Israel and US Support - waning by the day

Yesterday President Obama gave his much-anticipate Middle East speech. Among the many things he touched on, one of particular interest to bible students was the comments that he made regarding the “Peace Process” with the Palestinians.

Specifically the President stated that Israel would have to “return to the pre-1967 borders” in order to facilitate the peace process as outlined by the US and UN. This statement has both political and spiritual ramifications, the first of which I will address will be the spiritual aspect:

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. -- Joel 3:1-2

The Key to understanding the scriptures in Joel 3:1-2 is to actually read what it says.

• It will be a judgment of God on the nations that have done certain things to Israel.
• It will be in the last days when God comes to bring the final deliverance to Israel and the city of Jerusalem.
• It will be a judgment on those that have scattered Israel into the nations.
• It will be a judgment upon those that have parted or divided the land of Israel.

In other words, God does not look kindly to those who would come against Israel, or attempt to divide the land.  In effect, that is exactly what Israel is being told to do: Give up land for peace.  The problem with this directive is that the entity that they are being asked to broker this ‘peace agreement’ with is in fact not interested in peace at all, but in the complete destruction of Israel.  It’s no secret, it’s written into the charter that formed Hamas.

Just look at what the Hamas Prime Minister said as recently as this week:

“Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh spoke to Muslim worshipers on Sunday morning, telling them to pray for an end to Israel,” reports the Jerusalem Post. “‘Palestinians mark the Nakba with great hope of bringing to an end the Zionist project in Palestine,’ Haniyeh told 10,000 people at Gaza City’s al-Omari mosque, AP reported. ‘To achieve our goals in the liberation of our occupied land, we should have one leadership,’ he reportedly said, praising the recent unity accord between Hamas and Fatah. Haniyeh added that Hamas would not recognize Israel.”

We find an interesting note in Daniel concerning Israel and the end times:

Daniel 11:39: Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

I am not saying that Obama is the anti-Christ, but I believe we are seeing and alignment between the US government, the UN, and what will become the government of the anti-Christ, who will in fact divide Israel.

From a political perspective, if you look closely at what President Obama said in his speech, you will find the following points of commission and omission:

• He said Israel has to concede its right to defensible borders as a precondition for negotiations;
  >>> In other words, Israel will not be allowed to defend herself.
• He didn't say he opposes the Palestinian demand for open immigration of millions of foreign Arabs into Israel;
  >>> In other words, Israel will be forced to allow millions of Israel-hating Arabs to come into Israel unhindered.
• He again ignored Bush's 2004 letter to Sharon opposing a return to the 1949 armistice lines, supporting the large settlements, defensible borders and opposing mass Arab immigration into Israel;
  >>> In other words, Israel will be split in two by the peace accord.
• He said he was leaving Jerusalem out but actually brought it in by calling for an Israeli retreat to the 1949 lines;
  >>> In other words, all of Jerusalem would be part of the Palestinian state.
• He called for Israel to be cut in two when he called for the Palestinians state to be contiguous;
• He called for Israel to withdraw from the Jordan Valley - without which it is powerless against invasion - by saying that the Palestinian State will have an international border with Jordan.

These are indeed dark times for Israel, as our President has essentially given the signal to Israel that they can no longer count on our support. Our President is making a strategic shift in US foreign relations policy in the Middle East from that of support for Israel, our one and only democratic and free ally, to that of giving our support to the Arab nations that are sworn enemies of Israel, freedom, Christianity, and the US.   

President Obama’s statement that the US will "support the governments that will be elected later this year" in Egypt and Tunisia is also of great concern.  We currently do not know what type of government will emerge from these Arab uprisings, especially given the involvement of the Muslim Brotherhood.  To commit support for a government that has not yet been formed means that our President is naïve and foolhardy, or he has already made commitments to these future governments that we do not know about.

Either way, there is great cause for concern for the future of the US, both spiritually and politically.   Pray for our country, God knows we need it.