"Watching Over Zion" (The CFI News Report & Prayer Update)

~ Thursday 26th November 2009 ~
Compiled by David Soakell Tel: 01323 410810
E-mail david@cfi.org.uk Website: www.cfi.org.uk

The Word: "And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because the enemy has said of you, 'Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,' " ' "therefore prophesy, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because they made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you are taken up by the lips of talkers and slandered by the people"-- therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which became plunder and mockery to the rest of the nations all around-- therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with whole-hearted joy and spiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country." '

"Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury, because you have borne the shame of the nations." 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "I have raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame. "But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, My people Israel; they shall take possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance; no more shall you bereave them of their children." (Ezekiel 36:1-12)

• Pointers for prayer: Please continue to battle on in prayer over the situations within Israel. Please continue to seek the LORD as to how you should pray concerning these days we are living in.

• Earnestly intercede for the Jewish people as they face much spiritual warfare aimed at thwarting their divine destiny. Pray for their protection and for their spiritual preparation as they continue to face a difficult future. Please continue to pray also for the Arab people struggling under the heavy restraints of Islamic oppression. Pray that they may find freedom in following the Lord God.

• Pray that Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria & the Golan Heights would remain in Jewish hands, now and until the Messiah returns. But pray too, that the Arab communities would recognise and receive their blessing in wanting to live in harmony with Israel.

• Pray for humility and revelation of God's holy Word among both His people Israel, and within the Church ~ pray for clear and accurate teaching on the Scriptures by our Church ministers in relation to today's situation within Israel. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." (Joel 2:23)

Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains...

Did you know... 92% of the Bible place names are in what Ezekiel terms as, "the mountains of Israel", or what the rest of the Bible calls Judea and Samaria, and the world call the "West Bank"? Throughout the last fifteen years or so, I have travelled many times throughout this region, visiting the places, and meeting the people... places such as Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant and the glory of God resided for nearly 400 years in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). In modern times, the Jewish people have been returning to this part of Israel for more than 120 years. And I firmly believe that the Bible is very clear about where they are supposed to live. In the above reading of Ezekiel 36, and in Jeremiah 30 and 31, when the LORD God calls the Jews to come home, He particularly tells them that they are to return to the "Mountains of Israel" and to build cities there. The prophet Ezekiel writes: "But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt" (Ezekiel 36:10).

In 1948 Jordanian forces captured a part of Israel called Judea and Samaria. After the Jordanians had captured it, they killed or displaced the majority of the Jewish people living there. In early 1950, Jordanian King Abdullah annexed the districts of Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem ~ even though only two nations ~ Britain and Pakistan, recognised his move. In order to reduce Jewish claims to the area, the King dropped the biblical names Judea & Samaria and announced that the annexed land would be known as the West Bank of the Kingdom of Jordan, since it was located beyond the west bank of the Jordan River. Jordan occupied this area from 1948 to 1967 (a mere 19 years), when Israel, through the 1967 six-day war, reclaimed it back.

Now of course there is, I believe, something very strategic about this place. The Mountains of Israel (or "West Bank" as many call it) are in fact, the heart of the Land promised by God to the children of Israel. This area is the inheritance of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Joseph. However, the importance of the "West Bank", and the spiritual battle over it, are understood better when you realise what it is the enemy is trying to take away from Israel. First of all, in this "West Bank" are the places of Bethel, Ai, Shiloh, and Shechem.... these were made famous by Abraham, Jacob and Joshua. Joshua and the bones of Joseph were buried in this area (Joshua 24: 30 - 32). There is also Bethany (the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus), Bethlehem ~ the home of King David and of course the birthplace of the Jewish Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). We also find Hebron is also situated in the Mountains of Israel ~ Hebron is where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Leah, and Jacob ~ whom God changed to Israel are buried. And of course there is Jerusalem, which is the only place the Arab Palestinians haven’t fully got today. Needless to say, it was in Jerusalem where the Jewish Temple stood, where David and Solomon ruled, and where Yeshua died and rose again.... these are all located in the Mountains of Israel.

Now it may surprise you to learn that the so-called West Bank includes all the places mentioned. If Israel was seen as the man he originally was, then the West Bank would be his very heart. The town of Ariel rests in the heart of Samaria, and this has often been on the front lines in the battle over the mountains of Israel. For example, I remember when visiting this place, the owners of a hotel spoke of when they came face to face, not once, but twice with Islamic suicide bombers. The enemy was, and still is, intent on wiping every Jew off this place. And, as we have witnessed, the Jewish people who have lived there, and have "returned" there due to the conviction that the Bible is in fact the Word of God, have struck a collision course with the Palestinians, and with most of the world's diplomats, along with much of the mainstream Church, and even with many fellow Israelis over the future of the "West Bank". But some believe that the world ignores the Bible's promises for the land at its peril. And in many ways, I believe the current events are a test for the nations.

