Jordan’s king delivers pointed remarks to Pence on Jerusalem

By Jenna Johnson and Loveday Morris, Washington Post, January 21, 2018

AMMAN–In pointed public remarks, Jordan’s King Abdullah II told Vice President Pence on Sunday that he had repeatedly warned Washington about the risks of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and that he hoped the United States would now “reach out” and find the right way to move forward.

At a meeting at his palace in the Jordanian capital, Amman, Abdullah said that he had been encouraged by President Trump’s commitment to bringing a solution to decades of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians–but that Jerusalem is key to achieving peace.

“I had continuously voiced over the past year, in my meetings with Washington, my concerns regarding the U.S. decision on Jerusalem that does not come as a result of a comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” he said, addressing Pence and his delegation from across a dining table laid out for lunch. “Today we have a major challenge to overcome, especially with some of the rising frustrations.”

He added that it is “very important” to find a way to move forward with a two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state formed on pre-1967 borders, living side by side with a “secure and recognized” Israel. “Your visit here, I am sure, is to rebuild the trust and confidence,” he said.

Pence described the conversation as “candid but cordial” and said that “friends occasionally have disagreements.”

Pence’s regional tour is aimed partly at smoothing over relations with U.S. allies in the wake of Trump’s controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Before he left Washington for Egypt, the first stop on the trip, the vice president said that he hoped the U.S. decision on Jerusalem would help rather than hinder a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians. He reiterated Sunday that he hoped that the Palestinians “will soon reengage.” But the Palestinian leadership has reacted with anger to the decision and has refused to meet with Pence, and other regional allies have spoken out against the move.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said that Trump’s decision marks the end to the United States being a sole broker for the peace process. Israeli Arab members of Israel’s parliament said they would boycott Pence’s visit to the country this week.

Speaking to Abdullah on Sunday, Pence said that the Jerusalem decision was “historic.” He said that the United States is committed to continuing to respect Jordan’s role as the custodian of the city’s holy sites and that Washington has made no decision on boundaries or the final status of the city, which are subject to negotiations.

Trump, however, said in a tweet earlier this month that Jerusalem was “off the table” for negotiations, drawing further ire from Palestinians.

Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt are expected to present a peace plan this year, although the Jerusalem announcement has complicated the process.

Last week, Abbas expressed anger that the Palestinians were offered the suburb of Abu Dis as their capital instead of East Jerusalem, and he slammed the U.S. decision to cut aid to the Palestinians. Abbas said he would escalate efforts to have a Palestinian state recognized internationally while holding Israel accountable at the International Criminal Court. He is due to meet European Union foreign ministers Monday.

The U.S. decision on Jerusalem was seen in part as a political move to satisfy Trump’s base of white evangelical voters. Pence has gone further than Trump in his own declarations on Jerusalem, describing it as “the eternal undivided capital of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.”

Pence’s stay in Israel, where he landed Sunday night, will include visits to the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City and Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum.

“We welcome him with warmth and pride,” Netanyahu said, adding that he had a message for Abbas: “There is no alternative for American leadership in the diplomatic process.”

Dennis Edwards: 

The problem in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinian just won't go away. Whether the USA is in a position to offer a viable solution is questionable. Recent news articles have suggested that Trump's announcement of moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem has nullified the possibility of America being the coordinator of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. 

How does the situation fit in with Bible prophecy? Some Bible scholars believe that in the last days an evil world leader will arise on the scene as a shrewd political leader. He will come in peaceably and manage to gain popularity worldwide. This leader will be responsible for a "Holy Covenant." The covenant will be confirmed by many nations. It will be a seven year agreement and will permit the reestablishment of sacrificial worship in Jerusalem. 

In order to have sacrificial worship, a place of sacrifice must be established. For many years the Temple Institute in Jerusalem has been coordinating efforts towards the rebuilding of a Third Jewish Temple on the Temple mount. Plans for construction have been made and there are some who believe stones have been selected and are in storage somewhere in Jerusalem or close by. The Institute has also been involved in recreating all the sacrificial garb and ornaments, tools etc., needed by the priests for the sacrifice. They are preparing specially trained rabbis in the ceremonial rituals which accompany the sacrifice. 

Many American Christians have been helpful in donating toward the rebuilding of the Temple and the efforts of the Temple Institute. But prophecy reveals that it will not be America who initiates the peace process and the Holy Covenant, but the Antichrist himself. Other prophecies seem to indicate that he will be a personality from the Middle East or from, or connected to, a strong northern nation in the Scriptures referred to as Gog or Magog. Many prophecy analyst believe Russia could be the present day fulfillment of Gog and Magog. 

It remains to be seen if we are seeing the rise of the Antichrist to power by the way Russia's Putin is gaining in world influence and popularity through his recent successful military operation in Syria. Whether Putin could be the Antichrist, we do not know. Many believe his leadership in Moscow has been a good thing for world peace. He's openly promoted faith and Christian values. Perhaps, the Antichrist figure is still in waiting and will arise sometime after Putin's term of leadership.

