Fate of Greater Israel signed and sealed

This excerpted article posted at Free Republic from Jewish World Review signifies a notable turning point in the "disengagement" plan of Bush and Sharon. The sure promises of the Lord concerning the future and integrity of the reborn Nation of Israel are being pushed more and more into His lap to prove that, indeed, His Will will stand in the end.

Are you guys ready for this? It's going to get messy. Oh, I'm not talking about the efforts of the Yesha supporters to resist this physically. I'm talking about when the Lord end-runs their noble yet ineffective efforts -- whatever form they take -- and handles it Himself.

There's going to be a lot of incredulous Jews standing in Israel -- and a horrified world grappling with the stark reality that there most certainly is a G-d in Israel and His Word stands in the end. It's not about us. It's not about them. It's all about Him.

JERUSALEM — The Israeli parliament approved the 2005 state budget on Tuesday, removing the last legislative obstacle to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip this summer.

The 58-36 vote dashed hopes of Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip and their supporters of bringing down Sharon's government before the planned withdrawal and preventing the pullout by political means.

Failure to pass the budget by Thursday would have forced new elections within three months, delaying or even shelving the plan to evacuate all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the West Bank.

On Monday, parliament overwhelmingly rejected a national referendum on the pullout, a move advocated by the settlers that could have put the plan on hold.

[Permalink at JWR]

Calling All Christians

This from Michael Freund of the Jerusalem Post

Is George W. Bush missing a couple of pages from his Bible? In a speech last week at the National Defense University, the president repeated what has become one of his primary foreign policy mantras.

Asserting that the only way to bring about tranquility in the Middle East is through the establishment of a Palestinian state, Bush said, "We seek two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security."

In addition, Bush insisted that Israel must "freeze settlement activity" and "ensure that a new Palestinian state is truly viable, with contiguous territory on the West Bank," meaning that he expects the Jewish state to withdraw not only from Gaza and northern Samaria, but from large chunks of the rest of the territories as well.

The president's statement, of course, is nothing new. It is a theme he has harped on for the past few years, laying down his conviction that the Land of Israel should be partitioned between Arabs and Jews.

But what is truly remarkable, and as yet inexplicable, is that a man so committed to his Christian faith and to belief in the Bible could possibly be unaware of the inherent contradiction in his policy toward the region.

Indeed, how is it that the most devoted Christian to sit in the White House in decades is the same person pressing to divide God's Holy Land, the very same land promised exclusively to the Jewish people by Divine right?

Now, I am neither a theologian nor a Christian, but I do know that the words "Palestine" and "Palestinians" do not appear anywhere in the New Testament. So Bush could not have gotten the idea to establish "Palestine" while attending Sunday school. Did he not learn that Jesus was a Jew who, like the Jews who today are called "settlers," lived in land given by God to the Jews, the same land in which he would now create a hostile Palestinian state?

To be fair, Bush has been a great friend of Israel, deflecting international criticism over the Jewish state's efforts to defend itself while pushing to reform and democratize some of our nasty neighbors.

Nonetheless, his insistence on pressing for the establishment of a Palestinian state remains baffling, if not incomprehensible, as it would appear to conflict with both his religious and his ideological worldviews.

Even in terms of the war on terror, Bush's stance on the Middle East is laden with inconsistency. In that same National Defense University speech last week, Bush said, "The theory here is straightforward: Terrorists are less likely to endanger our security if they are worried about their own security. When terrorists spend their days struggling to avoid death or capture, they are less capable of arming and training to commit new attacks. We will keep the terrorists on the run, until they have nowhere left to hide."

And yet, when it comes to the Palestinians, that is precisely the opposite of Bush's policy, as the creation of a Palestinian state would inevitably give terrorist groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad a perfect place "to hide."

In light of the president's position, as well as his religious beliefs, there is one group in particular that should seize the moment now and come out against the current drive toward Israeli withdrawal and retreat: American Christians.

As the core group of Bush's Republican constituency, and as a growing factor to be reckoned with on the American political stage, evangelical Christians have the clout, the numbers and the conviction to help forestall the creation of "Palestine."
Efforts by Bush and by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to carve up the Holy Land and turn over parts of it to the Arabs should offend anyone who takes the Bible seriously, including evangelicals. To stand by and watch this process unfold without speaking out is simply unthinkable.

There are three things – the three P's – that US Christians can and should do to make their voices heard: protest, pressure and pray. They shouldn't wait for a divided American Jewry to take the lead, because time is of the essence, as the planned withdrawal from Gaza is just four months away.

Hence, there is no reason why American Christians can't start taking to the streets to organize rallies and protests under the banner of "Don't Divide the Holy Land." What a powerful message it would send to decision-makers in Washington and Jerusalem to see hundreds of thousands or even millions of non-Jewish Americans speaking out on this important issue.

US Christians can also apply pressure on their elected representatives. Next Thursday, March 24, when Jews mark the Fast of Esther, a grassroots effort is being planned to get as many American Jews and Christians as possible to phone, fax and e-mail the White House, with the central theme being "President Bush: Honor God's covenant with His people. Stop Disengagement."

