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Will the Palestinian Authority rely upon UN Resolution 377 -- also known as the "Uniting for Peace" resolution -- to achieve Palestinian statehood at the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September of this year?

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NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.



As I explain in the aforementioned series, as well as in a number of other articles, that is why so many of the Old Testament Prophets were slain by their very own brethren; because they didn't want to hear the truth. As Jesus tells us, they chose to kill the very ones that God sent to warn them, including the Son of God Himself. Consider these verses:

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."


Over six hundred years earlier, the Lord said the very same thing through the mouth of the Prophet Jeremiah. Consider the following verses, and how many times the Lord had to say it; and yet, the Israelites still would not repent and turn again to the Lord:

"And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not . . . Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:"


"To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;"


"Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD."


"And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction."


"I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me."


While there were a few good, obedient Jewish kings and civil leaders during the Old Testament period who strived to turn the people back to worshipping the Lord, taken as a whole, it seems that the sad history of the Jewish people is one marked by sin, unbelief and almost continuous rebellion against the Lord. As we have seen, the backslidden condition of the Jews didn't end in the Old Testament. In the opening pages of the New Testament, what do we discover? We find John the Baptist, followed by Jesus and His Apostles, again warning the people of Israel to repent of their sins, and to return to the Lord. Tragically, this same sad situation continues to this very day, and most Jews still reject Jesus Christ. So again I ask, is this your "Holy Land", or is it really an unholy land that is marked by rebellion and unbelief, and filled with robbers who smile at you as they take your tourist dollars, and then spit at the name of Jesus once you are gone?

Lest some of you accuse me of being unfair about this, let me also publicly say that the Christ-rejecting Palestinians are guilty of the very same sin. That is, they exploit holy sites such as Bethlehem in order to attract tourist dollars, while just like the Jews, most Palestinians reject the Messiahship role of Jesus Christ. As you probably already know, Muslims do not even believe that God has a Son. While they believe that Jesus was a great Prophet of God -- although not of the same stature as Muhammad -- they do not believe that He died for the sins of the world, or that He rose from the dead, just like the Jews. For a more detailed look at this topic, please consider reading such articles as "Holy Qur'an And Islam: A Doctrine Of Devils?".

Now, please don't send me your hate mail and accuse me of being anti-semitic -- a favorite manipulative tool that the Jews employ quite often -- or write and warn me that God is going to judge me; or tell me that I don't really understand Israel's place in Endtime prophecy, etc. Your message may be read, but will then end up in the trash without a response. Trust me, I have been seriously studying the Bible for four decades, and I do know whereof I speak and write concerning this issue. Perhaps some of you need to be reminded of what Jesus said in the Gospels of Matthew and John. He said:

"He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."


"He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me."


"Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak."


So as you can plainly see, there are simply no neutrals. You are either with Christ -- meaning that you believe He is who He says He is, the Redeemer and Messiah of the world -- or else you are against Christ. If you are against Christ, then you are also against the Father in whom you claim to believe, because the previous verses work both ways. In other words, to accept Jesus Christ is to accept the Father; but to reject Christ is likewise to reject the Father who has sent Him, no matter what you say. As the Apostle John informs us in his Epistles, if you reject Christ, then you are an antichrist, no matter how religious you pretend to be. You are a false religionist, and you are in fact deceived. Furthermore, if you actively speak against Jesus Christ's Divine Mission, then you are an outright liar as well, as the following verses make very clear:

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time."


"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."


"And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."


"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."


"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."


"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."


"God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."


"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."


According to the Scriptures, and as I point out in articles such as "Woman In The Wilderness And The 144,000", the fact of the matter is that most of the Jews are -- and shall in fact remain -- antichrist until the very end. It seems that only a small remnant -- the 144,000 who represent less than two per cent of the current population of Israel, and about one per cent of worldwide Jewry -- will eventually be saved; and we should be thankful for that, as we should be when any person -- whether they are a Jew or a Gentile -- repents and accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

So I urge everyone to not get so hung up on Israel and the Jews. Let's abandon this unhealthy infatuation with Israel and the Jews, because God does not like it. The Scriptures make it very plain that our God is a jealous God, and that He refuses to take second place, or play second fiddle, to anyone. The Lord will not allow any false gods or idols -- including infatuation with Israel and the Jews -- stand in front of Him. Consider the following verses:

"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;"


"For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:"


"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God."


"Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,"


"(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth."


If there is any name that we should elevate and proclaim, it is the Name of Jesus Christ. If there is any name that we are to preach and promote, it's the Name of Jesus Christ, because Jesus is the one who died for our sins. Jesus is the only one by whom we receive Forgiveness of sins, Redemption, Salvation and Eternal Life. Let's talk about Jesus, because not only is there power in the Name of Jesus, but as the Scriptures tell us plainly, it is at His Name, and only at His Name, that the entire Universe will one day bow, as we see here:

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."


"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."


"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"


At any rate, returning to our main topic of discussion, that is why Barack Obama may possibly choose the latter option of abstaining from a United Nations Security Council vote which concerns the issue of Palestinian statehood, if and when that day arrives. I just don't see how Obama could outright vote against such a resolution, knowing that the Palestinians need a legally-recognized homeland. However, on the other hand, we also need to consider Obama's record, and knowing that record casts a shadow on this very possibility. If there's one thing that we have learned about Barack Obama during the past two years, it is that he is a backpedaler. He has not kept all of his campaign promises. In fact, President Obama has reversed himself substantially regarding a variety of issues. He is a typical politician who promises a lot during campaign season, but then doesn't deliver the full goods once he is elected.

This ties in directly with my next point. Just a few days ago, Obama announced his intentions to seek re-election during the 2012 presidential campaign. This development will undoubtedly affect his decision concerning a possible United Nations vote regarding Palestinian statehood. All presidential contenders strive to obtain the American Jewish vote -- and thus Jewish money to support their expensive campaigns -- and Obama will be no different. So the question is: will Obama sacrifice the Palestinians' aspirations for statehood, by giving a nod to the Jews and vote against the United Nations resolution? Time will certainly tell.

If Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority press forward in September and do win substantial support for Palestinian statehood in the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly -- again, it seems to be a given -- but are knocked down by an American veto, or possibly even by failure by the Security Council to act altogether, while overwhelming UNGA support may not achieve their ultimate objective of obtaining membership in the United Nations, nevertheless, it will add substantial legitimacy to their goal, while at the same time, applying more pressure to Israel to remove the settlements, and to make serious endeavors at peace with the Palestinians. So no matter how you look at it, it appears that there is at least something to gain for the Palestinians by approaching the United Nations General Assembly.

As we discussed in part one, what adds so much uncertainty to the potential outcome concerning the Palestinians' quest for statehood and membership in the United Nations, is the level of ambiguity which certain parties claim exists in Resolution 377. While the mass media doesn't appear to be dedicating too much time to this issue, online research has left me with the impression that there is an ongoing legal debate surrounding UN Resolution 377 and exactly what is intended and implied by it. That is, if the United Nations Security Council fails to act, exactly how much authority does Resolution 377 give to the UN General Assembly, and how will it affect the drive for Palestinian statehood in September?

The more I research this matter, the more I become convinced that regardless of anything that the Israelis or the American government may do to try to stop the Palestinians, the birth of a Palestinian State may in fact be an eventuality which neither one of them can prevent. The train of support has simply gained too much momentum, and the world won't settle for anything less than recognition of a Palestinian national homeland, regardless of any doubts concerning Resolution 377.