That's what we learn from Bible prophecy. But we could have it all wrong. Maybe we are not seeing things correctly and or understanding the Scripture properly. Maybe we are interpreting in all wrong, as some believe. In truth, we are speculating on much of these events. But if our speculations, our interpretations are correct, we should see a peace agreement sometime in the future allowing Israel to rebuild a Third Temple someplace near or on the Temple mount.

So, if we are right, watch for the Holy Covenant, a seven year agreement on the Middle East situation involving Israel and the Palestinians. Remember, the placing of the abomination of desolation in the Temple is the sign Jesus gave us for the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Bible prophecy puts the placing of the abomination of desolation together with the breaking of the seven year Holy Covenant by the Antichrist. This includes some sort of invasion of Israel. 

Together from prophecies in both Daniel and Ezekiel we learn that the ultimate invasion force of Israel will involve both Turkey and Iran. Both these nations are presently strongly allied with Russia. Turkey's alliance to Russia is a relatively new fact. Just a few years ago Turkey was a full member of the NATO force under America's control. However, recent developments during the Syrian war, and the Kurdish situation in Syria has pushed Turkey towards Russia and away from the Israeli and American position.

These are all interesting developments and things we should keep our eyes on if we want to understand what's happening and why in the Middle East. Christ will return. The world will march toward Armageddon and Armageddon will occur. If we don't want it to happen in our life time then we need a sudden repentance, which means change or revolution. We need a return to Godly values, and Godly lifestyles. We need to return to an more agrarian society. But this is not going to happen. 

So prepare for the worse. But most importantly, open your life to Christ. He is our only hope in time of trouble. He has promised to be with us and keep us in His care. He is pleading with us as individuals and as the world to receive Him personally in our hearts today. His love is still the answer. Won't you take His love right now and then share it with others? Do it! You need it and the world needs it. Together we can still make a difference.

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Pence tells Egypt’s Sisi that U.S. would back two-state solution

Jeff Mason

CAIRO (Reuters) - Vice President Mike Pence told Egypt’s leader on Saturday the United States would support a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians if the two sides agreed to it, seeking to reassure a key Arab ally over President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) shakes hands with with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt January 20, 2018. REUTERS/ Khaled Desouki/Pool

Pence was in Egypt on the first leg of a three-country tour that includes stops in Jordan and Israel.

It is the highest-level visit by a U.S. official to the region since December, when Trump upended decades of U.S. policy on Jerusalem in a move opposed by Arab leaders including Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

“We heard President al-Sisi out,” Pence told reporters after their meeting, saying the Egyptian leader described his objection to Trump’s decision as a “disagreement between friends.”

Pence said he assured Sisi that the United States was committed to preserving the status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem and had come to no final resolution on boundaries for the two parties.

“My perception was that he was encouraged by that message,” Pence said.

The Egyptian presidency said in a statement that Sisi noted that only negotiations based on a two-state solution could bring an end to the conflict, “and Egypt would spare no effort to support this.”

Pence said he also pressed Sisi about two Americans who have been imprisoned in Egypt since 2013, as well as for reform of Egypt’s restrictive laws on non-governmental organizations.

In his meeting with Egypt’s president, Pence pledged firm U.S. backing in the nation’s fight against Islamist militants and said ties between the two countries had never been stronger after a period of “drifting apart.”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt January 20, 2018. REUTERS/ Khaled Desouki/Pool

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with you in Egypt in the fight against terrorism,” Pence told Sisi.

Egypt has faced security problems, including attacks by Islamic State militants in the North Sinai region. Trump has made the fight against Islamic State a top priority.

Though Pence intends to discuss counterterrorism issues throughout the trip, the Jerusalem decision remains a hot topic. Trump’s announcement, which also set in motion the process of moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, prompted Palestinians to reject the United States as a peace broker.

From Cairo, Pence headed to Jordan, where he will meet with King Abdullah, a close U.S. ally. Abdullah warned against declaring Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying it would have a dangerous impact on regional stability and obstruct U.S. efforts to resume peace talks.

Many people in Jordan are descendants of Palestinian refugees whose families left after the creation of Israel in 1948.

Pence will end his trip in Israel, where he will be warmly welcomed following Trump’s designation. He plans to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, address the Israeli legislature and visit the Western Wall.

Pence is not scheduled to meet Palestinian leaders. They were incensed by Trump’s decision on Jerusalem, which upended the longstanding U.S. position that negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians must determine the city’s status.

“The United States of America is deeply committed to restarting the peace process in the Middle East,” Pence told reporters.

The Trump administration’s announcement on Thursday that it was withholding about half the aid it was set to give a United Nations relief agency that serves the Palestinians raised questions about fledgling U.S. efforts to revive peace talks and further undermined Arabs’ faith that the United States can act as an impartial arbitrator.

Pence also plans to visit U.S. troops while he is in the region.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-egypt/pence-tells-egypts-sisi-that-u-s-would-back-two-state-solution-idUSKBN1F90YG

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U.S. Presses to Relocate Embassy to Jerusalem by 2019

By Mark Landler, NY Times, Jan. 18, 2018

The Trump administration is moving faster than expected to transfer the American Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv by 2019, senior officials said Thursday, despite insisting last month that the move would not happen until the end of President Trump’s term.

