Category: Israel’s Insecurity

How they Boycott Israel

Boycotts are social protests with the aim of changing Israeli government policy

A major and serious boycott for Israel is the economic boycott. One form is divestment (the opposite of investment), where investors refrain from investing in Israeli companies or in companies that trade with Israel. For example, in the future major European banks will bar their institutions from providing loans to Israeli companies that manufacture, build or conduct commerce in ‘occupied’ territories. This could include a bar on providing funding for mortgages in these territories.

Perhaps the best known boycott is the consumer boycott of Israeli products or businesses that operate in Israel. Other forms of boycott are the academic boycott of Israeli universities and scholars (including granting of scholarships and research funding) and the boycott of Israeli cultural institutions or Israeli sport venues.

Major Boycotting Organizations

Today, an alarming number of countries within the European Union and beyond have embraced BDS as a form of economic warfare aimed to cripple Israel’s economy and demonize its very existence
[ US Congressman Peter Roskam, February 2015 ]

Some Governments Reject BDS

Canada: It’s not all bad news for Israel. Canada has a long history of friendship as well as economic and diplomatic relations with Israel, and the Canadian Parliament rejects BDS, link, link. In 2015 Canada’s Parliament voted 229 in favour of condemning the BDS movement with 51 opposed.

United Kingdom: Proposed British Government directives aim to prevent any UK public body from imposing a boycott since such activity is ‘potentially damaging to the UK’s relationship with Israel’, link. British leaders have publicly opposed boycotts:

We believe in Israel’s right to defend itself and we will always oppose boycotts [David Cameron]
I utterly oppose boycotts of Israel … I also will reject any attempt to delegitimise the state of Israel [Ed Miliband]

United States: Despite long-standing US policy concerning Israel and the ‘occupied territories’, the US has introduced legislation which discourages corporate or state-affiliated entities from participating in the BDS movement, link.

BDS is Failing

According to a 2016 Bloomberg report, BDS may not be working. Israel’s economy is actually looking better than some of its allies, link:

Israel’s economy is expected to grow 2.8 percent this year compared with 1.8 percent for the U.S. and the European Union. In 2015 its industrial high-tech exports rose 13 percent from a year earlier to $23.7 billion [Bloomberg, 2016]

An honest evaluation shows that the BDS campaign has achieved nothing positive … BDS has not weakened or isolated the Jewish state. Quite the opposite: Between 2004 and 2016, Israel experienced unprecedented growth and became significantly more secure economically, socially, and diplomatically. During the campaign, foreign investment in Israel has increased by 200 percent; foreign trade has grown by 42 percent; trade with EU countries has more than doubled; trade with the US has risen by more than 35 percent; trade with Asia has increased 1,200 percent; and Israel’s GDP has grown by more than 64 percent. [Rabbi Eugene Korn, April 2018]

The Boycott is Illogical because it’s Your Loss!

Boycott Israel at your own risk! Since we live in an interconnected world it is virtually impossible to avoid using Israeli products. Take fresh agricultural produce for example. In 2010, Israel’s fresh agricultural exports totaled $1.33 billion, and some 87% was exported to Europe [UN Commodity Trade Statistics].

Why boycott and go hungry?

What Bible prophecy says is happening today – Israeli food is spanning the world:

In the days to come the people of Israel, the descendants of Jacob, will take root like a tree, and they will blossom and bud. The earth will be covered with the fruit they produce (Isa 27.6)

The most notable Israeli fruit exports in 2014 were dates, grapes, avocados, bananas, peaches and citrus fruits, link. Most of the produce from Israel’s Arava region, such as tomatoes, peppers, dates and mangoes is exported. Fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in Israel and on its settlements in the West Bank can be seen on sale at all the major supermarkets and greengrocers. The UK is the top market for Israeli citrus fruit, followed by Scandinavia, Russia, Germany and France. In UK supermarkets you will find avocado, sweet potato, tomatoes, galia melon, peppers, chilli, figs, strawberries, grapes, mango, plums, pomegranate, lychees and nectarines – all from Israel and its ‘illegal’ settlements! Is it logical to boycott Israeli fresh produce when we eat so much of it? And, despite increasing difficulties for Israeli exporters, will the boycott be totally effective?

OK. So you should shop around for non-Israeli fresh produce (shopping may take a little longer). But what about your hi-tech world? Does your laptop have an Intel chip inside, or use a firewall, the Google search engine or Microsoft Office? If so, then you are using Israeli designs and innovations (likewise for your cell phone). In 2013 UK cosmologist Prof Stephen Hawking withdrew from a high-profile Israeli Presidential Conference in support of an academic boycott of the country. But to be consistent and fully boycott Israel his whole computer based communication system must be changed since it runs on Intel microchips designed in Israel!

Why boycott and go thirsty?

Water for agricultural purposes is at a premium throughout the world – including Israel. But Israeli agricultural research has developed new technologies to enable farmers to use brackish (salty) water for irrigation. Since brackish water is abundant in most desert areas of the world, these Israeli techniques have wide international applications – providing they are not boycotted!

What the Palestinian Leadership Really Wants

Figure 1 shows tiny Israel (yellow) and her generally hostile Arab-Muslim neighbours: there are 22 Arab states and just one Jewish state. Israel is only the size of Wales, but her neighbours still want her land! Initially, the Palestinians want a two state solution, but long-term a recent survey showed that they want just one state – a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, link. The militant Arab leadership aims to form an Islamic caliphate covering all of Israel – including all of Jerusalem! To quote:

The capital of the Caliphate – the capital of the United States of the Arabs – will be Jerusalem [Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, 2012]

What the God of Israel Really Wants

What does the most important authority in the world say? Bible prophecy warns specifically against a two state solution. The God of Israel warns against dividing His land (yes – Israel is His land). Referring to the end of this age (very soon on the prophetic timescale) the God of Israel says:

I will gather together all the [Gentile] nations [that were hostile to My people] and bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat (meaning ‘the Lord has judged’). There I will deal with them and enter into judgment with them there for [their treatment of] My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and [because] they have encroached on My land and divided it up. (Joel 3v2 amplified, emphasis added)

Please bear this biblical warning in mind as you read what the world thinks.

Background to the so-called Two-State Solution

The 1947 Two-State Plan

Historically there have been several attempts at a two state solution to the Arab-Israeli problem, notably the Peel and Woodhead Commissions 1937/38, and the 1947 UN Partition Plan for Palestine (UN Resolution GA 181). In the 1947 plan, Palestine was to be divided equally, with open borders, into an Arab state and a Jewish state, Fig.2. The Plan was accepted by the Jews but rejected by the Arabs! Today Hamas still refuses to recognize the State of Israel, link, link, and so further two state proposals seem academic.

Hard Fact 1: There never was a “Palestinian People”

By the early 20th century the land we now call Palestine-Israel was a mix of many peoples representing some 50 languages [1911 Encyclopedia Britannica]. These communities were ‘ethnologically a chaos of all the possible human combinations’, and so did not share a common Arab identity. For instance, they included Balkans, Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, Turks, Armenians, Italians, Persians, Kurds, Germans, Afghans, Bosnians, Sudanese, Algerians and others, link. So it is not surprising that, historically, there is no language known as Palestinian, or any Palestinian culture distinct from that of all the Arabs in the area, link:

There is no authoritative text on Palestinian history [Eyen Edward Said, graduate of Harvard & Princeton, former member of the Palestine National Council]

By 1917 there were 690,000 Arabs (Christian and Muslim) and 59,000 Jews in Palestine, link, but still no identifiable ‘Palestinian People’. Even the 1922 British Mandate for Palestine didn’t recognize the existence of a ‘Palestinian people’ since they were not an ethnic group. Instead the Mandate referred to the local Arab population as “existing non-Jewish communities”. It is only when Israel started to blossom mid 20th century that we see a ‘Palestinian People’ emerge. Nur Masalha, a Palestinian academic, admits that is was the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 which brought about “the crystallisation of a distinct and resistance Palestinian identity“.

Hard Fact 2: There never was a “Palestinian Land”

Is ‘Palestine’ a historic land? Is it legitimate to use the term ‘Palestine’ for the area we now call Israel? Where did the term come from?

To answer this we first observe that the Hebrews entered the Land of Israel, specifically Canaan, under Joshua c1450 BC (Jos 6). This area was gradually extended by Israel’s kings (Saul, David and Solomon) but still excluded ‘Philistia’ (the land of the Philistines), a narrow coastal strip including Gaza. The Philistines were an Aegean people more closely related to Greeks than to Arabs. Linguistically, the term ‘Palestine’ originated from the Greek word pronounced Palaistina, which is derived from the Hebrew word pronounced pel-eh-sheth, meaning ‘land of the Philistines’. Historically then, the term ‘Palestine’ only applied to the narrow coastal strip of land occupied by the Philistines, and Philistia itself did not survive the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar II c600 BC.

However, that was not the end of the matter and this land definition of Palestine was later expanded by the Romans. In the 2nd century AD, the Romans renamed Judea as ‘Palaestina’ in an attempt, some say, to minimize Jewish identification with the land of Israel. In fact, it is claimed that the Roman Emperor Hadrian began using the term ‘Palestine’ for the whole Land of Israel, and unfortunately this term has prevailed over the centuries. For example, under the Ottoman Empire (1517-1917), the term ‘Palestine’ was used as a general term to describe the land south of Syria, and it was applied to the territory placed under the 1922 British Mandate. But according to historian Professor Bernard Lewis, even at the start of the 20th century, “the land was not a country and had no frontiers, only administrative boundaries”, link.

So since there was no historic “Land of Palestine” there can be no legitimate Arab claim to such a land spanning large parts of modern Israel. Even Arab leaders themselves have admitted to this in the past:

There is no such country as Palestine
[Arab leader A.B. Abdul Hadi, 1937]
There is no such thing as Palestine in history, absolutely not
[Arab Prof Philip Hitti (Princeton University), 1946]
Palestine does not exist at all
[Ahmed Shkari (PLO founder), 1956]

Hard Fact 3: There is no “State of Palestine”

International recognition of the State of Palestine has been the objective of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence proclaimed the establishment of the State of Palestine on 15 November 1988. The declaration was promptly acknowledged by a range of countries, and as of August 2018, 137 of the 193 United Nations member states and two non-member states had recognized it. Britain would recognise the state of Palestine under a Labour government – a major shift in long-standing British foreign policy in the Middle East.

The fact is, as of August 2018 there was no such thing as a ‘Palestinian State’. Palestine was not a state:

It’s not a state now. It does not meet the customary international law test of statehood. It doesn’t control defined boundaries. It doesn’t fulfill normal functions of government. There are a whole host of reasons why it’s not a state. [John Bolton, US National Security Adviser, October 2018]

Bolton said it is a “so-called state”. He said to become a state requires diplomatic negotiations with Israel and others. More at Legal Status.

Today’s ‘Palestinians’

In the face of this strong historical record, some still make the case for the existence of an amorphous Palestinian territory with an identifiable population existing before the emergence of political Zionism around 1890, link. On the other hand, as discussed, history shows that there was no distinctive Palestinian people at the start of the 20th century. It was only really after WWI that we find an emergence of Palestinian nationalism and an identifiable ‘Palestinian People’. Some see this as a response to the threat posed by Zionism, when waves of Jewish immigrants arrived in Palestine between 1919 and 1939. It is interesting to note that, by 1948, a substantial portion of the ‘Palestinian People’ resident in Palestine Mandate territory originated, not from that territory, but rather from the surrounding Arab lands of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt! It is claimed they came for the jobs provided by newly established Zionist industry and agriculture.

The World Wants a Two-State Solution

As discussed, there is no legal State of Palestine (and probably never will be, link). At best it is a “so-called state”. Nevertheless, the Western world assumes a State of Palestine and presses on for a two state solution for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That is the position of the US, the UN, the EU, Russia and (officially at least) the PA, link. For example:

The two-state solution is the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. It is the only way to ensure Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state, living in peace and security with its neighbours [John Kerry, Dec 2016]
The only way to end the conflict is through a two state solution negotiated between the parties [Maja Kocijancic, EU spokeswoman, Dec 2016]
The two-State solution: (is) a key prerequisite for achieving peace and stability in the Middle East [Theme of UN international meeting, July 2015]
The Zionist dream embraces the concept of Israel as a Jewish democracy … That dream can only be upheld by two states living side by side in security [John Kerry, UN HQ, November 2015]
A two-state solution is the only way for the long-term security of Israel, if it wants to stay both a Jewish state and democratic [Barack Obama, October 2015, link]

As of 2017, Israel backed both horses by playing the two state game whilst building settlements in the West Bank, link.

The Legal Status of the Two-State Solution

In 2012, UN General Assembly Resolution 67/19 upgraded Palestine to ‘non-member observer state’ status in the UN (like the Pope), link, link. In effect, this officially recognized a future Palestinian State. But, legally, it is internationally recognized that the UN General Assembly can only recommend the establishment of a Palestinian State (as Resolution 181 recommended the establishment of the Jewish State in 1947). It is up to States themselves to first assert state-like-control over their territory and affairs, and then to declare a state. So GA resolution 67/19 was not legally binding and was merely symbolic in effect, link.

So how can a people legally declare their own state (in that it achieves international legal recognition, as in the State of Israel)? According to the 1933 Montevideo Convention the state must have, link:

As discussed, today’s Palestinians fall down in terms of a defined population and defined territory. Regarding the third point, there is clearly an absence of a credible and coherent Palestinian leadership viz. the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and the Fatah-dominated PA in the West Bank. And how can the PA enter into relations with the State of Israel when it does not even recognize Israel as a Jewish State (see below)?

Politically, Two States are Unlikely

A two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem was proposed by the UN in 1947 (Fig.2) but it was rejected by the Arab leadership. Today, a two state solution is still under discussion, but again it is unlikely to succeed given the Arab position. For example, in 2011 the Palestinian leadership said, link:

We will never accept a Palestinian state without Jerusalem as its capital

To date, the Palestinian Authority maintains the following position:

Since all four of these positions are currently totally unacceptable to the Israeli leadership, then any unilateral declaration by the PA would violate the 1995 Oslo II Interim Agreement (signed by the Palestinians at the White House). Article 31(7) of this Agreement states:

Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations

This Accord is still binding, but is being flouted by the PA, the EU and the UN. So any PA attempt to change the status of these territories, namely a two state solution without prior negotiations with Israel will violate this clause. Article 31 expressly prohibits unilateral action by either side to change the status of the West Bank and Gaza prior to reaching a negotiated permanent status agreement.

