While Christian Zionists and evangelicals in general agonize that Jews are literally violently being torn from parts of the covenant land of Israel, I think there is a scenario few are considering: Will God allow this tragedy to go through to fulfillment and the ultimate, a Palestinian state on Jewish land? While some of this will be much more understandable in August if the disengagement goes through, I continue to sense that God will put a sovereign stop to it.
The push for this since 1967, intensified in 1993 with Oslo I, followed by Oslo II, Tenet Plan, Mitchell Plan, Camp David Plan, ad nauseum, has generally run into roadblocks where negotiators go home with their tail between their legs and regroup and try again.
My questioning is based on what is happening right now. Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority (PA but formerly the PLO) is besieged on all sides. Though a brutal terrorist himself and planner of the 1972 Munich Olympic slaughter of Israeli athletes, he is under relentless attack and opposition from other terrorist factions such as Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and even al-Qaida. He is a walking target as are his assistants. Many say he has lost all control and the ultra-violent factions are seeking ultimate control.
To put it in simple terms, the entire Palestinian Authority is descending into chaos. They have their own civil war going on. The 50,000 plus PA security and police forces are not doing their job. One of the world’s worst terrorist outfits, Hamas, is seeking to take over PA leadership and while Washington remains much too friendly with Hamas, it is hard to see America allow Hamas turn the entire region in chaos.
But here’s what would force America to back out of the pressure-tactics: An Israel 9/11. While that is drastic and would be tragic beyond words since Israel is following disengagement orders to the letter and truly seeks a deluded and false peace, America would have to step back or look like one gigantic hypocrite nation. Would we invite Osama bin Laden to occupy one of our 50 states and reward him for his terror? America simply could not pressure Israel if she suffered a devastating attack. To be sure the heartless E.U., U.N., and Russia, all members of the “Quartet” along with America could still push for it, but the likelihood of a Palestinian state emerging out of an Israeli 9/11 seems unthinkable, except in our upside-down world.
A disaster was averted last week. A young Palestinian woman, a suicide bomber, came into an Israeli hospital for treatment with legitimate burns. However, she was strapped with explosives and planned to detonate herself in the middle of a “crowded area of the hospital.” Only Israel treats injured people in such circumstances that are sworn to kill them.
Many attacks are thwarted daily due to the Hand of God. But multiply that incident on an even larger scale: A major office complex, hotel, or even the Knesset (parliament). Consider the slaughter of hundreds or even thousands of innocent Israelis, with the proven perpetrators being your average PA terrorist of any of the factions, and “peace plans” would take a terrible, if not permanent, set-back. The PA has a marvelous affinity for shooting themselves in the foot (while they massacre Israelis) and putting “peace plans” on hold over the years.
Could America support such a state or even special concessions for a regime that would pull off mass slaughter?
Yet Zechariah 12 says that ALL nations will turn on Israel, so we cannot rule out the fact that America may still push the creation of a Palestinian state no matter what the situation is in that region. Joel 3 clearly says that all nations who have participated in the dividing of God’s land will be severely judged. However, God’s land has been divided many times including in 1917, 1947 – 1949, and more. The reference to division may end there. There may, in fact, never be a Palestinian state on Israeli land. The clock is ticking and we may know sooner rather than later. Continue to pray for the situation, that the truth of the debacle could be revealed in a far less horrific manner than violence and bloodshed to awaken politicians and diplomats to the mistake they are making.
(Jan Markell is founder/director of Olive Tree Ministries. To learn more or sign up for her e-mail alerts or print newsletter, visit the Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org.)