In Brief... World News Review A Major Player
King Hussein was the only leader most Jordanians have ever known. He came to the throne in 1952 after the assassination in Jerusalem of his grandfather, King Abdullah. Harry Truman was the American president, the Soviet Union still existed, and no one had ever heard of the Internet. A lot has changed since then but one constant remains-there is still no lasting peace agreement among the Arab and Israelis.
King Hussein was the only leader most Jordanians have ever known. He came to the throne in 1952 after the assassination in Jerusalem of his grandfather, King Abdullah. Harry Truman was the American president, the Soviet Union still existed, and no one had ever heard of the Internet. A lot has changed since then but one constant remains-there is still no lasting peace agreement among the Arab and Israelis.
Hussein's last major diplomatic effort was last fall during the Wye Plantation Agreement reached between Israel and the Palestinians. In a tribute to the king's stature, President Bill Clinton called the king from his treatments in Minnesota to help broker the agreement. The absence of the king in the Mideast relations will leave a vacuum that someone will have to fill.
A recent special documentary on America's Public Broadcasting Network, titled "The Fifty Year War Between the Arabs and Israelis," highlighted the special focus that Jordan has played in the region. When Israel took control of a divided Jerusalem in 1967 it was Jordan which lost its hold on the holy sites of the Temple Mount. The Palestinian Liberation Organization's roots are in the dispossessed inhabitants of Jordan. More than half its population are Palestinians. King Hussein was only the second Arab leader, behind Anwar Sadat, to have negotiated a peace agreement with Israel. Having survived internal uprisings, and the constant intrigues of Mideast religion and politics, Hussein showed himself to be an adroit and nimble survivor.
It appears the king's final decision was to change his designated heir. Will thsi move be like that of Shakespeare's King Lear, who tried to control his succession and met disastrous results? The implications of this decision will have far reaching effects on the Mideast situation.
An Article from:
World News and Prophecy: February 1999
Course Content
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.
Darris McNeely
Darris McNeely works at the United Church of God home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 43 years. They have two sons, who are both married, and four grandchildren. Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. He also is a resident faculty member at the Ambassador Bible Center teaching Acts, Fundamentals of Belief and World News and Prophecy. He enjoys hunting, travel and reading and spending time with his grandchildren.
David Palmer
Born in Saskatchewan Canada, David Palmer was first introduced to the radio broadcast of the World Tomorrow during his career in broadcasting, when the program was aired during his on air shift. In 1965 his radio career took him to Vancouver British Columbia, where he was eventually baptized, and began attending Sabbath services. He was ordained to the ministry in 1983. Now retired from broadcasting David currently pastors congregations in Vancouver, and Vancouver Island. He is also a member of the UCG-Canada National Council, and serves on the Canadian Ministerial Services Team, as well as the Canadian Media Team
