Liebe Israelfreunde

Obwohl bei den Parlamentswahlen in Israel keine allzu grosse Überraschung erwartet wurden, gab es doch einige. Zwar ist die Verteilung zwischen rechts und links beinahe gleich geblieben, und zwar mit 61 zu 59 ganz leicht zugunsten der Rechten. Wahrscheinlich nur Dank des Zusammenschlusses von Likud und Israel-Beitenu ist die Partei von Benjamin Netanjahu als die stärkste hervorgegangen. Sie wird die Regierung bilden, obwohl sie Stimmenverluste einstecken musste. Die Kadima-Partei, die im letzten Parlament eigentlich die stärkste Partei war, ist mit gerade 2 Sitzen noch knapp ins Parlament gekommen. Das plötzliche Aufsteigen und anschliessende Verschwinden von Parteien ist zu einer sich wiederholenden Erscheinung in Israel geworden. Sie zeigt, dass es in Israel ein relativ grosses Publikum gibt, das mit den traditionellen Parteien nicht zufrieden ist und nach einer Veränderung verlangt.

Als grosser Gewinner ging der junge, dynamische Yair Lapid mit seiner neuen Partei Yesch Atid (Es gibt eine Zukunft) hervor. Diese eroberte auf Anhieb 19 Sitze und wurde damit zur zweitstärksten Partei. Lapid war als Journalist tätig und hatte vor nicht allzu langer Zeit noch gesagt: «Ich werde nicht, so wie mein Vater, in die Politik gehen.» Sein Vater war ebenfalls Journalist und ging dann in die Politik, doch seine Partei verschwand später wieder, ohne etwas zu erreichen. Sein Hauptziel damals war, die Privilegien der religiösen Juden zu eliminieren. Sein Sohn ist nun trotz seiner Vorbehalte gegen eine politische Laufbahn in die Politik eingetreten und hat ähnliche Ziele wie sein Vater, aber er hat den Vorteil, dass er von den Fehlern seines Vaters lernen kann.

Dear Friends of Israel,

At this time, NATO Patriot missiles are stationed on the border between Turkey and Syria. They are to be used by American, German and Dutch soldiers to protect Turkey from potential encroachments out of Syria. This action appears to be somewhat of an over-reaction, since Turkey already has a formidable army at its own disposal. However, it also indicates that preparations are being made for a possible escalation of the conflict. Apparently Turkey’s abandonment last December of its opposition toward Israel as a NATO partner in 2013 was the deciding factor that led to the stationing of the NATO troops there. On the surface, it appears that Turkey is once again turning toward the west, after years of distancing itself from them. The question is whether this is a true change of course for Turkey, or simply a tactical maneuver to secure allies against Syria’s Russian support.

The deployment of NATO troops now adds an international element to the conflict. The fact that they are now engaged in the middle east, not far from Israel’s borders, is cause to take notice. If NATO troops begin operations in Syria, as many are demanding, it could mean that they will end up on Israel’s northern border.

Dear Friends of Israel,

With an overwhelming majority, the United Nations General Assembly voted on November 29th to raise the status of Palestine to a Non-member Observer State. The action did little to change the current state of affairs, but it has deep symbolic meaning. For example, the date of the vote is noteworthy, for it was exactly 65 years ago to the day that the UN voted to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arabic nations. In contrast to the Jews, the Arabs have rejected that plan since the beginning and answered with war. Now, the question is, “Will this bring about any change in the attitude of the Palestinians?” If so, it really wasn’t apparent in the speech that was given by Mahmoud Abbas to the full assembly. However, on a previous occasion, he has admitted that the greatest mistake that the Palestinians made was not accepting the original plan of division. The unasked, and therefore unanswered question however, is, “Has anything really changed deep down inside the Palestinians?”

Only nine countries voted against raising the status of the Palestinians, one of which, of course, was the United States, which traditionally stands by Israel. President Obama recently declared that peace cannot be forced, but must be reached through bilateral negotiations. Mahmoud Abbas declared in his speech that the Palestinians believe in peace and seek peace. He did not explain how the endless streams of rockets that were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip during the recent outbreak of aggression could be considered seeking peace.

Dear Friends of Israel,

The election results from the United States caused a great deal of suspense in Israel. One reporter even wrote, “One had the impression that these were Israel’s elections.” Actually, the Israeli government, and particularly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had hoped for a victory by Mitt Romney. That led to accusations from Netanyahu’s opponents that he was meddling in the internal affairs of the United States. Some feared that this open optimism for Romney could damage the relationship between Israel and the United States, if Obama were re-elected instead of Romney. With Obama’s victory, that scenario is beginning to unfold.

