When "no" becomes "yes"
3o October 2020
A weekly reflection on current global affairs concerning Israel and
the Jewish people from a Biblical perspective.
Fifty-three years ago, the Arab world – humiliated by Israel’s resounding victory in the Six Day War in which Israel took control of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, as well as Gaza, the Sinai and Golan Heights - voted unanimously to reject Israel: no recognition of Israel’s existence, no peace with Israel, and no negotiations with it. The famous “three no's of Khartoum” laid the foundations for the renewed Arab attack on Israel six years later in the Yom Kippur War – an attack that was intended to wipe Israel from the map. That war, in turn, led to many Western nations (especially in Europe) adopting the Palestinian narrative and the PLO’s exclusive claims to Jerusalem. This has developed to the point that any state that (like the US) recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is outright condemned.
A week ago, it was announced that Sudan intends to “normalize” its relations with Israel. Khartoum’s “no” has become a (tentative) “yes”.
Sudan is also not acting out of altruistic motives. Like all states, it is acting in self-interest. That is what states do (and should do). Amongst other things, the regime in Khartoum (that is far from innocent, when it comes to human rights abuses) will be removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, and will receive massive financial aid from the US (the precise amount is still to be determined).
Nevertheless, the mere fact that Arab states are officially and openly prioritising cooperation with Israel above their claim to liberation of Jerusalem is significant. It reflects a shift in thinking in the Arab world: a growing chasm between the aggressive political Islamism of Iran and Turkey on the one hand, and the emerging alliance of mainly moderate Sunni states on the other, many of whom are developing closer ties with Israel.
Apparently, the latter are realizing that the Jewish homeland (with Jerusalem as its capital) is here to stay, and that it plays a key role in ensuring peace, security and prosperity in the region.
The Editorial Team - Israel & Christians Today
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