Sarkozy offers UPM support if Israel halts settlements |
Europe |
Written by Chris Perver |
Friday, 28 August 2009 15:05 |
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said he is willing to organize a second summit of the Union for the Mediterranean in support for Middle East peace, if Israel is willing to cease all settlement construction in east Jerusalem and the territories. The comments were made during his annual foreign policy speech to French ambassadors on Wednesday. Last week it was revealed that the Israeli government has unofficially halted the issue of tenders for new builds in the territories, but Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has objected to demands that the Jewish state cease construction in east Jerusalem. The Israeli government is presently working towards a compromise deal with the US administration which would acknowledge Israel's sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem. The Union for the Mediterranean, which was launched with much fanfare in July 2008 and has been hailed as the "best news for peace in the Middle East", collapsed after the resumption of conflict between Israel and Hamas at the end of last year. The Union for the Mediterranean was recently revived on the first anniversary of its launch, after Arab states agreed to participate again in the French project. Now with American focus on getting the Middle East peace process restarted, Sarkozy is pledging his support through the Union for the Mediterranean, to do whatever it takes to reach an agreement. While promising that France would do nothing that would harm Israel's security, the French leader stated there would be no peace so long as Israel continued its settlement expansion. Quote: ""In early September I will receive President Abbas to encourage him to accelerate the renewal of structures that in the near future will govern the Palestinian State. And I hope that today's meeting between the Prime Minister of Israel and the US President's envoy will finally lead to a specific, complete freeze on settlements and the revival of negotiations," he said on Wednesday in his annual foreign policy speech to France's ambassadors in Paris. "If that is the case, France, together with Egypt, with the agreement of the Swedish EU presidency and in concert with the United States, will invite all the member countries of the Union for the Mediterranean to hold a second summit this fall that would accompany the resumption of all three tracks of the peace negotiations," Sarkozy added. "It's time to settle this conflict. One mustn't wait any longer. Wait for what?," he said. A couple of days ago I commented on how I could not understand where this peace process was really going. I remarked that while it seemed US President Obama was bent on pushing some sort of agreement through, I couldn't really see him making much headway in regards to peace. I also said that I didn't know how many more agreements would come and go before we would reach the one that the Antichrist would enforce. Now the French President has promised to support this process, which Obama hopes will lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state within two years time. If Israel ends the settlement construction in east Jerusalem and the territories, the Union for the Mediterranean, also known as the 'revived Roman Empire', will give its official backing to the negotiations. That is an extremely significant development. And that is the direction I would expect this peace process to be going. Not only does this fit in with Daniel 9:26, which states that the Antichrist, who will strengthen a covenant between Israel and its neighbours, will be a ruler of the people who destroyed the city of Jerusalem in 70AD. But Sarkozy himself is Jewish and of Assyrian descent, which I believe the Bible predicts the Antichrist will be. Daniel 11:37 states that the Antichrist will not regard the God of his fathers, which suggests to me that he could be of Jewish descent. And Sarkozy has not hidden his grandiose desires to personally mediate in the Middle East peace process, and to preside as ruler over his Union for the Mediterranean project. I don't know who the Antichrist will be. But I do know this, that what we are seeing today is leading towards the fulfilment of these prophecies. And it will be very interesting to see just how Israel responds in the coming months. Sarkozy is right about one thing. One mustn't wait any longer. As I was telling a friend today, Enoch was translated into heaven many years before the flood came. Noah was hidden in the ark seven days before judgement fell. And Lot was dragged out of the city of Sodom on the same day it rained down fire and brimstone. We don't know the precise time the Lord will come to take us home. But we know He will come, for He has promised (John 14:3). Are you ready for that day? Have your sins been forgiven? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation? Don't delay any longer. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31). Hebrews 11:5 Source EJPress |
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