“The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and His name the only name.” Zech. 14: 9
PALESTINIANS SIGNAL THEY WANT ALL OF JERUSALEM: Australia’s decision on Saturday 15 Dec. 2018 to officially recognize the western half of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel prompted a number of outbursts, some of them very, very revealing. The government of PM Benjamin Netanyahu expressed disappointment that, unlike USA President Donald Trump, Australian PM Scott Morrison only acknowledged Israeli sovereignty over half of the Holy City, and did not commit to moving his nation’s embassy there. The Palestinian Authority also protested Australia’s announcement. Many in Israel assumed that the Palestinians would celebrate Australia recognizing only West Jerusalem as Israel’s seat of government as yet another repudiation of the Jews’ claim to the entire city as their eternal capital. But then PA negotiator Saeb Erekat explained the outrage, and Israelis were again reminded of just how distant a genuine peace based on historical accuracy remains.
“All of Jerusalem remains a final status issue for negotiations, while East Jerusalem, under international law, is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory,” insisted Erekat. That came as a surprise to nearly all Israelis, including those to the far left of the political spectrum, who have never considered control of the western half of Jerusalem to be up for negotiation. Did Erekat merely misspeak, or did he reveal that even at the highest levels of the supposedly “moderate” Palestinian government, the long-term goal remains wresting all this land from Israel? At the very least, Erekat’s statement should make it clear to the international community that there won’t be any kind of peace agreement in the near future, as no Israeli government, regardless of which party is in charge, will ever consider, or be allowed by the public to put West Jerusalem on the table. (Israel Today)
RUSSIA WARNS LEBANON OVER VIOLATIONS OF ISRAELI TERRITORY: The Russian government has warned Lebanon not to permit violations of Israeli territory by the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, the London-based Arabic media outlet Asharq Al-Awsat reported. According to the report, Moscow warned the Lebanese government in a letter “not to play games with UN Security Council Resolution 1701”, referring to the Aug. 2006 motion by the UN Security Council marking the end of the second Israel-Lebanon war. Officials told Asharq Al-Awsat that Russia had called on Lebanon to ensure that the terror tunnels dug by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon into Israeli territory are neutralized. The letter suggested that Russia backed Israel’s demand that the Lebanese government be held responsible for Hezbollah activity within the country. The request comes following high level meetings between Israeli and Russian officials, during which Israel revealed evidence of Hezbollah’s attempts to infiltrate into Israeli territory with a series of cross-border terror tunnels. Israel recently launched Operation Northern Shield to locate and neutralize the tunnels. In the days immediately after Operation Northern Shield began, Israeli security forces located three cross-border tunnels from southern Lebanon. On Sunday 16 Dec. 2018 Israeli forces located a fourth tunnel. (Arutz-7)
BAHRAIN SUPPORTS AUSTRALIA’S RECOGNITION OF J’LEM AS CAPITAL: Hours after Australian PM Scott Morrison announced last week that his country would recognize western Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the Arab League released a furious statement denouncing the “irresponsible and biased” decision that it alleged was “contrary to international law.” However, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa opposed the Arab League’s “irresponsible statements,” tweeting that “Australia’s position does not hamper the legitimate demands of the Palestinians and first and foremost East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.” Earlier this month, Al Khalifa blasted Hezbollah for digging terrorist tunnels from Lebanon into Israeli territory. “Is the digging of tunnels by the organization not an open threat to the stability of Lebanon? Who bears responsibility when the neighboring countries take upon themselves the task of getting rid of the danger that threatens them?” he wrote on Twitter. Last month, a senior Israeli official revealed that Israel is in close talks to establish diplomatic relations with the Gulf state. (INN) “But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there….” 2 Chr. 6:6
