Israel's operation in Gaza comes less than a year after its unilateral retreat last summer, when more than 8,000 Jews were expelled from the homes and communities some of them had lived in for decades. This, Israelis were told, would mean "disengagement" from their enemies -- the Palestinians would have all of Gaza to themselves and violence would be thwarted by the security fence separating them from Israel. "If this will be done, then everything will be changed," Ehud Olmert, a key architect of the plan, promised in a speech last June. Israel would be better off without Gaza than it ever was with it.
But Israel wasn't better off. The surrender of Gaza didn't appease Hamas and Fatah. Instead, it convinced them that Israelis were weak, that terrorism worked -- and that more terrorism would work even better. So more terrorism followed. In just the past two weeks last September, a Palestinian knifed a Jewish student to death in Jerusalem's Old City, an Israeli policemen was stabbed in the throat by an Arab in Hebron, Kassam rockets were fired from Gaza into the southern Israeli town of Sderot, a suicide bomber blew himself up in Beersheba's crowded bus station, a Katyusha missile launched from Lebanon exploded in the Israeli village of Margaliot, a firebomb was thrown at an Israeli vehicle on a highway outside Jerusalem, and a 14-year-old boy from Nablus was caught with 3 bombs."
In the months since then, the Palestinian war against Israel has continued without letup. All that changed was the frontline -- with the Jewish settlements and soldiers gone, it moved right up to the border, making it easier than ever for attacks to penetrate Israeli territory. The Gaza security fence has been no panacea. Sderot and other towns in southern Israel have been bombarded by hundreds of rockets fired over the fence. The gunmen who abducted Shalit and killed two of his comrades entered Israel by tunneling under the fence.

"We are tired of fighting," said Olmert last year, making the case for retreating from Gaza. "We are tired of being courageous, we are tired of winning, we are tired of defeating our enemies."
But Israel will either defeat its enemies or be defeated by them; "disengaging" from them is not an option. In 1976, Israelis understood that in their bones. Thirty years later, do they still?

The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to the Jewish people by the God of Israel . Do not be silent, but share this to your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for that breakthrough to the Muslims.

5.

Less than a year after withdrawing from Gaza, Israel has discovered it cannot wash its hands of the over-crowded coastal strip, raising questions about PM Olmert's plan to stage a similar pullout from large parts of the West Bank, AP reports. "The Gaza disengagement was a lost opportunity for the Palestinians. It could have evolved into a promising beginning for Palestinian statehood, but instead collapsed into a Hamas-stan that hosted international terror groups," said Dore Gold, a former adviser to Ariel Sharon. "The key lesson from the failure of disengagement is that in the future, Israel must retain vital territories for defensible borders so it will not create vulnerabilities that the Palestinians can exploit," he added. According to a Palestinian poll conducted on June 21-22, 58% of Gazans continue to support suicide bombings against Israeli civilians, compared to 37% of Palestinians in the West Bank.

Ernies comment
My comment is that all of that was predicted from when the pullout of Gaza was first promoted, it was so obvious. The war is not principally over land, but a continuation of the spiritual battle that started in the heavenlies. The one the muslims serve does not want them to be prosperous or have freewill as in the "west", but to capture and control land and people, it's a muslim mindset. When they emergrate to the "west" they want to destroy it's freedoms and prosperity, and enslave everyone to the muslim mindset.
Ernie.

THE CONSEQUENCES of DIVIDING GOD’S LAND by Gerald Rowland In Joel 3:2, God says, "I will gather all the nations, and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My Land".
This prophecy, written around 800 B.C., ultimately promises God's retaliation against those who have taken the Jewish people from their land, or divided His land - the land He promised to Abraham, then Isaac, then Jacob, in the last days.
We are currently living in extremely critical days of world history when prophetic theories have become present day realities. To most of us, perhaps sub consciously, Bible prophecy has been similar to science fiction. It has been something fantastic, almost unbelievably unreal, hidden in the distant future, far from present reality.
Prophetic theories have abounded since the days of the early church fathers. All manner of theological vagaries have obsessed the minds of Bible scholars regarding the last days predicted by the major and minor prophets. Suddenly though we have been propelled into the era in which prophetic theories are rapidly becoming present realities.
One scenario that is developing right before our eyes as we follow events through the media of TV and daily newspapers is the determination on several fronts to divide the land of Israel and even the city of Jerusalem. What is so fascinating in this verse is the fact that not only will God execute His wrath on those nations that divide His land in the future, but to realise that God has always been active in history dealing with the nations over this issue. Here is a list of nation kingdoms that have scattered the Jewish people or divided the land of Israel, or both.

 
History of  Occupying  Nations
 
         1.     Babylon: 606 - 536 BC 
         2.     Persia: 536 - 333 BC
         3.     Greece: 333 - 63 BC 
         4.     Rome: 63 - 312 AD 
         5.     Byzantine: 312 - 637 AD
         6.     Moslem: 637 - 1099 AD 
         7.     Crusaders: 1099 - 1291 AD 
         8.     Mamelukes: 1291 - 1517 AD 
         9.     Ottoman Turks: 1517 - 1917 AD
         10.   Britain: 1917 - 1948 AD

1. Jerusalem Divided
Zechariah 14:1.Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, and your spoil (property) will be divided in your midst. v2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

2. A Massive Death Toll
Zechariah 13:8.And it shall come to pass in all the land," says the LORD, "That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one third shall be left in it: v9. I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; and each one will say, 'The LORD is my GOD.'" (NKJ)
Many Bible commentators have concluded from this prophecy that two thirds of the citizens of Israel and Jerusalem will die. However, one important factor they appear to completely ignore is that at this stage the land has been invaded and the city has already been divided before this prediction happens. One half of Jerusalem, the Eastern part will be occupied by Palestinians. The land will also be filled with alien armies who will flood into the land in support of the Palestinian cause, only to be confronted and judged by Jehovah Sabaoth, - The Lord of Armies. (Joel 3:2) I personally believe that v9 predicts that many nationalities including Palestinians are referred to here as well as many Jews. All the people remaining, both Jews and Gentiles will call upon the Name of Jehovah and He will answer their cry and say, 'This is My people'; and each one will say, 'The LORD is my GOD.'

There will be a massive conversion to Yahweh, the Holy One of the Israel, the one and only TRUE GOD of the universe. Certainly this is a time, more than any other in history, when we urgently need to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" for they shall prosper who love her! (Psalm 122:6)

These are extracts, with some of my comments, from:
David & Josie Silver Out of Zion Ministries Mt Carmel Israel
www.out-of-zion.com" www.out-of-zion.com

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