By Tom Brennan
The battle of contradictions, threats and propaganda in issues from the Temple Mount to building in Jerusalem is under way.Reading between the lines is essential to countering the propaganda from the Palestinian Authority and Christians can guide others through the claims against Israel to learning the truth.
Winston Churchill is reputed to have said “it is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war”. Prior to the First World War it was a practice of kings and emperors to declare war on other nations to gain territory, to add the other kingdom to their realm or to force it to become a tribute nation. The enormous scale and death toll of the 1914-18 conflagration took everyone by surprise at the devastation the collision of old line alliances and secret treaties had caused. The League of Nations was put forth as a preventative measure and failed. But the move to talk out and reach peaceable resolutions to hostile moves took hold gradually. The Second World War was based on a mixture of aggressive dictators and megalomaniacs and economics. The current United Nations is the result from that conflict.
Israel has been under attack from the day of its birth. The Muslim nations on its borders have repeatedly attacked and been defeated until the governments of Egypt and Jordan signed treaties that have proved beneficial to all the signatories. Today Israel’s closest enemies are within its own landscape or under it. Hezbollah and Hamas use the Palestinian Authority to constantly attack and murder innocent citizens. A slanted and perverted media casts the murderers as victims. Despite repeated ceasefires in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority continues to promote terrorist acts of mindless violence, mob riots and disturbances in Jerusalem and its neighborhoods.
On one hand Hamas prepares for the next attacks, on the other Mr. Abbas pleads for the world to rebuild the Gaza infrastructure that will once again become the battleground when the rockets are launched and the tunnels spew their murderers. Egypt has begun to clear a corridor along the Gaza frontier to better defend its Sinai area from the same attacks that Hamas has launched against Israel. Homes and other structures have been leveled by Egypt with little or no notice from a media that declares Israel an aggressor on a regular basis.
King Abdullah has stated publicly that Jordan cannot abide by the closing of the Temple Mount or any new building in East Jerusalem. A celebration of the 20th anniversary of the treaty between the two former enemies has been cancelled. However it is important to note that the King has also talked privately with PM Netanyahu and the two sides have agreed on most issues so far. Jordan and Egypt stand apart as Muslim nation which openly trade and work with Israel. They both have internal groups which have allegiance to Muslim extremist factions. A degree of Muslim solidarity must be maintained in public to deter any large scale action as The Caliphate continues to advance and attract adherents and recruits. In short the double-talk in this case “keeps the lid on” in Cairo and Amman.
The Temple Mount continues to be a focal point of violence and internal strife. Historically Muslims have denied any Jewish connection with this universal holy place. It is considered a place of Muslim worship second only to Mecca and no Jew can set foot on it or pray there. Unfortunately archaeological evidence overwhelms this approach and even the illegal excavations by the Waqf have uncovered artifacts from even Solomon’s time. Violence, mobs and defacing of the site have moved the Israeli police to close access to the shrine several times and further arouse the tempers of Muslims. Internal protests from Jews who want full access to the site does not help a great deal. PM Netanyahu deals with Abbas and inflammatory statements from Muslim factions and Jewish Temple activists on a daily basis.
Perhaps the constant contradictory behavior of the Palestinian Authority is intentional. Confusion is an effective weapon in a world where the media is quick to latch on to any story, video or statement from an official in the Authority that puts Israel in a poor view. A constant stream of words is a good weapon while Hamas rebuilds its tunnels and reloads its rocket launchers.
Christian supporters of Israel must be ready to respond when the media, national or local, publishes stories that take any declarations by Mr. Abbas or Hamas at face value. Rarely does the media allow Israel to state its position. Hamas uses sensationalism, outright lies and staged demonstrations where police or security officers are compelled to take action to provoke scenes that are manipulated into sympathy for the perpetrators.
Calling, writing or social media venues are effective in prodding media and public officials into giving a voice to Israel as she defends herself and her citizens. As a war of words is under way, countering words with truth about Israel can sway opinions and change hearts and minds.
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