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
The USA along with the European Union through the influence of France is making an effort to try to restart peace talks between Israel and the PLO. They want any future peace talks to be based upon 1967 borders with agreed land swaps as outlined by President Obama in his May 19th speech. This policy was endorsed in the past week by a group of 46 European and Asian countries. In an effort to do so, the USA invited Israel representative Isaac Molcho and PLO representative Erekat to the USA to find a way to restart talks.
The USA is applying pressure upon the PLO by threatening to veto through the UN Security Council a PLO request through the United Nations this coming September to recognize a PLO state and withhold economic aid. The PLO indicated that they are willing to have peace talks with Israel if Israel will stop building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. If the US does veto through the UN Security Council a request by the PLO for recognition of a PLO state this September, the PLO indicated that they may alternatively ask the UN to implement the UN partition plan of November 29, 1947 which called for a Jewish state, an Arab state and Jerusalem being an international city. Furthermore, if there are peace talks, the PLO have also stated that they will seek recognition of a PLO state through the United Nations anyhow. The PLO are lobbying nations of the world with particular emphasis on European countries to recognize a PLO state this September at the UN through the UN General Assembly. Israel is doing the same against support of a PLO state.
Israel has stated that they are willing to have peace talks with the PLO without preconditions. The USA expressed disappointment with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not willing to have peace talks based upon Obama’s parameters of 1967 borders with agreed land swaps. It seems that Obama put forth his Middle East policy and gave his speech in part to try to make the claim that he is pro-Israel but lay the blame for failure of peace talks upon Netanyahu so that Israel can be politically isolated from the international community at a future time. Israel has stated that if the UN recognizes a PLO state this September that they will no longer be obligated to the Oslo accords of 1993 or any agreement made with the PLO in the past 18 years. In an Israeli poll, the Israeli people are overwhelmingly in favor of Netanyahu’s policies that protect the security interests of Israel without dividing the city of Jerusalem. There is a meeting in Jerusalem this coming week of those outside the Israel government to discuss the possibility of declaring the sovereignty and independence of Judea-Samaria (West Bank) in the event that the United Nations recognize a PLO state. Finally, Egypt has recognized the Muslim brotherhood as an official political party.
An agreement to divide Jerusalem and establish a PLO state is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles are as follows:
1) U.S. and France: Mideast peace conference useless if sides unwilling to negotiate
2) EU pushing peace plan based on Obama’s ‘1967 borders’ speech
3) EP President: EU doesn’t oppose Palestinian statehood
4) White House trying to restart Mideast peace talks based on Obama guidelines
5) ASEM endorses Obama Middle East peace plan
6) Molcho, Erekat in DC for separate talks with US
7) U.S. pressuring Netanyahu to accept Obama’s peace plan
8.) US tells PA it will block ‘Palestine’ statehood bid at UN
9) Congress considers limiting UN aid if statehood granted
10) Palestinian leadership divided over plan to seek UN recognition
11) PA may delay plans to ask UN for statehood in September
12) PA considers 1947 UN Partition Plan if US vetoes state
13) Palestinians want UN seat ‘even if talks start’
14) Abbas secures two thirds of UN votes on ‘state recognition’
15) Barak: 50-50 chance of new peace talks before September
16) Poll: 77% of Israelis oppose going back to pre-’67 lines
17) PM to lobby Eastern Europe against Palestinian state
18) Lieberman: Israel will renounce past agreements if Palestinians seek unilateral statehood
19) Conference to offer alternative to 2-state solution
20) Egypt recognises new Muslim Brotherhood political party
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