5/20/09

Obama’s New “Trial by Error” Mideast Foreign Policy

By Bill Salus

The nation of Israel celebrated its sixty-first birthday by sending their new Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on May 18, 2009 to Washington. Conspicuously absent upon his arrival were the welcoming parades, "Star of David" banners, and blue and white birthday balloons, evidencing that this was no festive occasion.

With his marching orders in hand he came on a mission to deliver his people’s urgent message to the international community through a meeting with its most powerful modern day king, president Barrack Obama. Positioning himself upon the world’s highest platform, he gave the world official notice that ISRAEL WILL SURVIVE!

Sitting side by side the two powerful kings, Netanyahu and Obama, posed for the press, shared some political niceties, and answered a few seemingly scripted questions. However, when one filters through the nominal pomp and circumstance, what can the “Joe the plumbers” of the world walk away with from the experience?

According to all the verbal and meta-communication, it became quite obvious that Israel not only wants to exist, but insists upon possessing the right to as well! Understandably, the Jews are concerned that within seven decades of the holocaust another genocidal campaign may be disastrously headed their way.

While most world leaders are clamoring for a one-world banking system to bail themselves out of their sinking economies, Israel has far greater problems. Netanyahu wants the world to wake up and take notice that Israel’s enemies not only continue to maintain and ancient hatred toward them, but are about to possess the wherewithal to destroy them!

Iran, whose president Ahmadinejad has declared his intent to “wipe Israel off of the map”, might produce its first nuclear weapon by years end, and on or about the same timetable the Taliban and / or their dangerous Al-Qaeda friends could have some of the sixty to one-hundred Pakistani Nukes lining their terrorist quiver as well. These predominately Islamic populations along with the Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinians, and several of the Arab nations sharing common borders with Israel don’t believe Israel has the right to exist and continue collectively to plot against the restoration of the Jewish State.






In his attempt to be presidential, Barrack Obama unveiled his new trial by error Mideast foreign policy called “Engagement”. He informed Prime Minister Netanyahu that he hopes to convince Israel’s neighbors to accept Israel’s right to exist as the Jewish State, and sideline Iran’s nuclear aspirations through what he believes will be a “persuasive argument”.

America’s charismatic president suggested that isolating Israel’s enemies and refusing to talk to them has been problematic. He cited Israel’s ongoing problems with the Hezbollah and the Hamas as defining examples. Instead, through a process of elimination he proposes a policy of “Engagement”.

It is a diplomatic approach involving important high-ranking discussions between America and Israel’s adversaries that are intended to bring about a peaceful resolution to the burgeoning Middle East problem. To the layman it appears to resemble a sort of Rodney King, “can’t we all just get along,” approach.

“Engagement” is the result of a process of hypothetical political deduction. Obama reasons that if one method hasn’t worked, in fairness the reverse method should be tried. In essence Israel has become the political test tube for Obama’s new experimental Mideast foreign policy.

Remember that Obama’s aspiration to talk Israel’s enemies down through persuasive arguments is not a new concept. His predecessors before him have attempted this method unsuccessfully. Israel’s enemies, with the exception of Iran, have been persuasively talked to in the past. Peace plan after peace plan has been presented to the Palestinians and their Arab cohorts. In fact, only through defeat in several wars did Egypt and Jordan resort to trying a diplomatic peace plan approach with Israel. However, the Palestinians, Syrians, and several other predominately Arab populations have refused to do the same.

The most embarrassing example occurred in July of 2000 at Camp David under the Clinton Administration whereby the then Prime Minister Ehud Barack of Israel offered PLO chairman Yasser Arafat unprecedented concessions for peace. Israeli’s were astonished to see Arafat refuse the broad sweeping proposal and do everything but spit in Ehud Barack’s face.

Today many Israeli’s look to that momentous event as a hard lesson learned. The al-Aqsa intifada that immediately followed in September 2000, coupled with the Hezbollah war in the summer of 2006 and the daily barrage of Hamas rockets into Israel proper, are a sobering daily reminder that not all Arabs want peace with Israel.

Iran’s present leadership has stated on numerous occasions that it wants to destroy Israel. This evidences that Iran embraces the similar Anti-Semitic sentiment as those Arab populations listed above who have not been previously persuasively argued into a peace-pact with Israel. Therefore, unless Obama’s forthcoming persuasive argument will contain some new content, then further talks hold no future promise of peace.

