Author Archives: joelcrosenberg

Dramatic announcement: White House says 3 more Arab countries will attend peace conference June 25-26. This brings total number of Arab countries participating to 7, though Abbas resisting.

June 11, 2019 By in Epicenter

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(Jerusalem, Israel) — The White House made a dramatic announcement today: three additional Arab countries have agreed to participate in the Trump peace team’s economic conference, scheduled for June 25 and 26.

This brings the total number of participating Arab countries to seven.

At the conference, Jared Kusher and his team will roll-out the first section of their peace plan. This section is designed to dramatically improve the Palestinian economy, create good jobs, improve the quality of life for the Palestinian people and attract tens of billions of dollars in private investment and government aid to pay for it all.

The three newly-signed-on countries are:

  • Jordan
  • Egypt
  • Morocco

They join four Gulf Arab countries who have already said “yes” to participating:

  • Bahrain, which is also hosting the conference in its capital city of Manama
  • the United Arab Emirates
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Qatar

Israel has not yet been formally invited. U.S. officials said they wanted to nail down significant Arab participation first. Now that that has happened, Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon is expected to receive his invitation soon. He has already indicated he is eager to attend.

Unfortunately two governments have said they will not participate.

  • The Palestinian Authority
  • Lebanon

As I noted in my recent column, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his advisors aren’t just saying no, however. They are responding with tremendous anger towards the Trump team for having the event, and towards the Arab countries that are participating. They have pleaded with the leaders of these Arab countries to boycott the event, and warned that any Palestinian business leader who attends will be branded a “traitor” and “collaborator with the enemy.”

That said, it strikes me as a wise, even shrewd, move to unveil the economic portion of the peace plan first. Here’s why:

  • It will focus the Palestinian people — if not their leaders — first and foremost on what they would “get” from making peace with Israel, not first on what they might have to “give.”
  • It will create a conversation not just among Palestinian Arabs but among Arabs throughout the region on whether the Trump team is making specific, positive and useful proposals to make the lives of real people better. 
  • No previous American administration has ever offered a detailed financial plan to improve the Palestinian economy and infrastructure.
  • We’ll get to see what countries are willing to invest the billions of dollars necessary to turn these ideas into reality.

All of us who pray for the peace of Jerusalem should be praying that this conference is not just petty politics as usual, but will lay out a truly meaningful and innovative plan that really can bring to much-needed help to the suffering people of the West Bank and Gaza. Personally, I’m very encouraged to see seven Arab nations playing a part. Perhaps they can even persuade Abbas and his team in Ramallah to take a deep breath, and come to Manama after all with an open mind.

Inshallah.

(Photo: Egyptian President el-Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.)

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Thank you, President Bush, for reading The Kremlin Conspiracy & The Persian Gamble. I’m deeply honored & I’m praying for you and your family.

June 6, 2019 By in Epicenter

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(Washington, D.C.) — When I wrote my first political thriller, The Last Jihad, I was just hoping my mother and father could find it at a bookstore within 100 miles of their house.

I was completely unprepared for how far and wide these books would travel, and what a diverse range of people would read them.

There are now nearly five million copies in print. They are published in some two dozen languages, and on nearly every continent. It’s been fun to learn over the years that our readers include Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Jordan’s King Abdullah, U.S. Congressmen, Senators, Governors, several CIA directors, and many U.S. and foreign military and intelligence officials and diplomats. 

So far, however, George W. Bush is the first American President to read my novels.

It’s the latest series — The Kremlin Conspiracy and The Persian Gamble that focuses on the life of former U.S. Secret Service agent Marcus Ryker — that has drawn his interest. At the suggestion of mutual friends of ours, I sent him signed copies of both books when they released. The former President has not only read them but sent very gracious notes. My favorite line from the note he sent last month, “I look forward to what seeing what Marcus Ryker is up to next!”

Thank you, Mr. President. I am deeply honored that you are reading my thrillers. I just finished the manuscript for the third installment of the Ryker saga, and I’ll be sure to get you an advance copy later this Fall.

Above all, thank you for your faithful service to our country — and for the service of your father and brother. We owe you a great debt for all that you have done to keep Americans and our allies safe from the plague of Radical Islamist terrorism and to liberate tens of millions who were once enslaved under Middle Eastern tyrannies. May God bless you , Laura and your girls. You are all in my prayers.

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I just finished the manuscript for my new thriller after “The Persian Gamble.”

