Why is Israel dividing the land again? (article by Perry Stone)

WHY IS ISRAEL DIVIDING THE LAND – AGAIN?

"In June of 1967, the Israeli air force pre-empted an air assault against the Egyptian air force, thus beginning the famous 6 Day War. Nassar, the President of Egypt had previously engaged Israel in a war in 1956. For several weeks Israeli intelligence observed Russian made military weaponry and equipment being positioned near the Egyptian border and Nassar was announcing he would soon, “push the Jews into the ocean.” Despite global criticism, Israel struck at the heart of the Egyptian air force, crippling hundreds of Egyptian air craft, rendering their air power helpless. At that moment the surrounding borders began to change.

Nasser drew the Jordanians into the conflict by threatening to assassinate the King of Jordan, if he refused to participate. The Jordanians had the most to lose. They controlled all of the West Bank and all of East Jerusalem. As Jordan reluctantly entered the violent conflict, the Syrians began a thrust toward Tiberias, using the latest Russian tanks. Imagine the surprise when 6 days later, Egypt, Jordan and Syria were defeated and a cease fire was called. The Arabs demanded the United States force Israel to stop the war. The Israeli military was pushing across the Negev desert toward Cairo and were also headed toward Damascus, the capitol of Syria.

After the 6 Day War Israel annexed the Negev desert, the West Bank and East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights into their territory. Immediately the surrounding nations began to demand Israel give back the land they had seized “illegally.” (I wonder if they would have given back land if the war had gone the other way.)

Former President Jimmy Carter pressured Israeli Prime Minister Began to give back the Negev Desert to Egypt in a peace agreement with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The agreement would later cost Sadat his life in an ambush by Islamic fanatics during a special military parade. I was informed that Israel attempted to give the Gaza Strip to Egypt along with over 1 million Palestinian refugees, but Egypt refused to take them. They wanted this camp to be a burden to the Israeli government.

From that moment forward there has been intense pressure on Israel to give the West Bank (ancient Judea and Samaria) and Arab East Jerusalem back to the Jordanians and allow a Palestinian state to be formed along side of Israel.

The strange and often overlooked challenge is more than Israel’s security and the fact that millions of Israel’s enemies could pour into the newly formed state as a plot against the total annihilation of the Jewish state. The unseen problem is this:

Gaza with over 1 million Palestinian refugees is located to the extreme south in Israel near the border of Egypt. The West Bank is about a 2 hour drive from Gaza, separated by hundreds of miles of land that is presently Israel. Syria is demanding back the Golan Heights and some Palestinians believe they also have the right to this territory. Thus, instead of having one state, you end up with two and possibly three states surrounding Israel. The challenge has been, how can Israel connect the Gaza fanatics to the more moderate Arabs in the West Bank area? The fanatics are seizing more power in these areas and they all agree on the destruction of Israel.

Let’s put the shoe on the other foot. If the government of Mexico suddenly called for the overthrow of the U.S. government and the use of terrorist, detonating bombs on buses in the markets and in schools, and we were to see Mexican terrorists striking in America, how long would it take for the U.S. government and the American people to rise up and demand a stop to illegal immigration and force a wall to be constructed at the U.S. border for the security of America?

Yet, the United States under the leadership of Condi Rice is demanding Israel to withdraw military forces and move the Jewish settlers out of the Gaza (which has already occurred) and the West Bank (which is occurring now). She and certain key government people do this knowing the threat against Israel.

Israel is certainly in a terrible bind. If they do not give up the land the continual threat of internal terrorism against the Jewish people is upon them. If they do, then there is a threat of terrorist coming from Gaza and Lebanon and moving closer to the Jewish settlements.

What is unique is the prophet Ezekiel describes much of what is occurring in Ezekiel 35 and 36. Chapter 35 beings as a prophecy against Mount Seir in Jordan which is the actual origin of the Palestinian people.

God said they have a perpetual hatred against Israel even in the time when their calamity (captivity) had ended (Ez. 35:5). They declare that, “These two nations and these two countries shall be mine” (35:10). I believe this alludes to a Palestinian state along side of Israel. They say that the mountains of Israel are given to them. This alludes to Ancient Judea and Samaria known today as the West Bank (Ez. 35:12; 36:2). God warns Israel they will be persuaded by the “lips of talkers” (36:3). God then reveals that for his name sake He will defend and bless the mountains of Israel for Israel’s sake (36:20-23).

I believe that this conflict of dividing the land will be one of several triggers to create the circumstances for the Gog and Magog battle, recorded in Ezekiel 38 and 39. That battle will unfold on the mountains of Israel, specifically the Bashan (Golan Heights) and the Valley of the Passengers, which in Hebrew is the area of Jordan across from Jericho (Ezekiel 39:11; 39:18).

I have both Jewish and Palestinian friends (some Christians and some Muslim) who get along with one another and have for many years. The conflict however, places pressure on Jews to despise the Arabs and Arabs to despise the Jews. In most moderate Islamic nations they confess they like the America people but do not like America’s policies. When asked what policy, they always reply, “America’s unconditional support of Israel.”

Israel is again forced to divide the land for the sake of security (peace) (ed. which wouldn't happen no matter how much land Israel gives over). As Christians we must love both sides – the Jews and Arabs and reveal to them the greatest hope for their future, Jesus Christ. After all, according to the Scripture only the return of the Prince of Peace can and will settle this family feud that began at the time of Isaac and Ishmael."

- Perry Stone, Jr.

http://www.voiceofevangelism.org/prophecy_update.cfm