While the focus of our mainstream media has centered upon the continued investigation into some type of collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign - although that very investigation has now ventured into the arena of possible collusion between the Russians and the Clinton campaign, and upon the shocking revelations of sexual assault and harassment both within the entertainment, media, and governmental arenas, silently things have been happening in the Middle East.
This morning there was a very interesting article, written by Yona Schnitzer and posted on November 14 at: www.worldisraelnews.com/website-leaks-details-Saudi-Israeli-peace-deal.
Allow me to share some of the main points of this article. "A secret correspondence between the Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman reveals the draft of a possible peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Lebanese website Al-Akhbar claimed Tuesday. Al-Akhbar posted what it said was the full text of the document which lists five basic principles supposedly agreed upon between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which would constitute the framework for a regional agreement and the end of the Arab Israeli conflict.
"The five principles are: Jerusalem - The Annexation of Jerusalem to international sovereignty as per the 1937 and 1947 partition plans - two international agreements which have recommended that the city not be annexed to either the Arab or Jewish entities." Personally, having been to Jerusalem a dozen times over the past 17 years, I would find it very hard to believe that the Israelis would surrender their capital city to the supervision of an international agency. The cry after the 1967 Six Day War, following the capture of the Old City from the Royal Jordanian Forces, was "never again," meaning that never again would the city of Jerusalem be anything less than an united city under Jewish rule.
"Palestinian Refugees - Saudi Arabia affirms its aspiration to settle Palestinian refugees in their countries of residence. The Kingdom can contribute to this effort by supporting innovative solutions such as cancelling the Arab League's decision from the 1950s by which no Arab nation is to settle Palestinian refugees within their borders, as well as divert efforts to the redistribution and settlement of Palestinians refugees throughout the Arab states." Friends, this point has been a sticking point in any possible peace-plan. Immediately after the 1948 War of Independence, the Arab League decided that those Palestinians who had fled Palestine during the 1948 War should remain as refugees - they should not be assimilated into other Arab states. The demand was that all refugees be granted a return status back into the State of Israel. This would create a logistical nightmare for Israel. Those properties that had been abandoned by fleeing Palestinians in 1948 now are in the hands of Israelis. Should they be dispossessed? And the number of potential refugees has grown almost exponentially. So, if this "secretly negotiated plan" is true, then this resolution is a huge one.
"American Mediation and Agreed Upon Principles - The United States and Saudi Arabia will reach agreements regarding the main principles for ending the conflict, after which President Trump would summon the foreign ministers of the region to a summit in order to obtain their agreements, and only after all have agreed to the same basic principals, would the actual negotiations begin." The mainstream media has been rather silent as to the comings and goings of the Trump Administration within the Middle East. Yes, they covered President Trumps trip to the Middle East last Spring. Jarod Kushner has made several trips to the Middle East, acting as President Trump's envoy. Reports surfaced that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia made a secret visit to Israel in September where he met with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Undoubtedly there have been behind-the-scenes negotiations taking place.
"Saudi Influence - Saudi Arabia's most effective and important role is to recruit others to support this deal, which will usher in a new era of peace and prosperity between Israel and the Arab and Muslim worlds. At first, normalization of relations with Israel will not enjoy wide public support throughout the Arab world, but Saudi Arabia believes that the combination of Israeli technology and the Gulf state's economic power and energy markets could bring out the Middle East's full potential and obtain peace, prosperity and stability." The Middle East is certainly a region filled with resources that could boost any economy. Israel is the incubator of technological ideas that soon become everyday products affecting life from agriculture to healthcare. The Arab States still possess massive quantities of energy resources. If these nations could learn to work-together, they could produce a regional economy that would rival that of the United States or China.
"Iran - The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the longest lasting conflict in the region. Over the years, it has served as a justification for the actions of extremists, and has also distracted the major players in the region from focusing on the central threat to its stability - Iran. In accordance to the deal, both Israel and Saudi Arabia must commit themselves to an effective cooperation in order to stop Iran." Friends, this is a crucial point. The Saudis are very leery of the actions of their neighbor to the north. Recently a missile, fired from Iranian-back rebels in Yemen, hit within the Saudi borders. Many believe that a war between Iran and Saudi Arabia is inevitable and even imminent. Some are inclined to think that the reason for the "secret" meeting between the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Netanyahu concerned a possible role Israel might play if such a war became a reality.
The author of this article then states: "The letter opens with a statement that Saudi Arabia is the most powerful and most important entity in the Arab world, and that any solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be supported by the Kingdom in order to gain legitimacy in the Arab world. It continued to state that dealing with Israel is extremely problematic in the eyes of the Arab world, and that the kingdom would only take such a risk if America was serious in its intentions to act against Iran, and stop them from destabilizing the region."
Friends, if this report is confirmed by both the Saudis and the Israelis, then some giant steps have been taken forward in the region. I believe the driving force is the escalating threat of Iran. It continues moving forward toward the creation of a nuclear weapon and the means for the delivery of such a weapon. Saudi Arabia and Israel are the two primary countries in the Middle East that stand in Iran's path toward total domination of the Middle East. Therefore, it would seem to be in the best interests of both the Saudis and the Israelis to work together toward an Iran-Solution. Will it happen? I guess time will tell.
Before I close this week's blog, I want to share some "Profound Thoughts." These were sent to me by a member of my congregation. He had received them from someone else. I do not know the origin of these "Profound Thoughts," but thought they might bless your day.
#1 - "Once all villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella. That's FAITH.
"2 - "When you throw babies in the air, they laugh because they know you will catch them. That's TRUST.
"3 - "Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but still we set the alarms to wake up. That's HOPE.
#4 - "We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That's CONFIDENCE.
#5 - "We see the world suffering, but still we get married and have children. That's LOVE.
#6 - "On an old man's shirt was written a sentence 'I am not 80 years old; I am sweet 16 with 64 years of experience.' That's ATTITUDE." (I really liked that last one!)
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