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Prophe-Zine Issue 041
PropheZine # 41
May 15,1997
Kim Koster...............Welcome to PropheZine #41
Reminder..................PropheZine Adopts Intermind Technology
Scott Pearson...........666 and the Mark of the Beast
Dr. James Dobson.....Letter on Christian Persecution
Lori Fiechter.............Yearning or Yawning.....Poem
The Idaho Observer....Truth Surfaces in Hansen Ordeal
SNS-News Service.....Dates in History
Rev. Lee Simmon......Spiritual Food for The Last Days: Part 1: MIRROR
MIRROR
PropheZine Newsbytes
Haartz....little Wailing Wall Planned
Len Horowitz...New Ebola-like Virus in Dominican Republic
Lee Underwood...FYI Israel in the News
********************
Welcome to PropheZine #41
Hello Everyone,
As I write this the flowers and grass are just starting to grow here in my part
of the country and it reminds me of Godâs awesome renewing power. Just as
the plants went into slumber for the winter so does our faith at times. We
become so busy with lifeâs challenges and trials that we start to procrastinate.
We start missing a church service here and there, our daily devotional
becomes a weekly devotional or we donât do it at all. Then God reminds us of
others who have died just to be one of His, and of those being tortured,
murdered, raped and imprisoned just because they want to learn Godâs word
and worship him. Letâs remember those who are being persecuted as we
celebrate Memorial Day and pray that God will let each of us know what we
can do to help those who are giving their lives for their faith·and to help us
keep from letting our faith become like slumbering winter plants but instead
growing like the flowers in spring and always putting our Lord God first in
everything we do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ãTherefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the
new has come
II Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scott Pearson has given us a very informative article on The Mark of the
Beast and understanding what 666 means. Lori Fiechter has written an
excellent poem that will have you thinking about were you at with God. Dr.
Dobsonâs letter is not an easy subject to read but it addresses the pressing
issue of Christian persecution and the lack of response and compassion from
Christians. If we ignore our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted in
other parts of the world and pretend it isnât happening, then it is going to be
that much easier for the Antichrist to persecute those who choose Christ
during the Tribulation. I donât believe God wants us to just sit back and have
the attitude of ãWell, the Bible says this is going to happen, so we canât do
anything about it. We might as well sit back and wait for the Rapture.ä It is up
to all of us to make it as hard on the Enemy as possible!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ãBut watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you
will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings
for my sake, for a testimony to them. And the Gospel must first be preached
in all nations. But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry
beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in
that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak but the Holy Spirit. Now
brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will
rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be
hated by all for My nameâs sake. But he who endures to the end shall be
saved. Mark 13:9-13 (KJV)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blessing to you,
Kim Koster
Asst. Editor
PropheZine
******************
PROPHEZINE ADOPTS INTERMIND TECHNOLOGY
PropheZine has adopted an exciting new technology to more efficiently get
timely news into your hands (or should we say, your website browser?) If you
have access to the World Wide Web, you'll want to check this out!
Recall the "bookmobiles" (almost a thing of the past) used by library districts?
The bookmobile, loaded with a select number of books, would travel around
the district to make books available to those who could not conveniently get
to the library. As the circuit was usually on a regular schedule, one could
count on it arriving at a certain time. A couple of drawbacks included the
danger of missing the visit and of not being able to access books other than
those on the vehicle. On the other hand, a visit to the library looking for
certain information often required the assistance of a librarian for the search.
Intermind Communicator(TM) is the best of both worlds: it provides new
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previous material which might be considered outdated.
Intermind Communicator(TM) is a software application used on your local
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The update also may have an IMC "postcard," which resides in the update
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If you have WWW access, you'll want to see this in operation (and subscribe,
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**********************************
666 AND THE MARK OF THE BEAST
By Scott Pearson
Recently I was speaking with a few friends at the Albany Airport when the
subject of my ministry came up and various questions were raised. As I
began to answer them, the topic of the mark of the beast was raised. One
friend looked a bit puzzled-- rather a bit spooked. I asked him if he knew what
the mark of the beast was. He answered, ãNo.ä I then asked him if he ever
heard of 666? This time he responded, ãYes.ä The reason I asked that
question is because the two are inseparable. Whether in Christian or non-
Christian circles, one of the very most widely asked questions today as we
race towards the year 2000 and beyond is this: ãWhat is 666 and the mark of
the beast we hear so much about?ä We've heard rock bands, such as Black
Sabbath and Iron Maiden, refer to it, We've also seen it in movies, such as
ãThe Omen,ä ãRosemary's Babyä and other horror films as well. Furthermore,
many curious people are asking the following questions about 666 and the
mark of the beast ... ãIs there any real validity to it?ä ãIs it fact or fiction?ä ãIs it
truly possible to understand what all this really means?ä ãDoes this possibly
effect my own future, and the future of my loved ones, including my own
children?ä To be sure, speculation is becoming rampant. Sadly, it is often also
devoid of genuine understanding and the truth often remains elusive. If you
would rather not know what all this means, then please ... S T 0 P now,
proceed no further ....
Apparently, curiosity has gotten the best of you, so let's proceed together,
because the following information could possibly save your own life or the
lives of loved ones.
The mark of the beast is referred to in scripture on eight different occasions.
The place that draws the most attention is Revelations 13:16-18,
16 "And he causeth all, both small and great. rich and poor, free and bond, to
receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name
of the beast, of the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred
threescore and six, 666". (KJV)
For many centuries the meaning of these passages was veiled in obscurity.
It's interesting that after almost 2000 years these verses, like never before in
all of human history, have started to really come into focus. Fascinating, in
light of Daniel 12:4: " But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the
book, even to the time of end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall
be increased."
Could we be the generation that with the knowledge to understand what
these prophetic verses really mean? Well, let's consider some of the
evidence, and each person may decide for himself.
Today most people believe the mark of the beast will be a clearly visible
tattoo, perhaps the number 666 on the right hand or forehead to identify the
individual as a child of the devil. However, to fully understand the meaning,
you must remember that the New Testament was written in Greek. The
etymology of the word ãmarkä will shed great light on the actual, intended
meaning.
The word "mark", as used in Revelation 13:16-17, is the Greek word
"charagma." The root word of charagma is charasso, which means ãto
engrave.ä Now, charagma is a Greek noun in the accusative neuter singular
and is preceded by the Greek preposition ãepee,ä which means ãupon.ä By
this we understand the mark is actually an incision made in the upper layer of
the skin. This clears up the common misconception that the mark of the
beast is a visible tattoo.
To put all this into perspective, letâs investigate some of the latest
developments in technologies and weâll see if there are any similarities in the
Bible. Dr. Daniel Man has been awarded a patent for developing a microchip
to be placed under the skin. For whom and why? In a fascinating interview
with outstanding prophecy teacher Peter LaLonde, Dr. Man, a Jew, stated
that it is his desire to see every Israeli Jew have the microchip transponder
that he developed implanted under their skin. The stated purpose: the end of
kidnapping and terrorism, as each individual could be precisely located
instantly. No one questions Dr. Manâs intentions for the good of his fellow
Israelis. It also must be emphasized that technology-- in and of itself --is not
evil. However, imagine Adolph Hitler with similar surveillance ID microchip
capability at his disposal. The very thought is horrifying
How does this microchip identification technology work? Here is a basic
illustration. Suppose you have a pet. Info-Pet and other similar animal ID
companies are marketing pet identification systems. Each chip, about the
size of a grain of rice, has a unique number that can be read with a hand-held
scanner. A hypodermic needle is used to insert the microchip painlessly into
the animal. Information is stored in the chip such as the identity of the owner,
address, veterinarian and the petâs medical records. For approximately $25
you can have your animal implanted. So, if your cat is lost in Albany, NY and
turns up in Kansas City, Missouri without an ID tag but has been implanted, a
scanner can read the invisible chip and all the information comes up for
review. As a result, your pet will be properly identified and returned to you. A
great system? Yes, in a lot of ways, especially if you love pets! However,
there are many who suggest people should be next. The two groups being
targeted are prisoners and children. Overcrowded jails have caused some
people to suggest microchip transponder ID s for them, because by using a
remote scanning device it is possible to know their exact location at all times.
Any attempts to escape or hide will be futile. Any prisoner could be located
instantly. With children, what better way to stop kidnapping?
We need to understand that the microchip's main purpose is simple:
IDENTIFICATION AND INFORMATION. Incidentally, some people still think
the UPC bar code will ultimately be used to operate the world wide
information system, leading to the mark of the beast. But the UPC bar code
system is very limited. It does not have the capacity to update data on the
individual. However, the microchip because it has an eprom embedded in it,
can have its data updated effortlessly.
Are biochip/microchips in their various forms really the wave of the future? In
May 1996 the Chicago Tribune featured a headline "In Future Tiny Chip May
Get Under Your Skin." The following article gave all the beneficial reasons for
microchip implants. You would never have to worry about lost or stolen credit
cards, you would also have safety, protection, security, etc . Think it will never
happen in humans?
Consider this, from this same Chicago Tribune article. Edward Cornish,
President of the World Future Society, which is a globalist new age group,
stated, "The locator ID chip may be inevitable." He also made this chillingly
candid statement about the microchip's use: "Things that are voluntary today,
have a way of becoming compulsory tomorrow.ä
Could the microchip implant lead to the future mark of the beast, spoken of in
the Bible?
According to Strong's Concordance, the Greek word charagma means ãa
scratch or etching, stamp a badge of servitude, graven mark.ä Derivatives of
the word are: ãcharakterä- a graver, the figure stamped ,i.e. an exact copy or
representation, express image; ãcharaxä- to sharpen to a point through the
idea of scratching. Evangelist Dr. Carl Sanders, an engineer who previously
helped develop the microchip, shared the following information in his book,
Are You Ready For the New World Order?
The pattern for the microchip transponder data when read under a scanner,
will be as follows:
1. Name and picture
2. Social security number
3. Fingerprint data
4. Physical description
5. Address
6. Family history
7. Occupation and income
8. Tax information
9. Criminal record
Only naivete would cause one to believe that privacy of any kind really exists
today.
The Grand Finale - The Missing Piece 666
In Revelation 13 we see three components of the future new world order
working in tandem under this future 666 Antichrist and his world system. Jeff
Baker, political analyst, researcher, and journalist, in his excellent classic
book, Cheque Mate, (p. 203) comments on the meaning and significance of
666. "I believe that the 666 is actually a combination of three sets of sixes.
The first 6 represents manâs political system, The second 6 represents the
economic system of man, and the third represents the religious system of
man." A very astute observation, and that is exactly the three headed
structure we find in Rev. 13. The 666 referred to in verse 18 is very
significant, because in ancient times a personâs name had a fixed numerical
value. The reason for that: the letters of the alphabet were used for numbers.