June 4, 2019 By in Epicenter

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(Washington, D.C.) — Can’t give you any specific details yet — sorry! Later this year, we’ll reveal the title, cover art and exact release date. 

But I’m so grateful for the very positive reaction we’ve gotten for The Kremlin Conspiracy and The Persian Gamble, and just wanted you to know I’ve been hard at work on this new one since the beginning of January.

Yesterday, I turned in the manuscript to my literary agent and publishing team. In a few weeks, I start working with my editor to sharpen and polish it and advance reader copies will be going out to reviewers this Fall. We expect the book to release next Spring.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from readers as to whether this series about Marcus Ryker, the former Secret Service agent, is only a trilogy. Many seem to be assuming this because my last two series were trilogies. That’s actually not my intention for this one. Honestly, I haven’t decided how many Ryker novels I’ll write before I retire him….or kill him off. But just be aware that as of now, I’m plotting out a fourth installment.

Hope you’re all about to have a great summer — and hope you’ll be taking my novels to the beach, and encouraging others to do the same!

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Palestinians say “hell no” to Trump peace team’s economic conference. But three Arab states say “yes.” This is a very big deal. Here’s why. (My new column for The Jerusalem Post.)

June 2, 2019 By in Epicenter

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(Washington, D.C.) — Here are excerpts from my new column. To read the full column, please click here.

“Palestinians say ‘hell no’ to Trump economic parley”

Historic, tectonic shifts are underway in the Middle East. Many Americans and Europeans are convinced President Donald Trump’s long-awaited and highly controversial peace plan has no chance of success. But they are utterly missing the point. Yes, the Palestinians are hardening their position against peace with Israel, but the Gulf Arab states are steadily warming toward peace with the Jewish state.

Consider the latest developments.

On June 25 and 26, Trump’s advisers will host a conference to roll out the first section of their peace plan. Specifically, they will unveil their proposals to vastly improve the Palestinian economy and the living conditions of every Arab – Muslim and Christian – in the West Bank and Gaza.

No foreign ministers are invited, only finance ministers. This session isn’t about boundaries, capitals, flags and anthems. It’s about creating more jobs, rising wages, good schools, better roads, more trade, clean water and uninterrupted electricity.

Sadly, Palestinian leaders are saying “no” to attending. Actually, they’re saying, “hell, no!”

….[Yet,] three Gulf Arab states – Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia – are saying “yes,” they would be happy to attend the American conference. Indeed, the leaders of Bahrain are actually making the bold move of hosting the conference.

Israel has also said, “yes,” – Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon is very much looking forward to participating, his spokesman said.

Such developments are a very big deal for several reasons….

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How will peace create jobs & truly make life better for Palestinians? White House to host conference in Bahrain to lay out economic elements of peace plan. Shrewd move by Trump team & Bahrain. Here’s why.

May 19, 2019 By in Epicenter

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(Washington, D.C.) — How could a final, comprehensive peace treaty with Israel truly improve the day-to-day lives of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza?

What specific, innovative ideas have the Trump team been cooking up over the last two years to reduce rampant unemployment and poverty among the Palestinians, and build  infrastructure to economic growth and prosperity, like water desalination plants, power plants, roads, ports, an airport, and so forth?

How much will these proposals cost, and what nations are ready to invest in helping the Palestinians build a healthy, fully functioning economy that will create good jobs, rising wages, clean water, 24/7 power, and sustained economic growth that depends on free market innovation, not foreign aid and government subsidies?

These are critically important questions, and the White House peace team — led by Jared Kushner — announced today that they will unveil their answers at a conference in Bahrain in late June that will focus on the economic benefits of peace.

They further noted that they will unveil their answers to the key political questions — what will the final borders of two states be? what will be done with Jerusalem? what will be done with Palestinian refugees living outside the land? — at a later date.

This is a shrewd move, for several reasons:

  • It will focus the Palestinian people first on what they would “get” from making peace with Israel, not first on what they might have to “give.”
  • It will create a conversation not just among Palestinian Arabs but among Arabs throughout the region on whether the Trump team is making specific, positive and useful proposals to make the lives of real people better. 
  • No previous American administration has ever offered a detailed financial plan to improve the Palestinian economy and infrastructure.
  • We’ll get to see what countries are willing to invest the billions of dollars necessary to turn these ideas into reality.

It’s particularly noteworthy and encouraging that Bahrain is hosting the conference. While I have not been to Bahrain, I had lunch in March with the Bahraini Ambassador to the United States and was deeply impressed with him and his government’s desire to help Israelis and Palestinians truly make peace, and open the door for Arab states throughout the Gulf region to also make peace with Israel and openly engage in business with the Jewish state.

