~ Thursday 13th May 2010 ~

Compiled by David Soakell Tel: 01323 410810 E-mail david@cfi.org.uk Website: www.cfi.org.uk

The Word: Counsel is mine… By me kings reign, princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth. I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. (Proverbs 8:14-17)

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. (Romans 13:1-2)

For I know that the LORD is great, and our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places… He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants… He defeated many nations and slew mighty kings-- and all the kingdoms of Canaan-- and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people. (Psalm 135:5-12)

• Pointers for prayer: As Conservative leader David Cameron becomes the new UK prime minister after the resignation of Gordon Brown, the Tory leader aims to form a "Proper and true coalition" with the Lib Dems to provide a "strong, stable government". How do you feel about this rather strange alliance? And, as we asked last week, who will really speak up for the nation of Israel? Let us continue to cry out to the LORD of Hosts that we would have a Government who would oppose ant-Semitism and support the nation of Israel (thus bringing blessings on the UK and not a curse ~ Genesis 12:3, Isaiah 60:12). Pray that we would have a government who would understand the eternal covenant of God to Israel, and His promise and giving of the land of Israel to the Jewish people as their everlasting homeland, now and always as declared by God's Word (Genesis 17:7-9). Please pray for our new government to affirm the Biblical promises regarding the rebirth of Israel as ordained and prophesied in the Scriptures. (Ezekiel 36 and 37; Isaiah 11:11-12) Pray that the new UK government would affirm Jerusalem as the undivided eternal capital of Israel, and that the leaders would recognise the biblical warning that any seeking to move or divide it shall do so at their peril. (Joel 3:16-21)

• Please continue to pray for strength and wisdom to the leaders in Israel, especially Prime Minister Netanyahu to deal with the threat from Hamas & Hezbollah. (Isaiah 1:26)

• Pray for encouragement, strength and perseverance for the Israeli people in the face of constant physical and spiritual opposition. And continue to pray that ordinary Jewish and Arab people, whether living in Israel proper or what the world terms as the "Territories", will have a desire for reconciliation and to live side by side in peace and harmony.

Britain's new challenge Way back on 31st October 1869, Charles Haddon Spurgeon delivered a sermon entitled, "A Word With Those Who Wait for Signs And Wonders." Spurgeon stated, "Israel in the wilderness saw great marvels wrought by the Lord their God, and yet perished in unbelief. Pharaoh is a still more notable instance — what signs and wonders God wrought in the fields of Zoan! How was the Nile crimsoned into blood, and all Egypt filled with lamentation! The Lord turned the dust of the land into lice, and the ashes therefore into plagues... and death upon their firstborn; yet all the wonder which God wrought did not soften Pharaoh’s heart, and though for awhile he trembled, yet again he steeled himself against the God of Israel, and said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?” My hearers, if ye do not believe Moses and the prophets, if ye do not believe in Jesus Christ with the testimonies which are already before you, neither would you believe though one rose from the dead, or though all the plagues of Egypt should be repeated upon you with tenfold fury. There is no necessary connection between the seeing of wonders and the believing in God, for we learn clearly from Pharaoh’s case, and from many others, that all the displays of wonderful power either of judgment or of mercy, do not beget faith in unbelieving hearts."

As the ash clouds continue to cause problems, albeit much less these days, what will be the next problems the UK face? And, as "The Lord turned the dust and the ashes therefore into plagues", when will the people and indeed the leaders of our nation realise the dangers of standing against God's Word and His Nation Israel (Genesis 12:2,3)? As the outgoing government has already thrown ridiculous amounts of money at the failing banks, this past week the European Commission has waded into Britain's election period after warning that British public debt is expected to be higher than any other European Union country this year. Brussels economic forecasts predict that debt will account for nine tenths of the British economy's total value by the end of next year. ‘Fire and brimstone’ was preached by the Puritans of Great Britain long before they carried it across the Atlantic to the New World. Maybe that's what is needed today as the UK appears to be suffering from a social meltdown.