In scripture, 6 is the number representing man. The number 6 is also
considered sacred by many new age and secret society groups, A triad, or 3,
is God's number. So, the triple 6 (666) is the symbol of man making himself
God. See Daniel 11:36 and 2 Thess. 2:4. The number 666 is also the Greek
word chi xi stigma. (Rev. 13:18) Strong's Concordance:äThe 22nd, 14th, and
an obsolete letter of the Greek alphabet, used as numbers; denoting
respectively 600, 60, and 6; 666 as a numeral-six hundred threescore and
six.ä
Now, the word ãstigmaä --ãfrom a prim. stizw stizo ( to stick; i.e. to prick- a
mark incised or punched ) for recognition of ownership i.e. (fig.) scar of
service- mark.ä
By now, it should be clear that presently, the technology of the microchip is
not the mark of the beast. However, it is also plain to see, though the
technology is still continuing to be fine tuned, some of its benevolent uses.
Someday, in the wrong hands, it will become a malignant curse. Dr. Carl
Sanders, in a recent conversation at Boston Medical Center, posed the
following question to a physician: "What if the concentration of lithium in the
microchip breaks down, or what if there is a *blowstruck? (term for a
microchip malfunction.)? The doctor, an atheist, replied, "it will cause a
grievous sore." Incredible, because Rev. 16:2 states, ãand there fell a
noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast,
and upon them which worshipped his image.ä
The mark of the beast is not going to be implemented today or tomorrow. It
will happen midway through the Tribulation period. However, at the very least,
for the first time in history, from a technological stand point Rev 13 could
soon become reality. Apparently, someone else thinks so too. Ralph Nader,
the consumer advocate who recently also ran for president and who does not
claim to be a Christian, made this startling statement: "Is there a number or
mark planned for the hand or forehead in a new cashless society? Yes, and I
have seen the machines that are now ready to put it into operation.ä
We have only scratched the surface. For further documentation on this
subject, I highly recommend Terry Cook's book, The Mark of the New World
Order, an exhaustive documentary showing that biochip/microchip technology
is here to stay. If you are somewhat upset or startled by what you read,
perhaps consider taking Terry Cook's advice, "don't let it get under your skin!"
Rev. 14:9-11.
My earnest hope is that many of you that took the time to read this
information, won't just let all this fall by the wayside. Right now you have two
options. You have an opportunity to freely receive Jesus Christ as your Savior
and Lord, or someday face a global tyrannical dictator who will demand all the
world to worship him and show allegiance to him by receiving his mark. This
mark will reveal that you are owned by him; failure to comply will result in
execution by beheading-Rev 20;4. I believe the first option is far more
workable, don't you?
ãBut as many as received Him (Christ) to them He gave power to become
sons of God, even to them that believe in His name.ä Jn. 1:12
I would encourage you to not delay in receiving Christ as you Savior today if
you have not already done so. He died for your sins, and rose from the dead.
He offers you eternal life, but that's your choice to make. I hope you will
consider doing that today, If I can be of any further help in answering any
questions for any of you, I am available to communicate with you through
PropheZine.
Sincerely, Scott Pearson
Editorâs Note: Scott Pearson will be one of the speakers at the First Annual
PropheZine Bible Prophecy Conference that will be held in the Los Angeles,
CA area on Sept 19, 20, 21. This will be all-day events, will be very
informative and FREE. The other speakers scheduled so far are:
Gary Kah
Berit Kjos
Steven Wright
Ron Graff
John Kinsella (still finalizing)
Scott Pearson
If you have any questions about the conference or would like to help out,
please drop me a line at ray@prophezine.com.
Ray Gano
PZ
**************************
CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION
Focus on the Family Newsletter
from Dr. James Dobson
Dear Friends,
I want to share a concern this month that has received very little national
publicity, despite its tragic and disgraceful implications. It focuses on the
unprecedented persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters in countries
around the world. More than an estimated 160,000 believers were martyred in
1996, and countless others were subjected to unimaginable horrors. 1 And
the persecution appears to be escalating exponentially.
It was longtime friend Micheal Horowitz who brought these atrocities to my
attention a few months ago. Micheal, who is Jewish, was among the first to
recognize what was happening to Christians and began a frantic campaign to
notify the world. He has lobbied lawmakers on Capitol Hill, written editorials
and appeared on numerous television and radio talk shows. He also made an
impassioned plea on the Focus on the Family broadcast. Here is the way he
described the plight of believers in Muslim, Communist and other totalitarian
countries today:
Christians have become the targets of opportunity for the thug regimes
around the world, and they are many. Whatâs going on now is monumental,
and itâs affecting millions, tens of millions, of people. Weâre talking not about
discrimination, but persecution of the worst sort: slavery, starvation, murder,
looting, burning, torture. 2
I asked Micheal why he is working so hard to help Christians in far-flung
corners of the world, and he said:
ãThere is a man who lives with us who is the embodiment of Christian faith,
and Iâm in awe of it. He is from an Ethiopian Evangelical Church where he is
the senior pastor. He is trying to get asylum in the United States and is
meeting every possible roadblock you can imagine. Here is a man who has
been jailed over 25 times for his faith. Heâs been tortured. On one occasion,
he was hanged upside down with hot oil poured on his feet. This is a man of
abiding faith who will be tortured again and murdered if he is sent back to
Ethiopia.
ãBut do you know what happened when we petitioned for asylum? The State
Department sent a letter to the immigration Service and said, ÎThereâs no
persecution of Christian in Ethiopia.â 3
ãThis has been the attitude of the U.S. government despite overwhelming
evidence of atrocities. Through the work of Horowitz and others, however, the
truth is beginning to penetrate. Members of Congress are becoming alarmed
about reports of brutality and murder on foreign soil. A house resolution
passed the fourth week of September 1996, and the original language stated
that more Christians have been martyred in the 20th century than in the past
19 combined. The draft of the resolution also noted that Chinaâs Communist
leaders have called underground evangelical and Catholic congregationsä a
principal threat to political stability.ä 4
ãSen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., said, Î...Christians are being sold into slavery.
Some are being thrown into prison. Some are tortured. Many are killed. We
must do everything we can in our dealings with other countries to end these
practices.â 5
ãI recently went to Washington, D.C., to meet with Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va.,
and others who have also been championing this cause. Rep. Wolf serves on
the Helsinki Committee, which monitors human rights abuses in Eastern
Europe and the former states of the Soviet Union. He said there is undeniable
evidence now of widespread torture, killing, raping, and imprisonment of
believers in dozens of countries. They include China, Morocco, Saudi Arabia,
Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan, North Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Cuba and
several countries in the former Soviet Union. What is happening in the blood-
stained nations, and elsewhere, is unconscionable.
ãIn some places it amounts to mass murder. Nina Shea, of the renown
human rights organization Freedom House, is an international human rights
lawyer who has investigated the persecution of Christians for ten years and
has documented the abduction and death of more than 1 million Sudanese,
mostly Christians and non-Muslims, at the hands of the countryâs Islamic
fundamentalist government. 6 There has been an effort to address this and
related tragedies in the churches of North America, including a designated
day of prayer sponsored last September 29th by the World Evangelical
Fellowship. But the Christian response hardly matches the scope of the evil.
Indeed, a Washington staffer for the National Council of Churches, Albert
Pennybacker, recently denied that a problem even exists. He said,ä I wouldnât
say persecution is raging around the world.ä 7 In testimony before a House
Subcommittee meeting, he has also stated, ãWhat may appear as
persecution and indeed resistance may in fact be the wish to preserve
authentic religious and cultural traditions.ä 8 Victor Hsu, another National
Council of Churches staffer, said that religious persecution in China was
simply the ãoverzealousness of local cadres.ä 9
ãPennybacker and Hsuâs unfortunate comments remind me of the German
Lutheran Church, which refused to acknowledge Hitlerâs genocide, even
when it occurred right under their noses.
ãIt isnât just our spiritual leaders who have denied the tragedy. Who can
explain the lack of outrage evident among so many Christian churches in
Western democracies? A.M. Rosenthal, also a Jew, decried this apathy in his
recent column in The New York Times. He wrote:
ÎA few clergymen and their religious organizations try to arouse
congregations. But astonishingly few, compared not only with the spread of
the persecution, but what could be done to fight it, if the political, religious,
business and press leaders of the world had the will and courage.
ÎIf I were a Christian, I would complain that Christian leaders, political,
religious and business, around the world have failed in their obligations to
fight oppression of their CO-religionists. I am complaining anyway. 10 Îä
Micheal Horowitzâs original column in The Wall Street Journal should have
generated an outpouring of support from outraged believers around the
country.11 Inexplicably, it brought little more than a yawn. Shocked and
disappointed, Micheal said, äI then wrote a letter to the 150 leading mission
boards in the U.S. I said to them, ãIfI had written a story about anti-Semitism,
I would have been overwhelmed with support from the Christian community.
But when Christian persecution was involved, the Christian community
seemed tongue-tied and embarrassed.âä12 What a disgrace!
I thank God that Rosenthal and Horowitz, among others, are sounding the
alarm. Nina Shea of Freedom House is also doing her part. In her upcoming
book. In the Lionâs Den, she wrote:
ãMillions of American Christians pray in their churches each week, oblivious
to the fact that Christians in many parts of the world suffer brutal torture,
arrest, imprisonment and even death--their homes and communities laid
waste--for no other reason than that they are Christians. The shocking, untold
story of our time is that more Christians have died this century simply for
being Christians than in the first nineteen centuries after the birth of Christ.
They have been persecuted and martyred before an unknowing, indifferent
world and a largely silent Christian community.ä13
Columnist Jeff Jacoby, who is also Jewish, and is a syndicated columnist for
the Boston Globe, described the scope of the tragedy. He wrote:
ã...for millions of Christians in other lands, fear is ever-present. Never before--
never before---have so many believers in Jesus been persecuted for their
faith....Wherever militant Islam has taken hold and wherever Communist
dictators still rule, Christians are in desperate danger. The testimony with
which Shea [writing In the Lionâs Den] and Paul Marshall[in Their Blood Cries
Out] have filled their books is heart-stopping.
ã[The Nuba mountains in Sudan] ...which have had a Christian population
since the 6th century, are littered with mass graves...Nuba women are
systematically raped by Arab soldiers in order to produce non-Nuba offspring.
There have been reports, including from Catholic bishops, of crucifixions of
Christians by the army.ä Muslim troops from northern Sudan have sold tens of
thousands of Christian children and women from the south into slavery. Many
have been branded or mutilated to prevent
China, Shaanxi Province: ãThe officers stripped three brethren naked from
the waist and forced the women to stand with them....The three men were
beaten until they were totally covered with blood and had gaping wounds and
injuries all over their bodies. As if such violent beating wasnât enough, the
officers then hung them up and began to hit them with rods on their backs.
They did this until the three men were unconscious and barely breathing.ä
The victims were Protestants. Their crime was communicating with
foreigners.
