Netanyahu on Jerusalem Day: This city is ours!

As Israel marked the 44th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israel would never allow the city to be again divided.

"Forty-four years ago, IDF soldiers realized the prophets' vision and returned Jerusalem to its proper place," Netanyahu said, referring to the liberation of the eastern half of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War.

Speaking at Jerusalem's Merkaz Harav Yeshiva, which has long been at the forefront of religious Zionism, Netanyahu continued:

"Jerusalem will never be divided. There's nothing more holy to us than Jerusalem, we'll protect Jerusalem, it's unity, and we'll build and develop it."

US President Barack Obama and other Western leaders have been pushing hard to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks based on Arab demands that Israel return to its pre-1967 borders.

For its part, the Palestinian leadership insists it will never sign a peace deal with Israel that does not include the full surrender of the eastern half of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount.

But a Jerusalem Day poll revealed that a strong majority of Israelis remain firmly behind Netanyahu's policies, and do not agree to divide Jerusalem even as part of a comprehensive peace agreement.

Conducted by the Geocartography Knowledge Group on behalf of Israel's Channel One News, the survey showed that 66 percent of Israelis oppose handing over any part of Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority.

A 23 percent minority said they would be willing to surrender Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods, a compromise the Palestinian Authority has already rejected.

An even larger 73 percent majority opposed placing Jerusalem's holy sites under international control, a proposal that first came up during former US President Bill Clinton's oversight of the peace process.

Rather than talk about how to divide Jerusalem, 67 percent of Israelis want to simply get on with building up and developing the city as the capital of Israel.
Israel Today

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Netanyahu says he will ‘never divide Jerusalem’

Jerusalem will not be divided “so long as I’m prime minister,” Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Monday night Channel 2 broadcast. Asked by Yaakov Elon about polls showing two-thirds of Israelis support the division of the city as part of a peace agreement with the Palestinians, the prime minister responded, “I don’t buy it” and stressed that Hamas would be at the walls of Israel’s border if Jerusalem were split.

Netanyahu cited the importance of his late father Benzion’s ideology and its influence on how he thinks, noting the “privilege” of being in the Land of Israel.

Remembering Jerusalem before the 1967 war, with a wall along King George Street and shooting into the city, the prime minister asked, “Is this what we want… an agreement, with Hamas soldiers at the border?”

Israel extended sovereignty throughout the city after capturing East Jerusalem and the Old City from Jordan in 1967. Previous prime minister Ehud Olmert offered the Palestinians sovereignty in East Jerusalem’s Arab neighborhoods, and proposed a multi-nation non-sovereign trusteeship for the Old City, in a 2008 offer to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas did not respond to the offer.

Regarding a Palestinian state, Netanyahu said that three conditions must be met for it to become a reality. First, he said, the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Secondly, they must declare an end to the conflict. Finally, Netanyahu said, any Palestinian state must be demilitarized, with security arrangements meeting Israeli approval.

Netanyahu refused to respond to questions about former intelligence heads Yuval Diskin and Meir Degan, both of whom have been critical of the prime minister, notably over his handling of the Iranian nuclear threat, referring to the issue as “not serious.”

Discussing the upcoming elections, Netanyahu expressed willingness to form a broad-based coalition with center-left parties, but claimed they had negated the possibility in advance. He also said they would have to follow the government line on certain matters regarding security and finance. When asked by Elon if Labor Party leader Shelly Yachimovich could be finance minister, Netanyahu chuckled.

The prime minister said that Israel had faced 9.5 percent unemployment, the same level as Europe, when he became prime minister, but that, following his open market policies, Israel now has 7% unemployment, compared to social democratic Europe’s 12% figure.

Netanyahu said in the Monday night broadcast that the next budget will be bigger than the current one, and that taxes had already been raised. He would not rule out taxes being raised again, but said he didn’t plan on new taxes. He also addressed the prospect of a growing entitlement state, saying, “I’m not willing to have a never-ending, growing budget.”

Yachimovich last week rejected the possibility of joining a Likud-led government. Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid also initially said he would not be the “fifth wheel” in a right-wing/ultra Orthodox coalition, but later called for his and other center-left parties to join Netanyahu’s government to the exclusion of far-right and religious parties.

The prime minister’s talk of a broad coalition came after a failed attempt by Hatnua party leader Tzipi Livni to form a bloc against Netanyahu with Lapid’s Yesh Atid and Labor. Discussion of the idea by the three on Sunday night ended in failure and the trading of recriminations on Monday. Netanyahu said he was “prepared [to form] a broad coalition, but they reject it out of hand.”

