INTERNATIONAL June 2019 ISRAEL Sivan - Tammuz 5779 & Christians Today Understanding Israel and world events from a Biblical perspective www.c4israel.org | [email protected] Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon and UN representatives, visit the house of 58-year-old Moshe Agadi, who was killed from shrapnel wounds after his house was hit directly by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel, on 5 May 2019. | Photo: Flash90 Iran Sponsors New Round of Violence as Israel Goes Back to the Polls During the Nakba commemoration, Hamas and Islamic Since the beginning of the so-called ‘Great March of n Yochanan Visser Christians for Israel Correspondent in Israel Jihad again vowed to continue the violent struggle against Return’, the violent Palestinian mass-protests along the Israel. The two Gaza-based terror organisations organised Israeli border in March 2018, Hamas and Islamic Jihad Heavy violence erupted early May between Israel and a new violent mass-protest along the border with Israel in attempted eight times to drag the Israel Defense Forces the Hamas and Islamic Jihad regimes in Gaza. Four Gaza and again launched incendiary balloons which into a new war by launching hundreds of rockets at Israelis were killed and dozens injured by projectiles caused at least nine fires in southern Israel. southern Israel. fired from Gaza. Those killed included Moshe Agadi, a father of four who died after a rocket slammed into his The Israeli military foiled a number of infiltration At the beginning of November 2018, the parties came close home in southern Israel early Sunday morning 5 May. attempts and used riot control measures against the to all-out war when Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired 460 During two days of intense conflict, around 25 people violent protesters wounding 60 of them. projectiles into southern Israel destroying a complete were killed in the Gaza Strip, including several Hamas building in the coastal city of Ashqelon which was levelled Leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, vowed to fight Israel and Islamic Jihad terrorists. This new round in the by an Iranian missile. The missile was a copy of the Iranian until the “liberation of all of Palestine from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Islamic regimes Falaq-2 and was assembled by Islamic Jihad in Gaza. (Mediterranean) Sea to the (Jordan) River.” in Gaza was part of Iran's ongoing promotion of terror The mini-war began with an attack by a Kornet anti-tank in the region. This not merely rhetoric as we will see. One could argue missile on a bus which had transferred a group of IDF that the Palestinian Arab terror organisations have On 15 May 2019, Palestinian Arabs in Gaza commemorated soldiers to the Gaza-border. Only one soldier was injured already been trying to destroy Israel for more than 70 the so-called Nakba Day, the annual commemoration by by the missile which had been supplied by Iran via its years and that all attempts by Hamas and Islamic Jihad to Arab countries of what the Palestinian Arabs call Nakba Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, according to the Meir Amit realise their goals have utterly failed. Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center in Israel. (Disaster), the founding of the State of Israel and the creation of the Palestinian refugee problem. However, something has changed over the past two years. Continued on page 3 5 7 11 13 Political Crisis in Israel ‘Bluetooth’ & Denmark Feast of Shavu’ot Landmark Windmill Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel 2 June 2019 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tammuz 5779 Editorial Colophon Israel & Christians Today is the premier Will Israel Annex Judea and Samaria? publication of Christians for Israel Mission the plan already for us to know that it will are very slim indeed. The U.S. has no power n Andrew Tucker Our mission is to bring Biblical understanding International Editor | Christians for Israel constitute a radical departure from the to impose any solutions. The Palestinian in the Church and among the nations one-dimensional ‘two-state’ paradigm – leadership have already rejected the plan. concerning God’s purposes for Israel and to Since the last edition of this newspaper, the model that has dominated diplomatic European leaders are also vehemently promote comfort of Israel through prayer much has happened. ‘King’ Bibi Netanyahu, discussions for the last few decades but opposed to any plan that replaces their and action. the master of the art of turning defeat into has so far failed to produce an outcome cherished ‘Two-State Solution’. victory, emerged as the winner in the Editorial Team acceptable to both Israel and the elections held in Israel early April. With a The plan is just one factor in a major shake Andrew Tucker Palestinians. remarkable shift towards the centre/right, up in the region, and it is impossible to International Editor-in-Chief