Shalom friends,

When we prayed into the last Israeli elections, we knew that if God answered our requests for a government that would move Israel closer to His Word, the world – especially the radical left-leaning West – would be very upset. God did answer our prayers and we were right as the onslaught against Bibi Netanyahu's government has been intense from the moment the election results were announced. Yet all of this is in line with Zechariah 12:2-3 where we read that God, the Creator of man (12:1), is the One who makes Jerusalem a real debilitating problem for any nation that comes against it.

Please note that it is God – not Bibi or any right-wing Zionist Israelis – who does this. Also note that just like we would say "Washington" says, or "Brussels" states, when we are referring to either America's or the EU's rulers, so with Jerusalem. It is both a real city, as well as at times symbolic for all of Israel.

Before we look at the worsening situation in the world, let's first look at some good news.

If grace is not amazing – it is not God's grace

Do we truly understand how central God's amazing grace is to just about everything He does? Let's look at some biblical examples to re-center our focus on it.

Why was Noah righteous and perfect in his wicked generation? Only because Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, (Gen. 6:7-9)

God is very clear with Zerubbabel that what He is about to do is Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit and the end result of that would be a great mountain removed by His grace (Zech. 4:6-7).

When all Israel is saved it is because God pours out upon them the spirit of grace and supplications, which will open their eyes to look unto – in a spiritual sense – the One whom they have pierced, Yeshua their Messiah and King (Matt. 24:30; Mark 13:26). Then after that, Messiah will return (Zech. 14:3-4).

We are encouraged as believers to continue, to remain and to abide in His grace (Acts 13:43).

Paul was given over to the grace of God (Acts 14:26), so that he could complete the works which were already ordained for him to accomplish (Eph. 2:10), which included his commission from Yeshua to testify to the good news of the grace of God (Acts 20:24).

We read about a godly remnant in Israel throughout the Tanach, yet Romans 11:5-6 reminds us that it was a remnant according to the election of grace, and not because they obeyed the law faultlessly, which no one ever did except for God the Son, our Messiah and Lord, Yeshua (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 2:22).

Here are some other ways of how His grace is the engine behind all that we say or do for His kingdom. His grace enables us to do good works (2 Cor. 9:8); it brings us His comfort and hope (2 Thess. 2:16); we are told to be strong in Messiah's grace (2 Tim. 2:1); as we humble ourselves before God and man, God gives us grace (Jam. 4:6); Peter encourages us to be good stewards of God's extraordinary grace (1 Pet. 4:10). And here are a few other verses of what His amazing grace means to us: 2 Cor. 12:9; Eph. 1:6-7; 4:7; Heb. 4:11; 1 Pet. 1:10.

Finally, I have often asked believers how God sums up His Word. In other words, we all know Genesis 1:1 – but what I have found is that hardly anyone knows the very last verse of His message to us, Revelation 22:21: The grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with you all. Amen.

Foundational biblical principles guide our prayers into current issues

If the foundational biblical principles, which are clearly revealed in Scripture, are kept in mind, then we have more clarity on how to pray into many current issues. This is especially true when praying for Israel as the following few examples will show.

Since God forbids the dividing of His land – any 'land-for-peace' process is not of Him, even if there was a peace-partner on the other side (Lev. 25:23; Joel 3:1-2).

Since God desires for all Jews – including Messianic Jews – to return home, anything that hinders Jews from making aliyah can and should be prayed against (Isa. 43:5-7; Jer. 32:41; Ezek. 39:28; Zech. 8:1-8).

Since God desires for all Israel to be saved, a strong IDF is also needed because God does not save dead people (Isa. 41:10-16; Ezek. 37:10; Mic. 4:11-13).

Since Messiah desires to see His Body walk in holiness and purity, being able to receive God's blessings, anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and Replacement Theory – all of which open the door for curses to come upon His Body – are things that need to be prayed against for as long as it takes until the Body is cleansed (Gen. 12:3a; Num. 24:9b).

