June 1997
On April 25, the General Assembly of the UN passed a resolution
demanding Israel stop its Jewish housing construction in the Har
Homa section of East Jerusalem. Of course, the UN considers East
Jerusalem occupied territory—not rightfully Israel’s. The
resolution passed by a vote of 134 to 3, with 11 abstentions.
Could 134 nations be wrong? YES! ABSOLUTELY!! Notwithstanding
President Clinton to the contrary, Congress passed a resolution
affirming Israel’s right to all of Jerusalem.
How holy is Jerusalem to Moslems? The
Koran never mentions Jerusalem. The Jewish Bible names Jerusalem
643 times. Some claim that Mohammed, ascended to heaven on a white
horse from the "al Aksa" mosque in Jerusalem and then
returned. Serious Islamic scholars reject this because Mohammed
never made this claim. In 1249 when the Moslem Sultan al Kamil
gave Jerusalem as a gift to the Roman Emperor, Frederick II, the
Sultan said: "I have ceded nothing but ruined churches and
wrecked buildings." Moslems praying on the Temple Mount face
toward Mecca. Sounds like a weak case.
Historic
Rights
History gives the land of Israel and Jerusalem to the Jews.
Last year (1996) Israel celebrated the 3000th anniversary of King
David’s capture of ancient Jerusalem when it became Israel’s
capital. The Arabs controlled Jerusalem from 638 to 1099 AD—only
461 years. In 985 AD, after 347 years of Arab rule, the Arab
geographer Muqaddasi complained Jews still dominated Jerusalem,
while the mosque was empty. The Turkish Empire controlled
Jerusalem and Palestine (the Roman name for land of Israel) from
1510 until the end of WW I.
In 1921 the League of Nations
recognized the historic right of the Jewish people to a national
home in Palestine, including the West Bank and Jerusalem. England
was given a mandate over Palestine to prepare it for a Jewish
State. Since then vast oil reserves were discovered in Arab lands.
If the Jews had a right to the West bank and Jerusalem in 1922,
that right is valid today. The nations are compromising Israel’s
rights for their own oil interests.
World powers march to the beat of the
Arab’s oil "drums." Arafat called for an international
forum in Gaza (March 15, 1997) on Israel housing in the Har Homa
section of Jerusalem and representatives of all the world powers
go running to Gaza. Arafat told the Arab League nations to call
for a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Israel’s Har
Homa housing construction and the UN complied. Where oil diplomacy
is concerned the World’s heads of State don’t want to confuse
the issues with the real facts.
The Following Facts Must Be Clarified
During the 1920s and 1930s, Jews lived throughout East
Jerusalem. Because of Arab pogroms in 1929 and in the 1930s, the
British coerced the Jews to leave their homes throughout East
Jerusalem and move into an arbitrary small section now called the
Jewish quarter or outside the wall into the new city of Jerusalem.
Jordan, contrary to the 1947 UN
partition plan for Palestine, seized the West Bank and East
Jerusalem during the 1948 war in which 7 Arab nations failed in
their attempt to destroy the New Israeli State. Then the Arabs
expelled the Jews, blew up and bulldozed the synagogues and all
evidence of Jewishness into the ground, and refused Jews access to
their holy sites. Since 1967 both Muslims and Christians enjoy
access to their holy sites. Israel has been most tolerant even
though Arabs at times come charging out of the Mosques on the
Temple Mount and rain down stones on the Jews praying at the
Western Wall. This proves that Jerusalem must remain under Israeli
sovereignty to protect the religious and human rights of all. From
the first census in modern times, 1849 until the present, the Jews
(not the Arabs) have been a majority in Jerusalem—so much for
the Arabs’ flawed claims to Jerusalem.
Since Israel captured East Jerusalem
from Jordan in the ‘67 war, the UN calls East Jerusalem
"occupied territory." Wrong! Jordan had no legal right
to it. Before 1948, the Jews were a majority in Jerusalem, not the
Arabs. A sinister plot unfolded during the debate on the 1947 UN
Partition Plan. For theological reasons, the Vatican lobbied a
majority of nations in the UN to internationalize Jerusalem. Never
mind that the Jews were a majority in Jerusalem—a Jewish
Jerusalem would be an incriminating challenge to the Vatican’s
claim to be the "New Jerusalem."
Jordan, in defiance of the United
Nations’ "Internationalized Jerusalem," captured East
Jerusalem for its own sovereignty until the ’67 war. Where was
the Vatican’s cry to internationalize Jerusalem during those 19
years? Where were the UN resolutions condemning Jordanian control
of East Jerusalem as "occupied territory"?