In last weeks "Watching Over Zion", I wrote about the current world condemnation that Israel is facing for building more houses in Gilo, a suburb of Jerusalem. Poor media reporting, presenting a badly biased picture, have caused many people to demand Israel stop this action. And, relations between Israel and the United States and Britain hit a fresh low when both nations condemned the construction of 900 new housing units in, what is classed by the Palestinians as, "an East Jerusalem settlement". I also mentioned in last weeks report that much of the media called Gilo "a settlement". Some of you asked me if I could back this up with proof. The answer is yes... however I didn't need to, as HonestReporting.com (Visit HonestReporting's website) have done it for me. So how did some of the media refer to Gilo? Simply click on the blue links to see: The "occupied Jerusalem suburb of Gilo." - The Economist The "Gilo settlement in Jerusalem." - Reuters A "Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem." - BBC A "controversial settlement on the outskirts of east Jerusalem." - The Guardian A "settlement in East Jerusalem." - The Daily Telegraph "one of a dozen Israeli settlements in mostly Arab east Jerusalem." - AFP A "part of Jerusalem claimed by Palestinians." - LA Times
HonestReporting stated that the prize for the worst inaccuracy went to The Times of London, whose staff editorial spoke of "Israel's decision to go ahead with new settlements around Jerusalem." Of course, Gilo is certainly not new and, while some existing areas are being developed within existing boundaries to allow for natural growth, there are no plans whatsoever on the part of the Israeli government to create any new settlements in the Jerusalem region. Since reporting this last week, America has continued to criticise Israel. It appears pretty obvious that the US Obama administration believes that the biggest obstacle to Middle East peace is not militant Islam, Hamas or any other hostile Muslim regimes, but Israeli Jews who have built their homes in Judea and Samaria.

The world of course condemns Israel for being in "the West Bank", and daring to build more homes is seen by most as the "unforgivable sin". In many ways, we will probably never convince the Political world, or the media, or the Palestinians anything different... but surely there must be some hope for the Church? Surely, they must read the Scriptures? I have been amazed at some recent comments made to me from people within the Church who strongly oppose Israel. They too feel that by building homes in "the west bank" is provoking war not peace. But let me say this to those people... I firmly believe that the Jewish people who are building homes in Judea and Samaria (and especially Gilo ~ which is the area that has sparked off the recent condemnation) are not an obstruction to peace. Rather, they are simply trying to live their lives, building on their God-given inheritance. Christian Zionists who support the Jewish right to the land are not enemies of peace either. Rather, they are righteous gentiles who take God at His word. Yes... it is right to pray for and bless the Arab people. As Christians, we are also commanded to love our enemies ~ which even includes Hamas (I just haven't worked that one out yet)... however, this does not mean that we have to embrace a liberal theology and discard the Word of God regarding His promises to Israel.

If the mountains of Israel are indeed the heartland of the nation, then to rip it out would mean no life left in Israel. Take the mountains of Israel away from the Jews, and we deny the biblical significance of this place, and the very authority of the Word of God ~ the Bible. And so, right now there's a big test in all the world going on about who gets the mountains of Israel. The European Union, the United Nations, the governments of the world are saying it doesn't belong to the Jewish people. But if the Bible is true... then the Word of God says that it does, so I think that this is a real testing ground right now.

Words are cheap, but hope remains

Only three days ago, Islamic Terrorist group Hamas vowed that there would be a total halt to rocket attacks upon Israel. With good reason Israeli's simply do not trust the words of Hamas, and as expected, no sooner had the vow of Hamas been made when terrorists from Gaza struck the Western Negev yet again. This rocket attack was all the more cynical due to the fact that it happened while the Israeli government were working on a deal to free hundreds of Palestinian terrorists for one kidnapped Israeli soldier ~ Gilad Shalit (see next story).

We can thank the Lord God that no one was hurt in this attack, however this latest incident will by no means help the relationship between Jews and Arabs. The terrorist's missile exploded in the Shaar HaNegev region, where rocket-battered Sderot is located. Once again, the IAF (Israel Air Force) retaliated on Tuesday and hit a weapons warehouse and two tunnels used for smuggling weapons, merchandise and terrorists. It would also appear that words are cheap in this region. Only one day after the Hamas announcement of a ceasefire, following more than 275 mortar and rocket attacks since the end of the war on Hamas in January, the Islamic Jihad group immediately denied having agreed to any ceasefire.

