French President Nicolas Sarkozy has proposed to host a Middle East summit in France next month, as direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority falter. Yesterday the 10 month moratorium on Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria officially came to an end. The United States government had pressured Israel into agreeing to the moratorium in an effort to encourage the Palestinian Authority to recommence direct talks. The US administration eventually persuaded the Palestinians to rejoin the talks, which recommenced this month without much fanfare, and seemingly without much chance of agreement. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad recently stormed out of a meeting with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon, after he requested that a joint press statement include the reference to "two states for two peoples". The Palestinian Authority have repeatedly refused to recognize Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, hoping instead to bring about its demographic destruction through the absorption of millions of Arab refugees. President Abbas has now put negotiations on hold following the recommencement of building in Judea and Samaria, but the pressure is on to reach some sort of agreement before the end of the year, when the Union for the Mediterranean summit is expected to take place. Sarkozy has been looking to bolster his own standing in the Middle East by cosying up to Abbas ahead of the summit, and promising to back the establishment of a Palestinian state if they will in turn support him. France is also scheduled to take the reigns of the G8 group of industrialised nations in December, as well as the G20 early next year. Presumably Sarkozy will be wanting to make as much as possible of the prestige that these positions will offer him.

Quote: "The French president also urged that Europe be given a greater role in the Middle East peace process. 'It is not viable for Europe to contribute money and then be outside the political process,' he said. 'We don't want to be just spectators.' Sarkozy said that the method of the peace process must be changed and that another 'mechanism' be provided to support the negotiations. He apparently had in mind the Union for the Mediterranean (UPM), which includes all 27 EU member states as well as Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The Bible indicates that during the last days, a great leader will arise out of the old Roman Empire (Daniel 7:8). He is given many different names in the Scriptures. In Daniel 9 he is described as the "prince that shall come", who would be of the people that destroyed the city of Jerusalem in 70AD. It's interesting that the word 'sar' (שר) in Hebrew means a 'prince'. I'm not entirely sure what 'kozy' translates to in Hebrew. If his name was Sar-kotze, then its meaning would be the 'prince of thorn'. The prophecy of Daniel indicates that a future prince or ruler will strengthen a covenant between many peoples for a period of seven years. We are not told exactly what that covenant will entail, but we are told that in the middle of the seven year period, the Jewish sacrifices will be stopped and some sort of abomination will be placed inside the rebuilt Temple. Paul also spoke of this event in 2nd Thessalonians 2:4. Since the prophecy given to Daniel by the angel was to be concerning his people, the Jews, and the holy city, Jerusalem, it is possible that this covenant will be made in regard to the city of Jerusalem (Daniel 9:24). Indeed we are also told in the prophecies of Zechariah 12:2, 14:2, and Revelation 11:2 that half of the city of Jerusalem will come under Gentile occupation for the three and a half years prior to the Second Coming of Christ. So it is possible that the covenant which will be strengthened by this prince could be an agreement concerning the status of Jerusalem, and possibly the rights of Jews to recommence the sacrificial system once the Temple is rebuilt.

As you can see from today's news, the very fact that a man of Jewish descent, a ruler of the people which destroyed the city and sanctuary in 70AD, is now seeking a peace agreement in the Middle East, is extremely significant. I'm not saying that Sarkozy is the one spoken of in Daniel, but as you can see, the fact that a European leader is demanding that the EU be given a greater role in brokering a Middle East peace agreement falls into line with Bible prophecy. But we are not looking for the 'Sar-kozy', even if his aspirations are to bring peace to the Middle East. His peace will not last. We are looking for the Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace. The Bible says that of His government, and of peace, there shall be no end (Isaiah 9:6-7). His name is Jesus Christ. Jesus' name in Hebrew means 'Salvation', and Christ or the Messiah means 'the Anointed One'. He was called Jesus, "for He shall save His people from their sins", Matthew 1:21. And He was anointed by God to preach this good news to us (Isaiah 61:1). Have your sins been forgiven? Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation? He bore God's punishment for your sin when He died upon the cross (Isaiah 53:11). And now all those who trust in Him for salvation can know their sins forgiven and have everlasting life (John 10:28). Why don't you turn away from your sins, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31).

Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Source Earth Times, Jerusalem Post, China View