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
Next week, PA President Mahmood Abbas with meet with Israel to present to them a letter blaming Israel for the stalled peace talks. Abbas will present four demands upon Israel before they will enter into direct peace negotiations. They are as follows:
a) The acceptance of a PLO state based upon 1967 borders with agreed land swaps
b) Insistence that Israel must freeze building of Jewish homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
c) Israel must release Palestinian prisoners including those arrested before the 1994 signing of the Oslo Accords
d) A return to the situation on the ground in the West Bank before September 2000
When Israel receives the letter, they are expected to review it and plan to give their own response several days later. Israel’s position is expected to be as follows:
a) Israel is willing to discuss all core issues including: borders, security, refugees, water, settlements and the status of Jerusalem.
b) The Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state
c) In any peace agreement, Israel’s security must be maintained
d) Israel would like to renew talks without any preconditions
Dr. Jonathan Spyer of the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya expressed his view that the Palestinians aren’t interested in true negotiations but wants Israel to be forced into concessions imposed upon it by the international community.
An agreement to divide Jerusalem and establish a PLO state is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles are as follows:
1) Olmert at J Street insists Abbas is peace partner
2) Abbas to accuse Netanyahu government of undermining Palestinian Authority
3) PM to meet PA delegation led by Fayyad
4) Israel Confirms Netanyahu, Fayyad Meeting for Talks
The Syrian government seems to have gained the upper hand against the opposition who wants to remove Assad from power with the help and support from Russia and Iran. Russia warned Western and Arab nations against arming the Syrian opposition. In order to back up its warning, a Russian guided missile destroyer arrived in the Syrian port of Tartus from its Black Sea base for a naval exercise. The United States and Europe had hoped that the fall of Assad from power would contribute to the isolation of Iran. Because of these events, the position of Iran has been strengthened in their upcoming nuclear talks with the P5 (Russia, China, US, France and Britain)+ 1 (Germany) powers scheduled for mid-April.
Syria has accepted a cease-fire and peace plan drawn up by UN and Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan. However, fighting between the government of Syria and the opposition continues. The peace plan does not require Assad to be removed from power. Russia, China and Iran have endorsed the plan.
A war with Syria where Damascus is destroyed (Isaiah 17) is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles is as follows:
1) Syria accepts cease-fire; fighting enters Lebanon
2) Iran voices support for Annan’s Syria peace plan
3) By securing Assad and its alliance, Iran gains upper hand for nuclear talks
4) Iran praises Syria for its handling of uprising
5) Russia warns West, Arabs against arming Syria rebels
6) Russian warships launch drill from Tartus versus US-Israeli-Greek naval exercise
Both US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the window for Iran to solve its nuclear program dispute with the United States through diplomacy is closing. However, Obama sent a message to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei through the Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogen that the United States would agree to an Iranian civilian nuclear program if they proved they were not developing a nuclear bomb. On the other hand, Clinton expressed doubt that Iran has any intention of negotiating a solution that would satisfy the US and Israel. She said that the policy of the US is prevention of Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb and not containment.
Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak expressed Israel’s position regarding what they would like to see in the talks with Iran which would indicate that Iran would be moving away from building a nuclear bomb. Iran would have to agree to the following conditions:
1) Transfer of all uranium enriched to 20 percent – approximately 120 kilograms – out of Iran to a third party country
2) Transfer of the majority of the 5 tons of uranium enriched to 3.5 percent out of Iran leaving just enough needed for energy purposes
3) Closure of the Fordow enrichment facility buried under a mountain near the city of Qom
4) Transfer of fuel rods from a third party country to Iran for the purpose of activating the Tehran Research Reactor
Barak is not optimistic that Iran will agree to these conditions. The P5 + 1 talks with Iran over its nuclear program is tentatively scheduled for April 13 in Istanbul, Turkey. However, Iran is having a disagreement with Turkey regarding policy toward Syria and thus has suggested to move the talks from Istanbul to Damascus, Baghdad, Moscow, Vienna, Geneva or China. Turkey has dismissed this proposal as a waste of time because it will never be accepted by the West and it is a sign that Iran is not serious about negotiations. By being in dispute over the location of the talks, the US and Israel believes that Iran is trying to buy more time to develop its nuclear program.
Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon says that an Israeli attack against Iran is not imminent. Senior Israel defense officials said that while Israel will need to wait to see the effect sanctions and diplomacy have on Iran’s nuclear program, a possible military confrontation with Iran may happen in 2012 or it could be postponed until 2013. Qatar said that it opposes any military strike on Iran and will not allow the United States to launch an attack from its soil. Both Russia and China warned the US and Israel against an attack upon Iran. Russia said that such an attack would be a violation of international law.
A US war with Iran is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles is as follows:
1) Obama: Window for diplomatic solution to nuclear Iran is closing
2) ‘Obama signaled Khamenei that U.S. could accept civilian nuclear program in Iran’
3) Clinton: Iran’s window closing
4) Barak reveals Israel’s conditions for Iran-West talks
5) Iraq says Iran proposes Baghdad for nuclear talks
6) Erdogan: Iran making excuses to stall talks
7) Iran ducks away from nuclear talks. Moscow: Mid East at boiling point
8.) ‘Baku granted Israel access to airbases for Iran strike’
9) Ya’alon: No imminent strike on Iran
10) ‘Confrontation with Iran may be delayed to 2013’
11) Qatar says no US strike on Iran from its soil
12) Russia, Iran set to counter US/Israeli strike against Iran. US-led naval drill
13) China ups the pressure to prevent a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities
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