LET’S MAKE A DEAL

About three weeks ago, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei announced to the Iranian people: “Israel is doomed to failure and annihilation.” That, “Zionist leaders cannot be called human.” A short while before that, Khamenei said, “The Zionist regime is a rabid dog.” There were other words of hatred directed against Israel. But the irony of this menacing message is that it was delivered disrespectfully just a short time before the G5+1 (United States, Great Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany) completed negotiations with Iran in a November 24th interim deal called a “Joint Plan of Action”—to ease economic sanctions against Iran in exchange for a “slow-down” of Iran’s nuclear enrichment of uranium.

Would you make a deal with someone whose main purpose in life was to destroy you and members of your family or your best friend? How do you negotiate with those who would lie to you, cheat you, and ultimately kill you to accomplish their warped objectives? Where do you start? What do you say? How sure can you be? Why are you even there in the first place? But none of these questions seemed to bother the G5+1, with perhaps the exception of France.

“Suppose, we can reason with them?” Really? Concerning Iran, if they had done just one positive thing in the last 34 years to suggest the slightest hint of cooperation or concession, then there might be a slim chance (say .01%) of reaching some sort of agreement. *Note: It’s been 34 years since the attack on the US Embassy in Tehran and kidnapping of dozens of US Embassy representatives by the newly formed Islamic government of Iran. If we’re even a fraction wrong about Iran’s true intentions, then there’s a 99.9% chance they will follow through on their threats.

This interim (not final … not even close) agreement is supposed to last for six months, during which time the G5+1 powers will monitor Iran’s “pledges” of compliance. However, there was no allowance made by Iran whatsoever, to halt its nuclear program and dismantle all the centrifuges. In fact, this so-called “deal” has yet to be signed by any of the participating nations. Every day, over 20,000 centrifuges continue to spin more enriched uranium for Iran’s not-so-secret plan: nuclear weapons.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to this menacing pact was to label it an, “historic mistake.” He should know. For the same 34 years, Israel has lived under the constant threat of Iranian terror exported to Syria and Lebanon, especially through Hezbollah. Because Israel understands her enemies far better than the United States under the current administration, Netanyahu also said, “The most dangerous regime in the world must not be allowed to have the most dangerous weapon in the world … we will not allow Iran to receive a military nuclear capability.” And, “As to the (Iranian) actual threat, we will act against it in time if need be.” These quotes are part of a speech given during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent visit to Rome.

What does former Arkansas Governor and highly popular TV host (and likely Republican Presidential Candidate in 2016), Mike Huckabee, think about this Joint Plan of Action? Was it a historic success or historic mistake? He responded by saying that the United States, “has indicated that they are going to act independently of Israel as it relates to Iran.” Which according to Huckabee would be, “a very foolish policy.” He goes on to state, “I think now the Israelis have really a license to act without having to be scolded for not having consulted the U.S. for their plans.” In other words, why should Israel consult with or obtain America’s approval to pre-emptively attack Iran’s nuclear sites if the United States didn’t include Israel in what may, indeed, prove to be a historic mistake.

Regardless of your view on the right or wisdom of Israel to act independently of the US, or the G5+1, or the entire world, I would again ask: Would you sit down at the table with an enemy who has sworn to do anything and everything they can to terminate your existence on this earth? And keep in mind that Iran has not only threatened to wipe Israel from the global map, it has also avowed to destroy the “Great Satan.” That’s right. Iran refers to America as the Great Satan; Israel is only the “little Satan.” We should be so honored?!

In that context, how America and the other G5 superpowers would seemingly ignore (except for a few innocuous words to chastise Khamenei’s condemnation of Israel) Iran’s in your face tirade at the outset of these “historic” talks is simply inconceivable. And that’s not all. Listen to what Secretary of State, John Kerry, recently said during his 8th trip to Israel (9th trip by the time this article is published; reminiscent of Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger’s “shuttle diplomacy in 1973 … so much so that Kerry answered the media’s serious inquiry about the number of trips to the Middle East, with the quip, “It’s a commute, folks”): Kerry boasted, “We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. Not now, not ever.” Really? What about the red line that he and President Obama emphatically said would be enforced in Syria? For all intents and purposes, it has become a yellow line of an overtly cautious, but potentially lethal compromise; indeed, a line of retreat—if not surrender. Oh, not the kind of surrender found in actual war; rather, the kind of up-front pacification that sweet-talks the enemy with, “We’ll play fair if you will.”