Pakistan: ãThe Muslim population of Khan Jajja was incited in May 1994 by
the local Muslim cleric to drive the 60 Christian families of the region from the
Îland of the pureâ and to demolish their church. The Christian men were
beaten and the women were stripped naked..., while three girls were
kidnapped and raped. These Christiansâ homes razed and their possessions
looted or destroyed.ä Pakistanâs 1986 blasphemy law makes it a capital
crime to insult the Prophet Mohammed ãby any imputation, innuendo or
insinuation.ä The law has been used repeatedly to justify a reign of terror
against Pakistani Christians.14
And so it goes, day by day, in nations around the globe. Quoting Jeff Jacoby
again, he wrote:
ãThis has been a century of unmatched Christian martyrdom. It began with
mass murder of Christians in Armenia; it is ending with mass murder of
Christians in Sudan. Then as now, the world looked away, even as it looked
away during the most unspeakable mass murder of all, the Holocaust.ä15
Five questions must be answered if we are to understand this worldwide
phenomenon.
1. Why is the persecution of Christians proliferating around the world? The
answer is that Christianity is spreading significantly in underdeveloped
countries. As the numbers of believers rise in those places, so does the
threat they pose to totalitarian regimes. The bullies who rule canât tolerate the
prospect of free thinkers and liberated minds. Nor are they willing to have
their subjects worshipping any god but their own. Thus, brutality becomes the
handmaiden of dictatorship.
2. Why has there been so little publicity about this persecution? Because the
majority of Christians are too preoccupied with living to notice or complain
about much of anything, and because our government favors good relations
with many of the offending nations, and because the news media has failed
to report the crisis. Religious news remains the lowest priority among
journalists.
Chuck Colson said, ãWhen I see something like this, my heart aches because
the believers here donât even know about it, donât care. Weâre not expressing
moral outrage; weâre not indignant of the indifference of the United States
government towards this. And we ought to be marching in the streets
because our brethren are being persecuted, imprisoned, beaten, sold into
slavery, and butchered and we donât seem to care in this country.ä16
3. Why havenât the Clinton Administration and the Congress done
something? That is an excellent question with a two-pronged answer. It is
greed and politics. Corporations desperately want to trade with China and
other nations, and they canât let a little matter like murder and mayhem
interfere with those business pursuits. If the president criticizes governments
for persecuting people, they might retaliate by closing their markets and
hurting our economy. The captains of industry would object and punish the
politicians by contributing less money to electoral campaigns. As cynical as
this sounds, that is what Iâm told is occurring. Tragically, our leaders are
willing to play hardball with China on pirated CDâs and video tapes, but not on
the issue of religious persecution. They are putting money ahead of human
life in their international policies, even though they know it is wrong. Thus, our
countryâs profile as a nation has shifted from the historic stand for freedom
and human rights to pursuit of profits as the ultimate value.
In the 1992 presidential campaign Bill Clinton was questioned about his
probable policy toward China. The interviewer, Tom Brokaw, asked
specifically,ä Would you cut [China] off by next year [if youâre elected]?ä
Clinton responded, ã Absolutely. Most Favored Nation status, I would. Look,
[Bush] let his friendship with the leaders in China obscure our devotion to
freedom and democracy when those kids set up in Tiananmen Square, and I
think it was wrong.ä17
Despite this unequivocal response, Mr. Clinton reneged when he got into
office. Like his predecessor, he also supported the special trade and tariff
provisions of Most Favored Nation status to China. We could have used our
economic power to ease the pressure on believers and dissidents in China.,
as we did South Africa, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. But our
leaders lacked the resolve to do so. They pretended not to notice the
persecution, the forced abortions, the killing of little girls and deformed
babies, the persecution of the Îhouse churchâ, and the Naziesque practice of
killing prisoners in order to harvest their organs for sale.(Iâve seen video
documentation of that grotesque procedure.) An official Chinese document
issued by the Ministries of Justice, Health and Public Security, obtained by
U.S. based human rights group ãAsiawatch,ä said, ãThe use of executed
criminalsâ corpses for organs must be kept strictly secret,ä18 We can all
understand why.
But who cares anyway? It is all so far away and out of sight. Besides, weâve
been taught, ãWhatâs good for business is good for America.ä Turn a deaf ear
and keep the economy strong.
It is an attitude that confused and disillusioned those who were suffering
under Chinaâs totalitarian regime, especially after the slaughter in Tiananmen
Square. Two recent visitors to that land said this on our broadcast, ã
dissident after dissident came into our offices saying, ã please, the United
States has got to hold tough; theyâve got to call Beijingâs bluff.ä19
Nevertheless, the U.S. Congress has ratified the presidentâs yearly decision
to grant Most Favored Nation status to the butchers of Beijing. Now, perhaps,
we are learning another reason why. As of this writing, news stories are
breaking almost every day that reveal vast amounts of Chinese money
flowing into recent presidential (and perhaps congressional) campaigns. Who
knows how long that has been going on. Three shady characters, each
possessing long records of questionable donations and influence peddling,
(one brought a gun runner with him) were invited to the White House 150
times in the past 5 years. 20 21 What did they get in return for the 4 million
they contributed in ãsoft moneyä? 22 What did they do with the incredible
access granted by the most powerful man on earth? Iâm afraid to ask.
But here we go again. As we speak, Congress is considering Most Favored
Nation status to China once more. Unless there is a public outcry, it will be
ratified again and the persecution will continue, But who is there to care?
In another disturbing editorial by A.M.Rosenthal, he wrote:
ãChristian theology is not my specialization. I only know all prisoners for
freedom are intertwined in their chains. Who can believe that their sufferings
will not ease if the chairmen of Boeing, General Motors, Morgan Guaranty
and Microsoft, and U.S. presidents and secretaries of state past and present,
rise to say that the altar must stand higher than the cash register, and pledge
to make it so ? And if they fail in their duty to do so this, where is it written that
the rest of us are absolved from doing ours? 23
4. Why is there so much apathy among deeply committed believers on an
issue of such significance? Why, indeed? This and a hundred related
questions have plagued me for years. Why is there so little concern about the
many moral issues that should be keeping us awake at night? Why was there
such a pitiful response when President Clinton vetoed the bill to ban partial
birth abortion? Liberal Democratic Senator Daniel Moynihan called the
procedure ãinfanticideä24 and that is precisely what it is. Nevertheless, most
Christians were too busy---too unconcerned--- to protest when our chief
executive used his veto to secure the right to murder near full term, viable
babies by the most horrible means imaginable. The silence from the majority
of Godâs people was deafening!
Ecclesiastes 4:1 says, ãAgain I looked and saw all the oppression that was
taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they have
no comforter. Power was on the side of their oppressorsä (NIV).
What has really changed in 2900 years?
Again we ask, why have so many good people done nothing to stop the
persecution of the weak and vulnerable? Iâll give you the best answer of
which I am capable. It is because some spiritual leaders have told their flocks
not to be concerned about that which is ãpoliticalä---as though pouring hot oil
on a victimâs feet or killing babies are political matters. Another reason is
because we have become engrossed in that which is temporal and material--
-and because there is so much stress in our lives that we canât invest our
energies in that which doesnât touch us directly.
I called this third factor ãthe principle of limited tears.ä We do not have the
capacity to ãcryä about all the tragedies of the world. To do so would be
deeply disturbing to us. And since we canât prevent human misery around the
globe, we narrow the concerns about which we will worry. Thus, we will weep
about that which touches us personally--hitting near our families, our friends
and our work. Everything else will be kept outside our defenses--ignored--
denied--rationalized.
Unfortunately, the plight of Christians around the world remains beyond the
circle of tears for most believers.
I believe there is one more reason why Christians may be unconcerned about
the persecution of their brothers and sisters overseas. It is the expectation of
some believers that harsh suffering, and even death, are inevitable for those
who live and worship God in dangerous places. Therefore, their discomfort is
not an issue about which we should concern ourselves. After all, many first
century Christians died for their faith, including most of the apostles and
disciples. Perhaps persecution just goes with the territory, so to speak.
That attitude, if it exists, is terribly callused and selfish. Remember that the
government in the United States emanates from the people. Collectively, we
are the government. If it implements evil policies, therefore, each of us is
partially responsible for them. We have given freedom of speech and the
right to lobby for that which is moral and righteous. Consequently, we are
obligated to raise our voices when injustice is being condoned and
encouraged. And there is no greater injustice than when elected officials
reward and support brutal regimes which kill and torture innocent people. We
must come to their defense!
The Apostle Paul was a citizen of Rome, and twice he exercised the
privileges of citizenship over the matter of unjust persecution. First, he
protested the illegal floggings of Silas and himself in Phillipi (Acts 16) and
second, he appealed his case to Caesar rather than to allow another illegal
flogging in Jerusalem (Acts 25 .)
Let me say it again. Here in the United States, we live in the worldâs most
dominant country, one which could, if it desired, exercise tremendous
pressure on other nations to bring an end to injustice. Unfortunately, our
government has made it clear it has no intention of doing that. It will not act
unless we force it to address the needs of the downtrodden.
If believers do not make that demand, no one will do it for them. Neither the
news media nor the entertainment industry will take on this cause. They are
busy defending sexual perversion and offbeat religion. How interesting, for
example, that while 160,000 Christians were being murdered in 1996, 34
Hollywood personalities signed an open letter of protest--not to the guilty
governments--but to the leaders of Germany for supposedly criticizing the
Church of Scientology.25
5. Finally, what can those of us who are concerned do to help our persecuted
brothers and sisters in oppressive countries? Iâll let Micheal Horowitz answer
this last question, as spoken on the National Public Radio program ãAll
Things Considered.ä He said:
ãOur model... is the campaign against Soviet anti-Semitism. Itâs got four
principle points. One, it asks the president to speak out publicly on the issue
and name whatâs going on, and to use a bully pulpit to tell those thugs that the
United States disapproves of that conduct. The second is to appoint a special
advisor for religious persecution who will conduct a top to bottom survey of
our policies in the Immigration Service and in the State Department, to see
whether and to what extent itâs lacking and failing. The next would be to
ensure that the State Department human rights reports focus on victims of
religious persecution...And the fourth: no foreign aid, no special trade
treatment, for those countries that foster or appease persecution of religious
minorities, and in particular, persecution of Christian communities...For the
United States to be utterly silent in the face of budding Holocausts, and actual
Holocausts, is obscene and unthinkable.26
I would add the importance of praying for persecuted believers wherever they
are being imprisoned, beaten, raped, and murdered for their faith. Wouldnât it
be encouraging to those precious people in China, the Sudan and all the
other bloody countries if they knew believers in North America were holding
them before the throne in prayer? How can we not plead their case to the
Father?ã
On November 16, 1997, churches all across America will be asked to do just
that. That Sunday has been designated as the International Day of Prayer for
the Persecuted Church. Its theme is ãShatter the Silence.ä Micheal Horowitz,
one of the organizers of the event, hopes that at least 50,000 churches will
participate. I hope yours and mine will be among them. ãWith the mighty army
of 50,000 thunder pulpits,ä Horowitz says, ãthe world becomes a different
place.ä27
You might also want to write one of the three organizations trying to defend
believers around the world. They are Christian Solidarity, Voice of the Martyrs
and Freedom House. (Note: Freedom House is a secular organization.) Write
Focus on the Family for details regarding these groups. We also have an
information sheet available with more details regarding these groups. We
also have an information sheet available with more detail on the worldwide
persecution of Christians. If you would like a copy, please see the address
available at the end of the article.
