“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name
great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever
curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Gen
12:2-3
If the world took notice of this promise of God, they would be a lot better off.
God uses His people to bless those who curse them, and that's exactly what we see
happening around the world. Israeli teams and expertise are always first on the frontline
to help when disaster strikes around the world, with no questions asked.
Those who curse them - are blessed by the help they receive. Even the Palestinians
know this yet seek Israel's destruction.
Time and time again the UN brings accusations against Israel which are outrageous
and wrong, when will they learn? The answer is they will not because they are deceived
and blind but they will not go unpunished:
for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye—Zech 2:8
UK - Anti-Semitism is still alive and kicking both in the Labour party and the country.
For whatever reason Jeremy Corbyn will not put an end to it in his party, he allows
it to fester. On the other hand the PM Theresa May has stated at the recent UJIA's
(United Jewish Israel Appeal) annual dinner in London "Antisemitism is just hatred
and it is just wrong." She has also insisted that there is no contradiction in being
British, Jewish and Zionist.
Interestingly she went on to say "Together we will defeat the scourge of antisemitism
and hatred in all its forms and together we will support Israel as the homeland of
the Jewish people" yet having said this, her government so often votes against Israel
at the UN!
USA - Well it would seem that President Trump has survived the mid-term elections,
and in fact did better than Obama when he was President. Not what the Media or World
expected. But he has been a man of his word and done the things he told the people
he would do.
The Peace plan is getting nearer the role out phase. It is in the 'pre-launch' stage
at the moment but already the President has hit the Palestinian Authority with several
punitive measures, including the closure of PLO offices in Washington and aid cuts
to the West Bank and Gaza, to East Jerusalem Hospitals, and to the UN agency for
Palestinian refugees known as UNRWA.
Trump suggested that these measures were part of a calculated plan to get the PA
to come to the table ahead of the launch.
Unfortunately the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi, believed to have been
murdered by the Saudis, has put the peace plan into deep freeze whilst his death
is investigated, but Kushner is still hopeful that the peace plan will go ahead.
HAMAS - Hamas is not up for another war in the Gaza Strip, but it will put up a stiff
resistance if invaded again by Israel.
Osama Hamdan, who is in charge of Hamas' "International relations" warned that Israel
would "pay a heavy price if it chose to launch an aggression on the Gaza Strip",
he added "Israel will not be able to devour us, and the price will be higher and
more horrific than its leaders can imagine".
TURKEY - Israel and Turkey are in discreet talks to establish normal ties. They are
working to improve relations and exchange ambassadors.
Ties between the two countries went into a tailspin in May when Turkey recalled its
ambassador and expelled Israel's envoy following the violence along the Gaza fence
where 61 Palestinians were allegedly killed.
JORDAN - King Abdullah II has stated that he will not renew parts of his country's
landmark peace treaty with Israel. He is to pull out of two annexes from the 1994
peace agreement that allowed Israel to lease two small areas, Baqura and Ghamr, from
the Jordanians for 25 years. "We are practising our full sovereignty on our land"
he said. Abdullah did not give a reason, but he is under domestic pressure to end
the lease.
AUSTRALIA - Australia's PM Scott Morrison is open to recognising Jerusalem as Israel's
capital and moving its embassy to the capital, Australian media reported.
FRANCE - French Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld aged 83 has been awarded France's highest
honour, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour in a ceremony led by President Emmanuel
Macron, at the Elysee palace. His wife Beate Klarsfeld received the National Order
of Merit in the same ceremony. The two have dedicated their lives to the fight against
impunity for perpetrators of the Holocaust.
ISRAEL - Israel has the 20th most competitive economy in the world according to the
World Economic Forum for the second year running, Israel received a score of 76.6
slightly up on 2017 and leads the Middle East and North Africa. The Global Average
score is 60.
The IDF, amid growing tensions in the south, have destroyed an advanced Hamas terror
tunnel that crossed from the Gaza Strip 200 metres into Israel. It is the 15th Tunnel
to be detected and destroyed in the last year.
An Israeli farmer has cashed in by making exotic honey from a rare tree that produces
frankincense - the resin once worth its weight in gold and venerated in the Bible.
While his farm is home to 1000 threatened Boswellia sacra - perfume producing desert
shrubs are still too young to produce the incense, the Farmer, Guy Erlich, struck
upon honey as a possible source of revenue for his operation. His first batch of
honey made from the desert plant's tiny flowers sold for nearly £380 a pound.
Despite widespread antisemitism around the world, Israel is still proving to be a
blessing to the World through its technology, medicine and food and its military
rescue teams.
Pray for the IDF and IAF as they defend the boarders and continue to pray for the
peace of Jerusalem.
Maranatha
Steve
