DIRECTIONS FROM GOD AND MAN:

THE SPECIAL CASE OF ISRAEL, THE UN AND THE US

The Australian, July 29, 2014

A rather carefully written article in this field is given in The Australian, July 26-27,
under the heading 'An unfair focus on Gaza toll'.

The US President Obama, voluble as friend of Israel for many years, offering protection against Iran, but delivering little, has now summarily clashed with Israel. Demilitarisation of the donated area of the Gaza strip, a gift used to bombard Israel in extraordinary indifference to the help, is to be forgotten. Israel is to stop, and while rockets may be coming from Gaza, things are tough. Forget that: there must be, says the man from far away, an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Should the White House be under fire from dedicated men of vision and express commitment, so too should there be an immediate and unconditional cessation of residual activities to control the situation ? It would seem more than doubtful, nothing like it ever having been heard or seen, nor any such talk audited in terms of the nature of defence.

The US directive, this approach to Israel,  can be contrasted not a little, with actuality. You need to peel the layers of the onion. Incidentally, this precisely agrees with the predicted attitude of nations to Israel, the nation,  on its return and before its conversion to Christ. Those so possessing themselves of directive power and interventionism concerning Israel in its restoration would find it a heavy burden (Zechariah 12:4). God has other plans, not having abdicated in favour of the US or the UN. What HE says, goes. It goes on in due time to the Gospel applied by the Spirit of God, to win the nation of Israel, largely back to Himself (Zechariah 12:10-13:1). When HE has plans, He does not resile. If nations decide to sever from Christ, that is their affair; and if they decide to say, "This is not a Christian nation," that is also God's affair. He cares about what a nation cares for.

We need to ask questions.

First, why is Israel fighting ?

It is because it is being attacked by a new wave of rocket fire into its territory. It is as if Mount Gambier were firing near Adelaide airport. It is hard to think that such near attacks, whether here or to Heathrow or USA major airports would be tolerated with a simpering smile. When Germany was attacking Britain with bombers, the response was not to stop the response and demilitarisation of Germany by bombing, but to proceed with massive thousand bomber raids. One does not recall objections to this defence of the lives of citizens in the Allied realm. Certainly, if a better way could be found, that would be desired; but reasoning with the vision of Hitler, though logically simple, was neither politically nor personally available. IT HAD TO BE. It was the equivalent of a religious conviction, without ground other than the rush of national passion and oddments of ideas. The defence was thus mounted to  stop this ravenous violence.

Whatever steps be taken, there is the question: Does a nation suffer bombardment of its cities because someone chooses to do this ? It is hard to see how any responsible government could suffer this, and the atrocities that normally accompany it, without seeking to prevent continuation, not of the nation, but of the violence. One need is to be effective in causing it to stop. If passion prompts the assailant, it is hard to avoid confrontation. If years of travail, including rejection by the hater-Hamas allies or predecessors, of most generous offers, as in the case of the UN partition plan of 1947, then defence by the State assailed and degraded, is needed for the safety of its citizens. If someone does not cease trying to throttle you, the situation is not easy, nor is breathing.

This leads to the next question.

Why is there a new wave of rocket fire directed at Israel ?

It appears because Gaza is subjected to numbers of limitations on its freedom.

Why is it subjected to numbers of limitations on its freedom ?

It is because of hostile acts, such as rocket fire, subversion, atrocities, blow-up suicides in public places in Israel, remorseless inculcation of hatred, even in the young, and the like: all tending to more vile violence against Israel.

Why are there such anti-Israel horrors so inflicted ?

It is because Israel is deemed suitable for non-existence; it is desired that it perish. That is the Hamas line, and Hamas has the Gaza strip, given, but now used to attack.

Why is it desired to obliterate Israel in its place, and is this not a genocide lust ?

It is allegedly desired because of a religion, called Islam.

If then that is the basis, that Israel for religious reasons should be obliterated, so that jihad is the name of the game, then this needs to stop.

You could have as many truces as you wish, but with that hatred on religious grounds, with whatever subsequent addenda on those lines, there could be no peace.

Thus a religion is used to defame, detest and seek to eliminate Israel from its land. That is the basis before all the questions of bombing it and then objecting if it does not sit down and take it, even arise.

Normally, if someone insists on hitting someone else with his removal the object amid stated hate, it is not difficult to discern what is needed. It is the stopping of the hitting and the alteration of the desire, or else intervention by public officers in the interests of peace. We are not free physically to attack each other. We do not normally blame someone for seeking the cessation of these attacks, and if they remain based on an attitude of enforceable hate, then we do not normally blame the victim.

It is a most unhappy thing when people die in horrid circumstances, as did hundreds of thousands in Germany, because of Hitler and the defensive response to his antics. How we desire the minimal effective defence! This case is in the extreme category. When such rantings and assaults occur internationally, the normal ground is not that it is a pity to seek to demilitarise a Hitler or other degrading assailant, if nothing else stops his evil vision; but rather that exceedingly sad though it is, steps must be taken before increasing in power, he disrupts more and that more evilly, perhaps proceeding towards the subjugation of the whole world to his dictatorial vision.

The appearance of ISIS and its lovingkindness so inconspicuous in Syria-Iraq is only one of a long list of Islamic adventurisms, seeking power, subjugation of those disagreeing, using intimidatory methods of an astonishing vehemence. Caliphates, whatever else,  are another name for what imposes intimidatory degradation of the liberties of those taken over; and this is common among operatives in these actions. Whoever of that religion does NOT so seek, would be otherwise in this respect. Meanwhile activists act.

It is interesting that Israel in response notes the "miraculous" failure of the UN words, recently uttered against Israel. What is this, deemed a miracle ? It is a alleged failure of the UN address, even to mention Hamas or the rocket attacks against Israel, from the Gaza strip. That is like a judge dealing with assault, if you go back to the first of this matter, and failing to note that the victim was first hit, and then hit again in sustained hatred, in assessing damages against him for his defence. The unfailing hatred and intention to destroy of an assailant,  is not a normal matter to ignore as a preliminary to peace, nor is it a matter to disregard in judgment; since it is the base. Who can desire the bombardment of Germany, in former days, or not be grieved; and who can disregard the Hitler horrors, in seeking to deal with the flaming commitment of the visionary dedicated to destroy, subjugate, overcome, over-rule, and then rule, whether there or elsewhere, in another set of clothing! Addressing symptoms may help; addressing causes is essential (cf. ISRAEL, the five volume work).

There is, as the world increasingly finds but does not admit, only one prince of peace who is utterly effectual, and it is necessary to cease fighting against Him (Isaiah 9:1-7). His name is Immanuel and His source before incarnation is eternity (John 8:58, Micah 5:1-3, Isaiah 48:15ff.), to which He also invites (John 14:1ff., 5:24, Matthew 20:28). His Church does not live by violence (John 18:36, Matthew 26:28,52-56), and is forbidden that method. There is only one like that; without Him there are no ultimate solutions (cf. SMR). The matter is open to faith, not closed by beheadings or bombs or intimidations, if His word is followed.