Coming soon...PALM SUNDAY

Palm Sunday on the Mt of Olives 2013
http://www.demotix.com/news/1904512/patriarch-twal-presides-over-palm-sunday-ceremonies-jerusalem#media-1904456

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,  took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”

Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey’s colt.

John 12 : 12 -15.

It is a quiet, cool and sunny Shabbat here in Jerusalem and next Sunday it will be Palm Sunday, when many Christians will be celebrating Yeshua's (Jesus') entry into Jerusalem 6 days before he was crucified. He came riding on a donkey and a great crowd of people waved palm branches and laid their garments on the ground as he passed down the Mt of Olives to Jerusalem from Bethany, where he had been staying with Mary, Martha and Lazarus, whom he had just raised up from the dead. The people believed he was the King of Israel come to set them free from the oppressive rule of the Romans. But he knew otherwise. Yeshua's heart was doubtless heavy as he entered Jerusalem that last time, for he knew he would disappoint them. Instead of setting them free from the Romans, he knew that in just 40 short years, the Romans would reduce Jerusalem to rubble, and destroy the Temple, scattering the people of Israel into the Exile.  He also knew he was not coming at that time as King, but rather as the suffering Servant, who in just a few days would be hanging on a cross, that cruelest of Roman instruments of torture.

Nevertheless Yeshua knew that these things had to happen to fulfill the prophecies regarding His coming. In Zechariah 9:9 we read ,

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.

We all know these words well but do we consider their context? They are part of the extended revelation of the end-times restoration of Israel and the second coming of the Lord. Zechariah prophesied saying,

Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal;
With great fervor I am zealous for her.’

 “Thus says the Lord:

‘I will return to Zion,
And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth,
The Mountain of the Lord of hosts,
The Holy Mountain.’

 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Old men and old women shall again sit
In the streets of Jerusalem,
Each one with his staff in his hand
Because of great age.
 The streets of the city
Shall be full of boys and girls
Playing in its streets.’

 

Zechariah 8: 1- 5

 

Children celebrating Purim in the streets of Jerusalem
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Jerusalem_Purim_street_scene.jpg

The LORD God promises the full restoration of the people of Israel. He will bring them back from lands to the East and the West, and they will dwell in Jerusalem, and they will once again know their God.

 

 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east
And from the land of the west;
 I will bring them back,
And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
They shall be My people
And I will be their God,
In truth and righteousness.’

 

Zechariah 9: 7-8

 

The first part of this prophetic statement is in the process of  being fulfilled in our day. Immigration to Israel in the year 2014 was the highest in ten years, with about 26,500 Jews arriving in the country, most coming from France and the Ukraine.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4609941,00.html . The figure is expected to be even higher in 2015. The LORD is bringing his people home, from every nation of the Earth, even those groups of people descended from the so-called 'lost' tribes of Israel, together with the descendants of Judah, the Jews, just has he said he would (more on this another time).

 

The words of the second part of the prophecy are also true. God is, and has always been the God of Israel, but he will again reveal himself in such a way that the people will repent and turn again towards Him and honor Him. I am sure that one day all Israel will be saved, as is written in Romans 11: 26-27:

 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”

 

There is a softening of hearts taking place in Israeli society towards Yeshua and his followers. With a new generation of Israeli-born believers moving into leadership in the congregations, the movement is being seen less as a foreign, Gentile threat to Judaism and more and more as a legitimate part of the mosaic of Israeli society. When I first came to Israel more than 30 years ago, we were very few in number and were timid in speaking about our faith, since many of us lived under the constant threat of being expelled from the country. The new generation does not have this fear, and we are now seeing an increasing boldness in their witness.There was a time when we all could meet in one place for an annual conference numbering only about 200 believers. Now there are an estimated 20,000 Messianic believers (Jews who believe in Jesus) and about 120 Messianic congregations in the land.  There is a long way to go for the prejudices and fear arising from the indoctrination of centuries, and the history of persecution by the church, must  all be overcome, but the LORD will accomplish his Word in due season.

