A Burdensome Stone
(Signs of the Time - September 2000)
It seems incredible that the President of the most powerful nation in the world is currently unable to achieve peace in the Middle East. Despite continued, tiring and exhaustive talks over the past several months between Israelis and Palestinians, President Bill Clinton was unable to achieve a peaceful resolution. Clinton’s mantra throughout the talks was, "It’s very, very hard." The bane of Clinton’s comments did not refer to the actual fruitless negotiations. Instead, Clinton was referring to the negotiations that related directly to the issues surrounding the ancient city of Jerusalem. The city, wholly revered by both Jews and Arabs, has become a "burdensome stone" to the peace process.
History
Will peace ever be achieved when so many obstacles are in the way of this goal? For
their part, the Palestinians justify their intransigence by insisting that they are the
blameless victims of the Middle East conflict and that the burden of concessions rests
entirely on aggressor Israel. Palestinian leaders insist that they cannot compromise on
the 1967 borders because they have already conceded the three-quarters of historic
Palestine that became Israel after the 1948 war.
The Palestinian leadership rejected the United Nations partition plan in 1947 and then joined the Arab world’s attempt to destroy Israel. Not until a half century later did the Palestine Liberation Organization finally accept the fact of Israel’s existence.
Ironically, the uncritical sympathy the Palestinian cause has enjoyed in the international community has only encouraged Palestinian self-righteousness, making compromise that much more elusive. And compromise on behalf of both parties is exactly what is required in order to achieve peace.
Current agreement nearly up
The clock is ticking. In order to achieve peace it must be accomplished by September
13, 2000. Both the Israelis and Palestinians have pledged to have the interim peace
agreement expire on this date. For their part, the PLO leadership has pledged to
unilaterally declare a state if a permanent peace has not been achieved by that date.
Unfortunately for the Palestinians, in order to achieve peace, the issue of the city of
Jerusalem must be resolved. By far and away, this is the most difficult obstacle to
overcome. The primary reason is that God has decreed it to be a virtually insurmountable
obstruction to the path to peaceful agreement. In addition, the Israeli parliament has
declared to President Ehud Barak that Jerusalem is off limits to negotiations.
Foreign minister resigns
The internal war over Jerusalem became public on August 2, 2000, when, in the wake of
the Camp David summit meeting, Barak’s foreign minister (and acting prime minister
while Mr. Barak was at Camp David) resigned over Barak’s willingness to even consider
compromising with the Palestinians on Jerusalem. The foreign Minister, David Levy,
promptly moved his loyalty to the opposition party, the Likud, which is the leader in
declaring war over the matter of Jerusalem.
Levy claimed he resigned due to the "grave situation that had developed because of the introduction of the once-taboo subject of Jerusalem at Camp David." The New York Times quoted Levy as saying: "These things touch upon the soul of the people…It turns out that we are talking about the very heart of ancient Jerusalem. We are talking about things that the vast majority of the people are connected in their soul, their past, present and future…I can say that the fact of an announcement that we would get access [implying Israel would no longer control access but would have to be granted it] to the Western Wall takes us backward to the time before the establishment of the Jewish State." Levy continued, "Regarding the Temple Mount, the Holy of Holies, they refused to understand the connection of the Jewish people to the Holy of Holies. That is a denial of our past in this land."
The "Jerusalem coalition"
Levy’s new boss, Likud leader Ariel Sharon, was adamant about his concern
over the capital of the State of Israel. Mr. Sharon warned that, on this issue, what he
called his "Jerusalem Coalition" would "stand on guard,"
ready to call Parliament back into session if any agreement threatening Israeli
sovereignty over all of Jerusalem appeared likely. Sharon added in remarking to foreign
journalists that Jerusalem was the rightful possession of the Jewish people and must never
be divided in any way. "Jerusalem is a symbol that kept the Jews together for
thousands of years," he thundered at one point, hammering his hand on the
lectern. "Jerusalem is a symbol. You don’t touch it."
In order to ensure support for their stand that Jerusalem was off limits, the Likud party threatened other Israeli coalition members. The New York Times reported: "The five ultra-orthodox members from the United Torah Judaism party were clumped in the back of the chamber not taking part in the vote, saying they were under orders from their spiritual leader, Rabbi Shalom Yosef Elyashiv, to abstain. Shouting Likud members descended on them and threatened that if they did abstain, Likud would vote against a bill they have sponsored granting additional government benefits to large families. The five votes were duly cast against Mr. Barak."
The stumbling block
Clinton confirmed in an interview after the Camp David meetings that Jerusalem is
indeed the key stumbling block in achieving peace. Clinton was quoted as saying: "Jerusalem
was the sticking point that prevented agreement at last month’s Camp David summit
meeting…Jerusalem is the most difficult issue…They did not agree on everything
else. But they’re close enough that I think that we can still get an agreement."
The topic of Jerusalem is indeed a thorny issue because God has mandated Jerusalem will always be a burden, particularly during the latter days. Scriptures states, "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and against Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I shall make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it" (Zech. 12:2, 3).
Throughout the centuries, Jerusalem has been a burdensome stone. God’s prophetic word written long ago is faithful and true. Today we are witness to another period in history when the prophecy is dramatically true.
Clinton wishes above all to leave the presidency with the peace of Jerusalem as his crowning achievement. The resolution of the problem of the sovereignty of Jerusalem, however, will not come from man’s strength. God alone will work out His purpose, culminating in the return of his Son to this very city. We look forward to that day when Jesus Christ will stand on the Mount of Olives to bring Jerusalem to a time of peace when she will no more be threatened by her enemies.
George Rayner