Biblically, Two States may happen anyway – albeit for a Brief Period

A hint to this occurs in several end time Bible prophecies:

The fact that Jerusalem appears to be split into two at the very end of this age implies a two-state solution, albeit very brief until Jesus returns. Currently, some in the Arab leadership claim that East Jerusalem should be the capital of a Palestinian state, link.

We note that those Israeli leaders who have tried to divide the land in exchange for peace (Yitzhak Rabin, Ariel Sharon) have had an untimely end, link. Pray that the current leadership refrains from trading land for peace.

Support for a One-State Solution

In 2017, Sheikh Abu Khalil Al-Tamimi of Hebron, the spiritual leader of the Islamic fundamentalist Salafist sect in the Palestinian territories said:

A two state solution does not make any sense. We want to live under Israeli democracy as equal citizens in Palestine. A one state solution is the only chance for peace for both peoples … the vast majority want to live in a state with the Jews under democratic rule. Believe me, many Palestinians will tell you that life in Israel is much better than in the autonomous areas or in the Arab countries.

When it comes to Jerusalem, Palestinians overwhelmingly repudiate the idea of East Jerusalem becoming the capital of their state and incorporating its Arab neighborhoods, including most of the Old City, link.

Jerusalem’s Arab population prefers Israeli sovereignty to the prospect of living under Palestinian Authority rule, Khaled Abu Toameh

In support of this, at the 2017 4th Annual Sovereignty Conference in Jerusalem, link, Arabs criticized the Palestinian Authority for corrupt practice and layed out a vision of successful Arab life under Israeli sovereignty. When it comes to Israel, two polls by leading Israeli pollsters show that Israelis overwhelmingly oppose the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state; 10 to 1 oppose a Palestinian Arab State and favor Israel Sovereignty, link.

Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Yes – Palestinians are Suffering

The video is shocking isn’t it? Palestinians and their families are indeed suffering. Since 2000, it is claimed that Israeli soldiers have killed more than 1,400 Palestinian children, link. Israel has imposed severe restriction on Palestinian movement. Many Palestinians have suffered multiple forced displacements, having lost their homes and livelihoods more than once – typical months see over 60 Palestinian homes and other structures demolished (including wells). To help combat this, Israelis, Palestinians and international volunteers work with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, ICAHD, to rebuild Palestinian homes demolished by Israel.

Most sectors of the economy are in decline and 80% of factories are shut in Gaza, link. Since the conflict is mainly over loss of land, link, Palestinian agriculture suffers from numerous problems, including blockades to exportation of produce and confiscation and destruction of wells. Palestinian farmers in the Jordan Valley face restrictions, on access to water and electricity networks, link. Many Palestinians are living below the poverty line (nearly 1 in 5 in the West Bank and 2 out if 5 in Gaza Strip, link, and over 50% of young graduates are unemployed, link. On the other hand, due to added benefits, it is claimed that Palestinians are quick to leave their Palestinian employees and work for Israelis, link.

No real Political Solution

What seems to be a reasonable pre-condition to peace talks is Palestinian recognition of the Jewish state:

The Palestinians must abandon their refusal to recognise the right of the Jewish people to their national state [Benjamin Netanyahu]

But, as discussed, the Palestinian leadership refuses to comply with this request. The only real and lasting solution to the conflict is to be found in the Bible.

The Biblical Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

The God of Israel is expressly against a two state solution and those who attempt such a division of the land should note God’s warning:

I will enter into judgement with them … on behalf of My people Israel … they have divided up My land (Joel 3.2)

The only lasting and perfect solution is to be found in the Bible. The Bible instructs the people of Israel how they should treat foreigners (non-Jews). Old Testament Israel was commanded to love foreigners (Deut 10.19) and to let them live normal lives amongst them:

When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall do him no wrong … (he) … shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself
(Lev 19.33,34)

This instruction is timeless and applies now and to future Israel in the Millennial Age. During the Millennium the land is divided up amongst the tribes of Israel and the stranger amongst them is also allotted an inheritance:

And they (strangers) shall be to you as the native-born among the sons of Israel; they shall be allotted an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel
(Ezek 47.22)

So how does this instruction apply to Palestinians today? It seems in 1989 Ariel Sharon wanted to put this injunction into practice:

From my childhood, I have believed Jews and Arabs can live together, and I believe now they should live together. All the rights to this country, to the land of Israel – especially Judea and Samaria – are Jewish … but everyone who lives in the country should have all the rights of the country.
[Ariel Sharon, TIME, April 1989]

Going Deeper
The Spiritual Root of All Conflicts with Israel

Yes – there is a root cause, a single principal cause, and it is not political or ideological. To find it we highlight a little biblical history, when the people of Israel (the twelve tribes) rebelled against God. After repeated prophetic warnings, all twelve tribes were eventually scattered throughout the nations (Deut 4.27). Scattering was complete around 586 BC, although a remnant returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, the place of Jesus’ dedication. Here we have a clear answer to our question – the root cause of all conflicts with Israel is related to Jesus:

the dragon (Satan) … persecuted the woman (Israel) who gave birth to the male child (Jesus)
(Rev 12.13)

This clearly correlates Israel’s conflicts/persecutions with the spiritual entity Satan. Why? According to the Bible, Israel is God’s chosen witness and servant in the world, and through Israel came the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Isa 43.10, Gen 22.18, Gal 3.16). So Satan hates God’s witness (Jews) and all true followers of Jesus (Christians).

The Arab Nations

Some see today’s Arab-Israeli, and more locally the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be rooted in biblical history, namely in Esau and the Amalekites, link. Others say the root-cause of today’s conflict can be traced back to Abraham’s time and to human fallibility. They site disputes between Jacob and Esau, and in particular between Isaac and Ishmael. But the Bible doesn’t stress a long-term conflict between Israelite and Ishmael’s descendants. In fact, God blesses Ishmael and makes his descendants (the Arabs) ‘a great nation’ (Gen 17.19-21)!

So according the the Bible the Arab nations themselves are not the problem. Rather, as we have just seen, the root-cause of the Arab-Israeli/Israeli-Palestinian conflict is actually a battle between spiritual powers, and this manifests itself as a conflict between truth (as revealed in God’s word the Bible) and error (as perpetuated by Satanic deception). So who are the earthly players in this spiritual battle?

Who Wages the Battle between Truth and Error?

The battle is seen in the persecution of Israel. The timeline of Jewish persecution after Christ’s birth is well documented, link, as for example in the 15th century expulsion of Jews from much of Europe, and in the 20th century Nazi holocaust. Today the persecution is carried out via political and media bias against Israel, link, and also through the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the latter context it is important to distinguish between Arabs and Muslims. Before the arrival of Islam the Arabs were either pagan or followed Judaism or Christianity. But from about 620 AD Islam unified many of the Arabs, using military might (as today) when people wouldn’t convert willingly. Today, most, but not all Arabs are Muslim, whilst only some 18% of Muslims are Arab.