Netanyahu had hoped that a republican government, led by Mitt Romney, would lead to a more decisive policy against Iran and greater understanding for his government’s position regarding the Palestinians. However, before anything that relates to these issues changes in America, the elections in Israel will take place this coming January. Many Israelis are placing a great deal of hope in these elections. It is unlikely however that there will be much change in the political balance here either. That means that Obama and Netanyahu will have to continue working together for the next few years, which is apparently something that Netanyahu did not wish.

Dear Friends of Israel,

When Chaled Mashal, the leader of the Palestinian Hamas Party, addressed Turkey’s governing party’s convention, the AKP party, in Ankara, he stated, “Turkey has uncovered the bright side of Islam again.” He told the many thousands of people, assembled in a soccer stadium, “Erdogan, you are not just the leader of Turkey, you are the leader of the entire Muslim world.”

Erdogan himself then proclaimed loudly in a long speech that his party, grounded in Islam and having governed for ten years now, has become a shining example for the entire Islamic world. He actually has had some remarkable success, such as tripling the average income for the bulk of the population. However, he also understood not to place Islam front and center, but rather to introduce it in a progressive framework. Thus, his party bears the auspicious name, “Party of Justice and Development.” According to Erdogan, his party has supported freedom and basic human rights. This has become an example in all Muslim countries, far beyond Turkey’s borders.

Leaders from throughout the Muslim world were invited to the party convention in Ankara, such as Mursi from Egypt, Atambayev from Kirghizstan and Barzani from Iraq. There is no doubt that Turkey has become a powerful leader, both in the region and in throughout the Muslim world.

Dear Friends of Israel,

One of the most difficult prophecies in the Bible might well be found in Daniel 11:36 and the verses that follow, where first an arrogant king is described, then the King of the North and the King of the South. Who are these kings? Previously, in the same chapter, both the King of the North and the King of the South were already mentioned, but those kings are understood to be from the Seleucid Empire in Syria and the Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt. Beginning at verse 36, however, an event that will take place in the end-times is described, which we can clearly recognize from Daniel 12:1.

Many of the end-time prophecies are written such that their meaning first becomes clear when their fulfillment is imminent. Thus, with the current situation in Syria, the question as to the identity of the King of the North is very contemporary.

In a recently released book by Roger Liebi, he refers to more than 175 biblical prophecies that have literally been fulfilled in our time. He presents in the conclusion an overview of the prophecies that refer to the return of Jesus but have not yet been fulfilled. He mentions the King of the North and comes to the conclusion that the territory covered by the King of the North is geographically almost the same today as it was in ancient times. That means, the territory from Lebanon to Pakistan, including Turkey and Tajikistan. Thus, according to Liebi, it’s clear that Islam is preparing for a deadly blow to Israel.

Dear Friends of Israel,

The events taking place in the country on Israel’s northern border, Syria, are cause for concern and deep reflection. Obviously, it is all being followed closely by the political and military leadership. An article about these events appeared in the Jerusalem Post, in which the writer, Amotz Asa-El, contemplated the events in Syria in light of Ezekiel 38-39. He wrote, “As of this writing, King Gog has yet to arrive at Jerusalem’s gates. ”

He first refers to the various groups that are involved in the power struggle, from the local ethnic and religious splinter groups to the regional powers and finally the super-powers, then compares them with Ezekiel 38:4-6. Those verses portray a strikingly similar array of tribes, faiths and powers. He shows further that the current situation matches the description in Ezekiel 38:7-14.

Asa-El then poses a question as to how Israel should react to these events. He comes to the conclusion that there is now a demise of the European architecture that was established for the northern Middle East at the end of World War I, and he compares that to the demise of the post-Napoleanic structure of Europe that was established at the Congress of Vienna. He notes that the various regional powers are attempting to exert their influence on the events as they unfold.

Dear Friends of Israel,

The visit to Israel this past June by the Russian President, Vladmir Putin, received relatively little attention in the media, although in some ways, it was particularly noteworthy. Isi Liebler, an Israeli reporter, wrote in retrospect that Putin’s trip to Israel was his first foreign visit since winning the last election. In contrast, the first foreign visits made by America’s President Obama after winning his election were to Turkey and Egypt; but he has yet to visit Israel. Besides the recent trip, Putin also visited Israel in 2005.

Among other things, the occassion for Putin’s visit was the official opening of a memorial at a museum in Netanya, built as a reminder of the contributions made by Jewish soldiers during the Red Army’s victory over the Nazis. In his speech, Putin spoke in glowing words of Israel’s value and the greatest diaspora ever of Soviet emigrants.

Recalling the time when Jewish dissidents in the Soviet Union were oppressed and persecuted, the visit by the former KGB officer who became the Russian President seems almost unbelievable, an event that no one would have imagined in their wildest dreams. He even visited the wailing wall with a yarmulke on his head, unthinkable in even the worst nightmares of his bolshevik predecessors.

Dear Friends of Israel

All Israel was prepared for new elections. The date was the only thing left to decide. Suddenly, overnight, an unexpected development exploded in the news. The opposition party, Kadima, under the new leadership of Shaul Mofaz, agreed to join the coalition government. Shortly before this development, Mofaz had called Netanyahu a liar. What happened?