Finally, you should know that bipartisan legislation will soon be introduced by
Rep. Frank Wolf and Rep. Tony Hall, D-Ohio, that will deal with the issue of
Christian persecution. Entitled ãThe Freedom of Religion Act of 1997,ä it is
expected to be submitted to congress in the very near future.
Thanks for letting me share what is on my heart in this letter. I know my
words have been difficult to read. Forgive my frustration at what appears to
me to be continued complacency and disinterest while the world slides into a
moral abyss. It isnât too late to help those who are still alive. If only ten
percent of the two million people on our mailing list would speak passionately
for our downtrodden and abused brothers and sisters around the world, many
could be saved. Micheal Horowitz says we are ãso close to victoryä because
of the powerful influence of the United States and Canada---and yet, 400
believers will die today because there is no one to care. Their fate is in our
hands.
I would appreciate hearing your reactions if you have a few minutes to write
or call. With that, so long till next month.
Sincerely in Christ,
James C. Dobson, Ph.D
President
P.S. We have late information that the ãfixä is on to gloss over the
persecution of Christians in China. It is our understanding that eight Chinese
political dissidents are about to be freed which will give China ãcoverä on the
human rights issues. The Clinton administration will hail this as a great victory
for human rights and justification to continue with Most Favored Nation
status. 28 It will, of course, do nothing to help the Christians who are being
persecuted and killed in that country. Watch for this sham just prior to the
Congressional vote in June, if it hasnât happened by the time you read this.
EndNotes
1. David C. Barrett, ãAnnual Statistical Table on Global Mission: 1997ä
International Bulletin of Missionary Research.ä January 1997, p.25
2. Global Christian Persecution,ä Guests: Micheal Horowitz, Gary Bauer,
Chuck Colson, Rep. Frank Wolf, Focus on the Family, September 16, 1996.
3. Ibid.
4. Terry Mattingly, ãAllegations of Christian Persecution Spur Congress to
Act,ä Scripps-Howard News Service, September 28, 1996.
5. Daniel Kurtzman, ãEvangelicals Launch Campaign Against Religious
Persecution,ä Ethnic NewsWatch, October 1, 1996.
6. Nina Shea, In the Lionâs Den, (Nashville TN: Broadman & Holman,
1997),pp.31-39.
7. Ray Waddle, ãChristian to Pray for Persecuted Church: Violence Against
Devout on the Rise,ä The Tennessean, September 28, 1996.
8. Mattingly, op. cit.
9. Tracy Early, ãPresbyterian Congressman Wants Clinton to Protect
Persecuted Christians,ä Ecumenical News Service, , Sept 13, 1996.
10. A.M. Rosenthal, ãOn My Mind: Persecuting Christians,ä New York Times,
February 11, 1997, p. a21
11. Micheal Horowitz, ãNew Intolerance Between Cresent and Cross, ãWall
Street Journal, July 5, 1995, p. A8
12. Focus on the Family, September 16, 1996, op. cit.
13. Nina Shea, In the Lionâs Den, (Nashville, TN: Broadman 7 Holman
Publishers, 1997),p.1
14. Jeff Jacoby, ãChristian Suffering is on the Rise,ä Boston Globe, December
4, 1996, p.A15
15. Ibid.
16. Focus on the Family, September 16, 1996, op.cit.
17. Associated Press, excerpts from a December 15, 1991, debate between
six Democratic presidential candidates telecast by NBC, December 16, 1991.
18. Jan Wong, ãChinaâs Prisons Used as Organ Donor Factories,ä Rocky
Mountain News, May 23,1994, p.30A
19. ãAtrocities in China,ä Guests: Karen Feaver, Father Stan DeBoe, Focus
on the Family, June 24, 1994.
20. ãBusinessman Trie Has Visited the White House 23 Times,ä Washington
Post, December 19, 996, p. A8.
21.äThe Fund-Raising Fiasco: the Democrats Problem...ä Washington Post,
March 2, 1997, p.C6
22. Stephen Labaton, ãCourting Donors: The Accounting,ä The New York
Times, March 1,1997, sec1,p8
23. A.M.Rosenthal, ãOn My Mind: Questions Unmasked,ä The New York
Times, February 14, 1997, p. A37
24. ãMeet the Press,ä NBC News, March 2, 1997
25. ãAn Open Letter to Helmut Kohl, Chancellor of the German Federal
Republic, ã December 1996
26. All Things Considered, National Public Radio, December 1, 1996
27. Phone conversation between Craig Osten, Research Asst. to the
President and Micheal Horowitz, March 11, 1997
28. Ibid.
This letter maybe reproduced without charge and its entirety for non-
commercial purposes without prior permission from Focus on the Family
You can reach Focus on the Family and Dr. Dobson at
Focus on the Family
Colorado Springs, CO 80995
*************************************
Yearning or Yawning?
by Lori Fiechter
Would we welcome the Lord if He came today
Or would there be shame and regret?
Are we ready to meet Him right now--in the air--
Or are we saying, "Don't come back just yet?ä
"Wait a little longer, Lord
Don't return so soon !
Heaven sounds fine--some other time....
There is too much I still want to do.
"Life is so good with family and friends;
I really enjoy it here!
Heaven's OK--but just not today;
Maybe...some other year.ä
It seems our priorities are a bit skewed;
Yes, life should be lived to the full,
But in all of our "busyness," let's not forget--
Heaven should still be our goal!
Lori Fiechter
4-12-97
(Editorâs note: If you would like to get in touch with Lori, she can be reached
at fiechter@parlorcity.com )
*****************************
(EDITORâS NOTE: The next article contains graphic descriptions of torture
that may offend some)
Truth Surfaces in Hansen Ordeal
Dept. of Finance/Judge Lodge Linked to Hansen Nightmare
by Don Harkins and Edward Snook
Diesel Therapy:
A prison term which describes the most inhumane, degrading and painful of
punishment; normally reserved for the most violent and uncontrollable of
prisoners.
A prisoner is shackled at the feet and handcuffed at the wrists, reinforced
with a box-like structure which stiffens the chains and locks the wrists at a 90-
degree angle. The handcuffs are connected to a waist chain that is connected
to another chain which connects the shackles. Once this shackling is
complete, a prisoner can barely move. The tightened manacles pinch the
nerves and restrict the flow of blood causing severe pain and swelling. Legs
swelling with blood are particularly damaging to the feet, as toenails under
pressure from blood-blisters press up against shoes for long periods of time
and soon become infected and deformed, causing such excruciating pain that
they require surgery or the pulling of the nails out by the roots.
Diesel therapy gets its name, not from the "cruel and unusual" bondage, but
from being forced into bus after bus and onto plane after plane, shackled as
described, and being shuttled from one prison to another, for weeks on end,
20 hours per day in chains, for no other reason than to cause pain and
suffering and give the prisoner a "message."
Welcome to diesel therapy and the world of seven-term Congressman
George Hansen who was found guilty in the court-room of the infamous
Federal Judge Edward Lodge on bogus charges of bank fraud which were
manipulated into an issue by the Idaho Department of Finance which illegally
used the same agents previously employed by the IRS in their failed attempt
to "get Hansen."
People who have been reading past editions of The Idaho Observer and The
Oregon Observer will recall that the Judge Lodge/Idaho Department of
Finance connection has already been uncovered in the bogus securities laws
violations charges levied against Boise businessman and winemaker Petro
(Pete) Eliopulos.
"After Ed Snook of The Oregon Observer and I met with Hansen and he told
me in a six-hour meeting what had happened to him, I was more shaken than
I have ever been in my life. If (West One) bank officers Knox and Neaville
had not subsequently been convicted of crimes which came to light in the
bogus investigations of me and my businesses, they could have done to me
what they did to Hansen," said Eliopulos, who was shocked that a U.S.
Representative, or anybody for that matter, could be treated this way in
America.
What could an esteemed member of the U.S. Congress have done to
deserve such treatment? Judge Lodge prescribed torture for Hansen
Congressman Hansen found innocent of crimes manufactured to thwart
congressional accountability
After four years of imprisonment, after ten years of persecution, after being
ruined professionally and financially and after being permanently damaged
physically, in December, 1995, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated
Hansen's sentence for bank fraud because the U.S. Supreme Court had
ruled on May 15, 1995, that Hansen's previous conviction as a member of
Congress had been overturned.
A series of events were triggered to allow crimes to be manufactured which
led to the imprisonment and torture of Congressman George Hansen. Idaho
District Federal Judge Edward Lodge, who has been used by bankers and
government officials for a decade to "legalize" their unethical and criminal
activities, was given the job of putting Hansen away and seeing to it that he
learned a lesson.
Judge Lodge saw to it that Hansen received "diesel therapy" coming and
going to prison from the judge's court at great cost to the government, even
though Hansen should have been allowed to make such trips at his own
expense.
On the way from his hometown of Pocatello to federal prison in Petersberg,
VA , Hansen was bussed and flown, nearly immovably shackled, at taxpayer
expense, to jails all over the country. Not Hansen's lawyer, his wife, nor his
allies in Congress were able to locate him. Hansen had simply disappeared
for a month into the custody of the Federal Marshal's Service.
Hansen's wife didn't know whether he was dead or alive. And even when the
Supreme Court overturned Hansen's original case and the Appeals Court
vacated his current sentence, Hansen still got the Judge Lodge treatment of
another dose of diesel therapy from Virginia back to Idaho.
What had Hansen, who was a model prisoner, done to deserve the most
brutal, torturous and barbaric type of treatment this country's penal system is
capable of inflicting on a prisoner?
Congressional Accountability Project
Retired Congressman Tom Kindness (R-Ohio) stated , "I believe that
George's recent trial and conviction on charges of "bank fraud" was the direct
result of a campaign by various members of the bureaucracy to stop the
CAP."
CAP, the Congressional Accountability Project, was being launched by
Hansen and a group of investors interested in good government. CAP was
going to utilize nation-wide television and a national 900 number to make
congresspersons instantaneously accountable to the American people for
their votes on the House and Senate floors.
"This was a project which would, in my opinion, have had a major impact on
the votes of congressmen since it would have made them instantaneously
responsible to the people by making their votes known immediately after
being cast," commented journalist John Voss.
Hansen and his associates were on the verge of making CAP fully
operational and accessible to the American public when the government,
through the Idaho Department of Finance with the illegal help of former IRS
agents, a revenge-minded Justice Department and the corrupt Judge Lodge,
manufactured bank fraud charges against him.
Judge Lodge's provably compromised court ultimately found Hansen guilty
and prescribed diesel therapy to teach him a lesson.
Why did the "Honorable" Judge Lodge treat Hansen like Public Enemy #1?
George Hansen was the only member of Congress able to pull the strings
necessary to visit the hostages in Iran in 1979 and expose the big-bank scam
behind the crises. George Hansen was the author of the book To Harass Our
People, an indictment of the IRS, where he demanded its dismantling.