Basically, the Two-State Solution says that predict how things will play out. Bahrain [email protected] the political landscape in Israel was transformed. But in a dramatic and the Palestinians have a right to a state has announced its agreement to host a Cathy Coldicutt unprecedented turn of events, Netanyahu covering all of the so-called West Bank, conference in June to launch the Managing Editor was unable to form a coalition and Israel including ‘East Jerusalem’ as their capital. ‘economic’ aspects of the plan - yet another [email protected] will now go back to the polls in September. The Two-State Solution has failed because indication of growing acceptance of Israel it assumes the PLO is capable of governing in the Middle East, due in part to the Marloes van Westing On 25 April President Trump announced the Palestinian people (as Mordechai deepening hostility between the International Communications Manager that the US ‘recognises Israeli sovereignty’ (moderate) Sunni and more radical Shiite [email protected] over the Golan Heights - a statement that Kedar argues, on page 4, the PA has practically no legitimacy amongst the regimes. However Israel’s peace partners attracted global condemnation (see the Egypt and Jordan are showing little Ian Worby, Bryce Turner, Rita Quartel, analysis on page 12). In early May, as Palestinians). But also because its main willingness to support the plan, and it Marijke Terlouw and Marie-Louise Weissenböck Yochanan Visser reports on page 1, Hamas conditions are simply unacceptable to remains to be seen how far other moderate fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, this Israel. The vast majority of Israelis will not Scripture references: THE HOLY BIBLE, – and cannot - agree to the division of Arab states will go in sticking their necks NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® time resulting in casualties, and a strong Jerusalem, creation of a Palestinian state out for a proposal that does not recognise Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Israeli response. without adequate security guarantees, and Palestinian statehood or Arab sovereignty Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved Whatever the results of the September removal of all settlements. In addition, over East Jerusalem. All of this is worldwide. elections, one of the main issues facing they cannot accept the Palestinians’ claim complicated by the attempts to get Arab C4I Offices any new government will be Israel’s that Palestinian ‘refugees’ have a ‘right to states to participate in MESA (Middle East relations with the Palestinians, especially return’ to Israel. To accept such conditions Strategic Alliance), the US-Saudi initiative Christians for Israel International the question of the status of settlements. would be to sign their own death warrant. to establish an ‘Arab NATO’ to counter Leon Meijer, Chairman Iran. Several weeks ago Egypt announced Prior to the elections, Bibi had announced In true Trump style, the U.S. plan will be Rev. Willem J.J. Glashouwer, President it does not intend to participate in MESA. Rev. Cornelis Kant, Executive Director that if re-elected he would annex (i.e. ‘out of the box’. It will provide detailed P.O. Box 1100 | 3860 BC Nijkerk, extend Israeli sovereignty to) Israeli proposals addressing core issues (e.g. Plan or no plan, there is increasing pressure The Netherlands | Tel: +31 33 422 0405 settlements in the ‘West Bank’ (i.e. Judea suggestions for the final borders of Israel, on the Israeli government to take action [email protected] | www.c4israel.org and Samaria), including ‘isolated the status of Jerusalem, the future of regarding Judea and Samaria. Many settlements’. He also ruled out a Palestinian refugees, etc.), but it will not be (former) IDF leaders have been warning for The English Edition of Israel & Christians Today Palestinian state as it would ‘endanger our about how to create a new negotiating some time that the ‘West Bank’ is slowly is published by the following English speaking existence’. In a recent tweet Netanyahu process; rather, its goal is to offer becoming another Gaza. Israel must either branches: indicated he intends to fulfil that promise, ‘solutions.’ Above all, the U.S. plan will have completely withdraw or take back more Christians for Israel - Australia referring to Judea and Samaria as ‘our proposals for attracting investment to control. The current policy of maintaining Ian Worby, National Leader patrimony’, and rejecting objections by improve the quality of life for Palestinians, the status quo is untenable in the long run. PO Box 1508, Springwood some former Israeli security leaders that while dismissing their ‘political aspirations’. But Israel will face huge resistance if it Queensland, Australia 4127 annexing parts of the ‘West Bank’ would When asked to endorse the idea of seeks to take more control in Areas A and Tel: +61 402 277 930, [email protected] endanger the security of Israel’s citizens.