(June 3, 2010) Israel is once again in the world’s spotlight. Last week, a flotilla of six ships apparently carrying a cargo of humanitarian aid to the people living in the Gaza Strip expressed their (political) intention to run an Israeli blockade off the coast of Gaza. The following video shows what happened when Israeli commandos boarded one of the ships:
In the immediate aftermath, world condemnation of Israel followed (Gaza flotilla attack: world unites in condemnation of Israel’s actions). The London newspaper The Guardian reports:
“Amid a flurry of diplomatic activity, Israeli ambassadors were summoned in Stockholm, Madrid, and Athens, while Spain, holding the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union, called a session of the EU’s political and security committee.
Foreign governments deplored the loss of life and voiced outrage at the Israeli conduct. But amid a propaganda war between the Israeli government press machine and pro-Palestinian lobbies over who started the fight and whether any of the activists on board were armed, they were also wary of going further than verbal condemnation.
The common response in Europe was to condemn what was seen as Israel’s disproportionate use of force. Even Germany, generally reluctant to criticize Israel because of the Holocaust, voiced horror at what Palestinian leaders dubbed a massacre.”
This article also states:
“The United Nations security council was expected to meet last night in New York over the incident. ‘I heard the ships were in international water. That is very bad,’ said Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general.”
In response to the criticism that Israel unjustifiably stopped these ships in international waters, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the following statement on their website (The Gaza flotilla and the maritime blockade of Gaza – Legal background):
1. A maritime blockade is in effect off the coast of Gaza. Such blockade has been imposed, as Israel is currently in a state of armed conflict with the Hamas regime that controls Gaza, which has repeatedly bombed civilian targets in Israel with weapons that have been smuggled into Gaza via the sea.
2. Maritime blockades are a legitimate and recognized measure under international law that may be implemented as part of an armed conflict at sea.
3. A blockade may be imposed at sea, including in international waters, so long as it does not bar access to the ports and coasts of neutral states.
After the raid Israel’s President, Shimon Peres, issued an accurate assessment of his country’s place in the world (President salutes soldiers wounded in IDF raid on Gaza flotilla ‘in name of entire State of Israel’):
“‘Israel is going through a difficult time, and to my regret there is a structural majority against Israel in the UN,’ President Shimon Peres said Thursday during a visit to soldiers wounded in the IDF raid on the Gaza flotilla. ‘It doesn’t matter what we do – and of course this is not a majority of justice. There is no way of passing logical and positive resolutions regarding the Middle East with the Arab lobby in the UN,’ he said.”
U.N., Israel, the World, and the NPT
Last week there was another story concerning Israel that also had a disturbing quality to it. On Friday May 28, 189 member states of the United Nations who are signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) agreed to work towards a nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East (UN talks back conference on nuclear-free Middle East). However, this BBC article highlights the true nature of this agreement:
“The unanimously agreed [upon] document also said that Israel should sign the NPT. US President Barack Obama backed the deal but said he was ‘strongly opposed’ to Israel being singled out…An Israel official later denounced the document as ‘hypocrisy’…’Only Israel is mentioned, while the text is silent about other countries like India, Pakistan and North Korea, which have nuclear arms, or even more seriously, Iran, which is seeking to obtain them,’ a senior government official told AFP news agency on condition of anonymity.”
This development has Israel understandably concerned and angry (Israel recoils as US backs nuclear move):
“Washington’s unprecedented backing for a UN resolution for a nuclear-free Middle East that singles out Israel has both angered and deeply worried the Jewish state although officials are cagey about openly criticising their biggest ally. The resolution adopted by the United Nations on Friday calls on Israel to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and urges it to open its facilities to inspection. It also calls for a regional conference in 2012 to advance the goal of a nuclear-free Middle East.”
Like many of the UN resolutions throughout the years this agreement seeks to weaken Israel’s defensive capabilities and deterrents and eventually put them at the mercy of their Arab enemies. The really disturbing part is that, President Obama’s tepid objection notwithstanding, America sided with the rest of the world in a process that seeks to undermine Israel’s security.
Turkey and Israel
There is one other aspect to the Gaza Flotilla story that may have prophetic ramifications. As a result of this incident relations between Israel and Turkey are rapidly deteriorating as this NPR article states (Once Close Allies, Israel, Turkey Clash On Raid):
“Israel’s raid on a pro-Palestinian flotilla of aid ships has drawn criticism from across the globe, but nowhere more severe or damaging than in Turkey, until recently one of its closest allies.
The Turkish-registered ship Marmara was the target of the Israeli commando raid that left nine people dead and dozens more wounded. Eight of those killed were Turkish nationals; a ninth had dual U.S.-Turkish citizenship. Fury over their deaths has led to the biggest crisis in Israeli-Turkey relations in years.”
In his 2008 book God’s War on Terror Walid Shoebat wrote that he believed Turkey plays a central role during the Tribulation Period. He also said that he thinks the Gog of Ezekiel’s prophecy (ch. 38-39) is the Antichrist. I wrote a synopsis of his book in my website article Islam and End-Times prophecy. In the section on Turkey I paraphrased seven reasons Mr. Shoebat thinks that Turkey has a significant role in the End-Times:
1.Ezekiel ch.38 lists eight locations in the Gog prophecy. Five of them (Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Togarmah, Gomer) are located in Turkey.
2.The first Islamic Empire (which culminated with the Turkish Ottoman Empire whose capital was Istanbul, Turkey) is the fatally wounded seventh Biblical Beast Empire of Revelation ch.17.
3.Daniel ch.9 declares the people of the prince will invade Jerusalem. The first part of this prophecy was fulfilled when the Roman army led by the Tenth Legion destroyed the second Jewish Temple in 70 A.D. This legion consisted of primarily Turkish and Syrian soldiers.
4.Daniel ch.11 prophesies of a “king of the north” as a type of the Antichrist. Antiochus Epiphanes IV ruled the Seleucid Empire which encompassed Turkey. He blasphemously sacrificed a pig on the Jewish Temple altar and was a forerunner of the Antichrist.
5.Isaiah and Micah prophesied of The Assyrian who is the Antichrist. Assyria’s domain included a large part of Turkey.
6.Zechariah ch.9 lists Yavan/Ionia (Turkey) as playing a role in the Last Days. They are translated with the word “Greece” in this passage but are actually located on the Western coast of Turkey.
7.Revelation ch.2 mentions that the throne of Satan is located in Pergamum, Turkey. (God’s War on Terror; p.421-425)
Whether or not the current crisis in Israel/Turkey relations leads to the fulfillment of Mr. Shoebat’s End-Times scenario is unknown. Only time will tell.
Zechariah 12
Contrary to those skeptics who have denigrated the Bible throughout the centuries, there are many reasons for believing it is the true word of God. There are the billions of lives that have been changed by the spiritual truths about life and salvation contained in it. Archaeology has proven time and time again that the Bible is historically accurate. I also believe that it is scientifically accurate and don’t believe the supernatural elements of it are inconsistent with an omnipotent God who created the universe and the scientific laws that allow it to exist. Since God is the Creator He is also able to transcend these laws according to His will. One other area of Biblical accuracy is found in its prophetic passages because God states that He is God and that He declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46). He foretold hundreds of prophecies that His Son Jesus the Messiah fulfilled 2000 years ago. Likewise He has given hundreds of prophecies that foretell of what will happen in the End-Times. One of these is found in the Book of the prophet Zechariah:
“1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:1-3)
God says that one day all the world will come against Jerusalem in Israel because He will make it a burdensome stone and a cup of trembling or terror to the world. At no time in earth’s history has the whole world come against Jerusalem. Since the rebirth of Israel in 1948, the world has become globally connected and has become increasingly hostile to the nation of Israel. The signs that Jesus told His followers to watch for could be in their nascent stages. Only the One who declares the end from the beginning knows when it will start but it will happen at some point in the future because God declared it would.