Asked whether he would prefer to form a more centrist government or one including religious and far-right wing parties, the prime minister responded: “I have not yet been elected, but I very much hope to be elected. I want a broad government that would be built first and foremost on the large ruling party of Likud-Beytenu.”

Regarding the inclusion of Lapid, Yachimovich, or Livni in a future government, Netanyahu said he did not dismiss the possibility — but, rather, they had dismissed the possibility of joining him. ”Whoever wants to join us will need, of course, to go in the diplomatic and economic direction that I think is responsible and proves itself,” he said.

Netanyahu conceded the possibility of appointing Livni a minister in his potential future government, but said that he alone would dictate the government’s relationship with the Palestinians. As for Yachimovich, he said her appointment to a position in the government would depend entirely on her.

The Times of Israel

PM Netanyahu’s Speech at the Special Knesset Session Celebrating “Those Who Love Jerusalem”

PM Netanyahu's Speech at the Special Knesset Session Celebrating "Those Who Love Jerusalem and Study It"

When I was growing up in Jerusalem, it was a sleepy town, one closed to development. Since then, it has developed primarily northwards, southwards and westwards. To some extent, it has grown eastwards. It has grown and become a large metropolis. Soon it will have one million inhabitants. It is a large and vibrant city, but not one without problems.

We tend to speak a great deal about reversing certain trends in this city, and rightfully so, because we view the city as more than just a concept - Zion as a universal concept - but also as a real city that must be developed. During this week's Cabinet meeting, which the Mayor also attended, we spoke about the changes we want to introduce in Jerusalem. Trends can be overturned. Because certain tendencies negatively reinforce themselves, once you turn it around, the positive tendencies will begin to reinforce themselves.

We spoke about a number of important actions being taken in the field of leisure and culture in Jerusalem, which already has firm roots. We spoke about the housing problem that must certainly be dealt with. However, in my opinion, in practical terms the key to making these changes is to make fundamental changes in employment patterns, in the economic map and in the engines that drive employment and create economic growth in Jerusalem.

To this end, the government intends to assign Jerusalem high priority. This priority will be even higher than in other regions of the country. Why? Because it is Jerusalem. It is our capital, and we would like to strengthen it, not only in terms of our heritage and identification with the city, but also by creating conditions that would induce factories and businesses to come to Jerusalem, and propel other economic activity. We can ensure that this happens.

There are several fields that are obvious. Jerusalem has a high concentration of people working in the fields of the life sciences, medicine, bio-technology and medical equipment. There are approximately 1,000 doctors here and thousands of others are part of this core of knowledge, as a result of Jerusalem's excellent hospitals. Of course, there is also the extensive field of tourism and heritage - whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim - in Jerusalem. However, tourists need more hotels and other infrastructures than exist here today.

Therefore, we are putting together a practical action plan - in addition to the transportation plan and the other plans that we have joined the Jerusalem Municipality in implementing. We have to improve Jerusalem's economic engine.

This need does not cancel out the other activities we are undertaking, but without addressing the economic question, we will not be able to achieve the critical effect of reversing the trends we want reversed. I know that everyone in this House shares this desire, and I welcome this. I already mentioned what we need today - a practical plan together with an ongoing commitment to reverse trends.

We saw reversals in other spheres of our life in areas where it seemed as if we were drowning, and when we look at an international comparison in several central areas, various governments managed to change several trends. This must also be done here in Jerusalem, and it can be done. We will begin the process.

That is why we want "lower Jerusalem" and "middle Jerusalem" to be connected with "upper Jerusalem", and to ensure that, before this happens, the practical infrastructure for the prosperity, security and stability of Jerusalem is laid.

Jerusalem must become much more than it was. When we were young, it was a city comprised of the highest levels of government officials, doctors and academics. But it did not have the economic foundation that I believe we must build in order to ensure that these foundations and other foundations blend together; to truly ensure its force and status as the capital of Israel - the modern, prosperous and dynamic capital of our country.

Various governments sought to strengthen Jerusalem and acted accordingly. But what was done, as important and welcome as it was, was not enough - and I include all of us in this statement, because I served as Prime Minister between 1996 and 1999 and worked with then-Mayor Ehud Olmert, and there were other prime ministers and ministers of finance after me. We need to change this trend, and this obligates wide-scale activity and progress on all fronts in order to bring about this change.

I mentioned several fields, but the economic field is the critical one on which we will focus, together with the assistance of the Mayor in those fields in which he is already working. "From Zion will come forth software", but this does not cancel out the fact that from Zion comes forth the Torah. This is the most natural thing that can be.

