Skip to main content

Laying claim to Jerusalem Part II

This is a follow up to my previous blog about the mystery that is Jerusalem and the struggle that still rages over its sovereignty. As if to prove the point I made about President Obama laying a foundation upon which Israel's claim to sole sovereignty is denied, his administration has now been found to have asked Israel not to build apartments in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem.

There are numerous problems with this development.

The primary issue goes back to Israel's sovereignty. What's apparent is that Obama, like so many other Presidents before him, lusts after the Holy Grail of world peace; reconciliation between Israel and the Arabs. What's frightening is that he's decided Israel's natural expansion in the land is the greatest impediment to that peace being achieved. On the one hand, it's confirmation of the fact that Israel's contribution to this conflict has little to do with its military endeavors, and a lot more to do with the outrage and violence that is produced on the part of the Arabs as a result of Israel's very existance on the land. On the other hand, it shows a complete lack of impartiality, and even a dangerous tendency to support the notion that Palestinian areas should be Judenrein.

In this particular case, the land in question was in fact purchased by an American Jew in 1985, and is currently abandoned. It was not annexed, stolen, nationalized or assumed control of by any method other than in a legal manner as exercised in most parts of the world where exists the rule of law. Unfortunately, for a President who believes that Israel's right to exist flows from the horror of the Holocaust, it is not surprising that a different standard is applied to the Jew when seeking to operate as any other citizen in the world.

It is my belief that the American administration is working hard to ensure that the final peace deal does not fail. To do that, they have decided that Israel must understand that their claim to sovereignty over Jerusalem is not only under contention, but is ultimately to be denied. To put it another way, the issue of Jerusalem, which was always a final status item, has already been decided upon by Obama, and now Israel only has to submit and the Holy Grail will be securely within his grasp.

Netanyahu must be commended for standing firm under the mounting pressure. There's much at stake. After all, either Jews have a right to exist in the land of their forefathers or they are just refugees displaced after the great and many evils of World War II.

Comments

Lisa said…
Thank you, Daryl - very informative article.

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering Israel at Easter

This week, around the world, Jews and Christians will be celebrating Passover and Easter (as it is commonly called in the West). In their separate ways, both religions will take time and ceremony to remember and dwell upon the Lord’s wonderful provision of salvation. While Passover can clearly been interpreted as a metaphor of Christ’s crucifixion and salvation through the shed blood of the lamb, it’s also worth noting that in both instances there is only one way of salvation provided; in Passover through the lamb’s blood spread on the door post and in Easter through Christ’s blood shed on the cross. This is an extremely important point to note. There do not exist multiple ways in which to reconcile ones self to God as many people today are want to believe. There has only ever been one way, thousands of years ago in Egypt or across the globe today. Jesus clearly states that no one comes to the Father but through Him. However, there is a stark difference in the stories of the

Just where do Obama's loyalties lie?

Sometimes, actions really do speak louder than words. If Obama's body language during his recent trip to the UK is anything to go by then we should all be very worried as to where his loyalties really lie. Here he is meeting the Christian Queen of England: And here he is meeting the Muslim King of Saudi Arabia: Did you see him bow to the Queen? No. Think about it.

Islam brings its peace to Mumbai

Muslims believe that they can bring peace to the world by making it submit to the rule of shariah law. Islam is much more than a religion; it is a political system, and since the days of its founding father, Mohammed , it has expanded through violence and conquest. Last week, the world watched on with disbelief as a few Muslims terrorised the large Indian city of Mumbai . A group that is being blamed for masterminding the attack, Lashkar -e- Toiba , aims to place India under Islamic rule . Like Muslims elsewhere, they think that these attacks will intimidate the Indians into acquiescing to Islam. Targeting civilians, who are most easily intimidated, is justified in their minds since, after all, they are bringing them the peace of Islam. Contrast that with the " peace that passes understanding ". Jesus offers peace to every individual that transcends the surrounding situation. It is not about subjugation , but emancipation. It involves no coercion , only willful acceptance. It