 

The LORD continued, through his prophet, Zecariah saying,

 
¹⁰ For before these days
There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast;
There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in;
For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.

¹¹ But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts.

¹² ‘For the seed shall be prosperous,
The vine shall give its fruit,
The ground shall give her increase,And the heavens shall give their dew—
I will cause the remnant of this people
To possess all these.
¹³ And it shall come to pass
That just as you were a curse among the nations,
O house of Judah and house of Israel,So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing.

In our day we see the blessing of the LORD on Israel. In spite of all our enemies around about and within, Israel as a nation is prospering and bringing much blessing to the world (although the world often does not recognize that). Last weekend I went down to the Dead Sea area where, after abundant winter rains this year, the desert is blooming.

Caper flower


This past week we had an election in Israel, and contrary to expectations, Benyamin Netanyahu's right-of-center Likud party won a decisive victory, gaining 29 Knesset seats over the 24 gained by the center-left Zionist Union party. A record breaking 72.3% of all eligible voters went to the polls, reflecting the perception of most Israelis that these elections would be pivotal in regard to the future of our nation at this point in history. Now Netanyahu is busy negotiating deals in order to cement a coalition that will give him a total of at least 61 Knesset seats, the minimum needed to form a government. To do this he will need to gain the support of the right wing parties, namely the religious bloc. 

Is this a result we should be celebrating or mourning? I don't know. I, like many others, have very mixed feelings. However one thing I do know, it is all according to the will of God, for it is He who raises up leaders and brings them down. Through human history and politics He is working out the redemption of the world and His prophetic word will not fail. We know that some time in the future, perhaps in the not-too-distant future at that, the whole world will turn against Israel and come to do battle against her, and when she is about to fall, then Yeshua and his heavenly armies shall come, and we all shall see him in His power and glory. And then all Israel will know whom they pierced  and will repent with great mourning, and be saved (Zechariah 12).  

The present government and its policies seem to be bringing us into greater and greater international isolation, and relations between Israel and the USA appear to be deteriorating. The Arabs do not see Netanyahu as a partner for peace talks, and the 'two-state solution' seems to be dying as an option, for better or worse. Perhaps these things have to be. All we can say is, as Yeshua prayed just before his arrest and crucifixion,  in the Garden at Gethsemane,

Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.   Father, glorify Your name.”

 

John 12:27

 

And God said through the prophet Zechariah,

Do not fear,
Let your hands be strong.’

¹⁴ “For thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Just as I determined to punish you
When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
‘And I would not relent,
¹⁵ So again in these days
I am determined to do good
To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
Do not fear.
Zechariah 9: 13-15

 

And how should we live in such perilous times? He commands us thus,

¹⁶ These are the things you shall do:
Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
¹⁷ Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the Lord.”

 

Zechariah 9: 16- 17

 

So, we need to continue to live in righteousness and faith, obeying the commands of the LORD. He is faithful to each of us individually and to us as a nation. He will protect us, keep us and bring to pass all his promises. What is there to fear?

And now, to end on a lighter note - a celebration of life and a tribute to the amazing vitality  of our people. This was filmed in Mamilla Mall just outside the Old City walls:
http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/the-most-amazing-flash-mob-you-will-ever-see/
(If the link doesn't work - try copy and pasting the URL)

Israeli ballot box Photo: EPA   Final poll by Ynet sister publication ahead of the elections.    Herzog and wife Michal vote in Tel Aviv / Netanyahu and wife Sara vote in Jerusalem (Photo: Motti Kimchi, Marc Israel Salem)

http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-3083,00.html



RUN THE RACE





The runners set off
http://www.itraveljerusalem.com/wp-content/
uploads/2014/12/Jerusalem-Marathon-2015-feateurd.jpg



