You may view the 5 minute update this week via audio:
In this week’s 5 minute update, we focused on:
1) The current status of the Israel / PLO peace process
2) The prospects for war with Syria and Iran
On April 17, Palestinian officials will deliver a letter from Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmud Abbas to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The letter will blame Israel for the failure of peace talks. The Palestinians will only agree to direct negotiations with Israel if Israel quits building Jewish homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and releases Palestinian prisoners arrested prior to the 1994 Oslo Accords. The Palestinians will give Israel one month to agree to their demands. If Israel doesn’t agree to the Palestinian demands, they have threatened to renew their efforts for recognition of a PLO state at the United Nations through the General Assembly in either May or June. Israel will reply to the letter asking for direct negotiations between Abbas and Netanyahu without preconditions while insisting that in any agreement that the Palestinians recognize a Jewish state and the security of Israel is maintained. The Palestinians are stating that they will reject Netanyahu’s offer for direct negotiations.
An agreement to divide Jerusalem and establish a PLO state is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles are as follows:
1) Abbas to send Netanyahu letter on 17 April
2) Abbas threatens to renew UN statehood bid
3) Fatah official: PA considering new UN bid
4) Israel PM to Seek Direct Talks with Abbas
5) Palestinians spurn Netanyahu call to resume talks
April 12 was the deadline for a UN-brokered cease-fire in Syria. The Syrian government agreed to the cease fire based upon several conditions:
1) The Syrian government could defend themselves against opponents of the government if the opposition continued its resistance
2) The Syrian government wanted “written guarantees” from the opposition to lay down their weapons before the Syrian government would withdraw from cities.
In explaining their demands, Syria said that it will not allow a repeat of what had happened during the Arab League’s observer mission in January where Assad pulled back his armed forces from cities and their surroundings only to see rebels flood the areas vacated by government troops. This offer was rejected by the rebels.
Syria is a battleground between Russia and the US. Russia supports the Syrian government and the US does not. In reality, the battle in Syria is a battle between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims over control and influence in the Middle East. The “Arab Spring” was mainly uprisings against Arab political leaders with the goal to establish the rule of the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood in these countries. Sunni Muslims want to remove the government of Bashar Assad who is a member of the minority Alawite sect of Shi’ite Islam. The United States is supporting the Sunni Muslims over the Shi’ite Muslims in this religious war. In doing so, the United States want to weaken the Shi’ite Muslim axis of Syria, Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. As a result, both Syria and Iran is a battleground in the sectarian war between Sunni’s and Shi’ites.
A war with Syria where Damascus is destroyed (Isaiah 17) is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles is as follows:
1) Syria says it will stop fighting by UN deadline
2) Peace plan at risk after Syrian rebels reject regime’s call to disarm
3) I have enforced state rule so will stop fighting: Bashar al-Assad
4) Syria is battleground for Russia and US
5) Syria: The Battleground Between Sunnis and Shiites
Nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers (Russia, China, Britain, France, US and Germany) are scheduled to begin Friday, April 13 in Istanbul, Turkey. US President Barack Obama said that he is willing to accept an Iranian civilian nuclear program if Iran agrees to international demands to prove that it will not build a nuclear bomb. However, Obama warned that time is running out for a peaceful settlement and the US would increase sanctions on Iran if the talked failed. DEBKA reports that the US and Israel have agreed to allow Iran to have enriched uranium up to 3.5 percent if they do not enrich to 20 percent which can be quickly converted to weapons grade.
Israel along with US and European diplomats are in agreement that the following demands need to be made upon Iran in order for the talks to be successful.
1) An immediate closing and dismantling of the Fordo underground nuclear facility deep under a mountain near the city of Qom.
2) A halt in the production of uranium enriched to 20 percent
3) The shipment of existing enriched uranium stockpiles out of Iran
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated that Iran would not surrender its nuclear rights “even under the most difficult pressure.” Furthermore, he said that Iran has enough foreign currency to survive Western economic sanctions for several years. DEBKA reports that Iran will offer their own initiatives at the meetings. They include the following:
1) Iran will continue to enrich low-grade 3.5 percent uranium in unlimited quantities
2) Iran will not agree to remove enriched uranium outside its country
3. Iran is prepared for a deal whereby the six powers endorse Iran’s right to enrich as much high-grade 20-percent enriched uranium as it wishes according based upon the following fomula:
a) A joint panel of the six powers and Iran will determine the amounts required to meet the needs of its reactor and the production of isotopes for medical research
b) Iran will sell its oversupply on the international market and become the world’s No. 1 exporter of 20-percent enriched uranium
4. Iran will reject demands to shut down the underground enrichment plant at Fordow, near Qom, but agree to signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty’s Additional Protocol – which would permit IAEA inspectors to make spot checks at all suspect nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow – with one provision: The six powers must also require Israel to sign the NPT plus the Additional Protocol. If Israel doesn’t sign both parts of this treaty, neither will Iran endorse the AP.
Iran has preempted a European oil embargo against its oil scheduled to begin on July 1 by stating that it will no longer sell oil to: Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Greece.
A US war with Iran is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles is as follows:
1) ‘Obama could accept Iran civilian nuclear program’
2) Secret US-Israeli accord lets Iran keep low 3.5 enriched uranium
3) Iran nuclear talks set for this week
4) U.S. plans hard-line approach in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program
5) Obama threatens more Iran sanctions; Ahmadinejad defiant
6) Netanyahu lays down three demands for Iran talks
7) Iran vows to defend ‘rights’ ahead of nuclear talks
8.) Ahmadinejad on eve of talks: Iran will not surrender atomic rights
9) Iran’s “new initiatives” place Israel at center of nuclear talks
10) Report: Israel Told US ‘No Attack until Early Fall’
11) Report: Iran stops oil exports to Spain
12) Report: Iran halts oil exports to Germany
From a Biblical prophetic perspective, the reason why the God of Israel would allow these events to happen is because it will result in the end of the exile of the house of Jacob and the reunification of the 12 tribes of Israel (Ephraim and Judah).
We will to be “watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem” and we will not rest until the God of Israel makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth (Isaiah 62).
Shalom in Yeshua the Messiah,
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int’l