Archive for July, 2008
UNRWA: The Inconvenient Hoax
Jul 26th
By Jim Hutchens
Christian Zionists are often criticized for their failure to show any support for Palestinians. In turn we are accused of giving blank-check approval to all that Israel does. In this issue of The Jerusalem Connection we want to set the record straight.
First, regarding the Palestinians, we are asserting, along with several articles in this issue that the plight of the Palestinian people and their prolonged status as refugees is caused primarily by UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. We are asserting that UNRWA is a hoax – an inconvenient hoax at best. It is inconvenient in the sense that it causes great difficulty, trouble and discomfort for both Palestinians and Israelis, to include aid to Palestinian Jihadists/terrorists. It is a hoax in that a hoax is defined as “an act intended to deceive or cheat … as a serious fraud… to trick into believing or accepting as genuine something false and often preposterous.” UNRWA is a hypocritical swindle by the Arab/Palestinian leadership to perpetuate the permanent suffering and refugee status of the Palestinian people in order to challenge Israel’s right to exist.
Recently Yoram Ettinger, a retired Israeli Ambassador and consultant on US-Israel relations, gave a succinct diagnosis of the problem when he said: “The misrepresentation of the Palestinian-Arab refugee phenomenon – just like Abu Mazen’s Palestinian hate education – constitutes the most authentic reflection of the Palestinian/Arab Vision. It is intended to de-legitimize and de-humanize the Jewish State, while legitimizing the ‘Claim of Return’ as a means to destroy Israel. The misrepresentation of the Palestinian-Arab refugee phenomenon is much more significant than the seemingly-moderate Arab/Palestinian exchanges with Israeli and Western policy-makers and public-opinion molders.” It’s time the UNRWA sham is exposed. Many of the authors in this issue agree and will spell out more in depth why exposure is necessary.
Second, Israelis have done preciously little to challenge UNRWA primarily because it is a “third rail” issue in Israel – they could get “electrocuted” by world opinion if they tamper with the Palestinian refugee problem. As a result AIPAC, the very effective lobby on behalf of Israel has followed suit and done virtually nothing concerning the problem of Palestinian refugees. Indeed, it is time that Israelis, Jews, including AIPAC, as well as Christian Zionists, follow the lead of Knesset Member Benny Elon and become pro-active in addressing UNRWA and the issue Palestinian refugees. (See his article on page 14). The Israel Allies Caucus in the U.S. Congress has spoken to the issue, (see page 12), however it appears they have done so only at the behest of the Christian Allies Caucus in Israel’s Knesset which is led by Rabbi Elon. The Israel Allies Caucus should hold regular forums to educate and expose the deception of UNRWA.
In addition, critics of Christian Zionists often perpetuate the UNRWA myth by citing the Biblical mandate Israel has to treat the “alien” with love and acceptance. Our critics level the charge of disobeying this mandate with respect to the Palestinians. “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34). Our critics even remind us of Jesus’ words, “I was a stranger and you invited me in,” suggesting a tortured analogy between Palestinian Jihadists and those that Jesus refers to as “the least of these brothers of mine.” (Matthew 15:35-40).
The only problem is these Palestinian “aliens” are committed to the annihilation of Israel and the death of their “infidel” hosts, which is apparently acceptable to UNRWA. And that’s only the beginning – it’s the destruction first of the “Saturday People,” the Jews, and then the “Sunday People,” the Christians. Somehow, I don’t think Jesus had in mind Palestinian Jihadists when He refers to “the least of these brothers of mine.” In the past Israel dealt with this kind of “alien” with “extreme prejudice.” Will they in the future? – will we?
Finally, we often hear the call for “justice and compassion” toward the Palestinians and their cause which fits nicely into the UNRWA narrative. Such folks as Sabeel—the ecumenical center in Jerusalem for Palestinian Liberation Theology—leftist supercessionists in the U.S. and the U.K., including many signers of the recent Evangelical Manifesto, some of whom have Marxist leanings, have jumped on the “injustices” of Israel toward the Palestinians. The problem here is this is a shallow and egregiously selective call for justice. It ignores the pernicious injustices perpetuated against the Palestinian people by their leaders and sanctioned by UNRWA. Further it ignores the continuing unjust terrorist activity initiated by Palestinian Jihadists against Israel.
Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. … So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:32, 36). Though the context of this declaration by Jesus was to His disciples to “hold to His teaching,” the fact remains, wherever truth is proclaimed and adopted, freedom results. May the bondage that UNRWA has imposed on the Palestinian people be exposed, by the truth, for the lie it is and true freedom for the Palestinians be the longed-for result.
Jim Hutchens is President of The Jerusalem Connection, International and editor of The Jerusalem Connection Report.
America Under Attack
Jul 2nd
Islam in America, Part 1
By Dr. Richard Booker
This is the first of six articles on the Islamic Invasion of America. The articles are excerpts from Dr. Booker’s new book, “Radical Islam’s War Against Israel, Christianity and the West.” All Americans need to be aware of how radical Islamists plan to destroy Israel, subjugate Christianity, and turn the West (Europe and the United States) into Islamic countries. Christians and Jews must take action to preserve our Judeo-Christian heritage and way of life. You can start by educating yourself about this most important subject. To get the full text, order this book directly from Dr. Booker’s web site at www.rbooker.com.
Where Were You When?
Where were you when …? The World War II generation of Americans asked this question about a sneak attack against America. It was December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. President Roosevelt said it was a “day that would live in infamy.” It was certainly a day that changed the world. My generation of Americans asked, “Where were you on November 22, 1963”? That was the day Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas.
Now the younger generation, and all Americans ask, “Where were you on 9/11”? We all know what they mean by this question, and most of us can tell where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news about radical Islamic terrorists hijacking planes and crashing them into the World Trade Center buildings. And while our government has made some changes regarding the security of our country, most Americans believe another attack is coming. It is not a matter of if, but when!
America Under Attack
The radical Islamic threat to Israel and the Middle East has finally come to America. On February 26, 1993, Islamic Palestinian militants associated with the Hamas terrorist organization first bombed the World Trade Center in New York. Five people were killed and more than 1,000 injured.
All of a sudden, the American public awakened to the terrorist threat that Israel faces daily. The relatives of those who perished in the 1993 bombing demanded blood. The American congress introduced a bill that would deny members of Hamas visas to enter the country as well as deporting known members of Hamas. How ironic that we have been so quick to condemn the Israelis in their humane treatment of terrorists for over forty years while we want to kill and expel the terrorists after a single incident.
The Hamas organization is not a fringe Islamic sect. Their charter and terrorism represent the mainstream of Islamic fundamentalist thinking that is threatening to overthrow Arab governments, annihilate Israel and humble the West. They have established an extensive support network in the United States to aid its reign of terror around the world.
The attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 was only a dress rehearsal for the horror that would come later. As the whole world knows, on September 11, 2001, radical Islamic fundamentalists hijacked four planes. Two of these planes were flown into the towering twin World Trade Center buildings, which represented the financial heart of America. Many thousands of innocent people were murdered, and the buildings were completely destroyed.
The terrorists hijacked a third plane and flew it into the Pentagon, the headquarters in Washington D.C. for the American military. Hundreds more were killed. If that was not enough shock for us all, the terrorists hijacked a fourth plane but failed to reach its target. The courageous passengers on the plane forced the plane to crash in the woods of Pennsylvania. Analysts have speculated that the hijackers wanted to crash the plane into the White House.
While Osama bin Laden is blamed for this horrific act of terrorism, there is no difference between any of these terrorist groups. No matter their name, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, Hezballah, Islamic Jihad, Al-Aksa Brigade, the Palestinian Authority, etc., they all have the same goal to destroy Israel and America. And while we should all sympathize for the desperate conditions of the self-proclaimed Palestinian Arabs, we must remember that they elected Hamas as their government.
I say self-proclaimed Palestinian Arabs because never in history has there even been a “Palestinian People.” By electing Hamas to represent them, they have voted a terrorist group to lead them in their fight against Israel. The only difference between Hamas and the so-called moderate Palestinian Authority courted by the U.S. Statement Department is how to best eliminate Israel.
The American government has declared this attack to be an act of war and has promised to destroy the bases and infrastructures of terrorists wherever they may be found. This is a just but difficult goal as we have discovered in our attempt to capture Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda terrorist group as well as in the war with Iraq. While only the Almighty knows the outcome of our war against terrorism, one thing we mortals can know for sure is that the world will never be the same.
Dr. Richard Booker is a bestselling author and speaker and the Founder of Sounds of the Trumpet and the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies. He is a contribution editor for the Jerusalem Connection. To learn more of his work, see his web site at: www.rbooker.com.