  • “The Trump administration will unveil the first phase of its long-awaited blueprint for Mideast peace next month at a conference in the region designed to highlight economic benefits that could be reaped if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved,” the Associated Press reported on Sunday.
  • “The plan, which has been two years in the making, envisions large-scale investment and infrastructure work in the Palestinian territories,” AP noted. “But the central political elements remain mostly unknown. And the economic workshop, June 25-26 in Bahrain, will not address the most contentious parts of the conflict: borders, the status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and Israel’s security.”
  • “We recognize that this needs to go hand in hand with the political plan, but this will be the first chance to roll out details of the economic plan,” a White House official told CNN, adding that this will be an opportunity to show Palestinians, Jordanians, Israelis and the Lebanese that “CEOs care about them and want to be investing in the area.”
  • “It’s tough to digest both the economic and political proposals at once, since they’re both very detailed proposals,” the official said.
  • “[The] ‘Peace to Prosperity’ [conference in Bahrain] will facilitate discussions on an ambitious, achievable vision and framework for a prosperous future for the Palestinian people and the region, including enhancements to economic governance, development of human capital, and facilitation of rapid private-sector growth,” a White House official told the Washington Free Beacon. “If implemented, this vision has the potential to radically transform lives and put the region on a path toward a brighter future.”

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Israeli leader vows to put Bible on the moon, stresses importance of studying the Bible, addresses Intl. Bible Quiz held today, Israel’s 71st modern birthday.

May 9, 2019 By in Epicenter

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(Jerusalem, Israel) — The newly re-elected premier of Israel made an intriguing proposal on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of Israel’s prophetic rebirth as a sovereign nation in 1948.

As he attended the International Bible Quiz and made the case for the importance of studying and knowing the Bible, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called…for a printed Bible to be carried to the moon by the next Israeli spacecraft to make the journey, and credited Judaism’s foundational text for the ‘daring’ and ‘spirit’ Israelis demonstrate in the attempt,” reports the Times of Israel.

“Speaking at the International Bible Quiz for Youth, which is held every year on Independence Day, the prime minister vowed to send a second spacecraft after the first, dubbed ‘Beresheet’ (Genesis), crashed onto the lunar surface on April 11 due to complications resulting from a gyroscope failure,” noted the Times.

“Last month we felt tremendous excitement: the spacecraft Beresheet was a hand’s breadth from the moon,” Netanyahu said in his remarks at the Bible Quiz event in Jerusalem.

“Noting that the lander carried a digital copy of the Bible, he announced, ‘that’s not enough…. We’re going to send the spacecraft again, and it’s very likely it will be carrying a small [printed] Bible. I want the Bible to land on the moon, because it is written [in Psalms 8:4], ‘When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have established.’ The State of Israel will reach the moon.’”

How can Israel truly have a deep impact on the world? Netanyahu asked. 

“How do we do it?” he asked rhetorically. “We do it through initiative, determination and daring — given to us by our spirit. And our spirit comes from the Bible. That’s not just words. That spirit comes from the Bible, because there’s no meaning to the enormous journey we have made to return to our land, to our birthplace, if we had not carried with us our faith, our tradition and our yearning for the homeland.”

The Jerusalem Post reports: “The competition is an annual event held on Independence Day which brings together dozens of Jewish youth between the ages of 14 and 18 from around the world to test their knowledge on the Bible. The youth spent two and a half weeks at a “Bible Camp” in which they travel Israel, learn about its history and meet with several government officials, including Netanyahu. The contestants were, as is traditional, asked about the smallest details of the many events which take place in the Hebrew Bible, and are quizzed on every book it contains.”

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BREAKING: Cease-fire announced after 690 rockets. Now, two big questions: 1) Will it hold? 2) Will latest rocket war affect roll-out of Trump Peace Initiative?

May 6, 2019 By in Epicenter

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(Jerusalem, Israel) — A cease-fire — negotiated behind the scenes by Egypt, Qatar and the U.N. — went into effect at 4:30am local time (9:30pm in Washington), after the most intense two-day rocket war in Israel’s history. See details below.

