The Coming Collision

By Dr. Jim Hutchens

When an irresistible force meets an unmovable object a collision results. That appears to be the forthcoming scenario between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu. But this is only “Round One.”

From day one of his presidency Mr. Obama has put on a full-court press to establish the politically correct mantra of a “two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace.” Never mind the fact that all attempts at this since 1948 have been abysmal failures. The primary reason for these failures is the Palestinians are not partners in seeking peace with Israel. Rather, they continue to insist on the establishment of a Palestinian state on the ashes and total removal of the State of Israel. Check it out in their charter documents.

Blithely ignoring this reality, both the Special Envoy to the Mideast, George Mitchell and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continue to pressure their unequivocal commitment to a two-state-solution. This has been re-enforced by a rapid succession of visits to Washington by King Abdullah II of Jordan, President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas and even Prime Minister Netanyahu. President Obama’s visit to the Mideast in June could seal the deal for the immediate future, especially if he “makes an offer they can’t refuse.” Properly understood, the Obama administration’s increased coercion of Israel to conform is yet another attempt to appease the Arab/Muslim world. Israel’s security and national interest are of little concern.

For Bible believers this on-going diplomatic dance must be viewed within the context of the prophetic Scriptures. For example, Zechariah 12:2 ff. speaks of a time when God says,

“I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding people reeling. …On that day when all nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an unmovable rock. All who try to move it will injure themselves.”

If when God says “all nations,” He really means “all,” then this must include the United States as well. It is indeed, a sobering and regrettable thought that our own beloved America would be one of those nations gathered against Israel. Tragically, this seems to be the trajectory the Obama administration is on. The God-ordained result is that we and not Israel are “injured.”

Furthermore, the stance President Obama has taken regarding Iran is troubling, certainly for the United States, but existentially for Israel. Evidently, he sees diplomatic talks with Iran as the primary means of curtailing Iran’s dash for nuclear capability. However, notions are now afloat suggesting that since we can’t curtail their thirst for nuclear power, we must accept it and keep it closely monitored. For the U.S., far removed from the region, a nuclear Iran is tolerable. For Israel it is intolerable. It is a matter of survival. Prime Minister Netanyahu has already indicated that if the United States does nothing about the Iranian nuclear threat, Israel will have to do so preemptively. The prophet Zechariah seems to have this possibility in mind when he says,

“On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.” (Zechariah 12:6).

Sadly, the trump card Israel has consistently refused to play since its re-birth in 1948, is the Biblical fact that God has decreed to the Jews forever, by covenant promise, the land they now live in. Most of Israel’s leaders have been secular with little commitment to the proclamations of the Bible. Unless and until an Israeli leader emerges who advocates Israel’s standing based on the eternal covenants of God, any political efforts will be futile. The land of Israel is the God-given inheritance of the descendants of Abraham.

The covenants God has made with Israel should be at the top of the list of any Peace Plan Israel agrees to. As a matter of fact the first item on the agenda of our Jerusalem Connection Peace Plan is,

“The Covenants of God. The modern State of Israel is a partial fulfillment of God’s immutable and everlasting covenant promises to provide a national homeland for the Jewish people in anticipation of their ultimate redemption when Messiah comes. (Genesis 15:18; 17:7-8). Thus these promises must be considered valid and relevant for today and foundational to any further peace plan discussions. God has a vested interest in Israel and the Jewish people that has not been denied since the founding of the world. To deny Providential input into any peace plan involving Israel is to invite rejection and failure at the outset.”

Expectations that the Obama administration will bring God’s covenants to the negotiating table are futile. It’s not going to happen. But is there an Israeli leader who will claim his Biblical inheritance and make the covenant promises of the God of Israel an unconditional requirement for any peace plan? Time will tell. It may happen only when another of God’s promises are fulfilled. Again through the prophet Zechariah, God says,

“I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look to me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” (Zechariah 12:10).

Until then, it appears a collision is inevitable. Still this is only “Round One.”

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