The mandatory, new elections would have led to enormous, unnecessary costs for the state. Government business would have been crippled for a long period, during a time when Israel is in a very precarious position. Only once before has Israel had such a broad coalition government, in the mid-1980’s, when the nation’s economy was in an extremely difficult situation, with an annual inflation rate of several hundred percent.  The nationally unified government at that time was able to modernize the Israeli economy and save it from collapse. This shows that seemingly impossible successes can be achieved when central parties come together to find solutions to burning, national problems that are acceptable to everyone.

Currently, one of the most pressing problems is the existing system of elections and government that absolutely needs to be improved. Additionally, the fair sharing of the compulsory military service among all citizens is an important platform for Shaul Mofaz and his Kadima Party. Orthodox Jews, among others, are presently exempted from service under current law.

Dear Friends of Israel

Anyone who has ever seen the tremendous range of dairy products in an Israeli supermarket, can hardly believe that such a thing in a dry land like Israel is at all possible.  Israel’s agriculture has achieved success in a milk production, which can not only be compared with those of classic agriculture countries, but has surpassed even the world leaders.

A published statistic show that the average annual production  of an Israeli cow exceeds 10,208 kilograms, while that of the United States is 9,331 kg and the EU countries are 6,139 kg.

It is written in Ezekiel  38:12, that when Gog from the land Magog attacks on Israel, will come across a country that lives in the rebuilt ruins and has acquired cattle and other possessions. It is interesting that here the cattle ownership is mentioned specifically , because Israel is actually known for its success in the livestock industry today.

Visitors to Israel may understandably not comprehend why the this land is called a land of flowing with milk and honey in the Bible, especially if they come from greener nations that are blessed with adequate rainfall. However,  the success of the modern Israeli agriculture shows  that the Bible is right in this regard. This applies equally to the production of honey, because Israel is very successful in this field too.  By fulfilling this statement from the book of Ezekiel it is also clear that the preliminary conditions for the predicted attack are nearly ready.

Israel is not only very successful in the field of agriculture, but also in many other fields, which naturally arouses envy, especially among its neighbors, who live under similar conditions, are not nearly as successful.

Dear Friends of Israel,

Israel’s regional standing is as precarious as at any time in its history. This statement was made by Asher Susser, a leading Mideast scholar, at a panel discussion at the Institute for National Security. In his opinion, the only way to stem the increasing danger would be a unilateral disengagement from the Palestinians.

Susser said a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement may never be signed, but a unilateral disengagement would help guarantee Israel’s Jewish identity and avoid becoming a bi-national Jewish-Arab state. There is a danger that the Arabs could be in the majority within twenty years at most.

He stated further, that the upheavals in the Arabic world are in no way comparable to a “Spring Awakening.” Instead, these upheavals have placed Israel in an exceedingly precarious position, representing the reemergence of sectarianism, tribalism and above all political Islam.
Interestingly, there have been numerous calls recently from the Jewish side for a one-state solution. They fail to clarify however, how such a state would actually appear or function. They simply believe that it’s worthwhile to consider such a solution.

Astonishingly, there are also people on the Palestinian side who are endorsing a one-state solution. Their suggestion however, sounds more like a threat than a solution.
Achmed Qurei, one of the “Architects” of the Oslo Accords, said it would be good for the Palestinians to look at a one-state solution with Israel instead of a two-state solution. The Palestinians should be talking publicly about the one-state solution, putting it on the table as an option and throwing it in the face of Israel as “burning embers,” he said.

Dear Friends of Israel,

The Islamic Revolution celebrated its 33rd anniversary in Iran. One of the top guests at the celebration was Ismail Haniyeh, Prime Minister of the Hamas government in Gaza. On this occasion, the top leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khomeini, assured Haniyeh of full support in the fight against Israel. He stated that Palestine is an issue for all of Islam. Iran will always support the Palestinian issue and the Islamic resistance in Palestine.

Khomeini stated further that the victorious resistance in Palestine has contributed to the Islamic awakening throughout the region, such as happened in Egypt and Tunisia. There is no doubt that the increasing sympathy of people in the region for the righteous Islamic fight and the issues in Gaza contributed to the sudden, mass revolt.

Furthermore, Khomeini issued a warning against anyone who tries to undermine the uncompromising resistance fight of Hamas. That warning was meant for those who try to resolve the differences between Hamas and Fatah and steer them in a more moderate direction.

For his part, Haniyeh thanked the Iranian leadership for its ongoing support of Hamas and the Palestinian issue. He thereby emphasized the three, uncompromising, strategic goals of the Hamas government in Gaza: Liberation of Palestine from the Mediterranean to Jordan, loyalty to the resistance movement and loyalty to the Islamic character of the Palestinian issue.