By Elisabeth Hinze
Read Part 1
Many years ago Derek Prince referred to Israel as the hands on God’s prophetic clock. Roughly interpreted: if you want to gauge how far along His plans for humankind have come, simply look at what He is up to with Israel. With each passing year, more Believers from around the world are waking up to the validity of that statement. Israel, or more specifically, God’s fulfilment of His prophetic promises towards Israel, have become a favorite research, discussion and even sermon topic. We want to know exactly what these promises are, how they’d been fulfilled and which ones are still awaiting fulfillment.
I’ll admit, I’m fascinated. And at the same time I’m in absolute awe. At the evidence of His footsteps leading back so clearly to the dawn of time. At the intricate details and meticulous planning that He accomplished so effortlessly. But most of all, I’m comforted, strengthened, encouraged. Because modern day Israel and the way in which God established (and keeps!) her is proof that He does indeed keep His promises. I look at Israel and I see a faithful God. One I can trust with my deepest desires. One I can trust with myself. Yes, I know. I should trust Him regardless. And I do. But often, you need that bit of tangible evidence. Especially when you’re stuck in the desert. Or when the promise seems to tarry forever.
God’s plans, promises and purposes for Israel continue to unfold daily. Like it’s done for thousands of years. But it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Israel lives within a historic context and amongst some equally historic neighbours. Numerous roleplayers have to play their parts in the story of mankind. Which brings us back to Egypt. Or rather, the age-old Israel-Egypt saga.
For the past decade or so, Egypt has played a key role as mediator in the Israel-Palestinian conflicts. However, its role as mediator didn’t necessarily guarantee impartiality or objectivity. Egypt traditionally sided with the Palestinians. And Israel was to blame for, well, everything.
But then came Operation Protective Edge. And Egypt broke tradition. It wasn’t a big, over-the-top gesture. No banners were hung from the pyramids declaring loyalty towards Israel. In fact, Egypt publicly announced its continued commitment to the Palestinian people. Yet something was different. It was subtle, unspoken even. Evident in the little things Egypt did. And in the little things it didn’t do.
The media noticed and reported at length on the “unlikely alliance”, the shift in Middle Eastern dynamics between former arch enemies. And Hamas noticed too. The last time Israel and Hamas met on the battlefield was in 2012’s Operation Pillar of Defense. For the entire length of the operation, Hamas could count on Egypt’s unwavering support. President Morsi criticized Israel harshly and promptly recalled its ambassador from Israel. Egyptian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister undertook a very public trip to Gaza to show solidarity and bolster spirits. There could be no mistaking whose side Egypt took. Moreover, Egypt opened its Rafah border crossing with Gaza completely, thus offering Hamas a prime opportunity for stocking up on weapons and explosives.
Two years later during Operation Protective Edge, Hamas bemoaned the fact that it had to face Israel on its own, deserted by its former ally. The pity party wasn’t entirely unwarranted. Because this time, Egypt blamed Hamas. Not Israel. One of the first indications was an Egyptian-proposed ceasefire, which Israel, the United States and even the Arab League recognized almost immediately. But Hamas didn’t. Instead, it grumbled about Egypt’s apparent failure to consult them in advance on the ceasefire terms.
The tide had turned indeed. The Egyptian pro-government press, known for its usual solidarity with the people of Gaza, was quick to pick up on this break from tradition and publically denounced Hamas as a “trader in the lives of innocents”. On the morning that Israel launched its ground invasion of Gaza, an Egyptian columnist wrote, “I’m sorry people of Gaza: I’m not going to sympathize with you until you get rid of Hamas’s gang.”
On the practical side, Egypt kept the Rafah border crossing with Gaza firmly shut and offered much less support in the form of food and medication.
Because as far as Egypt is concerned, the responsibility for the conflict and the suffering of the people in Gaza rests solely with Hamas. Their take is that Hamas started it by kidnapping and murdering three Israeli teens. Then kept the momentum going through the ongoing barrage of rockets. Finally, Hamas escalated the crisis and prompted an Israeli ground invasion when it rejected Egypt’s ceasefire proposal.
Egypt sees Hamas as the enemy. It has since mid-2013, when President El-Sissi rose to power after the people of Egypt ousted the Muslim Brotherhood leadership. Hamas, which is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, was subsequently banned from functioning in Egypt. The newly elected government under President El-Sissi believed Hamas to be working closely with Egyptian terrorists to destabilize security, especially in the Sinai Peninsula. And so President El-Sissi set out to destroy the tunnels that Hamas used to smuggle weapons into Gaza. He did an exemplary job. Earlier this year he announced that Egypt destroyed 95% of the tunnels leading into Gaza.
Israel and Egypt share a common goal: keeping its people safe from the terrorist organization ruling with an iron fist in Gaza. Which makes this alliance, well, not all that unlikely.
But is this all that the past few months boil down to? The age-old cliché about your enemy’s enemy? I don’t know. Yet as I watch the current chapter in the Israeli-Egypt saga unfold, I’m reminded of the well-known prophecy in Isaiah 19:21-22, 25, “So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them. The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”
And so, we wait and see…
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