|
|
 |
Be Alert - March 21, 2007
Greetings in Christ Jesus,
What we saw then is what we are seeing now.
Jeremiah 23:7-20
"Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when they will no longer say, `As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,'
but, `As the LORD lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.' Then they will live on their own soil."
As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me, All my bones tremble; I have become like a drunken man, Even like a man overcome with wine, Because of the LORD And because of His holy words.
For the land is full of adulterers; For the land mourns because of the curse. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course also is evil And their might is not right.
"For both prophet and priest are polluted; Even in My house I have found their wickedness," declares the LORD.
"Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them, They will be driven away into the gloom and fall down in it; For I will bring calamity upon them, The year of their punishment," declares the LORD.
"Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.
"Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
"Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets, `Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood And make them drink poisonous water, For from the prophets of Jerusalem Pollution has gone forth into all the land.' "
Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the LORD.
"They keep saying to those who despise Me, `The LORD has said, "You will have peace"'; And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, They say, `Calamity will not come upon you.'
"But who has stood in the council of the LORD, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened?
"Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
"The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1) Catholic church collects money for mosque
Revelation 17:5
and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
Galatians 1:6-10
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.
DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR - March 16, 2007
Cologne, Germany - When the Rev. Franz Meurer stands at the altar this Sunday in his priestly vestments, he'll say to the congregation: "Today's collection is for the construction of the big new mosque in Ehrenfeld."
Meurer, 55, is not expecting protests. Both the board of Cologne's St. Theodore Catholic Church and the parish council have unanimously approved the action.
"It's only natural that we're helping them," he said of the Muslims living in a city that is one of the main centres of Catholicism in Germany.
After the special collection was announced last Sunday, several parishioners asked if it was really necessary - considering, for instance, that four young Turks beat a family man into a coma on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday.
"I said, 'Hey, people, think about it, will you? We'll be supporting the sensible ones'," Meurer recalled. "That's not so dumb."
St. Theodore's parish council came up with the unusual idea. Its chairman reminded the group that their new church was completed five years ago, and that the Protestant parish in the neighbourhood had given a nice gift.
"Now we, in turn, should give someone a gift too," Meurer said. "That's how we hit upon the mosque; it's being designed by the same architect that did our church."
The mosque, at the headquarters of the Turkish- Islamic Union for the Institution of Religion (DITIB) in the Cologne district of Ehrenfeld, will be one of Germany's biggest. Plans call for two 55-metre-high minarets, a dome, and room for more than 3,000 worshippers.
A right-wing populist party called ProCologne has been gathering signatures for a public petition against the structure. Ehrenfeld residents who want nothing to do with the petition have reservations about the size of the mosque, however.
Meurer's parish is in the Cologne suburbs of Hoehenberg and Vingst, both of which have a high proportion of foreigners. At his initiative, 180 sponsors planted 41,000 daffodils now in bloom along the streets.
Christian community work for Meurer means things like installing public dog loos because, as he said, "once an area like this is neglected, it can go downhill very fast."
At the community centre, young Muslim women in headscarves are photographed at no cost for job applications. Turkish children play in the yard. And Meurer organises multi-religious celebrations.
Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, set off a heated debate late last year when he directed Catholic school teachers in the region to stop participating in multi-religious events.
"All that matters to me about them is keeping peace in the area," Meurer remarked. "We don't pray together there. We get to know each other, which is possible only at get-togethers like that."
Weighing what the parish could buy for the mosque sparked a lively discussion about Islam, Meurer said.
"Our people were suggesting such things as a little kneeler, a bell, a picture and the like. But then I said, 'Friends, this isn't likely to lead anywhere. They pray to God one on one in their mosques. They haven't got liturgical objects like we do'."
About 350 euros (462 dollars) winds up in the collection bag on normal Sundays. This time, though, more than 1,000 euros has been collected in advance. DITIB officials said the amount of the gift was unimportant.
"It's simply a nice gesture by Mr Meurer," said Rafet Ozturk, DITIB's coordinator for interreligious dialogue. "We're pleased, of course. Even very pleased."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3) Home To Rome
Note: Brief Excerpt - Please see full article
UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES - Commentary by Roger Oakland
Over the past number of years I have been writing articles and producing radio programs in an attempt to urge evangelical Christians to wake up and see the light. Many Bible-believing Christians who were once concerned about false teaching and apostasy seem to have lost their passion for the truth and have little discernment. Instead of standing firm against unbiblical ideas and experiences, they now are promoting them.