The UN intensifies its war against Israel

In the near future either Israel will be kicked out of the UN or leave it out of total frustration at its constant anti-Zionistic tendencies. This will then fulfill Balaam's God-inspired prophetic word that Israel will be a nation that dwells alone and not a part of the rest of the nations (Num. 23:9b). This will also hasten the fulfillment of Zechariah 12:2-3, which was already mentioned in relation to the new Israeli government, and Zechariah 14:1-2. It will be the death-knell of the UN as – despite what many believers today think – God still does judge nations and entities by how they deal with His nation (Num. 24:9b; Isa. 34:1-2, 8).

On November 30th 2022, the UN General Assembly [GA] "voted in favor of holding a commemorative event in honor of the 75th "Nakba Day," which is what the Palestinian Arabs call Israel's creation and which means "catastrophe." The vote, 90-30, with 47 abstentions, saw the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and most of the EU rejecting the motion. Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan tweeted that though "passing such an extreme and baseless resolution, the UN is only helping to perpetuate the conflict."

During the debate before the vote, Erdan told the UNGA to "stop ignoring the Jewish Nakba," referring to the 750,000 Jews who were driven out of Arab and Muslim nations as soon as Israel was established. He also asked, "What would you say if the international community celebrated the establishment of your country as a disaster? What a disgrace."

Erdan reviewed some history, which most of the world quickly forgets as it suits them, recalling that "the UN voted on Nov. 29, 1947 in favor of partition of the British Mandate into Jewish and Arab states, which the Jews accepted and the Arabs did not, opting instead to declare war on the fledgling State of Israel [in 1948]."

The Jews in the Middle East [ME] and North Africa were then plundered and expelled only because they were Jewish "This is the true Nakba. This is the disaster carried out against the Jewish people and this is the disaster that this body has ignored for decades." ("UN to mark 'Nakba Day' – Israel's establishment as catastrophe," JP, 1 Dec. 2022)

A month later UN Watch, a pro-Israel monitoring group, reported that the "UNGA passed more resolutions critical of Israel than against all other nations combined in 2022," exposing once again the UN's addictive focus on the Jewish state. The tally was 15 resolutions against Israel, and 13 against other nations. Russia was condemned six times, while North Korea, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria, Iran and the US were each condemned once. Yet Saudi Arabia, China, Lebanon, Turkey, Venezuela and Qatar were totally ignored.

"Since 2015, the GA has adopted 140 resolutions criticizing Israel," usually focused on its dealings with the Palestinians, yet during that same timespan, only 68 resolutions have been passed against all other nations.

Besides the resolutions, "there are two open-ended UN investigations into Israel, the only country under such scrutiny." Members of these investigations "are harshly critical of Israel and are on record making anti-Semitic statements." ("UN condemned Israel more than all other countries combined in 2022 – monitor," TOI, 3 Jan. 2023)

In late January, Erdan addressed a UN Security Council [SC] meeting on the ME situation. He attacked the Palestinian Authority's [PA] lies and its backers at the UN, saying, "Over and over again, we have heard how [2022] …has been the deadliest year for the Palestinians… Yet these numbers and statistics…are based on a fundamentally flawed and biased… methodology of discrimination, which Israel refuses to accept.

He went on to explain, "In his letter yesterday, the Palestinian Representative" related how Hamdi Abu Dayah, "was supposedly shot and killed in cold blood," yet he failed to mention that Hamdi, a terrorist whom Hamas honored posthumously, "was an imminent threat," who was firing at IDF soldiers when "he was killed, and this occurred only one day after he opened fire at an Israeli bus." In truth, most of the "Palestinian fatalities and casualties are not innocent civilians" but are "terrorists neutralized in the midst of acts of violence."

Erdan added, "According to the UN report presented to you only 20 Israelis were murdered by terrorists in 2022, when in reality 31 Israelis were murdered." Also, the UN counted 253 injured Israelis, but the real figure is 418. "This may have been the deadliest year for Palestinian terrorists, but it was also the year with the most terror attacks committed against Israelis in a decade."

