You may view the 5 minute update this week via audio:
In this week’s 5 minute update, we focused on:
1) The current status of the Israel / PLO peace process
2) The prospects for war with Syria and Iran
The final round of talks between Israel and the PLO in Jordan will take place on January 25. The PLO interpret that January 26 is the deadline set by the Quartet (UN, US , EU and Russia) in September for Israel and the PLO to submit proposals on borders and security to each other. If the PLO is not satisfied with talks with Israel after their January 25 meeting, the deputy speaker of the Fatah Council who is an advisor to Mahmood Abbas said that the PLO will end their talks with Israel and petition again the UN to recognize a PLO state based upon 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. This would be done through the UN Security Council and / or the UN General Assembly. The US and Israel believe that the Quartet deadline for Israel and the PLO to submit proposals on borders and security is in March. A PLO spokesperson said that the PLO are under intense international pressure to continue the talks. The PLO has already submitted its proposal to Israel on borders and security earlier this month. Israel has only submitted an outline of its views regarding the peace process and has not submitted a detailed proposal on borders and security. Israel says that it will only submit a detailed proposal when the PLO agrees to direct negotiations with Israel. The Arab League will meet on January 29 to discuss the situation with the peace process.
President Mahmood Abbas visited Britain this week to lobby support for the PLO negotiating position with Israel. In his comments regarding the situation, British Prime Minister David Cameron emphasized the settlement issue. Nick Clegg, Britain’s deputy prime minister, called the settlements “deliberate vandalism”. British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, called for a PLO state based upon 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The British position on the Israel / PLO peace process is important because Britain is a permament member of the UN Security Council.
King Abdullah of Jordan met with President Obama on January 17. King Abdullah said that it is not realistic that the “presidential card” would be played during an election year. The “presidential card” is diplomatic talk for the US forcing a PLO state upon Israel. It appears that the Obama administration will not pressure Israel to a degree which would cause him political harm (anger Jewish voters) during an election year. However, Aaron Klein reported that a senior PLO official said that Obama will “take on” Netanyahu regarding a PLO state based upon 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital after the November, 2012 elections.
An agreement to divide Jerusalem and establish a PLO state is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles are as follows:
1) PLO, Israel to meet for fourth round of talks
2) PLO under ‘huge pressure’ to extend negotiations deadline
3) Palestinians to renew efforts for bid to U.N.
4) ‘Time running out for two-state solution’
5) British Foreign Secretary urges bold steps in Middle East peace talks
6) Excerpts from Jordan king’s interview with the Washington Post
7) LOOK WHAT OBAMA PROMISING PALESTINIANS AFTER 2012
8) Obama to ‘take on’ Netanyahu after election? Palestinians say White House asked them to delay demands till 2nd term
Israel regards that the Islamic group Hezbollah who operates out of Lebanon has recently obtained sophisticated long-range surface-to-air missile systems from Syria. This is a direct threat to Israel should Bashar Assad decide to start a war with Israel as a way of attempting to save his rule of power amid heavy international sactions that have been imposed upon Syria by the international community. In order to protect Assad in Syria from falling from power, Russia has sold arms to them. The US has criticized Russia for doing this but Russia says that the US has no right to tell Russia that they shouldn’t sell arms to Syria since doing so is not a violation of international law. Russia is also supporting Syria by saying that it will not support foreign troops being deployed into Syria.
