Israel is the key to all end-time prophecy.

Keep your eye on Jerusalem  

Jul 21

Book It

By Jim Fletcher

I’ll report on this in-depth at a later time, but this week, I’d like to highlight a few things I saw at the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando. This is the big, annual Christian booksellers’ convention, better known as CBA (Christian Booksellers Association). More than likely, these are the folks you see operating a Christian bookstore in your area.

From the perspective of pro Israel Christians, the convention was a mixed-bag. In fact, I had the great pleasure of seeing my good friend Terry James. Terry has some exciting things on his plate, including a new book that will be out from Harvest House soon, The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy? Terry and I reminisced about how popular prophecy books were 15 or 20 years ago. Today, they are few and far between on the convention floor.

In fact, CBA is continuing its move to a more pluralistic community. I spoke to a representative from a New York publishing house — secular — and he matter-of-factly explained that they publish some Christian authors….and authors who follow other religions.

“Emergent” was the buzz on the floor. Publisher-after-publisher is releasing titles from authors in the Emergent community, as it’s known. Authors like Brian McLaren and Tony Jones are pumping books into a market willing to receive them. Among their unorthodox views is a disturbing trend toward bashing the study of eschatology. At least, eschatology that is at odds with McLaren’s pluralistic view. He and his friends don’t like dispensationalism. RaptureReady and Lighthouse Trails are two websites that have archived articles detailing Emergent’s dislike of Bible prophecy.

Of course, McLaren comes across as a sweet guy. His stock author photo smiles at us serenely, as if McLaren has found the kind of truth that brings true spiritual contentment. In point of fact, McLaren and other Emergent speakers reject the belief that there is any such thing as ultimate truth. For them, everything is open to discussion and dissection over a specialty coffee at Starbucks. Everything except dispensationalism and Christian Zionism. Then, they barely conceal their contempt for “Bible literalists.”

I want to be clear about something: CBA publishers sometimes publish books they believe to be necessary for the spiritual well-being of Christians. And they often publish books because they bring in cash.

Cash.

In other words, the latest trend, the latest feel-good teaching is the priority.

William Paul Young, author of the runaway bestseller, The Shack, attended and spoke to convention attendees at a breakfast on Wednesday morning. You might be aware of Young and his book: the novel, which details a man’s search for emotional healing after the brutal murder of his daughter, has generated controversy due to its odd depiction of the Trinity (for example, “God” is a large black woman; Oprah Winfrey and Queen Latifah are rumored to be in the lead for the inevitable film role).

Young didn’t reveal much about his theology during a discussion format. Instead, he talked about his own narrative, something vastly popular today. No longer do religious speakers present theology and doctrine to audiences. That’s considered hopelessly outdated.

Instead, one’s own life journey is all the rage. And Young’s poignant story of suffering sexual abuse as a child moved the audience to collective tears. Nothing else mattered, not the questionable elements in the book or Young’s ties to liberal thinkers. The real bottom line is the bottom line. Christian stores are struggling against the giant retailers, who can offer deep discounts for books. Therefore, whatever nominally Christian book which sells big is treated like royalty.

When Young finished speaking, he left the stage and was embraced warmly by CBA President Bill Anderson. Several attendees rose and applauded.

Meanwhile, the old standards are marginalized and even treated with some embarrassment. I’m talking about authors promoting a love for the Bible and the God of the Bible. And, God forbid, the Jews of modern Israel.

If Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo and the folks at Christianity Today believe we all need to “think carefully” about the “damage” dispensationalism is doing to the world today, then by golly, publishers will follow suit.

Several pro Israel/Bible prophecy ministries that used to show at ICRS no longer attend. That’s sad. However, I understand. To spend perhaps $10,000 for a booth and travel to ICRS makes little sense when your staffers watch disinterested attendees pass by, on their way to a publishing house display that endeavors only to make people feel good about themselves.

I was grateful to a handful of publishers who still defend the faith once delivered to the saints. Folks like Harvest House and Strang Communications. Both are strongly pro Israel. New Leaf Publishing Group has several fine titles. Interestingly, all three of these houses are still privately owned. That’s the key. They aren’t “beholden” to a corporate/investor climate that demands pluralism.

An Israeli publisher attended, shoved in the back of the room and almost invisible to the crowd. This would be the extent of what I would call promotion of pro Israel books. Publishers will say that they are simply providing the books in demand by the buying public.

