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Weekly Update: Normalisation

editor - 18 September 2020

This week at the White House PM Netanyahu of Israel signed “normalisation” agreements with representatives of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, in the presence of US President Trump.

The recent “Abraham Accords” and these bilateral agreements commit the countries to (inter alia) open diplomatic relations, pursue peace and stability, and cooperate at many different levels.

Given Israel has never been at war with these countries, why are “normalisation” agreements necessary? Because since 1948 the Arab world, as a whole, has refused to treat Israel as a normal member of the community of nations.

The developments over the last few weeks are proof of a paradigm shift that has been going on for some time within the “Arab”/Islamic world, and as a consequence relations with Israel and other Western nations.

This places a new perspective on the so-called “Israel-Palestine” conflict. It will be especially interesting to see how Europe deals with this change. While the EU has formally welcomed the agreements, the willingness of Arab nations to place their interests ahead of resolution of the Palestinian problem challenges the fundamental assumptions underlying EU’s policies concerning the conflict.

Let’s hope and pray that these developments are a glimpse of the peace that will come when Messiah reigns in Jerusalem and the law shall go forth from Zion
(Isaiah 2).

We wish all our readers a Shana Tova!

The Editorial Team – Israel & Christians Today



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The UAE-Israel Breakthrough: Bilateral and Regional Implications and U.S. Policy

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 “Terrible news” – Video teaching by Johannes Gerloff

Episode 37 in the series of teachings by Israeli-based Bible teacher and journalist Johannes Gerloff:

Abraham was the first human being to whom God revealed what He was going to do. Abraham was the first prophet. Abraham’s reaction to God’s revealing His plan to him sets standards for any human being functioning in a prophetic capacity.

 

 

Scripture for the week: Isaiah 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

5 Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

 

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