The fifth annual Jerusalem Marathon is under way as I am writing. Around 26,000 runners from 60 countries are participating. This is Israel's largest marathon and this year includes seven versions: the full 42.2 km marathon, a half marathon, a 10 kilometer version, 5 kilometers, a family run of 1.7 kilometers, a 16 kilometer wheelchair race, and a special 800 meter social race. The winner of the full marathon Davi Tedse from Ethiopia has already crossed the finish line with a time of 2 hours 18 minutes and 20 seconds. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/192569#.VQKXyJt01LM


The city has virtually come to a standstill because many of the central roads are shut down for the marathon. Schools, including the one where I work, and many businesses are closed. However the marathon brings a healthy boost to the economy of the city and hotels are booked out.

This event has caused me to think about the race of life, another kind of endurance test, in which we all, young and old, fit and not-so-fit, participate. Sometimes when I turn on the news or hear the often tragic stories of my friends and neighbors, I feel very weary of all the sadness and suffering we experience in this fallen world.  But we must run on. The writer to the Hebrews put it this way,

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12: 1-2

And we might ask? To what does the ‘therefore’ refer? This will give us the key to endurance, the strength to go on, through the pain and the weariness, even that feeling of exhaustion. To find that answer we must read the preceding chapter where the writer reminds us of all those who have run the race before us by faith. The words ‘by faith’ appears 18 times in that chapter. Only by faith can we rise up above the trials and circumstances of our lives, running on and on, looking towards the goal, as yet unseen, which is Yeshua (Jesus). But from where can we draw such faith? Again we see the answer in Chapter 11 of Hebrews - from the witness of those who have gone before, beginning with Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and many more;

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth…Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

Hebrews 11: 13,16

So, like the marathon runners of today, let us not give up, nor allow sadness or weariness to defeat us, but keep on running until the end so that we can obtain the crown of life, promised in the book of Revelation:

“To him who overcomes,

·       I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God…

·       (he) shall not be hurt by the second death…

·       I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.

·       I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it…

·        I will give power over the nations…

·        I will give him the morning star….

·       (he) shall be clothed in white garments…

·        I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life…

·        I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels…

·        I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.

·       I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name….

·       I will grant (him) to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne…

Revelation 2 and 3.

Is that not a better prize than a blue T-shirt and certificate! The goal is fabulous if only we can find the strength to keep running to the end.

Trials and temptations to give up come at us constantly. My beautiful and beloved city, Jerusalem which has brought hope to the world through the witness of the Israelite patriarchs and prophets throughout history, the writing of the holy Scriptures, the testimony of the saints and the death and resurrection of our Messiah, is again (or still) under threat from many enemies all around and within.

After a few months of relative quiet (perhaps even terrorists don’t like the cold!), things are heating up again with a rise in terror attacks within the city and its environs.  We are weary of it all but there is no end in sight. Last Friday (6^th March) five young policewomen and a passing cyclist were injured when a Palestinian terrorist,  Mohammad Salima, 21, slammed a car into the passengers waiting to board the light rail train in the north of the city. After the attack the terrorist got out of his vehicle with a butcher’s knife and attempted to stab passersby, but he was shot and incapacitated by a Border Policeman and a Light Rail security guard at the scene. http://www.timesofisrael.com/five-wounded-in-suspected-car-ramming-attack-in-jerusalem/.

Just a week earlier an 18 year old Palestinian stabbed a pedestrian at the intersection outside City Hall. The Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barakat, became a local hero when he on his way to work, noticed the attack, leapt from his car and together with his bodyguards, disarmed and arrested the terrorist.. You can watch a video of this feat caught on CCTV http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/WATCH-Jerusalem-Mayor-Nir-Barkats-bodyguards-tackle-Palestinian-terrorist-after-stabbing-attack-391824.