The problem is spiralling and if something is not done soon, the morally-destitute youth of today will become the parent's of tomorrow. It would appear that parents are unwilling to take the responsibility of controlling and disciplining their children, and everywhere people have lost the meaning of respect. The media does nothing to help the situation and schools have become the last place where any degree of social responsibility is being taught, and even then, it is almost impossible for them to do so effectively. And with the recent government MPs embarrassment of the "expenses scandal" leading by example, we need to ask, is there any hope? Maybe we should also be asking, "Is God judging this land"?

Meanwhile, British democracy and sovereignty appeared to be all at sea as this new week kicked in. In a moment when the great majority of voters appeared to have been disenfranchised and left with no serious political party to represent their views, Gordon Brown looked as if he would remain once again in the role of the Prime Minister that was never elected. However, a few hours later, and change was about to happen. The Labour leader’s desperate bid to cling on to power fell apart after his own MPs responded with fury to the prospect of a Lib-Lab pact and there were clashes on policy with Nick Clegg. After five days of high drama following the election ending in a hung parliament, could the deadlock be over with the Tories on the verge of sweeping to power? Tuesday morning came and Mr Brown was still at Number Ten with his wife Sarah and his closest aides, however luggage had been spotted being piled into cars at the back of Downing Street.

In my stand with Israel, I always support Likud. However a coalition government in Israel can be a nightmare. By Tuesday evening, Conservative leader David Cameron became the new UK prime minister after the resignation of Gordon Brown. Cameron entered through the most famous door of 10 Downing Street after his visit to the Queen for her request to form the next government. He said he aimed to form a "Proper and true coalition" with the Lib Dems to provide a "strong, stable government". But is there really anything stable about Nick Clegg's Lib Dems? Can Mr Cameron, who openly says he supports Israel, stand side by side with someone who clearly doesn't?

To shed a little more light on this situation, without hopefully confusing you further, I'd like to finish this first article with some words from the latest blog by Joel Rosenberg. Looking at the "good news" Joel Rosenberg writes, "David Cameron understands the severity of Iran’s nuclear threat; has likened Islamic extremism to Nazism; supported the war in Iraq and opposed calls to cut and run; supported the war in Afghanistan and resisted calls to cut the number of British troops there; refuses to unilaterally surrender the UK’s nuclear deterrence; he’s part Jewish; he has publicly declared himself a Zionist [ http://www.haaretz.com/news/tory-leader-calls-himself-zionist-u-k-jews-campaign-against-boycott-1.223009]; and he has taken pro-Israel positions in the past, including Israel’s right to defend herself in the war against Hamas in 2009." In June 2007 David Cameron stated, "If by Zionist you mean that the Jews have the right to a homeland in Israel and the right to a country then I am a Zionist," adding that support for Israel is "in the DNA" of members of his party.

However, in Rosenberg's section on "The not-so-good news", Joel Rosenberg states, "Cameron supports a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians, which by definition requires dividing Israel and carving up pieces of Jerusalem; he has described East Jerusalem as “occupied” territory; he has been sharply critical of Israeli settlements; he leads a weak political party, holding only 306 seats, well short of a majority [total seats in the British parliament: 650], and is thus dependent on left-of-centre political parties; and to gain power, Cameron built a political coalition with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg (whose party won just 57 seats). Clegg has been so severely hostile to Israel that he actually called for an arms embargo against the Jewish State in 2009. Will David Cameron be a friend to Israel as the rest of the world — and nearly all of Europe, and now the White House – isolates Israel? I pray the answer is yes, but it remains to be seen. Given the coalition he has just built, I must say I’m concerned." I realise that we will never agree with all of the policies a government will bring. And you may agree or disagree with my views, and you may agree or disagree with Joel Rosenberg's views... but wherever you stand on this issue, we certainly need to seek the Lord over our Nation in the coming months.

