Posted by from Rabbi Eckstein on July 01, 2005 at 12:07:37:
originally posted April 18, 2005...
Welcome to our Stand for Israel Weekly Letter, written by The Fellowship's good friend Gary Bauer. In each issue, Gary will share his "Washington insider" view of issues affecting Israel and its relationship with the U.S. and offer new ways to advocate for Israel's peace and security. We hope this will be an informative and useful tool for you as you "stand for Israel" in your own community.
Suicide Border?
Less than 24 hours after President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met in Crawford, Texas, the reaction to the meeting by a top aide to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas shocked Israel’s friends here in Washington.
The aide told the Jerusalem Post that “Bush must realize that without an Israeli withdrawal to pre-1967 borders there would be no peace in the region.” PA spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said the U.S. had no right to “legitimize” any settlements.
But these so-called settlements aren’t scattered tents on a hill -- they are long-established communities where tens of thousands of Israelis live. In other words, The PA is insisting that Jews leave all of Judea and Samaria - lands they have lived in for thousands of years.
And these are the moderates! The reaction of the real thugs was even worse! A spokesman for Islamic Jihad accused the president of conspiring to kill Palestinians. And referring to President Bush’s insistence that terrorists in Palestinian areas be disarmed, the terrorist spokesman added, “We will lay down our weapons only when all of Palestine is liberated."
I spent most of the last two days calling key foreign-policy experts and government policymakers to gauge their reaction to these Palestinian threats and demands. Many of our friends in the White House and on Capitol Hill were astonished by the Palestinian statements, but they shouldn’t have been.
Ever since the modern state of Israel was re-established, its enemies have sought its destruction. It is inconceivable that Israel could ever agree to abandon all of Judea and Samaria, where Jews have lived for centuries, and go back to pre-1967 borders. Some have called those the “suicide borders,” because many military experts believe they would leave Israel indefensible in an era of modern warfare.
And, of course, the Islamic Jihad statement is even more telling. When these terrorists say they won’t lay down their weapons until “all of Palestine is liberated,” they really mean their goal is the destruction of all of Israel.
My friends, the months ahead will be a time of tough negotiations and backdoor diplomatic maneuvering. Israel, more than ever, will need the support of her Christian friends here in the United States and around the world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sharon’s Gift
There was an important dramatic moment during the Crawford, Texas, meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Sharon and President Bush that most of the so-called mainstream media failed to report.
Prime Minister Sharon presented the president with a top-secret file containing reconnaissance photos that prove Iran is racing ahead with its nuclear-weapons program. Inside sources say the file also contained details about where Iran has located key centrifuges that are being used to develop nuclear material.
Sharon’s intelligence “gift” to President Bush is extremely important to the future of both nations. A nuclear Iran, with radical mullahs in possession of weapons of mass destruction, would be a grave threat to both Israel and the United States. Those mullahs already have threatened to use nuclear weapons against Israel. And U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East could be another target.
The Israeli photos are a dramatic reminder that we live in a dangerous world. The great moral challenge of our age is for free nations to prevent such weapons from falling into the hands of evil men who reject our civilization and values. Although Israel and the United States occasionally disagree on strategy, they are united against regimes like Iran and the “Axis of Evil.”
PS: My friends, the months ahead will be a time of tough negotiations and backdoor diplomatic maneuvering. More than ever, Israel will need the support of her Christian friends here in the United States and around the world. We must pray for Israel, for the and for wisdom for Israeli and American leaders. I am grateful that Rabbi had the foresight to set in motion the Stand for Israel initiative more than two years ago. I am proud to be working with him and with each of you in this effort.
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
Founder and President
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
This board is not in use
Name : E-Mail : Subject :
Comments: Optional Link URL : Link Title : Optional Image URL:
If you press "Preview Message," you are taken to a preview screen where your
message is shown to you before allowing you to post it.
Your message is not finalized until you click "Post Message".
Bible Talk Message Board
Copyright © 2005. All rights reserved.