The administration’s plans, following Mr. Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, suggest it no longer cares about cushioning the blow of the new policy, which has drawn angry protests from Palestinians and other Arabs and cast Mr. Trump’s peacemaking ambitions into doubt.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel first broached the prospect of a faster move on Wednesday, telling reporters that the embassy would be moved “in the course of the year.” That put him at odds with Mr. Trump, who hours later said, “We’re not really looking at that.”

It was not clear whether Mr. Trump’s advisers had briefed him on the new timetable until Thursday. Officials said he was referring to the construction of an entirely new embassy compound in Jerusalem, which Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson predicted would be completed “probably no earlier than three years out, and that’s pretty ambitious.”

But the State Department has since settled on a more modest plan to convert an existing consular building in Arnona, a neighborhood in West Jerusalem. That will reduce the cost of the project and allow Ambassador David M. Friedman and his staff to move there as early as next year.

Since Mr. Trump’s announcement, relations between the United States and the Palestinians have curdled. The Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, vowed never again to take part in peace negotiations brokered by the United States. In a recent speech to Palestinian officials, he said of Mr. Trump, “May your house be destroyed.”

The administration, in turn, said it would withhold $65 million–or more than half the funding that the United States generally provides–to a United Nations agency that aids Palestinian refugees.

The decision was a rebuke to the United Nations, whose members voted by a lopsided margin last month to condemn the United States for its Jerusalem decision. It also reflected the view of some in the White House that the organization, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, needed to be overhauled and was impeding, rather than aiding, the peace process.

Moving the embassy quickly, officials said, could also be a political boon for Mr. Trump in a midterm election year, given the popularity of his decision to recognize Jerusalem with evangelical voters and hard-line pro-Israel Americans like the casino magnate Sheldon G. Adelson.

Dennis Edwards: Again we see these decisions by Trump seem to fit in nicely with Bible prophecy. The Bible tells us in the book of Daniel that in the last days the world will confirm a Holy Covenant broached by the Antichrist.[1] 

Could the fact that the USA seems to have isolated itself away from being involved in organizing the peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians open the way for the Antichrist to do the job?

The Scriptures, if we are understanding them properly, seem to indicate that the Antichrist is the author of the seven-year Holy Covenant which is confirmed by many.[2] As troubles continue in the Middle East even with the covenant, the Antichrist breaks the agreement half way through and places the famous abomination of desolation spoken of by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.[3][4]

Jesus gave the placing of the abomination of desolation in the Temple as the sign of the beginning of the Great Tribulation, a period in world history so horrible that Jesus says there was nothing like it before, or after.[5] 

The Great Tribulation lasts for three and a half years, or forty-two months, or one thousand two hundred and sixty days.[6][7][8][9][10] It is immediately after the tribulation that Christ returns in the skies to rescue His children in the famous rapture event.[11][12] A short time afterwards as the nations gather together for the Battle of Armageddon, Christ must stop the carnage or mankind would destroy itself.[13][14] It is at that time that He implements a Godly One-World 1,000 year government which He will oversee Himself the details of which we have little information.[15] 

Notes

[1] Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week. (seven year period)  [2] Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.

[3] Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week (half way through the seven year period or at the three an a half years mark) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

[4] Daniel 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate. 

[5] Matthew 24:15-21 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

[6] Revelation 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 

[7] Revelation 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. ( "a time" equals 1 year, "times" equals 2 years, and "half a time" equals half a year.)
[8] Daniel 12:1, 7 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.(This could be referring to the Rapture at the end of the tribulation period.) And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
[9] Daniel 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

[10]Revelation 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

[11] Matthew 24:29-31 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
[12] 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

[13] Revelation 16:14-16 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 

[14] Revelation 19:11-21 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

[15] Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

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Abbas slams US, others in defiant speech

By Andrew Carey and Abeer Salman, CNN - Updated 0941 GMT (1741 HKT) January 15, 2018

Jerusalem (CNN)Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas appears to have confirmed reports that the Trump administration has earmarked Abu Dis, a town adjacent to Jerusalem, as the capital of a future Palestinian state, during a speech to the PLO Central Council.

"Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the state of Palestine," Abbas told delegates at a meeting on Sunday called to discuss the United States' recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. "We are at a critical moment and our future is in danger ... we are currently being offered Abu Dis as our capital."

Israel accelerates plans that imperil two-state solution
Previous US administrations have hewed to the international consensus that East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City and its key religious sites, would be the capital of any Palestinian state.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Abbas' remarks.
The two-day meeting in Ramallah included all Palestinian factions except Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are not members of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Attendees are expected to discuss ramifications of the US' recognition and strategies, according to official news agency Wafa.
Abbas' address had been seen as an opportunity to chart a Palestinian course forward in the light of Trump's announcement last month on Jerusalem.
"I call on the Central Council to revise all the agreements signed between the PLO and Israel because Israel has brought these agreements to a dead end," said Abbas.

Palestinian officials slam Trump's threat to cut US aid
"Israel has ended the Oslo agreement" so the PLO Central Council must decide "where should we go from here?"
Even so, Abbas reaffirmed his commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"We are committed to resolving the two states on the basis of international legitimacy, the Arab peace initiative, and the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders," he said.
He also said he advocated only "peaceful popular resistance."
Addressing the future role of the United States in the peace process, Abbas said: "We will not accept the US as a mediator after what they did."
He singled out two individuals for particular criticism: "The American ambassador to Israel [David Friedman] and [the US Ambassador to the UN] Nikki Haley bring shame on the administration, if it has any self-respect."
In an apparent swipe at Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, seen as receptive to the Trump administration's plans for the Middle East, Abbas said: "We do not interfere with the affairs of Arab countries and we do not accept anyone interfering in our own affairs." Singling out one country that he accused of playing an underhand role, but chose not to name, he said: "Stay away from us."
Former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was among the first Israelis to react, branding Abbas' address an "extremist speech."
"We are not giving up on a country with a Jewish majority and a border between us and them," she said on Twitter. "To there we have to advance, with or without the Palestinians."

CNN's Oren Liebermann and Ian Lee contributed to this report.

 Comment by Dennis Edwards: The Palestinian/Jerusalem question will just not go away. Will the world be forced to make some kind of international agreement on the status of Jerusalem and the future of the Palestinians? Will this agreement involve the building of the Third Temple and the renewal of Jewish sacrificial worship for the first time since the destruction of the 2nd Temple by the Roman legions in 70 AD? The Bible seems to indicate, if we are understanding it properly, that there will be such an agreement. The prophet Daniel calls it a "Holy Covenant." The covenant will be framed by the Antichrist and many nations will confirm it. It will be a seven year pact. However, because of scheming behind the scenes and impending military action against him, the Antichrist breaks the agreement, invades Israel, stops the sacrificial worship and places something called in Scripture, "the abomination of desolation" in the Temple.

The placing of the abomination of desolation in the Temple was the key sign Jesus gave to his disciples when they asked him what would be the sign of the end and of His coming. Jesus warned that when the abomination of desolation was placed in the Temple the Great Tribulation would begin. He said the tribulation would be the worst the world would ever face and that if He didn't return no life on earth would be saved. Finally, He announced, not that He would come secretly and snatch away His followers in a secret Rapture, but that He would return immediately after the tribulation. At that point His followers would be rescued and those left on earth would pass through and even worst period of troubles culminating in the Battle of Armageddon which ends with Christ's physical return to stop the Antichrist and his followers from destroying the whole world and enforce a peaceful reign on earth for 1,000 years.

That's a brief resume of what the Bible says. Of course, there's a lot more. But that is the general outline. We are living in exciting times as many of today's current events seem to be lining up with the possibility of fulfilling these Bible prophecies. Have you studied your Bible to know what to expect? Have the false American prophets put you to sleep with their unscriptural Secret Rapture? Have the rich television preachers made you sick of religion and all that it stands for? Well, comfort yourself with the thought that Jesus Himself was killed by "righteous" religious people.

For more information read my online book:  Where is America in Bible Prophecy?

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Tapes Reveal Egyptian Leaders’ Tacit Acceptance of Jerusalem Move

By David D. Kirkpatrick, NY Times, Jan. 6, 2018

As President Trump moved last month to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, an Egyptian intelligence officer quietly placed phone calls to the hosts of several influential talk shows in Egypt.

“Like all our Arab brothers,” Egypt would denounce the decision in public, the officer, Capt. Ashraf al-Kholi, told the hosts.

But strife with Israel was not in Egypt’s national interest, Captain Kholi said. He told the hosts that instead of condemning the decision, they should persuade their viewers to accept it. Palestinians, he suggested, should content themselves with the dreary West Bank town that currently houses the Palestinian Authority, Ramallah.

“How is Jerusalem different from Ramallah, really?” Captain Kholi asked repeatedly in four audio recordings of his telephone calls obtained by The New York Times.

“Exactly that,” agreed one host, Azmi Megahed, who confirmed the authenticity of the recording.

For decades, powerful Arab states like Egypt and Saudi Arabia have publicly criticized Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, while privately acquiescing to Israel’s continued occupation of territory the Palestinians claim as their homeland.

But now a de facto alliance against shared foes such as Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic State militants and the Arab Spring uprisings is drawing the Arab leaders into an ever-closer collaboration with their one-time nemesis, Israel–producing especially stark juxtapositions between their posturing in public and private.

Mr. Trump’s decision broke with a central premise of 50 years of American-sponsored peace talks, defied decades of Arab demands that East Jerusalem be the capital of a Palestinian state, and stoked fears of a violent backlash across the Middle East.

Arab governments, mindful of the popular sympathy for the Palestinian cause, rushed to publicly condemn it.

Egyptian state media reported that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had personally protested to Mr. Trump. Egyptian religious leaders close to the government refused to meet with Vice President Mike Pence, and Egypt submitted a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding a reversal of Mr. Trump’s decision. (The United States vetoed the resolution, although the General Assembly adopted a similar one, over American objections, days later.)