I do not want to build the future while disassociating from the past. This is inappropriate and wrong. I'm not saying it's practical. I believe in the strength of our bond with Jerusalem, because it includes a dimension that crosses generations. I don't think that any other people have such a bond, and I don't believe that this bond will be broken as a result of a passing fad. I really believe that no other people has such a strong bond with its capital as the people of Israel have with Jerusalem.

We called the renascent movement for Jewish sovereignty Zionism, after Zion. We have cities called Rishon Lezion [the First of Zion in Hebrew], to where my grandfather came at the end of the 19th century. There is Nes Ziona [the Miracle of Zion] and Shavei Zion [the Return to Zion]. I didn't check how many communities have "Zion" in their names in the Negev region, but there is no doubt that "Zion" encompasses our love for the entire Land of Israel.

I believe that our bond with Jerusalem, with Zion, is different from the bond of any other people. Our bond withstood thousands of years and three destructions: the destruction of the First Temple, the destruction of the Second Temple and the destruction that came 60 years after the destruction of the Second Temple. Through all this, our longing for Jerusalem and Zion remained unshakable. It was expressed throughout the generations, "Next year in Jerusalem", next year in the built Jerusalem.

This desire had already been realized through the Jews that made their way here before the birth of the Zionist movement, in the 19th century - the Jews were already a majority here then. Later on, through the activities of groups like the Hovevei Zion movement, founded before Herzl rose to prominence, we returned to the city and built here, and we are ready to go on doing so. Yesterday I asked a question for which I owe an answer: how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the Bible and how many times is it mentioned in the holy writings of other religions. I looked it up, and of course there is no comparison. Jerusalem is mentioned 677 times in the Bible and Zion is mentioned 173 times. Together, Jerusalem, Zion and the other names for Jerusalem are mentioned 850 times.

The reason I point this out is not because we do not respect the bond of other religions and cultures with Jerusalem that I already mentioned. On the contrary.

Jerusalem is mentioned 142 times in the New Testament, and it is not mentioned in the Koran - not one of Jerusalem's 16 names in Hebrew. However, in a later interpretation of the Koran dating to the 12th century; Jerusalem is mentioned in one passage. This is a fact. However, it does not change the simple fact that we respect the bond the Christians and Muslims have with Jerusalem, whatever its nature. It is only under Israel's sovereignty that this freedom of worship and freedom of accessibility to the holy places has been realized in an exemplary fashion, and we will continue to ensure these freedoms.

It is not my intention to detract from the bond other peoples have with Jerusalem. However, I am challenging the attempts to detract from, distort or erase our unique bond with Jerusalem.

I gave one example of the unique bond of the people of Israel with its capital, but you could no doubt give many more. The connection between the people of Zion and Zion itself is very powerful. We are not only fighting for the future of Jerusalem, its prosperity and all its residents, we are also fighting to preserve the memory of the past against those who seek to cloud it.

I ask all the members of Knesset for their support of the plan we are presenting in order to build the future of Jerusalem. I ask for the assistance of the members of Knesset, those willing to recognize the historic facts, to deepen and develop the special bond of the people of Israel with their capital. On this special day, Jerusalem Day, I ask you all to set rhetoric aside and repeat the words of the Prophet Isaiah: "Be glad with Jerusalem and rejoice in her, all you who love her," [Isaiah 66:10].

Thank you.

'today we take an oath for a built up Jerusalem, Israel's eternal capital'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells Knesset plenum 'today we take an oath for a built up Jerusalem, Israel's eternal capital'

The Knesset plenum on Monday convened a special session to mark Jerusalem Day, which was celebrated on Sunday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Opposition Chairwoman Shelly Yachimovich (Labor) and Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin addressed the plenum during the event.

"We need to stop for one day every year and realize that we are witnessing and experiencing the fulfillment of a prophecy, the yearning for Zion, the return to Zion and the revival of Zion" Netanyahu told the Knesset plenum.

The prime minister came to the defense of visionary of the state Theodor Herzl, saying "he foresaw the problem and the solution, but he didn’t give up on Zion.

"He raised his right hand and said – If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither. Today we are raising our hand with the same oath. We are taking an oath for a built up Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel," he said.

At the opening of the special session, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said "Jerusalem Day is not a religious holiday, nor does it belong to rightists. Any attempt to attribute Jerusalem Day (to a particular group) removes it further from the heart of our shared Jewish identity.