Lastly, it is time for Jews and Christians to pull out the most potent weapon in their arsenal, the power of prayer. The Land of Israel is in danger, and there can be no better way to influence events than by turning in prayer to the One who guides all human events.

There is still time to act, to make a difference. American Christians have been put in a unique position, one in which they can have a direct impact on the future of Israel and its land. At this critical hour, when the integrity of the Holy Land is at stake, they cannot and must not be silent.

The writer served as an aide to former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Settlers Block Highway in Pullout Protest

This is a Yahoo! news video of the settlers and their supporters blocking the main road into Tel Aviv, posted Tuesday, 22 March.

Settlers Block Highway in Pullout Protest.

Just the latest in the conflict over the disengagement plan.

"Alouette" From Free Republic

"The appropriate way to memorialize the Holocaust is not by building museums, but by building schools, synagogues and yeshivos so that the next generation of Jewish people will be firm in their faith and observance. Not another freakin damn shrine to the dead. ... Anti-Semites love Holocaust memorials. They look at the exhibits featuring piles of dead Jews and feel great satisfaction. "  [Permalink]

"Alouette" is a friend from Free Republic. Statements like this is why I like her.

Mideast duty for U.S. troops may include Israel

I had this one sent to me through regular mail by a longterm online friend. The idea that any "peacekeepers," American or otherwise would be deployed in Israel is absolutely offensive to everything Israel stands for, as if they were some third world banana republic unable to handle their internal affairs. Most Americans would agree that the Israelis are more than capable of handling their own "peace-keeping" duties. Imagine the U.N. deploying troops on the Mexican/American border to maintain the "peace." We would not tolerate the humiliation.

To stand by the Israelis in defeat of radical Islam and terrorism? Whole other story.

Mideast duty for U.S. troops may include Israel

Troops serving in and near the Middle East might want to start getting used to the scenery.

Lawmakers and top military commanders say 2005 could well be a pivotal year in the history of the unsettled region.

And they say the continued presence of tens of the thousands of American troops is helping to create an atmosphere of stability and U.S. commitment — so much so that there is even growing talk of troops taking part in any Israeli-Palestinian peace accord.

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, renewed his longstanding call for NATO and U.S. troops to take part in an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord.

The death in November of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has set the stage for renewed movement in the creation of a Palestinian state. And Warner said a NATO force with strong U.S. participation would be viewed as evenhanded in the volatile region because many of NATO’s European allies have strong ties to Palestinian Arabs while the United States is viewed as a strong backer of Israel.

Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, NATO’s top commander in Europe, said he’s heard growing informal discussions at senior diplomatic levels in recent weeks about a possible NATO force for an Israeli-Palestinian accord.

“When things get talked about at that level, my ears pick up,” Jones said at a March 1 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

At the hearing, Jones also told Warner he has been given “no additional task” to plan for a possible Israel peacekeeping mission. Still, the informal talk is reminiscent of discussion he heard in early 2003 that led to NATO participation in the Afghanistan mission, he said.

Iraq’s Jan. 30 elections appear to have set the tone for growing movements of political reform throughout the region, Army Gen. John Abizaid, chief of U.S. Central Command, said at the hearing, adding that 2005 “can be a decisive year for us,” an assessment echoed by several senior senators.

However, Abizaid cautioned that “nothing in the Middle East moves in a straight line” and that numerous setbacks could lie ahead.

“As optimistic as I am, and as revolutionary as the times may be, we should not underestimate our enemies in the region,” he said. “There is fighting ahead. We should not kid ourselves.”

The performance of Iraqi security forces during the elections “provided a glimpse of how good they can be,” Abizaid said, but the Iraqis must make significant progress in creating lines of communication and control between their new government and the military.

U.S. troop levels in Iraq peaked at more than 159,000 in late January, about 20,000 above pre-election levels. Abizaid said a massive U.S. unit rotation is underway that will reduce U.S. combat power by mid-March from 20 brigades to 17 brigades. But he was hesitant to commit to a timeline for further reductions.

The Sanhedrin's Declaration Concerning the Disengagement

I had one of the list members forward me this one, from the The Temple Institute website of the International Department of the Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel. I'm posting it here for the benefit of those who know what it is like to have something "dissappear" off the Internet, and it probably wouldn't last at Free Republic. Interesting the internal cultural changes within the Jewish Nation, as Jewish life is restored.

The Sanhedrin's Declaration Concerning the Disengagement
26 Adar 1 5760

Since its meeting on 28th Shvat 5765, the Sanhedrin has deliberated the initiative of the Prime Minister of Israel, the decisions of the government, and legislation enacted by the Knesset regarding the plan known as "The Disengagement," henceforth referred to in this document as "the uprooting."

This plan involves the uprooting of Jewish communities in the Gaza strip and northern Samaria, the forced expulsion of Jews from their homes, and the willful transfer of these lands to a foreign power.

