The World's Ruined: Mid-East Conflict: Fact vs. Fiction

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Mid-East Conflict: Fact vs. Fiction

Fiction: Palestine's 1948 war ended with the Zionists stealing Palestine and expelling its people to establish Israel and to this day Israel blocks Palestinian national aspirations.

Fact: In 1948 there was no Arab state in the Middle East called Palestine (nor was there ever) for Israel to occupy and steal. For almost 370 years prior to 1922 the region had been ruled by the Turks under the Ottoman Empire. There was no Syria, no Jordan, no Iraq. They were created by the European powers after the end of Turkish rule. At that same time the British created the Palestine Mandate (where Palestinian Jews had been living continuously for almost 3700 years) for the establishment of a Jewish homeland. Jordan, bordering the Palestine Mandate, was where the vast majority of Palestinian Arabs were, and still are, living.

Today over one million Arabs live in Israel as citizens with full rights... more rights than any Arab has in any Arab nation in the Middle East. Whereas Jews are persona non grata in every Arab country.

The Middle East conflict is not about land. It is not about Palestinian refugees. It is not about self-determination. By means of three wars and decades of terror beginning in 1948 when Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan attacked Israel declaring their policy as "No Jewish state"... up through today with the rise of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Palestinian Authority, the goal of Israel's enemies has been no secret. It is the eradication of the Jewish nation in the Middle East.. This goal has been pursued by the Arabs at the expense of establishing a Palestinian state. There is no serious intention of creating a Palestinian nation by the Arabs (having rejected a Palestinian state in 1948 and 2000)... as long as there exists a Jewish state in the Middle East.

I am linking to a video, "What Really Happened in the Middle East," produced by David Horowitz's Freedom Center, that dramatically separates truth from falsehoods concerning the underlying issues and origins of the Middle East conflict in which Israel is at the center. Too many myths have gained currency in today's media and throughout much of the west when it comes to the history of that region and concerning the real intentions of those setting the agenda on the Arab side. If you are interested in a brief historical overview regarding the state of war that exists between the Arab states and Israel then watch.

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The Mere Mercy of God

This calling of Abram is a signal instance of the gratuitous mercy of God. Had Abram been beforehand with God by any merit of works? Had Abram come to him, or conciliated his favour? Nay, we must ever recall to mind that he was plunged in the filth of idolatry; and God freely stretches forth his hand to bring back the wanderer. He deigns to open his sacred mouth, that he may show to one, deceived by Satan's wiles, the way of salvation.

But this is done designedly, in order that the manifestation of the grace of God might become the more conspicuous in his person. For he is an example of the vocation of us all; for in him we perceive, that, by the mere mercy of God, those things that are not are raised from nothing, in order that they may begin to be something.

-John Calvin, Genesis, (Banner of Truth), p. 343

"Nor the faith also does not shut out the justice of our good works, necessarily to be done afterwards of duty towards GOD (for we are most bounden to serve GOD, in doing good deeds, commanded by him in his holy Scripture, all the days of our life): But it excludes them, so that we may not do them to this intent, to be made good by doing of them. For all the good works that we can do, be imperfect, and therefore not able to deserve our justification: but our justification doth come freely by the mere mercy of God..." (Thomas Cranmer - Homily of Justification)

Justification-Sanctification/Law-Gospel

In short, I affirm, that not by our own merit but by faith alone, are both our persons and works justified; and that the justification of works depends on the justification of the person, as the effect on the cause. (John Calvin, Acts of the Council of Trent with the Antidote)

The law guides, directs, commands, all things that are against the interest and rule of sin. It judgeth and condemneth both the things that promote it and the persons that do them; it frightens and terrifies the consciences of those who are under its dominion. But if you shall say unto it, “What then shall we do? this tyrant, this enemy, is too hard for us. What aid and assistance against it will you afford unto us? what power will you communicate unto its destruction?” Here the law is utterly silent, or says that nothing of this nature is committed unto it of God: nay, the strength it hath it gives unto sin for the condemnation of the sinner: “The strength of sin is the law.” But the gospel, or the grace of it, is the means and instrument of God for the communication of internal spiritual strength unto believers. By it do they receive supplies of the Spirit or aids of grace for the subduing of sin and the destruction of its dominion… (John Owen, A Treatise of the Dominion of Sin and Grace)

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Mid-East Conflict: Fact vs. Fiction

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