There can be no doubt that substantial support is building for a sovereign, independent Palestinian State. As further proof of this point, consider the fact that just a few days ago, the International Monetary Fund lent its support to just such a proposed state, and stated that it believes that the Palestinian Authority is quite capable of handling the financial affairs of an independent state. But that is not all. Another financial heavy, the World Bank, has also just released a statement in which it likewise recognizes the fiscal responsibility of the Palestinian Authority. It said:

----- Begin Quote -----

"If the Palestinian Authority maintains its performance in institution-building and delivery of public services, it is well positioned for the establishment of a state at any point in the near future,"

----- End Quote -----

The endorsement of these two global financial institutions can be interpreted as nothing less than a green light for the Palestinians. So again, it seems that the handwriting is on the wall, and that it is only a matter of time before a Palestinian State will become a reality, regardless of any opposition from the Israelis or the government of the United States. The Palestinians obviously realize this, and this is no doubt one of the reasons why recently, they have resisted any overtures from the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It would seem then that as a result of their own procrastination and stubbornness, the Israelis may have missed the boat, and may end up being passed right over, whether they like it or not. Their strategy of many years -- decades, in fact -- of negotiations and talk, talk, talk without any real improvement on the ground, has turned into a pit into which they themselves may fall.

Of course, I don't think anyone expects the Israelis to just take this challenge sitting down; and I for one would not be the least bit surprised if they attempt to find devious ways to jeopardize Palestinian intentions long before September arrives. Let's be honest here. Secular governments plot and scheme against each other all the time. They smile and shake hands at the table, while at the same time, they point their daggers at each other underneath the same. I am reminded of the following verse that is found in the Book of Daniel:

"And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed."


So national governments are constantly looking for new ways to obtain political advantage, economic advantage, military advantage, etc. Surely, Israel is no different. So how might the Jews attempt to achieve this objective of confounding Palestinian statehood intentions at the United Nations?

In my opinion, it would be by exploiting the Palestinians' biggest vulnerability, and that is the current division that exists between Fatah in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Mahmoud Abbas -- the Palestinian Authority president -- and Ismail Haniyeh -- the disputed Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority who now heads Hamas in the Gaza Strip -- no doubt recognize this danger; and I suspect that this may be why they have recently made attempts to be reconciled in a national unity government, even though it will come at a very high price for Abbas, insofar as Israel is concerned. In other words, Netanyahu's government has already informed Abbas that he must make a choice. Either he chooses Hamas, or he chooses negotiations with Israel.

Assuming that Abbas continues to work towards some degree of unity with Hamas, not only will a unified government further convince the United Nations that the Palestinians are ready for statehood, and membership in the UN, but it will also help to insulate the Palestinians against any machinations that the Israelis may devise against them.

More specifically, it seems to me that if there is one thing that the Palestinians -- and particularly Hamas -- need to prove to the world, it is that they are capable of achieving their objectives through peaceful means without resorting to violence, such as lobbing rockets and mortars into southern Israel. Regardless of any differences which may now exist between them, it is imperative that Fatah and Hamas present a united, peaceful front to the world body. What they need to watch out for are intentional provocations from Israel, which could result in more retaliation and violence from maverick Hamas operatives who don't follow the party line, especially now as September approaches.

We all know that Hamas has a propensity for violence. They have demonstrated this time and again over the years. What they need to realize is that yielding to violence is their Achilles Heel. Furthermore, it is a vulnerability which the Israelis will most certainly exploit if they possibly can. That is why Hamas needs to rein in the maverick operatives. In other words, if through minor provocations Israel were to succeed in provoking a new wave of Palestinian violence, it would no doubt dampen expectations for September, and quite possibly even make a declaration of Palestinian statehood impossible for the foreseeable future, because the world would not be convinced that the Palestinians are capable of governing themselves in a peaceful, independent state along side Israel.

What kind of provocation could Israel possibly attempt which would achieve their goal of stirring up the wrath of Hamas, but without world condemnation raining down upon them? Sadly, I think the answer can be found in one of Israel's current operations. It is a widely-known fact that for some time now, Israel has engaged in a violent campaign of assassinations of Hamas' leaders. Because some of them have been known as being violent men, there has been little, if any, world outcry. The Israelis are going around murdering Hamas leaders with total impunity. When certain United Nations members do protest this Israeli witch hunt, what usually happens? The United States quickly comes to Israel's aid by declaring that the Israelis have a right to defend themselves.

