Desert Stream Christian Fellowship

The UN has received a call from the Palestinian authority in Israel, requesting official recognition as a state. Canada’s Prime Minster has candidly spoken out against the proposal and added a call to the Palestinians to come back to the negotiating table with Israel. I find it interesting that the UN is even entertaining the request, since the Palestinian authority has consistently denied Israel’s right to exist. Even to this day, maps in Palestinian classrooms do not include Israel.

The most telling statistic in this whole story, is that of the Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, 35% would rather continue to live under Israeli rule, and only 30% said they want to see the establishment of a Palestinian state. (Another 35% are undecided).

The Six-Day War (June 1967), was only 40 years ago. Israel launched an attack on the Egyptian Air Force, following an Egyptian naval blockade of the Straits of Tiran and an Egyptian military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel interpreted as acts of war. The attack quickly turned into a regional war, in which Israel defeated the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and their supporters. It captured the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt, East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. At the time, the western world was fully supportive of Israel, standing solidly behind the nation and her right to exist.

Today times have changed. Nations, once supportive of Israel, have fallen silent, or worse still, have fallen in behind nations who continually call for Israel’s extermination. The fact that Iran’s leader, Ahmadinejad, who has consistently called for Israel’s extermination, has been given an audience at the United Nations, is disturbing, to say the least.

Israel is the birthplace of Christ. It is the backdrop of the vast majority of the history of the Bible, and it is home to the descendents of Abraham. We are called to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. I think there has never been a more important time to pray for Israel than now.

What about you?