NETANYAHU: ISRAELI TIES TO ARAB WORLD STRONGER WITHOUT PALESTINIANS: Israel stands a better chance to normalize ties with the Arab world without the Palestinians, PM Netanyahu told Israeli diplomats on Sunday, 16 Dec. 2018. “What is happening at the moment is that we are in a process of normalization with the Arab world without moving ahead in the diplomatic process with the Palestinians.” Netanyahu spoke with the ambassadors as Israeli-Palestinian ties continued to unravel in the wake of a renewed wave of violence in Judea & Samaria. He explained that a policy of making peace first with the Arab states and only then with the Palestinians, runs counter to the prevailing diplomatic belief that Israel-Arab ties could only occur after the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Today we are going there without the Palestinians being involved and it is much stronger because it does not depend on their caprices. What has opened the possibility of Israel-Arab ties is the country’s strong track record on technology and innovation. The Arab world needs technology and innovation. It needs water, electricity, medical care and high-tech,” Netanyahu said. “Israel can provide the Arab states with such things so there is a growing connection between Israeli companies and the Arab world,” he added. (J.Post)
IDF CONTINUES TO CLAMP DOWN ON JUDEA & SAMARIA AFTER DEADLY TERROR ATTACKS: The Israeli military continues to clamp down on the security in Judea & Samaria, arresting dozens of Palestinians as security forces continue to search for a Hamas cell believed to be behind a string of deadly attacks which recently claimed the lives of three Israelis. The military believes that the overall atmosphere in Judea & Samaria is tense and security forces have warned that Hamas is trying to carry out terror attacks with guidance from Gaza, Turkey and Lebanon. On Sunday 9 Dec. 2018 a Palestinian terrorist linked to Hamas shot and injured seven Israeli civilians at a bus stop outside of the Ofra settlement. Among the injured was a pregnant woman who was forced to give birth prematurely. The baby boy died after three days. On Thur. 13 Dec. 2018 two soldiers were killed after a Palestinian gunman opened fire at a bus stop near Ofra and escaped the scene with one of the soldier’s weapons. A third soldier, Netanel Felber, remains in serious condition at Hadassah Ein Kerem in Jerusalem. An investigation into the attacks has shown that a single Hamas terror cell was responsible, with an automatic weapon used in both attacks. (J.Post)
IRANIAN FM: WE’VE PERFECTED THE ART OF EVADING SANCTIONS: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday 15 Dec. 2018 that US sanctions will have no impact on the policies of the Islamic Republic at home or abroad. “It is obvious that we are facing pressure by the US sanctions. But will that lead to a change in policy? I can assure you it won’t,” said Zarif. “If there is an art we have perfected in Iran and can teach to others for a price, it is the art of evading sanctions,” he added. US President Donald Trump withdrew in May 2018 from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which he has said is “the worst deal ever negotiated”. The US has since imposed two rounds of sanctions on Iran, the latest of which went into effect in Nov. 2018. Those sanctions aim to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero in a bid to curb the Islamic Republic’s missile program and regional influence. Iranian officials have remained defiant in the wake of the American sanctions, with President Hassan Rouhani having said recently that the US “will be defeated” as it has chosen the wrong path in reimposing sanctions on his country. (Arutz-7)
IRAN GUARDS GENERAL DIES OF SELF-INFLICTED ACCIDENTAL GUNSHOT: A Revolutionary Guards general, who headed a military base in a sensitive security area in northeastern Iran, died on Sunday 16 Dec. 2018 after he accidentally shot himself in the head while cleaning his gun, the official news agency IRNA reported. The report identified the commander as General Qodratollah Mansouri, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Eastern Iran, which borders Afghanistan — the world’s top opium producer — and Pakistan, has long been plagued by clashes with drug smuggling gangs. Southeastern Iran is also the scene of unrest by separatists and Sunni terrorist groups. (Algemeiner)
LABOUR UK OFFICIAL: JEWS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL WARS IN THE WORLD: The British Labour Party’s West Midlands’ regional organizer, Mohammed Yasin, has been suspended for sharing anti-Semitic material blaming Jews for “all the wars in the world.” Yasin has been writing anti-Semitic posts and 9/11 conspiracy theories for more than two years. (Times-UK)
The suggestions, opinions and scripture references made by JNN writers and editors are based on the best information received.
Blessings from Jerusalem,
Barry Segal with the Editorial Staff
