The time of the Lord's favor | Update 24 January
A weekly reflection on current global affairs concerning Israel and
the Jewish people from a Biblical perspective.
Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord promised long ago that “in the time of my favor” He would help His covenant people by restoring them to the land, and delivering them from their enemies.
This week the world commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in January 1945. The Jewish people have truly been brought back from the dead – restored to their land, and delivered from their enemies.
While many enemies of Israel continue to plot and plan its demise, and anti-Semitism is on the rise, the nation of Israel (despite a political crisis!) continues to blossom and grow.
It is nothing less than a miracle. Truly, this is the time of the Lord’s favor. He is redeeming Israel.
World leaders meet in Jerusalem to commemorate Auschwitz liberation
In the largest diplomatic event in Israel’s history, leaders of over 50 nations met in Jerusalem this week to commemorate the 75thanniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps in January 1945.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reminded the world that Israel will no longer rely on others for its survival: “Israel is eternally grateful for the sacrifice made by the Allies. Without that sacrifice there would be no survivors today. But we also remember that some 80 years ago, when the Jewish people faced annihilation, the world turned its back on us,” Netanyahu said. “The Jewish people have learned the lessons of the Holocaust: that we cannot take threats to annihilate us lightly; to confront threats when they are small; and above all, even though we greatly appreciate the help of our friends, to defend ourselves by ourselves,” Netanyahu said.
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At a state dinner in Jerusalem for the World Holocaust Forum, Prof. Yehuda Bauer tells dignitaries that ‘Anti-Semitism is not a Jewish illness, but a non-Jewish one; it is a cancer that kills and destroys your nations and your countries.’
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Turmoil continues as Israel gears up for third elections in one year
Our correspondent in Israel, Yochanan Visser writes: For the third time in one year Israel is gearing up for parliamentary elections. This is the first time in the history of the Jewish state new repeat-elections will be hold after the previous rounds resulted in a deadlock whereby neither the left-wing bloc (which includes the Arab parties) nor the right-wing bloc led by Likud succeeded in forming a majority government.
If we are to believe the polls – take in account that in Israel polls are often wildly of the mark – the upcoming elections on March 2 will not change the situation.
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Jordan Valley, Trump, annexation and Israeli settlements: the saga continues
In the lead-up to the Israeli elections in March, both PM Netanyahu and opponent Benny Gantz have declared their support for “extension of Israeli sovereignty” over the Jordan Valley. Netanyahu has even stated his government would “immediately” extend Israeli sovereignty over all West Bank settlements “without exception.”
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This comes at a time that the US has announced its intention to release its long-promised Peace Plan. The White House opposes Israel applying sovereignty over the Jordan Valley before the release of its Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, but there are indications the US administration may not take issue with such a move down the road. The US Administration has previously indicated it considers Israel has a “right” to apply its sovereignty over parts of the West Bank.
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“Palestine”, “settlements” and the International Criminal Court
In the meantime, the International Criminal Court (ICC) remains seized of the “Palestine situation”. On 20 December 2019, the Prosecutor announced her decision that “Palestine” is a “state”, and Israeli “settlement policies” (ie. policies enabling Jews to live in the East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria) is a war crime.
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The Prosecutor asked the Chamber to make a ruling confirming her view that “Palestine” is a state. In the latest development, a Pre-Trial Chamber of the Court has publicly humiliated the Prosecutor by saying her 112-page Request was too long, and demanding she re-write it (which she has since done).
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All signs point, however, towards the Court deciding that it has the jurisdiction to prosecute Israeli political and military leaders for Israel’s policies in the establishment of settlements in the “West Bank including East Jerusalem” since 2014. The Prosecutor considers that “Palestine” is a state under international law, and that Israeli policies enabling settlements to be built in “Palestine” amount to war crimes under the ICC Rome Statute. Israel vigorously opposes this view of international law, and has submitted detailed submissions to the court explaining why. Israel says that “Palestine” does not satisfy the normal criteria of statehood and should not be treated as such. Further, a Court ruling would undermine the Oslo Accords and the peace process based on the principles of UN Security Council resolution 242 (1967). We highly recommend reading the well-written and persuasive submissions of the Israeli Attorney-General and the Legal Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
> Submission of the Israeli Attorney General
> Submission of the Legal Adviser of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Here are some commentaries on the case:
- Of Temporal Jurisdiction and Power Struggles in the ICC’s Palestine Investigation
- Israel at the ICC - Judges tell Prosecutor: Your brief was too long
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