I don’t believe that. It’s the opposite. The public will buy what’s put in front of them and the plain truth is, publishers are contributing to the dumbing-down of America. They subtly, cleverly blame customers, claiming that it’s the customers who want gooey, fluffy giftbooks. The other claim — that woman are the primary bookstore customers and want “women’s books” — is sexist. Are woman not smart enough, even eager, to read about Israel and Bible prophecy?

Of course, the answer is, “Of course.”

The Christian book industry doesn’t understand this market. These publishers also don’t care. They are following the pied piper of Emergent.

The solution for us is to buy Terry James’ books. Support Lighthouse Trails Publishing, and Harvest House, and Strang, and NLPG. Tell everyone you know about them. Spread the message far and wide. The goal? Ultimately, that when you exit the stage one day and stand in front of the Only One that matters, He will warmly embrace you. Then you will hear the cheering and clapping of the angels and the saints.

---

 

Jul 14

The Jews

By Jim Fletcher

I like Jews. I like them a lot. More than that, I believe that God put a love for the Jewish people in my heart.

I just wanted to be upfront about my stance on the People the world obsesses over.

Sir Martin Gilbert said last year, “People don’t like Jews.” The British historian was not giving an opinion; he was stating a fact. I think he is correct. He was giving us a reason for some of the bizarre policies from the international community. You know, ways in which power-brokers the world over turn truth on its head: placing terror states like Syria on the U.N. Security Council; silence over Palestinian barbarism, while condemning Israel’s insistence on survival. Things like that.

I think Jew-hatred is a supernatural sickness. It infects otherwise healthy individuals. It is my opinion that a majority of people, if polled, would indicate either an indifference or hostility toward the Jews. It has always been this way, which is one of the most remarkable validations of the Bible, by the way.

For some reason, late in his life, Benzion Netanyahu has become a friend of mine. Whenever I’m in Israel, I like visiting with him. Now 97, the patriarch of a great Israeli family is sharp, engaging, and very wise. I’m sure he wonders why an evangelical from the American Midwest calls him.

And yet Benzion is a prime example of everything that is good about the Jews. He is fiercely nationalistic. He is discerning when it comes to human nature. He is principled. He has his detractors, because, as Charles Spurgeon once said, darkness hates the light.

Benzion guided his three sons to achieve great things in life. One, Yoni, became a legendary combat hero. Another, Iddo, is one of the most gifted writers I’ve ever known; he also finds time to be a physician! Of course, the third son, Bibi, was prime minister and the most eloquent spokesman for the Jewish state in the world today.

All three sons served in Israel’s elite commando unit, Sayeret Matkal. They are Zionists.

Thank God.

At a time when international opinion of Israel is hardening into something “not good,” there are people like the Netanyahu family that stand their ground. They see the world for what it is. People like that keep the rest of us alive.

Beyond that, there is the ethereal quality.

Benzion told me once about being a boy playing on the sand dunes of Tel Aviv. This was around 1920, when the city was still young. On Israel’s coast, today Tel Aviv is a bustling metropolis. “Then, there were only a few small buildings and the sun burned all day,” Benzion said. A stone’s throw from the beach (in the vicinity of Independence Hall), this section for me is a metaphor for Israel’s modern ascension. It is the sun shining on Israel’s rebirth, a miracle without peer in world history.

 Today’s Jewish state is new, the brightest of lighthouses showing us the way. For in it, one can plainly see the guiding hand of the Lord of History. No puny man can thwart Him. Hezbollah from outside seeks to kill Israel. Hamas does the same from within. There are reports now that the Palestinian Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas will “reconcile” with the killers from Hamas. No surprise there; they are vultures-of-a-feather.

The recent terror event in Jerusalem, in which a Palestinian worker drove his bulldozer through a street of panicked people, is indicative of the madness of the Arabs. The scene unfolded near the city’s central bus station, where a friend of mine maintains an office. God told us in Genesis that Ishmael would be a wild donkey of a man, and that no man could reason with him. Terror plots are snuffed-out on a daily basis by the Israelis, and unfortunately, some succeed. Daily. People are obsessed with killing Jews. “People don’t like Jews.” None of this makes sense, unless the Bible is true.