Now, we face two big questions:

  1. Will the cease-fire hold? As I post this column at 9:30am local time on Monday morning, five hours after it was agreed to, none of the terms of the deal have been released to the public. In my experience with past rocket wars going back a decade or more, we often see Hamas and Islamic Jihad break the deal several times in the first 48 hours or so, firing off a few salvos of additional rockets, and triggering more retaliations by the IDF. Please pray that this cease-fire holds firmly. Pray, too, that the Lord will comfort both Israelis and Palestinians who have been injured, have lost family or friends, and who have been traumatized by the wickedness and sheer intensity of the past few days.
  2. Will the latest rocket war between Israelis and Palestinians affect the roll-out of the Trump Peace Initiative? At the moment, the plan is expected to be released to the public in mid-June after Ramadan ends. Short version: I believe the administration will likely still release the plan this summer and the roll-out won’t be significantly affected by the rocket war. That said, I believe the latest round of fighting underscores how difficult — perhaps impossible — it will be for the Palestinian leadership to say yes to almost any plan the White House unveils, no matter how good, creative and constructive. I hope I’m wrong. It would be wonderful to see the two sides find a way to make real and lasting peace. But I remain of the view that Abbas has no interest — and no real authority — to make the compromises necessary for a deal. He clearly doesn’t control Gaza. And he is deeply disliked in the West Bank. Some 60% of Palestinians want him to resign. According to the latest poll done in March, “demand for Abbas’ resignation stands at 55% in the West Bank and 68% in the Gaza Strip.” Only 34% of Palestinians support the job Abbas is doing. [Note: In December 2017, fully 70% of Palestinians wanted Abbas to step down immediately; his standing has improved somewhat since then.] By contrast, I believe the Arabs leaders in the Gulf are growing increasingly interested in making peace with Israel and that Palestinian rejection of the Trump plan could actually accelerate movement in a positive direction in the Gulf. We will see soon enough. In the meantime, let’s continue to be praying for the peace of Jerusalem and the entire region. To better understand what is coming, I encourage you to watch online a conversation with Jared Kushner, the chief architect of the peace plan, that he had last Thursday night in an excellent event organized by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Interview by WINEP Executive Director Rob Satloff, Kushner discusses the administration’s goals, why they believe now is the right time to release the plan, and why they believe past peace efforts have failed. I also encourage you to watch a Washington Institute discussion with Mideast experts analyzing what Kushner said and did not say. 

Here’s a snapshot of the two-day conflict, by-the-numbers:

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UPDATE: We’ve now topped 600 rockets fired at Israel in 36 hours. Israel assassinates senior Hamas leader. Three Israelis & 12 Palestinians dead as crisis intensifies. 150 Iron Dome intercepts, but direct hit on Israeli factory. Here is the latest. #PrayForIsrael #PrayForGaza

May 5, 2019 By in Epicenter

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UPDATED at 6:00pm local time: (Jerusalem, Israel) — Here is the latest:

  • UPDATE: “The Israeli military said it struck over 260 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza on Sunday in retaliation for 600 rockets launched from the Strip that have killed three Israelis,” reports Haaretz.
  • UPDATE: “Gaza health ministry says Israeli strikes killed 12, injured 105 since Saturday,” reports i24 News. 
  • UPDATE: “Senior Israeli Air Force Officer says over 600 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip,” reports a correspondent for the Jerusalem Post. 
  • UPDATE: The Iron Dome is functioning at 86% accuracy, but Israelis officials caution that no defense is perfect and under such a heavy barrage some rockets are going to get through and do serious damage, even take lives.
  • UPDATE: “As of Sunday afternoon, 13 people in Israel were hit by rockets, missiles and mortar shells from the Gaza Strip, including two seriously injured, two moderately injured and six lightly wounded, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service,” reports the Times of Israel. “Twelve people were also lightly injured running to bomb shelters, while 66 people received medical treatment after suffering anxiety attacks from the strikes.”
  • UPDATE: Eleven Palestinians have been in Gaza, reports Haaretz.
  • UPDATE: “Hamed Khoudary, 34, was killed in an Israeli airstrike less than an hour ago, while he was driving his car. Was responsible for transferring money from Iran to military factions in Gaza. This is the first targeted assassination in a while,” the Washington Post reported in a Tweet, citing a statement by the IDF.
  • After a massive and near-continuous barrage in the early afternoon, we are now at least 507 rockets and mortar shells that have been fired at Israel from Gaza since 10am on Saturday.
  • At least 150 rockets have been intercepted so far by the Iron Dome system, while 70% of the rockets have hit open fields, or malfunctioned and fallen into the Gaza Strip itself.
  • One rocket made a direct hit on a factory in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon.
  • An Israeli car also took a direct hit, possibly from an anti-tank missile.
  • Three Israeli are now dead — a 58-year old father of four who was taking a smoking break outside his bomb shelter when rockets landed nearby, and two people killed as a results of these new direct hits. 
  • Three Israelis have also been critically wounded.
  • At least 80 Israeli civilians have been treated for stress and trauma.
  • “The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli strikes had killed six Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her 14-month-old niece in their east Gaza City home Saturday,” reported the Associated Press. “However, Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said Sunday that a detailed review found that a Palestinian rocket had misfired [thus landing inside Gaza rather than reaching Israel] and killed them. He said the Palestinians were ‘trying to sell a story that isn’t true.’ The conflicting accounts could not immediately be reconciled.”
  • More detailed information on Palestinian injuries is not currently available, but I’ll share more when I can.
  • “The Israeli military says it has targeted some 40 additional sites throughout the Gaza Strip in response to ongoing rocket and mortar attacks from the coastal enclave,” reports the Times of Israel. “In a statement, the IDF says the targets include tunnels and underground bunkers, military bases, weapons factories and rocket launching sites. In addition, the military targeted a number of weapons caches that it says were hidden inside the homes of Hamas operatives ‘deliberately near civilian populations.'”
  • “Iran, through Islamic Jihad — its proxy in Gaza — is behind the current escalation in the South, former national security advisor Yaakov Amidror said on Sunday,” reports The Jerusalem Post. “ran’s interest, Amidror said, is for Israel to embark on another major operation in Gaza, freeing up Tehran to do what it wants unhindered in Syria. The Iranian idea, he said, is that ‘Israel will be busy focusing on Gaza and not have enough energy to deal with the building up of an independent war machine in Syria.’ Iranian pressure, Amidror hinted, is the only explanation for why Islamic Jihad would fire on an IDF patrol while its leaders were in Cairo talking about an arrangement with Israel.”
  • Please don’t stop praying for Israelis and Palestinians on both sides of the border. Thank you so much.

For my last blog post on the crisis, please click here.

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BREAKING: More than 450 rockets have been fired at Israel in the last 24 hours. More inbound right now. An Israeli father of four has just been killed. Here is the latest. Please pray for Israelis & Palestinians on both sides of the border. #PrayForPeace

May 5, 2019 By in Epicenter

Gaza-rocketsMay5 (Jerusalem, Israel) — Here are the latest developments:

A new barrage of rockets have been fired at Israel in the last few minutes, shattering the relative calm of the last few hours.

As of 12:30pm local time here in Israel, here are the latest developments:

  • ROCKETS: More than 450 rockets have been fired at Israel’s southern communities since 10am local time on Saturday — more than 100 have been shot down by Israel’s “Iron Dome” rocket defense system.
  • RESPONSE: The IDF has struck more than 220 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza over the past 24 hours, including the homes of Islamic Jihad commanders.
  • SCHOOLS: All the schools in southern Israel are closed — more than 200,000 Israeli children are home today to be with their parents and close to their family bomb shelters.
  • CASUALTIES: “An Israeli man was killed when a rocket slammed into his home in southern Israel early Sunday morning, as Gazan terrorists pummeled Israeli towns with projectiles and Israel responded with hundreds of airstrikes,” reports the Times of Israel. “The man, identified as Moshe Agadi, 58, a father of four, was declared dead after being rushed to Ashkelon’s Barzilai hospital with shrapnel wounds he sustained when the rocket hit his home in the city at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Agadi appeared to be the first Israeli fatality from Gazan rocket attacks since 2014’s war with terrorists based in the Strip.” Please pray for the Lord to comfort this man’s family and friends.
  • THE PRIME MINISTER: “Israel will continue its ‘massive attacks’ against terrorist elements in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday morning in his first public comments,” reports the Jerusalem Post. “In addition, Netanyahu said at the weekly cabinet meeting, he gave the directive to reinforce the IDF troops around Gaza with additional tank, artillery and infantry units.”
  • “Hamas bears responsibility not only for its attacks and actions, but also for the activities of the Islamic Jihad, and it is paying a very heavy price,” Netanyahu said.
  • CEASEFIRE EFFORTS: So far, there have been no reports of formal efforts underway to re-establish a ceasefire. That said, I’m sure that at least informal efforts are underway. I’m deeply grateful for the role Egyptian President el-Sisi and his intelligence chief have been playing over the past several years. The Egyptians are actively working to persuade Hamas and other terror groups operating in the Gaza Strip to de-escalate tensions with Israel and to re-unify with the government of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. This is no easy task, but the Egyptians have been steadfast in it. It represents how serious President Sisi is in maintaining — and improving — peace and close security and intelligence ties with Israel, and trying to help broker a real and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Please pray for the immediate restoration of calm.
  • Pray for mercy for all those living on both sides of the border.
  • Pray for wisdom for Israeli leaders to know how best to deal with the situation.
  • Pray for wisdom for Egyptian leaders to know how best to help.
  • Pray that the suffering Palestinians of Gaza are soon liberated from the Hellish Hamas tyranny that is ruining their lives.
  • Pray for Palestinian leaders in Ramallah to truly and clearly denounce these terror attacks, and play a serious and decisive role in liberating the people of Gaza.
  • Pray for Palestinians Evangelicals to be boldly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their suffering brothers and sisters in Gaza, that they may know the love and hope and forgiveness and “peace that passes all understanding” that is available to all who receive Christ as Savior and Lord.

