The Burdensome Stone

From Watchwoman

Daily now, hourly, the state of Israel is a thorn in the side of the international community. This community includes much of the Church, sadly. We see this in indirect ways.
Recently I posted a message on my Facebook page, in which I asked why the Christian Left criticizes the Christian Right, but does not discuss Iran’s brutality toward its own people.
Silence.
It’s a perfectly legitimate question, but the Left almost always gets a free pass. Indirectly, the question has bearing on the Arab-Israeli conflict, since the Left very rarely discusses Muslim brutality (especially toward women, which should be a linchpin issue for the liberals), but goes on endlessly about alleged Israeli abuses.
Because the liberal seminaries (almost all seminaries now are affected by leftwing bias, especially as it regards how we read the Bible) have for 100 years brought in heresy and taught it, the mainline churches have always missed the brilliance of Israel. A de-emphasis of the Old Testament—an effective tactic used in Germany just before the formation of the Third Reich—has left us with whole generations who do not see or care to see the significance of the Jews.
Needless to say, many people in fact dislike Jews and loathe Israel.
This opposition to Israel from within the Church is having an effect as the Obama administration continues to squeeze Benjamin Netanyahu about building in “the settlements.”
Interestingly, the Israelis have a whole range of ways to deal with this pressure. As the deadline approaches this weekend for an end to the settlement freeze—Netanyahu has been unclear on how he’ll respond. However, MK Danny Danon is going to help lay a cornerstone in Revava, in anticipation of a lift of the freeze.
This is really the only option available to the Israelis when dealing with a hostile international community. A very simplistic analogy, but this is what happens with a schoolyard bully. If you show weakness, he closes in for the kill.
Confronting him, however, can yield surprisingly good results.
The Jerusalem Post reported on the Obama effort:
In a furious, last-minute round of diplomacy, the Obama administration is pressing Israel to extend the settlement slowdown, while urging Abbas not to make good on his threat to leave the negotiations.
Notice the Americans did not demand that the Palestinians quit terror. They asked them not to quit negotiations. Hillary Clinton spent a half-hour with Abbas on Friday, and I’ll bet the subject never came up.
I find it utterly fascinating, for example, that the political decision-makers in our world today completely disregard the Bible. Joel 3 is a very clear indication that the Lord will enter into judgment against those who have persecuted His people and divided His land.
This is an important distinction, by the way. The Jews’ enemies—again, the liberal Christian left at the forefront—rage about “Israel” taking the land from the poor Arabs. However, it is the Lord Himself who declares that it is “His” land.
And I’ve said it before: the Lord has set up a very interesting set of circumstances for the days in which we live. The whole international community tries feverishly to come up with a plan to create a viable Palestinian state.
Bill Clinton used his considerable intellect in poring over maps and documents; he pledged a good part of his presidency on solutions between the Arabs and Palestinians. He wasn’t the first.
When the entire weight of U.S. foreign policy cannot broker a deal, that is significant.
Added to the intrigue is the fact that the terrain in Israel makes it impossible to come up with a workable solution for the division of the land. The Arabs and Jews live in an almost interconnected manner: villages winding around other villages. If you see the land in person, the implausibility of an equitable solution hits you square in the face.
Now, add to this impossible mix the reality that the Palestinians do not want peace. All these issues work to create a scenario in which Israel is becoming that burdensome stone that will frustrate the world to a point of no return.
It bears repeating—especially since few Christian leaders today will say it—to the great shame of the Church, much of the Christian community is marching in lockstep with the enemies of the Jews.