History keeps revolving in cycles and "what was" seems to rear its head again and again. Events of great historical and spiritual significance seem to replay themselves during the same season and in the same months.


On the eighth day of the month of Tevet 5768, December 17, 2008, the International Donors Conference for the Palestinian State in Paris delivered their statement:


"The International Donors Conference for the Palestinian State has provided a strong

The world gathers in Paris, surprisingly, in the month of Tevet.

signal of political and financial support to the government of President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and their vision of a future Palestinian State. This support will be essential to underpin the political process launched in Annapolis last November. The Paris Conference has made evident the high degree of confidence of the international community in President Abbas and PM Fayyad´s reform and development programme. Delegations from 87 countries and international organisations pledged a total of $7.4 billion to support Palestinian institution-building and economic recovery for the next three years...."


This world has seen disaster after disaster and relief activity after relief activity. Children being slaughtered in the Sudan province of Darfur and others starving on the tsunami-embattled shores of southeast Asia, and millions of dollars were raised by concerned citizens of the world and their governments. At the Paris conference, over seven billion dollars were raised as a "strong signal of political and financial support to the government of President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and their vision of a future Palestinian State." Not millions of dollars; billions of dollars.


There is something out of kilter here. Somewhere, a sense of proportion and logic has disappeared. It is wonderful that money has been raised to ease the economic pressures plaguing the Palestinian communities. Though it is less than wonderful that Israel is being blamed for this financial crisis without exploring the corruption, thievery and violence that has defined Palestinian leadership since their beginnings. It is also less than wonderful that governments of the world self-righteously condemn Israeli obstruction of free movement and trade through the use of roadblocks while ignoring the murderous terrorism that led to those roadblocks. A sense of proportion and logic has truly disappeared.


It is incredible that almost seven and a half billion dollars were promised to a Palestinian entity proven to be so rife with corruption that it was thrown out of leadership by its own people in the Gaza Strip. It remains unbelievable that so much money is being handed over to an entity that has not even begun, or even expressed the intention to begin, the first steps needed to clean up the corruption and end the terrorist nature of their rule. It is especially incredible when one listens to the voices coming out of the Palestinian Authority that confirm that part of the money (remember, we are talking about 7.4 billion dollars) will be used for military purposes and other parts to pay the salaries of Hamas government employees in Gaza.


Prime Minister Fayyad declared, "The money is meant for all Palestinians and will be budgeted according to the Palestinian government under the leadership of the elected president, President Mahmoud Abbas... and the Palestinian government would monitor the manner in which the money was used."


Just incredible!


The beginning of the siege over Jerusalem also began on the month of Tevet:


"And it was in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month (Tevet), on the tenth (day) of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon came, he and all his hosts, upon Jerusalem, and he encamped upon it and built forts around it." (II Kings 25)


The tenth day of Tevet, which marked the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem, also marked the beginning of the whole chain of calamities that followed. Ever since that destruction, we fast on the tenth of Tevet.


The world gathers in Paris, "surprisingly" in the month of Tevet, to ostensibly discuss the financial plight of the Palestinians, but in essence they have begun to move against Jerusalem.


"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of staggering unto all the peoples round about, and

The seven billion dollars is just the beginning.

upon Judah also shall it fall to be in the siege against Jerusalem...." (Zechariah 12:2)


The nations of the world will do all in their power to dislodge Jerusalem from Jewish hands. The seven billion dollars is just the beginning. Without Jerusalem as the anchor, the Jewish people become a floundering ship. For many nations, that is a situation they prefer. So, the nations will continue to drink from this "cup of staggering." They will, in their spiritual stupor, continue to do things that make no sense and that are fraught with danger even for themselves. This spiritual elixir has a way of dulling the senses and clouding the sense of judgment.


Yet, it would be wise of these nations to read the next verse in Zechariah's prophecy, as well:


"On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem a burdensome immovable stone for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves." (Zechariah 12:3)