In reference to the PA's unilateral move against Israel on the world stage, in seeking "an advisory opinion from the [UN's] International Court of Justice in The Hague," concerning Israel's "occupation" of so-called "Palestinian land," Erdan said, "When Israel is faced with a threat of terror, like any country would, Israel acts to defend itself. So, when we were faced with the Palestinians latest one-sided act of multilateral terror, we refused to stand idly by. Each measure that was taken by Israel in response to this destructive resolution, wasn’t only justified and legal, but should have been taken long time ago…Nevertheless, the only reason Israel held off … was because we did not want to harm chances for dialogue. Yet with the adoption of this resolution, the Palestinians stabbed a knife in the heart of any chances for dialogue or reconciliation." ("Erdan blasts UN's bad reporting on Israeli terror casualties," Arutz 7, 19 Jan. 2023)

The rage against Israel's new government

Melanie Phillips exposes why so much of the world is enraged at Israel's new government, writing that the root of "the convulsions…lies the secular world's hatred and terror of religion." All of the "hysterical predictions of extremism and the end of Israeli democracy" are not likely to happen, especially with Netanyahu in control.

She said Britain's King Charles has already shown how he recognizes that "Christianity underpins British national identity, which itself depends on continuity. That doesn't mean other faiths aren't welcome in Britain. It means that, if a nation is to remain united, it needs to have a religious cultural umbrella under which all can shelter."

Americans often do not perceive this because of their "doctrine of the separation of church and state," yet they "fool themselves if they think secularism holds their nation together, because biblical values infuse America's core culture and its constitution." In fact, "classical liberalism," the foundation of "Western modernity, holds that all citizens must adhere to the overarching core of the culture, such as democracy, sexual equality and one law for all. Under that cultural umbrella, they are free to practice their own faith or traditions provided they don't contradict these core precepts."

But today, "left-wing ideologues claim that biblical precepts do contradict core Western values," resulting in a cutting off and discarding of "the biblical values that underpin Western civilization. Leftists claim that only if the Bible is junked can everyone be treated with equal respect." Yet "equal respect" was first revealed in the Tanach – the Old Testament – "and is absolutely central to Judaism."

The left mixes "'equal respect' with identical treatment and outcomes," which they call "non-discrimination," yet the Tanach insists on discriminating "between acts that build communal bonds and those that destroy community and nation. This belief in moral discrimination and the importance of behavior is particular to Judaism [and to biblical Christianity as well.]. But the universalism that characterizes left-wing thinking negates Jewish particularism," and so "undermines the idea of the nation state and the corresponding rule of law rooted in popular assent, both of which Judaism pioneered."

Instead of "creating a liberal, tolerant society, progressive ideologies are profoundly illiberal and coercive, as their "left-wing universalism sets group against group in a battle for power over each other." ("The religious culture war comes to Israel," M. Phillips, Arutz 7 Op-ed, 29 Dec. 2022)

Keep your eyes on Jerusalem

We know that Jerusalem is at the center of the final events before the Lord returns, so when Jordanian King Abdullah II warns American news channel CNN "of potential escalation and conflict" because of Israel's current right-wing government under Netanyahu, our spiritual ears should perk up. Seth J. Frantzman writes, "In reality, there are many groups with an interest to create tensions over issues in Jerusalem," and who stir up Muslims over non-existent "threats" to the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Temple Mount.

"This isn't the first time the Kingdom of Jordan has expressed concerns," nor even "the first time the king has made sure to move quickly due to a new government coming to power." He tried and failed to sway ex-US President Trump from moving the embassy to Jerusalem, and when it was done, Abdullah and Turkish leader Erdogan warned Israel and America, "If the wrong step is taken regarding Jerusalem's status, it will be the cause of indignation in the Islamic world…igniting new tensions and clashes."

This script of "something is happening in Jerusalem, and it will cause an explosion that will set fire to the whole region" is a classic threat from Islamists ever since the 1920s. "The threat of 'war' is always held up over issues in Jerusalem, where we are told the 'holy sites' will provoke a huge conflict." These statements which are "made in English to English-language media" cause the West to see the ME as an age-old conflict that dates back "millennia" and "where religion supposedly guides everyone."

Frantzman concludes, "There is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy here. Israel's government is the most right-wing and religious in history, so it will be under scrutiny. Adversaries, such as Iran, with its backing of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, will want to create a crisis. It remains to be seen if [Jordan] will seek to turn down the rhetoric, or if it will keep the spotlight on Jerusalem and what affect this may have in coming months." ("Jordanian King Abdullah warns of escalation & conflict over Jerusalem," S. J. Frantzman, JP analysis, 29 Dec. 2022)

Meanwhile, a Jew on the Temple Mount drives the world insane

Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, on the fast day of the 10th of Tevet, spent 13 minutes up on the Temple Mount. Writing in Israel Today, Ryan Jones sees Ben-Gvir as "a barometer for international attitudes regarding the prophetic restoration of Israel." The Bible states that "the physical rebirth of Israel that we've already witnessed was just an initial step, to be followed by a spiritual awakening leading to a particular set of national actions that in turn lead to the nations of the world coming against the Jewish state." Reaction to Ben-Gvir "might give an indication as to where we are on that timeline."

Why should there be such "international consternation"? Is there any other nationality or ethnicity capable of sparking such global commotion just by being who they are in a particular place at a particular time?…Only a Jew can, by his or her solitary presence in a place deemed off-limits to them, create such turmoil as to necessitate a meeting of the UN Security Council."

For those viewing the world through the Bible, "this is yet further evidence – not of Israel's uniquely heinous behavior (as the media likes to paint it), but rather of Israel's unique, divinely-appointed role in our world." After all, why should the world "care what this one Jewish guy does?"

Daily throughout the world, religious sensitivities are offended in one way or another, sometimes resulting in violence, yet there is no call for an emergency UNSC meeting, but one Jew on Temple Mount and insanity grips the world. Ryan thinks it is because the current world powers, whether they know it or not, "do attribute special status to the things God has called special – namely, the nation of Israel and His holy mountain in Jerusalem."

Is it possible that "the world's exaggerated negative attention to Israel and the actions of a single Israeli Jew is an unwitting acknowledgement of God's existence" and the truth of His Word? Is this a global attack on "God's sovereignty," with the UN telling "Jews that they may not do what the Lord God of Israel told them to do, which in this case is to ascend the Temple Mount in worship of Him"?

The nations are aligning "themselves against the Almighty," which is made possible today "because of the rebirth of Israel as a nation, which has in turn enabled Jews like Ben-Gvir to again (after 2,000 years of exile) express their commitment to God and His Word in a sovereign and independent manner." ("One Jew & the World’s Furor," R. Jones, Israel Today, 4 Jan. 2023)

Aviel Schneider, also with Israel Today, notes that, "Ben-Gvir's actions are not what have really got everyone bothered. The real problem is Israel's presence in and sovereignty over Jerusalem." Israelis have "elected a right-wing religious government, and that bothers many people. But isn't that the essence of a democracy?"

He continues, "Jewish rights on the Temple Mount are important. Ultimately, it's about the truth. Is the biblical promise right, or does the Koran rule in our generation and in Jerusalem? Israel defends the Bible, and Islam, along with the 'Christian West,' takes the opposing side." As mentioned above a recent UNGA resolution "declared Israel's existence in the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria a war crime." Also, threats from many terror groups put the new coalition under pressure to respond, as "Israel cannot afford to capitulate to Palestinian threats," which would show these Islamic bullies weakness.

The number of Jews ascending the Temple Mount has increased in recent years, with more than 50,000 in 2022. This infuriates "the Islamic religious guardians of the Wakf in Jerusalem," who see this as damaging the status quo. "Israel's answer is that it (read: Jews) have every right to pray there."

