November 5, 2005

Israel, Egypt Reach Gaza Border Deal
Middle East Times Fri, 04 Nov 2005 4:01 AM PST
CAIRO -- Israel and Egypt reached an agreement on the sensitive issue of the Gaza Strip's borders on Wednesday, amid increasing Israeli accusations that Cairo was failing to prevent arms smuggling.  

Hamas Chief Threatens To Order Kidnap Of Israelis
Middle East Times Fri, 04 Nov 2005 3:46 AM PST
JERUSALEM -- The radical Islamist movement Hamas threatened on Wednesday to step up efforts to kidnap Israelis unless more Palestinian prisoners are released. 

Hillary Clinton To Arrive Next Week
Haaretz Daily Fri, 04 Nov 2005 0:53 AM PST
U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will arrive in Israel next week for a visit that she hopes will boost her support among New York Jews. Clinton will meet Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to discuss security issues and United States-Israel relations. 

Annan Cancels Iran Trip In Wake Of Anti-Israel Remark - Reuters
NEW YORK - United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Friday canceled his forthcoming trip to Tehran after the Iranian president's call to "wipe Israel off the map," the UN said.

Annan had planned to visit the Iranian capital in mid-November, presumably to talk about Iran's nuclear policy, during a swing through the Middle East beginning next week.

But since the trip was arranged, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made the comment on October 26, drawing international condemnation.  

Bill Clinton Says Hillary Might Be Better President Than He Was...
Former President Clinton said in an interview Friday that he believes his wife would do a better job than he did in the nation's highest office.

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has not said whether she plans to run in Nonetheless, her husband told Israel's Channel Two television that her experience as first lady would help make her a strong president.

"In some ways she would be (better) because of what we did together," he said from New York. "First, she has the Senate experience I didn't have. Second, she would have had the eight years in the White House."

Israeli About-Face: We Won´t Interfere If Hamas Terrorists Run
The Sharon government, in a 180-degree turn, said it will not interfere if Hamas terrorists run in PA elections. PM Sharon said last month," We will never agree" to their participation.  

IDF Fears Gaza Terror Gangs Moving To Judea And Samaria
The IDF fears Gaza terror gangs, including terrorists from the PA's ruling Fatah party, are planting cells in Judea and Samaria. The army damaged one terror gang, but "there are a dozen more."  

Kissinger Warns Against Early Retreat From Iraq
Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger warned Friday against the "catastrophic consequences of a debacle" in Iraq and any rushed withdrawal of US forces.

"To argue that a collapse of the US in Iraq would not have consequences is simply living in a dream world," Kissinger told a meeting of NATO top brass including US General James Jones and Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

'Time To Return To Gaza'
Israel should respond to escalating terrorism against its people by expelling the Palestinian Authority, but short of that, Jerusalem must at least approve a major IDF incursion into northern Gaza and the establishment of a buffer zone there.

Those were the recommendations of Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuval Steinitz in an interview with Arutz 7 Thursday.

Israel only allowed the creation of the Palestinian Authority under the assumption it was both capable and willing to bring an end to Arab terrorism against Israel's Jews.

That it has failed to do so for more than a decade should evoke a crushing response from Israel: the dissolution of the PA and the exiling of its more unsavory characters back to Tunis, Steinitz said.

Ex-Army Chief Yaalon Says Abbas Fakes Weakness, Rejects Palestian State
Former IDF COS Moshe Yaalon said of Mahmoud Abbas: "He appears weak. He is not so weak," the lieutenant general said. "He uses weakness as an excuse."

Comments
A former IDF Army chief believes that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is hiding behind weakness so that terrorist groups can continue their terrorist activities against Israelis.  Although a stupid plan, it’s probably correct. 

Maybe I’m not smart enough to figure this thing out, but if I were a terrorist leader I would stop the terror, get a Palestinian state established as soon as possible, and move forward with the next phase of my evil plan…to destroy Israel.  I can’t imagine that happening at this pace.  But the Bible does prophesy in Ezekiel 38:11 that in the last days Israel will be at peace…so (temporary) peace is coming someday and maybe sooner than we think.

I was sent an email a number of months ago from a sincere reader of mine who was all excited about the Gaza pullout.  Based on this happening this person just knew that the rapture was coming within in the next few months.  And indeed it could! 

But my point is, I don’t think we are going to see much if any progress toward a Palestinian state (or peace for that matter) until after the rapture takes place.  Suddenly, when Christians are gone, the Bible says that the man of sin will be revealed (II Thessalonians 2:3).  This is speaking of the antichrist who will come on the scene in the last days and change the world as we know it.  He will come quickly, restart the peace talks, and solve them in a very short amount of time.  Day one of the tribulation period is generally believed to be the day the peace accord with Israel is signed and not when the antichrist is revealed, although, they could be one and the same day.

One thing many overlook regarding this time is after the rapture occurs the antichrist will come on the scene but may not be revealed until the peace accord is signed or maybe as far into the tribulation period as the abomination of desolation (mid-trib).  It could be years into the tribulation period before anyone realizes his real identity.

He probably will come out of obscurity to eventually lead the European Union, but I don’t believe anyone before the rapture will have much knowledge of this man. By the time he comes on the scene the E.U. constitution may already be ratified.  In fact, he may be their first president.  He may also rise before the constitution is in place and ratify it with only ten countries.  I favor this scenario since the Bible says there will be ten (Daniel 7:7-8, 24) nations in the kingdom of the antichrist.

He will rise to an unprecedented level of world power and eventually solve the unattainable world puzzle known as Middle East peace.  This peace plan is said to involve many countries in which Israel will be one of them (Daniel 9:27).  Look for the Arab world to be the main participants of this peace plan.  He will bring peace and stability to the region and Israel will be accepted worldwide.  Six months to a year later the Arab armies led by Russia will invade Israel only to be soundly defeated by God.  They will die on the mountains of Israel in shocking fashion that will simply be unexplainable outside of divine intervention.

Of course, the order of events is all speculation on my part, but the end result is Biblical.  This will all happen someday and it could be sooner than you think.