Netanyahu, Gaza, and the word of God

By Stephen Yulish

I applaud the decision of Israeli Finance Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to resign from the Cabinet; although I wish that he had done it sooner. After he walked out, he correctly stated that withdrawal from Gaza will create a Palestinian terrorist center right in the midst of Israel. We both are concerned about the survival of the Jewish State. Netanyahu, however, is a politician first and tried to have it both ways. He wanted to remain a part of the Likud government but still oppose the Gaza withdrawal which will remove 1700 families, cost $1.7 billion, and leave 10,000 Palestinians employed by Israeli companies unemployed. Finally, maybe too late, he went with his true feelings and left the Cabinet.

I met Bibi twenty years ago when I was the Endowment Fund Director of the Phoenix Jewish Federation and he was Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. We had brought him to Phoenix to help raise money. We had talked for a while before the Dinner. He was taken that I had been a History Professor like his father. He talked of his brother Jonathan who had been killed leading the famous raid on Entebbe. I could see how much he loved his people and the land of Israel.

He later went on to become Prime Minister. I hope for the sake of Israel's security and future that he becomes PM again very soon. He is not perfect by any means and is not a Believer, but I believe that he is the best man available. As we all know, however, the Bible says that God puts into power those whom He wishes (Romans 13:1). Sometimes it is for our good and sometimes it is what we deserve.

Did you know that the first Jewish settlement in Gaza was at the time of Samson and is mentioned in Judges 1:18? The first time of Jewish sovereignty in Gaza was in 150 BCE during the time of the Maccabees (Chanukah story); the first Arab sovereignty wasn’t     until 634 CE when Arab armies drove out the largest area of Jewish settlement. But all of this history is really beside the point in my mind.

The bottom line is that God gave all of this land to the Jews as an everlasting covenant in Genesis 17:7-8. A Libyan friend of mine, when told of this, asked me if God were a ‘Century 21 agent’. I answered yes. The Koran mentions the scattering of the Jews but does not mention the rebirth of the State of Israel. It does not mention Jerusalem at all but the Bible does 811 times. The existence today of the state of Israel in the midst of a sea of Arab Islam proves that the Koran and Muhammad are wrong. Either, the Bible is correct or the Koran is- both cannot be true. That is why they want to destroy Israel forever not make peace with it; even if they have to do it piecemeal over time.

The May 13, 2005 official Friday sermon on Palestinian Authority TV by Sheik Ibrahim Muderis shows what I mean:

“Allah has tormented us with the people most hostile to the Muslim Believers-the Jews…We have ruled the world before and by Allah, the day will come when we will rule the world again. The day will come when we will rule America. The day will come when we will rule Britain and the entire world-except for the Jews. The Jews will not enjoy a life of tranquility under our rule because they are treacherous by nature as they have been throughout history… Listen to the Prophet Muhammad who tells you about the evil end that awaits Jews. The stones and trees will want the Muslims to finish off every Jew.”

Does that sound like the Palestinians want peace with the Jews? I don’t think so. They want to drive the Jews into the sea and regain sovereignty over the region in order to show that the Koran is the word of God not the Bible. Cannot you see?

God is also using Israel to expose false teachings within the so-called church. Many liberal Protestant denominations as well as the Catholic Church espouse replacement theology where they believe that the church has replaced Israel in God’s everlasting covenant. Rome calls itself the New Jerusalem and many others believe that the Jews in Israel are not the Jews of the Bible. Since they believe that the Israelis are no longer God’s children and his covenants with them are no longer valid, they maintain that Israel should give up land for peace at any cost.  That is why most Bible believing so called fundamentalist Christians support Israel as God said, but most liberal church groups who believe that Israel is no longer in God’s hands support the poor Palestinians. God says in Joel 3:2 that He will judge those nations that encourage the dividing up of the land of Israel.

God is using the rebirth of the State of Israel and Jerusalem as its capital to show not only that the Koran and Islam are false but that there are also false teachings in the church. Jeremiah 31:35-37 shows that God will never turn His back on Israel. Bible prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes and many refuse to see. May God have mercy on their souls.

Stephen Yulish