Following an intensive study which took place regarding the halachic (authentic Jewish law) questions that arise from the government's decision, the Sanhedrin hereby brings its conclusions and decisions to the public's attention.

1). The Prime Minister's program of uprooting stands in direct contradiction to the Torah of Israel.

2). The decision to implement the uprooting will cause large numbers of Jews to transgress many of the Torah's commandments. This applies to many varied commandments, including both those that are practiced between man and G-d, as well as those between man and his fellow man; those that apply to the nation as a whole, and those that apply to every individual.

3). The Government of Israel and the Knesset, in their present form and power structure, do not constitute institutions that have any authority according to halacha to render decisions that contradict the Torah of Israel.

4). Government ministers who have deemed this plan of uprooting to be wrongful have been removed from their positions, and likewise senior officials of the security establishment who have expressed independent opinions about the matter have been ousted.

5). THEREFORE, the decision of this government - which has also violated its promises to its own electorate - is null and void.

6). THUS: No Jew is permitted to cooperate with the program of uprooting, in any way whatsoever.

7). Any Jew - including a soldier or policeman - who supports the uprooting, whether directly or indirectly, whether by voting in its favor, or by giving council, or by supplying vehicles or materials, and obviously, anyone who actively participates in the uprooting... by so doing, transgresses a large number of Torah commandments.

8). The uprooting of the residents of the Gaza Strip and Samaria is a crime, and an injustice to the residents, and places many other communities - in fact, all citizens of the State of IsraelÊ- in mortal danger.

9). Any Jew who participates in, or cooperates with this plan, whether actively, or even by merely remaining silent, transgresses the commandment "You shall not stand idly by your neighbor's blood (Lev. 19:17)," and in the future will be judged by G-d for this sin.

10). The leaders and their agents - including soldiers and policemen who support the uprooting and participate in it - may be brought to bear personal responsibility for all damages caused to those who are hurt, and to their property.

11). By this declaration, the Sanhedrin, as the link of continuity of the Torah received by Moses at Sinai, hereby expresses the stance of Israel's Torah. For if, Heaven forbid, the present government carries out this, or some other, program of uprooting - this action has no validity. The Land of Israel is holy land, and all of its regions belong exclusively to the nation of Israel, forever.

12). The Sanhedrin, as the representative of the Jewish people throughout history, hereby affirms that the Jewish people - regardless of this or that government - does not relinquish, and is not entitled to relinquish, so much as the span of a solitary man's foot of the Land of Israel according to its Biblical boundaries... for it is G-d's land.

13). The commandment to "inherit and dwell" (Deut. 12:29) in the Land of Israel is obligatory upon every Israeli government. In this regard Israel is commanded by G-d to conquer the entire expanse of the Land of Israel within its Biblical boundaries, including the Gaza strip.

14). THEREFORE: Even if (Heaven forbid) the residents are forcibly removed from their homes - when the government changes, and a government in Israel arises that conducts itself according to the Torah, the armies of Israel will return and re-conquer this strip of land, to reinstate the people of Israel to their rightful place. This applies not only to this area, but to all the expanses of the Land of Israel that were stolen and are presently in foreign hands.

15). We are permeated with faith in the G-d of the Legions of Israel, that the oath which He swore to our forefather Abraham at the "Covenant Between the Halves" will be fulfilled precisely as it is stated, and with G-d's help, speedily - as it is written (Gen. 15:18):

"On that day the L-rd made a covenant with Avram, saying, to your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates river... "

No, they are not recognized by any majority whatsoever in Jewsih culture, yet it seems the Israeli government has an official opposing organization competing with them for the hearts and minds of the Jews. Guess which one wins in the end.

Mapping The Global Future.

Mapping The Global Future.

Report of the National Intelligence Council's 2020 Project (CIA)

This is a great resource for any American who wants to keep abreast of what is happening in the global community and how America, as a nation, will have to respond to it.

It's something a writer, your Pastor, a friend in the business/corporate, law enforcement, or political community, would find helpful, as we, as a people, continue to strive to contend with maintaining our uniqueness and liberty in a global community largely hostile towards our nation's founding principles and ideas.

For friends and supporters of Israel? Unfortunately, the U.S. Federal Government is a massive bureaucratic institution with their fingers in a lot of things globally, and their longterm interests are theirs alone, and not always in the best interests of Israel. The Evangelical Christian community "agitating from within" will remain the moral bulwark against the U.S. simply selling Israel out for political, economic, and military expediency in the future.

And this document is pretty revealing on what the U.S. Government has in their minds for the future.

Interview with Prof Paul Charles Merkley concerning the WCC divestment decision

I caught this one off of Joseph Alexander Norland's Israpundit Blog. What a great interview with a Christian who isn't afraid to call a spade a spade and condemn the corruption and rank hypocrisy of the World Counsel of Churches as they attack Israel under the auspices of "christianity." I don't know who Prof Paul Charles Merkley is, but he should be registered at Free Republic!