The international community cannot summon-up the moral courage to scream about the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers. American diplomats fume about Jewish reluctance to give away everything for a paper peace. Israeli society is divided to some degree, not able to make up its mind whether peace initiatives are good or bad.

And yet.

Through the prophet Isaiah, God said that He is always watching, and that Jerusalem’s walls are ever before Him. God does not forget even one captured soldier. He also gave ample warning to the nations, long ago, not to do anything that would endanger the Jews. Finally, even in that fractured society, Israel today speaks with one voice, literally. A century ago, the scholar Eliazar Ben-Yehuda began to resurrect the ancient Hebrew language. Right at this moment, Israelis gathered from dozens and dozens of countries…speak Hebrew. Again, this is unparalleled in human history, this restoration of an ancient people.

It isn’t that the world doesn’t recognize these things. It’s that the world rejects them. Fundamentally, humans understand that there is a God who made everything. In fact, He predicted our rebellion. He provided and provides constant proof that He exists. But the international community continues its mad march to oblivion and doom.

Once, the Jews were few in their ancient land. The land itself was bleak. But on cue, the Jews came back. They ran and laughed and shouted on the sandy shore of the Mediterranean.

The world hates them. The world tries to ignore them. Scholars call them a coincidence, an accident of history. Their enemies plot against them.

But — thanks be to God — they are here.

 

Jul 7

Between Barak and a Hard Place

By Jim Fletcher

Danny Yatom, the Labor politician/military figure, resigned from the Knesset last week in Israel. He cited a compelling reason: an inability to actually get anything positive done for the country. When was the last time you heard a politician give up his or her perks and power…out of conviction?

Yatom is the former Mossad chief and a soldier. In fact, in his departure from government, he said that he had only been able to really aid his country when he was a young commando in Sayeret Matkal.  Yatom’s exit leaves his old friend, Ehud Barak, without another key ally.

Barak of course is the former prime minister, having ousted Benjamin Netanyahu in 1999. Barak didn’t last long, giving way to Ariel Sharon. Barak’s chief moment in the sun came when he bantered and giggled with the gargoyle, Yasser Arafat, at the Clinton-led Camp David talks in 2000. Barak made far-reaching concessions, including a handover of the Temple Mount to the Palestinians.

You might remember that Arafat turned it all down.

At least the mass-murderer stuck to his own convictions. Arafat had no intention of building a state. He was what he had always been: a terrorist bent on the destruction of the Jews. In effect, he telegraphed those desires to Barak, Clinton, CNN, and the whole wide world. In fact, Clinton, safely out of the White House, admitted later that Arafat had torpedoed the talks. Clinton might be yellow, but he understands what’s going on.

Ehud Barak thirsts to be prime minister again. Why? Ego.

As I enter my cynical middle-aged years, it seems to me that very few politicians have the public’s interests at heart. Barak would like to be the one to lead Israel to real peace; we’ve discussed this before in the context of Bible prophecy. Isaiah knew a little about the intentions of Israel’s future leaders and he predicted none of them would get the job done.

Barak currently serves as Israel’s defense minister, in the Ehud Olmert government. Israel’s political environment is nothing if not fascinating. Sitting cabinet ministers can openly oppose the prime minister and further their own political interests. The question is, what would Barak bring to the table for Israel? A paper peace with their arch enemies?

Thirty two summers ago, Barak and others were involved in planning the famous Entebbe hostage rescue. The assault force then was led by a man who had no political pretensions: Jonathan Netanyahu. The Sayeret Matkal leader, brother of the future prime minister, simply picked up his weapon, boarded a plane, and led the shockingly successful raid. Barak was in the planning stages and initially was supposed to go along, but he was dropped from the operation, thus freeing Netanyahu to succeed with his men.

For those of you who don’t know — or wondered —  Barak is not religious. Few of Israel’s leaders today are religious. Thus, they see things as the world sees them: man can fix himself.

We know better.

Israel’s enemies are becoming more emboldened with each passing week. The cabinet decision to release 1,000 terrorists to Hezbollah, in exchange for what is assumed to be the bodies of two Israeli soldiers, is a problem. Hamas will now likely up their demands for the release of Gilad Shalit, now held for two years by the barbarians in Gaza.

