More Thoughts on Middle East Peace

Have you been paying attention to what is happening in the Middle East in recent days? From a biblical perspective these are exciting days. Let me share why.

For what has seemed like decades the Israelis and the Palestinians have been negotiating about a two-state solution. At times there have been more bullets in the air than words around a table, but that is sort of the mentality of Middle East negotiations. In early September the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas met in Washington DC to begin face-to-face negotiations. Two weeks later the two met in Sharm-el-Sheik, Egypt to continue the dialogue, with more negotiations later that same week in Jerusalem. But since that time, the dialogue has ceased with the rhetoric becoming increasingly more intense.

To further compound a delicate situation, on September 26 the Israeli government lifted the self-imposed 10 month construction freeze on settlements within Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). Of course this aroused the ire of the Palestinians who had only decided to come to the negotiating table after nine-months of the freeze had expired. They have stipulated that they will not continue any face-to-face dialogue unless the freeze is extended. Interestingly, this past weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu offered a two-month extension of the freeze; the only condition being that the Palestinians recognize Israel as being a Jewish State.

What do you think has been the response of PA Chairman Abbas? Of course it is a resounding "no!" Once the Arabs recognizes Israel as being a Jewish State they have lost all their leverage on the issue of "right to return," one of the critical components of any peace deal for the Arabs. They are demanding that the descendants of those Arabs who left their homes during the 1948-49 War of Independence be allowed back to their ancestral homes. This numbers several millions of Arabs. But, if Israel is recognized as being a state for Jews...well, you get the picture.

Chairman Abbas has threatened to resign as head of the Palestinian Authority, which, if he does, will throw the West Bank into chaos. Elections will undoubtedly be held and the great fear is that Hamas will be the great victor. You remember what happened when they took over the Gaza Strip back in 2007.

If Israel sees her existence being threatened not only from Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah along the northern border, but from Hamas along a long front in Judea and Samaria (West Bank), Israel will go to war. It will almost be forced to do so for survival. Now, does this sound familiarly similar to what the ancient choir director Asaph recorded in Psalm 83? Of course it does.

Now, just to make things really interesting, today (October 13) the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is traveling for a state-visit to Lebanon. (You might remember from other blogs that Hezbollah is being financed by Iran). Tomorrow he has asked for permission to travel to the border between Israel and Lebanon. He wants to throw some stones across the border. I guess he needs to get rid of his anti-Semitic aggression. One person, jokingly said to me, "I hope someone shoots him." My response, "You had better hope that not happen! That would be the prelude to World War III." For it was just something like this that ignited World War I.

Friends, if you would wake up tomorrow morning and hear on the Today Show that war had broken out in the Middle East, please don't be surprised. All the elements are in place for such a war. The only thing that is missing is the match that will light the fuse. Yet, we must not be distressed because God is still in control. His plan is being accomplished. His will is being done. Israel's victorious war over her enemies would be just another step toward the establishment of the King upon His Throne.