Articles

Will There Be a Palestinian State?

The world and Israel are hurtling toward confrontation.

The one thing most on my mind is why the international community—and large segments of the Church, my friend—are not permanently outraged by October 7. That is foundational. By now the evidence is viral. The Hamas demons that murdered, raped, burned, and kidnapped over 1,000 Israelis last fall deserve nothing but death and justice. They don’t deserve concessions, negotiations, or survival.

Why this is not bedrock principle frustrates me greatly. Watching our evil leadership in the West collude with the evil leadership in the Middle East is horrible. We feel powerless now, for a time, but only the return of Jesus Christ will put an end to such malevolence.

As mind-numbing as it is, Hamas has positioned itself for concessions from Israel that further imperil the Jewish state. I believe Israel will achieve most of its goals. I would not be surprised to see top Hamas leadership live to fight another day; talk is that in some kind of negotiated deal, Sinwar and others will be allowed to leave the country. One thing I am certain of, once the issue of the hostages has been resolved, one way or the other, no place on earth will be safe for these devils. The Mossad can and will reach them anywhere.

But the news this week that the U.S. and the U.K. are seriously considering recognizing a Palestinian state, after the war, begs several questions.

One, how would this actually work? By the way, this would be the first departure from Israel on a serious subject that the Americans have ever contemplated, and sets a precedent. But in terms of recognizing such a terror state, how in practical terms would it come about? I do not believe in the present circumstances that Israeli leadership would ever endorse this or accept it. Speaking with some contacts in Israel this week confirms this for me. No matter the political side of the aisle in Israel, a Palestinian state is a non-starter for Israelis. After October 7, it will take generations for them to accept such a thing.

Second, why now? Pressure has been put on Israel by the Americans and the British for at least 30 years. I think the answer lies in the fact that the Biden Regime has a mediocre figurehead being managed by stone-cold Marxists. The Communists have always been cozy with the Palestinians. The Soviets schooled Yasser Arafat and his band of killers. But with the American Congress and White House historically weak, there isn’t the proper opposition to such insanity that existed in years past.

Third, this question of Israeli non-compliance. I listened today to Hugh Hewitt’s podcast. I only listen to him to get different perspectives. I find Hewitt to be either a left-wing plant, or, my likely a guy that loves to move in elite/intellectual circles. He has a reputation for being a “conservative,” but one in the Bush/McCain range. Hewitt interviewed Haviv Rettig Gur, of the Times of Israel. Gur said what I’ve heard over and over and over: under no circumstances will Israelis accept a Palestinian state. They know it’s literally a matter of survival.

This brings me to something else. The IDF the past couple weeks has been operating in Jenin, a long-time stronghold for Hamas. The whole city is booby-trapped. It is a microcosm of Gaza. If Gaza is not won by Israel, Hamas will mushroom in Judea-Samaria. That would be not only intolerable, but Israel couldn’t survive.

The Israelis have detained 41 terrorists in Jenin, Tubas, Nablus, Bethlehem and Hebron.

In addition to all this, the evil PA/PLO “chairman” Mahmoud Abbas is now jockeying to see how he can gain a role. From one report:

“Mahmoud Abbas chaired an expanded meeting of Fatah, which included members of the Central Committee, the Revolutionary Council, and the regional secretaries of Fatah in Judea and Samaria. In a speech given at the meeting, Mahmoud Abbas, PA chairman, addressed the issue of internal reforms, saying they were a national issue intended to serve the Palestinian people and support its national goals. He said they were aware of the preparations required for the process and that action was needed within the movement for the day after the war in the Gaza Strip. He said the current developments in the Gaza Strip were a prelude to improving all their national frameworks and that they had to hold general elections. Abbas stressed that they were committed to changes and new processes in all areas, including the defense, justice, administration and financial systems. He further noted that they would continue to prosecute Israel in international courts for its actions in the Gaza Strip.”

That evil troll is positioning to maintain power and continue to abuse his own people and steal millions in aid. That is a non-starter. Israel must continue to demand that “Gaza will never go back to what it was.”

Now, I realize the issue of a Palestinian state is a big topic among prophecy students. My personal position is that there is no reason for the Palestinians to have a state on Jewish land, ever. I also know that if a Palestinian state were declared in Gaza and the West Bank, many people would freak out, as if that was blunting or altering Bible prophecy. I think there is some nuance in Scripture about this.

Now that the Jews have come back to the Land, they are never leaving that. That is biblical truth and we can take it to the eternal bank. Amos 9:15, among others, tells us that.