In related news, Binyamin Netanyahu, who, during the “Disengagement” program of Gaza withdrew his support of the Sharon Government, told those who are still suffering the withdrawal, that helping them is a “national mission.” Visiting expulsion victims in the Eshkol Region, near the Gaza barrier that separates the families from the destroyed sites of their former homes, Netanyahu met with regional council leaders and three cabinet ministers. Also present was the new head of the committee that for four years has been sharply criticized for failing to help the expulsion victims rebuild their lives. Dozens of former Gush Katif farmers, many of them in their 50s and 60s, have been unable to return to agriculture because of lack of nearby land, lack of money for investing in new equipment and the waiting time before new produce can bring income.

However, Binyamin Netanyahu was optimistic. He promised the local residents, "We will raise this money in your greenhouses... we will invest money in what produces money.” He referred to the economic viability of pumping brackish water from underground reservoirs to provide water to local residents and suggested investing in solar energy. "We intend to harness ourselves to this national mission and proceed towards its realisation, government and residents alike, which each side doing its utmost,” the Prime Minister added. Referring to the economy in general, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who was credited for accelerating Israel’s unprecedented growth when he was Finance Minister in the Sharon government, said that his objective is to reach “five percent annual growth for the next several years.” He concluded, “A dynamic and growing economy…will produce for us the money for security, social needs, education and rural community development." While many promises, which have not been kept, have been made to the former residents of Gush Katif, hope still remains for a better future.

Could Israel really swap Barghouti for Shalit?

Once again, Israel are being dragged into the relentless game that the Palestinian Arab world appears to enjoy playing... that of swapping terrorist in Israeli prisons for deals of peace or other 'incentive's. The prisoner swap deal currently being hammered out between Israel and Hamas however, could see the release of captive Israel Defence Forces soldier Gilad Shalit. The demands of Hamas though are not cheap. In exchange for releasing one young innocent Israeli, Hamas are demanding the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners (most of whom have been jailed for acts of terror). However, if this deal does go through, it could have far-reaching strategic implications on the balance of power in the Palestinian world. If the reports I'm hearing are right, Israel is planning to release the leading Fatah terrorist Marwan Barghouti. Fatah officials say that this could expedite the resignation of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, paving the way for Barghouti to assume the post. Although Abbas has a dark past and is not really one whom Israel can trust, he is, according to the western world, a moderate. Imagine then if he is replaced by Barghouti?

The former Fatah-Tanzim militia commander Marwan Barghouti was convicted of murder in 2004. He was found guilty of murder for his involvement with three terrorist attacks in Israel that killed five people. He was acquitted for 33 other murders due to lack of evidence of his direct involvement in those crimes. Barghouti was also convicted of a charge of attempted murder, membership in a terror organization and conspiring to commit a crime. The court said in its verdict that "Barghouti was responsible for providing the field units with money and arms…." The judges said that the attacks were "based on instructions" from Yasser Arafat. The court found Barghouti responsible for a June 2001 attack in Maale Adumim, in which a Greek monk was murdered, a January 2002 terror attack on a Petrol station in Givat Zeev, a March 2002 attack at Tel Aviv's Seafood Market restaurant, in which three people were murdered, and a car bomb attack in Jerusalem. Although we would dearly love to see Gilad Shalit released from his capture, would Israel really free a man who is serving five consecutive life sentences in an Israeli prison for his role in the murders these Israelis and a Greek monk?

Palestinian opinion polls show that Barghouti is the most popular leader among Palestinians and is widely regarded as the only figure able to unify rival Palestinian factions. Though Hamas is likely to gain popularity if it is able to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit, no single Hamas figure seems likely to defeat Barghouti in Palestinian elections. Barghouti, who maintains exceptionally close relations with the Hamas leadership, has been trying to promote Palestinian unity for quite some time. In an interview from his prison cell last week, Barghouti voiced support for the idea of Palestinian "resistance" with Israel. Among Palestinians, the term "resistance" is a name for anything from terror attacks, which Barghouti has supported in the past, to non-violent demonstrations.

At the time of Barghouti’s conviction, David Saranga, a spokesman for then Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said, "The five people who were killed in these attacks that he ordered will not return to life. The widows and orphans will not get their loved ones back. But at least justice was done." On 6th June 2004, Barghouti was sentenced to five consecutive life terms and 40 years. So where is the justice in Israel releasing him now?
David Soakell

Sources: Unless otherwise stated: Personal sources throughout Israel along with The Jerusalem Post, BBC News, Arutz-7 News, Israeli Embassy London, Independent Media Review and Analysis & Israel National Radio