THE MIDDLE EAST CONLICT ITS BIBLICAL ROOTS

THE MIDDLE EAST CONLICT & ITS’ BIBLICAL ROOTS Past, Present & Future Edited by Mottel Baleston (to accompany the lectures) Messengers Messianic Fellowship - www. Messiah. NJ. org “When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream, Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with joyful shouting, When the Lord brought the captives home” Psalm 126 2015 -02 -18

GOALS IN LOOKING AT MIDDLE-EAST HISTORY - To see how history affirms the reliability of scripture - To better understand the God’s unique relationship to the Jewish people thru the eternal Abrahamic Covenant - Develop a Biblical filter when viewing the Middle-East Conflict - Understand the difference between the current State of Israel and Israel of the future Messianic Kingdom

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT, GUIDING PRINCIPAL OF JEWISH HISTORY God has entered into an eternal, unconditional covenant with the Jewish people. This Abrahamic Covenant forms the basis for Gods' dealing with His Jewish people. (The Abrahamic Covenant continues in spite of the Mosaic Covenant 'ending' at the death of Messiah, Gal. 3: 17) The following Scriptures highlight this: Gen. 12: 1 -3 Gen 15: 4 -21 -Land & Salvation by Faith Isa. 49: 14 -16 Jer. 31: 31 -37 Rom. 11: 1 -36 Gal. 3: 17

The Birth of the Arab Peoples - The Call of Abraham to the Land – c. 2090 BC ISHMAEL - the son born to the servant woman Hagar Gen. 16: 12 – “He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell in opposition against all his kinsmen” ISAAC – the son born to Sarah, the son of promise, he marries Rivkah Twin boys are born: Jacob & Esau The origins of the Arab peoples are the tribes descended from Ishmael & Esau, later soldiers would remain in the area, married in. Initially pagans & moon worshipers, some were later converted to Catholicism, and later thru Mohamed, Islam, c. 650 AD

The Biblical Kingdom of Israel – QUICKLY !! - The Call of Abraham to the Land – c. 2090 BC - Egyptian bondage & Exodus c. 1847 BC thru 1407 BC - Conquest and the period of the Judges 1407 BC thru 1015 BC - United Monarchy of Saul, David & Solomon 1015 BC thru 933 BC 1. High point of the Jewish Kingdom and "Old Testament" Zionism 2. The touchstone which Zionism will recall and rally around E. The Divided Kingdom 1. Israel - 10 Northern tribes - 933 thru 722 BCE conquest by Assyria 2. Judah - 2 Southern tribes - 933 thru 586 BCE, exile into Babylon, ALL the tribes return to the Land in 536 BCE, live under Persian, Greek rule

Three attempts to Re-establish a Jewish Kingdom 1. The Macabean/Hasmonean Kingdom 165 to 63 B. C. E. - The Hanukah story comes from this event 2. First Revolt against Rome 67 to 70 AD - Second Temple (rebuilt by Herod) destroyed 70 AD 3. Second Revolt (Bar Kochba) against Rome 132 -135 AD - The revolt fails, Romans rename Israel: Syria Palestina 4. From 2000 BC to 2000 AD, ie 4, 000 years, Four Cities always Jewish: Jerusalem – Tiberias – Safed - Hebron Even in Dispersion, Israel is central to Jewish Thought: “If I forget you Jerusalem, may my right hand lose its’ skill, May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember Jerusalem, if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy” Psalm 137 For 1, 900 years every Passover Seder ends with the words: “L’shana Habaah b’Yirushalim” “Next year in Jerusalem!”

HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF THE MIDDLE-EAST 630– 632 Mohammad conquers Mecca, mass conversions to Islam 636 - Muslims from Arabia invade, conquer & occupy Israel, which had been under Byzantine control 685 – The first Mosque is built on the Temple Mount Jews allowed to remain under heavy taxation, Palestinian Jews & Arabs ruled over by outsiders 846 – Muslims sack & pillage Rome, Catholics massacred 900 -1050 Jewish population in Israel increases to 300, 000 1099 - First Crusade, Jews & Muslims defend Jerusalem together against Catholics, are massacred together 1291 – Mameluk (Egyptian) Muslims take the Land 1517 – Ottoman (Turkish) Muslims defeat the Mameluks