It’s too bad Barak doesn’t draw from his former experiences, when he was a brave battlefield commander defeating the terrorists. In 1973, he took part in the operation, “Spring of Youth,” in which Golda Meir dispatched Sayeret Matkal to Lebanon, where they eliminated the killers of Israeli athletes at the ’72 Munich Olympics. In Beirut, Barak posed as a Lebanese woman strolling with her beau. The “lady” and her beau moments later burst into an apartment building and brought Israeli justice.

Barak also took part in storming the Sabena airliner at Lod Airport — an operation led by Benjamin Netanyahu during the same period of time.

I recently watched video of one of the participants in the Entebbe operation. A young women in the audience rose to ask him why they had done it — why those young commandos had risked everything in such a daring and dangerous operation.

“We did it for the same reason David fought Goliath — the people were in danger,” said the man.

Wow. Joshua’s heart beats in the chests of Israel’s fighting men and women. That will keep them until their Redeemer appears.

Danny Yatom killed his own political career. Jonathan Netanyahu literally died at Entebbe.

They had a higher purpose. Perhaps Ehud Barak will rediscover his.

---

Jun 30

The Storm Before the Calm

By Jim Fletcher

We can look at it one of two ways: the rotten nature of our society and larger world is something to be feared, or accepted. Maybe I’m weird, but I like where we are. It shows me that God is in control and he’s “working His plan.”

I just returned from a week in Ecuador. I kept looking for an angel wielding a sword, guarding the entrance to the garden. Amazingly beautiful, Ecuador is a South American country with enviable natural resources. An enormously rich gold mine was just located. Gas hovers just over a dollar a gallon, sure to drop after a refinery is repaired. They import no food, since everything from beef to vegetables and fruits grow massive in the soil-rich countryside.

I mention this because there are good reasons to long for such a place. The U.S. is moving closer to sanctioning gay marriage. Abortion proponents have cleverly diverted our attention to global warming. After all, if you’re talking incessantly about preserving ecosystems, you don’t have to talk about the barbarism inherent in abortion. Emergent church leaders are birthing Something Wicked This Way Comes in the Christian community.

We are where we are.

All this seems relevant to me because they illustrate the twin terrors of our time: societal degradation, and hatred of Israel.

What is all this if not confirmation of Scripture?

Almost 4,000 years ago, in the wilderness, God told the Israelites exactly what would happen to them. In detail. Deuteronomy and Numbers aren’t boring books in the Old Testament; they are alive with supernatural prediction.

Man is always looking for ways to see into his future. There are reports from time to time of paranormal investigation. We try to find ways to see into the future.

All the while, the Bible has already done that for us.

Paul predicted, through the Holy Spirit, that society would plunge into darkness in the last days. The prophets predicted that Israel would be pushed to the brink.

Sadly, Israel’s current prime minister is so weak, he’s become embarrassing. Clinging to power after a bungled war in Lebanon and unseemly corruption charges, he vows to stay in office.

Perhaps the most ominous sign for Israel is Iran. Not only is the Islamic state close to having nukes, but it’s been made clear to the Jewish state that if it chooses to go it alone and strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, there will be various responses, all bad. Oil at $200 a barrel is threatened, and that represents perhaps the worst threat of all: economic.

My friend (and yours) Avi Lipkin recounted several years ago a dinner meeting he had with Texas oilmen. They told their Israeli guest point-blank that they were tired of fighting wars on Israel’s behalf. They hinted darkly that Israel would find herself alone if oil supplies were threatened again, as they were in 1973.

Ominous.

A personal aside: several years ago, I did myself a favor and internalized the concept of Abraham being a “sojourner” in this world. He described himself as essentially just passing through, that this world was not his real home.

Until I absorbed that, I had hunkered down and thought that life was really about clinging to the past, to things I knew were sure.

Life has taught me that very little is sure, and that we can’t rely on people or things. We can only rely on God. And God has provided us abundant evidence of what our future is. It is not longing for an earthly Eden. It is not “taking back America.” It is not hoping that someone can bring peace to the Middle East.

This life is really about preparation for the next life. The permanent life. Abraham is there.

I hope you will be, too.

---

Jun 23

Very Naughty Figs

By Jim Fletcher

 “One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.” Jeremiah 24:2

 If any verse perfectly describes the Palestinians, this one is it. Very naughty figs, indeed. As the prophet said, there are good and bad in the land of Israel, and nothing symbolizes this more than the terror groups operating against the Jewish state.

 Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, the Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade (sigh), etc., all exist to make sure Israel does not.

 Imagine this: you live in north Dallas, and your neighborhood is being infiltrated by bad people from Plano (nothing against Plano; it’s a lovely suburb). Either these bad people (figs?) directly confront your family, or they fire rockets or other weapons at your neighborhood.

 This is the equivalent of what the Israelis face daily. Terrorists there don’t strike from a faraway country. They are a couple blocks over. As the Psalmist said, Jerusalem is compact — buildings are right on top of the other. Just steps from, say, the Garden Tomb, one can find posters of the shaheeds — the “martyrs” — on buildings lining the street. A knife flashes on a busy street. Shooters hide behind rocks alongside highways. I’ve even heard that a grenade was tossed onto the Western Wall Plaza, a few years ago.

 The threat from radical Islam is quite different from that of other totalitarian regimes, especially in the last century. This is for one simple reason: they don’t blink. They don’t stop. I don’t think they’ll ever stop.

 I believe that the human mind cannot handle too much stress; this is elementary. It follows that even though Western leaders and security agencies understand very well what we’re up against, they will at the end of the day advocate negotiations, cultural understanding, and blaming the victim (Israel), rather than face up to the real problem. This must be a major explanation for policies that seem to appease Islam.

 I have no doubt that our troops in Iraq would have no qualms about striking terrorists in a mosque, but political considerations prevent them from doing so. The result is an enemy that rightly sees a weakness and exploits it by placing women and children in harm’s way, as a shield. Israel has dealt with this for a very long time.

 And these naughty figs have more than Jews in their sights. About 3,500 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, which is now controlled by Hamas. That terrorist group has recently targeted churches, schools (including the American International School), libraries, and cafes. According to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center in Israel, bombs were detonated near a school run by nuns.

 Notice this. Not only does Hamas target innocents — they are also targeting American and Western groups. This should be proof to our leaders that it’s only a matter of time before they extend their reach. Supporting Israel is not only a moral imperative, it is an existential one, as well. Simply put, if they kill “them,” they’ll also kill us.

 This is lost on both the liberal and “moderate” elements in our society. Danger lurks, but the victim is blamed, thus becoming the villain!

 One can see the signs, especially traveling in Israel.

 Once, on a trip to the south to see Masada, I noticed that two security guards sitting under the shade of a canopy were each wearing pistols. The weapons weren’t meant to protect against unruly sixth-graders. Guns in Israel are seen in malls, restaurants, all public places. I’ve even seen them in churches (King of Kings fellowship in Jerusalem) and weddings, for heaven’s sake!

 Drive anywhere in the country and you’ll see bus riders waiting behind concrete barriers. Barriers with bullet holes in them. Or, try being at the scene of a bus bombing, with dead children hanging out the shattered sides of the bus. Sorry for the graphic description, but perhaps it’s time for graphic descriptions.

 The Barbarians are always at the gates.

 By contrast, notice how often Israel sends foreign aid and advisors when a natural disaster occurs anywhere in the world. Notice how much Israeli technology improves the quality of life for people everywhere. Notice the myriad ways in which Israelis demonstrate the value of human life.

 In April, Hamas’s television network (satellite, Al-Aksa Television), ran a segment called “Brilliant Children,” in which a child stabs American President George Bush. This to avenge the “crimes” against Iraq, Lebanon, and Gaza.

 Instead of an international outcry against such insanity, in various power centers (politics, even entertainment), appeasement is the order of the day. There is lip-service paid to being vigilant against, for example, Palestinian incitement in school textbooks, but nothing is ever done. The Arabs know that public rebukes mean nothing.

 Instead, we hear Israel rebuked for taking steps to erect a security barrier. The barrier has saved many, many lives. The truth is, if it has saved only one life, it’s been worth it. Yet the international community condemns Israel for “cutting off the Palestinians.”

 Who cares? We shouldn’t care about the inconvenience of the Palestinians, so long as even a single Jewish life is saved. The international community (biblically, “the nations”) should stand shoulder-to-shoulder against the barbarism in the Palestinian territories. This past spring, even a terrorist, Ramadan Abdallah Shalah, head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, admitted that terror bombers are prevented from entering Israel, because of the security barrier.