Fortunately, many members of the Senate and House of Representatives including some democrats have seen through the White House’s tactics, and have reminded Secretary Kerry and President Obama that the sole purpose of sanctions against Iran was to pressure them into absolute abandonment of their nuclear ambitions; not to entice this evil regime into diplomatic dialogue with a misguided hope that we could persuade Iran to listen to world opinion. We can only hope that the Senate and Congress exhibit the courage and tenacity to reinforce the sanctions. Why is this fortitude so vitally necessary? Because the evidence is all too clear: A nation like Iran doesn’t know the meaning of fair play. No more so than did Iraq’s Saddam Hussein. And how did we deal with Hussein? Well, we all know how that story ended.

Did the United States negotiate with Hitler and his Third Reich, or with the Emperor of Japan, or with Mussolini? A thousand times, No! We fought to the bitter end … one that had no other possible option but unconditional surrender of our enemies. But England did. Our President’s appeasement of Iran is no different from England’s (through Chamberlain) paper agreement with Hitler that led to the famous quote: “We have peace in our time.” Shortly thereafter, World War II erupted. What makes us think that Iran is any different, when their blatant ambition to destroy Israel and America is no different that Hitler’s malignant plan of conquering Europe (and eventually the U.S.) and of eliminating all Jews from the face of the earth?

More Deals

Amazingly, there is also another six-month period of time left in an earlier dialogue that began some three months ago between Israel and the Palestinians, as orchestrated by the United States. Actually, these conferences were more like an agreement to talk. What did the Palestinians give up as a “good faith” gesture to Israel before they would agree to approach the negotiating table? The answer is: Nothing. What was required of Israel and what did Israel, in fact, do? Nothing less than the phased release of hundreds of convicted murderers, saboteurs, and terrorists.

I’m sorry; as much as I love my country and want to respect and support a President (just because he is our President, but whose actions and programs seem to undermine the very nation he leads), I must issue a challenge: Would the United States agree to liberate hundreds of the worst criminals from their jails just to get “peace talks” underway? I think not. But then, the United States didn’t need to make such an unfathomable concession. Instead, we asked Israel to do something this country wouldn’t think of doing: comply with the PLO’s incomprehensible and reprehensible demand to release their terrorist sons and daughters back to them.

The real problem as repeated by Prime Minister Netanyahu: The Palestinians, along with the vast majority of the Muslim world, refuse to acknowledge that the State of Israel exists. They do not recognize in any way, shape, or form the right for the Jews to be in Palestine, of which there is no such thing nor has there ever been a Palestinian State. The nation/land is called Israel, as decreed by God thousands of years ago, and as ratified by the United Nations in November of 1947.

Admitting that Israel has a right to exist as a sovereign nation is the bedrock foundation before any compromises whatsoever are considered. Incredibly, Israel is willing to make who knows what concessions just to be recognized as a people and as a nation. Can you imagine any President, including the current administration, needing to seek recognition as a nation before the United States would enter into negotiations or sign a treaty or pact?

President Ronald Reagan comes to mind: He couldn’t have cared less whether Mikhail Gorbachev’s Russia didn’t like America or if the Soviet Union had refused to (symbolically or literally) accept the very existence of this great nation. But the Israelis have been compelled to guard their security and very survival with an opening statement that would be unthinkable for any other nation on earth: We’ll give you some of what you demand, but first you must consent to the existence of Israel.

To Be or Not To Be? (That is the question)

Unless the Palestinians make some sort of declaration that (at least in principle) acknowledges the geographic, national, political, cultural, and racial existence of the Jews, then all of the other points of negotiation are essentially meaningless. Such issues as: return of Arab refugees, control of Jerusalem, Jewish settlements in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), control of the border crossings especially between Jordan and the West Bank, return of the Golan Heights to Syria, and the actual geographical boundaries of a Palestinian State.

When in July, 2000 at the Camp David Summit arranged by President Clinton, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat rejected an astonishing offer by then Prime Minister, Ehud Barak … to assume control of up to 92% of the West Bank, all of the Gaza Strip, and all of East Jerusalem except for the Western Wall—that said it all. The Palestinian Arabs are not interested in “sharing” the land. They never have and probably never will. They want it ALL. They want Jews out. Why a whole bunch of people world-wide, including some Christians, fail to grasp this is beyond me.

