Palestine to be based on 1967 borders
President Barack Obama is endorsing the Palestinians' demand for their future state to be based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, in a move that will likely infuriate Israel. Israel says the borders of a Palestinian state have to be determined through negotiations.
In a speech outlining U.S. policy in the Middle East and North Africa, Obama on Thursday sided with the Palestinians' opening position a day ahead of a visit to Washington by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu is vehemently opposed to referring to the 1967 borders.
Palestinian state should be based on '67 lines with swaps'
US President Barack Obama on Thursday said that "a drive for a lasting peace is more urgent than ever," in his long-awaited address on the region at the US State Department.
He called for Israel to "act boldly to advance peace." He said the borders of the Palestinian state should be based on the 1967 lines with agreed upon swaps. The US president added that Israel's security must be assured. Obama spoke against the Palestinians proposed bid for the UN to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian State in September, saying it would not lead to a viable peace.
Obama did, however, say some of the right things:
"For the Palestinians, efforts to delegitimize Israel will end in failure. Symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September won't create an independent state," he said.
The US president said that the Palestinian unity deal between Hamas and Fatah "raises profound and legitimate questions for Israel."
Obama said that "Syria has chosen the path of murder," addressing Damascus's violent two-month crackdown on anti-regime protesters. He said that the Syrian people have shown courage in demanding democracy, adding President Bashar Assad "can lead the transition to democracy or get out of the way."
Obama's vision for Mideast peace: Israel, Palestine based on 1967 borders with land swaps
"The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states," Obama stressed during a major Mideast policy speech at the State Department.
"The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state"
"The full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces should be coordinated with the assumption of Palestinian security responsibility in a sovereign, non-militarized state."
Right wing MKs: Obama is the new Arafat
Knesset members on the Right expressed outrage on Thursday night at US President Barack Obama's call for the creation of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps in an exchange of territory for security.
They called upon Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to reject Obama's plan when he meets with him on Friday in Washington.
"Barack Hussein Obama adopted the staged plan for Israel's destruction of Yasser Arafat, and he is trying to force it on our prime minister," said Likud MK Danny Danon. "All that was new in the speech was that he called for Israel to return to 1967 borders without solving the crisis."
Obama Backs Deal Based on 1967 Lines
Seeking to harness the seismic political change still unfolding in the Arab world, President Obama for the first time on Thursday publicly called for a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would create a non-militarized Palestinian state on the basis of Israel’s borders before the 1967 war that led to the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
Although Mr. Obama said that “the core issues” dividing Israelis and Palestinians remained to be negotiated, including the searing questions of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees, he spoke with striking frustration that efforts to support an agreement had so far failed.
“The Palestinian must have the right to govern themselves and reach their potential in sovereign and contiguous state.”
Mr. Netanyahu plans to spend four days in Washington, addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobby, on Sunday and a joint session of Congress next week.
Mr. Netanyahu, his aides say, is planning to tell Mr. Obama that Israel wants to keep a military presence along the Jordan River and sovereignty over Jerusalem and the settlement blocs — three major stumbling blocks for the Palestinians — but that it would be willing to negotiate away the rest of the West Bank, more territory than Mr. Netanyahu has been willing to specify in the past.
In Arab world, disappointment Obama didn't go far enough
But one Middle East scholar said Obama went further than any of his predecessors in outlining a vision for a Palestinian state. "It is very significant,” Robert Danin of the Council on Foreign Relations told Reuters. “For the first time, the United States has articulated what the territorial basis for a settlement between Israel and the Palestinians should be and explicitly identified the pre (1967) Six-Day War line as the basis for the borders. This has never been done before ... This is a significant development and this is, in effect, an embrace of the Palestinian position on borders."
Israeli leader rejects calls for withdrawal to 1967 lines ahead of major White House meeting
Israel's prime minister has rejected a key aspect of President Barack Obama's policy speech, saying that a return to his country's 1967 borders would spell disaster for the Jewish state.
In a statement released late Thursday, Benjamin Netanyahu called the 1967 lines "indefensible."
The tough stand could set the stage for a tense meeting Friday when Netanyahu goes to the White House.