 But what will a possible Barack Obama Administration do? I predict that at some point, his State Department would howl long and loud about Israel’s security measures, and press for easement of checkpoints, such as those advocated by the hugely disappointing Condi Rice.

 Although it’s a simplistic argument, it’s obvious to me that there are people in the Holy Land who are good. And there are people who are very, very bad. It doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to figure out which is which.

 Fig-ure it out.

---

 

Jun 16

Very Tony Diplomacy

By Jim Fletcher 

After careful consideration, I’ve come to the conclusion that Tony Blair is a good guy. The former British prime minister recently converted to his wife’s faith, Catholicism. This after a lifetime (of course) in the Anglican Church.

Evidently, while a student at Oxford in the 1970s, Blair had a conversion experience. I take him at his word.

Since stepping down last year, after a decade leading Great Britain, Blair has not stopped his diplomatic activities, particularly as they regard the Middle East. Like all international diplomats, he advocates for a Palestinian state.

On a layover in London a few years ago, I walked around the city. Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey…all impressive places. Yet the thing that caught my eye was a statue of Winston Churchill. The English “bulldog” struck a defiant pose, as he did in life, much to the eternal chagrin of dictators in Europe.

Sadly, a group of anti-war protestors, awash in appeasement, stood next to Churchill’s image. They shouted long and loud about the evil George Bush and his foray into innocent Iraq. They held banners decrying all war. I looked closely at Churchill’s bronze face to see if tears were rolling down his cheeks.

Devastated in the 19^th century by Darwinian philosophy and the clergy’s own “emergent” movement — valiantly opposed by no less than Charles Spurgeon — England today reflects that slippery slope away from the authority of scripture. Church attendance is in single digits and many old churches are being converted into mosques.

In a word, the British have no discernment left. They are pacifists to such a degree that they drive from office a man (Blair) who actually understands the threat from Islam, even if he isn’t always so public about it. Any British premier gets deluxe intelligence reports every day, and Blair well understood the viciousness of radical Islam.

Yet his approach today is instructive for those of us who struggle to understand our world. There is definitely a direct link between the trashing of the Bible in Europe, and the lack of resolve in confronting Islam today. For if one does not believe in evil, or original sin, then one can wrongly conclude that bad people aren’t really bad; they’re just misunderstood.

America’s war leaders a couple generations ago knew how to win: kill as many Nazis as possible. Truman knew the Japanese military wouldn’t stop unless it was devastated. William Sherman understood in 1864 that the Confederacy would regroup into a guerrilla force for years unless the South was brought to its knees.

None of these men liked war. None of them enjoyed seeing people die. Franklin Roosevelt didn’t. Ike didn’t. Sherman and Grant didn’t. But they figured out that Western civilization was at risk. That is, a much worse scenario was on the horizon if they didn’t stop wars that were forced on them.

Today’s leaders generally tend to feel that man is basically good. Evidently, Jimmy Carter believes this (unless the subject is the Jews). It is not a stretch to say that people who have either been taught that the Old Testament is myth, or simply weren’t taught anything about it, will not believe in original sin. They do not believe any such events took place. Therefore, man is in position to shape himself and his fellow man.

This is a false view of history. It is also a very dangerous world view. If one believes Palestinian leaders can be reasoned with, one is deluding oneself. If one believes “back-channel” talks with Hamas can lead to something positive, one is deluded. Hamas is infected with evil and thrives on the weakness of its perceived enemies.

This is the problem with Tony Blair. His Christianity — I think — focuses on social justice issues. In other words, it is a form of  “liberal” Christianity. It is a problem of discernment.

His forays into Palestinian politics were recently featured in Time magazine. Blair visited Bethlehem, stayed in a hotel there, and met with leaders. He apparently sincerely believes that a Palestinian state and the supposed economic prosperity will usher in peace. Interestingly, the actor Omar Sharif recently spat on that view, that democracy can take hold in the Middle East. He even went so far as to say that, at age 76, he consults the local tribal chief to mediate disputes. Omar Sharif essentially lives in the twelfth century! As does the larger Arab world.

Yet for all the evidence to the contrary, Blair, Barack Obama, and others continue to insist that negotiations will bear fruit in the Arab world.

This is very much a clash of Western and Eastern civilizations, my friends. We can only hope that John McCain has a semblance of discernment. It is certain his opponent does not.

There is a lot at stake.

---