You may view the 5 minute update this week via audio:
In this week’s 5 minute update, we focused on several things:
1) The current status of the Israel / PLO peace process
2) The possibility of a $14 Trillion dollar US Federal Debt creating a US Financial Crisis
The US is displeased with Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak that he hasn’t been able to persuade PM Benjamin Netanyahu since April 2009 to agree to a PLO state with East Jerusalem as its capital. He will no longer receive preferential treatment in relations with the USA. The US has already shown its displeasure toward Benjamin Netanyahu in the past year in a variety of ways. This makes it increasingly likely that the USA will promote policies which are anti-Israel in the near future. Because of the present stalemate in talks, the US will have to decide in the coming weeks how they should approach the next steps. Will they present their own peace agreement? Will they endorse a PLO state based upon 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital in the United Nations? Will they endorse the condemnation of Israel building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the United Nations? The PLO have given the USA maps of their view of a PLO state. However, the USA has been unsuccessful in convincing Israel to put on the table its view of the borders of a future PLO state. Tony Blair representing the Quartet (US, EU, Russian and the UN) told Israel that the international community only has weeks and not months to restart peace talks. The EU’s foreign minister Catherine Ashton suggests there needs to be a Quartet meeting in early February regarding the peace process. Meanwhile, there are calls for the US to impose their own peace plan upon Israel and the PLO. This has been suggested by Howard Sachar in an article in the current issue of “Foreign Affairs” magazine which is the magazine of the Council of Foreign Relations. This view is also stated in the current issue of the “Economist” magazine. David Makovsky who is the director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy which is a Washington think-tank to promote the views of the US in foreign policy is reportedly ready to present suggested maps for the borders of a PLO state in late January. The PLO is planning to have their draft resolution to condemn Israel building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem submitted to the UN Security Council in the coming week. They are also calling upon the Quartet to submit their own imposed peace plan. Meanwhile, Chile announced its recognition of a PLO based upon 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Netanyahu says that he is willing to talk with Abbas as long as it takes to reach a peace agreement. However, he says that the PLO must modify their position regarding recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, dropping their demand for a Palestinian refugee “right of return” and be flexible with security arrangements with Israel on the ground. If there isn’t a possibility of reaching a peace agreement by this March or April, the Labor party (13 seats) is threatening to leave the coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
An agreement to divide Jerusalem and establish a PLO state is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles are as follows:
1) US Furious at Barak for exaggerating his role in peace process
2) Israel Prime Minister ignores Palestinian peace map
3) PM, Blair meet as peace process returns to International Agenda
4) Blair warns time is of the essence for Mideast peace talks
5) EU’s Ashton call for Quartet talks to solve impasse in Israel-PA negotiations
6) Chile announces recognition of Palestinian statehood
7) PA seeks UN vote next week on resolution condemning West Bank settlements
8) EU’s Ashton meets Palestinian chief in talks drive
9) Rising calls for an American Imposed Peace Plan
10) Opinion: Time to Draw a Map for Mideast Peace
11) What is the Washington Institute for Near East Policy?
12) Who is David Makovsky?
13) PM to Abbas: Ready to meet until ‘white smoke comes out’
14) Netanyahu slams Palestinian’s new ‘Three No’s’
15) Is Labor on way out of government?
The US National debt is now over $14 Trillion dollars. If all of this debt was refinanced at 5% then it would cost $700 billion dollars a year in interest. If all of this debt was refinanced at 10% then it would cost $1.4 Trillion a year in interest. The US cannot afford interest rates over 5% anymore because it will endanger that the US government could go bankrupt.
A collapse of the US dollar and the establishment of one world currency is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles is as follows:
1) US National Debt Tops $14 Trillion
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