He concludes, "Jerusalem will always remain a sticking point in politics and religion, and that is a geopolitical and spiritual conflict that will forever accompany Israel as long as the Jewish state exists in the biblical homeland." The problem is not Ben-Gvir, but the people of Israel who elected a right-wing Zionist government. "The international community should accept that. But that's probably asking too much. Itamar is nothing but a convenient excuse to attack Israel." ("…Ben Gvir is a convenient excuse," A. Schneider, Israel Today, 4 Jan. 2023)

Liat Collins added her own thoughts: "Some people tried to temper their complaints by accepting Ben-Gvir's right to go up to Temple Mount but asking why he needed to do it now." Simple, January 3rd, when he ascended the mount, was "the 10th of Tevet, a fast day commemorating the beginning of the siege by the Babylonians on Jerusalem in 588 BCE, which ultimately led to the destruction of the First Temple." The fact that today Jews still observe this day "is pertinent and poignant," as those who stresse the importance of the al-Aqsa Mosque and the rest of the Temple Mount area to Muslims need to know "that the religious and emotional ties that bind Jews to Jerusalem predate both Christianity and Islam by centuries."

So Ben-Gvir had every right to ascend the Temple Mount and didn't "need the approval of the US, Jordan, the Palestinians, the UN or the world's media." By raising ruckus, his opponents actually strengthened "his hand and his voting base. Ben-Gvir was elected precisely because of his stand on personal security during ongoing Palestinian violence and attacks on Jews and Jewish rights in Israel."

Several Arab countries condemned his "storming" of al-Aqsa, and a rocket was fired at southern Israel from Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip the night after his visit. People "rushed to condemn Ben-Gvir rather than tell the Palestinians that violence is not acceptable. The world is more upset about Ben-Gvir's brief tour than about the Palestinian threats. Perhaps that's because they have come to see Palestinian violence as something that is natural – and Jewish rights on the Temple Mount as something that is not natural."

After Ben-Gvir's visit, Arab groups called on the UNSC to condemn Israel. But Jewish visitors do not threaten the site's sanctity, as most religious Jews who go up "carry out rigorous physical and spiritual preparations…" Yet young Muslims play football/soccer on it before or after prayers. And there is "no greater desecration than when Arab rioters stockpile rocks and weapons in the mosques there waiting to attack Jews."

Many religious and ultra-Orthodox Jews will not ascend the Mount "for fear of treading on the Holy of Holies whose exact location is not known," yet today increasing numbers do go up, and more are quietly "allowed to pray there…" How warped is the world when Jewish prayers at Israel's holiest site are seen as a threat?

The international response to Ben-Gvir's trip didn't come from nowhere. There has been a mounting assault on Israeli and Jewish rights in Jerusalem, led by the Palestinians and abetted…by various international bodies and organizations. One aspect of this gradual delegitimization of Israel's rights is evident in the terminology being used." When the UNGA voted to ask the UN associated International Court of Justice in The Hague to review Israel's "occupation, settlement and annexation" those weren't the only loaded terms that were used. "The motion refers to the Temple Mount only by its Arabic name, al-Haram al-Sharif. By constantly calling it just by the name with its Muslim association, the UN is slowly but surely erasing" every one of its Jewish links. This is similar to constantly referring to Judea and Samaria only as "the West Bank."

While PA President Abbas is "set on the path of lawfare," his goal is still the eradication of the only Jewish state. "And the Christian world should also take note. Every erasure of Jewish links to Jerusalem is necessarily an assault on Christian ties too. Respecting the rights of all worshipers and honoring the holiness of the site is a moral imperative. There can be no greater irony, or sacrilege, than Palestinian attempts to make the Temple Mount in Jerusalem Judenrein." ("Mounting an assault," L. Collins, JP Op-ed, 5 Jan. 2023)

Finally, Israel's UN Ambassador Erdan lambasted that emergency UNSC meeting on this non-event, saying that despite the many real global conflicts, "here we are, discussing the peaceful, 13-minute visit of a Jewish minister to the holiest Jewish site under the sovereignty of the liberal democracy of Israel."

He censured the very existence of the debate, noting that the meeting "creates a sense of emergency over a non-event…" Yet he said that the time might as well be utilized profitably "to share the truth and facts regarding the Temple Mount." After giving a run-down of the Mount's history and calling out some of the blasphemous remarks of the Palestinians against Israel and the Jews, he concluded with this: "According to Jewish tradition, we believe the Temple Mount will one day…be a place of peace and coexistence. As Isaiah prophesied in the name of God: I will bring them to My sacred mount and let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices shall be welcome on My altar; for My House shall be a house of prayer for all nations. While the Temple Mount is sadly not yet a house of prayer for all nations, it is still the right of every Jew…to at least visit this holiest of holy spots. Jews will continue visiting the Temple Mount and whoever believes in tolerance and coexistence should support that." ("Ambassador Erdan at Security Council: This is a show about nothing," Arutz 7, 6 Jan. 2023)

The alarming growth of anti-Semitism

Jew-hatred infecting much of the world, including parts of Christianity, is a sign of the last days. And while God uses this to chase His people home (Jer. 16:16), especially from the West, He is also judging His enemies, who are defined in Psalm 83:1-4 as those who hate His people.

At the end of 2022 Israel Hayom reported on this infection as it related to America. "A surge of anti-Jewish vitriol, spread by a world-famous rapper, an NBA star and other prominent people, is stoking fears that public figures are normalizing hate and ramping up the risk of violence in a country already experiencing a sharp increase in antisemitism." US Jewish community leaders and experts on extremism are shocked as they "see celebrities with massive followings spew anti-Semitic tropes in a way that has been taboo for decades."

Front-page incidents included ex-President Trump hosting "a Holocaust-denying white supremacist at Mar-a-Lago." Rapper Ye – aka Kanye West – professing love for Hitler, and basketball star Kyrie Irving promoting on social media an anti-Semitic film. Also, neo-Nazis are demanding a "return to Twitter as new CEO Musk grants 'amnesty' to suspended accounts." Miami Beach Mayor Gelber, a leader of the South Florida Jewish community, said, "These are not fringe outliers sending emails from their parents' garage or idiots no one has ever heard of. When influential mainstream cultural, political and even sports icons normalize hate speech, everyone needs to be very concerned."

Northwestern University history professor Peter Hayes, a specialist on Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, said "normalizing antisemitism is a 'real possibility' when there is a 'public discussion of things that used to be beneath contempt…America has to…stop toying with concepts and ideas that are potentially murderous."

Last April, the Anti-Defamation League reported "that its annual tally of anti-Semitic incidents reached record high last year… 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism in 2021, a 34% increase over the previous year and the highest number since the ADL began tracking the events in 1979." ("Anti-Semitic celebrities stoke fears of normalizing hate," Israel Hayom, 4 Dec. 2022)

The two-state delusion

For whatever their reasons are, most Western nations along with many other countries insist that Israel must divide God's land to create another Arab-Islamic state. Yet there are Arabs who speak out against this insanity and Bassam Tawil is one of the best. He noted that shortly "after US Secretary of State Blinken reaffirmed the Biden administration's commitment to the 'two-state solution'," the Palestinians rejected this idea and reaffirmed "their support for more terrorism against Israel." This was revealed by a Palestinian Center for Policy & Survey Research public opinion poll published in mid-December.

The poll showed that 69% of Palestinians see the "two-state solution" as "no longer practical or feasible," and 72% do not see any chance for the creation of a Palestine next to Israel at least in the next five years. They were telling the US administration "that they prefer 'armed struggle' and terrorism to peace negotiations with Israel."

Asked about the best way to create "an independent state", 51% said "armed struggle," with 55% supporting a renewed intifada, an uprising. "Even more concerning is that 72% of the Palestinian public…are in favor of forming terror groups such as the Lions' Den, whose members have carried out shooting attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians in the northern West Bank over the past few months."

Early in December, Blinken attended a J Street Conference, which is an American anti-Zionist Jewish group that is anti-Israel when it comes to anything that lines up with God's Word. Blinken said the US administration aims for "the enduring goal of two states," adding, "We support this vision because it's pragmatic. We continue to believe… that two states – based on the 1967 lines, with mutually agreed swaps – remains the best way to achieve our goal of Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace and security." Yet these 1967 lines are the 1949 armistice lines where the fighting…just so happened to stop,"' and are "notoriously indefensible…"

Tawil: "The results of several public opinion polls, including the most recent one, demonstrate that Blinken and his team are either engaging in self-deception or simply fail to understand what most Palestinians want: Killing more Jews and the obliteration of Israel." All polls reveal that a majority want "a Palestinian state not alongside Israel, but instead of Israel."

