Israel & Christians Today: Weekly Update (April 18)
When (and how) will peace come to the Middle East?
Now that the Israeli elections are over, attention in Israel is turning to the future.
Let us keep praying for Israelās leaders – at all levels of society – in the rocky road ahead as the nation seeks to restore unity after acrimonious election campaigning.
As well, letās make sure we keep praying for Arab Palestinian leaders of integrity and vision to be raised.
We pray for true reconciliation between Jews and Arabs. Many of us had the privilege to be part of a seminar during the recent Christians for Israel International Forum in Israel led by pastor Steven Khoury (President of Holy Land Missions), and David Nekrutman (Executive Director of the Centre for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation – CJCUC). Their joint testimony showed that it is possible for Arabs and Jews to work side by side to build peace. But this will only truly happen when both Arabs and Jews accept that God is bringing the Jewish people home, to be a blessing to all in the land. And strive to make this a reality on the ground.
Lasting peace will only come to the Middle East (and the whole world) when the law will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Psalm 2).
Wishing you all a blessed Pesach/Easter, as we remember Godās deliverance from slavery, the shedding of the blood of the Lamb for our sins, and new life in Messiah.
Chag Pesach Kasher vāSameach
Andrew Tucker
Editor-in-Chief, Israel & Christians TodayĀ
All eyes are now on the āDeal of the Centuryā that the Trump Administration has been promising for months. The Presidentās Advisor (and son-in-law) Jared Kushner announces this week that the deal, which amazingly has been kept secret, will not be released before the end of Ramadan in June.
The deal contains both political and economic elements. According to Kushner it is going to require concessions by both Israel and the PLO.
The elections show that public opinion in Israel has moved significantly towards the right in recent years. The two most successful parties – Bibiās Likud and Gantzās Blue and White – are both strongly in favour of Israeli sovereignty over much of the West Bank. Both Gantz and Netanyahu are determined to keep Jerusalem united and are opposed to the two state solution, or at least to any solution that gives the Palestinians a military power and does not allow Israel to keep control over the Jordan valley. Netanyahu even promised during the election campaign to annex Parts of Area C in the West Bank. No-one knows whether Netanyahu is privy to the content of the Trump plan.
Be that as it may, it is highly questionable whether the plan will bring the Israelis and Palestinians closer to an agreement. The vast majority of the Israeli public will be opposed to any deal that involves giving up East Jerusalem or significant parts of Judea and Samaria or compromises Israelās security.
The Palestinians for their part have dismissed the plan out of hand, even though they donāt know what is in it. Nothing new there, unfortunately.
Andrew Tucker is International Editor of our bi-monthly newspaper Israel & Christians Today. The goal of Israel & Christians Today is to help Christians to take Godās Word seriously, and study current events in the world in the context of the Bible. Click here to subscribe.