Against the background of terror at home, and ongoing and increasing threats from all around, Israelis will be voting in national elections this coming Tuesday. The main election issue will, as always, be national security but this time economic factors will also play a big part. With only 4 days to go, one of Israel’s leading newspapers, Yediot Aharonot, published a poll which would give the centrist - left Zionist Union Party, led by Isaac Herzog, a lead of 4 Knesset seats over Netanyahu’s right wing Likud Party.
 

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4636623,00.html

Even if Herzog’s party were to win the majority of the votes on Tuesday, this would not necessarily ensure he would be our next Prime Minister.  Under our (crazy) system of proportional representation each party is awarded a percentage of the 120 Knesset seats in relation to the percentage of votes received. To form a government the winning party has to form a coalition of at least 61 seats before it can be sworn in.  This means that no party is ever likely to be able to form a government alone. The party with the most votes needs to enlist the support of other parties to form a coalition, and to do this they must win the support of parties they have just been competing with. Needless to say a lot of wheeling and dealing goes on to win that support and this gives the smaller parties a great deal of political power. It also means the leader of the winning party may not necessarily end up as Prime Minister, although he usually does. According to The Guardian, “In the tortured electoral mathematics of Israel’s coalition-building, Netanyahu still has a theoretical marginal advantage with six potential parties he can negotiate with to form a government, against Herzog’s five.” http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/11/israel-elections-rising-panic-in-likud-ranks-as-opposition-gains-momentum.

If you want to know more about the technicalities of Israel’s electoral system go to http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel-election-2015/1.646418

What would constitute the best for Israel? I am at a loss to say. If Netanyahu wins we will have a continuance of our present foreign and domestic policies, for better or for worse.  His economic policies are serving to widen the gap between rich and poor, and this could lead to an increase in internal social unrest. His foreign policies have contributed to the standstill in negotiations with the Palestinians towards the so-called two state solution, a deterioration in the relationship with the USA and an increased isolation of Israel in the international community.  If Herzog wins, he promises “hope for those who felt excluded within Israel’s dysfunctional economy and for those who sought the possibility of peace.” http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/11/israel-elections-rising-panic-in-likud-ranks-as-opposition-gains-momentum. What exactly does he mean by ‘the possibility of peace’ ? It means a stop to the expansion of Jewish settlements in the Territories (West Bank regions of Judea and Samaria), and a resumption of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority towards a two-state solution. This latter is a bit worrying since Herzog’s main coalition partner would likely be the powerful Joint Arab List currently the third runner according to the polls.

All that remains is for us to pray, vote and hold our breath, until the results are announced. The bottom line is that it is God who raises up ‘kings’, and brings them down. Let us pray that His will be done. Only He knows the details of His plans for the future. May He give us righteous leadership and true peace.

He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.

Daniel 2:21

 

 

THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF?

 

Netanyahu addressing Congress 3 March 2015
http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/intelligencer/2015/03/03/03-netanyahu-speech3.w529.h352.2x.jpg

 

Netanyahu has given his speech to the Congress and now only history will determine if it will have any effect on the fate of Israel or the world as a whole. We have never had any doubt about Netanyahu’s ability as an orator. He delivered his speech with clear and deliberate confidence and received much support from his Congressional audience, Republican and Democrat alike. President Obama made a point of not watching the speech but we can be sure he heard or read every word. But, will Netanyahu’s speech make any difference? Only time will tell.

The full text of Netanyahu's speech is worthy of our close attention and can be seen on http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4633143,00.html.

Netanyahu began his speech warning that,

“Iran's regime is not merely a Jewish problem, any more than the Nazi regime was merely a Jewish problem. The 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis were but a fraction of the 60 million people killed in World War II. So, too, Iran's regime poses a grave threat, not only to Israel, but also the peace of the entire world. To understand just how dangerous Iran would be with nuclear weapons, we must fully understand the nature of the regime”.

He went on to point out that we must not think that Iran is in any way an ally just because it is also fighting the Islamic State (IS or ISIS).

