President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority has said he refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state during a conference in Ramallah. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recently requested that the Palestinian leadership recognize the state of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, if progress is to be made on the idea of 'two states for two peoples'. But President Abbas refused point-blank to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, instead insisting that Israel withdraw from all territory captured during the Six Day War.
"A Jewish state, what is that supposed to mean?" Abbas asked in a speech in the West Bank's political capital of Ramallah. "You can call yourselves as you like, but I don't accept it and I say so publicly." He said it's not his job to define the state of Israel. "Name yourself, it's not my business," He said. "All I know is that there is the state of Israel, in the borders of 1967, not one centimetre more, not one centimetre less. Anything else, I don't accept."The Israeli government hopes that by agreeing to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, the issue of Palestinian refugees could be resolved. Arab refugees would return to a Palestinian state instead of Israel proper, thus preserving the character of the Jewish nation.
But Abbas doesn't like that idea because it affords legitimacy to the state of Israel. As President of the Palestinian Authority Abbas is required to recognize Israel's existence, but as chief of the Fatah terrorist organization he refuses to recognize its legitimacy. Instead Abbas hopes that by forcing Israel to accept millions of Palestinian refugees, who were encouraged to flee their homes by Arab nations during the War of Independence and Six Day War, the Jewish character of Israel could be demographically destroyed. And testament to that fact, following the conference, President Abbas was presented with a 'map' of Palestine, with the state of Israel nowhere to be seen.
It's hard to believe that this is the man that the international community is demanding Israel negotiate with. How can you negotiate with someone who refuses to even recognize your right to exist? And they are saying, if only Israel would do this, then there would be peace! Israel's enemies will not be overjoyed to see Israel withdraw from Judea and Samaria. Rather they will interpret it as a sure sign of their cowardice and impending destruction. But the Bible predicted all of this would come to pass. The prophecy of Zechariah states that in the last days, they shall be in siege against Judea and Jerusalem (modern-day West Bank), and that the status of Jerusalem shall become a burdensome issue for the entire world. The Bible predicts that all who trouble themselves with Jerusalem shall be cut in pieces (Zechariah 12:2-3).
As you can see, rather than being closer to peace than ever before as Ehud Olmert claims, the world actually hovers on the brink of a cataclysmic disaster. As world leaders gathered in Annapolis to launch negotiations on the establishment of a Palestinian state, the US economy was beginning to falter. We had no idea how bad things were to get. This present US administration, which is much less favourable to Israel than the previous one, has made the Middle East conflict its top priority. There is no doubt darker days are ahead. God has revealed to us in His Word what will shortly come to pass.
"Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night", Isaiah 21:12-13.The dark must come before the dawn. Are you prepared for the night? Those who have trusted in Christ are not in darkness, that that day of judgement should overtake us as a thief (1st Thessalonians 5:4). But those who have not trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation will be caught unawares. Turn away from your sins. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation today (Acts 16:31).
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:36)
Source Links
Abbas won't recognize Israel as a Jewish state - YNet News
Mahmoud Abbas: 'I do not accept the Jewish State, call it what you will' - Palestinian Media Watch
Olmert: We were hair's breadth away from peace with PA- YNet News
Don't look now: Here comes the recession - CNN