It was only when Islam took over the Arabic nations from the 7th century that the earthly players in the spiritual battle were identified. The truth is God’s truth handed down by the prophets of God’s people, Israel – truth was handed to the Jews. The error is manifested in international politics, the international media and especially in the erroneous ideology of political Islam, link, link, that is, forms of Islam pursuing political objectives. The aggression of political Islam (and therefore Arabic nations) towards the Jews is driven for example by some hadiths (collected sayings of the Prophet Muhammad):

The hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say: ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him’
(Sahih Bukhari 4.52.177)

Politically, in recent years this conflict has been fueled partly by a combination of so-called Zionism (returning Jews with a vision for Zion or Jerusalem), and repeated Arab refusal to recognize Israel, or even a two-state solution. So we must recognize that today’s Arab-Israeli / Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a spiritual battle, and politics, the media, and particularly the ideology of political Islam are vehicles for the practical expression of this battle. Sadly, it is the ideology of militant Islamic leaders that leads to the suffering of the Palestinian people. More …

Political, Media, Public and Legal Bias Against Israel

Israel suffers from unjustified international prejudice or bias against her. The result is widespread misunderstanding and ignorance of the true nature and purpose of Israel. This bias comes from the general public, the media, political organizations (as in the UN and EU), and even the church (as in the World Council of Churches, WCC). Invariably it has one underlying objective – to change Israeli government policy with respect to ownership and use of land e.g. land boundaries, and with respect to Israel’s claim on Jerusalem. At its extreme, bias aims to bring down the country and destroy it.

Political Bias Against Israel

The United Nations does Israel no favours by passing many resolutions against Israel. As of 2012, the UN had passed 79 resolutions directly critical of Israel, and 40% of UN Human Rights Council Resolutions have been against Israel (see YouTube video). EU bias became clear in 2014 when the parliaments of Sweden, Britain, France, Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Luxembourg voted in support of recognizing, in principle, a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, link, link. Similar EU activity aggravated Israel in 2014:

“In Geneva they call for the investigation of Israel for war crimes, while in Luxembourg the European court removed Hamas from the list of terrorist organizations” [Benjamin Netanyahu, 2014].

And why does the British Foreign Office (BFO) not allow the Queen to make a state visit to Israel, but permits her to visit Islamic states?

Media Bias Against Israel

The media (BBC, CBC and CNN …) is often accused of reporting bias against Israel. For example, the BBC reported:

“Recently, two Palestinians, unprovoked, attacked Israeli police officers in Jerusalem with guns and knives, while the third stabbed to death Border Police staff sergeant Hadas Malka, age 23”

There’s the fact. But the BBC headline was misleading:

“Three Palestinians killed after deadly stabbing in Jerusalem”

When Israel acts in self-defense, the narrative is distorted to fit the (BBC) narrative of Zionist aggression
[Lord Michael Grade, former chairman of the BBC]

Similarly, CNN (the American satellite TV and Cable News Network) has been awarded first prize for its biased reporting of atrocities in Israel. Such bias must contribute to the 1.1 billion people in the world who harbour anti-Semitic attitudes, link, and to the increasing aliyah to Israel from anti-Semitic Europe, link.

Legal Bias Against Israel

Legal misinformation again from the media, leads to the frequent but erroneous claim that “Israel occupies Palestinian land”; legally it does not, link. Sadly, the World Council of Churches (WCC) tends to follow this misinformation, link, and the institutionalized churches e.g. the Anglican Church lean to the view that the church has replaced Old Testament Israel (Replacement Theology).

Public Bias & University Campus Bias

Amongst the UK public, Israel ranks as one of the world’s most unfavorably viewed countries; even Iran is liked more than Israel, link. Worldwide, public bias is seen in the well-known global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. This is a social protest that wages economic warfare on Israel’s economy. It aims to boycott Israeli goods from so-called ‘occupied territories’. But, to date, Israel claims BDS has had only limited success, link. In reality, BDS supporters are blind to the fact that economically destroying Israel hurts the very populations they want to save:

“Israelis continue to come to the West Bank to do business, and most Palestinians continue to buy Israeli goods. If you ask Palestinians what they want, they’ll tell you they want jobs, secure education, and health” [The Washington Institute]

When it comes to the University campus, Israel is always “the bad boy”. A 2015-16 course run at the University of California presents the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the (incorrect) assumption that Israel practices Apartheid, and is an illegitimate state, link. In the UK, top universities Oxford and Cambridge have held pro-Palestinian lectures and suppressed the voice of Israel, link. Even some University academics promote anti-Israel propaganda, link, link.

It is time for Christians on campus to inform themselves of the lies about Israel and then challenge the campus bias. Also, put Root Source and Israel First into the hands of students!

Defending Israel is a Necessity
Israel’s Arab Enemies want to Eliminate Her

Since the birth of modern Israel in 1948, successive Middle East wars have tried to ‘eliminate’ Israel. This fundamental objective is stated in the original Hamas Charter:

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it [Hamas Charter, 1988]

Defending Israel against Radical Islam

To date, no Hamas representative has ever renounced the charter and their objective remains to replace the Jewish state with an Islamic caliphate, link. The Revised Hamas Charter (2017) appears to soften the Hamas approach to Israel, hinting at a two-state solution and addressing the antisemitic language contained in the 1988 charter. But the underlying objective remains the same, link, link. To quote the revised charter:

There shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity. (Hamas) rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea. Resisting the occupation with all means and methods is a legitimate right guaranteed by divine laws and by international norms and laws. (Hamas) reaffirms Hamas’s approval of armed conflict with Israel

So what’s new? As Israel says:

This is a war between jihadist Islam and Western civilization; a war between radical Islam and all those who refuse to surrender to its values and political demands [Ron Ben Ishai, Israeli military analyst, 2015]

So the struggle intensifies, and when Israel is attacked the whole world risks instability due to the threat of nuclear war as she defends herself. Even informed secular observers are forced to admit that Israel is now the vortex of the Middle East, as she is threatened on all sides by aggressive neighbours. The video graphically illustrates how vulnerable Israel is to attack, and underscores her need for hi-tech defense.

Defending Israel from Hamas in Gaza

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), since 2001 more than 15,200 rockets and mortars (an average of over 3 rocket attacks every single day) have targeted Israel, link. Hamas in Gaza has been responsible for most of these attacks. Even exchanging ‘land for peace’ does not work. Since Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, terrorists have fired more than 11,000 rockets into Israel, and over 5 million Israelis are currently living under threat of rocket attacks. Some say Hamas leaders must be tried for War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity, claiming that Hamas permits indiscriminate fire at Israel’s civilian population; firing from within their own civilians, schools and hospitals. Hamas forces its civilians including children to stand on rooftops and other spots of great danger, using them as human shields, link. Yet the UN has done little to stop this!

Defending Israel from Hezbollah in Lebanon

In 2017, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah boasted that his rockets can reach Israel’s nuclear reactor in the southern city of Dimona in the Negev desert. He said he would turn Israel’s reported nuclear arsenal against it, link. Should this ever happen, Israel has threatened to retaliate against Lebanon. Nasrallah has previously threatened to target an ammonia tank in Haifa. Hamas fired rockets at Dimona in 2014, link.

According to Israel’s High Level Military Group (HLMG), a war between Israel and the Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon is inevitable and will likely be “more violent and destructive” than the previous conflicts. The Iranian-backed terrorist organization currently has a stockpile of over 130,000 rockets. These are embedded among the civilian population of Lebanon, a deliberate strategy which the defense experts say is a “war crime”. The HLMG report concludes; “There is no plausible legitimate explanation for Hezbollah’s efforts to arm itself and threaten Israel other than the explicit religiously motivated Iranian drive to destroy Israel.”