Talking takes time and in light of the existential threats to their national existence, time is no longer a commodity Israel possesses. Many analysts believe that Israel will strike Iran sometime this year in fulfillment of a Netanyahu campaign promise that Iran will not become a nuclear nation. Obama’s engagement timetable will likely begin after the June 7 elections in Lebanon, and the June 12 elections in Iran. Hezbollah, Israel’s vowed enemy, currently possesses veto power and eleven parliamentary seats. They are expected to hold onto those and pick up more of the nineteen remaining seats as a result of the Lebanese election.

Additionally, most experts think that Ahmadinejad, also a vowed enemy of Israel, will win the upcoming Iranian elections as well. Thus another month will go by before Obama can twist some Middle East arms with his persuasive argument. More importantly such a delay puts Iran one month closer to producing its first nuclear weapon.

President Obama said that he expected to know by the end of the year whether Iran was making “a good-faith effort to resolve differences” in talks aimed at ending its nuclear program. Furthermore he attempted to comfort Netanyahu by declaring that all options still remain on the table.

Will engagement work? As pointed out in my book Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East, the Bible foretells that at least a temporary peace in the Middle East will be achieved militarily rather than politically. Psalm 83 forewarns that the ten ancient predominately Arab populations listed below alongside their modern day equivalents will come to wipe Israel off of the map. Surprisingly Iran is not among them. Why not? Does Israel strike Iran and render them temporarily of little utility to the Arab attackers?

Fortunately these generally Islamic populations inclusive of their terrorist sympathizers fail. Israel survives, but the looming question is does Israel go it alone? If they do, it evidences the disconnect of world leaders from God’s longstanding divine foreign policy contained in Genesis 12:3. This passage informs us that those who bless Abraham and his Jewish descendants will be blessed, but those who curse the Jews will be cursed.

It is entirely possible that Obama’s process of elimination policy of engagement could be the epitome of stupidity. It should be obvious to most onlookers that the only thing facing elimination is the existence of the nation Israel. Daniel 2:21 informs us that God puts kings in their places and it could be that Netanyahu, who has prioritized the national security of Israel above all else, is the man God wants to lead Israel in the midst of the coming Psalm 83 war.

If this war is coming soon, it hints of several things: an Israeli strike upon Iran could be the catalyst of the Psalm 83 war, that Obama has been put into office at such a time as this to evidence the dangerous depravity of a world unmindful of God’s Genesis 12:3 foreign policy, and that God is about to do a mighty work through the Israeli Defense Forces in order to remind the world that He is not now, nor will he ever be, done with the Jews!

Jordan Chaviv video "We Will Survive"

10 comments:

Greg S said...

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are on the same side of the fence as Israel concerning a nuclear Iran. I do not think these two countries would shed a single tear for Iran much less attack Israel for attacking Iran, In fact I read on the Debka file there are hints that these two countries might assist in some very small way for Israel to strike Iran, I'm thinking Allowing a fly over only. But it seems this strike doesn't quite line up with psalms 83, At least not 100%

Bill Salus said...

Greg thanks for your comment. If Israel strikes Iran it is a possibility that Syria, Hamas, and the Hezbollah could be drawn in. This then puts all the other Psalm 83 populations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia in a precarious position.

In the event that Syria and / or the Hamas, which remains the official governing body of the Palestinians, become engaged in the conflict against Israel the Arab league will likely hold an emergency meeting and encourage all of its members, inclusive of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, to choose sides with their Arab ally / allies against Israel. Hints of this behavior occurred during operation cast lead in December 2008 when Israel invaded Gaza.

I agree that presently Egypt and Saudi Arabia have national concerns about Iran's seemingly broader reaching nuclear aspirations, however potential pressure from the Arab League normally weighs heavy upon all of its participants and normally swings against Israel.

Rodney said...

A bill was recently introduced to the Knesset on the anniversary date of the reunification of Jerusalem. Under the provisions of this bill Jerusalem would be fortified to secure the Holy City for future generations.

The borders of the city would be altered for security purposes against mortar or rocket attack, a wall will be raised to prevent terrorist penetration. I personally believe Prime Minister Netanyahu will fulfill a previous oath to raise up the Tabernacle of David.