Also, recent polls "show that most Palestinians continue to support Hamas…whose charter openly calls for jihad (holy war) and the elimination of Israel." Quoting from the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, it says, "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it."

Marking its 35th anniversary in mid-December, Hamas clarified its goals: "Palestine, from its River to its Sea, is the land of the Palestinian people. We will continue to cling to it completely, and to our legitimate right to defend and liberate it by all means, foremost of which is armed resistance." ("Biden Administration & the Two-State Delusion," B. Tawil, Gatestone Institute, 19 Dec. 2022)

Historian Moshe Dann asked, "What if there is no solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? …What if the reason for the conflict is a confusion of terminology: that it is not between Arab Palestinians and Israelis, but between Muslim Arabs and Jews – i.e., a religious conflict? The conflict, therefore, is not only about territory, but about Jewish history and the rights of the Jewish people."

Bible believers, Jews and Christians, know that the Land of Israel is sacred to the Jewish people as it was given by God to Father Abraham and his seed (Gen. 12:1-3, 7). This land is "where Jewish civilization began and flourished for more than a thousand years, where the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, where the kings of Israel reigned, where prophets spoke, and one that is documented in texts, archeology, and literature."

Yet to Muslims and Arabs, "Palestine, has little significance, history, or culture." It was just one more piece of conquered territory by the Islamic armies. "The modern movement called Palestinianism began only after WW I when claims by the Zionist movement were recognized by the entire international community." While a few Arabs looked favorably on the Jews and Zionism, "most did not and they rejected any efforts to make peace."

In 1948, when the State of Israel's independence was declared, neighboring "Arab nations declared war" and attempted to murder all the Jews who lived there. They lost and to this day, they "call their loss, the Nakba, the catastrophe; and it is the basis of the Palestinian narrative and the essence of Palestinian identity." People who shout "Free Palestine," are in reality calling "for genocide, another Holocaust."

According to the Koran, "the existence of a Jewish state in any form is anathema…That is what the Arab media, Islamic leaders, and Muslim schools teach." Surveys, as already mentioned, show that "three-quarters of local Palestinians support the most radical, violent terrorist groups."

Proposed solutions were all "based on leftist assumptions" that for peace "Israel must make compromises and concessions." The Oslo Accords was based on this and it led to the legitimization of the terrorist organization, the PLO and created today's PA. The "peace process" was a hoax, and is the basis of "the two-state-solution," which means the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on 1949 Armistice lines.

"In response to threats from the EU, UN, and even the Biden administration, Israel concedes, which always leads to more problems. The IDF, COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) and police destroyed Jewish property for no rational reason and restrict building in settlements." Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu at times, "went along with the fraud of trying to appease the Palestinians and those who supported them. Why should this absurdity continue?"

Jews living in Judea, Samaria, and East Jerusalem do not occupy Palestinian territory. "It is not 'illegal,' and there is no basis for this accusation. Jews should be protected and encouraged wherever they live. That's what Zionism means. That's what the new government will hopefully do…"

Israel's recent elections show "that most Israelis want a realistic agenda that ensures their safety and security. Dealing with Palestinian terrorism is our first and foremost concern," and as is clear to many Israelis, the PA and Hamas "are unwilling and unable to stop it." Palestinian identity is predicated on a "one-state solution" – "from the river to the sea." This goal is why there is no resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict today. ("The Israeli-Palestinian conflict can't be solved, only ended," M. Dann, JP Op-ed, 4 Jan. 2023)

Prophecy

US News and World Report annually complies a list of the "most powerful countries in the world," which it defines as the ones almost always in the global headlines, and which keep "policymakers busy with a variety of issues, such as economy, foreign policy and security." The bottom line is "how much influence each country has, as well as their political, economic and military power."

The US took first place as the US News site called it "the most dominant economic and military power in the world." It is also a cultural giant, spreading it influence worldwide as "expressed in music, cinema and TV." Yet they noted that America is currently being shaken by internal divisions.

