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An Uptick in World Condemnation of Israel

The last year has been witness to Israel’s long arm when it comes to eliminating enemies, but the most recent strike has taken international criticism to a new level. On September 9, Israel carried out yet another strike on Hamas leadership, this time in Doha, Qatar (The Jerusalem Post). Because Qatar is considered a US ally and an important negotiator between Israel and Hamas, this has helped stacked nations against Jerusalem. At the same time, Israel is progressing toward possession of the Gaza Strip. We’ll briefly examine the impact these things are having on world affairs in light of Bible prophecy.

The Arab Response

As one can imagine, the response from Israel’s Islamic neighbors is not great. Israel has significantly weakened many of her enemies which directly surround her, and it seems that this, in conjunction with the Doha strike, has renewed calls for a unified Islamic force. Egypt is pushing for an Arab force that would act like NATO and create shared protection for its members (Israel National News).

A year or two ago, many news commentators believed that Israel would be a part of an agreement like this with her neighbors given the “progress” being made between Israel, Saudia Arabia, and other important players in the region. Normalization with Saudi Arabia seemed imminent, but the current conflict and talk of annexing the Gaza Strip has Saudi officials stating that Israel is burying the chance for normalization (All Israel News).

With Bible in hand, the idea of an “Arab NATO” is incredibly exciting because we see hints of that very thing in Psalm 83. Israel’s nearby Islamic enemies are there described as having “consulted together with one consent” and being “confederate against” Israel (Psalm 83:5). We must wonder, what is it that causes these nations to unite? They are all Islamic nations, but they have not historically been united because some are Shia and others are Sunni. But the Bible tells us that a time will come when they will be joined together and fight Israel “with one consent”.

An “Arab NATO” would answer this perfectly since it would create a defensive pact between its members. Article 5 of NATO says that “an armed attack against one or more of them… shall be considered an attack against them all”, so if one member is attacked, then all of the members must help fight the aggressor. If an “Arab NATO” was in existence today, can we imagine how many times they would have enforced article 5? It’d be hard to count. Any kind of aggression from Israel could be used to mobilize the entire region and bring about Psalm 83.

While we cannot know whether our Father in heaven intends to fulfill His prophecy through this means, we can rest assured that it will be fulfilled. Our joy is to watch and attempt to discern His hand in world affairs as we wait for His son’s advent!

America’s Response

America’s position on Israel is important because of latter-day prophecies which show Israel standing along against her enemies (Isaiah 63:1-3). We therefore expect relations between the two nations to be weak or severed when these prophecies are to be fulfilled.

America has been trying to balance its relationship with Israel, apparently trying to lean more on the “friend” side whenever possible. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is currently in Israel and boasting of the “ironclad” ties between to two nations, stating that US-Israel relations are “as strong and durable as the stones of the Western Wall” (All Israel News). He has also stated that Hamas cannot continue to exist and mostly supports Israel campaign in Gaza (World Israel News).

Trump himself is typically a strong supporter of Israel, but the last year or so of Israeli strikes have been a source of frustration for him as he tries to negotiate an end to the Gaza war. Trump expressed his frustration with Netanyahu and said, “Every time there's progress, he bombs someone” (Ynet). Many believe that Netanyahu is trying to stop the negotiations so he has license to take over all of Gaza, and regardless of whether this is true or not, Israel is being painted as the enemy.

While it’s important to consider what the political heavens in America think about Israel, it’s also important to examine the “earth” and see what the American people think about Israel, for it is they who vote for America’s next president (it is actually God, but He utilizes the people to install the rulers).

American support for Israel has historically been a “non-negotiable” for many, and this sprang from Biblical values. An America that believes in the Bible is a friend of Israel, yet a recent poll by the Pew Research Center shows that this trend is changing fast (Prophecy News Watch). The results showed that people “are driven less by ideology and more by age, culture, and information trends… According to Pew Research, nearly 70% of older Americans still express strong support for Israel, while among Americans under 30, support falls below 50%. Young Democrats are increasingly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, while younger Republicans, though more pro-Israel overall, show growing skepticism about unconditional support for Israeli government actions.”

Democrats and Republicans are growing more skeptical of Israel, and this sentiment could show its ugly face in an upcoming presidential election and put someone in power who is not a friend of Israel. This would certainly align with prophecy.

We will end by considering

The World’s Response

To no surprise, the world believes Israel to be the enemy and is uniting to hinder its interests. The following headlines tell the story:

The UN just voted to endorse a Palestinian state – something which has never existed in the past. While this has no real “meat” to it and doesn’t actually create a state, it is important because it shows international support for a Palestinian state. The European Union (EU) has also emboldened its stance against Israel in threatening the suspension of trade with Israel. In other words, the world is stacking up against Israel just like the Bible says. All of this is the doing of our Lord in heaven as He prepares to send His son as the stone “cut without hands” to conquer the nations. As the Spirit says in

Daniel 2:44 – And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

This wondrous day is fast approaching, and may we all be so blessed to be a part of that everlasting Kingdom. Now is the time to reflect on ourselves and remember that our baptisms have made us an heir of this nation to come! (Galatians 3:26-29). Let us walk accordingly.

 

In the Hope of Israel,

Tanner Hawkins

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