Defending Israel from ISIS in Sinai

In 2017 a branch of ISIS in Egypt’s Sinai claimed responsibility for firing rockets into Israel, link. Several Grad rockets were fired at Israel’s southern resort city of Eilat [Um al-Rashrash]. Most were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

The Wider ISIS Threat: When politicians refer to the so-called ‘Islamic State’ (‘IS’ or ‘Daesh’ in Arabic) they may be referring to ISIS, meaning “Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (Syria)”. But when they refer to ‘ISIL’, they effectively rewrite the map of the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Egypt. ISIL means “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant”, where Levant embraces all of Israel, Cyprus, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and areas of southern Turkey, link. See Fig.1 and also Levant. Clearly, this ISIL objective embraces the latest Hamas end game – elimination of the Jewish state.

Defending Israel from the North – Iran

Israel’s worst threat is from the north. The threat of war from Israel’s northern border is “many times greater” than the threat from Gaza [Major General Yair Golan, 2015]. The threat comes from Hezbollah (‘the party of Allah’) which has built an arsenal of more than 65,000 missiles to use against Israel. Some of these missiles may have sophisticated guidance systems designed to thwart Israel’s Iron Dome.

The video explains the reason for Israel’s stance against such aggression and encourages the media to give the facts!

Bible prophecy in Ezekiel 38 suggests an invasion of Israel prior to the last battle – Armageddon, and that this invasion involves mainly those Arab-Islamic nations surrounding Israel – including Iran, see Gog-Magog War. Why is Iran so important here? In 2011 the IAEA released a comprehensive and damning report on Iran’s nuclear program, stating that Iran is engaged in “activities relevant to the development of a nuclear device”, link. And in 2015 the IAEA concluded that it was “not in a position to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities”, link. As Benjamin Netanyahu has stressed, a nuclear Iran would pose a severe threat to Israel. In a speech to the UN, he warned that “a nuclear Iran is a bigger threat to the world than Islamic State (IS) militants.”

So today this prophecy looks like becoming reality as Iran repeatedly threatens Israel, link. For example:

The Army of Iran can by itself destroy Israel
[Maj. Gen. Ataollah Salehi, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army, 2013]

Defending Israel: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

The Jewish community’s primary defense force – the Haganah – became a full-scale defense force following the 1936-1939 Arab revolt. The Haganah (and other Jewish fighting forces) helped fight for Israel’s independence leading up to the British withdrawal on May 13, 1948.

On May 31, 1948, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officially began operations to protect the new State of Israel. By the end of the 1949 War of Independence the IDF had defeated five invading Arab armies. By July 1949, the IDF had beaten back every invading Arab army and armistice agreements were signed between Israel and its major opponents – effectively ending the fighting and securing the existence of the State of Israel.

Humanitarian Missions

In 2015, the IDF opened a 60-bed field hospital in Nepal following the devastating earthquake. This involved some 120 IDF medical personnel (doctors, nurses and paramedics) and approximately 95 tons of humanitarian and medical supplies from Israel, link. See video.

During the Gaza war of 2014 large swaths of Gaza were put in darkness after Hamas rockets hit high voltage power lines feeding Gaza from Israel. Under instructions from Israel’s politicians, and under the authorization and protection of the IDF, the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) worked near the border of Gaza to repair the power grids. Power was restored to those firing rockets into Israel!

In 2010, the IDF sent a humanitarian mission to Haiti. This comprised a medical and rescue team following a major earthquake. The delegation was made up of 236 members who ran a field hospital and rescued people from the rubble. During its stay in Haiti, the delegation treated more than 1,110 patients, conducted 319 successful surgeries, delivered 16 babies, including three caesarian sections, and rescued survivors from the collapsed buildings. They left 30 tons of medical equipment for use in the ongoing aid effort.

2014 Operation Protective Edge

Following incessant rocket fire from Gaza at Israel, the IDF initiated Operation Protective Edge. During the conflict some 4,700 missiles, rockets and mortars (some supplied by Iran) were fired by Hamas and affiliated terrorist organizations from Gaza into Israel’s cities and towns, link. But during this war it is claimed that Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted 80-90% of rockets fired at population centers in Israel, and marked 1,000 missile hits since it was first implemented in 2011 [Ynetnews], link. Another objective of the operation was to destroy Hamas attack tunnels, and over the 50 day conflict the IDF uncovered and destroyed 32 tunnels.

2012 Operation Pillar of Defense

On November 14, in response to incessant rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, the IDF launched a widespread campaign against terror targets in Gaza. The operation had two main goals: cripple terror organizations in the Gaza Strip and defend Israelis living under fire. During the next eight days, the IDF targeted more than 1,500 terror sites across the Gaza Strip. The sites that were targeted were positively identified by precise intelligence over the course of several months. These included 980 underground rocket launchers, 66 tunnels and 26 weapons manufacturing and storage facilities.

For military details see IDF

Media quotes concerning Israel show that she has few friends and many enemies. And even her friends (like America) can be two-faced, whilst Israel’s enemies want her eliminated. No wonder Israel often feels alone and insecure in the world. Here’s some recent quotes.

Quotes in Support of Israel

Barack Obama: When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Obama faces both ways. Here are three comments in support of Israel:

“The Jewish people have forged a successful state in their historic homeland. Israel deserves recognition. It deserves normal relations with its neighbors” [Obama, September 2011]

“I have made it a top priority for my administration to deepen cooperation with Israel across the whole spectrum of security issues — intelligence, military, technology” [Obama, July 2012]

“The United States is proud to stand with you as your strongest ally and greatest friend” [Obama, March 2013, link]

Clinton: Hillary Clinton also faces both ways. Here she is supporting Israel:

“It is in our national interest to have an Israel that remains a bastion of stability and a core ally in a region in chaos” [Hillary Clinton, 2015, link]

Rosenberg: Following the 2012 UN vote recognizing the “State of Palestine”, link, bestselling author Joel C. Rosenberg commented on God’s warning to the nations not to divide His Land (Joel 3):

“The Palestinians have suffered so much, from many sides. I wish a sovereign state was the answer. Nearly the whole world is convinced it is. But defying God’s Word won’t be bring blessing; it brings sadness and eventual judgment … There are many ways we can be a blessing to the Palestinian people. But it simply will not be a blessing to them — or to any nation or people group around the world — to support dividing the Land of Israel in disobedience to God’s Word” [Joel C. Rosenberg]

Good Quotes from Past Leaders

“The major difficulty is that the Palestinians don’t accept Israel’s right to exist” [Tony Blair]

“Israel was not created in order to disappear – Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom” [John F. Kennedy]

“The United States and Israel have enjoyed a friendship built on mutual respect and commitment to democratic principles. Our continuing search for peace in the Middle East begins with a recognition that the ties uniting our two countries can never be broken” [George W. Bush]

“The Israeli regime is not Apartheid. It is a unique case of Democracy” [Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, South African Interior Minister, 2003, link]

Quotes Against Tiny Israel

Barack Obama: Obama faces both ways when it comes to Israel. He has said this in support of the Palestinians, link:

“They endure the daily humiliations – large and small – that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own”

Hillary Clinton: Following in Obama’s footsteps, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke at the 2012 Saban Forum on US-Israel Relations, saying that the Israelis need to:

“demonstrate that they do understand the pain of an oppressed people in their minds”

Paul Marie Couteax (French EU parliamentarian):

“I have no hesitation in saying that we must consider giving the Arab side a large enough force, including a large enough nuclear force, to persuade Israel that it cannot simply do whatever it wants. That is the policy my country (France) pursued in the 1970s when it gave Iraq a nuclear force”

Ban Ki-moon (UN): Through numerous aggressive resolutions against Israel, the United Nations has shown itself to be no friend of Israel. Here are comments from Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, January 2016:

“Continued settlement activities are an affront to the Palestinian people and to the international community. They rightly raise fundamental questions about Israel’s commitment to a two-state solution”

“Palestinian frustration is growing under the weight of a half century of occupation and the paralysis of the peace process”

“So-called facts on the ground in the occupied West Bank are steadily chipping away the viability of a Palestinian state and the ability of Palestinian people to live in dignity”

Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority:

“The ‘Jewish state.’ What is a ‘Jewish state?’ We call it, the ‘State of Israel’. You can call yourselves whatever you want. But I will not accept it”

Mohammad Abu-Koash, Palestinian Ambassador:

“Israel writes another chapter of terror, massacres, ethnic cleansing, which constitute the pillars of its own creation… Any attempt to curb the Israeli actions is dubbed anti-Semitism. They have a free license to persecute the Palestinian Semites” [January, 2008]

Threats of War Against Israel

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran:

“This barbaric, wolflike & infanticidal regime of Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated” [2014]

“God willing, there will be no such thing as a Zionist regime in 25 years. Until then, struggling, heroic and jihadi morale will leave no moment of serenity for Zionists” [2015]

Hezbollah:

“Israel is our enemy. This is an aggressive, illegal, and illegitimate entity, which has no future in our land. Its destiny is manifested in our motto: ‘Death to Israel'” [Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah leader, 2005, link]

ISIS threat to Israel:

“There will not be a single Jew left in Jerusalem and throughout the country” [2015]
“We’re coming, and coming very soon … We are getting closer to you day by day. Do not think that we have forgotten about you” [2016]

Hamas: Ismail Haniyeh, Palestinian Hamas leader in Gaza:

“We will never recognize the usurper Zionist government and will continue our jihad-like movement until the liberation of Jerusalem [December 2006]
The resistance will continue until all Palestinian land, including al-Quds (Jerusalem), has been liberated and all the refugees have returned [February 2012]
Thousands of fighters above ground and thousands of fighters underground have been preparing in silence for the campaign to liberate Palestine [October 2013]
This is a generation which knows no fear. It is the generation of the missile, the tunnel and suicide operations [January 2014]”

In response to on-going threats, Yaakov Amidror, former director IDF Research & Assessment Division has commented:

“We need to understand that Israel’s security is sometimes more important than political agreements. We must not fool ourselves, and better face reality as it is – not in a naïve manner”

Finally, a Quote from Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister:

In October 2010 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted overwhelmingly to officially declare Hebron’s Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem as Palestinian mosques. It affirmed these two specific sites as “an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories and that any unilateral action by the Israeli authorities is to be considered a violation of international law”, link.

Netanyahu responded:

“The attempt to separate the nation of Israel from its cultural heritage is absurd … If the places where the fathers and mothers of the Jewish nation – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Leah and Rachel – are buried some 4,000 years ago, are not part of the Jewish heritage, then what is? It is unfortunate that an organization that was established with the goal of promoting the cultural preservation of historical sites around the world, is attempting to uproot the connection between the nation of Israel and its cultural heritage”

Antisemitism is prejudice against, hatred of, or discrimination against Jews – either as individuals or as the Jewish nation Israel. Today, antisemitism may be rhetorical, physical, cyber-based, social action or political maneuvering.

During the Nazi rule of Europe, Jews were forced to wear the Star of David as a form of identification. The particular star shown here had the German word for “Jew” written in Hebraic style. This, and the associated Holocaust is history’s most extreme example of Antisemitism.

Examples of Antisemitism

Why Antisemitism? What’s the real reason for it?

Sadly, according to the Bible, it was the Jews who brought it upon themselves. Ancient Israel was given a warning that if they went away from God they would suffer amongst the Gentile nations:

The Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone …. Among those nations you shall find no rest … but there the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul. So your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you will be in dread night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life. (Deut 28.64-66)

This uncertainty continues today in Europe. Jew hatred is on the rise in the UK, France, Italy and the Netherlands, and is encouraging many Jews to immigrate (aliyah) to Israel.

Serious Issues Concerning Israel and the EU

Time is running out for Israel as the nations rage against her. And the European Union (EU) is certainly no exception. The EU is one of the prime commercial partners of Israel and has a trade-surplus with Israel in goods and services, link. So why should the EU hurt Israel? Occasionally, the EU even appears to support Israel on the world scene. But the truth is that, in reality, the EU usually opposes Israel:

“On many occasions I feel that both in the UN and the EU that there are biased positions against Israel” [Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Foreign Minister, 2017]

So what are the contentious issues between Israel and the EU? Consider the following EU actions against Israel:

EU Economic Sanctions Against Israel

The EU pursues economic sanctions on Israel because Israel does not agree to unilaterally withdraw behind the 1949 Armistice lines (which never were permanent legal borders anyway). The plan is to punish Israel economically. So, in November 2015, the EU decided to impose a label on goods originating from the so-called ‘Israeli-occupied territories’. Israel’s Economy Ministry estimates the impact will be about $50 million a year (but still only a small sum compared to the $30 billion of goods and services Israel exports to the EU each year, link.

The EU also requires any private Israeli entity that wants to receive funding from the EU to demonstrate that it has no links to the West Bank, East Jerusalem, or the Golan Heights. Any new agreements between Israel and the EU should include a provision stating that Jewish communities in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights are not part of Israel (since the EU deems these areas as “occupied territories”), link, link. The effect is to limit finance for new Israeli settlements in these areas.

Some argue that EU sanctions against Israel make no sense whatsoever. Israel’s imports from the EU exceed its exports to the region by several billion euros, link. So why try to cripple Israel?

EU Political Bias against Israel

One strong gauge of Europe’s negative political attitude towards Israel is its voting record in the United Nations (UN). Europe’s voting at the UN is influenced by the EU and shows a longstanding anti-Israeli bias. Every year the UN General Assembly passes between 18 and 22 anti-Israeli resolutions, and generally speaking the Europeans support these resolutions, link. How many UN resolutions have been passed against Syria or North Korea?

Another example of EU political bias is seen in the frequent condemnations of Israel from Brussels. And sometimes these statements are hypercritical. For example, the EU has called for the investigation of Israel for war crimes, whilst the European court has removed Hamas from the list of terrorist organizations, link, link. So it is not surprising that 63% of the Israeli public feeling that the EU is a weak supporter of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, link.

EU anti-Semitism

There is Israeli concern that anti-Israeli attitudes are deeply-rooted in the EU. Israelis feel that large parts of the EU are anti-Semitic – some 50% of Israeli Jews see Europe as “the hostile anti-Semitic continent”, link. The most anti-Semitic capitals of Europe have been identified as Geneve, Brussels, Paris and London, link.

