The European Union has effectively signed the 'death certificate' of the Middle East peace process in their latest efforts in trying to get the Palestinian Authority back to the negotiating table. While the prospects of a Palestinian state being accepted as a full member of the UN General Assembly have now diminished thanks to a fortuitous change in the membership of the UN Security Council, PA President Mahmoud Abbas still refuses to recommence peace negotiations Israel. You may remember that it was US President Obama's demand that Israel cease all 'settlement activity' in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem that brought about this situation in the first place. In calling for a cessation of all 'settlement activity', even in their own capital city, Obama was indirectly recognizing Palestinian 'sovereignty' over these areas. While Obama may have wanted to appear even-handed, his criticism of Israel landed the Palestinian Authority one of their biggest excuses yet not to make peace with Israel. Abbas knows Israel will never agree to relinquishing the Temple Mount. So long as the Israeli government refused to accede to Obama's demand, the Jewish state would get the blame for obstructing the peace process. Coupled with the EU and US support of a two year deadline for the establishment of a Palestinian state, all the Palestinians had to do was wait out until the international community imposed a resolution on the Middle East. Thus the Palestinians could get their state, east Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, and all without having to make peace with the Jews. That's what this UN bid was all about. Thankfully their plan has failed. But it seems the EU has not learned any lessons from the past two years...

Quote: “Palestinian sources quoted by the paper said that "the European initiative calls for the resumption of negotiations on the basis of the Quartet statement issued last September, without the Palestinian insistence on the freeze of settlement. This is in exchange for a promise by the European Union, including France and Britain, to support the application for UN membership of the State of Palestine within the 1967 territories in September 2012 if negotiations with Israel fail over the next year. "

By guaranteeing to support the establishment of a Palestinian state in September 2012 come what may, and conditioning that support on the failure of those negotiations, the EU has effectively signed the 'death certificate' of the Middle East peace process. All the Palestinians have to do is to recommence the negotiations, refuse every offer that Israel makes them, and then after a year the EU will give the Palestinians Jerusalem on a silver platter, no questions asked.

I find it incredibly hard to believe what I am reading here. I'm not sure whether our politicians are just so inept that they do not understand how Arab Muslims think, or else they do know but want the peace negotiations with Israel to fail on purpose. For I can't see how conditioning the support of the establishment of a Palestinian state to the failure of negotiations will bring peace. Either way, if what this report says is true, then the Middle East is heading for war a lot sooner than we think. The Bible states that this battle over the status of Jerusalem is set to continue right through to the tribulation period. Zechariah 12:2 indicates that prior to the return of Christ, half of the city of Jerusalem will come under the occupation of Israel's enemies. This occupation will last for a three and a half year period (Revelation 12:2), the time known in Bible prophecy as the great tribulation (Matthew 24:21). It will be a time of unparalleled suffering for the Jewish people, which will only come to an end following the return of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven (Revelation 19). So as you can see, the fact that the nations of the world are now pressing for the redivision of Jerusalem shows us just how close we may be to the return of the Lord.

I personally don't support all these conspiracy theories surrounding the year 2012, but a lot of things do seem to be coming to a head. The global financial problem, the Iranian nuclear crisis, the establishment of a Palestinian state... all things mentioned in Bible prophecy. The world won't end in 2012, but what if we only had one year left before the Lord returns for His people? What would you do? There is only one possibly answer, and that is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation as soon as possible. He loves you so much, He died for you upon the cross of Calvary, so that you could know your sins forgiven and have eternal life. He's coming back again to take all those who have trusted in Him for salvation to be with Him where He is (John 14:3). Is He coming back for you? Only you can answer that question. Don't wait until it's too late. Turn away from your sins, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation today.

John 14:6
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Source EJ Press, Taiwan News