Middle
East Developments
(Signs of the Time - July/August2004)
Gaza
Pullout
On
June 7, 2004, Israel’s cabinet approved in principle
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
It was immediately announced by Sharon that “disengagement has
begun” and would be completed by the end of 2005.
Some 7,500 Jewish settlers live in heavily guarded communities amid Gaza’s 1.3 million Arabs. The cabinet vote means that no Israelis will remain in Gaza in any peace settlement with the Palestinians, but Sharon thinks the withdrawal will boost security by relieving the army of having to defend settlers there. The plan that Sharon initially proposed was for a total one step withdrawal. After his coalition government was reduced to a 51% majority, Sharon rethought the matter and proposed a staged withdrawal.
The illustration on the right (as provided by BBC world service) depicts the four steps that Israel will be following to cleanse the land of Jews. It should be noted that a cabinet vote is required in order to proceed to the next step of withdrawal. Once completed, Gaza will be 100% controlled by the Palestinian people.
Sharon has proposed Israel work in harmony with Egypt in the pullout.
He is proposing Egypt play a strategic role by working very closely with
Palestinian authorities to impose law and order in Gaza.
The Israeli government is also contemplating the pullout of Jews from
the west bank area of Israel which encompasses a large part of Israel
with settlements in and around Jerusalem.
As we know, these moves are going against God’s promises and Bible
prophecy. They will be reversed, the only question is: When?
Iraq
The New York Times reported on June 9, 2004, that: “The Security
Council voted unanimously on Tuesday in favor of an American and British
resolution to end the formal occupation of Iraq on June 30 and transfer
‘full sovereignty’ to an interim Iraqi government.”
“Today we are united on Iraq,” said Lauro L. Baja
Jr. of the Philippines, the Security Council president. The New York Times
reported further that: “It also enabled the United States to
cite support for its program to stabilize Iraq from Council countries
like France, Germany and Russia that were vigorously opposed to American
military action there. Along with giving international legitimacy to the
caretaker government and outlining the United Nations’ role in a
post-June 30 Iraq, the measure authorized an American-led multinational
force, now at 160,000 troops, to use ‘all necessary measures’
in ‘partnership’ with Iraqi forces to bring peace.”
John D. Negroponte, the American ambassador to the United Nations, who
is to become the United States envoy in Baghdad, said the vote “is
a vivid demonstration of broad, international support for, and I quote
from the text, ‘a federal, democratic, pluralist and unified Iraq
in which there is full respect for political and human rights.’”
According to Bible prophecy, Iraq (ancient Assyria) is not part of the
host of nations invading Israel in Ezekiel 38. Further the existence of
American and British forces in the country has placed the “king
of the South” in the Middle East. These two prophecies strongly
suggest the coalition forces will remain in Iraq.
With this in mind, we watch with great interest the unfolding of events.
Being right in the middle of them, we cannot always see how events of
the day fit with the broader picture, but fit they will.
George Rayner