So Israel mulls over a practically hopeless situation: how to work reasonably with those who demonstrate virtually nothing but irrational hatred and hostile behavior toward you? The Jews rightfully ask: How can you make a deal with someone who doesn’t even recognize that you exist? When they look at you, you are, for all practical purposes, invisible. You are a nonentity. You don’t have a birthright (right of birth) and you aren’t even qualified to belong on the map. You don’t belong here or anywhere, because your rebirth (1948) was entirely illegitimate. How do you respond when your complete history is rewritten and replaced with loathsome lies as found even in Palestinian school textbooks and through incessant propaganda distributed by the Palestinian media? Absurdly ironical is Arab curriculum that teaches both Creation and Evolution. As applied to Muslims, Islam credits their god, Allah, as the Creator. When it comes to Jews, evolution is their source; as they are descendants of apes.

Summary

Never before in history has the entire world been so focused on one little nation inhabited by a mere six million Jews. And yet that’s exactly what the Bible predicted. In addition to several million Arabs in Israel, surrounding Arab countries number in the hundreds of millions, with land space that dwarfs Israel; enough land to accommodate millions more Arabs. But oddly and unfortunately many of these nations fight among themselves (Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon).

Even more nonsensically, they blame the Jews for their misfortunes. However, they do have one basic mindset: They detest Israel. I suppose if they ever agree on how best to govern themselves (Sunni or Shi’ite Muslim law), then they might (God forbid) agree on how to best destroy Israel. Or perhaps they think and hope that Iran will do that for them. Personally, I don’t dislike the Arabs or the Persians. I sometimes pray for their salvation, as I often do for the Jews. I will do my best to pray equally for both peoples. But the aforementioned observations are a matter of historical record and current events.

Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, Queens, Heads of State the world over are under the influence of the “intoxicating” effect that Israel has exerted on the entire world. (Read Zechariah 12:2-3). Nations are stoned from an overpowering elixir to find a solution to the problems in and surrounding this tiny country. To their detriment, many of these nations point the finger of blame at Israel; but seem to do so in a senseless, illogical drunken stupor caused by consumption of too many “spirits” from Arab, Muslim, Russian, South America, and European winepresses. And, I’m beginning to be concerned about America’s sudden taste for this wine that can only lead to the pouring out of God’s wrath through His winepress (Revelation 14:19).

Will a “final solution” follow Adolph Hitler’s formula; or will it track with God’s majestic plan for Israel?

In addition to God blessing his “special possession”, Israel (Psalms 28:9), it is a wonderful thing that God has extended his salvation to all Gentiles. But first and foremost, God’s Messiah was sent to save his own people, the Jews. The Savior to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16) is, in fact, a Jewish Messiah … born a Jew in Bethlehem, lived as a Jew in Nazareth and Galilee, died and raised from the dead as a Jew in Jerusalem, will return to the City of David on the Mount of Olives as King of the Jews, and shortly thereafter will fight for all of Israel as “The Lion from the Tribe of Judah.” He Is: “King of all kings and Lord of all lords.”

There is, however, a dreadful risk for every person on earth who rejects Messiah Jesus as personal Savior and every nation that refuses to accept the very existence of and purpose for Israel, as clearly set forth in Scripture.

Personal Rejection of Messiah: “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment” (John 3:36).
National Rejection of Israel: “The day is near when I, the LORD, will judge all godless nations! As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you. All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads. Just as you swallowed up my people on my holy mountain, so you and the surrounding nations will swallow the punishment I pour out on you. Yes, all you nations will drink and stagger and disappear from history” (Obadiah 1: 15-16).

It’s really easier than one might think (even for a Palestinian). Just repeat after me: “The State of Israel.”

Let all who name the name of our Jewish Messiah continue to:
Sha’alu Shalom Yerushalayim (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem)!

Things to Ponder
– When Palestinian children are taught that every Jew is unworthy of even being called a human being, what do you suppose those children will think and do when they grow up?
– Former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir once said, “There will only be peace when the Arabs love their children more than they hate the Jews.” What do you think most Muslims would say to that? From all I’ve read and heard, they would (as horrible as it sounds) probably reply, “There will be peace only when there are no more Jewish children.”
– Does all this ancient animosity and modern-day hatred lead to the conclusion that any man-made peace and harmony between Jew and Arab is virtually impossible? If that’s your conclusion, then the Bible agrees with you. Why? Because, many passages in Scripture state and imply that true peace is possible only through the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Which is why we wait and long for his magnificent return!