Future Egypt

Born in Old Cairo in 1954, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is not a radical Muslim. As Egypt’s current president (from a 2012 coup that toppled the diabolical Muslim Brotherhood chieftain Mohammed Morsi), al-Sisi is perhaps the most Western-friendly leader from this legendary country.

Recently, it came to light that al-Sisi is far more open to the Jewish community than any previous Egyptian leader.

New York political consultant Ezra Friedlander met with al-Sisi during a gathering to present an award to the widow of former Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat. From news reports:

“’President Sisi spoke fondly not only of Egypt’s past vibrant Jewish community, but also said that should there be a resurgence of the Jewish community in Egypt, the government will provide every religious necessity required…  that was a very warm embrace,’ he said. ‘He [Sisi] basically said that should there be a resurgence of the Jewish community, the government will build synagogues and other related services.’”

This is in keeping with a thawing of relations between Israel and Mideast states in the past few years.

“Sisi’s comments came a couple of weeks after the United Arab Emirates officially recognized its small Jewish community, in a move seen as an effort to present itself to the West as a country that is tolerant of other religions. While there was never a historical Jewish community in the UAE – although there is now a small synagogue in Dubai – the Jewish community in Egypt extends back to antiquity. Before the establishment of Israel in 1948, an estimated 75,000 Jews lived in the country. “They were expelled in the 1950s, and only a handful of Jews are believed to live in Egypt today.

“The commission’s founder said that Sisi also promised to clean up the ancient Bassatine Cemetery in Cairo, a cemetery dating back to the ninth century and believed to be the second-oldest Jewish cemetery in the world. In December, Sisi also announced a multimillion-dollar project to restore Jewish heritage sites in Egypt.”

So is all this prophetic in nature? Well, the Bible does have things to say about future Egypt:

“And the LORD will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the LORD, and He will be entreated by them and heal them” (Isaiah 19:22).

“Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance” (Isaiah 19:25).

One of the most awe-inspiring aspects of God’s love is that He loves all people. All nations. Today, we live in a fallen world that is disintegrating, it seems. Humans cannot/will not solve their problems. Sin is the problem.

Yet God gives us the big picture and the future picture by letting us know that one glorious day, He will bring in righteousness and heal relationships.

Let us hope that al-Sisi’s changing heart is genuine. We do know that he opposes the Muslim Brotherhood. Let us pray fervently that the Lord is beginning that redemptive work, as we look greatly forward to a future that is bright and holy unto the Lord.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

Support from the Street

In 2018, there were 1,119 rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza into Israel. In the same period, Israeli security forces prevented almost 500 significant terror attacks!

One key aspect of the fight against Palestinian terrorists is that when terrorists did escape the Israelis, they were able to hide for weeks or even months in Judea and Samaria.

What does that mean?

Obviously, they are hidden by rank-and-file Palestinians, who support “the Resistance.”

As one of my sources said recently:

“The ability of the terrorists to evade the Israel security forces was admired by the Palestinian street and they became heroes and role models.”

I’ve seen the posters of the “shaheeds” (“martyrs”) in east Jerusalem, including in tourist areas in the Old City. It’s grotesque and out in the open. I remember several years ago, during the Second Intifada, when I passed Orient House, the de facto Palestinian “embassy” that was illegally maintained until Israel shut it down. On the street were Hamas posters.

Then idiot European tourists scooping up “Palestine” trinkets in the Old City were surrounded by “martyr” posters.

How sick.

In 2018, a Palestinian terrorist murdered two Israeli workers in the Barkan Industrial zone, and remained at large for nine weeks. A wave of sympathy for the killer appeared to produce “copycat” attacks.

A total of 74 Jews have been murdered since the beastly stabbing attacks began in October, 2015.

The bottom line is, these attacks are tolerated. They are tolerated by the PLO, obviously, but also by the West. U.S. officials, EU officials, the Russians, etc.

I decided a long time ago that my priority in such situations is the Jewish population. I no longer care about the inconvenience of Palestinians at checkpoints, etc. The only priority must be to protect Jews.

But relatively few agree. Last week I was very disappointed to see two of my friends on social media seem to give priority to Palestinian sensitivities. How disappointing.

I do not favor the lunatic “Two-State Solution.” I favor moving the Palestinians out of the country. Only that kind of separation will defuse the situation. Gaza, specifically Gaza City, is now such a dense urban warfare scene that it would be impractical to remove Hamas, especially since the local population does not rise up.

I know good Palestinians. I’m aware they exist. The problem is their paltry numbers. How many are humane? Five? A thousand? Ten thousand? No one knows. But not even one Jewish life should be lost while we try to figure that out.

As you are aware of by now, dear reader, I am also very frustrated with pro Israel organizations, particularly Christian ones. Specifically evangelical ones. They hold conferences and do what they do, but when it comes to truly rooting-out the enemy, including the many in our evangelical ranks, well, they don’t want to do that. Just as we find ourselves in a dicey situation politically (now tolerating sociopaths in Congress), we also are marginalized by evangelical sources that operate in the open.

What do I mean specifically? Evangelical “leaders” and rank-and-file not only tolerate Andy Stanley’s lunatic calls to sideline Scripture (we don’t need the Old Testament???), they lionize him.

What strange fire is this? The country is being dismantled before our eyes, and the Evangelical community is being turned into the State Church, but we don’t want to get involved.

I “got in trouble” a few years ago with some pro Israel Christian sources for too-blunt speech. I can live with that. I’d rather be alone than huddled with such.

I close this circle this week by coming back to where we are: in a place where Jewish life is cheap to the international community. I absolutely do see linkage between anti-Semitism and murder of Jews in the Middle East and the marginalizing of the Jewish scriptures by hacks like Stanley. It’s the same mindset that led to National Socialism in Germany.

But let’s not say anything. Let’s not give the enemy reason to turn his gaze on us. Maybe he’ll leave us alone!

Fat chance.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com