[How is it that only the Israelis know that World War III started on September 11, 2001?]
Herbert Zweibon is Chairman of Americans For a Safe Israel (AFSI). He is asking Christians across the United States of America to observe 14 April 2004 as a day of prayer for the Jewish communities situated in Gaza, Israel. The invitation was issued in advance of a planned visit by Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with President George Bush at the White House. Sharon's meeting with Bush is also scheduled for 14 April.
The American evangelical community is widely thought to be one of Bush's most important political constituencies, though President Bush's inconsistent behavior with respect to the problem of Muslim attacks against Israeli citizens has been the subject of much criticism by pro-Zionist observers, such as these Islam Commentaries.
The Gaza Strip, roughly analogous to the geographical area occupied by the ancient Philistines mentioned throughout the Old Testament, is one of three geographical areas of modern Israel named by the Israeli acronym "YESHA".*
Quoting televangelist Pat Robertson's plea to Israelis at the Herzliya Conference in December 2003, Zweibon said in a press release, "Please don't commit national suicide... The slogan 'land for peace' is a cruel chimera. The Sinai was given up. Did that bring lasting peace? No. Southern Lebanon was given up. Did that bring lasting peace? No. The world's Christians ask that you do not give away the treasured symbols of your spiritual patrimony... Those political leaders who... dismiss the spiritual dimension of Israel's existence will find that they receive the mess of pottage of Esau rather than the inheritance of Jacob."
Philistia existed as a thorn in the side of ancient Israel. Despite the good press that the Philistines have enjoyed throughout the centuries here in the Western world, where scholars referred to them as the "merchants and seafaring traders" known as the Phoenicians, the harsh reality of the history of this area is that all too often Philistia has played the role of antagonist to the work of God in Israel.
The ancient Romans took the name "Philistia" and Latinized it to become the word "Palestinia", which here in the West has become the root word for "Palestine" and "Palestinian".
The AFSI call to prayer has been issued in light of concern that Prime Minister Sharon's proposal to surrender 21 Gaza communities to Palestinian control stands in what Zweibon calls a "violation of God's Covenant with the Jewish people. Joshua 13:1-3 and Judges 1:18 are cited as specifically naming Gaza as part of the biblical entitlement" that Israel has to the land.
For what might we pray?
Hmmm.... "May the Good Lord keep Israel Prime Minister Sharon... far, far away from messing with Gaza." (Okay, so I couldn't resist the pun on "Fiddler on the Roof".)
On a serious note, Gaza (along with Biblical Samaria and Judea) is a legitimate part of Israel's claim to hegemony over Ha-Aretz. Accordingly:
"May the living God protect His people from self-destructive, short-term political expediencies that betray the long-term well being of Israel."
And if, in order to answer that prayer, our gracious God must protect Israel from unwise Christians such as President Dubya, and unwise Jewish leaders such as Ariel Sharon - or from unwise political systems such as the parliamentary system of Israel that results in the hands of Mr. Sharon being tied up because of political wrangling - well then, so be it.
Concluding Thoughts
May the living God bless those who bless Abraham and his rightful heirs to Ha-Aretz.
We are Dar al-Harb** ? and proud of it.
Notes
* Yesha: The geographical area that the anti-Semitic press calls the "Occupied Territories" of Israel, captured during Israel's defensive military actions of the late 20th century. In the Hebrew language, the word spells out an acronym that stands for the biblical territories of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. (The Hebrew word for "Gaza" isn't spelled with a "G".)
** Dar al-Harb: The Domain at War: Territory under the hegemony of unbelievers, which is on terms of active or potential belligerency with the Domain of Islam.... (Glossary of Islamic Terms by Muhammad Ishaq Zahid; Copyright © 1998-1999 by The Sabr Foundation.)
Herbert Zweibon is Chairman of Americans For a Safe Israel (AFSI). He is asking Christians across the United States of America to observe 14 April 2004 as a day of prayer for the Jewish communities situated in Gaza, Israel. The invitation was issued in advance of a planned visit by Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with President George Bush at the White House. Sharon's meeting with Bush is also scheduled for 14 April.
The American evangelical community is widely thought to be one of Bush's most important political constituencies, though President Bush's inconsistent behavior with respect to the problem of Muslim attacks against Israeli citizens has been the subject of much criticism by pro-Zionist observers, such as these Islam Commentaries.
The Gaza Strip, roughly analogous to the geographical area occupied by the ancient Philistines mentioned throughout the Old Testament, is one of three geographical areas of modern Israel named by the Israeli acronym "YESHA".*
Quoting televangelist Pat Robertson's plea to Israelis at the Herzliya Conference in December 2003, Zweibon said in a press release, "Please don't commit national suicide... The slogan 'land for peace' is a cruel chimera. The Sinai was given up. Did that bring lasting peace? No. Southern Lebanon was given up. Did that bring lasting peace? No. The world's Christians ask that you do not give away the treasured symbols of your spiritual patrimony... Those political leaders who... dismiss the spiritual dimension of Israel's existence will find that they receive the mess of pottage of Esau rather than the inheritance of Jacob."
Philistia existed as a thorn in the side of ancient Israel. Despite the good press that the Philistines have enjoyed throughout the centuries here in the Western world, where scholars referred to them as the "merchants and seafaring traders" known as the Phoenicians, the harsh reality of the history of this area is that all too often Philistia has played the role of antagonist to the work of God in Israel.
The ancient Romans took the name "Philistia" and Latinized it to become the word "Palestinia", which here in the West has become the root word for "Palestine" and "Palestinian".
The AFSI call to prayer has been issued in light of concern that Prime Minister Sharon's proposal to surrender 21 Gaza communities to Palestinian control stands in what Zweibon calls a "violation of God's Covenant with the Jewish people. Joshua 13:1-3 and Judges 1:18 are cited as specifically naming Gaza as part of the biblical entitlement" that Israel has to the land.
For what might we pray?
Hmmm.... "May the Good Lord keep Israel Prime Minister Sharon... far, far away from messing with Gaza." (Okay, so I couldn't resist the pun on "Fiddler on the Roof".)
On a serious note, Gaza (along with Biblical Samaria and Judea) is a legitimate part of Israel's claim to hegemony over Ha-Aretz. Accordingly:
"May the living God protect His people from self-destructive, short-term political expediencies that betray the long-term well being of Israel."
And if, in order to answer that prayer, our gracious God must protect Israel from unwise Christians such as President Dubya, and unwise Jewish leaders such as Ariel Sharon - or from unwise political systems such as the parliamentary system of Israel that results in the hands of Mr. Sharon being tied up because of political wrangling - well then, so be it.
Concluding Thoughts
May the living God bless those who bless Abraham and his rightful heirs to Ha-Aretz.
We are Dar al-Harb** ? and proud of it.
Notes
* Yesha: The geographical area that the anti-Semitic press calls the "Occupied Territories" of Israel, captured during Israel's defensive military actions of the late 20th century. In the Hebrew language, the word spells out an acronym that stands for the biblical territories of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. (The Hebrew word for "Gaza" isn't spelled with a "G".)
** Dar al-Harb: The Domain at War: Territory under the hegemony of unbelievers, which is on terms of active or potential belligerency with the Domain of Islam.... (Glossary of Islamic Terms by Muhammad Ishaq Zahid; Copyright © 1998-1999 by The Sabr Foundation.)