Jerusalem: an immovable rock for the nations
1 September 2023
Centuries ago, the prophet Zechariah declared the words of the Lord:
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I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations.” (Zechariah 12:2-3)
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Is this prophecy being fulfilled today?
Ever since Israel took control of the whole city of Jerusalem in June 1967, the “international community” has issued many UN declarations declaring Israel’s control of the city to be illegal. Most states in the world do not recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The Vatican still regards Jerusalem as an international city that does not belong to Israel.
In short – the nations of the world still claim that Jerusalem belongs to them, not the Jewish people.
This took a dramatic turn on 30th December 2022, when the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York adopted a resolution requesting the International Court of Justice (“ICJ”) in The Hague to give an Advisory Opinion (ie. a legal ruling) on two questions:
- (a) What are the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures?
(b) How do the policies and practices of Israel referred to in paragraph 18 (a) above affect the legal status of the occupation, and what are the legal consequences that arise for all States and the United Nations from this status?”
Note that the resolution refers to “Israel’s … annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem …”
This means that the Court is being asked to rule that “the Holy City of Jerusalem” (all of it) is “Palestinian territory”. Such a ruling would effectively declare Israel’s governance of the city, and all Jews living in the city, to be illegal.
A legal ruling by the ICJ would be another weapon that can be used by Israel’s enemies to attack it in court, and support their campaign to force Israel to abandon the city and give control to the Islamic world.
This legal process is being used as a weapon by Israel’s enemies. The resolution was prepared by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), in collaboration with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The goal of the PLO is to liberate the whole of Palestine from Zionist entity (“from the river to the sea”). The OIC comprises 56 Islamic states, and its agenda includes the liberation of lands that belong to the Islamic world (“umma”) – especially Jerusalem.
The OIC has hijacked the UN. Most states in the world did not favor this request; the resolution was adopted with only 87 votes in favour. There are 193 UN member states, so this means 106 member states either voted against, abstained or were absent in the vote on 30 December 2022. The OIC’s anti-Israel agenda is being pushed by a minority of Islamic states who manage to manipulate other states, like the Netherlands, who are unwilling to push back.
Last February, the ICJ asked all UN Member States to make submissions to it on this matter. The deadline was 25th July 2023. Fifty-five states made submissions by that date. The vast majority of these fifty-five submissions are hostile towards Israel.
It is extremely likely that the court will deliver a ruling within the next months that will declare Israel’s control of Jerusalem to be illegal.
Jerusalem is truly becoming an “immovable rock” that cannot be removed, a “cup” that is confusing the nations and sending them reeling.
The Editorial Team - Israel & Christians Today
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Don’t politicize the World Court just to trash Israel
By Andrew Tucker, Gregory Rose and David Benger in The Hill. “This forms part of a polarizing pattern at the UN of disinformation, demonization of Jews, and delegitimization of the sole Jewish state. The request for an ICJ opinion on hinges on Israel’s “prolonged occupation” of “Palestinian territory” and alleged discrimination. The same ideological faction had the General Assembly host “Nakba Day” (“Catastrophe Day”) on May 15, the anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel. The PLO does not come to the court with clean hands. Its request to the ICJ is, ironically, another step in its decades-old lawfare strategy to shirk its own legal obligations to seek peaceful compromise.”
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The struggle for Jerusalem
By Dore Gold at JCPA: “The issue of Jerusalem is particularly sensitive and a topic of dispute in every negotiation. Distortions, half-truths, and outright lies are frequently voiced about the struggle for and Israel’s right to Jerusalem. This runs counter to the reality that since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and even prior to that, Israel’s rights to sovereignty in Jerusalem were firmly anchored in history and international law. There are even many Israelis who are insufficiently aware of their rights according to international law. Below are 10 points that are important to know with regard to the struggle over Jerusalem.”
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To Ensure Sovereignty over Jerusalem, Arab Residents Must Be Equally Protected
Prof. Hillel Frisch at BESA: More important than achieving international recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is the necessity of ensuring Israeli sovereignty over the city itself. This means prohibiting Palestinian Authority officials from residing in Jerusalem, especially those involved in surveillance and intimidation of Arab residents and the organization of protest and incitement against Jewish residents.
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Jesus’ Jerusalem – The History of Jerusalem—Part 4
Kameel Majdali at C4Israel.org: “He was born a Judean but raised a Galilean. The first thirty years of His life were spent in an obscure village with less than three hundred inhabitants. Yet our King, Saviour, and Lord—Jesus of Nazareth—had an appointment in Jerusalem. Indeed, He had several, but the most important one occurred at the end of His natural life. While His visits to Jerusalem were occasional, they were also notable.
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A Friend | The Book of RUTH with Johannes Gerloff #21
With the appearance of Boaz, a fresh, all-decisive wind comes into the action.
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SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK:
A prophecy: The word of the Lord concerning Israel.
Zechariah 12:1-6
The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares: 2 “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 3 On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injurethemselves. 4 On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. 5 Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’
6 “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.
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Israel & Christians Today
The goal of Israel & Christians Today is to help Christians to take God’s Word seriously, and study current events in the world in the context of the Bible.
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