This issue looks at the “same old bogus arguments” we hear from the Palestinians.

SINCE YOU ASKED
Since the ultimate goal of the Palestinians is to remove Israel and the Jews from the

This is where things stand

 region, we have seen little, if any willingness to compromise. It’s all or nothing. They have been issuing a core group of demands over and over again. One of these core demands is what they call “repatriation” of the refugees from the 1948 War. Let’s review a little history. The surrounding Arab states told the Arabs living in the region to temporarily evacuate. After the Arab armies had driven the Jews into the sea, the Arabs could return to claim not only their property, but the property of their former Jewish neighbors. Well, that plan didn’t really work out very well. Israel won that war. Some of the Arabs fled to the area of the West Bank. The rest left the country. All reports from that time indicate that there were approximately 650,000 in this last category. These are the people they want to be repatriated, along with all their generations of offspring, a number claimed to be 5 million!
 
In the first place, they left voluntarily. They were part of the illegal aggression   against the Jewish people and their newly authorized nation (by the United Nations). In the second place, there’s no way the number could grow to 5 million, even considering the birth rates of Arab/Muslim families. It’s a moot point anyway since their claim of repatriation right is so bogus. Finally, the influx of 5 million Arabs (mostly Muslims) into Israel would mark the end of Israel. That, of course is the whole point. 

AS I SEE IT
These and other more subtle tactics have become the “favorite” tactics. They are the favorites because every time they engaged in all out warfare, they got their butts kicked. They are having much more success with the propaganda war. They have delegitimized and demonized Israel, accusing her of the most vicious crimes. With the growing Muslim populations in Europe, Jews living there are finding their lives more and more unbearable.
 
Then there’s the tactic of boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israeli products. The number of denominations of American churches that have adopted these practices is staggering. Despite the attempts to destroy Israel’s economy, however, these plans have been a miserable failure. Israel has the strongest and most diverse economy in the region, which ought to tell us and her enemies   something. Add to that the oil and gas reserves that have been recently discovered in Israel and you’d have to say her economic outlook looks good. It’s the attitude of the rest of the world (including that of the United States) that brings fear into the hearts of Israelis.
 
God is clearly looking out for Israel, but not because she has been righteous and obedient to God’s call. Clearly, she hasn’t. She has her problems, not the least of which is her apostasy as she has rejected her God and His Messiah. God will deal with Israel for this. This is the focus of the Tribulation Period. God, however, in His mercy, will ultimately pour out on Israel a Spirit of grace and supplication at Christ’s return (Zechariah 12:10), opening their spiritual eyes for them. The bottom line is that He made promises to Israel that He will keep. His name and reputation are at stake. Those who have come against Israel will be destroyed. We must do what we can to keep our nation off that list. 

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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
Why are they called stands when they are made for sitting?