On the other hand, Ezekiel 36 might speak to this:

“Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord God; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession…Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people…” (Ezekiel 36:1-3)

Is it possible that this is discussing a hostile Arab state on that land? The rest of this passage deals with God’s promise to the Jews that He will deal with the enemies of His People.

So I think that for us as believers and supporters of Israel, we should continue to pray and let things play out. From here on out, things are going to get wild, I do believe.

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War begins in each individual, the Apostle James reveals:

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:1-2).

The fallen nature, which came when sin was introduced to humanity, started a war that rages to this day and is intensifying by the minute, according to the hourly news reports that constantly bombard us.

Threats of war ebb and flow and reach, at times, the very brink of exploding into full-blown nuclear devastation. But that hasn’t happened to this point.

Those of my age remember the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 in which the US and Soviet Union faced off. I certainly remember that, as a 20-year-old, there was genuine fear, even by those of us so young at the time.

Sounder thinking prevailed, and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and US President John F. Kennedy pulled back from that fatal moment when the Doomsday Clock must have been one second from midnight.

Or did they?

Did these leaders of the enslaved and of the free world save the planet to fight instead in a thousand conventional conflicts into the future?

Or did physical salvation of everyone on the planet come from another source?

To answer His disciples’ question—“What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world (age)?”—Jesus said:

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6).

I can’t remember when fear of world war has been more prevalent than in this present hour. The fear is being expressed not so much by average people of the world but within the highest echelons of world diplomacy. The following somewhat puts this all into perspective.

According to media reporting on documents leaked from the German Ministry of Defense, European leaders are preparing for a “hybrid” Russian attack in Eastern Europe. The first stage, dubbed “Alliance Defense 2025,” would start this February with Russia mobilizing an additional 200,000 soldiers. Fox News reported on Tuesday that classified German documents outlined how the militaries of several European countries are planning to prepare for an offensive by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The story was first reported in the BILD newspaper based on information obtained from the German Ministry of Defense. The “Alliance Defense 2024” could start in February as Russia deploys about 200,000 soldiers in response to Western financial support for Ukraine drying up, according to the report…

Newsweek reported on Tuesday that Margarita Simony, editor-in-chief of the Russian-state-owned broadcaster RT, predicted that World War III would “definitely” break out in the Middle East.

“And now the third world war,” Simonyan posted to Twitter on Monday evening. “Whether a world war will break out now or a little later depends on whether Washington believes that it will be useful to it now, before the elections, or vice versa. Judging by the choral silence of the American media, they are still thinking.” (Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, “Media Warns of WWIII Starting in Mid-East after Presidential Elections,” World News, 1/19/24, https://www.israel365news.com)

Certainly, it cannot be denied that armies are positioned around the world—particularly in the Middle East—for whatever reasons. They are there, and war-like tempers are in a rage.

Iran continues to develop its nuclear weapons program while threatening both Israel and America. It uses proxies to attack ships in the Red Sea and other places. Hezbollah makes noises of joining in the assaults on Israel. Lebanon threatens to join the fray for what is perceived as Israeli intrusions, even though attacks emanate from Lebanese territories. Turkey’s dictator talks in terms of war rhetoric as he observably moves Turkey into the coalition formed against the increasingly hated Jewish state.

In Asia, China is positioned to assault Taiwan, using provocative tactics to intimidate that state, which China considers its own.

Vladimir Putin is stepping up military action against Ukraine while angered over Western—particularly US—funding of the Ukrainian military.

There is no weapon ever invented—including nuclear weapons—that hasn’t ultimately been used in war. The thermonuclear weapons developed since the atomic bombs used to end World War II are exponentially greater in power than those two bombs that killed more than one hundred thousand people.

So, is World War III—a thermonuclear holocaust—about to destroy us all?

Again, we look at Jesus’ words:

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6).

Further, we are assured by Jesus Himself that the world will not end in thermonuclear cataclysm.

“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22).

So, as Jesus Himself said, “Let not your heart be troubled”—that is, if you are a child of God. Despite the rumors of war raging from every quarter, there will be no all-out nuclear World War III this side of the Rapture. And even following the Rapture, God will prevent Satan’s attempts to destroy humankind.

You don’t want to be here when Satan’s efforts to do just that will be at their horrendous worst during the Tribulation. Here is how to become a child of God and go instead to be within the safe harbor the Lord Jesus Christ provides for all who accept God’s salvation offer.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

5 Feb 2024

War Rumors Raging :: By Terry James