Don't be fooled. The battle between Iran and ISIS doesn't turn Iran into a friend of America.Iran and ISIS are competing for the crown of militant Islam. One calls itself the Islamic Republic. The other calls itself the Islamic State. Both want to impose a militant Islamic empire first on the region and then on the entire world. They just disagree among themselves who will be the ruler of that empire.

In 1979 Iran was ‘hijacked by religious zealots’ who imposed a dictatorship on the people based on a strict and brutal new constitution based on Shariya Law, and the ideological imperative of Jihad. Backed by Iran, Hezbollah controls Damascus, President Assad of Syria slaughters his own people, and the Houthis, who last September took control of Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, which controls the strategic entrance to the Red Sea through which most of the world’s oil must pass. Even as the USA and Iran are negotiating the current deal, Iran carried out a military exercise blowing up a mock US aircraft carrier. Given Teheran’s aggressive and threatening position, one must ask, why is the USA so determined to negotiate with this regime, which has clearly and repeatedly threatened to destroy the ‘little Satan’ (Israel) and then the ‘big Satan’ the USA? Netanyahu put it this way;

In the Middle East, Iran now dominates four Arab capitals, Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut and Sanaa. And if Iran's aggression is left unchecked, more will surely follow.

Beyond the Middle East, Iran attacks America and its allies through its global terror network. It blew up the Jewish community center and the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires. It helped Al Qaida bomb US embassies in Africa. It even attempted to assassinate the Saudi ambassador, right here in Washington, DC…

So when it comes to Iran and ISIS, the enemy of your enemy is your enemy.

The difference is that ISIS is armed with butcher knives, captured weapons and YouTube, whereas Iran could soon be armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs. We must always remember - I'll say it one more time - the greatest dangers facing our world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons. To defeat ISIS and let Iran get nuclear weapons would be to win the battle, but lose the war. We can't let that happen.

Prime Minister Netanyahu then went on to expose the flaws in the current proposed deal, due to be signed at the end of this month. First the deal does not require Iran to destroy its nuclear facilities. He said that,

According to the deal, not a single nuclear facility would be demolished. Thousands of centrifuges used to enrich uranium would be left spinning. Thousands more would be temporarily disconnected, but not destroyed.

Iran currently has 19,000 centrifuges spinning busily away enriching uranium and plans to build 10 times that number. Enriched uranium is not needed for peaceful nuclear purposes such as power generation or medical use. If Iran is not intending to develop military nuclear capability, as it claims, then why is it enriching uranium at all? 

Under the proposed deal, Iran’s nuclear program would be under the watchful eye of international inspectors, but as Netanyahu said, “… inspectors document violations; they don't stop them”. What is more, Iran has proven in the past that it is well able to conceal its activities.  Netanyahu put it this way:

…but Iran not only defies inspectors, it also plays a pretty good game of hide-and-cheat with them.

The UN's nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA, said again yesterday that Iran still refuses to come clean about its military nuclear program. Iran was also caught - caught twice, not once, twice - operating secret nuclear facilities in Natanz and Qom, facilities that inspectors didn't even know existed.

Right now, Iran could be hiding nuclear facilities that we don't know about, the US and Israel. As the former head of inspections for the IAEA said in 2013, he said, "If there's no undeclared installation today in Iran, it will be the first time in 20 years that it doesn't have one." Iran has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted

A second concern is the fact that the restrictions on Iran under the proposed deal would automatically expire after 10 years. John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, confirmed last week that Iran could possess massive centrifuge capacity by the time the deal expires. This means they could be producing nuclear weapons within a very short time, less than a year according to US estimates, but possibly even much, much faster.

Netanyahu thus expressed his concern that this deal would not prevent Iran from making nuclear weapons, but rather would ensure that it did. He said,

Now I want you to think about that. The foremost sponsor of global terrorism could be weeks away from having enough enriched uranium for an entire arsenal of nuclear weapons and this with full international legitimacy.