In his speech, Obama said a future Palestinian state must be based in territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, with minor adjustments reached through negotiations.
Netanyahu said such a withdrawal would jeopardize Israel's security and leave major West Bank settlements outside Israeli borders.
Jewish Donors Warn Obama on Israel
Jewish donors and fund-raisers are warning the Obama re-election campaign that the president is at risk of losing financial support because of concerns about his handling of Israel.
Some Jewish donors say Mr. Obama has pushed Israeli leaders too hard to halt construction of housing settlements in disputed territory, a longstanding element of U.S. policy. Some also worry that Mr. Obama is putting more pressure on the Israelis than the Palestinians to enter peace negotiations, and say they are disappointed Mr. Obama has not visited Israel yet.
As one article stated, this will indeed create an 'interesting' situation when Israeli PM Netanyahu meets with Obama and subsequently gives his speech to the U.S. congress.
Basically, to summarize, President Obama is now pushing for the so-called pre-1967 borders, which includes the West Bank, Gaza (already done), the Golan Heights and Jerusalem.
The Golan Heights alone are cause for concern as this strategic piece of land is so critical to national defense. We have seen many Israeli generals in the past comment that whoever owns the Golan Heights owns Israel. Just looking at the geography alone reveals this.
But there is a small phrase that Obama used in his speech - a phrase which has seemed to go unnoticed thus far. This quote is bolded several times above:
The Palestinian people have a right to: "a sovereign and contiguous state". Perhaps the devil is in the details. This phrase was included in two of the reports above, but this small phrase has huge ramifications for Israel.
Take a look at this map Contiguous PA State: Map
In other words, Israel would be completely divided.
With a contiguous state and ownership of the West Bank and the Golan Heights, the arab nations would have an enormous military advantage.
And of course, perhaps more importantly, the "grand prize", Jerusalem would go back to the "PA State". Obviously negotiations would take place regarding the status of Jerusalem, but at a minimum, it would be divided.
Lets recall the scriptures that are in play right now:
"This is the word of the Lord concerning Israel.
I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding people reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem.
On that day when all the nations are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves."
(Zechariah 12:1-3)
Does America fall into this category, as defined by God Himself?
Joel Rosenberg has this story covered and says it best:
WARNING TO THE NATIONS: DON'T DIVIDE THE LAND OF ISRAEL
This is another excellent article by Mr Rosenberg, but I'll zero in on the main point below:
Do not divide the Land of Israel
In my message about the final chapter of the Book of Joel, I explained the warning to the nations that the Lord gives. I focused in particular on Joel 3:2 (which is 4:2 in the Hebrew Bible) in which the Lord says,
“I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.”
The Bible is very clear: the Lord is going to judge all the nations for dividing up the Land of Israel.
Let the United Nations and the United States and the European Union and the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government itself be warned. What appears like wisdom to the world — carving up the State of Israel like a Thanksgiving turkey — is direct disobediance to the Word of God and will trigger the most severe divine judgment.
This is a hard truth for many to hear and to hold, particularly for Palestinian Arabs and others in the epicenter. But we do Israel’s Arab friends and enemies no favors by denying, obfuscating or trying to explain away the clear teaching of the Lord found in the Scriptures. We must teach the truth. We must do so gently and lovingly, but we must also be clear and firm.
Amen.
God always stands behind His word, and this situation is no different.
Now the U.S. is taking the lead in terms of dividing Israel and giving away the Holy City, Jerusalem.
Its time to pray. But not just any prayer - its time to pray like Daniel prayed in similar circumstances. Lets recall Daniel's prayer as seen in Daniel 9.
First, look at how and why Daniel prayed as he did in Daniel 9, upon the realization that Israel had been in sin - leading to their 70 year desolation:
"While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord..." (Daniel 9:20)
"So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting and in sackcloth and ashes.
I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:
'Oh Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong.
We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.
We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
O Lord, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against him. We have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets."
This same prayer could be made today, only rather than being made from ancient Babylon, this prayer could be made from America and about America.
This may also be a good time to read "As America Has Done To Israel" by John P McTernan.
We appear to be headed for some dark days.
We can only pray at this point.
The prophet Daniel showed us the way.
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