When it comes to European peoples, a 2015 survey found 12% of the UK population to be anti-Semitic, compared to France 17%, Italy 29%, Spain 29%, Poland 37% and Greece 67%. Jews across Europe are detecting increasing anti-Semitism, with shouts like “death to the Jews” from pro-Palestinian rallies in Belgium, France (Paris suburbs) and Germany, link.

EU wants to Divide Israel

Following the rise of knife and car-ramming attacks against Israelis in Jerusalem in 2015, the EU said that the heart of the matter was the Israeli occupation since 1967, link. The EU does not recognize Israel’s so-called ‘occupation’ of the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, and favours a Palestinian State embracing these areas. The problem here is that the EU ignores the legal borders of Israel, as defined in Article 80 of the 1945 UN Charter. According to Article 80, even the UN itself is barred from recognizing the “Palestinian Authority” as a new member state! Despite this, the EU insists on ignoring Article 80 in order to make land available for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem:

What we want to achieve is the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State living side by side, in peace and security, with the State of Israel and other neighbours. [European Commission, 2016]

But, besides ignoring the legal situation regarding Israel’s borders, is the EU also being naive? In a recent Stanley Greenberg poll of Palestinians, 62% said their real goal should be to start with a two-state solution but then move to it all being one Palestinian state, link. In other words – eliminate the State of Israel! Also, the Bible has stern warnings to all who would divide the land of Israel (Joel 3.2).

EU Separates Jerusalem from Israel

The 1947 UN Resolution 181 called for Jerusalem to be an international city (‘corpus separatum’) – inferring a ‘separate city’ with special legal and political status due to its shared religious importance. The 1947 plan failed and today the international community generally prefers a two-state solution, with Jerusalem the capital of both Israel and Palestine. That said, the EU continues to support the internationalisation of Jerusalem in accordance with the 1947 UN Partition Plan and regards Jerusalem as having the status of corpus separatum, link.

But these views ignore Israel’s right as a state to declare her own capital, Knesset, 1950. Moreover, they ignore, or are not even aware, that Jerusalem is the future location of the King of Israel – Christ.

EU Leads a Future Invasion of Israel

This is a bold statement, even in the light of the foregoing discussion. Can it be justified? Well … yes! The current scenario is building to such an event.

The EU Army

In 2017 the European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker outlined the EU future:

On the last point, the European Defence Fund seeks to generate over €5 billion per year after 2020 to develop and procure new military technologies. And it has been proposed that this ‘defense force’ would have “autonomous capacity for action”, link. All this without the consent of the people! This smacks of dictatorship.

French Confirmation:

We have to protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America. We will not protect the Europeans unless we decide to have a true European army. [Emmanuel Macron, French President, Nov 2018]

Biblical Confirmation: According to a common interpretation of Bible prophecy, a powerful dictator closely associated with the EU or its successor will lead international forces against Israel, and particularly against Jerusalem. This prophetic view sees the EU or its successor as A Revived Roman Empire and the kernel of the last world government (see also The EU in Prophecy). It sees a future Satanically inspired all-powerful political and secular leader as the coordinator of an “all nation” invasion of Israel at the end of this age. As the Bible says:

Who is able to make war with him? (Rev 13.4)

These dramatic charges against the EU are justified in the following discussion.

Israel and the EU: The Biblical Connection
Israel is the Key to Understanding the European Union

Why is the EU so opposed to Israel? Is it more than politics and economics?
Is there a spiritual reason?

The EU political and economic bias against Israel is clear. But why such bias? Is there a mysterious connection between Israel and the EU? Is there a hidden ‘spiritual war’?

The Bible claims there is a spiritual world operating largely unseen in parallel with the observed world. It says there is an on-going spiritual battle between good and evil, between truth and error. So does this spiritual world (as revealed in the biblical text) have anything to say about today’s governments, particularly the move to world government? In fact – it does!

It turns out that what we observe on the world political scene today is a visible manifestation of this battle, and politicians and governments can be seen as pawns in a very powerful spiritual conflict. Like pawns in chess, politicians and governments are being exploited by spiritual forces towards a spiritual goal. This applies particularly to the EU which, according to the Bible, appears to be spear-heading one side of this spiritual conflict. And it is not God’s side!

Key Empires in Prophecy

The key to understanding the real issues behind the EU and moves to a world government lies with the tiny nation of Israel. Surprised? Then let’s look at prophecy found in Daniel chapters 2 and 7. In a vision, the prophet Daniel saw four great empires (or governments) symbolized in a great statue, Fig.1. His vision occurred at the start of the first of these governments (the Babylonian Empire). It is important to realize that the vision was not concerned with most of the nations or empires of history, but only with those nations that would have a direct and serious impact upon the nation, Israel. Specifically, it concerns those empires that severely weakened or effectively destroyed Jewish rule from Jerusalem, starting from the time of Daniel c600 BC.

Historically, in chronological order, these four empires were the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman empires, link. How did they impact Israel?

Here’s the crucial point: As shown in Fig.1, the last of these ruling empires is the Roman Empire. We know this because Daniel chapter 2 verses 34,35 state quite clearly that all forms of secular world government cease when Christ returns:

“A stone (Christ) was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them (removing all remnants of the four empires)” (Dan 2.34)

But how can Christ strike the Roman Empire when it no longer exists? To answer this we note that Daniel’s vision makes it quite clear that the statue’s feet do not symbolize a separate empire – there are only four empires in the vision. In other words, the feet must be related to the historic Roman Empire, and since this is no longer visible, the feet must represent some form of ‘Revived Roman Empire’. The Appendices link this last form of the Roman Empire to the EU.

The Spiritual War surrounding Israel

The four pagan empires in Daniel’s vision were pawns in a spiritual war. They were used by the God of Israel to judge Israel for her disobedience, eventually leading to the scattering of Israel amongst the nations (Deut 28.64). The war intensified with the coming of Yeshua (Jesus), and this is concisely summarized by the following text:

And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron (Rev 12.4-5)

Here, the ‘dragon’ is Satan, the ‘woman’ is the nation Israel, and the ‘Child’ is Jesus (His world rule taking place in the Millennium). Recall that King Herod tried to kill Jesus but His parents had been warned to escape to Egypt (Mat 2.13-18). This same Satanic anger against Israel continues today and up to the end of the age. Spiritual forces oppose the fundamental purpose of Israel in the world – to be God’s witness and bring hope and salvation through the Jewish Messiah – Yeshua (Jesus). And soon the nations will persecute Israel via several Middle East Wars:

Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent (Rev 12.13-14)

Who will Lead this Final Assault against Israel?

Daniel 7.19-25 associates a powerful leader with the fourth (revived Roman) empire. He speaks pompous words against the God of Israel and makes war against ‘the saints’ (God’s people). Revelation chapter 13 expands on this prophecy and calls this leader ‘a beast’. This person (or political system) embodies the characteristics of the three previous pagan empires – the Babylonian, Medo-Persian and Greek empires (Rev 13.2) – again implying that this despicable leader or system has strong links to the Roman Empire.

The Appendices outline how this persecuting leader or political system is strongly related to the EU. At the outset we note that the EU is already biased against Israel, is looking for an “all-powerful” leader, is forming an EU army independent of NATO, and does not have God in its Constitution, link.