While we have been able to document that the Emerging Church Movement is clearly another road to the Roman Catholic Church, it seems fewer professing Christians are concerned. Darkness has crept over the church the same way an avalanche sweeps down a mountain. Every day more and more unsuspecting victims are being swept up and buried. - - -
A New Kind of Christianity
It is amazing to see the progress made in the past few years as the vast majority of churches that were once evangelical move towards an ecumenical unity with Rome. There was a time when evangelical Christians were sensitive to what makes Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholicism. Not so today. The Emerging Church Movement, along with the idea that Christian unity must happen at any cost, has opened the door for a global ecumenical movement that has no biblical boundaries. - - -
New Evangelization Evangelists
The Roman Catholic Church has a name for those who have departed from the “One True Church.” They’re called the “separated brethren.” Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, had one main goal in mind when he established his organization. He and his band of faithful ruthless men would do everything possible to bring these separated brethren back to the Mother of All Churches. Several centuries have passed. Now that we are in the twenty-first century, his plan is becoming a reality. - - -
The Emerging Church that is Emerging
The Jesuit program to win back the “separated brethren” to the Roman Catholic Church appears to be more successful every day. The results of the Reformation are being reversed by the “new reformation” promoted by the Emerging Church.
I’m not an alarmist; I’m a realist. I also believe Bible prophecy is inspired by God and is one hundred per cent accurate. When the Bible foretells there will be a strong delusion in the last days and that many will be deceived in the name of Christ, I take this seriously.
The Bible describes apostasy which will take place in the Last Days. This cannot and will not be altered. God knows the end from the beginning and certain things have been written down to warn us in advance. However, we can and should warn people so that they can come to their senses. That’s my intention! - - - -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4) Antichrist's Strategy Exposed
APOSTASY ALERT - By Jackie Alnor - March 11, 2007
Back in 1985, a book came out that examined so- called communications coming from UFOs called "In Advance of the Landing." The authors showed how the space brothers seemed to be getting the earth prepared to be open to receive them and were waiting until the moment was right before making their grand entrance to the world. As ludicrous as that sounds, there’s a parallel with the strategy of the spirit of antichrist who cannot make his debut until the timing is right, when the world has been fully prepped to accept him.
He is hard at work on many fronts in advance of his landing, so to speak. He has many weapons in his arsenal and tricks up his sleeve. The whole world is being set up for a grand delusion and they don’t even know it. His arsenal includes:
-Calling good evil, and evil good; bringing deviants out of the closet, while pushing godly people into the closet. – "For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret." (Eph. 5:12).
-Getting ungodly leaders into high positions of government and the judiciary. – "As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths." (Isaiah 3:12).
-Silencing the voices of reason by labeling them as narrow-minded thereby ending all opposition. "Open your mouth for the speechless--- "Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy." (Prov. 31:8-9).
-Making the pursuit of money and prosperity the measure of success in the world and in the church. – "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition." (1Timothy 6:9).
-Increasing the availability of pornography and making licentiousness a popular sport. -- "For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error" (2 Peter 2:18).
-Discrediting the truth of the Bible by using scientific sounding theories to say that Jesus never existed or that miracles never happened and that the resurrection from the dead is a pagan concept. – "Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge" (1Timothy 6:20).
-Eliminating national borders, building a global economy and the move toward the new one world order, an end to nationalism. -- "And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him" (Rev. 13:7- 8).
-Intimidating Christian leaders to just preach the truth but not defend it for fear of offending anyone. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God" 2 Corinthians 10:4- 5).
-Getting people interested in mystical powers they can harness for their own quest for divinity of humankind. – "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2Timothy 3:1-5).
As followers of Christ Jesus, we are told to be on the alert as we see the Day approaching, yet so many are falling asleep, hiding behind the four walls of the church, and saying, ‘Oh, we can’t concern ourselves with Bible prophecy. They’ve been saying for a long time that Jesus is going to come soon and we’re well into the 21st century, and He hasn’t come yet.’ And these words are coming from our fellow Christians, fulfilling the prophecy: "knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’" (2Peter 3:3-4).
Yet the spirit of Antichrist is hard at work and is winning in the hearts of people both inside and outside the church, and many are sleeping through it all, while the cares of this world choke out the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. The church of Laodicea is now in full swing in the driver’s seat as the church of Philadelphia takes the back seat and diminishes into a remnant. The former will be swallowed up by "Mystery Babylon" after the latter is taken off the scene. The writing is on the wall!
The voices of opposition in apologetics ministries are being silenced by the voices of compromise that do not appreciate being persecuted for the Truth and who do not want to share in the reproaches of Christ that will come to them if they take a stand for the Truth. Many former apologists have adopted the platform of the Emergent Church in watering down the Gospel so as not to offend anyone, repackaging Christianity to be palatable to the unsaved. Many Christians choose to be like the three monkeys that ‘See no evil; Hear no evil; Speak no evil – not wanting to ruffle any feathers. They want no part of what the Apostle Paul told the Philippians: "For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me." (Phil. 1:29-30).
On another front the spirit of antichrist is making Christianity look dull, uncool, ignorant, and unscientific with the help of the imagery of the Laodicean church seen on TBN and on other programs of fraudulent televangelists. With every onslaught by the media against the Truth of Scripture, from the Da Vinci Code to the Jesus Ossuary fabrication, the response from the church grows weaker and weaker.
The sex scandals seen in the media involving big- name church leaders has shouted hypocrisy of the church to the entire world and resulted in all Christendom being tainted with guilt by association. Dateline NBC's series, "To Catch a Predator" revels when a man seeking sexual contact with minors winds up being a church person.
The result of much of this is cynicism against Christianity and it is understandable. Judgment is looming and Christians are being told to ignore Bible prophecy. The world has become a very scary place in which to reside. The days of the Cleavers, the Nelsons and the Clampetts are long gone. We are on the precipice of eternity and the soon return of our Lord. The spirit of antichrist has done his homework in advance of his landing and the whole world is ready to receive him. In Matthew 24, Jesus described these days and those with eyes to see and ears to hear recognize the signs of the times. Those who don’t will be ensnared by them.
"And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matt. 24:10-12).
It’s getting colder and colder
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6) 2nd-Temple Jewish Town Uncovered in Jerusalem
ARUTZ SHEVA - By Hillel Fendel - March 14, 2007
(IsraelNN.com) In the course of preparing tracks for the new light-rail system in Jerusalem, remains of an ancient Jewish community just north of the Holy Temple have been uncovered.
Rescue digs, required by law before any major construction work in Jerusalem and environs, have found a major set of remains of a Jewish town from post-Second Temple times. A long strip of land, 400 dunams (100 acres) in size, has been uncovered in which can be seen roads, alleys, houses, public buildings, a mikveh (ritual bath), and more.
The community was located east of the old Roman highway leading from Jerusalem to Shechem (Nablus) - roughly along the same route as today's Shechem Way, or Highway 60.
Evidence shows that the community - the largest from that period yet uncovered in the Jerusalem vicinity - was inhabited by a well-to-do and religiously observant populace. In addition to the mikveh, many stone utensils were found - popularly used because they could not become ritually defiled, according to Jewish Law.
Many coins were also found, including a rare gold one (pictured above) depicting Trainus Caesar (98-117 CE). Trainus began his reign 30 years after the Second Temple was destroyed. Antiquities Authority dig manager Rachel Bar-Natan said that this was only the second coin of its type found in Israel, and the first one within the Green Line. - - -
The site was first discovered during infrastructure work for the light-rail system being built in Jerusalem by the Moriah Company. - - - -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7) UNESCO: Dig not harming Temple Mt.
THE JERUSALEM POST - By Etgar Lefkovits - March 13, 2007
The UNESCO report on the controversial Antiquities Authority excavation near the Temple Mount has concluded that it is not damaging the holy site. Nevertheless, the report calls on Israel to suspend the dig to allow for international observation, Israeli officials said on Tuesday.
The report is expected to be presented to UNESCO's director-general, Koichiro Matsuura, on Wednesday.
The report, which was compiled by a four-member team that visited the site last month, finds that the excavation was being done with complete transparency, and in no way damages the Temple Mount, according to Israeli officials.
At the same time, the report concludes that Israel should have consulted with all relevant parties ahead of the dig - referring to UNESCO and the Wakf (Islamic trust) that administers the Mount.
Both the Foreign Ministry and the Antiquities Authority deferred comment on the report until its official publication.
Israeli officials who have seen the document said it sent a very "mixed message," in that the findings were supportive of Israel and the conclusions were to the contrary. - - -
The routine salvage excavation, which began last month in the archeological garden adjacent to the Western Wall ahead of the planned construction of a new bridge to the Temple Mount's Mughrabi Gate, has triggered protests throughout the Muslim world.
The dig touched off low-level Arab violence in Jerusalem following assertions by Islamic leaders that the work, which is taking place dozens of meters outside the Mount, could damage the Al-Aksa mosque on the Mount. - - - -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9) Our World: Lame ducks and sitting ducks
THE JERUSALEM POST - By Caroline Glick - March 20, 2007
Last November 26, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered the IDF to withdraw its forces from Gaza. Sounding oddly triumphant, Olmert announced that he had reached a cease-fire with the Palestinians. The strangeness of his statement became apparent when just hours later Sderot absorbed yet another bombardment of rockets from Gaza.
And as the IDF grudgingly withdrew its forces mid- mission, the Palestinians established the rules that they and Olmert have followed ever since. They attack Israel and prepare for war, and Israel helps them by giving them money, negotiating with them and taking no steps to defend itself or its citizens.
The strange agreement was announced three days before US President George W. Bush snubbed Olmert when he demurred from either visiting Israel or visiting with Olmert during his trip to Amman, Jordan. In the four months since Olmert forced the IDF to stand down, the IDF, the Shin Bet, and even the media have warned both Olmert and the public that Syrian, Iranian and Lebanese-Hizbullah trainers, engineers, commanders and advanced anti-air and anti-tank missiles have been brought into Gaza.
The foreign terror masters and their Palestinian counterparts have used the respite that Olmert provided them to build what Shin Bet Director Yuval Diskin has referred to as "warrens" of tunnels and fortifications along Gaza's borders with Egypt and with Israel. Like Hizbullah in Lebanon, operating from these fortifications, the Palestinians will be able to attack IDF ground forces and aircraft when they are finally permitted to defend southern Israel from attack.
So thanks to Olmert's unilateral cease-fire, the Palestinians have upgraded their capabilities. Whereas before Israel withdrew its forces and civilians from Gaza in August and September 2005, the Palestinians operated as low-level terrorist cells, today they field bona fide terror armies that are capable of conducting coordinated, multi-layered operations.
YET THE Palestinians' avid preparations for war are apparently irrelevant to all concerned. In the past week alone, we have seen the US, Israel and the Arab world in the throes of a diplomatic frenzy that would make it seem as though the coming war was nothing but a joke.
Last Wednesday, Jordan's King Abdullah addressed a joint session of the US Congress. Abdullah came to the US at an interesting moment in the history of his own kingdom. The same day that Abdullah told US lawmakers that Israel is the source of all the misfortunes in the world, or as he put it, "The wellspring of regional division, the source of resentment and frustration far beyond, is the denial of justice and peace in Palestine," his state prosecutor announced the arrest of three al-Qaida terrorists. The men were arrested for plotting to assassinate Bush during his visit to Amman on November 29 and for plotting to bomb the US embassy in Amman.
What is interesting about the announcement, coming as it did the day that Abdullah spoke to the Congress and ate a private dinner with the president, is that it shows the mendacity of Abdullah's contention.
Israel is not responsible for the fact that Jordan has a huge problem with al-Qaida. Moreover, with a population that is more than 70 percent Palestinian, the monarch of the Hashemite kingdom would do well to look in the mirror before declaring that the lack of Palestinian statehood has anything to do with Israel.
ACCORDING to Israel's Channel 2, Abdullah built on his "Blame the Jews" theme to great effect during his private dinner with the president. Bush was reportedly convinced by his Jordanian guest that the world will be a better, safer place if the US abandons its demand that the PA destroy the terror cells and armies operating in its territory before it commences pressure on Israel to surrender Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem to Hamas-Fatah.
Abdullah's success has had immediate significance on the ground. Just four days after the monarch's visit to Washington, Olmert announced that he is going to ignore the situation on the ground in the PA and conduct negotiations on Israeli withdrawals from Judea and Samaria with Abbas. At Sunday's cabinet meeting Olmert repeated his praise for the so- called "Saudi plan," or, alternatively, the "Arab peace initiative."
That initiative calls for Israeli surrender of Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights and Jerusalem; Israeli acceptance of blame for the Arab world's refusal to accept the right of the Jewish people to national sovereignty; and Israeli acceptance of millions of foreign-born, hostile Arabs within its truncated borders. After Israel makes these suicidal concessions the Arab peace initiative states that the Arab world will be willing to recognize a defunct and defenseless Arab-majority State of Israel.
OLMERT AND Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have repeatedly stated that at its meeting later in the month in Riyadh the Arab League will moderate the plan. But Jordan's Foreign Minister Abdullah Khatib said Sunday that there would be no changes of any kind made in the plan.
Hours after Olmert praised the Arab plan for Israel's destruction, he met with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Olmert's office tried to put a positive spin on the meeting by loudly repeating Abbas's empty pledge to work to bring about the release of IDF Cpl. Gilad Schalit, who has been held hostage by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza since June.
But the fact of the matter is that the content of the Olmert-Abbas meeting represented nothing less than an Israeli diplomatic capitulation to Hamas. This capitulation is no less dangerous to Israel's national security than Olmert's acquiescence to Hamas's military transformation of Gaza into a mini-Lebanon, replete with Iranian and Syrian military advisers.
Under orders from Bush, Olmert agreed Sunday to abandon Israel's demand that the PA fight terror and expunge all terror elements from its midst as a necessary precondition for further Israeli concessions. For their part, the Palestinians responded to Olmert's query regarding how they had used the $100 million that Israel gave them by demanding more money.
And while Olmert was happy to lie to the public and claim that Abbas had agreed to end the rocket attacks on the Western Negev, he knows full well that he won't. Indeed, the only thing that was announced about the meeting that was true is that Olmert has agreed to negotiate with the Palestinians and the Arabs on the basis of the Arab initiative, which is based on the proposition that Israel essentially has no right to exist.
SPEAKING on Israel Radio on Monday morning, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that Israel and the US are working in pure harmony in formulating their policies regarding the Palestinians, as well as Syria. And this is no doubt true. Both Israel and the US are pretending that it is possible to make a distinction between Abbas and Hamas, even though in the aftermath of last month's agreement between Fatah and Hamas in Mecca Abbas now acts at the pleasure of Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal.
Perhaps the only bright spot for Israeli diplomacy since the onset of the Palestinian jihad in 2000 has been the US and European willingness to make a distinction between the Fatah terror group and the Hamas terror group.
It is true that Fatah, which receives at least 40 percent of its finances from Iran and has killed more Israelis over the past seven years than Hamas, is unworthy of the international legitimacy it has enjoyed. But in refusing to directly fund and support Hamas, the US, Israel and Europe were at least agreed that some Palestinian terror groups were beyond the pale.
This Israeli diplomatic asset was destroyed by a combination of Arab perfidy and Israeli incompetence in the aftermath of last month's Mecca agreement. In Mecca, Abbas agreed to a Hamas takeover of the PA. He agreed to become a Hamas figurehead whose main task is to restore Western funding of the Hamas- led PA.
Rather than point this out and so wrest away Fatah's international legitimacy, Israel has allowed Fatah to do Hamas's bidding and act as a conduit toward the international legitimization of the jihadist movement.
PERHAPS what is most interesting about the diplomatic maneuvering taking place today is that all four main actors carrying it out are advancing aims inimical to their national or organizational interests. Israel and the US's security interests, like those of Jordan, are harmed rather than advanced by the empowerment of Hamas. As for Abbas, Fatah's fiduciary interests are harmed by the transfer of power to Hamas.
So why are these men behaving as they are?
The answer to that apparently is to be found in a characteristic shared by Bush, Olmert, Abdullah and Abbas. All of them lead without the support of their people. All of the men, in engaging in near-manic diplomatic wrangling, are advancing the aims of neither peace nor security. They act as they do not because they believe in what they are doing - indeed, none of them could possibly believe in what he is doing. Rather, they are doing this because they want us to ignore the fact that in Bush's and Olmert's cases they are lame ducks, and in Abdullah's and Abbas's cases, they are sitting ducks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10) Israel's Fifth Column
FRONTPAGEMAGAZINE - By David Bedein - March 16, 2007
There are more than one million Israeli Arabs -- more than 15 percent of Israel’s population. These Israeli citizens have shown widespread support for Iran, causing the Israeli security establishment to worry. Israel’s General Security Service (GSS), the Israeli equivalent of the FBI, has warned about an alarming increase of subversive activity on behalf of Iran by Israel’s Arab minority.
This past week, the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs issued a report entitled “Iran Is Building ‘Hamastan’ in Gaza," which documents how Iran is establishing a base in nearby Gaza, premised on “a growing strategic alliance between Iran and the radical Palestinian forces---”
It has not been forgotten that the PLO, the harbinger of local Arab revolution, was the first sponsor of the successful Iranian revolution. Iran was the first and only Islamic nation ever to hand over an Israeli embassy to the PLO. And Iran now emerges as the greatest champion of Palestinian Arab Islamic nationalism.
Last summer, the elected officials of the Israeli Arab members of the Israeli Knesset Parliament showed support for Hezbollah's missile attacks on Israel. Since then, Israel’s security establishment has launched its own investigation of Israel’s Arab minority.
Recently, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with GSS Director Yuval Diskin and other high-ranking security officials concerning the Arab minority in Israel, where the GSS provided a report to the Prime Minister concerning the continual decline in its identification with the state, the rise of subversive elements within it and the dangers that lie therein. Some high-ranking security officials said that the turn of events within the Arab minority constituted "the real, long term strategic threat" to the very existence of Israel as a Jewish state.
The GSS reports there has been a rise in the Israeli Arabs' identification with the Palestinian terrorist organizations, and a rise in their identification with Iran, Hezbollah and other groups that reject the legitimacy of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. All of this is done publicly and openly, and has been accompanied by incitement by the local Israeli Arab political leadership. That incitement has not been yet been dealt with by Israel’s law enforcement community. The GSS assessment indicates that the separatist and subversive trends that are reflected by the Israeli Arab leadership are liable to set the agenda and sweep the masses behind them. - - - -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11) Palestinian Government Is Approved
NEW YORK TIMES - By Isabel Kershner And Steven Erlanger - March 18, 2007
RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 17 — The Palestinian legislature ratified a new national unity government on Saturday by a show of hands, but the cracks were already apparent in the celebratory speeches given by the president and the prime minister.
The president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, told lawmakers that Palestinians reject “all forms of violence” and want a permanent settlement with Israel.
But the new government’s prime minister, Ismail Haniya of Hamas, said that “resistance in all its forms” to occupation is “a legitimate right” of all Palestinians.
This clear and continuing contradiction is one of the many fault lines running through the new unity government, dominated by Hamas but containing a significant number of ministers from Fatah, other parties and independents. - - - -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12) U.S. and Israel Disagree on Palestinian Contacts
NEW YORK TIMES - By Isabel Kershner - March 20, 2007
JERUSALEM, March 18 — The first fractures surfaced Sunday in the Israeli and American approaches to the new Palestinian unity government, with Israel’s cabinet voting overwhelmingly to boycott it, while the United States Consulate here refused to rule out contacts with some moderate Palestinians who are now serving as ministers.
The American position, while not a change in policy, added to the sense that the new unity government, officially announced Saturday after many weeks of negotiations, had created potential openings with the West, raising the possibility of a resumption of direct international aid and damaging Israeli efforts to maintain a solid boycott.
Britain has also refused to rule out dealing with some members of the new government, France has invited its foreign minister to visit, and Norway said Saturday that it would recognize the new government. - - - -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13) CAP/PAC supports call for boycott and sanctions against Israel
Genesis 12:3
And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
CANADIAN ACTION PARTY - Press Release - March 2007
Canadian Action Party/Parti action canadienne members endorse a call to boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel's apartheid-like practices against the Palestinian people. The July, 2005 call to boycott has gained worldwide momentum from trade unions, political parties, cultural, academic and church groups, Jewish peace and human rights groups, businesses, and individuals. - - -
CAP/PAC believes that Israel must demolish the separation or "Apartheid" wall which is encroaching Palestinian land and making daily life impossible for Palestinians. Israel must compensate those injured by the wall to date, must cease its brutal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and must comply with the precepts of international law, including the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194. Further, Palestinian Arabs living within Israel's borders are treated worse than second-class citizens. - - - -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14) EU's Solana urges Syria to work for Lebanon peace
| |
