ISRAEL IS 70 YEARS OLD

(part 8)

Eventually this psychologically wasting Second Intifada ended. It resulted in what may be seen as a small victory for the Palestine cause. Israel demolished the controversial Israeli settlements that were built in Gaza and evicted all its citizens from that area. This was done in goodwill, but rather than producing peace, this withdrawal encouraged Hamas, a radical Palestinian terrorist organisation, to turn to a political party and thus challenge the administration body of the PLO to govern the West Bank and Gaza, the Palestinian Authority which was subject to Israeli martial law.

An internal and quick bloody clash followed which left the Hamas in control of Gaza. This originated in repeated rocket and mortar attacks on the adjacent Israeli settlements. Israel immediately retaliated and waged two heavy military operations in Gaza. The first one in 2008 - 09 and the second one recently in 2014. Meantime, two years before in 2006, in the northern front, similar rocket and mortars activity by the Hezbollah in Lebanon ignited yet another war which has since remained relatively quiet.

The year 2015 marked the beginning of what is commonly known by the "Knife Intifada" or the "Wage of Terror" - a series of 'lone-wolf' Palestinian terrorist attacks throughout Israel. Many contributing factors have been suggested and debated for the "knife Intifada" and the most contributing factor, as stated by the terrorist organisation, are the numerous repeated accusations that Israel planned to seize control of the Temple Mount.

Many people were killed or injured not only in restaurants or side-walk cafes, but also in the peaceful squares where stabbings or vehicle driven attacks took place.

In spite of whatever disruptions and casualties, and to a certain point becoming part of the daily Israeli culture, life carries on to a fed up and more desensitised society, although with a much heavier ever present security.

The long hope for a two-state as a solution to this problem has lost meaningful ground in the public arena. Both Israelis and Palestinians are losing the patience and confidence that the growing breach can ever been healed. Both extremist sides are constantly using the provocation and igniting of this ongoing drama, by using the central issue of the temple Mount as fuel to the fire. Israeli settlement of the West Bank areas—frequently done in contravention of legal rulings and without permission of the Israeli government—adds yet more fuel.

And while the external threats to Israel’s security are seemingly at bay, the international view of the Jewish state has dramatically reversed since the 1947 UN resolution. No other country on earth receives nearly the degree of criticism, outrage, targeted sanctions and boycotts as Israel.

For example, out of all of the humanitarian crises and dictatorial atrocities in the world today, the UN General Assembly in 2016 adopted 20 resolutions against Israel and a total of only six for all other countries combined!

Why is this happening? Certainly not for a mere coincidence. In my book "Apocalypse Unfolding Now", I explain the place that the modern Israel has in Bible prophecy.

Much like the miraculous nature of Israel’s establishment and survival, the hatred it endures from the world defies rational explanations. Students of the Bible, however, recognise that this attitude is a fulfillment of the same Bible prophecy that shows how Jerusalem would once again become a focal point of the world’s attention: “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves."(Zechariah 12:2-3)

This speaks and pictures the final siege against the people of Jerusalem. This speaks of a great future battle against Jerusalem. Some say it is Armaggedon, the last great battle on earth. Those who oppose God's people will not prevail forever. Eventually, evil, pain and oppression will be abolished once and for all.

(to be continued… next - final part)