By Barry Rosenfeld
Read Part 1 Read Part 2
The following is the third part of a short history of the Gaza Strip and Israel’s involvement with it.
“For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot.” (Psalm 83:5-8)
As the terrorist organization ISIS, which has now become an actual state encompassing northern Syria and most of Iraq, puts in place an Islamic caliphate governed by Sharia law, the Western world closes its eyes to this. It closes its eyes to what is happening in Syria where Bashar al-Assad is mowing down his own people in order to hold on to power, with the support of Iran and Russia. The death toll in Syria is approaching 200,000 with well over a third reported to be civilians. (dailystar.com) Still the world only looks at the causalities in Gaza and points its finger at Israel. The president of the US and UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon have reportedly lost patience with Israel, but what about Assad? (vox.com)
And what about Iran? Iran is completely intent on attaining its own nuclear weapon. But what does it need a nuclear bomb for? Hamas leader Ismail Haniyah has been quoted on Israeli television as saying that if he had a nuclear bomb that he could use against Israel he would not hesitate to use it. Where might such a bomb come from one might ask?
So while the US and US Secretary of State John Kerry play games with the Iranian regime supposedly designed to stop them from developing a nuclear weapon but making no attempt to actually do so, the Hamas regime demands that Israel open its borders so that they can freely transport any and all forms of armament into their already armed enclave, including maybe a nuclear bomb.
“The seacoast shall be pastures, With shelters for shepherds and folds for flocks. The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; They shall feed their flocks there; In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will intervene for them, And return their captives.” (Zephaniah 2:6-7)
This prophesy has been fulfilled in part. Ashkelon is already a part of Israel proper and as such is benefiting from God’s blessings. God has intervened and has returned at least a portion of those that He had scattered. Others are even now making plans to return, some are settling in Ashkelon. Just recently hundreds of French Jews arrived in Israel moving to Ashdod and Ashkelon in the south of the country just as Zephaniah prophesied over 2,600 years ago.
“The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah.” We read in Joshua 15:4 that the southern coast of the tribe of Judah came “out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast.” This means that Judah encompassed present-day Gaza since the “River of Egypt” has been identified with Wady El Arish which lies south of Gaza’s southern border with the Sinai desert.
All this suggests that the best solution for the present conflict in Gaza and the one that is best in line with Bible prophecy, would be for Israel to re-occupy all of Gaza and for Jewish settlers to return and rebuild their homes in Gush Katif. This has actually been suggested by a Gazan Palestinian Arab speaking on Israeli television who said that if the Hamas demands cannot be met (and this seems highly unlikely) the best alternative would be for the Jews (Judah) to return to Gaza where their prosperity will mean improved conditions for the local Arab population especially with regard to jobs on their farms and in their industries.
…to be continued.
Follow News from JerusalemShare this page with your friends