George Hansen was the congressman who was so outraged by what he
discovered about the IRS while researching his book that he wrote and
helped to pass the Taxpayers' Bill of Rights. George Hansen was the first
man to propose the flat tax as a damage control alternative to protect the
people from IRS abuses. George Hansen was the man who took on OSHA,
WPPSS, and the INS, and George Hansen was the man who fearlessly and
repeatedly made public his findings when investigations turned up
government corruption and citizen abuse.
The "system" decided it had to teach Congressman Hansen a lesson
because, had he been allowed to continue serving on Capitol Hill, he would
soon likely be the chairman of the powerful House Banking Committee.
So, why did Judge Lodge, whose personal reasons for needing to keep the
well-documented criminal nature of the banking industry below public
scrutiny, with the help of the Idaho Department of Finance, trump up a bank
fraud conviction by denying the admission of exonerating evidence in court in
order to throw Hansen in prison and make sure that he was punished
severely with diesel therapy?
Was it because Congressman Hansen was getting close to the truth and
accumulating the political power it would take to finally and totally expose the
banking industry and government for its criminal abuses of the American
people?
Judge Lodge's Court of Kangaroos
CAP was apparently the final straw and abusive criminal government had to
put Hansen down. On the eve of CAP becoming fully operational, powerful
special interests and political enemies derailed the project and forced a
domino effect of financial repercussions upon Hansen and his associates.
The government then took the situation it had created and indicted,
prosecuted and convicted Hansen of bank fraud. Though the treachous
Judge Lodge and the government disdained the patriotic financial sacrifices
made by Hansen's supporters for good government and callously prevented
his efforts to re-pay them, it did not prevent Hansen from publicly pledging
that these law breaking government bullies could never seal his lips, nor stop
him from somehow paying back the people he owed and thereby keeping his
word.
Every attorney who has read the court transcripts is concerned and
confounded as to how George could have been convicted on bank fraud
charges when the supervising bank officers were not only acutely aware of
his financial operation and transactions, but were actively assisting him in his
efforts for over ten years! "George defrauded no one and we can prove it,"
stated Congressman Kindness.
Hansen was not really imprisoned and tortured by "our" government for bank
fraud, though that was the government's excuse to lock him up and shut him
down. Hansen was actually a political prisoner who was guilty of attempting to
provide the American people with the ammunition of knowledge so they could
successfully fight back against the senseless encroachment of government
oppression which more and more is ruining the lives of all of us.
Hansen dedicated his civil service to facilitating a return to a "our"
government that felt threatened enough by his noble activities to see to it that
he was imprisoned and tortured for daring to tell citizen/taxpayers the truth.
Hansen was the only U.S. statesman who cared enough to risk his own
safety and political career to visit the hostages in Iran in 1979. While in Iran,
Hansen saw first hand what happens to political prisoners, who were beaten
mercilessly, who had finger and toe nails ripped out by the roots and who had
been shackled until they were permanently disabled physically.
Hansen has also experienced first hand the same inhumane torture and it
happened to him in the most "civilized" nation on earth, the only difference
being that Hansen was denied treatment and pain-killers and had to rip his
own deformed and infected toenails out.
If there has ever been a time when your country needed you to stand up for
everything it means to be an American, that time is right now.
Subscribe to Truth in Journalism; subscribe to The Idaho Observer
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***************************
SNS News Service "Dates in History"
May 12, 1997.. 5 Iyar 5757
Special Report - 066sr
SNS Special Reports are supplements published to provide what we feel is
valuable information for our readers. Many news items, geographical
locations and other Israel-related items appear in the daily media, but to the
outside world, much of what is reported is foreign. In our Special Reports, we
try to take a particular item, expound on it, in the hope that we will provide
adequate background and current information to facilitate the reader's ability
to follow the story in our regular Updates.
In honor of Israel's 49th Independence Day, we present the following list of
dates in Israel's history, beginning with the establishment of the state in 1948.
1948
*****
14 May -- Provisional Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion declares the
independence of the State of Israel. United States recognizes Israel de facto.
15 May -- End of the British Mandate. Arab armies invade Israel.
17 May -- USSR recognizes Israel de jure.
19 May -- Jerusalem is cut off by Arab forces.
28 May -- Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem falls to the Jordanian
Arab Legion.
31 May -- Order-of-the-day issued establishing the unified IDF; Yaakov Dori
appointed first IDF Chief-of-General-Staff.
1 June -- First convoy reaches Jerusalem along "Burma Road."
11 June -- First cease-fire proclaimed.
22 June -- "Altalena" fired upon and sunk off the coast of Tel-Aviv.
9 July -- First cease-fire ends.
21 July -- Second cease-fire proclaimed.
14 August -- Arab countries reject Israeli peace proposals.
17 August -- First Israeli coin minted.
17 September -- UN mediator Swedish Count Folke Bernadotte murdered in
Jerusalem by "Lehi" fighters.
15 October -- Second cease-fire ends.
8 November -- First census indicates 712,000 Jewish residents, and 69,000
Arab residents, in the State of Israel.
17 December -- Beginning of "Operation Magic Carpet" to bring Yemenite
Jews to Israel.
31 December -- 100,000 immigrants arrive since May 14.
1949
****
13 January -- Armistice negotiations begin on Rhodes.
21 January -- Elections held for the First Knesset.
30 January -- Britain, New Zealand and the Netherlands recognize Israel de
facto. Australia and Chile recognize Israel de jure.
31 January -- US recognizes Israel de jure.
14 February -- First meeting of the First Knesset. Chaim Weizmann elected
President.
23 February -- Armistice agreement signed with Egypt.
9 March -- David Ben-Gurion presents first government to Knesset.
23 March -- Armistice signed with Lebanon.
3 April -- Armistice signed with Jordan.
11 May -- Israel admitted to the United Nations.
20 July -- Armistic
e signed with Syria. Railway service restored between Tel-
Aviv and Jerusalem.
17 August -- Theodor Herzl's remains are brought to Israel and interred on
Mt. Herzl.
9 November -- Prof. Yigal Yadin appointed second IDF Chief-of-General
Staff.
13 December -- Government declares Jerusalem to be Israel's capital.
1950
****
16 January -- Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg recognize Israel de
jure.
23 January -- Knesset, by 60-2 vote, establishes Jerusalem as Israel's
capital.
28 April -- Britain recognizes Israel de jure.
19 May -- Beginning of "Operation Ezra and Nehemiah" to bring Iraqi Jews to
Israel.
5 July -- Knesset passes Law of Return.
14 November -- First nationwide municipal elections after independence.
1951
****
4 April -- Syrian forces kill seven Israeli policemen at El-Hamma, in southern
DMZ along the border.
12 April -- 27th of the Hebrew month of Nissan declared to be Holocaust
Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day.
30 July -- Elections held for the Second Knesset.
7 October -- David Ben-Gurion presents his government to the Knesset.
1952
****
7 January -- Knesset summoned to approve broader negotiations with West
Germany; Menachem Begin leads stormy demonstration against
negotiations.
9 January -- Knesset supports negotiations by 61-50.
9 November -- President Chaim Weizman dies.
3 December -- Mordechai Maklef appointed third IDF Chief-of-General Staff.
8 December -- Yitzchak Ben-Tzvi elected President.
1953
****
12 February -- USSR breaks diplomatic relations with Israel.
13 May -- US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles visits Israel.
20 July -- Relations restored with USSR.
1 December -- Moshe Dayan appointed fourth IDF Chief-of-General Staff.
7 December -- David Ben-Gurion resigns as Prime Minister and Defense
Minister, is succeeded by Moshe Sharett as PM and Pinchas Lavon as DM.
1954
****
1 January -- "Kastner trial" opens in Jerusalem District Court. (Malkiel
Greenwald was accused of libelling Dr. Rudolf Kastner regarding his alleged
collaboration with Adolf Eichmann in Hungary, in 1944.)
17 March -- Egged bus attacked by terrorists at Ma'aleh Akravim in the
northern Negev; 11 passengers murdered, two wounded.
1955
****
17 February -- Lavon resigns as Defense Minister amidst controversy over
espionage scandal involving Israeli agents who were executed in Egypt.
21 February -- David Ben-Gurion appointed Defense Minister.
22 June -- Jerusalem District Court Judge Benjamin Halevi rendered his
verdict in the Kastner trial, exonerating Malkiel Greenwald and sharply
criticizing Dr. Kastner (see entry for 1/1/54 above).
26 July -- Elections held for the Third Knesset.
27 July -- El Al plane shot down over Bulgaria.
1956
****
29 October -- IDF launches "Operation Kadesh" (Sinai Campaign) in concert
with Great Britain and France. Kafr Kassem massacre (43 local residents --
who were violating a curfew which had been imposed on Arab villages along
the "Green Line" -- were shot by members of the security forces. Two
officers and six men were tried in a military court. The officers were given
long prison sentences, which were later reduced.)
4-5 November -- End of Operation Kadesh; Gaza Strip and Sinai occupied.
1957
****
6 March -- IDF completes withdrawal from Sinai and Gaza Strip; UN forces
(UNEF) along border.
29 October -- A mentally deranged man threw a hand grenade in the
Knesset; five ministers were injured.
31 October -- Huleh swamp drainage project completed.
1958
****
15 January -- Supreme Court verdict in Kastner trial.
29 January -- Chaim Laskov appointed fifth IDF Chief of General Staff.
4 August -- First Bible Quiz held.
1959
****
9-10 July -- Wadi Salib ethnic disturbances in Haifa.
3 November -- Elections held for the Fourth Knesset.
1960
****
14 March -- Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion meets with West German
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in New York.
23 May -- Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion informs the Knesset that Adolf
Eichmann has been brought to Israel and will stand trial for crimes against
the Jewish people, war crimes against humanity and membership in criminal
organizations.
27 November -- Tzvi Tzur appointed sixth IDF Chief-of-Staff.
1961
****
11 January -- The "Egoz" -- a ship bringing Moroccan Jews to Israel -- sinks.
11 April -- Eichmann trial begins at Beit Ha'am in Jerusalem.
30 May -- Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion meets with US President
Kennedy in New York.
6 June -- Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion meets with French President De
Gaulle in Paris.
15 August -- Elections held for the Fifth Knesset.
11 December -- Eichmann found guilty.
15 December -- Eichmann is sentenced to death by hanging.
1962
****
31 May -- Eichmann is executed by hanging.
1963
****
23 April -- President Yitzhcak Ben-Tzvi dies.
21 May -- Zalman Shazar is elected President.
16 June -- David Ben-Gurion resigns as Prime Minister.
24 June -- Prime Minister Levi Eshkol presents his government to the
Knesset.
31 December -- Yitzhcak Rabin appointed seventh IDF Chief-of-General-
Staff.
1964
****
5 January -- Pope Paul VI visits Christian holy places in Israel (for less than
24 hours).
9 July -- Ze'ev Jabotinsky's remains are interred on Mt. Herzl.
1965
****
14 May -- Israel and West Germany open diplomatic relations.
18 May -- Israeli agent Eli Cohen executed in Damascus.
19 August -- First West German Ambassador to Israel presents his
credentials to President Shazar.
2 November -- Elections held for the Sixth Knesset.
1966
****
2 May -- Konrad Adenauer visits Israel.
10 December -- Shai Agnon receives the Nobel Prize for Literature.
1967
****
16 May -- Egyptian forces, after having begun to mobilize on 14 May, begin
crossing the Suez Canal into Sinai.
