The Palestinian Authority has once again hardened its stance ahead of a planned international peace conference next month, threatening to boycott the talks if no timetable is given for the establishment of a Palestinian state. President Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had previously demanded that Israel cede all territory in Gaza, Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem for the creation of a state. He is also demanding Palestinian custody of the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site. According to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, Olmert is indeed willing to hand over control of the Temple Mount, but to a panel of representatives from the UN, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Quote: "MK Uri Ariel (NU/NRP) said: "If the report is true, the Israeli government has stripped itself of any linkage to Zionism or its Jewish roots." "The Olmert government is trying to destroy the dreams of thousands of generations who have dreamed and worked to return the Jewish people to its land, continued Ariel, vowing: "we wont let him succeed." Ariel's party colleague MK Aryeh Eldad said that if Israel willingly gives up sovereignty of the Temple Mount to a foreign power "it will lose its moral, historical, legal and religious justification for existence." "This is post Zionist, nonsensical and suicide," he said. MK Tzi Hendel (NU/NRP) said: "I warned long ago that Olmert would divide Jerusalem, and now it is clear that even the Temple Mount, which is the heart and soul of the Jewish people, is going for cheap."

The chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurei has also warned that unless Olmert agrees to a timetable for the establishment of a Palestinian state, that the PA may scupper the peace conference scheduled for November. It was previously reported that Olmert and Abbas had agreed that the peace conference would commence the beginning of open-ended negotiations for a final peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Quote: ""The Israeli prime minister [Ehud Olmert] has stated that he will not accept a timetable, and we say we will not accept negotiations without a timetable," Qurei said at a news conference with the EU's external affairs commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

And as the Palestinian Authority hardens its stance against Israel, Hamas is also hardening its position, threatening to launch a new intifada against the Jewish state. The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of Hamas, has announced it is preparing to launch terrorist attacks against Israel in the coming weeks. Hamas leaders are also threatening to stage a coup in Judea and Samaria, similar to that undertaken by the terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip earlier this year.

So it seems the pressure is mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to come up with the goods. If he is seen to be offering the Palestinians too little, he risks giving the terrorist organizations an excuse to launch attacks against Israel, just as occurred following the failure of the Oslo agreement. And if he does not move quickly enough, he may also risk losing Judea and Samaria to Hamas rather than a "moderate" Fatah. The Bible doesn't state explicitly what way things will work out, but it does state that Jews living in Judea (Mark 13:14) and the eastern half of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2) will face a tremendous period of persecution. The Antichrist, the European leader that will strengthen an agreement between Israel and the nations, will according to Daniel's prophecy, privately turn his back on that agreement (Daniel 11:32), plunging the nation into the time of Jacob's trouble (Daniel 12:1). As we can see, today's events are clearly pointing towards the fulfilment of this prophecy.

Matthew 24:44-46
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Source WorldNetDaily, Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem Post, YNet News, YNet News