Remarkable Prophecy Fulfilled
This whole scenario is a fulfillment of Zechariah 12:2, 3,
5, 6:
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 Jerusalem. 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.
Jerusalem is a problem to two groups.
Verse two identifies "the people round about" Israel—Arab
nations. Verse three states that The City is also a
"burdensome stone" to all people of the earth.
Verse six reveals that as a result of
war with the Arabs, "the people round about,"
"Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even
in Jerusalem"—a unique phrase. What does it mean? In
1948, when Jordan took the old city, Israel declared the new city
of Jerusalem as its capital. But in their hearts the Israelis knew
the Bible Jerusalem was in the hands of the Arabs. Jordan lost old
Jerusalem when they attacked Israel in the ’67 war. With the
capture of the old city, Israel’s capital, Jerusalem now
occupied its own place—even in the Biblical city of Jerusalem
(East Jerusalem). A remarkable fulfillment of Zechariah’s
prophecy!
The Myth of "Arab East Jerusalem"
If a reporter were to write a story today which referred to
Communist East Berlin, his editor would immediately call him on
the carpet. The reason is simple. Communist East Berlin hasn’t
existed for eight years. But if that same reporter were to write a
story referring to another fiction, "Arab East
Jerusalem," no correction would be made, even though
"Arab East Jerusalem" hasn’t existed for 30 years.
Between 1948 and 1967, the Jordanian
army occupied the Old City of Jerusalem and adjacent
neighborhoods. They made these into "Arab East
Jerusalem" by expelling the Jews who lived there, and whose
families had lived there for generations. Then in June of 1967
"Arab East Jerusalem" ceased to exist. Yet the media,
President Clinton and world leaders refer to "Arab East
Jerusalem" as if it still exists. Two simple truths must be
stated loud and clear:
Jerusalem is united, and has been
since 1967. Just as there is no longer any such thing as East
Berlin, there is no longer any such thing as "Arab East
Jerusalem."
Today there are more Jews living in
East Jerusalem than Arabs. So, to be accurate, if anything, the
area should be called "Jewish East Jerusalem."
Har Homa Facts
New Jewish housing in Har Homa is neither a violation of the
Oslo Accord nor a land-grab from the Palestinians. The Israeli
Government purchased an area of 1850 dunams of forestry (about 460
acres) by eminent domain for the Har Homa project. Of this, 1400
dunams came from Jewish owners and 450 dunams from Arab owners. No
home owners will be displaced.
The UN is wrong. Neither Har Homa nor
East Jerusalem are "occupied territory." In the miracle
of the six-day war (1967), Jerusalem was returned by God to its
rightful owner—Israel. Since 1967, Israel has come under
continual criticism for its building policies around Jerusalem.
This points up another remarkable
fulfillment of prophecy. Jeremiah 31:38-40 (NAS) begins—"Behold,
days are coming when the city [Jerusalem] shall be rebuilt for
the Lord." Then the following verses pinpoint six areas
of Israeli construction that surround and extend the united city
of Jerusalem which Israel received from the Lord in 1967. While
the nations have berated Israel for this building program in
Jerusalem, the Lord commends Israel as building "for the
Lord."
World powers, including the United States, insist that
Jerusalem is negotiable. Jerusalem is not negotiable! The Bible
and history confirm Jerusalem is in the hands of its rightful
owner. Remember Zechariah’s prophecy—all nations who oppose
Israel in the Jerusalem issue will be "cut to pieces."
The Nations of the world had better heed this warning.
Israel will win a decisive victory in
another war with the Arabs. (Isaiah 11:14; Zephaniah. 2:4-10) Then
the stage will be set to "gather all nations against
Jerusalem" and the Lord will fight for Israel "as He
fought in the day of battle." (Zechariah 14: 2, 3) At that
point of time, Jesus will reveal himself to Israel. (Zechariah.
12:10-14) Then "the Law will go forth from Zion and the Word
of the Lord from Jerusalem."
ISRAEL: APPOINTMENT WITH
DESTINY. (Send for Video) ($10.00 ppd.) See why Jerusalem is not
negotiable. Jerusalem indivisible—Israel’s forever! This
dynamic video has been acclaimed in newspapers across the country
as one of the best portrayals of the history of Israel.
Read the on-line booklet: THE
ISRAELI-ARAB PEACE PROCESS AND BIBLE PROPHECY.
