13 September 2024
The Bible speaks clearly about a conflict in the last days before the coming of Messiah, between the nations of the world and the God of Israel, in which the physical city of Jerusalem plays a central role. This conflict comes to its climax when the Jewish people are (at least in part) restored to the land, and the nations are “gathered” against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12-14). (Interestingly, it is the Lord who gathers the nations to fight against Jerusalem (Zech 14:2), and it is the Lord who fights against those nations - Zech 14:3).
It seems that this scenario is fast approaching.
The international political momentum to create a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital has reached a new level. The latest development is that this past week, on September 9, the Arab Group, represented by Syria, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) sent a letter to the Presidency of the General Assembly (GA) requesting the “swift resumption” of the Tenth Special Emergency Session of the GA, “to enable the membership to consider urgent follow-up on the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legal consequences of Israel’s policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories…”. They proposed “to resume the session on September 17, 2024, with action to be taken on September 18, 2024, to address this urgent matter”.
The Arab Groups, NAM and OIC are acting on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organisation – the entity that was created by the Arab states in 1964, and whose goal remains to destroy the Jewish State of Israel. The PLO manifests itself on the world stage as “the State of Palestine”, even though Palestine does not (yet) satisfy the conditions of statehood.
The ”Occupied Palestinian Territory” comprises the Old City of Jerusalem and its environs, Judea and Samaria, and the Gaza Strip.
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The PLO manifests itself on the world stage as 'the State of Palestine'
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This PLO/Arab/NAM/OIC proposal is based on the recent (19th July) Advisory Opinion issued by the ICJ concerning Israel’s presence in the disputed Palestinian territories. The Court opined that Israel’s presence in these territories is unlawful and that Israel must withdraw from them “as rapidly as possible.” The Court does not speak about Palestinian statehood as such but does say that the Palestinians have the fundamental right to determine their own political future – a right that overrides Israel’s rights to security.
The ICJ Opinion was strongly criticized by several of the Court’s own judges. Vice-President of the ICJ, Judge Julia Sebutinde, wrote in her Dissenting Opinion that the ICJ Opinion has adopted a one-sided legal and historical narrative. As a result, it ignores the competing sovereign claims over the territory of the former British Mandate of Palestine and Israel’s security concerns. According to The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation (thinc.), the Advisory Opinion is deeply flawed and should not be endorsed.
The call on Israel to withdraw unilaterally from East Jerusalem and the West Bank is highly dangerous. The security in the West Bank is highly volatile. Since October 7, support for Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank has more than tripled. Hamas activity within the region also surged in this period. If Israel withdraws from the West Bank, it is quite likely that Hamas and other Jihadist groups, supported by Iran, will soon fill the power vacuum, undermine the already weakened Palestinian Authority, and seize control of the area. This would pose an even greater existential threat to Israel, with the chances of a full-scale regional war higher than ever, with the potential to further destabilize the Middle East and, by extension, the world.
And it will lead to heightened conflict and violence. Understandably, Israel refuses to give up control of the whole city of Jerusalem and most of the West Bank without the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Palestinians, as envisaged (and required) by the Oslo Accords.
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'The call on Israel to withdraw unilaterally from East Jerusalem and the West Bank is highly dangerous.'
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The experience in Gaza since 2007 (Israel withdrew unilaterally from the Gaza Strip in 2005, and Hamas took over control there in 2007) has simply demonstrated that abandonment of territory currently controlled by Israel will inevitably embolden and strengthen Hamas and other Islamist jihad groups, committed to Israel’s destruction, and lead to further terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens.
Aside from these practical, strategic/military and legal concerns, a decision to require Israel to vacate these territories will effectively mean re-dividing Jerusalem and prevent the Jewish people from living in Judea and Samaria – their Biblical and historical homeland.
The stage is thus being set for a huge clash between Israel and the United Nations, in which the right of the Jewish people to live in the city of Jerusalem will play a central role.
Pray for the world leaders, who will be in New York for the opening of the General Assembly’s 79th Session, that they will act wisely.
Most importantly, let us pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and the coming of Messiah who will rule over the nations on the throne of His father David (ie. in Jerusalem), in the midst of His people Jacob (ie. the Jewish people): Luke 1:31-33.
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The ICJ Advisory Opinion is “Fatally Flawed”
The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation (thinc.) reports that, from the perspective of international law, the Advisory Opinion is seriously flawed in its factual, historical and legal analysis– as evidenced by the Separate Opinions of 5 judges and the Dissenting Opinion of the Vice-President of the Court, Judge Julia Sebutinde.
Six of the Court’s fifteen judges are united in their view that, as a result of the one-sided UNGA Resolution (77/247) and the biased proceedings, the Advisory Opinion has failed to consider the whole legal and historical context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, thus undermining the credibility of the Opinion’s conclusion that Israel must bring its presence in the territories to an end.
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‘State of Palestine’ takes seat in UN General Assembly despite lack of full membership
Israeli envoy decries May decision granting Palestinian delegation new rights, including to submit proposals and amendments, as ‘a reward for terrorism’.
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‘Resolution Declares Open Season on Israelis’
President of Human Rights Voices NGO, Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, explains how the Palestinian Authority was permitted to draft a UN General Assembly resolution and the threat this resolution represents.
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Urgent Implications of the UNGA Vote on Israel: What Christians (and others) Need to Know
On July 19 the International Court of Justice (ICJ) published its advisory opinion about the so called “occupied Palestinian territory incl. East Jerusalem”. This opinion is heading to the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in September 2024. The nations will vote on the advisory opinion. This could lead to sanctions and further ostracizing of Israel and major implications for
Christians around the world supporting Israel. In this interview Andrew Tucker who is the founder of thinc. specializing in lawfare will explain the urgency of the UNGA meeting in September.
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SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK:
Zechariah 14:1-5
A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.
2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.
3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.
4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.
5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
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