43rd anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem It's doesn't seem two minutes ago since we were celebrating the Passover, and saying the traditional prayer of "Next year in Jerusalem" at the seder. Although here in the UK, winter appears not to want to release its grip (it was actually hail-stoning here this morning!!!), in Israel, according to my sources, the weather is hot and sunny. And on Wednesday, "Jerusalem Day" has arrived, forcing many in Israel to ask whether this is the Jerusalem we meant. While the streets are full of Jewish people, there is still talk of dividing the ancient City in two for the sake of a "Palestinian state". Meanwhile, as celebrations get under way, thousands of armed policemen and civilians are afraid of the next explosion. Is this really the Jerusalem we longed for?

Even so, Israel are indeed marking the 43rd anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem since the Six Day War in 1967. The date is celebrated according to the Hebrew calendar, with the 28th day of the month of Iyar being the date that Israeli forces took control of the eastern half of Jerusalem, including the area where once stood the House of God (Temple Mount). Throughout Wednesday, Knesset members and Jerusalem municipal officials visited schools throughout the city to teach students about Zionism and Israel's connection to Jerusalem. Free tours of the Old City and other important landmarks were also offered, and the traditional Jerusalem Day parade made its way through the centre of the City.
In his Jerusalem Day address, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the Jews are more connected to Jerusalem than any other people are to their own capital, and that no foreign pressure will ever change that. Benjamin Netanyahu stated, "We never gave up on the connection to Jerusalem – not when the Temple was destroyed for the first or second time and not afterwards. The struggle for Jerusalem is a struggle for the truth. We are building it, will continue to build it and to develop it." The Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat also attended the rally and referring to United States pressure regarding construction he noted, "We find the answers to outside threats here inside. This is the reason the people's leaders come here on Jerusalem Day." The mayor later commented directly on the demand for a construction freeze and said, "I told the Americans it was unthinkable and illegal to halt construction for Jews alone. I made it clear we would keep on building in all parts of the city." Barkat further claimed that the world was testing Israel's determination and the stronger and more cohesive its stance, "the easier it will be for us to promote the city."

In many ways though, the Jewish people's connection to Jerusalem has no need of parades, especially with thousands of armed policemen on patrol. What Jerusalem needs is for the people to truly turn to the LORD God of Israel and seek Him for His blessing. May we pray that even today, the Israeli government would desire fresh thinking that learns from the past, looks to the LORD, and offers hope to all the city's residents, and yes that even includes the Arab Palestinians who's needs also require some thought and action. May we be in a place where we continue to pray that ordinary Jewish and Arab people, whether living in Israel proper or what the world terms as the "Territories", will have a desire for reconciliation and to live side by side in peace and harmony ~ a true unification of Jerusalem.

Will Israel soon be standing alone? As I mentioned in one of my articles last week, Israel is under constant fire from Iranian and Syrian-backed terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. The Jewish nation’s very existence is threatened by the rise of a nuclear-armed Iran, which has malevolently warned of another Holocaust. So… what do the Nations intend to do to stop Iran? Simple... bring in the Man... Yes, the man who everyone delights to entrust with the world's problems ~ US President Barack Obama with his famed powers of persuasion. Yet something was amiss at the recent UN's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in which the Obama administration appeared to lose control over the agenda even before the conference started. The Obama administration officials said they intended to use the conference as a platform to mount international pressure on Iran to stop its illicit nuclear proliferation activities. But even before the conference began, with a little pressure from Egypt, the administration agreed that instead of focusing on Iran, the conference would adopt Iran's chosen agenda: attacking Israel for its alleged nuclear arsenal! Israel's alleged nuclear arsenal, which it has reportedly fielded for four decades, has not led to any regional nuclear arms race. And, Israel's neighbours fully recognise that the very purpose of Israel's undeclared nuclear arsenal is to guarantee Israel's survival and consequently only threatens those who would attack the Jewish state with the intention of trying to annihilate it.