King Salman of Saudi Arabia, arguably the most influential Arab state, also publicly denounced Mr. Trump’s decision.

At the same time, though, the kingdom had already quietly signaled its acquiescence or even tacit approval of the Israeli claim to Jerusalem. Days before Mr. Trump’s announcement, the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, privately urged the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to accept a radically curtailed vision of statehood without a capital in East Jerusalem, according to Palestinian, Arab and European officials who have heard Mr. Abbas’s version of events.

Saudi Arabia publicly disputed those reports.

From left to right: Mofid Fawzy, Saeed Hassaseen, Yousra, Azmi Megahed (MEE montage)
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-yousra-palestine-israel-jerusalem-1450837488

The hosts Captain Kholi called all heeded his advice, and most other voices in the state-owned and pro-government news media across the Arab world were also strikingly muted, even unemotional, about the status of Jerusalem. Such a response would have been all but unthinkable even a decade ago, much less during the period between 1948 and 1973, when Egypt and its Arab allies fought three wars against Israel.

Shibley Telhami, a scholar of the region at the University of Maryland and the Brookings Institution, called the Arab states’ acceptance of the decision “transformational.”

“I don’t think it would have happened a decade ago, because Arab leaders would have made clear they wouldn’t live with it,” he said. Instead, he said, preoccupied by concerns about their own stability, the Arab leaders signaled that–while they may not like the decision–they “will find a way to work with it,” and “with a White House that is prepared to break with what had been taboos in American foreign policy.”

Two spokesmen for the Egyptian government did not respond to requests for comment for this article. Captain Kholi could not be reached.

Television talk shows play a formative role in shaping public debate in Egypt, and Egyptian intelligence services often brief the presenters of the programs about messages to convey to the public. The hosts typically prefer to characterize the conversations as journalists talking to sources.

In addition to the call with Mr. Megahed, three other audio recordings of strikingly similar telephone conversations with the same intelligence agent, Captain Kholi, were all provided to The Times by an intermediary supportive of the Palestinian cause and opposed to President Sisi. The origin of the recordings could not be determined.

The recordings all appear to match public recordings of their voices, and Captain Kholi’s talking points in each of the calls follow the same lines as his conversation with Mr. Megahed.

“I was just calling to tell you what our public stance is, so if you go on TV or speak in an interview, I am telling you what is the stance of Egypt’s national security apparatus and what it stands to benefit from in this matter of announcing Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel, O.K.?” Captain Kholi began one conversation, with Mr. Hassaseen.

“Give me orders, sir,” Mr. Hassaseen replied, according to the recording. “I am at your command.”

“We, like all our Arab brothers, are denouncing this matter,” Captain Kholi continued. But, he added, “After that, this thing will become a reality. Palestinians can’t resist and we don’t want to go to war. We have enough on our plate as you know.”

The Egyptian military has struggled for more than four years to try to defeat a simmering militant Islamist insurgence centered in the North Sinai, and Egyptian officials have sometimes accused Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that controls the adjacent Gaza Strip, of abetting violence against the government of Egypt.

“The point that is dangerous for us is the intifada issue,” Captain Kholi explained. “An intifada would not serve Egypt’s national security interests because an intifada would revive the Islamists and Hamas. Hamas would be reborn once more.”

“At the end of the day, later on, Jerusalem won’t be much different from Ramallah. What matters is ending the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Captain Kholi concluded. “Concessions are a must and if we reach a concession whereby Jerusalem will be–Ramallah will be the capital of Palestine, to end the war and so no one else dies, then we would go for it.”

All three recipients of his calls pledged to convey his messages, and some echoed his arguments in broadcasts. “Enough already. It got old,” Mr. Megahed told his viewers about the issue of Jerusalem.

In his conversation with Mr. Megahed, however, Captain Kholi added an extra flourish. He charged that Egypt’s regional foe Qatar and its ruler, Emir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, were the ones guilty of collaborating with Israel.

“You also will say that Tamim and Qatar have secret ties to Israel. You know all that,” Captain Kholi told the talk show host.

“Obvious ties,” Mr. Megahed replied. “My pleasure. My pleasure. I will include it in the next episode, God willing.”

Dennis Edwards: Again we see even the Arab nations lining up with Trump's decision to make Jerusalem the capitol of Israel. Will there be a Holy Covenant to further confirm this position? Such a covenant could offer concessions to the Palestinians and the allowance for Israel to build the Third Temple. The prophecies of Daniel predict that religious sacrificial worship will begin again and then be stopped by the Antichrist. The Jewish people have not had sacrificial worship since the destroying of their holy temple by the Romans in 70 AD.

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Is Jordan's King calling for a Holy Covenant on the Middle East?

Here's some news that came out before Christmas that I didn't have time to post.

Jordan’s King Rejects Change in Status of Jerusalem, Its Holy Sites

(Reuters) Jordan’s King Abdullah on Wednesday rejected any attempt to change the status of Jerusalem or its holy sites, and said peace would not come to the region without a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In another related headline we read,

Palestine’s Abbas Says U.S. Jerusalem Decision ‘Greatest Crime’ 

(Reuters) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday, the Trump administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was the “greatest crime” and a flagrant violation of international law.