"Disputing over Jerusalem is unbearable, yet being indifferent to its fate is a failure of the Zionist enterprise and Jewish education," he noted.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that partitioning Jerusalem could result in a religious war.

Speaking at a state ceremony marking Jerusalem Day in the capital's Ammunition Hill, Netanyahu said: "If we place this quadrate of the Temple Mount in the hands of others, I doubt we will be able to avoid a religious war.

"I know what history has taught us: only under Israeli sovereignty were peace and quiet among the faiths maintained."

Netanyahu further added, "Israel without Jerusalem is like a body with a weak heart. Never again will our heart be divided.

"A nation willing to sacrifice its heart would convince its enemies it has no desire to fight for anything. Jewish history has changed forever: the divided city has been united and will stay that way.

"Our generation has a great privilege of witnessing the realization of the words of the prophets. It is up to our generation to secure this change for generations to come."

Ynet

The Prophetic Significance of Netanyahu’s Defeat or Re-election Next Week

Next week on Tuesday March 17th, Israelis will go to the polls in order to decide if they will re-elect their current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Recently, Netanyahu confessed that “he saw ‘a real danger’ that he might lose next week’s closely contested election and asserted that there was a worldwide effort to ensure such an outcome.” Netanyahu continued, “…it is a very tight race. Nothing is guaranteed because there is a huge, worldwide effort to topple the Likud government.”1 As an evangelical, Bible-believing Christian, I find next week’s election extraordinarily important for at least two reasons.

First, the global effort to defeat Netanyahu fits into the pattern predicted in the Scripture that all nations will eventually turn against Israel. Netanyahu, who just last week gave a well-received speech before a joint session sponsored by the House of Representatives, has been a stalwart for the idea that Israel should not enter into “bad deals” in exchange for the illusory promise of peace from her hostile Middle Eastern neighbors that are committed to driving tiny Israel into the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, Netanyahu has been a staunch critic of the Obama Administration’s recently discovered ambition to enter into a “bad deal” with Iran, which allows the latter to even more quickly cross the nuclear finish line.2 Since Netanyahu’s policies in this regard contradict global opinion, the global community has become a cheerleader for Netanyahu’s opponent Isaac Herzog of the left-of-center Zionist Union party.

In fact, I am embarrassed to admit my own country’s complicity in the global effort to unseat Netanyahu. Obama recently demonstrated his animosity for the Prime Minster by refusing to even meet with Netanyahu last week when the Prime Minster came to America to deliver his speech.3 Such hostility is also evidenced by the Obama Administration’s recently discovered new policy of shooting down Israeli airplanes sent by Israel for the express purpose of taking out Iran’s imminent nuclear capabilities.4 These are certainly strange ways for an American presidential administration to treat a longstanding ally and the only Democracy in the region. As if all of this was not bad enough, the Obama Administration has gone so far as to dispatch its own campaign operatives to Israel in order to ensure that Netanyahu is not re-elected.5 Such behavior does not bode well for America in the long run given God’s promise to curse those who curse Israel. As recorded in Genesis 12:3, God is very clear about this promise when he said, “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.”

As the international hatred for Israel grows, we certainly see the stage being set for the eventual fulfilment of Zechariah 14:2. This verse says, “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city”

Second, the defeat of Netanyahu will inevitably pave the way for the eventual further division of the Land of Israel as well as the division of the City of Jerusalem. “In footage of the event obtained by Reuters Television, Netanyahu said Herzog would seek to renew peace talks with Palestinians and negotiate about ‘dividing Jerusalem, giving back territory.'”6 The prophet Joel predicted that such a division is the very thing that will kindle the wrath of God thereby bringing about His end time judgments. Joel 3:2 says, “I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land” (italics added). According to this prophecy, apparently God will finally enter judgment against the nations in the end times based upon their mistreatment of His people Israel. The final and italicized clause in this prophecy indicates the straw that will break the camel’s back, thereby pouring forth divine wrath upon unsuspecting humanity, will be the intentional division of Israel’s land. Interestingly, God here refers to this tract of real estate as “My land.” Such division is exactly what the global community, the Obama Administration, and Netanyahu’s opponent Isaac Herzog are seeking to accomplish. Thus, Netanyahu’s defeat and Herzog’s victory will bring us just one step closer toward the fulfillment of this terrifying prophecy.




One of Netanyahu’s campaign posters during the 2009 Israeli legislative elections which stated that he would be the best choice for Israel’s economy and security.

Elections have consequences, and I believe Tuesday’s election in Israel will be prophetically significant for the two reasons that I have articulated. The times and the seasons remain under the sovereign control of our omnipotent God. However, from a human point of view, I believe the re-election of Netanyahu will play a significant role in slowing down the progress of evil by thwarting the global community’s ambition to further shrink Israel’s borders to a non-defensible political expanse. Therefore, for the next few days, I am going to make a point of interceding in prayer to our merciful God on behalf of Benjamin Netanyahu and his re-election team. I hope you will join me.

Credit to The Word on Politics

The UN Security Council Has Just Officially Given Every Inch Of East Jerusalem To The Palestinians

Barack Obama has just made the worst decision of his entire presidency.  On Friday, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 2334, and this never would have happened without the support and approval of Barack Obama.  Since the United States has veto power on the Security Council, no resolution can ever pass unless the United States allows it to pass.  For decades, it has been the policy of the U.S. government to veto all anti-Israel resolutions at the Security Council, and the Israeli government had been expecting that Barack Obama would not suddenly change that policy at the very end of his second term.  Most of the news headlines about resolution 2334 refer to “Israeli settlements”, but the reality of the matter is that this resolution is about much more than that.  The truth is that this resolution has established legally binding parameters for a “two-state solution” that Israel will never accept, and this includes giving every inch of East Jerusalem to the Palestinians.

If you have not read it yet, you can find the full text of resolution 2334 right here.  It is one of the most important documents of our time, so you need to take a few minutes to read it.

In the excerpt below, you will see that this resolution clearly states that East Jerusalem is in “Palestinian territory” and that the Security Council says that it will recognize no changes to the pre-1967 borders except “those agreed by the parties through negotiations”…

Reaffirms that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace;

Reiterates its demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and that it fully respect all of its legal obligations in this regard;

Underlines that it will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations;

Of course not one inch of East Jerusalem was controlled by Israel prior to the 1967 war.  So the UN Security Council is saying that unless the Palestinians agree to give it up, every single inch of East Jerusalem (including the Temple Mount) belongs to the Palestinians.

As I have explained before, UN Security Council resolutions are considered to be legally binding on the parties.  Now that the Palestinians have been granted full legal ownership over East Jerusalem, does anyone actually believe that they will ever willingly relinquish that?

Today, more than half a million Israelis live in East Jerusalem and the 137 settlements that are scattered throughout the West Bank.

Where are they all supposed to go?

This UN Security Council resolution never should have happened.  President-elect Donald Trump made it abundantly clear that he would have vetoed this resolution, but instead of deferring to the next administration Barack Obama decided to viciously stab Israel in the back.  This is the greatest betrayal of Israel in American history, and according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the Obama administration has been plotting this for quite a while…

“From the information that we have, we have no doubt that the Obama administration initiated it, stood behind it, coordinated on the wording and demanded that it be passed,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “This is, of course, in complete contradiction of the traditional American policy that was committed to not trying to dictate terms for a permanent agreement, like any issue related to them in the Security Council, and, of course, the explicit commitment of President Obama himself, in 2011, to refrain from such steps.”

During an interview with with CNN on Sunday, an official spokesperson for Netanyahu said essentially the same thing…

Netanyahu spokesman David Keyes told CNN on Sunday, “We have iron-clad information, frankly, that the Obama administration really helped push this resolution and helped craft it, from sources internationally and sources in the Arab world.”

Unfortunately, Obama’s actions are going to have very serious implications for all of us.

As I just explained in an article on The Most Important News, those that bless Israel will be blessed, and those that curse Israel will be cursed.

And this is especially true when it comes to Jerusalem.  In Zechariah 2:8 we are told that those that touch Jerusalem touch the apple of God’s eye, and in Zechariah 12 we are told that the city of Jerusalem will play a significant role in the last days.  The following is what Zechariah 12:3 says in the Modern English Version…

“And it will be on that day that I will set Jerusalem as a weighty stone to all the peoples. All who carry it will surely gash themselves, and all the nations of the land will be gathered against it.” 

By defiantly attempting to divide the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem during the waning days of his presidency, Barack Obama has cursed America.

You may not believe in blessings and curses, but the Word of God says that those that curse Israel will be cursed, and without a doubt we will most assuredly be cursed as a result of what Barack Obama has done.

And of course the entire Middle East is going to suffer as well.  Instead of bringing peace, this resolution just sets the stage for more conflict.  According to the Times of Israel, the Netanyahu government is already promising not to adhere to the terms of the resolution…

“Israel categorically rejects the despicable anti-Israeli resolution at the UN, and will not adhere to it,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a seething statement after the council voted in favor of the motion 14-0.

