Sorry if this article is lacking in sensibility, I have the flu and I need to get to bed. EU Special Envoy to the Middle East Mark Goat, sorry I meant to say Mark Otte, has cautioned Israeli Prime Minister ahead of the upcoming international peace conference, that the region will pay a heavy price if the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian break down. His comments came as further revelations surfaced on the nature of the peace deal now being worked out between Olmert and Abbas. Otte warned Olmert that if the talks fail, Israel could end up having to deal with Hamas in the West Bank rather than Fatah. For his part Olmert stated that he was not prepared to allow peace to fail. 

Quote: "The representative told reporters that the Mideast conflict is of great importance to Europe, and added that the American strategy has not worked in Iraq, or the rest of the Middle East and defined the situation in the region as a wake-up call, saying failure was not an option this time. Otte said he expected the upcoming conference to be a starting point if Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agree on how to deal with the core issues before the summit. Otte told the reporters that if Israel were to wait any longer it would be dealing with Hamas as its partner for peace rather than Abbas, and added that Israel's lack of support of the Palestinian president in the past has contributed to the current situation in Gaza.

The European Union has largely remained quiet during recent negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, preferring instead to allow the Americans to take the lead. That is until this goat spoke, warning Olmert of the consequences of failure. Why do I call Otte a goat? Because he was only too happy to have Hamas as a partner for peace, as little as six months ago. I knew what was going to happen, you knew what was going to happen, but the EU seems to have its head buried in the sand.

Quote: "BRUSSELS (AFX) - The European Union has made its first official contact with a member of the new Palestinian unity government, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana's spokeswoman confirmed. She said that the EU's Middle East envoy, Marc Otte, held talks in Gaza City with Palestinian Foreign Minister Ziad Abu Amr, who is an independent member of the cabinet, grouping Western-backed moderates and Islamic radicals. The spokeswoman gave no details about their meeting.

Someone in the Israeli Knesset still has their head screwed on though. Former Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu warned of the consequences of dividing Jerusalem, something which the Israeli government has now revealed will be discussed at the international peace conference in Maryland. In the first Knesset session of the year, Netanyahu warned Olmert that a disengagement from east Jerusalem will leave suburbs in the city empty, and that Israel will face the threat of Palestinian rockets landing on Tel-Aviv and other major population centres.

Quote: ""Handing over half of Jerusalem to the Palestinians would render the other half uninhabitable… the town's square will once again stand empty. This is not the way to make peace. How many times can the same diplomatic loss of sight be repeated?" Netanyahu added, "according to the government's plan, Israel will withdraw to the '67 borders… this is an exact replica of the government's plan in Camp David in 2000. "Conceding Judea and Samaria would transfer control over the areas overlooking the coastal planes to Hamas and the radical Islam. They would be able to fire rockets directly from there at Gush Dan, the Ben Gurion Airport and Tel Aviv."

The Bible states that the division of the land of Israel and the division of the Holy City will not bring peace. It will commence a time of unparalleled suffering for the Jewish people. End time prophecy is playing out, just like God said it would. Where do you fit into the big picture? Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation? Is your name written in the Lamb's book of life? If it is, then your future is secure. If not, the Bible states the wrath of God already abides on you, my friend. Turn to Jesus Christ, and be counted worthy to escape all these things, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36).

Zechariah 14:1-3
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Source YNet News, YNet News , YNet News