17 May -- Egyptian President Nasser orders UN forces to evacuate the Gaza
Strip and Sinai.
20 May -- Partial mobilization of forces declared in Israel.
22 May -- Egypt declares the Straits of Tiran closed to Israeli shipping.
25 May -- Syria, Jordanian, Iraqi, and Saudi Arabian forces begin to mass on
Israel's borders.
1 June -- National Unity Government formed; Moshe Dayan appointed
Defense Minister.
5 June -- Israeli air force attacks Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian and Iraqi air
force bases, in pre-emptive strike; Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian air forces
neutralized. IDF ground forces attack Egyptian forces in Sinai and the Gaza
Strip. Following Jordanian artillery and small arms attacks and a Jordanian
incursion into the DMZ in Jerusalem, IDF forces commence operations
against Jordanian military positions in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem.
7 June -- IDF completes deployment in Judea and Samaria. Old City of
Jerusalem liberated; city is unified.
8 June -- IDF completes deployment in Sinai (including the Gaza Strip).
Cease-fires declared with Egypt and Jordan.
9 June -- IDF forces move against Syrian forces on the Golan Heights.
10 June -- IDF completes deployment in the Golan Heights; cease-fire
declared with Syria. USSR severs diplomatic ties with Israel.
27 June -- Knesset passes the Protection of Holy Places Law.
21 October -- Israeli destroyer Eilat is sunk by an Egyptian missile off the
Sinai coast.
22 November -- UN Security Council passes Resolution #242.
1968
****
1 January -- Chaim Bar-Lev appointed eighth IDF Chief-of-General Staff.
27 January -- Israeli submarine Dakar is lost at sea without a trace.
26 May -- First Jerusalem Day celebrated.
22 June -- Prime Minister Levi Eshkol declares that the Jordan River is
Israel's security border.
22 November -- Car-bomb in Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market kills 12.
1969
****
26 February -- Prime Minister Levi Eshkol dies. Golda Meir appointed Prime
Minister.
28 October -- Elections held for the Seventh Knesset.
1970
****
22 May -- 12 are killed (including eight children aged 6 to 9) when terrorist
shell strikes a bus at Moshav Avivim on the northern border.
8 August -- American-brokered cease-fire ends War of Attrition with Egypt.
1971
****
8 July -- A Yassur chopper crashes in northern Sinai. Ten are killed.
31 December -- David Elazar appointed ninth IDF Chief-of-General Staff.
1972
****
9 May -- Terrorists murder 27 people (including 21 Christian pilgrims from
Puerto Rico) at Lod Airport.
5 September -- 11 Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinian terrorists in
Munich Olympic Village.
1973
****
24 May -- Prof. Ephraim Katzir succeeds Zalman Shazar as President.
13 September -- 13 Syrian MIG-21 planes downed in aerial battle off Syrian
coast.
6 October -- Egyptian and Syrian forces attack across 1967 cease-fire lines
and start Yom Kippur War.
6-7 October -- First naval battle in history entirely fought with missiles,
between Israeli and Syrian frigates off Syrian coast; all Syrian ships are sunk
(no Israeli losses).
15 October -- First IDF forces cross the Suez Canal.
22 October -- First cease-fire declared on southern front. UN Security
Council passes Resolution #338.
24 October -- Second cease-fire declared on southern front; cease-fire
declared on northern front.
11 November -- Truce agreement signed with Egypt at "Kilometer 101."
15 November -- Exchange of POWs with Egypt.
18 November -- Government decides to set up state commission of inquiry
(Agranat Commission) into beginning of the war.
1 December -- David Ben-Gurion dies.
21 December -- Geneva Peace conference opens.
31 December -- Elections held for the Eighth Knesset.
1974
****
18 January -- Disengagement agreement signed with Egypt.
2 April -- Agranat Commission interim report issued. IDF Chief-of-General
Staff Elazar resigns.
3 April -- Mordechai Gur appointed IDF Chief-of-General Staff.
10 April -- Prime Minister Golda Meir resigns thereby causing the government
to fall. Terrorists murder 16 civilians and two soldiers in Kiryat Shmona.
21 AprilAn IAF helicopter crashed on a mission near Syria. 8 crew and
soldiers killed.
27 AprilAn IAF chopper crashes while attempting rescue of injured from
Syrian attack on Hermon. Six soldiers killed.
15 May -- Terrorists murder 26 people (including 20 children) at a school in
Maalot.
31 May -- Disengagement agreement signed with Syria.
3 June -- Yitzchak Rabin presents his government to the Knesset.
16 June -- US President Nixon visits Israel (first visit by a US president). 18
November A IAF helicopter crashes in Haifa Bay. The crew is saved.
1975
****
6 March -- Terrorists murder 18 civilians and three IDF soldiers in an attack
on a Tel-Aviv hotel.
4 July -- Terrorist bomb kills 15 people (including two children) at Zion Square
in Jerusalem.
1 September -- Second Sinai agreement signed with Egypt.
10 November -- UN General Assembly passes a resolution declaring Zionism
to be a form of racism.
13 November -- Terrorist bomb in Jerusalem kills seven.
1976
****
30 March -- First "Land Day" marked by Israel's Arab community to protest a
government program for developing the Galilee which included land
expropriations; six killed.
27 June -- Air France flight #139 out of Athens (en route from Tel-Aviv to
Paris) is hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists to Uganda (via Libya).
July 3/4 -- Israeli forces land at Entebbe airport in Uganda and free the
hostages. (Of the 104 hostages, three were killed during the operation, as
was one Israeli officer, Jonathan Netanyahu. The operation was later named
after him. An Israeli hostage in a Ugandan hospital was later murdered.
Several Israeli soldiers were wounded.)
21 December -- Prime Minister Rabin submits his government's resignation.
1977
****
7 April -- Yitzchak Rabin announces his resignation as Labor Party leader
following allegations of foreign currency violations.
7 April -- Maccabi Tel-Aviv basketball team wins European Champions' Cup.
10 May-- A Yassur helicopter crashes during exercise near Jericho- 54
paratroops are killed.
17 May -- Elections held for the Ninth Knesset.
19 November -- Egyptian President Anwar Sadat arrives in Israel.
20 November -- Egyptian President Sadat addresses the Knesset.
25 December -- Prime Minister Menachem Begin confers with Egyptian
President Sadat in Ismailiya, Egypt.
1978
****
11 March -- Terrorists murder 39 Israelis after hijacking a bus on the main
coastal road.
16 March -- IDF launches "Operation Litani" in southern Lebanon.
16 April -- Rafael Eitan succeeds Mordechai Gur as the eleventh IDF Chief-
of-General Staff.
19 April -- Yitzhcak Navon succeeds Prof. Ephraim Katzir as President.
September -- Prime Minister Begin joins Egyptian President Sadat and US
President Jimmy Carter at Camp David in Maryland.
19 September -- Camp David accords signed in Washington, DC.
8 December -- Former Prime Minister Golda Meir dies.
10 December -- Prime Minister Begin and Egyptian President Sadat are
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1979
****
26 March -- Peace treaty with Egypt signed in Washington, DC.
1980
18 February -- Israeli embassy opens in Cairo.
24 February -- The pound is replaced by the shekel.
2 May -- Terrorists murder six Jews outside Beit Hadassah in Hevron.
2 June -- Bombs planted by Jewish terrorists wound several Arab Mayors in
Judea and Samaria.
30 July -- The Knesset passes the Basic Law: Jerusalem, the Capital of
Israel.
1981
****
27 March -- Maccabi Tel-Aviv basketball team wins European Champions'
Cup.
7 June -- Air force planes destroy Iraq's nuclear reactor.
30 June -- Elections held for the Tenth Knesset.
18 October -- Moshe Dayan dies.
14 December -- The Knesset passes the Golan Heights Law.
1982
****
3 June -- Israeli Ambassador to the UK Shlomo Argov is shot and critically
wounded in London by Palestinian terrorists.
6 June -- IDF forces move into Lebanon against PLO bases; beginning of
"Operation Peace for Galilee."
10 June -- IDF forces reach Beirut.
15 September -- IDF forces enter western Beirut.
16 September -- Lebanese Phalangist militiamen perpetrate massacre of
Palestinian refugees at Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in western Beirut.
28 September -- IDF withdraws from western Beirut. Prime Minister Begin
appoints Supreme Court President Yitzhcak Kahan to lead a commission of
inquiry into Israel's role in the Sabra and Shatila massacre.
1983
****
8 February -- Kahan Commission issues its report.
9 February -- Ariel Sharon resigns as Defense Minister in the wake of the
publication of the Kahan Commission report.
11 February -- Emil Grunzweig, who was participating in a "Peace Now"
demonstration in Jerusalem is murdered by a hand grenade which was
thrown
at demonstrators.
5 May -- Chaim Herzog succeeds Yitzhcak Navon as President.
31 August -- Prime Minister Begin announces his resignation.
2 September -- Yitzhcak Shamir forms a new government.
3 September -- IDF forces in Lebanon complete withdrawal to the Awali
River.
1984
****
23 July -- Elections held for the Eleventh Knesset.
13 September -- Shimon Peres and Yitzhcak Shamir form Labor-Likud
national unity government.
November-January 1985 -- Operation Moses; 7,800 Ethiopian Jews brought
to Israel.
1985
****
21 May -- "Jibril deal" is concluded, in which Israel released 1,150 detainees
in exchange for three IDF prisoners held by terrorist Ahmed Jibril.
6 June -- IDF completes its withdrawal from southern Lebanon. A security
zone is established in southern Lebanon.
2 October -- Air force planes bomb PLO headquarters in Tunis.
1986
****
1 January -- The New Shekel replaces the Shekel as Israel's currency.
11 February -- Soviet dissident Anatoly (Natan) Sharansky arrives in Israel
after prolonged incarceration in Soviet prisons.
18 February -- IDF soldiers Yossi Fink and Rachamim Alsheikh are abducted
in Lebanon.
16 October -- Air force navigator Ron Arad is shot down over Lebanon and
taken prisoner.
29 October -- Yitzchak Shamir presents his government to the Knesset (in
keeping with the agreement under which leadership of the national unity
government would rotate between Shimon Peres and Yitzchak Shamir).
26 November -- Indictment handed down against John Demjanjuk, who was
accused of being the infamous guard "Ivan the Terrible" at the Treblinka
concentration camp during WWII.
1987
****
16 February -- Demjanjuk trial opens.
19 April -- Dan Shomron appointed eleventh IDF Chief-of-General Staff.
4 June -- Landau Commission appointed to investigate the GSS' interrogation
methods, following the Bus #300 incident, in which it was revealed that GSS
agents had killed two Palestinian terrorists who were captured following the
hijacking of an Egged #300 bus on 12 April 1984.)
1 November -- Landau Commission presents its report.
26 November -- "Night of the Hang-Gliders" (Palestinian terrorist flies over the
border from Lebanon and attacks an IDF base, killing 6 soldiers).
