Newly selected European Foreign Policy Chief, Federica Mogherini, has called for the establishment of a Palestinian state during her first visit to Israel and the Gaza Strip. The top EU official had previously warned that if a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority was not forthcoming, European states could follow Sweden's lead in unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state. Mogherini's statement follows a dramatic increase in Islamic terrorism in Jerusalem in recent weeks, including the attempted murder of prominent Temple Mount activist, Yehuda Glick, as well as several hit and runs which have left at least three people dead in the capital. President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority remarked Israel was making a 'declaration of war' by closing of the Temple Mount after the deadly attacks. Meanwhile his Fatah organization continues to broadcast propaganda on its official television station glorifying the spate of attacks against innocent Israeli civilians and calling for even more to be carried out...

Quote: “"It is not only the people of Gaza that can't afford having a fourth war, all the world cannot afford this," she said. "We cannot just sit and wait. If we sit and wait it will go on for another 40 years. We have to have action now," said Mogherini, a former Italian foreign minister who recently took over from Catherine Ashton as the top EU diplomat.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is threatening once again to go to the United Nations to demand unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Last year the United Nations General Convention voted to grant 'Palestine' observer status, the same level of recognition afforded to Vatican City. American intervention narrowly prevented full recognition being granted in the Security Council. The US administration is expected to oppose the measure once again, but with no sign of renewed negotiations on the horizon, the pressure will be on this time around.

Quote: ““We’ll demand a timetable for ending the occupation, and the process of applying to UN institutions, including the International Criminal Court, will continue,” Abbas said. “We demand recognition of our rights.”

The Swedish government have claimed that the three criteria required for formal recognition of a Palestinian state have been fulfilled, namely that there is a people, a border and a government. But in reality, none of these criteria have been met.

There is no ethnic Palestinian identity. Following the destruction of the Jewish Temple in AD 70 and the Bar Kokhba revolt of AD 135, the Roman Empire renamed the region 'Philistia' and Jerusalem 'Aelia Capitolina' in an effort to stamp out any remaining resistance to their occupation of the land. They named the land 'Philistia' after the name of Israel's ancient enemies, the Philistines, who were marauding Greek Phoenicians who occupied cities in Israel's south. The region later became known as 'Syria-Palestina' and eventually 'Palestine' under the British Mandate. Thus there was never a time when there was an ethnic 'Palestinian people'. In fact during the British Mandate, Jewish people living in the region were known as 'Palestinian Jews', and Prime Minister David Ben Gurion even held a Palestinian drivers licence. So if you are going to say that the land belongs to the Palestinian people, the question must be asked, which Palestinians? Palestinian Jews, Palestinian Christians, Palestinian Arabs, Palestinian Muslims, Palestinian Romans, Palestinian Turks, Palestinian Crusaders, etc, etc.

There is no recognized border. The Arab nations never agreed to the partition plan of 1947. The official name of the so-called '1967' borders, the 1949 Armistice line, marks how far the state of Transjordan got before it was repelled by the Israelis during the War of Independence. From 1948 to 1967, Egypt held the Gaza Strip and Jordan occupied the 'West Bank', yet at no time did either government offer to establish a Palestinian state on that land. The Hamas charter continues to call for the complete destruction of Israel and the slaughter of the Jewish people. And Fatah continues to broadcast maps of a Palestinian state with Israel nowhere to be seen, and calls for the 'liberation' of Israeli cities such as Beersheba and Tel-Aviv.

And there is no government to speak of. Repeated attempts at forming a unity government between the Palestinian Arab factions have failed. Hamas is still designated a terrorist organization by the US and EU. And the Palestinian Authority is dependent on Israel for imports of gas, electricity and supplies, while vast amounts of foreign aid donated annually by the EU and US are siphoned off into the personal accounts of Abbas and others who support terrorism against Israel. You can't create a state out of terror. You can't build with tools of destruction.

If these are the criteria necessary for recognizing an independent state, will the Swedish government now recognize ISIS? After all, they have a people, a border and a government. It's crazy.

Of course the Bible prophesied these things would come to pass. EU Foreign Policy Chief Mogherini's words were that 'all the world' could not afford a fourth war in Gaza. Even though dozens of deadlier wars are being waged across the Middle East and around the world, it is amazing that the tiny land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem continues to make headline news on a daily basis. But the prophet Zechariah foretold that in the last days the status of Jerusalem would become a 'burdensome stone to all people', Zechariah 12:2-3. Of course there will first be a peace agreement. And I believe that the European Union, the Revived Roman Empire of Daniel 7, will have a large part to play in brokering that deal. But the peace won't last (1^st Thessalonians 5:3). And the Bible foretells in Zechariah 14:2 and Revelation 11:2 how that the city of Jerusalem will be redivided, and that period known as the time of Jacob's Trouble will commence (Jeremiah 30:7). It will be a terrible time for Israel and the world. But praise God that Israel's Messiah is coming back, and He will intervene.

As you can see from today's news, that day is not far off. We are hearing of wars and rumours of wars, we are seeing signs in the heavens, preparations are being made for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, and there are calls for the division of God's land. This all points to one thing, the imminent return of Jesus Christ. The question is, are you ready to meet Him? God loves you much, that's why He sent His only Son Jesus Christ into the world, so He could bear the penalty for your sins. He died upon the cross so that your sins could be forgiven and have eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus Christ is coming again to take all those who have trusted in Him for salvation to be with Him in His Father's House (John 14:3). And after that He will come again in judgement to this world, and to set up His Millennial Kingdom. Are you ready to meet Him? Don't wait until it's too late. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation today (Acts 16:31).

Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Source Ynet News, Ynet News, BBC, Palestinian Media Watch, Haaretz

Photo credit: European External Action Service - EEAS / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND