Oh, Gaza!

Since the Israeli pullout from Gaza in 2005—that seems like 1,000 years ago—the Gaza Strip continues to be a festering wound. It is a hideous place, moreover for its residents that have been kept captive by Hamas.

It is very interesting to note that since Donald Trump’s landmark Middle East peace initiatives (based in reality vs. the delusions of the Deep State), other Middle East Arab nations have quietly taken on the responsibilities once shouldered almost exclusively by Israel.

Now comes word that Qatar is taking responsibility for the Palestinians, at least in terms of financial aid in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians have never been able to fend for themselves—although in fairness to the man on the street, the PLO leadership has stolen billions over the years. Mahmoud Abbas and many others have mansions while the people struggle. Typical tinpot dictators.

From the Meir Amit Center comes reports of tension and changing alliances in Gaza:

“While in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed al-Emadi, chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, signed an agreement with companies manufacturing and distributing electricity in the Gaza Strip. According to the agreement, Qatar will find the cost of providing electricity and gas to the Gaza Strip. Al-Emadi also announced Qatar was reducing the salaries paid to officials. Sources in the Gaza Strip warned of the negative consequences of lowering salaries.

In the Gaza Strip the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) organized a demonstration in support of the Houthis in Yemen. Demonstrators chanted their condemnation of Saudi Arabia and the United States. After the demonstration Hamas said in a statement that it did not meddle in other countries’ political matters, was not a party to the criticism in the Palestinian arena of Arab and Gulf States, and wanted good relations with all the Arab countries.

“On January 18, 2022, Mohammed al-Emadi, chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, headed a delegation that entered the Gaza Strip through the Erez Crossing for an official visit. It was his first visit since November 23, 2021 (Ma’an, January 18, 2022). He met with Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip and other senior Hamas figures (qudspress.com, January 19, 2022). ‘A knowledgeable source’ reported that al-Emadi told the Hamas political bureau the salaries of officials paid through the donations from Qatar would be lowered from $10 million a month to $3 million a month. According to the ‘source,’ the announcement was a surprise because it came only two months after Hamas had reached an agreement with Qatar regarding the payment of salaries. The ‘source’ warned of negative consequences if in the coming months salaries remained low (al-Ayam, January 19, 2022).”

I can’t help but fume over yet another bail-out for Gaza. Perhaps the people themselves could rise up and destroy Hamas. I have no idea how many active members of Hamas live in Gaza, but can it be enough to continue to suppress and oppress the people? Do the people themselves, the great majority, support Hamas, truly?

Until hearts and attitudes shift there, they will continue to threaten not only Israel, but the surrounding nations that have finally seen the folly in throwing Israel under the bus, while Palestinian leadership grows ever more vicious and unhinged.

The current regime in Washington, itself installed in a Third World-type coup, has made serious efforts for peace infinitely harder by reverting to psychotic, left-wing models (Oslo).

It is interesting to note however, that they have not been able to unwind the Abraham Accords, those alliances between Israel and other Arab nations. And one of the benefits to Israel is that (like NATO countries paying their fair share) other countries are quietly doing positive things.

An Egyptian security delegation is scheduled to arrive in the Gaza Strip for meetings with the leadership of Hamas and other organizations to discuss security issues. The delegation will be accompanied by a delegation of engineers who will focus on the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip.

Still, Iran and other bad actors will continue to cause trouble. A march was recently held, organized by groups with ties to Iran. Marchers threatened those other Gulf states that are trying to help ease tensions.

Because that’s what psychotic thugs do.

“Interviewed by al-Mayadeen TV, senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahar noted the similarity between the ‘aggression against Yemen and Israel’s [alleged] aggression against the Palestinians.’ He said the Gulf States would pay for their actions in Yemen and normalization of relations with Israel (al-Mayadeen, January 22, 2022).”

Hamas doesn’t care about “the people.” Hamas cares only about perpetuating a satanic religious fervor. It is a supernatural hatred, as old as time. It doesn’t help that weak international actors coddle these murderers.

Tor Wennesland, the special UN envoy to the Middle East “peace process” has stirred up the Palestinians in Gaza by saying he was “worried” by the eviction of certain families by the Israelis, in Jerusalem neighborhoods. He said it “raised the risk of escalation” and called on Israel to stop the policy (even though Jewish families too are subjected to removal an the demolishing of homes that do not have proper permits.

It looks like that unfortunately, the West Bank and Gaza will continue to suffer because of Palestinian leadership. It is a tragedy that the coup in Washington in 2020 has contributed so much to this.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

Jesus…A Palestinian…Martyr?

I learned more than 20 years ago that the Palestinian leadership discovered an effective, if bizarre, method of prying Christians away from Israel.

Since Yasser Arafat began describing Jesus as a Palestinian—perhaps the most absurd assertion in all of history—I assume he learned this kind of technique from his Soviet and East German handlers. They had used almost supernaturally effective propaganda techniques to great success for decades.

In Islam, there are such distortions of the person of Jesus Christ, one struggles to understand why. According to an article by Raymond Ibrahim (one of the very best experts on Islam) in one of the hadith’s (collection of Muhammad’s stories and sayings):

“But it is only when he returns in Islam’s version of the ‘end times’ that the Muslim Jesus truly shines.  According to Islamic teaching, he will return to ‘break the crosses, slaughter the pigs, end the jizya tax on non-Muslims, making warfare against the People of the Book (e.g. Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, etc.) and others licit.’ In the midst of the final showdown between the forces of Allah and the forces of Antichrist (al-Dajjal), Jesus will first appear ‘praying behind’ an Islamic leader.  Then, ‘after Jesus finishes his prayer, he will take his lance, go toward the Antichrist and kill him.  Then Jesus will die and the Muslims will wash him and bury him.’

“In such a manner is he a ‘martyr’—no different, for many Muslims, than his supposed Palestinian kinsmen who blow themselves up in the service of Islam.”

This then is a theological distortion of who Jesus really is, but it plays out in practical ways, such as the motivations of Palestinian leaders to routinely try to influence “infidels” to believe their version of biblical history. Arafat used to use the “Jesus as Palestinian” line, at the same time he was not only meeting with Clintonistas in the White House, but also cleverly meeting with religious dupes. Like the leadership of the United Methodist Church in Washington.

Over time, I have heard even influential Pentecostals (Paul Alexander) call Jesus a Palestinian. I’ve written many times about Philip Yancey, the famous Christian author, referring to Jesus as a “Palestinian rabbi.” Even after I wrote to him challenging that lie, he refused to recant.

Ibrahim understands all this very well:

“Here, then, is yet another stark reminder that Islam’s appropriation and subsequent mutilation of biblical figures is not a source of ‘commonalities’ and ‘bridges’ between Islam on the one hand and Judaism and Christianity on the other, as the ‘ecumenists’ insist.  Rather, it is Islam’s way of manipulating the figures of Judaism and Christianity for its own agenda and precisely against Jews and Christians.”

By the way, one more way Muslim leaders muddy the waters, in order to fool uninformed Christians lies in their presentation of Jesus as a very holy man, a great prophet. Notice though: not the Son of God. Islam does not believe Allah has a son. Specifically, even though they acknowledge Jesus was on the cross, Islam claims that at the last minute, he was “replaced” on the cross by someone else.

Thus, no resurrection of Jesus.

As part of our advocacy for Israel and the Jewish state, we have to first be informed about our own faith, so that we can spot the counterfeits. And boy, is the Muslim “Jesus” a counterfeit!

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com