The fortification of Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and protect it's inhabitants does fit the latter chapters of Ezekiel. This would also indicate that the next battle to approach is the Gog/Magog of Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Anonymous said...

Hi Bill,
Great article! I could not agree more with your comments and possible timing of events this year. Also, your seque into your book was done very well to point to in this article.
This year has jetted by faster than any other in recent memory. Here we are almost half way through it already with June 1st facing us in what will seem like minutes, not days. Time is running out on Israel to make very critical decisions on Iran. The coming of elections in Lebanon is very relavant in regards to their most recent war.
They are being given the signal of "go it alone" from their best friend the USA, from a "not so friendly" president who is trying to get them to leave it up to diplomacy to solve. They simply just do not have any time left to wait for us to try to fix their lethal problem. It is "do or die" time for them and they know it. Bejamin N. will have the "hutspa" (spelling) to make the right and only decision for their very survival soon. This will not only include taking out Iran's Nukes, but being prepared for the backlash that will definitely come with it as a result when they succeed. And they will definitely succeed. They have to!
They will know that their will be a very large price to pay for their pre-emptive strike and you had better believe that they have thought of most, if not all, of the scenarios. The most likely one is Psalm 83.
Just an observation!
Your friend,
Lynn

Bill Salus said...

Rodney thanks for your comment. I don't believe that the Ezekiel 38 & 39 invasion will occur before Psalm 83 for the reasons listed in this link:
http://isralestine-blog.blogspot.com/2009/03/psalm-83-has-it-found-final-fulfillment.html

Rodney said...

Ezekiel 38-39 is a clear battle to come, as well as the Battle of Megiddo or Armeggedon. The Bible clearly describes these battles and the aftermath. Psalm 83 does not depict a battle, it only describes what we already know, the fact that Israel's enemies continue to conspire together to destroy the Jewish State.

As was the case for several modern conflicts between Israel and her Islamic enemies such as the War of Independence, Six Day War, and Yom Kippur War. The Lord God intervened to bring victory to Israel, while to many this fact remained hidden. The Gog/Magog battle however will leave no possiblility other than the direct intervention of the might and power of God.

The belief in a Psalm 83 invasion force does not fit with the current situation on the ground. It should be obvious with any conflict arising with Syria or Iran, Russia will also be directly involved. Russia has much invested in both these nations, seeking to secure dominance against a Western front, any action to sabotage this will bring military intervention from Moscow.

Common sense would also dictate that there is no Psalm 83 invasion force when one considers that the Russian led invasion of Ezekiel 38-39 depicts a rapid attack. If Israel had destroyed and defeated her neighbors within close proximity to her borders such as in the Psalm 83 proposed scenario and expanded her borders, then no such lightening attack could occur.

With observation points posted along this supposed newly expanded borders, warnings would directly go out for central Israel to have time to respond. I personally believe a Psalm 83 conflict to occur is fictional, I believe it refers to prior engagements between Israel and her enemies both in ancient times as well as modern. Ezekiel 38-39 is the only battle that fits the current situation we find ourselves in.

Donald Dolmus said...

Thank you very much Bill for sharing with us these wonderful articles.

May the Lord give you His wisdom.

I believe that Israel is going to make its move before the end of June. Just a thought here.

Shalom

Donald Dolmus
From Managua, Nicaragua

Donald Dolmus said...

An interesting analysis about the likely Israeli attack against the nuclear facilities of Iran:

Here's how Israel would destroy Iran's nuclear program

Bill Salus said...

Rodney; your back with another blog. Psalm 83, in my estimation, does describe a literal war. It tells us that ten populations will come together in a confederacy to destroy the nation of Israel. This is clear. Furthermore Asaph, the author petitions God to deal with this confederate advance like other military advances against Israel in their past. This further evidences that it is militarily similar in nature.

Most respected scholars agree that it is indeed a coming Arab-Israeli war. The main point of contention among some of them, is not whether it is a war, rather some suggest it is a war that has already found final fulfillment.

From my studies you hold a minority view. I personally believe that the world will witness the Psalm 83 war very soon and that it will precede the Ezekiel 38 & 39 war by about one to twenty years.

Thanks for the blog

Billl Salus said...

Donald thanks for your blogs. Hope all is well with the family.

Many blesssssssings
Bill