A war with Syria where Damascus is destroyed (Isaiah 17) is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles is as follows:
1) ‘Hezbollah has long-range surface-to-air missiles’
2) Russia: U.S. deserves no explanation on Syria arms
3) Russia Says Foreign Troops Will Not Deploy in Syria
Israel and the United States are in a deep dispute over Iran’s nuclear program. The disagreement is over red-lines regarding Iran’s nuclear program and a timetable to wage a military attack upon Iran to prevent them from obtaining a nuclear weapon. As a result, the join US-Israel military drill that had been announced and was scheduled for the spring has been cancelled and moved to the fall. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes that the current proposed sanctions by the US against Iran targeting its oil industry and central bank will not prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Netanyahu believes that Iran has made a decision to be a nuclear state despite sanctions being imposed against it and military action is quickly needed by the US before it is too late. Other top Israel officials echoed Netanyahu’s concern. Israel Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called upon the international community to go from words to deeds regarding the Iranian nuclear threat. Moshe Yaalon, Israel’s vice prime minister, stated his view that the Obama administration is not willing to go to war with Iran in the near future because of “election-year considerations”.
Being concerned about Israel’s position, in a phone conversation on January 13, President Obama warned Netanyahu not to make a unilateral attack against Iran. In order to emphasize his position, Chairman of the Joint US Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey was sent to Israel in an effort to convince Israel that any attack with Iran should be coordinated with the US and stated to Israel that the Iranian threat is a challenge shared by the US and Israel. Despite this pressure from the US, Israel is saying that it will maintain its right to attack Iran as it sees fit to do so.
The US says that recently announced international sanctions against Iran’s oil industry and central bank is working. However, the US will not penalize companies trading oil with Iran until four months from now and a full embargo on Iranian oil will take about six more months to implement. The US wants to give time for sanctions to work while still offering Iran an opportunity to negotiate with the West over its nuclear program. The US seems to want to wait until the fall to determine the effects of the economic sanctions while trying to persuade Iran to stop its nuclear program during this time. However, Israel believes that waiting that long will allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and prevent the US from being able to take military action to stop it. Indicating that it is the view of the international community to first give time for sanctions to work, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that Iran’s leaders must be forced to negotiate over the country’s uranium enrichment program because time was running out to avoid a military intervention. He also said that France will do everything to avoid military intervention but we need stronger, more decisive sanctions that stop the purchase of Iranian oil and freezes the assets of the central bank and those who don’t want that will be responsible for the risks of a military conflict which could cause a world war. Regarding sanctions against Iran, South Korea has agreed to cut Iran’s oil imports. The European Union has agreed to impose sanctions on Iran’s central bank. Russia said that it will not impose sanctions upon Iran’s central bank and that an attack against Iran is an attack against Russia.
A US war with Iran is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles is as follows:
1) US, Israel in open rift over Iran: Big joint military drill cancelled
2) Netanyahu: Current Iran sanctions won’t curb its nuclear program
3) Netanyahu: Iran has decided to become a nuclear state. Action needed before it is too late.
4) Lieberman: Time for Action on Iran
5) Shapiro: US, Israel coordinated on Iran nuke program
6) Netanyahu deputy “disappointed” with Obama on Iran
7) Barak: Israeli attack on Iran ‘very far off’
8.) Obama warned Israel against Iran strike
9) Israel and U.S. at odds over timetables and red lines for Iran
10) Joint US-Israel drill called off by Netanyahu, to Washington’s surprise
11) US: International pressure affecting Iran
12) Dempsey visit will not alter Israel’s refusal to notify US of an Iran strike
13) ‘US, Israel share challenge of Iranian threat’
14) Sarkozy: Time running out for Iran diplomacy
15) France’s Sarkozy: Military strike on Iran would trigger Middle East war
16) Russia: Attack on Tehran is Attack on Moscow
17) Russia says western strike on Iran would be ‘catastrophe’
18) US urges South Korea to cut Iran oil imports
19) EU states agree in principle to sanction Iran central bank
20) Iran envoy says Russia not to boycott central bank
From a Biblical prophetic perspective, the reason why the God of Israel would allow these events to happen is because it will result in the end of the exile of the house of Jacob and the reunification of the 12 tribes of Israel (Ephraim and Judah).
We will to be “watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem” and we will not rest until the God of Israel makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth (Isaiah 62).
Shalom in Yeshua the Messiah,
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int’l