ZIONISM – What it is, What it isn’t “The Jewish nationalist movement that has had as its’ goal the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, the ancient homeland of the Jews” Encyclopedia Britannica “Zionism is a broad movement that supports the restoration & progress of a Jewish State in the ancient homeland of the Jewish people as an outgrowth of natural right and historic fact. Zionism is a positive movement and is not intrinsically anti-Arab. Biblical Zionism additionally recognizes the hand of God in fulfilling His covenant promises to His covenant people” Mottel Baleston Zionism is not racist or anti-Arab Zionism is not imperialistic

Palestine in the 18 th & 19 th Century Ottoman Turks neglect Palestine, tax trees, rule oppressively 1784: “Jerusalem has destroyed walls, a debris filled moat and roads choked with ruins” Constantin Volney 1820: 45, 000 Jews in Palestine(EJ), approx 250, 000 Muslims 1840’s Muslim workers from Bulgaria & Sudan brought in Jewish communities in Jerusalem, Tiberias, Safed & Hebron continue from ancient times, over 12, 000 in 1845 Most Arab Muslims identify themselves as Syrians. Ottoman Turkish Empire begins to weaken, break apart.

Dome of the Rock, c. 1877 Grass between the paving stones indicating little use

Kotel Ha. Maravi Western Wall c. 1870 c. 1898

SCRIPTURAL INSPIRATION FOR THE RETURN TO ZION “Hear the Word of the Lord O nations, proclaim it in the distant coastlines, He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over them like a shepherd” Jeremiah 31: 10 “And you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the Land of Israel, the Land which I swore to give to your forefathers” Ezekiel 20: 42 While these verses inspired some in the current Zionist return to the Land, they actually describe the final return to the Land, the Millennial Kingdom of Messiah.

The Zionist Congress 1897 - 1921 At the 1903 conference, Theodor Herzl Evangelical W. E. Blackstone presses for a mass return to Israel.

ALIYAH - ALIYOT WAVES OF JEWISH IMMIGRATION TO ZION The 1880’s saw increased violence against Jews Starting in 1882 waves of Immigration “Aliyah” In 1882 there were 25, 000 indigenous Jews in Palestine. Waves of European young people came. They embraced Zionist ideals, & were ready to work the Land. They purchased scrub land at inflated prices. Approx 90, 000 Jews in Palestine by 1914. In 1914, when people talked of “Palestinians”, they usually meant Jews. When Arabs were referred to, they were most often spoken of as being either “Syrian” or “Bedouin”.

Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, 1898

MUSLIM IMMIGRATION INTO PALESTINE 1914: 500, 00 Muslims in Palestine/Lebanon, 90, 000 Jews By 1914, the Muslim population in Palestine was composed of Egyptians, Turks, Arabs, Bosnians, Sudanese & several other ethnic groups. Algerians had come to escape heavy taxes. Islam is what they had in common, not an ethnic identity. Arab loyalty was to their tribe or clan, not a national identity. In 1930 the Hope-Simpson Report acknowledged that there was an “uncontrolled influx of illegal immigrants from Egypt, Transjordan & Syria” Many of these came to escape poor conditions in their lands and to seek employment created by British & Jewish activity in Jewish Palestine.

WORLD WAR I From 1517 - 1917 Ottoman Turks ruled Middle East BALFOUR DECLARATION – Nov. 1917 “His Majesty's Government views with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” 1919 Paris Peace Conference Emir Faisal, son of Sherif Hussein, : “Mindful of the racial kinship and ancient bonds existing between the Arabs and the Jewish people, and realizing that the surest means of working out the consummation of their national aspirations through the closest possible collaboration in the development of the Arab states and Palestine. ” Furthermore, the agreement looked to the fulfilment of the Balfour Declaration and called for all necessary measures “. . . to encourage and stimulate immigration of Jews into Palestine on a large scale, and as quickly as possible to settle Jewish immigrants upon the land through closer settlement and intensive cultivation of the soil. ”

DIVIDING THE LAND 1917 - 1947 Post WW I, all of Palestine under British Mandate 1923 -all of Palestine east of the Jordan River given to Faisal Hussein

The 1920’s & 30’s bring increased strife 1920, April – Large Arab band attacks town of Tel Hai, 8 Jews Killed 1929, August – Wave of attacks on Jewish families: Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv, Mount Carmel, Safed 40 killed, many children Hebron – 67 Jewish men, women & children killed, bodies mutilated, many others tortured & maimed. Homes abandoned. 1933 Hitler in power, anti-Jewish laws in Germany, immigration 1936 -39 Jerusalem Mufti launches attack on Jewish population & commerce, 500 Jews killed during this period, Mufti kills hundreds of Arabs who would not join the commercial strike. 1937 A British Commission proposes the ‘Partitioning’ of the remaining Palestine into separate Jewish & Arab states. The Jewish Agency accepted the plan, Arabs rejected it.

