By Esther Korson
It’s interesting how isolated Israel is in the world. The United Nations General Assembly spends most of its time passing anti-Israel resolutions. Israel is facing economic and academic boycotts.
In 2013, just for an example, the United Nations passed 21 resolutions against Israel, and only four resolutions for the entire rest of the world—one on Syria, a regime that has murdered 120,000 of its own citizens; and one each on Iran, North Korea and Myanmar. There were zero UNGA resolutions on gross and systematic abuses committed by nations such as China, Cuba, Egypt, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Zimbabwe; nor on many other grave violators of human rights.
On the 15th of November, for example, the United Nations General Assembly convened to adopt no less than nine resolutions against Israel and no resolutions whatsoever against the rest of the world. The resolutions against Israel were, as always, passed by a large majority of nations. A humourous thing happened that day, however! A woman translating from Spanish to English expressed her indignation over the course that the meeting had taken, that so many anti-Israel regulations were being passed while so many other nations were being ignored! She didn’t realize that her mike was on when she expressed her feelings. The mishap was posted on media sites and went viral, much to the delight of the Israeli foreign ministry! (Incidentally, there is a hill in Jerusalem called “The Hill of Evil Counsel” since ancient times—and that is where the UN Headquarters in Jerusalem is based! How appropriate is that?!?)
And of course, none of that includes the virulent anti-Israel rhetoric coming from the Arab nations around us.
None of it would make any sense at all except that this is the centre of the spiritual battle in the world. Biblical history happened here. The Bible is Jewish. There is hardly an inch of our little nation that doesn’t commemorate a Biblical event from the past! And it holds a future more wondrous to behold—the salvation of Israel and the return of their Messiah and King to herald His thousand year reign! So it is understandable at every level why satan hates this nation like no other. Without the spiritual dimensions to this battle, none of it would make any sense at all!
With so much negativity directed our way, doesn’t it make you wonder what life in Israel is like?
There were a number of surveys taken comparing around 150 nations in an effort to discover the happiest countries in the world. One study was actually conducted by the UN! Another by CNN, another by the Happy Planet Index, and yet another by Discovery News! In three of those surveys, Israel came out as the 11th happiest country in the world, and on one survey as the 15th happiest country in the world. Now how’s that for happy news?
In my next blog, I’m going to share some of the reasons that we’re so happy here! But in the meanwhile, I have an appointment with one of my granddaughters at an Italian restaurant in town as part of the celebration of her 12th birthday.
Next blog—happy news about happy Israel! Shabbat Shalom!
Follow News from JerusalemShare this page with your friends