9 December -- Beginning of the Intifada.
1988
****
28 March -- Mordechai Vanunu sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for
treason and espionage.
1 November -- Elections held for the Twelfth Knesset.
30 November -- National unity government presented to the Knesset.
1989
****
15 February -- Taba handed over to Egypt following international arbitration.
6 July -- An Arab terrorist seizes the steering wheel of a #405 Egged bus and
steers it into a steep ravine, murdering 16 people.
1990
****
9 February -- Czechoslovakia restores diplomatic relations with Israel.
27 February -- Poland restores diplomatic relations with Israel.
14 March -- Break-up of the national unity government.
20 May -- Ami Popper murders seven Arab workers at Vradim Junction.
10 October -- 21 Arabs killed in severe disturbances on the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem.
1991
****
10 January -- First Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries arrive in Israel.
14 January -- Civil defense authorities instruct Israelis to begin
preparing sealed rooms.
15 January -- Beginning of the Gulf War.
18 January -- Eight Iraqi Scuds launched at Israel; 12 people
lightly-to-moderately wounded.
19 January -- Four Iraqi Scuds launched at Israel; 16 people lightly injured.
(By 25 February 1992, 39 Scuds fell on Israel. In the wake of the attacks,
four people were killed and over 100 were injured).
28 February -- State of emergency is ended, following the end of the Gulf
War.
1 April -- Ehud Barak appointed twelfth IDF Chief-of-General Staff.
24-25 May -- 14,000 Ethiopian Jews are brought to Israel in "Operation
Solomon."
14 July -- The Congo restores diplomatic relations with Israel.
4 September -- Israel recognizes the independence of Latvia, Lithuania and
Estonia.
18 October -- Soviet Union restores full diplomatic relations with Israel.
24 October -- Israeli embassy in Moscow is rededicated.
30 October -- Madrid Peace Conference opens.
3 November -- Israel ratifies UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
16 December -- UN General Assembly votes 111-25-13 to repeal the
November 1975 resolution which declared Zionism to be a form of racism.
23 December -- Soviet (now Russian) Ambassador Alexander Bovin presents
his credentials to President Herzog (he is the last Soviet envoy ever to
present official credentials).
25 December -- Israel and Zambia restore diplomatic relations.
26 December -- Israel recognizes the independence of Ukraine.
1992
****
1-2 January -- Major snowstorms hit much of the northern and central parts of
the country; tens of thousands of Jerusalem residents are without electricity.
24 January -- Israel and the People's Republic of China establish
diplomatic relations.
29 January -- India establishes full diplomatic relations with Israel.
9 February -- Major snowstorms again hit much of the northern and central
parts of the country. Dam at the southern outlet of Lake Kinneret is opened
for the first time in four years in an effort to prevent flooding.
3 March -- The Negev town of Rahat becomes the first Bedouin community in
Israel to receive municipal status.
9 March -- Menachem Begin dies.
17 March -- Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires is destroyed by a terrorist bomb.
18 March -- Knesset passes a law providing for the direct election of the
prime minister, starting with the elections for the Fourteenth Knesset.
12 April -- Kazakhstan establishes diplomatic relations with Israel.
16 April -- Angola establishes diplomatic relations with Israel. Israel
formally recognizes the independence of Slovenia and Croatia.
23 April -- Armenia establishes diplomatic relations with Israel.
4 May -- Nigeria restores diplomatic relations with Israel.
23 June -- Elections held for the Thirteenth Knesset. Labor resumes power
(not in the context of a national unity government) for the first time
since 1977.
13 July -- Yitzhcak Rabin's Labor-led government is approved by the Knesset.
30 July -- Yael Arad wins a silver medal (Israel's first Olympic medal ever) in
the women's under-61-kg. judo competition at the Barcelona Olympics.
31 July -- Oren Smadja wins a bronze medal in the men's 70-kg. judo
competition at the Barcelona Olympics.
13 September -- Gambia restores diplomatic relations with Israel.
5 October -- Nicaragua restores diplomatic relations with Israel.
1993
****
13 January -- Israel ratifies an international convention banning chemical
weapons.
28 February -- Arrow missile is successfully test-fired.
13 May -- Ezer Weizman is sworn in as President, succeeding Chaim
Herzog.
29 July -- The Supreme Court overturns the conviction of John Demjanjuk.
12 September -- Israel and the PLO sign a declaration of principles (the
Oslo Agreement) in Washington, DC.
12 September Yechiel Karmi killed in Ashdod by Hamas terrorist.
19 September -- UEFA (the European Football Union) grants Israel
provisional membership.
21 September -- Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau meets in Rome with
Pope John Paul II.
23 September -- The Knesset ratifies the Oslo Agreement, 61-50.
27 September Amitai Kapach killed by terrorist.
29 September -- Gabon and Mauritius restore diplomatic relations with Israel.
9 October Dror Forer and Aran Bachar are killed in Wadi Kelt by Islamic
Jihad terrorists.
30 October - Bet El resident Chaim Mizrachi is stabbed to death by Arab
terrorists.
2 November -- Local elections held throughout the country. Jerusalem Mayor
Teddy Kollek (in office since 1965) is defeated by Likud challenger MK Ehud
Olmert.
9 November -- Suleiman al-Hawashle is run over and killed by terrosits at
Shagai Jct.
11 November Ephraim Olevi killed by Hamas terrorists in Hevron.
17 November Sgt. Chaim Drina is stabbed to death by Islamic Jihad
terrorists in Gaza.
1 December - - Shalva Ozana and Yitzchak Weinstock are shot to death by
Hamas terrorists in el-Bireh.
5 December -- IDF soldier David Masherti is shot to death by Islamic Jihad
terrorists at Holon Junction.
6 December -- Mordechai and Sholom Lapid are killed by Arab terrorists in
Hevron.
22 December -- Eliyahu Levin and Mayer Mendolovitz are shot to death by
Hamas terrorists in Betunia.
23 December -- Anatoly Kolisnikov is stabbed to death in Ashdod by Fatah
terrorist.
24 December - - Lt.-Col. Meir Mintz is killed by terrorists in Gaza.
29 December Yuval Golan is killed by terrorists in Adorayeem.
31 December Chaim Weizman and David Booblil are killed by Fatah
terrorists in Ramle.
1994
****
12 January -- OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Nechemia Tamari and three
other officers are killed in a helicopter crash.
12 January -- Moshe Becker is stabbed to death by PFLP terrorists in Rishon
L'Tzion.
14 January -- Gregory Izanov is stabbed to death by Hamas terrorists at Erez
, in Gaza.
8 February -- Shai Shuker is killed by PFLP terrorists in Tira.
9 February -- In Cairo, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PLO Chairman
Yassir Arafat sign an agreement on security arrangements regarding Jericho
and the Gaza Strip.
10 February -- Naftali Sohar is axed to death by Islamic Jihad terrorists in
Naan.
13 February -- IDF soldier Noam Cohen was shot to death by Hamas
terrorists.
13 February -- Tzipora Sasson was shot to death on Shomron Highway by
Hamas terrorists.
19 February -- IDF soldier Ilan Sodari was kidnapped and killed by Islamic
Jihad.
25 February -- Dr. Baruch Goldstein opens fire at Moslem worshipers inside
the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hevron, murdering 29.
25 February Morris Eizenstadt was axed to death in Kfar Saba by Fatah
terrorists.
27 February -- The government decides to appoint a state commission of
inquiry into the Hevron massacre.
28 February -- The Knesset votes 93-1-7 to condemn the Hevron massacre.
8 March -- State commission of inquiry into the Hevron massacre begins
holding hearings.
23 March -- Victor Lashtziver was shot to death in Jerusalem by PFLP
terrorists.
29 March Yitzchak Rotenberg is axed to death by Fatah terrorists in Petach
Tikvah.
31 March Yossi Zandani was stabbed to death by DFLP terrorists.
6 April -- 6 Israelis are killed in suicide bombing attack in Afula.
7 April Yishai Gadasi was shot to death by Hamas terrorists at the Ashdod
Junction.
13 April -- Five Israelis are killed in a suicide bombing attack in Hadera.
17 April Margolit Shochat and Raphael Yaeri are shot to death in a car by
Hamas terrorist near Bet Chaggai.
20 April IDF soldiers Cpl. Erez Ben-Baruch and Sgt. Moshe Bukra were
shot to death by Hamas terrorists at Erez Checkpoint.
21 April IDF cadet Shachar Simoni was kidnapped and killed in Jerusalem
by Hamas terrorists.
25 April -- The reflooding of 6,000 dunams of Lake Hula -- which was dried
up in the 1950's -- is begun.
4 May -- Israel and the PLO sign an agreement giving autonomy to Jericho
and the Gaza Strip.
8 May -- A 160-member Temporary International Presence in Hevron (TIPH)
begins its mission.
10 May -- An independent list headed by Labor MK Chaim Ramon wins the
Histadrut elections.
26 June -- The state commission of inquiry into the Hevron massacre
releases its report.
26 June David Mishali was killed by Fatah terrorists in Tel-Aviv.
1 July Yoram Skori was killed by Hamas terrorist in Netafim.
6 July IDF soldier Aryeh Frankental was killed in Beersheba by Hamas
terrorist.
7 July Sarit Prigal was killed in Harsina by Hamas terrorists.
17 July Border Policeman Jacques Atias is killed at Erez Checkpoint by PA
police.
19 July- Lt. Guy Ovadia was shot to death in Rafiach by Hamas terrorists.
25 July -- In Washington, DC, Israel and Jordan sign the Washington
Declaration, ending the state of belligerency between them.
3 August -- The Knesset ratifies the Washington Declaration, 91-3-2.
14 August Ron Sobel was shot to death in Kissufim by Hamas terrorists.
24 August -- Israeli and Palestinian negotiators sign the "early empowerment"
agreement.
26 August -- Shlomo Kapach and Gil Revach were shot and killed by Hamas
terrorists in Ramle.
4 September - Sgt. Victor Schichman was shot and killed by Hamas terrorists
at Morag Junction.
1 October -- Israel and Tunisia announce that they are opening interest
offices in each other's countries.
9 October IDF soldier Maayan Levy and Samir Maaravi were killed by PA
policemen in the Naclat Shiva terror attack on Jerusalem's Ben Yehuda Mall.
14 October -- The Nobel Prize Committee awards the 1994 Nobel Peace
Prize to Prime Minister Rabin, Foreign Minister Peres and PLO Chairman
Yassir
Arafat.
14 October Cpl. Nachshon Wachsman and Captain Nir Poraz are killed by
terrorists in a kidnapping and foiled rescue attempt respectively, in Bir
Naballah.
17 October -- Israeli and Jordanian negotiators initial a peace treaty, which is
unanimously approved by the government.
19 October -- 21 Israelis and one Dutch citizen are murdered when a suicide-
terrorist sets off a bomb on a #5 bus in Tel-Aviv.
24 October Sgt. Ehud Roth and Sgt. Ilan Levy are kidnapped and shot to
death by terrorists in Khan Yunis.