WORLD WAR II & THE HOLOCAUST >David Ben-Gurion, chairman of the Jewish Agency said: “We must assist the British in the war” >A ‘Jewish Brigade’ of the British Army was formed. >1940 Jewish population of Eretz Yisrael is 470, 000 >The Jerusalem Grand Mufti flees to Hitler’s Germany >With few exceptions, the world closes it’s doors and it’s eyes to desperate Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany THE SIX MILLION are murdered. Approx 200, 000 are Jewish believers in Messiah.

UN Partition Plan of August 1947 Committee Recommendations: >End British Mandate >Establish Jewish & Arab States >Int’l Jerusalem under UN control November 1947 UN General Assembly OK’s Plan British accept plan Jewish Agency accepts plan Arab League rejects plan Clashes break out between Jews & Arabs

Events in early 1948 before British Withdrawal >With Arab League rejection of the UN Partition Plan, Syrian & Iraqi Army Units slip into Palestine in early 1948 to attack Jewish towns & traffic on the Jerusalem road, 175 Jews killed. >Arabs terror attacks succeed in cutting off the Jerusalem Road, so Israelis build the “Burma Road”, a mountain by-pass to city >Irgun attacks Arab Village of Deir Yassin to stop firing upon convoys bringing food to besieged Jewish Jerusalem, 107 villagers are killed. Seen by Arabs as a massacre, Deir Yassin will be cited as Jewish terrorism

May 14, 1948 – The Birth of Medinat Israel In Tel-Aviv, standing under a portrait of Theodor Herzl, David Ben-Gurion solemnly read Israel’s Declaration of Independence. “By virtue of our natural and historic right and the strength of the United Nations Resolution, we hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as The State of Israel” Within hours, both the USA and the Soviet Union recognize Israel offers full rights & peace to Arab Residents within the land.

The New State Fights for Survival Within hours of British withdrawal & Israel’s birth, the full might of the Regular Armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the Arab Legion seek total genocide against the Jews of Israel. These armies have heavy guns and planes, the Arab Legion had 6, 000 men trained and armed by the British with Tanks & heavy machine guns. “This will be a war of extermination and a massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades” Azzam Pasha, Leader of the Arab league “The choice for my people, Mr. President, is between Statehood and extermination” Chaim Weizmann to Pres. Truman, April ’ 48 The Arab armies push deep into Palestine, but after 10 days, the Haganah was able to push them back. Truce declared June 11, ’ 48 Fighting resumed and lasted until the January 1949 Armistice

Results of the 1948 War of Independence >More land under Jewish control than UN Partition Plan proposed. >Jordanians capture ‘West Bank’ >Old City of Jerusalem lost to Jordan Jews forbidden to pray at the Western Wall Jewish graves on Mt. Olives desecrated

REFUGEES CREATED BY THE 1948 WAR >Before the War, many Arabs left anticipating a slaughter of the Jews, & planned to return afterward for War spoils, others left after the war despite Jewish assurances of safety 600, 000 Arabs left and did not return 160, 000 Arabs remained in their homes or returned in 1949 >The Jewish victory caused waves of persecution of Jews who had resided in Arab Lands for over a Thousand years. Over the next 19 years 580, 000 Jews leave Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Algeria, Yemen, Tunisia and Morocco. Jewish refugees arrived with little, were helped into Israeli life. Arab refugees were kept in squalid camps in host Arab countries.

1949 - 1966 -From 1950 - 1955, Israel came under relentless attack from suicide terrorists in 435 cross-border raids into Israel murdering over 800 Jews. Israeli troops hit back, but violence continued. - In 1956 Egypt Nationalized the Suez Canal threatening shipping and leading to the Suez War with Israel, which Egypt lost. - Jewish refugees continue to come from Arab lands to Israel - 1964: The “Palestinian Liberation Organization” forms in Cairo, the birthplace of its’ founder, Yasser Arafat. The PLO attempts to unite all Arab Terrorist groups, its’ Charter calls for the destruction of Israel

PRELUDE TO WAR – 1966, 1967 “We shall never accept peace [with Israel]. We shall only accept war. We have resolved to drench this land with your blood and throw you into the sea” Hafiz Assad of Syria, May 24, 1966 >The Syrians held the strategic Golan Heights which looked down upon the Galilee. Dozens of Syrian shellings thru 66 -67 targeted Farmers in their fields and boats on the Sea of Galilee. >Newly supplied with MIG Jet Fighters and the latest weapons from the Soviets, Egypt & Syria felt the time was right to attack Israel. >The Soviets wanted Israel destroyed, and told the Arabs that Israel was massing troops to attack them. Believing that lie, the Arabs started massing troops on Israel’s border in May ’ 67

