Aftermath of the UN Vote on Palestine

I know it is highly unusual for me to post two blogs within the same week, but I wanted to let you know of the vote of the United Nations General Assembly last Thursday afternoon on the question of the status of Palestine.  By a vote of 138-9 the General Assembly now recognizes the Palestinian Authority as a non-member observer state.  The United States and Israel condemned the vote and indicated that it did nothing to further the peace process toward a two-state solution.  In fact, it probably set the process backwards.

The Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas knew the symbolic importance of November 29, the date of the vote.  It was November 29, 1947 that the United Nations voted to recognize a two state division of the Palestinian Mandate that had been overseen by Great Britain since the end of World War I.  For those who do not know, the Jews, under the leadership of David Ben-Gurion, accepted that division, while the Arabs rejected that two state solution.  Thus the War of Independence of 1948-49. 

President Abbas said that Jerusalem was the eternal capital of the State of Palestine.  He said that "history is with us; the future belongs to us and God is with us." 

There is now bipartisan support in Congress to withhold nearly $600 million in aid to the Palestinians.  Several Senators - Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Charles Schumer (D-NY), John Barrasso (R-WY) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) have also gone on record as wanting the PLO office in Washington closed.  Voting on the funding issue could come as early as this week.  Other nations are considering similar options against the PA. 

Meanwhile, the turmoil continues in Egypt.  President Morsi has declared December 15 as the date for the Egyptian referendum on the newly written Egyptian Constitution.  Of course it was written entirely by Islamists without any representation from either Christians or moderate Muslims.  Egyptian judges are now on strike against Morsi's government.  Demonstrations and counter-demonstrations continue in and around Tahrir Square.  Will the Morsi government and the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood to power in Egypt be short-lived or will Egypt once again be under the authoritarian rule of one?  Stay tuned as this one is far from being played out. 

Keep looking up this Advent Season.  As we prepare to celebrate Christ's first coming, let us also be prepared to celebrate His second.