APPENDICES

A Revived Roman Empire in Prophecy

As shown in the statue (Fig.1), the last of these governments is the Roman Empire! History shows this came and went. Or did it? The strong prophetic implication is that the Roman Empire exists in some form at the time of the return of Christ since it is Christ who destroys it (Dan 2.34). But wait a minute – didn’t tyrannical Roman rule over Israel end around 313 AD with the creation of the Byzantine form of the Roman Empire? Yes … and no. The point here is that Daniel’s prophecies strongly imply that a form of the ancient Roman Empire will emerge in its historical crushing and controlling form at the end of this age.

The book of Revelation fills in the prophetic picture by adding more detail to Daniel’s vision. It speaks about seven empires (or kings):

They are also seven kings: five dead, one living, the other not yet here — and when he does come his time will be brief (Rev 17.10)

These empires can be identified as the Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman empires, with one to come. The “one living” was the Roman Empire. But what about the one to come?. Taken with Dan 2 and Dan 7, this suggests that the one to come must be a revived form of the historic Roman Empire. How else can Christ strike it and destroy it? Revelation 13 endorses this view and refers to the final empire as ‘the beast’, an empire born out of previous empires:

The beast I saw resembled a leopard (Greek Empire), but had feet like those of a bear (Medo-Persian Empire) and a mouth like that of a lion (Babylonian Empire) (Rev 13.2)

Revelation 13 goes on to describe a crushing world government with complete control over individuals (Rev 13.16-17). So let’s take a look at Europe today and see if the EU is a close fit with Bible prophecy. In particular we ask: “Is the EU the kernel of the final form of Daniel’s fourth and last empire?” In other words “Is the EU strongly connected to ancient Rome?” We also ask: “Will the EU head up an end-time invasion of Israel (as implied in Daniel’s vision of a ‘crushing Rome’)?”

Connecting the EU with a Revived Roman Empire

The Treaty Connection

Historically, the city of Rome was the center of the ancient Roman Empire (the fourth empire of Daniel’s vision). At its peak Rome was declared “caput Mundi i.e. the capital of the world, and that meant total rule over the people of Israel. Recall that the Jewish Temple and the rest of Jerusalem were reduced to rubble by the Roman Emperor Titus in 70 AD.

Coming to modern times, the Treaty of Rome was signed in March 1957 and its purpose was to set up the European Economic Community (EEC). Recalling that day, an aide to the Belgian Foreign Minister Paul-Henri Spaak recalled the mood after the signing of the treaty:

“Spaak turned to us and said ‘Do you think we have today been putting the first stone of a new Roman Empire, and this time without firing a shot?” [TIME June 13, 2005]

Even after the advent of the EU in 1993, the Treaty of Rome still remained one of the EU’s core documents, and so many see the Treaty of Rome as the seedling of the EU.

It is interesting that the seed of the EU was signed in Rome, the seat of historic Rome! But the exact location of the signing is even more intriguing. The location suggests the EU has sinister roots. It was signed in the Palazzo dei Conservatori (Palazzi di Campidoglio) on Capitoline Hill in Rome. Capitoline Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome and was the citadel of the earliest Romans, link. So this hill once housed the offices of the Roman Senator and of the Conservatori (his assistants). It also housed the Temple to Jupiter, link and every year the Roman Senate held their first meeting in the Temple. Jupiter was the protector, the ‘Conservator’ of Rome. Moreover, Jupiter was the Roman successor to the Zeus and the altar to Zeus in Pergamos is described as Satan’s Throne (Rev 2.13).

The Religious Connection

Charlemagne (c800 AD) envisaged a unified Christian Empire – a Holy Roman Empire, link. Other leaders had that vision after him and today the EU works very closely with the Vatican (Rev 17.3-9). We note that the strange ‘Europa and the bull’ symbol – a woman riding a beast (Rev 17.3) – is common throughout the EU. Some believe it symbolizes an ecclesiastical system riding (and by implication, controlling) a secular governmental system. And rather than believe the official explanation, some believe that the EU flag (12 golden stars on a blue background) actually reflects a Roman Catholic interpretation of Rev 12.1.

The Strong & the Weak: the ‘Iron & Clay’ Connection

Here the resemblance of the EU to Daniel’s fourth empire (Rome) is astounding. In one sense the EU is strong. Its constitution claims ‘absolute power’ over member states. In other words, EU law has supremacy over the law of member states, just like the devouring uncontrollable beast seen by Daniel (Dan 7.19). Like ancient Rome, this system seems ‘strong as iron’ (Dan 2.41), dominating member states. Just as ancient Rome granted full citizenship to provincials en masse to secure their loyalty, the 1992 EU Maastricht Treaty forced all citizens of member states to become citizens of the EU.

On the other hand, the EU has a fundamental weakness in that member states tend not to adhere to each other. Generally speaking they do not cooperate. The Bible implies exactly that when referring to Daniel’s fourth empire:

Just as the toes of the feet were part ceramic and part iron, it will end up a mixed bag of the breakable and unbreakable. That kingdom won’t bond, won’t hold together any more than iron and clay hold together (Dan 2.43)

The ‘Defiance of God’ Connection

Babylon originated as the city of Babel and quickly degenerated into idolatry. Babel is well known for its (unfinished) tower, Nimrod’s monument to the greatness of man rather than God. Today, the EU Parliament building in Strasbourg is modeled on this biblical structure, with a clear ‘unfinished’ appearance.

An old EU poster, known as ‘the construction site poster’, showed a painting of the partly constructed tower of Babel, with a crane in the background. It showed inverted stars above the tower (an inverted star is a witchcraft symbol) and the logo was ‘EUROPE: MANY TONGUES ONE VOICE’. This glorification of man and unification against God is precisely why God destroyed man’s efforts in Gen 11. A repeat performance is prophesied at the end of the age.

Also, the pagan Pergamon Altar now resides in restored form in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin. In Roman times, Pergamum (Pergamon) was the center of the imperial pagan religion and Christ saw it as the place of Satan’s throne (Rev 2.13). So a pagan altar from Satan’s throne is now on show in the EU!

Finally, the EU Constitution omits the word ‘God’, and prophecy indicates that the EU will be led by one who exalts himself above God (Dan 11.37). This same despicable person disrupts life in Israel by removing Jewish sacrifices (Dan 11.31) and places his palace in the land of Israel:

He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him (Dan 11.45)

In this sense, end-time Israel will indeed be ruled by a successor to ancient Rome, albeit for a short time only (see below).

The Crushing World Government Connection

As discussed, a common prophetic interpretation of the feet and toes of ‘iron and clay’ in Dan 2.33,42 is that they symbolize the revived Roman Empire viz the EU and the heart of an all-powerful and crushing world government (Rev 13.4). Elsewhere this godless world system is described as a ‘ten-horned beast’ born out of the historical Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman Empires (Dan 7.19,20, Rev 13.2). It is this ‘beast’ which persecutes Israel at the very end of this age (Dan 7.25) and is elsewhere described as ‘Jacob’s trouble’ (Jer 30.7). We note that the Club of Rome and the UN see the world divided into ten political-economic regions, link. See a map of these regions.

Thankfully, as already mentioned, this crushing world government will be short-lived (Rev 13.5, Rev 17.10) as the feet of iron and clay are struck and broken at the Second Coming of Christ (Dan 2.34). The EU and all remnants of godless world government will be removed forever (Dan 2.35, Dan 7.11,26, Rev 19.20).

This YouTube video explains much of what we have discussed and clearly shows the deep and sinister roots of a world government centered on the EU: