Dateline: May 19, 2011. The New York Post publishes a story about Israel, the Palestinians, and the Middle East. It is always a perpetual war in Israel because one side, Arab, wishes to wipe out the other, the Jews. That year, President Obama gave a major speech about the Middle East and North Africa. He said any negotiations must begin with the 1967 maps of Israel. The Post quoted him as saying, “Negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine.” Longer than I have been alive the two-state solution has been a starting point for any and all negotiations. The forever news releases and video clips say the same thing ad nauseum. “All the poor Palestinians want is their rightful, little piece of land and the bad old Jews won’t give it to them. They are committing a genocide against us.” When I began paying attention to world events in the mid-1970’s and filtering them with a biblical world-view, the two-state solution was always a part of the mix from world leaders. President Jimmy Carter believed in a two-state solution. I remember a preacher preached a sermon called “Shalom and Sadat.” Egypt and Israel were going to bring peace to the Middle East. Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian President, was assassinated in 1981 for negotiating a peace deal with Israel. President Reagan’s position was more nuanced but it too gave a place for the Palestinians to have a country but not at the expense of Israel’s security. President George H. W. Bush supported the two-state solution. President Bill Clinton also liked the two-state solution. He went so far as to call a meeting at Camp David between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and PLO Leader Yasser Arafat. George W. Bush supported the two-state position. I have already given President Obama’s position in the earlier quote. President Donald Trump so far has expressed skepticism about the two-state solution. As I write this blog, the 20 remaining hostages from the October 7th, 2023, Hamas terrorists attack, are to be released Monday in the first phase of the peace deal hammered out by our President, the Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, and the leaders of Hamas. It is a twenty-point peace plan deal, and I don’t know all the treaty points yet. I have only heard a couple of them. I have already been asked several times what do I think. I am extremely skeptical because of the past behavior I have observed and read about for decades.
What are some of those events that cause my skepticism? The day the United Nations officially recognized Israel as a nation is May 14, 1948. The first time in almost 2000 years, the Jewish people had a homeland again and the Star of David flag flew. Their return has been marked by wars and terroristic attacks many times over. I’ll list the major wars. May 15th, the next day after Israel’s official reboot, war was declared on Israel by a confederation of Arab states. The fighting goes on through the rest of 1948 and finally stops in 1949. In 1956, they are in a war over the Suez Canal when Egypt nationalizes it. Next, 1967 is the year for “The Six-day War.” Egypt, Syria, and Jordan attack Israel, and in less than one-week the Lord gives Israel an over-whelming victory. Next is 1973. On Yom Kippur, Israel’s most holy day, the Jewish state is attacked by Syria and Egypt. 1982 was the time of the “First Lebanon War.” 2006 is the date of the “Second Lebanon War.” October 7, 2023, the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust takes place. Those are the wars. There are hundreds of skirmishes, kidnappings, and terror attacks on buses and restaurants in Israel by people claiming the land is theirs.
Now think with me for a moment. If the 1967 land map that President Obama said was the beginning of any negotiations, why did Israel get attacked from 1948 through 1967? From the time of the rebirth the Arabs/Palestinians had land in the land of Israel. Up north on a map of Israel, you will find the Golan Heights, a mountain range. It belonged to Syria until the “Six-Day War” when Israel got tired of Syria lobbing bombs from those mountains toward her people. We hear about Israel annexing the West Bank. The country of Jordan owned that piece of land according to the United Nations until, wait for it, 1967 when Israel took it in the war. What about the Gaza Strip? The same one we hear about today. It was owned by Egypt along with the Sinai desert until 1967. I hope you see that the claim that “it is about land” is bogus. Three days ago, in many of our large cities, Pro-Hamas sympathizers celebrated the killing of innocents that had taken place in 2023 in Israel. Chants “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was heard in all of those protests. Interviews with people who literally on video said they wished the killing had been more complete and wanted it to happen again. I heard one lunatic, when asked about Hitler killing six-million Jews, said he “wished Hitler had gotten them all”. It isn’t about land; it is about the hatred for a race of people.
Why are they hated so much? Because they are the chosen people of God. God wanted the world to know Him. To show the world who He was, He chose a people that were the least of all the peoples of the world. They had the smallest in numbers, and He would give them a little piece of land which was barren and useless compared to other parcels. Why? To show the world His greatness. They would be His people, and He would bless them so all could see the greatness of their God. He would use these people, and the Messiah (our Jesus, our Savior) would come through them. He would use these people, and the Word of God would come through them. He would use them to make discoveries and inventions that would bless all mankind. Their payment? Hated by most. Those who hate Israel are inspired demonically, and many don’t even know it. Revelation 12:12 tells us that Satan knows he has only a little time left so he’s doing everything he can to destroy the people and plan of God. He’ll fail miserably, but he’s still trying because that is his only shot. From ancient times until now, He’s hated the people of God. From Pharoah, through Haman, through Herod, through the old-world powers like Rome, Satan has inspired people to hate the very existence of the Jews. It is still with us today.
1967 was an eye-opening year for anyone with discernment. The Arab nations had the land disputed today. It wasn’t about the land, it is about getting rid of a group of people. My prayer is we won’t get pulled into this hatred. Satan is sly. He knows most of us won’t fall for the political left’s antics and slogans. We know evil lurks in those protests. What I am concerned about are Christians that may be pulled in by those in our camp who make the claim God has turned His back on Israel and so should we. Watch carefully, Satan is “transformed into an angel of light.” Stay biblical!!!
Pastor Tom