And by the way, if Iran's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile program is not part of the deal, and so far, Iran refuses to even put it on the negotiating table. Well, Iran could have the means to deliver that nuclear arsenal to the far-reach corners of the earth, including to every part of the United States.

So one must ask, why is the USA so determined to sign this deal with Iran? It seems to me that it is predicated on the belief that by the time the 10 years have passed Iran’s regime will have been replaced by a more moderate one. However that seems to be something of a pipe dream. The regime has stood for 36 years now and is stronger than ever. The only time any cracks appeared were some demonstrations during the time when strict economic sanctions were being applied, but those sanctions have been eroded, and under the proposed deal will be eased considerably, and the opposition quashed.

Iran on the other hand is willing to sign the deal only so that the sanctions will be eased, making it possible to fund its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile program, its support of terrorist groups around the world, and its expansionist policies.

Netanyahu’s speech has prompted an fairly predictable outburst of criticism both at home and abroad. One of the criticisms is that he did not say anything new. And that is true. He has been saying the same thing over and over and over for years, but the shocking thing is the apathy of the free world and its dogged refusal to listen. It seems we are suffering from “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” syndrome.  However if you remember the story, the people grew so tired of hearing the boy crying ‘wolf’ that they stopped listening and even stopped believing in the wolf. However the wolf was still there and one day he came and ate all the people. I hope we will not suffer the same fate!

Others, President Obama included, criticized his speech claiming that he did not make any valid or workable alternative proposal. This is simply not true. Netanyahu declared  that no deal is a better option than a bad deal, and he also put forward a suggestion for a better deal:

Now we're being told that the only alternative to this bad deal is war. That's just not true.

The alternative to this bad deal is a much better deal.

We can insist that restrictions on Iran's nuclear program not be lifted for as long as Iran continues its aggression in the region and in the world.

Before lifting those restrictions, the world should demand that Iran do three things:

First, stop its aggression against its neighbors in the Middle East.

Second, stop supporting terrorism around the world.

And third, stop threatening to annihilate my country, Israel, the one and only Jewish state.

If Iran changes its behavior, the restrictions would be lifted. If Iran doesn't change its behavior, the restrictions should not be lifted…

Netanyahu summed up his position by saying,

Ladies and gentlemen, history has placed us at a fateful crossroads. We must now choose between two paths. One path leads to a bad deal that will at best curtail Iran's nuclear ambitions for a while, but it will inexorably lead to a nuclear-armed Iran whose unbridled aggression will inevitably lead to war.

The second path, however difficult, could lead to a much better deal, that would prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, a nuclearized Middle East and the horrific consequences of both to all of humanity.

It is interesting to note that this speech was delivered to Congress on the eve of the Fast of Esther which precedes the Feast of Purim, in which Jews have for centuries remembered another occasion when a ruler in Persia (modern day Iran) sought to annihilate the Jews (see the Book of Esther). All over Israel and in every Jewish synagogue throughout the world, the book of Ester was read aloud. Children and adults alike celebrated by dressing in costumes, and by giving gifts to each other and to the poor. It is a happy occasion and a reminder than one person and their words can make a difference. The courageous words of Esther saved the Jews throughout the Persian Empire from annihilation. Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, said this to her:

Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Esther 4: 13-14.

 

Celebrating Purim in Netanya
http://www.timesofisrael.com/nation-plays-dress-up-to-celebrate-purim-holiday/

 

Time and time again, throughout history, enemies have risen up with the intention of destroying Israel. But they have never succeeded! And here we stand: a tiny nation in a vast sea of enemies. In spite of all the threats against us, we are confident in our God, who has promised to keep and restore us in this land. His word is true and will stand. He who is with us is greater than any enemy.

But what is our part? Is it to remain silent or is it to speak out? We must each search our hearts and see what we must do in these perilous days, and be careful to be found working with God to bring about his redemption and not against Him, and his chosen people.