Jerusalem, the Palestinians will by definition, have to surrender their claim voluntarily. (That is not gonna happen - period)
From 1948 until June 1967, Jerusalem was divided by barbed wire, concrete walls, and other barriers, and Jordanian snipers along the cease-fire line made sure that the Israelis on the other side of the line stayed alert.
THAT is what the Road Map to Peace envisions for Israel's 'undivided' capital -- a return to the 1948 Armistice Lines. Let's be clear about that.
In assessing Sharon's denial, let history be our guide. Prior to Sharon's announcement of the Disengagement Plan, the Gaza withdrawal plan was floated in the media by Ehud Olmert, at the time a 'close political associate' like Kalman Gayer. Sharon immediately went on TV to deny it.
It was a trial balloon intended to identify political opposition and then prepare a campaign to diffuse it. History shows that, denials notwithstanding, Sharon did exactly what Olmert's 'trial balloon' said he would.
In the words of Knesset member Uzi Landau, "We know from past experience that whenever the prime minister rushed to deny something – it is certainly true."
Assessment:
While Sharon makes plans to cede half of Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian State, the Palestinian Authority is preparing for fresh elections in January.
The Bush administration believes that the majority of Palestinians will reject terror and accept compromise. That is at the core of Bush's 'Two-State Solution' two states living side-by-side in peace.
Among the parties running in the Palestinian elections is Hamas, which recently released it's campaign video. The Hamas video openly claims that its 'love of death' is superior to Israel's love of life and exhorts Israeli-Arabs to rise up and work to destroy Israel from within.
In the video, Hamas promised never to compromise on its foundational charter which identifies the complete destruction of Israel as Hamas' only reason for existence.
Quoting directly, the Hamas campaign video says;
"We succeeded, with Allah's grace, to raise an ideological generation that loves death like our enemies love life. We will not abandon the way of Jihad and Shahada [Martyrdom] as long as one inch of our holy land is in the hands of the Jews."
Not one inch of "Hamas' holy land" means not one inch of Israel.
The United States, European Union and United Nations have all agreed not to interfere in Hamas' participation in the Palestinian elections.
According to polls, Hamas is now a major political force in the PA system. Between 32% and 45% of prospective Palestinian voters in recent polls say they will vote for Hamas.
America's democratic principles are rooted in America's respect for life. "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is one of the most famous phrases in the United States Declaration of Independence. It is listed as one of the "unalienable rights" of man, granted directly by the Creator.
Hamas' is campaigning on its 'love of death' eventually destroying the Jewish state, whose love of life is similarly reflected in the Jewish Scriptures that say life is a gift from the Creator God.
Proverbs 8:36 says, "all they that hate Me love death." And the prophet Zechariah does predict one final division of Jerusalem in the last days.
"Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and HALF OF THE CITY shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city." (Zechariah 14:1-2)
Zechariah goes on to say, "Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." (12:3)
The events pictured by Zechariah are events as they will unfold from the perspective of Israel during the final hours of the Tribulation Period, just before Jesus returns at the conclusion of the War of Armageddon. Zechariah 12:4 makes that clear when he says:
"And His Feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west . . ."
Although many interpret Luke 21:24: (". . . Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled . . .") as a reference to 1967 and as a countdown point to the Rapture, Jesus uses it in Zechariah's context -- referencing His visible return at the conclusion of the Tribulation.
"And THEN shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:27)
The point is that we can ALREADY see the foreshadowing of political events that Bible prophecy indicate will take place at the CONCLUSION of the Tribulation, after seven years of government under the antichrist.
And if we can already see signs of the Tribulation Period's CONCLUSION in developing global politics, then its onset cannot be far away.
Jesus was speaking specifically to the Jews of Israel living during the last days when He promised, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28)
The key word here is 'redemption'. The Church was already redeemed at the Cross.
But these Words of Jesus send an even louder message to the Church in this present age than they do to Israel -- since I believe that the Rapture precedes the Tribulation -- and we in the Church Age can already see its major political themes developing.
It appears that the question of the timing of the Rapture, whether pre, mid, or post, will not be a question for much longer.
With the Gog-Magog War looming on the horizon, terrorists about to create a 'democratic', but openly terrorist state on the West Bank, the existential threat facing America from Islamic terrorism, the blowing of the trumpet can't be far off.
Look anew at the promise of Scripture:
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1st Corinthians 15:51-52)
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
Given the foreknowledge God has elected to provide us about the horrors of the coming Tribulation, if the Rapture doesn't precede it, the Church should be terrified beyond measure at what God has revealed.
Paul should be warning us to make preparations for what is to befall us, as Jesus counseled the Jews who will live through what He called " tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matthew 24:21)
Jesus warned the Jews of Israel:
"Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains. . . But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day. . ." (Matthew 24:16,20)
We KNOW what awaits the world during this period. We have the Word of God, and we believe it. The Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the Gentile Church, was writing to those who DO believe the whole counsel of God.
Paul's 'warning' to the Church?
"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, COMFORT one another with these words." (1st Thessalonians 4:16-18)
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