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BREAKING: Hamas & Islamic Jihad have fired nearly 300 rockets at Israel today. Meanwhile, Saudis invite Jewish delegation to visit & a senior Saudi Muslim leader is going to visit Auschwitz.

May 4, 2019 By in Epicenter

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(Jerusalem, Israel) — We’re seeing both bad news and good in the Middle East tonight.

Let’s start with the bad. As of 11:30pm local time, here are the latest developments in today’s terrible rocket war:

  • Nearly 300 rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
  • Three rockets have just hit Beersheba, Israel’s largest southern city, home to some 200,000 people.
  • The IDF has retaliated by striking 120 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza.
  • No Israelis have died, but 41 have been treated at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, near the Gaza border, for a range of injuries or complications related to stress.
  • One Palestinian has reportedly died, and 17 have been injured.
  • No cease fire talks have been reported so far, but it is likely that Egyptian intelligence is working behind the scenes to de-escalate the situation, as this is the role they have played — and played very well — over the past several years.
  • Please continue to pray for calm to be restored and for the Lord to comfort all those on both sides of the Gaza border who have been physically or emotionally wounded during the last 18 hours.

That said, there have been two very positive developments in the region over the past 24 hours, and both involve Saudi Arabia.

First, Dr. Mohammed al-Issa, Director of the Muslim World League (MWL), has announced that in January he will visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in southern Poland. One of the most influential Muslim leaders in the world, Dr. al-Issa is a Saudi national, and the MWL he runs is based in Riyadh. We met last November when I led a Delegation of Evangelical leaders to Saudi Arabia. Dr. al-Issa sat in the two-hour meeting we had with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Then, after we finished our time at the palace, Dr. al-Issa invited our Delegation to come back to the MWL offices where we spent several hours discussing how Saudi leaders are now combatting radical Islamism and promoting moderate Islam, a major change from previous decades.

I believe Dr. al-Issa’s decision to visit Auschwitz, along with the work is doing to combat Holocaust deniers in the Muslim world, is historic and should be applauded. Indeed, “al-Issa will be the highest ranking Muslim leader to visit the Nazi death camp,” reported the Saudi Gazette.

Second, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also decided to welcome a Delegation of Jewish leaders to visit in January. This, too, is being coordinated by Dr. al-Issa, along with the American Jewish Congress, and this is also a remarkable development.

Historically, Jews have not legally been allowed to set foot in the Kingdom. This has been changing bit by bit, with Jewish business leaders, executives, reporters and policy makers being able to receive visas to visit in recent years. 

I was stunned last Fall to become the first Israeli citizen allowed not only to travel into the Kingdom but to meet publicly and openly with the Crown Prince and other members of the Royal Family and senior leadership. 

To be sure, the politics and culture of Saudi Arabia remain highly complicated. The Crown Prince and his policies remain among the most controversial in the world. Many are deeply concerned by the human rights environment in the kingdom, myself included. None of those issues are going away any time soon.

That said, a number of Arab Gulf states — the Saudis included — are making important and positive moves towards the U.S., towards Israel, towards Evangelical Christians and towards the Jewish community. These should not be dismissed. Rather, we should welcome these moves, even while encouraging Arab leaders throughout the region, including in KSA, to improve the quality of life for all of their people, expand religious freedom, end human rights abuses, and work even more closely with the West to neutralize the Iran threat and combat all forms of radical Islamist terrorism.

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