As yet another Qassam rocket was fired from the northern Gaza Strip into south Ashkelon, the Colour Red anti-rocket alert system was activated at several southern Israeli communities again. The fact that little damage was done is irrelevant as the trauma for these people continues to increase. However, these Qassam rockets are toys in comparison to what Iran is pushing for. Many sources with their eyes focused on Iran observe that when the Sajjil-2 rocket is fully developed, Iran could readily use it to deliver a nuclear warhead. The Iranian Fars News Agency claims that just such a missile is already in mass production. On the 10th May 2010, the Iranian Army test-fired four hi-tech missiles during the massive naval war-games in the Strait of Hormuz and northern Indian Ocean. Elaborating on the details of the current stage of the Iranian war-games, Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Air Force for Operations General Seyed Mohammad Alawi said that the new missiles were fired by the country's Phantom fighters and hit and destroyed the targets successfully. "The new missiles have been loaded onto the Army's fighter jets with changes and updates in their parts. They had a fully successful performance today," Alawi stressed.

The Iranian Navy's heavy submarines on Monday successfully test-fired home-made torpedoes at subsurface targets on the sixth day of the series of naval war-games. The Iranian Navy also used Iran's first home-made destroyer, Jamaran, and other newly-developed military tools and equipments in the war-games a bid to test its achievements. In the north of Israel, as Hezbollah grows in strength, concern over a possible confrontation is becoming an international issue. A conflagration in the north sometime in the near future could result from one of three developments: escalation between Israel and Iran over the latter's nuclear program; Hezbollah's efforts to exact revenge for the 2008 killing of senior operative Imad Mughniyeh; or an Israeli attack on an arms convoy from Syria to Hezbollah. But developments on the Iranian front depend on the results of the American initiative to impose stricter sanctions, which is expected to be discussed at the Security Council next month. However, as we have seen from the recent UN's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference, we might be waiting a long time for the US to intervene. Meanwhile, Israeli's are suffering ever increasing trauma, and the threat of a strike on Israel could be drawing closer. It doesn't help when we read adverts such as the following one: "Ordering Gas Masks - You can get your gas mask delivered directly to your home for a fee of NIS 25 per household within a week of order placement." May we be all the more determined to stand with Israel, as she faces many difficult issues to come.
And finally... something to warm the heart I must confess that I do get tired of writing only about heavy Israeli political issues or about threats of war, and every now and then I desire a "happy ending". So, how about this for a happy ending: Did you know Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu took on the role of a rather "Jewish Santa Claus" on Tuesday? How you may well ask... well he offered to give a free trip to Canada on his airplane at the end of the month to a lone Israeli soldier (IDF) he met while watching an IDF manoeuvre in the North of Israel.

At the end of a live-fire training exercise, which simulated fighting in a "Hezbollah village" in southern Lebanon, two Israeli soldiers with camouflage paint on their faces and camouflaged helmets who were cast in the role of Hezbollah fighters, emerged from the boulders and were taken to meet the Israeli prime minister. When Benyamin Netanyahu asked where the soldiers were from, he was surprised to hear from one of them, Yonatan Feder, came from Vancouver, Canada. So amazingly, Netanyahu told Yonatan Feder that he was going to Canada at the end of the month, and would send regards to his family. However, he then offered to take him along as well on his plane! And the Israeli prime minister wasn’t kidding. As Benyamin Netanyahu was getting ready to go back to his helicopter, a woman from his office approached Feder, who seemed pleasantly stunned by the whole turn of events, and asked for his name, phone number and army ID number. She then turned to his officer and instructed him to arrange a furlough (a temporary leave of absence from employment/duty in the armed services) for Feder at the end of the month. Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Toronto and Ottawa at the end of May 2010. Isn't that nice... I wonder what Feder's army officer was thinking???

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