And now a week later,

Tens of Thousands of Indonesians Rally Over Trump’s Jerusalem Stance

(Reuters) Tens of thousands of Muslims marched from the main mosque in Indonesia’s capital to a square in Jakarta on Sunday to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Dennis Edwards: Again we see the Arab's reaction to Trump's decision to move the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. In many posts, I have mentioned the "Peace-Pact" or "Holy Covenant" spoken of in Bible prophecy concerning the last days.  Some Bible prophecy experts believe that the Bible foretells of a Holy Covenant before the 2nd Coming of Christ. Speculation about what the Holy Covenant could involve increased when Israel became a nation in 1948. In 1967's Six-Day War Israel gained more territory, while the Palestinians became more frustrated with the world's lack of enforcing UN resolution 242. That resolution promised to form a two state solution with both Jews and Palestinians having Jerusalem as their capital.

Because of the tension over Israel's aggressive stance concerning land areas that were formally Palestinian, many have thought the Holy Covenant might involve a compromise to placate both Israel and Palestine over their differences. The importance of the  7 year Holy Covenant  confirmed by many nations, is that it is broken half way through the 7 year period. The breaking of the Covenant and the placing of the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple are the signs Jesus gave for the beginning of the Great Tribulation or sometimes called "Jacob's Trouble." If we are understanding Scripture correctly, the Antichrist is the author or promoter of the Covenant and also he who breaks it. Could Trump's decision to move the American Embassy to Jerusalem be a catalyst to a situation in which a Holy Covenant is deemed necessary and agreed upon by many nations concerned? If so, we could be living in some very exciting and yet very sobering days.

Other articles since Christmas have noted that Trump's decision to embrace Israel's desire for Jerusalem to be it's capitol has moved America away from being able to negotiate a settlement between the Jews and the Palestinians. These articles have noted that Russia is seen by the world in a better position as negotiator because of it's positive action to stop IS in Syria. The Russians are now making a more permanent military/naval base in Syria. So her presence in the Middle East will not diminish and her relationship with Turkey and Iran, two key nations in the famous future Battle of Armageddon or the battle of Ezekiel 38 & 39, continues to be strengthened. 

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Trump Risks Uniting the Entire Arab World Against the US

Patrick Cockburn, The Independent, December 9, 2017

President Trump and the Israeli government will have foreseen and discounted a Palestinian “day of rage” and protests among Muslims everywhere in the wake of the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and plans to move its embassy there. They assume that this will all blow over because US allies such as the rulers of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt will be satisfied with pro-forma protests, and the Palestinians are too weak to do anything except demonstrate ineffectively.

The US and Israel could be miscalculating: when I lived in Jerusalem I came to believe that many dramatic events in Israel, such as shootings and bombings, often had less effect than the outside world expected. But anything involving Jerusalem itself, and above all its Muslim holy sites, had a much bigger impact than anybody had imagined.

The immediate consequence of Trump’s action is that the US becomes weaker because it has carried out another initiative of which the rest of the world disapproves. A superpower at the height of its strength might get away with such a demarche, but not a politically divided US, its influence already ebbing because of failures in Iraq and Afghanistan. The move is so obviously against US foreign policy interests that it will further persuade other world leaders that Trump is an impossible ally.

The move could have other dangerous consequences. There is a myth that the Israeli-Palestinian struggle was not an issue that concerned Osama bin Laden or played a role in the rise of al-Qaeda. In fact, bin Laden’s speeches and writings are full of references to the Palestinians–and his first public utterances in the 1980s were calls for a boycott of American goods because of its backing for Israel.

The connection between the Palestinian question and 9/11 was played down at the time, particularly by neocon pundits and think tanks who claimed that the US could safely ignore the issue while pursuing an aggressive policy in Iraq. It is true that 9/11 damaged the Palestinians because they were marginalised as the US and its allies began a series of wars during which they largely disappeared from the news agenda.

But as the wars in Iraq and Syria come to an end, focus will shift back to Israel and the Palestinians. Isis and al-Qaeda have been defeated in their efforts to change regimes in Baghdad and Damascus. If they are going to survive and get support in the Muslim world, they will need to find a new enemy. Battered they may be, but they have far more activists and resources than bin Laden at the time of 9/11. The declaration on Jerusalem throws al-Qaeda-type movements a lifeline, just as they are facing complete defeat.

Trump inherited the war to eliminate the self-declared Caliphate from President Obama and has continued it unchanged. Most decisions about the conflict have in any case been taken by the Pentagon and not by the White House. Up to now the biggest change in US policy in the region has been the effort to end Obama’s détente with Iran and build up an anti-Iranian coalition. This will now become a more difficult job.

In October, Trump de-certified the nuclear deal with Iran, demonising the Iranians as the source of all instability in the region. He and his administration tend to conflate Iranians and Shias in much the same way as do Saudi Arabia and the Sunni monarchs of the Gulf. His National Security Adviser H R McMaster said in late October that “what is most important, not just for the United States but for all nations, is to confront the scourge of Hezbollah and to confront the scourge of the Iranians and the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps].”