China came in 2nd being the nation with the largest population and also the second-largest economy. But China has "internal struggles and increasing inequality, as well as allegations of human rights violations." Still, it exerts "a huge influence on the world."

Then Russia was 3rd, Germany 4th, the UK 5th, South Korea 6th, France 7th, Japan 8th and the UAE 9th.

In 10th place was Israel, moving up from 11th the year before. The website said, "Despite its size, the country has played a significant role in global affairs," and added that "Israel has a strong economy and it is of enormous importance to Jews all over the world." ("The world's most powerful nations have been revealed – where is Israel?" JP, 3 Jan. 2023) Amazingly, God's nation recreated less than 75 years ago, is today seen as one of the ten most powerful countries in the world.

Italian journalist Giulio Meotti, writing for Arutz 7, notes, "Throughout the West, from foolish America to senescent Europe, the two pillars that have always supported civilizations are collapsing: faith and fertility, the fact of believing in something rather than nothing and of having a sufficient number of children to keep the civilization alive." He then notes Eric Kaufman's great book, "Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?" He also quotes Elon Musk who referring to the demographic collapse said, "Italy is dying." Yet a Muslim terrorist who targeted several Spanish churches said, "They deserved to die, true faith belongs to Allah."

Meanwhile, joyful shouts of "Allahu Akbar" were heard in "Gaza after a jihadist killed seven Jews in a Jerusalem synagogue in the worst attack in 15 years. But if Israelis take that war cry seriously, we Europeans censor it. We don't even know what to answer."

Today, only one "Western" country fights against the trend of Western suicide: "Israel. Faith is increasingly prominent and the population is growing faster than even most Islamic countries." In 2020 Israeli Orthodox women "had an average of 6.64 children," traditional women 3.92 and secular women 1.96, "a figure higher than that of any other industrial country."

Israel has a larger percentage of religious than any other Western nation and it's "increasing every year. Israeli society today is a conservative and family-oriented society. Half of Israelis are Mizrahi [from Spanish and Arabic speaking backgrounds] and they tend to be more traditional" and definitely less radical leftist in their thinking and lifestyle.

Consider the ministers in Israel's new government: "Jerusalem's new minister, Meir Porush, has 12 children. Minister Orit Strock has 11. Housing Minister Goldknopf 10, Interior Minister Ben Gvir has 9, Finance Minister Smotrich and Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer each have 7, and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu has 6." Yet the far left Labor leader Merav Michaeli has only one child.

"Netanyahu's 64 coalition members have 313 children. The 56 members of the opposition have only 170…" Four members alone of Bibi's coalition have 46 children, while the 24 Knesset members of Yesh Atid (Lapid's party) have 59.

Saul Bellow, a Nobel Prize winner in literature said, "In this restless hour, the civilized world seems tired of its own civilization. He no longer wants to hear about survival. In their concern for the decay of civilization and in their pride…Israelis have something to teach the world."

While Meotti focused on Europe, what he writes applies to most Western nations. "Europe that today seems like a ruin of ideas, values and civilizations that cover it, which no longer knows how to love but only to deny itself (and deny Israel's right to defend itself) – if it wants to survive must learn from this small Jewish country under existential threat, where more and more children are being born, which loves own identity. This, despite political demonstrations and differences, is the place where the self-hatred that runs through all Western societies is held in check by religious roots that no ideological herbicide has yet managed to eradicate." ("Faith & fertility: Israel's secrets of survival," Giulio Meotti, Arutz 7 Op-ed, 29 Jan. 2023)

Let's end with this word of warning from Derek Prince: "Unceasingly opposed and assailed since its birth, this tiny Jewish state (Israel) has consistently confounded the experts and radically changed the political and military balance of the Middle East. In the eternal counsel of God, He has determined to make Jerusalem the decisive issue by which He will deal with the nations. Those nations who align themselves with God's purposes for Jerusalem will receive His blessing. But those who follow a policy in opposition to God's purposes will be severely dealt with."

I bring near My righteousness; it shall not be far off, and My salvation shall not be delayed: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel My glory.Isa. 46:13

Blessings from Zion

Chuck Cohen