The Six-Day War – June 5 to 10, 1967 June 5: Pre-emptive strike against Egyptian Air Force June 7: Jerusalem liberated June 8: Sinai taken June 9: West bank taken June 10: Golan Hts. taken ISRAEL attacked from 3 sides in ’ 67 War

Jerusalem in Jewish hands after 2, 000 Years On the third day of the 1967 six-day war, Israeli Soldiers liberated the Holy City of Jerusalem, reaching the Jewish Temple Mount and the ancient ‘Western Wall’ of the Temple courtyard, seen here.

Aftermath of the Six-Day War >August ’ 67 Meeting in Khartoum, Arab leaders declare: No recognition of, negotiating or peace with Israel >Israel takes over West Bank & Gaza Strip >Bloc of 30 Muslim nations push UN Resolutions against Israel >PLO & Arafat step up Terrorism: - Nov 68, Mahane Yehuda Market bomb, 12 dead, 53 wounded - Feb 70, PLO blows up an Israel-bound Swiss jet, dozens killed - May 70, Galilee School bus ambush, 11 children, 1 teacher dead - May 72, Ben-Gurion airport attack, 26 dead, 76 wounded - Sept 72, 11 Israeli athletes murdered at the Munich Olympics. . . and hundreds of smaller attacks - Oct 73, Yom Kippur War, surprise invasion by 5 Arab nations - May 74, Maalot School Invasion, 22 Jewish Children murdered

The Intifada, Continued Terrorism & More >The Arabic word “Intifada” means “the shaking up” and was first used to designate the PLO’s attempt starting in 1987 to disrupt Israeli life through random acts of terror. Children are encouraged to join in the violence, West Bank & Gaza schools teach young children hatred for all Jewish people, and teens are trained at PLO Camps to be suicide “martyrs”. Golda Meir said: "We can make peace with the Arabs only when they learn to love their children more than they hate us. “ > In Palestinian schools, children are taught that the Holocaust never happened and that there was never a Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. These lies are found in PLO supplied textbooks.

The Oslo Accords & The Two Faces of Arafat 1993: Yitzhak Rabin & Yasser Arafat shake hands on the White House Lawn to formalize the Oslo Accords. Arafat pledges to stop incitement to violence and terror, and to foster coexistence with Israel. He lied. April 6 ’ 94, 8 Jews killed at Bus Attack in Afula April 13 ’ 94, 5 Jews Killed in Bus Attack in Hadera Oct 19 ’ 94, 21 Jews killed in Bus attack in Tel-Aviv Jan 22, ’ 95, 19 killed in Netanya, most were teenagers at Bus Stop April 9, ’ 95, 7 Killed on a bus in Kfar Darom, including Alisa Flatow of West Orange, New Jersey, age 20, my neighbor 7 years after that handshake, a total of 253 Jews killed by Terrorists

1998 – 2012 1998 – Wye River Agreement, 40% of West Bank Land & 95% of Arab population now under PA control. 2000 – PLO launches INTIFADA II, a new wave of violence 2004 - Arafat dies in a Paris Hospital at age 75, his death revealed that he had stolen tens of Millions intended for the Palestinian poor. 2005 – Israel turns over Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, forcing the 9, 000 Jewish residents to leave. 2007 – Radical Hamas push Palestinian Authority (PLO) out 2008 -09 – After years of rockets being launched from Gaza against Israeli towns, Israel strikes, Hamas uses human shields, world opinion turns against Israel 2012 – More rockets from Gaza results in another short war, with more civilians used as human shields. Graphic video results in many in Europe turning against Israel.

Is the State of Israel the Messianic Kingdom? >Many in Evangelical / Messianic circles say that the current state is an early form of the Messianic Kingdom. They vary in specifics BUT, they overlook: Ezekiel 20: 33 -38 Regathering in Unbelief for judgment, not peace Ezekiel 11: 19 -20: All of Israel’s sins will be cleansed Israel will be given a new heart & spirit Israel will be empowered to walk in the way of the Lord Isaiah 2: 1 -5 - A saved nation, no more war So, while the current State of Israel is NOT the Israel of the Messianic Kingdom in Ezek 11 & Isa 2, the current return was prophesied, is an act of God, and sets the stage for the Last Days.