It is unclear how far this belligerent rhetoric is going to turn into real military action. If Trump does want to confront Iran and the axis of states and paramilitary organisations it leads, then he has left it a bit late. The Iranian Shia side has triumphed in the war in Syria and Iraq against predominantly Sunni resistance, which was once backed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. The role of Hezbollah and the Shia paramilitary, Hashd al-Shaabi, will naturally diminish because there is no longer a war to fight and the central governments in Baghdad and Damascus are becoming stronger.

The recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will make it easier for Tehran to call for all Muslims, Shia and Sunni, to stand together in defence of the Palestinians and the holy sites. It will make it more difficult, though not impossible, for Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies to act with the US, move closer to Israel and portray Iran as the greatest threat in the region.

There is a broader consequence of the switch in US policy: there are some 1.5 billion Muslims in the world who are the majority in some 50 states and make up 22 per cent of the world’s population. None of them will be pleased by Trump’s latest action. The population of many of these countries, including some of the largest such as Turkey (80 million) and Pakistan (193 million), were already very anti-American before the Trump presidency. In 2012, polls showed that 74 per cent of Pakistanis considered the US as an enemy. Even this high figure is surpassed by Turkey where 82 per cent said this summer that they had an unfavourable view of the US. Divided about everything else, Turks agree on their dislike of the US, which will again make it more difficult for the US to act against Iran.

President Putin is to visit Istanbul on Monday to speak to President Erdogan about Jerusalem and Syria, a sign that it may be difficult to isolate the issue of the Israeli capital from other conflicts.

All these important developments are happening, though nothing has really changed on the ground: Israel already treated Jerusalem as its capital, and the so-called peace process with the Palestinians has been a sham for years. The US can no longer pretend to be an even-handed mediator, but then it never was one in the first place.

By recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Trump and Israel may have broken a political rule which says it is dangerous to mess with de facto situations others have informally come to accept. Doing so can have unexpectedly disastrous consequences. A good example of this happened less than three months ago when President Masoud Barzani held a referendum demanding Iraqi Kurdish formal independence, though the Iraqi Kurds had enjoyed de facto near independence since 2003. The Iraqi, Turkish and Iranian governments, who had accepted the previous situation for years, reacted furiously and within three weeks the Kurds lost control of Kirkuk and much of their territory. It may be that President Trump and Israel will likewise find that they risked more than they imagined and will pay a heavier price than expected for formalising Israeli rule in Jerusalem.

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Jerusalem: Netanyahu expects EU to follow US recognition

BBC News 11/12/17

Benjamin Netanyahu and Federuca Mogherini

The pair greeted each other warmly but had different things to say on Jerusalem

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says he expects European countries to follow the US in recognising Jerusalem as his country's capital.

He is in Brussels for talks - the first time an Israeli prime minister has visited the city in more than 20 years.

But the EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini says the bloc's stance on the matter is unchanged.

Donald Trump's move has left the US isolated on a highly sensitive issue between Israel and the Palestinians.

Arriving in Brussels, Mr Netanyahu again welcomed the announcement, saying Jerusalem had been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years and Mr Trump had put "facts squarely on the table".

"I believe that all, or most, European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and engage robustly with us for security, prosperity and peace," he added.

As well as recognising Jerusalem, President Trump also said he was directing the US state department to begin preparations to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

But Ms Mogherini said the EU would continue to recognise the "international consensus" on Jerusalem.

"We believe that the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states with Jerusalem as the capital of both."

She also condemned "all attacks on Jews everywhere in the world".

Before heading to Brussels, Mr Netanyahu met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, who urged him to freeze settlement building and to re-engage with Palestinians.

Why Trump's move was controversial

Israel regards Jerusalem as its "eternal and undivided" capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem - occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war - as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.

Why the city of Jerusalem matters

According to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, the final status of Jerusalem is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

Jerusalem is also home to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, especially in East Jerusalem.

How the world reacted

Mr Trump's announcement drew worldwide condemnation and sparked protests which continued for a fifth day on Monday.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinians lobbed stones at Israeli security forces while Lebanese people have been taking to the streets of Beirut.

Dennis Edwards:

Here we see the difference in the American and European point of view. Much of Europe is dependent on Arab oil and perhaps has therefore been more concerned with the Palestinian's wishes in regards to Jerusalem. Or the apparent division between America and Europe on the Palestinian problem may give rise to a Hegelian solution, i.e., you create the problem to later come in with the solution you desire. Bible prophecy indicates, if we are understanding the prophecies correctly, that there will be a Holy Covenant or agreement for a seven year period. Some eschatologists, or people who study Bible prophecy, believe that the the Covenant will be some sort of peace pact between Israel and the Palestinians offering concessions to both sides. Palestine wants autonomy and Israel wants Jerusalem and a Holy Temple. Could the Covenant be a accord that placates both sides. It remains to be seen. But we should be attentive to the developments in Israel because the Holy Covenant is one of the major signs of the times as it ushers in the last seven years before the supernatural return of Christ.

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Trump recognizes Jerusalem as capital of Israel in reversal of longtime U.S. policy

By David Nakamura, Washington Post, December 6, 2017

President Trump on Wednesday formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, defying warnings from other Middle East countries and some U.S. allies in a politically risky move that he insisted would not derail efforts to broker a peace deal.

But in a sign that the move could backfire, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas slammed Trump’s announcement as a “declaration of withdraw” by the United States from the peace process, according to the Associated Press.

In a midday speech at the White House, Trump defended his decision as “long overdue” recognition of reality given that Jerusalem is the seat of Israel’s parliament, supreme court and prime minister’s office. He argued that an agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians has remained elusive for more than two decades even as his predecessors declined to recognize the contested Holy City as Israel’s capital.

“Some say they lacked courage, but they made the best judgment based on the facts as they understood them,” Trump said, speaking in the Diplomatic Reception Room. “Nevertheless, the record is in. After more than two decades, we’re no closer to a lasting peace agreement.”

Trump added that “it’s folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula will produce a different or better result.”

The announcement came a day after senior White House aides previewed Trump’s decision, and the president also ordered the State Department to begin planning to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a process that administration officials said would take several years. After his remarks, Trump signed another six-month waiver to maintain the embassy compound in Tel Aviv, which senior aides said was meant to ensure funding was not eliminated under a 1995 law even as planning for a new embassy would commence.

Trump emphasized that despite his decision he remained committed to helping broker a peace agreement.

The announcement set off a flurry of reactions in Washington, Europe and the Middle East. Trump spoke with Abbas on Tuesday to inform him of the decision and Abbas told him his government would not accept the move.

 

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the president’s announcement, calling it “a historic day” and stating that his nation is “profoundly grateful for the president for his courageous and just decision.”

Trump campaigned on a promise to move the embassy to Jerusalem, a move popular among evangelicals. A slew of evangelical leaders, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, released statements of praise on Wednesday.

Dennis Edwards: Here's my analysis of the situation.

Like I explained yesterday the decision by the Trump administration to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital  could indeed be a monumental one. Many Bible prophecy eschatologists believe the Antichrist will be involved in confirming a peace pact in the Middle East.[1] This pact is called in Scriptures "the Holy Covenant."[2] The covenant will be confirmed by many for a seven year period.[3] Some have speculated that the Covenant could be the long awaited peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian people and the rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem. If we are understanding Scripture correctly the Antichrist is the author or presenter of the Holy Covenant.[4] However, the Antichrist later breaks the Covenant half way through the seven year period.[5] At this point he places something called by Scriptures "the Abomination of Desolation" in the Temple in Jerusalem.[6]

The proclamation by Trump at this present moment seems to push us closer to the point of confirming a Covenant for the rebuilding of the much desired Jewish Temple. The present situation with the Arab nations divided as they are among themselves makes any sort of united retaliation against Israel less likely. Israeli military strategy has been since the 1980s to sow discord among the Arab as confirmed in their own writings. The American military has also been used as an instrument in defeating Israel's enemies as in the case of Iraq and Libya. The American military intelligence that indicated that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction could easily have been supplied by Israeli secret Mossad agents. The whole "Arab Spring" event may have been instigated by American/Israeli intelligence operatives to bring down Qaddafi and the Syrian leader Assad.

Therefore, with the election of Trump the powers that be behind the scenes saw that it was time to move forward with Jerusalem as capital of Israel. They could give the American evangelicals some leeway in regards to abortion in exchange for their support concerning Israel. Even the recent documentary called "Christ Revealed" promoted a very strongly positive image of Israel and the need for Christians to support the "Promised Land" and its people. 

I believe that this American/Israeli relationship will eventually pit America and Israel against the world led by the Antichrist world leader as seen in the Biblical invasion of Israel as found in Ezekiel 38 and 39 in the Old Testament, or the Battle of Armageddon in the New Testament.[7] Therefore, the announcement of America recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital could very well move us further down the road to the Holy Covenant, that seven year agreement of peace which may involve the Jewish nation and the Palestinians. When the Holy Covenant is confirmed, it is broken some three and a half years later.[8] The breaking of the Covenant starts the terrible Great Tribulation period mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24 in the New Testament.[9]

Stay attentive to these developments. We all have that anxious feeling in our stomachs that the world is headed for disaster. But we deserve it. We have abandoned our Christian principles and embraced vain theories of man, rejecting Biblical instruction and guidelines. Daniel Webster, Secretary of State for three different Presidents warned: 

"If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go prospering and to prosper, but if we or our posterity neglect its instruction and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity."

Notes

[1] Daniel 9:27

[2] Daniel 11:30

[3] Daniel 9:27

[4] Daniel 11:22; 9:27

[5] Daniel 9:27

[6] Daniel 11:31; Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15  

[7] Revelation 16:16; Revelation 19:17-21

[8] Daniel 9:27

[9] Matthew 24:15, 21

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