Knowing all of this, put yourself into the shoes of the Palestinians for a moment.

The UN Security Council has given them legal rights to a nation with borders based on the pre-1967 lines.  They have been given every inch of East Jerusalem, and every Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem and the West Bank has officially been declared illegal.

If Israel refuses to budge, the Palestinians could very easily come to the conclusion that they have exhausted all legal channels for resolving the conflict and that the only way they are going to get what legally belongs to them is to take it by force.

A great war is coming to the Middle East, and it will be a life or death struggle between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Nothing else that Barack Obama has done during his entire time in the White House even comes close to this.  He has greatly cursed America, he has set the stage for the bloodiest war the Middle East has ever seen, and he has defiantly shaken his fist at the one true God that created all things.

May God have mercy on us all.

Credit to Economic Collapse

Palestinians trying to change status quo in Jerusalem

Jerusalem is not a settlement and all areas in which Israel is constructing in the capital will remain a part of Israel under any peace agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday.

Speaking ahead of a meeting in Jerusalem with the European Union’s new policy chief Federica Mogherini, Netanyahu said Israel was committed “to maintaining the status quo” in the Temple Mount for all faiths, and accused Muslim leaders of conducting a “campaign of vilification and slander that presents Israel as seeking to undermine the mosque” and to change access policies there, which he stressed was “absolutely” not on the table.

In fact, he accused, it was the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood that were attempting to change the status quo in which Jews are allowed to visit the compound but not pray in it.

“We’ve watched with growing concern the fact that Islamist parties including the Muslim Brotherhood, including Hamas, including (PA President Mahmoud Abbas), have joined in a campaign of inflammation, calling for any action, including violent action, to stop Jews from exercising their right to merely enter the Mount,” Netanyahu said. “This is an arrangement that has been there for many decades, since the Six Day War.

“We stand by the rights of Jews to go to the Mount. They pray in the Western Wall, but they do have a right to go (to the Temple Mount),” he said. “We stand by the right of Muslims to go to the Mount and pray in the al-Aqsa Mosque. They’ve been doing that for many, many decades and will continue to do that.”

Netanyahu stressed Israel would not accept violence in its capital and would restore calm and order to Jerusalem.

“Jerusalem is a very sensitive issue. We treat it with sensitivity,” he said. “But it’s also our capital and as such it is not a settlement. The neighborhoods in which we are living…and we’ve been building, have been there for close to 50 years…Everybody knows that in any peace arrangement they will remain part of Israel.”

Netanyahu also spoke of the Iranian nuclear threat and warned that allowing the Islamic republic to become a threshold nuclear power “would be a big mistake” adding that this would ultimately destabilize not just the region but the entire world.

Speaking, after Netanyahu, Mogherini said the EU was keen for a “new start” in the Middle East under the new European Commission and sought to “have a major role in supporting a solution.”

She said recent events in Jerusalem were “extremely worrying” and called leaders on both sides to calm tensions in the streets.

Mogherini also spoke against “unilateral steps” in reference to the Palestinian Authority’s stated intention to bypass negotiations and demand a UN-backed timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. The EU would much rather seek a regional solution that would see Israel living in peace with its Arab neighbors and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, she said.

Credit to The Times of Israel

Read more: Palestinians trying to change status quo in Jerusalem, PM says | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinians-trying-to-change-status-quo-in-jerusalem-pm-says/#ixzz3IOM9ZUAH

Netanyahu declares to world leaders: “In our time the Biblical prophecies are being realized.”

The Israeli PM address the UN General Assembly.

>> Major conference in New York City this week on the future of Israel in light of Bible prophecy. Please join us.

(Washington, D.C.) — “In our time the Biblical prophecies are being realized,” Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu declared before world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

“As the prophet Amos said, they shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them,” Netanyahu said. “They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine. They shall till gardens and eat their fruit. And I will plant them upon their soil never to be uprooted again. Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Israel have come home never to be uprooted again.”

I don’t personally recall a single other Israeli leader in the modern era who has spoken so clearly of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Perhaps David Ben Gurion did, for the first Israeli premier had a great interest in the Scriptures. But Netanyahu’s own interest in the Scriptures has been growing significantly in recent years, as I have noted on the blog, and increasingly pronounced in his public statements. At a speech at the Auschwitz death camp in 2009, for example, Netanyahu declared that the prophecies of Ezekiel 37 — the dry bones of the Jewish people coming back together miraculously to form the State of Israel — had come to pass in his lifetime.

Netanyahu also alluded in the speech to the Biblical prophecies of a Persian king named “Cyrus” would rise up one day and set the Jewish people free from captivity.

“The Jewish people’s odyssey through time has taught us two things: Never give up hope, always remain vigilant. Hope charts the future. Vigilance protects it,” Netanyahu said. “Today our hope for the future is challenged by a nuclear-armed Iran that seeks our destruction. But I want you to know, that wasn’t always the case. Some 2,500 years ago the great Persian king Cyrus ended the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. He issued a famous edict in which he proclaimed the right of the Jews to return to the land of Israel and rebuild the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. That’s a Persian decree. And thus began an historic friendship between the Jews and the Persians that lasted until modern times.”

Isaiah was a Hebrew prophet who prophesied that a great Persian king named “Cyrus” would emerge one day to bless the Jewish people, release them from captivity, send them back to the land of Israel, and rebuild the city of Jerusalem. (See Isaiah 44:28 through 45:13.)

A Persian king named “Cyrus” did, in fact, emerge to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecies.
See 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 – “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia – in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah – the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the Lord His God be with him, and let him go up!”’”
See the Book of Ezra – “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia – in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah – the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may His God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:1-4)
Credit to Joel Rosenberg Blog

The White House is trying to impose a Mideast peace deal. Here’s what you need to know.

Is the Obama administration trying to divide Jerusalem?

(Washington, D.C.) — A fascinating but dicey and possibly dangerous moment is rapidly approaching in the epicenter.

The Obama administration is about to tell the Israelis and Palestinians how to solve their problems. The White House is about to pressure both sides to agree “in principle” to an interim agreement, and then work on a final peace treaty. How the two sides will react is anyone’s bet. Could the dynamic actually lead to a peaceful resolution of an ancient conflict? Seems unlikely. Could it lead to a calm and quiet at least for a while? Sure, theoretically. But to be candid, it could also lead to political chaos, or even to renewed violence.

Let me explain as concisely as I can.

Within days, or at most a few weeks, Secretary of State John Kerry will present both sides with what he calls a “framework agreement.” Essentially, this is an American-crafted peace plan. Yes, it will be based on month after month of discussions with both sides, and with the Jordanians. But make no mistake: it’s the plan President Obama wants to impose on the two parties. It is supposed to create the context for the final peace treaty, which the White House wants negotiated, completed, and signed by the end of 2014.

There will be much in the “framework agreement” both sides don’t like. For example, the plan reportedly calls for dividing Jerusalem and turning into East Jerusalem into the Palestinian capital, something the Netanyahu team adamantly rejects. The plan also keeps Israeli troops helping patrol and secure the Jordan Valley for a period of years, something the Abbas team adamantly rejects. Nevertheless, the two sides are supposed to say “yes” to this interim deal, and then use it to craft a final and supposedly ”better” deal.

But this where the problems lie. There are many. Let’s consider just two.

First, the Obama team could inadvertently make the situation worse. It could accidentally set into motion events that lead to renewed Palestinian terrorism (i.e., a “Third Intifada”) which would force the Israeli Defense Forces into a combat mode. Casualties could escalate, and things could get out of control. It’s happened before. In 2000, then-President Bill Clinton tried to pressure the Israelis and Palestinians to make a final deal at Camp David. Then-Israeli PM Ehud Barak finally agreed to make sweeping concessions to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. Barak offered the Palestinians all of Gaza, 93% of the West Bank, and half of Jerusalem for their capital, in return for a final peace treaty and the end to all claims. But wanting much more, Arafat said no. He quit the talks, left Camp David and then supported the Second Intifada, which unleashed a wave of suicide bombers who kept killing Israeli civilians, and caused the IDF to invade cities and towns in the West Bank to find and crush these terror cells.

Let’s pray this doesn’t happen. We all want peace. We certain don’t want violence to break out again, especially on such a wide scale.

Second, trying to force both sides to accept an American peace plan could blow up either or both governments.

If the Netanyahu government says “yes” to this interim Obama peace plan, his coalition may revolt. Already the right-wing parties fear that Netanyahu will make dangerous concessions in the final negotiations. He has made major concessions before, giving the ancient city of Hebron to the Palestinians, for example. If Netanyahu looks like he’s agreeing to more painful and arguably unwise concessions, certain Israeli political parties may quit the coalition, or Netanyahu might fire them. Political tensions in Jerusalem have been spiking all week for these very reasons. Saying “yes” might mean the Netanyahu government has be significantly reshuffled (i.e., replacing defecting right-wing parties with one or more left-wing parties). But it also could collapse all together. If so, then new elections would have to be called, which would further delay if not derail the “peace process.”

But if Netanyahu’s government says “no” to the Obama plan, there could also be repercussions.

• Israel’s Finance Minister Yair Lapid warns European countries could impose a boycott on Israeli goods to punish Israel for saying “no” to the American plan. Lapid says this could cost Israel billions of dollars in lost exports and  “hit every Israeli citizen directly in his pocket.”
• Israel’s Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz says Lapid’s concerns are overblown, and Israel could weather the storm.

Given that no one knows which side of that debate is right, there is a great deal of pressure on the Netanyahu team not to inadvertently create an economic nightmare for the Israeli people.

Yet there is also great pressure on Netanyahu not to make concessions that threaten the long-term security of the Jewish state.

• What if Hamas Islamists seize control of the West Bank government from the more secular Fatah faction, like it did in Gaza? Then what?
• If the IDF stops operating in the West Bank — arresting terrorists and shutting down rocket factories — then the security situation in the West Bank could devolve into the nightmare that we see in Gaza, with rockets being fired at Israeli towns and cities, and even at Israel’s airport. Then what?
• If the IDF stops overseeing security in the West Bank, what if al Qaeda and Hamas and other jihadist groups (such as the 30,000 jihadists that are operating in Syria right now) turn the territory into yet another base camp for suicide bombers and other forms of terrorism?
• What if Christian holy sites in Jerusalem are turned over the Palestinian Authority, but Hamas eventually comes to power? Will Christian tourists feel safe visiting those sites under Hamas supervision? Would the Hamas government even allow Christian tourists to visit?
• The “framework agreement” reportedly would put 75% to 80% of Israeli Jewish settlements in the West Bank under Palestinian control. Would the Jews living in the rest of the settlements be safe in such a scenario?

That said, you and I have not actually seen the Obama/Kerry plan yet. There is no need to rush to judgment. We’ll see all the details soon enough. I just want you to be aware of the dynamic, and the tensions that are building.

Like many of you, I am praying for peace. I want Israelis and Palestinians to live in freedom, security, prosperity and with full religious freedom. 

I don’t want to be a cynic. But I must be honest — I am skeptical.

The interim agreement this administration just struck with Iran — on the way to a full, comprehensive agreement — is a terrible deal. Dangerous for the U.S. Dangerous for Israel. Dangerous for all our allies in the Middle East.

Will this interim deal be similarly flawed, or even dangerous? Time will tell. But there are real reasons to be concerned. Let that drive us to prayer all the more.

What’s the latest with the “framework agreement”? Here are excerpts from useful story published by the Times of Israel:

• “The Obama administration will soon present a framework for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement that the sides may accept with reservations as a basis for a final deal by year’s end, the top US negotiator told Jewish leaders.
• Martin Indyk, the State Department’s lead envoy to the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, told the Jewish leaders on Thursday that under the framework agreement about 75-80 percent of settlers would remain in what would become Israeli sovereign territory through land swaps; he added that it was his impression that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was not averse to allowing settlers who want to remain as citizens of the Palestinian state.
• Indyk said the framework would be presented to the sides within weeks, and that there will be “no surprises” for the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, according to four people who were on the off the record call.
• This was because Indyk and Secretary of State John Kerry consulted closely with the leaders of both governments as Indyk’s team drafted the agreement.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abbas would be expected to accept the agreement, with reservations, as the basis of continued negotiations, Indyk apparently said.
• Making it a US-drafted framework permitted the leaders to distance themselves from politically sensitive issues, Indyk said. “There may be things we need to say because they can’t say them yet,” he said, according to the notes of one participant.
• Broadly, Indyk said, the agreement will address: mutual recognition; security, land swaps and borders; Jerusalem; refugees; and the end of conflict and all claims.
• A request for comment from the State Department was not returned.
• On some sensitive issues — particularly the status of Jerusalem — the framework would be vague, but Indyk went into detail on other issues that participants said was surprising.
• Among these was the security arrangement for the border between Jordan and the West Bank: Indyk said a new security zone would be created, with new fences, sensors and unmanned aerial vehicles.
• Indyk also said that the framework would address compensation for Jews from Arab lands as well as compensation for Palestinian refugees — another longstanding demand by some pro-Israel groups but one that has yet to be included in any formal document.
• He said that the framework would describe “Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people and Palestine as the nation state of the Palestinian people,” a nod to a key demand by the Netanyahu government that Israel be recognized as a Jewish state.
• He said the framework would address the issue of incitement and Palestinian education for peace.
  
  
  Credit to Joel Rosenberg Blog