So here's the question: What if the Israelis were to step up their assassination campaign until Hamas finally decides to retaliate? Or what if certain maverick Hamas operatives, that is, loose cannons so-to-speak, decide to retaliate against the Israelis, by defying the better judgment of Hamas leadership?

I think it is important that we all recognize that no matter how big and powerful a national government may be, it simply cannot control the actions of every individual citizen at every minute every single day. If it could, there would be no murders, no rapes, no theft, no violence or dishonesty of any kind. We would need a world that is very similar to the one that is described in George Orwell's "1984" for that to happen. Yes, I know; with RFID chips, closed-circuit TV's, cameras on the street corners in cities all across America, GPS, DNA tests, retinal scans, national identity cards -- driver's licenses and Social Security cards basically serve the very same purpose -- government databases, and related technologies, we are well on our way to arriving at a Big Brother society even now, and I have written all about this topic in some of my 666 or Mark of the Beast articles.

But I hope that you can see my point. Even if the leaders of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority were to arrive at some kind of mutual agreement whereby they would share power, and avoid any form of violence against Israel at all cost, for the sake of achieving their common objective of acquiring a globally-recognized Palestinian State in September, if even one or a few Gaza radicals were to resort to violence as a result of Israeli provocations, it could possibly escalate into a major wave of violence, which would play right into Israel's hand, and totally defeat Palestinian intentions at the United Nations in September. That's why the Palestinians need to be very careful during the next six months.

It has occurred to me that in a way, the Gaza Strip is like a pressure cooker, and Israel expertly controls the pressure valve according to its own needs and national interests. In other words, whenever the Israelis feel threatened -- such as by the upcoming 66th UN General Assembly -- or when they feel the need to justify their positions or actions before the world, they will simply apply pressure to the Gazans, economically, militarily, or in some other fashion, until the Gazans finally react with violence, such as by lobbing more rockets into Israel. It is a very predictable reaction from the radicals in Gaza, and the Israelis know it, and in fact count on it.

In other words, the pressure valve blows off steam, which is exactly what the Israelis are hoping for; because then they can turn around and exclaim to the world "See; we were right. This is why we can't trust the Palestinians. This is why we can't make peace with them. This is why we are not able to negotiate with them. This is why we are against giving them a Palestinian State. This is why our security needs must come first"; and on and on it goes. It is perfectly choreographed for world consumption; however, what they need to realize is that a lot of countries are no longer willing to accept such excuses, and that is why they have chosen to back Palestine.

Now obviously, I honestly do not know what Israel intends to do concerning the Palestinians' plan to approach the United Nations in September. I do believe that despite their outward demeanor, the Israelis are quite concerned about it, and that they do view this development as a threat to their national security. Because of this fact, I simply do not believe that they will stand idly by and do nothing. They will decide to do something to try to jeopardize Palestinian plans, if they haven't already begun to do so. Assassinating more leaders of Hamas is simply one possibility, and merely a personal theory.

However, I should point out that to continue to assassinate the leadership of Hamas could ultimately prove to be a very dangerous and foolish mistake for the Israelis, as it would no doubt further radicalize the Palestinian youth. If the Israelis don't understand this point, then they really need to take a closer look at what has been happening in the Arab nations around them, and at who has instigated most of those revolutions. In other words, assassinating the old guard leadership of Hamas is not going to solve anything. If they completely kill the head, the arms and the legs could very well become wild and uncontrollable.

In fact, it seems to me that at this point in time, whether the Israelis takes measures to try to jeopardize Palestinian intentions before September, or the United States vetoes a UN resolution that supports Palestinian statehood, either way it could result in a further radicalization of the Palestinian youth, and very bad things may happen as a result of it. I am talking about another bloody intifada which the Palestinians obviously cannot win, as well as more Israeli oppression of, and military action against, the Palestinians. The pattern of violence and retaliation will simply start all over again, with no end in sight, and peace between the two peoples will remain as remote as ever.

Please go to part three for the conclusion of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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