World News and Trends: Pressures on Israel intensify
Israel is a tiny nation besieged by serious problems on every side.
Recently U.S. President Barack Obama called for this very small country to return to its pre-1967 borders (which, in actuality, were cease-fire lines from the 1948 war). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately responded by saying that these borders were indefensible. In The Wall Street Journal, Bret Stephen's Global View column stated that "the President's peace proposal is a formula for war" ("An Anti-Israel President,"May 24).
Withdrawal to the 1967 borders would most likely precipitate another war, with Israel once again fighting for its very survival. As Israeli author Avi Perry explained in an opinion piece in The Jerusalem Post:
"The Palestinians have been unwilling to end the conflict. Had they been interested in a peaceful two-state solution, they would have abandoned their demand for the right of return; they would have agreed to settle the refugee problem within the confines of an independent, occupation-free Palestinian state. They would have stopped educating their children to hate. They would have ceased naming public squares after terrorists; they would not have fired anti-tank missiles on Israeli school busses, rockets and mortar on civilians, or (even) on the Israeli military; they would have worked tirelessly to gain Israel's trust. But they've done nothing of the sort" ("Was Netanyahu Right to Rebuff Obama?" June 1, 2011).
From its beginning as a modern state in 1948, Israel has nearly always been able to count on American support. Now, however, "America's mighty pro-Israel lobby may be less durable than it looks . . . More to the point, most Jews vote Democratic, and will probably continue to do so no matter what they think of the President's attitude toward Israel" ("Lexington Column," The Economist, May 28, 2011).
President Obama's statements amount to a partial undoing of U.S. policy in the Middle East. But the dangerous potential of a gradual dwindling of America's favorable inclination toward the state of Israel is far from the tiny nation's only problem with the outside world.
Israel's peace treaty with Egypt has been a big help in buttressing Israel's security for more than 30 years. We should all take notice of a Financial Times article telling us that "the Muslim Brotherhood opposition group in Egypt has called for a review of the 1978 treaty between Egypt and Israel, and says it should be resubmitted to a 'freely elected' parliament for approval" (Heba Saveh, "Cairo Urged to Review Peace Deal With Israel," May 6, 2011).
The so-called "Arab Spring," hailed by most as a progressive and positive development, is not working out for Israel, since it has unleashed virulent anti-Semitism in some Arab countries.
Remember that the Palestinian Authority has brought Hamas (a terrorist organization committed to the destruction of Israel) into its government. Recall also that Hezbollah, another terrorist organization, largely calls the shots in Lebanon. Add to these the specter of Iran manufacturing nuclear weapons that could easily reach Israel. Overshadowing all these pressures is the stark possibility of a United Nations vote unilaterally granting Palestinians statehood.
Balancing this negative picture somewhat is the positive reception of Prime Minister Netanyahu's rousing speech to a joint session of the American Congress. This will help Israel's cause. Even House Democrat Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi appeared to disagree with President Obama's insistence on Israel returning to its 1967 borders. There is no question that Netanyahu won over the vast majority of the U.S. Congress.
Why is this tiny Middle Eastern country so important? Mainly this: The establishment of a Jewish state in the Holy Land marks a major fulfillment in God's framework for end-time prophecy. Among other important developments, it sets the stage for the second coming of Jesus Christ. To understand further, request or download our free booklets The Middle East in Bible Prophecy and Are We Living in the Time of the End? (Sources: The Economist, Financial Times [both London], The Wall Street Journal.)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: July - August 2011
Course Content
Jerold Aust
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
