The Growing Crisis Over Jerusalem

At the present time we are seeing a lot of political posturing ahead of the planned Middle-East peace summit in Annapolis--and we are hearing a lot of talk in the media about Israel having to give away much of Jerusalem as well as pulling out of West Bank settlements.

Headlines in Israel's Haaretz newspaper (Wednesday Nov. 14) reflect the posturing and the talk. 'Jerusalem Promises to freeze W. Bank settlement Construction' is the front page headline, supported by others such as 'Most Israelis ready to give up W. Bank.' Haaretz correspondent Aluf Benn writes: "These gestures are meant to make it clear that Israel does not intend to remain in the territories, and understands that its presence there is only temporary."

Other voices in Israel are warning against the planned Annapolis surrender. A member of the Knesset, Aryeh Eldad commented:

"The government is declaring open season for the Arabs to come and take whatever they want - future borders, Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, refugees, and everything else."

Head of the Yesha Council (which is an administrative body for the West Bank), Danny Dayan, told Prime Minister Olmert that the Annapolis-planned transfer of 120,000 Jews from their homes in Judea and Samaria is something that Israel, as a society, will not be able to survive. 'Such a move would break the backbone of our society,' he said."

As to the West Bank settlers themselves there seems to be a growing mood of despondency among them. They would probably not admit to this, but it is not hard to detect it.

Moshe Kempinski, an orthodox Jew living in Jerusalem, has written an article in which he laments the current situation. He points to the pain of those who have lost loved-ones to terrorists, to the many funerals that have taken place. He points out that the protest marches, huge prayer gatherings and other legitimate means of expression (even singing songs) has apparently accomplished nothing. As these people--these settlers--face eviction from their homes and banishment from the Biblical heartland, what else can they do?

David Wilder of Hebron together with his colleague Noam Arnon has written an open letter to U.S. Secretary of State Rice appealing for a re-consideration of the present policy. After writing about the promises to Abraham in the Bible, and of the long history of the Jews and of this area, they warn of the bloodshed that the current U.S. policy will bring. They say:

Your schemes plainly include the deportation of tens of thousands of Jews from their localities and homes. Therefore, we wish to inform you that we do not intend to leave our homes on any terms. You will have to use force against us in order to transfer the territory, free of Jews, to the murderers' organizations - the PLO and Hamas. This is the direction in which you are leading the Middle East. Is this how the United States fights for justice and against Islamic terror?"

Concider: "Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows."

Those words are literally true for many in Israel today--and especially in the West Bank area. As they face the future--and the results of Government policies enforced by the United States and others, it becomes clear that the way forward is hardly likely to be achieved through political activity. No one is listening to their cries, no one is taking any notice of their protest rallies--or reading their open letters. Deliverance has to come, eventually, in some other way.

Forging for Peace is a natural tendency afforded to those who understand the reality of truth, for most Nations have a similar need, however, Many of these countries have a priority relevent to their own agendas. The consequence of either can have an appauling outcome, but the former based on the reality of Truth is not surpassed by the latter. For indeed we will pray for the peace of Jerusalem, the eternal City that to this day, continues to usurp her authority, and will pay dearly for compromising that which was promised........so long ago!!!!!