25 October -- The Knesset ratifies the peace treaty with Jordan, 105-3.
26 October -- Israel and Jordan sign the peace treaty between them.
1 November -- Israel opens a liaison office in Morocco.
7 November -- The Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hevron reopens.
10 November -- King Hussein of Jordan makes his first public visit to Israel.
11 November -- Captain Yechezkiel Sapir, Lt. Yotam Rahat and Captain
Eldad Dror were killed by Islamic Jihad suicide bomber at Netzarim, Gaza.
19 November -- Sgt. Gil Gadoun was killed by Hamas terrorists at Netzarim,
Gaza.
27 November -- Rabbi Amiram Olami was killed by Hamas terrorists near Bet
Chaggai.
30 November -- Cpl. Liat Gabai was axed to death in Afula by a Fatah
terrorist.
10 December -- Prime Minister Rabin and Foreign Minister Peres receive
their Nobel Peace Prizes in Oslo.
11 December -- Israel and Jordan open embassies in each other's countries.
26 December -- Prime Minister Rabin visits Oman.
1995
****
1 January -- Amnon Lipkin-Shahak appointed thirteenth IDF Chief-of-General
Staff.
6 January Ofra Felix is shot to death between Bet El and Shilo by PFLP
terrorists.
8 January -- The government votes to establish a state commission of inquiry
into the disappearance of Yemenite immigrant children between 1948-1954.
22 January -- 20 IDF soldiers and one civilian are murdered in a double
suicide-bombing at Beit Lid Junction, east of Netanya.
6 February Yevgeny Grimov is shot to death at Shaagia Junction by DFLP
terrorists.
24 February -- Tanzania restores diplomatic relations with Israel.
13 March Rafi Cohen is shot to death in Jerusalem by Hamas terrorists.
19 March Nachum Haas and Yehuda Partush are shot to death at
Zechuchit Junction by Hamas terrorists.
29 March IDF soldiers Nitzan Cohen and Jimal Suidat are run over by
terrorists at Karnei Junction.
9 April -- 6 IDF soldiers are murdered in a suicide-bombing near Kfar Darom
in Gush Katif. An American student and an additional IDF soldier die the next
day from wounds they sustained in the attack.
24 May Avraham Chadad is killed by terrorists.
2 July -- The worst fire in Israeli history hits the Jerusalem corridor, near
Shoresh and Neve Ilan.
16 July -- Deputy Defense Minister, and former IDF Chief-of-General Staff
Mordechai Gur, commits suicide, following a long illness.
18 July Ehud Bachrach and Ori Shachor are murdered by PFLP terrorists in
Wadi Kelt. 24 July -- Five Israelis are murdered when a suicide-bomber
blows up a #20 bus in Ramat Gan.
21 August -- Three Israelis and one American tourist are murdered when a
suicide-terrorist blows up a #26 bus in Jerusalem.
4 September -- Jerusalem 3000 celebrations begin.
5 September Danny Frei is stabbed to death in his Maale Michmas home
by PFLP terrorists.
24 September -- Israeli and Palestinian negotiators initial the "Oslo II"
agreement in Taba, Egypt.
27 September -- The government approves the Oslo II agreement, (18-0-2).
28 September -- Oslo II agreement signed in Washington.
6 October -- The Knesset approves the Oslo II agreement, 61-59.
17 October IDF soldier Muhamed Chuvari is shot to death by terrorists in
Kalkilya.
4 November -- Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin is murdered by a 25-year-old
Jewish assassin, Yigal Amir.
8 November -- The High Court of Justice rules that the air force cannot bar
Alice Miller from its combat pilots' course merely because she is a woman.
19 November -- The state commission of inquiry into the assassination of
Prime Minister Rabin begins its deliberations.
22 November -- The Knesset votes confidence in Shimon Peres' new
government.
5 December -- Yigal Amir is indicted for murdering Prime Minister Yitzchak
Rabin.
9 December A Jewish vehicle is fired upon by terrorists in Gush Etzion. One
girl is shot in the back.
19 December -- Trial of Yigal Amir begins.
1996
****
6 January-- - Yecchi Ayyash, The Engineer-killed by cellular phone explosion
in Gaza.
16 JanuarySgt. Yaniv Shimol and Major Oz Tivon killed in terrorist attack.
30 January Sgt. Ehud Tal is stabbed to death in Jenin by Hamas terrorists.
4 February Amram Rebibo is killed in Haifa by terrorists.
25 February -- 25 killed and about 90 wounded in two suicide attacks. Two
suicide terrorists carried out two attacks in less than one hour -- one in a
crowded #18 bus in Jerusalem and one at itch-hiking post at Ashkelon
Junction. Hamas assumed responsibility for both attacks.
26 February One Israeli woman is killed when an Arab terrorist intentionally
runs a car into hitching post in Jerusalem's French Hill neighborhood.
3 March -- 18 killed and 7 wounded in another suicide bus attack in
Jerusalem.
4 March -- 13 killed in suicide attack in heart of Tel Aviv.
27 March -- Yigal Amir convicted of murder of Yitzchak Rabin: sentenced to
life and an additional six years imprisonment.
11 April -- IDF begins Operation Grapes of Wrath against Hizbullah terrorists
in southern Lebanon.
13 May --Yeshiva student David Reuvein Boim is shot and killed by terrorists
near Bet El.
30 May -- Elections held for the Fourteenth Knesset. Binyamin Netanyahu
elected Prime Minister of Israel in the first direct election for the post.
9 June -- Efrat and Yaron Unger shot to death by Arab terrorists near Bet
Shemesh.
26 June 1996 Terrorist fire on Kibbutz Na'aran, near PA-controlled Jericho.
No injuries reported.
26 July Uri, Rachel, and Zeev Munk are shot to death by Arab terrorists near
Bet Shemesh.
9 September Sgt. Sharon Edri is kidnapped and shot to death by Hamas
terrorists.
25 September -- Severe PA-instigated disturbances erupt in Judea, Samaria
and Gaza following government's decision to open the Hasmonean Tunnel
adjacent to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.
27, 28 & 29 September Fourteen IDF soldiers are killed by PA police in
rioting throughout Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
11 December Eta and Ephraim Tzur are shot to death by Arab terrorists near
Dolev.
16 December IDF soldier Assaf Banor dies from injuries sustained in Bet Lid
attack two years earlier.
1997
****
1 January-- IDF soldier opens fire on Arabs in Casbah of Hevron wounding
seven Arabs.
9 January-- Two pipe bombs on Neve Sha'anan Street, Tel-Aviv. No one is
injured.
14 January Yaakov Yamini is killed by terrorists in Jerusalem.
11 February--31 Arab murderesses including the killers of Tzvi Klein and
IDF soldier David Manos released by Israeli authorities.
15 January -- Agreement on Hevron redeployment signed between Israel and
the PA.
4 February -- 73 soldiers killed in collision of two Sikorsky helicopters over the
Shar Yashuv (Galilee panhandle).
13 March -- Seven Israeli schoolchildren shot to death by a Jordanian soldier
in Naharayim.
21 March -- 3 killed and 42 wounded in an Arab terrorist bomb attack at the
Apropos Restaurant in Tel-Aviv.
10 April -- IDF soldier Sgt. Sharon Edri found dead in the Arab village of
Sourif.
****
This list, although not comprehensive, gives an overview of many events over
the last 49 years, including terror attacks in which lives were lost.
****
Sources: GPO, SNS News Service/ Terror Victim list, Israel Yearbook and
Almanac, 1991-92, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 (Naftali Greenwood, Editor-in-
Chief); The Dent Atlas of The Arab-Israeli Conflict (by Martin Gilbert); A
History of Israel; From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time (by Prof. Howard M.
Sachar); A History of Israel, Vol. II: From the Aftermath of the Yom Kippur
War (by Prof. Howard M. Sachar); Political Dictionary of the State of Israel
(Susan Hattis Rolef, Editor); Biographical Dictionary of the Middle East (by
Yaacov Shimoni); The Jerusalem Post; material was also supplied by the
Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archives.
****
SNS News Service - is owned and operated by IINS Ltd. (Israel Internet
News Service ) - copyright 1997
To subscribe, send an email message to: subscribe@snsnews.co.il with the
word subscribe in the body of the message. http://www.snsnews.co.il Text
Only Site: http://www.snsnews.co.il/textonly
*************************
Spiritual Food for the Last-Days
Foundations of Faith - Part 1
By Rev. Lee Simmon
MIRROR MIRROR
James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word, but does not do
what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror; and after looking
at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."
Most of us are so familiar with that story, "Snow White." There is the mean,
angry step-mother looking in the mirror; and as she looks, she says those
famous words-- certainly expecting the mirror to tell her what she wants to
hear. So she says, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"
Now there's something about a mirror that's brutally honest. She did not
expect to hear what she heard; and when you and I look in a mirror, we find
that it's brutally honest. It shows us exactly what we are.
Do you ever wonder why the first thing in the morning when you get up you
look in the mirror? Do you do that? I mean, you get up, you kind of stumble
into the bathroom, you look, and you say, "Oh my!" Your hair's all over the
place and, if you're a guy, you know you need a shave. Maybe you didn't get
enough sleep and there are bags under your eyes and you don't look as
young as you used to. You look in the mirror and say, "Man, I've got a lot of
work to do today!". I mean, the mirror is brutally honest!
Do you ever go to your mirror and say, "How do you adjust this thing?!
Something's not right here. I'm going to trade this thing in for a better one
because I don't like what I see?" No. A mirror is the exact reflection of us, and
it's brutally honest because it shows us as we really are; and that's why we
spend so much time before we ever go anywhere to do the best we can with
what we have. The very last thing we do before we leave the house is that we
take one last look. Sometimes, if we're out with a group of people, and they're
looking at us strange, we run to take a look to make sure that everything's
O.K.
Now here in the book of James, chapter 1, there's an illustration of a mirror. It
tells us that the Bible is to be our mirror--that when we look in the Word of
God, we should see ourselves as we really are and for God to show us what
needs to be changed in our lives. You see, the mirror is our standard and the
Bible is the standard that God has given to us. How do we know what's right
and wrong, what's good and bad, what we should do and what we shouldn't
do? What changes need to be made in us? We're not going to find it in the
latest magazine. We're not going to find it in the educational systems. We're
not going to find it on television and the media. The only way that we really
know what the standard is, the way to really examine ourselves and see
ourselves as God sees us is in the Word of God. So God gives us a mirror to
look at.
Now take your Bible, please, and go back to James chapter 1 and notice
what he says in verse 22 about this mirror: "Do not merely listen to the Word,
and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word,
but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror;
and after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks
like."
Now notice again verse 22. "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says." This word, "listen" is a very interesting word in
the Bible. It literally means to listen to a lecture, but not become a disciple.
You ask, "what does that mean?" Well, in the Greek culture, in the Greek
world of which the Bible was written, there were many philosophers all over
the place; and they were always looking for disciples. So they would go from
place to place, from town to town and they would give a lecture. Students
would come, or people would come, to hear the lectures. So there were those
who would go to listen to all the lectures, but only a handful who would really
become followers or disciples of the philosopher. So James says that's what
you need to be. Just don't go there and listen, listen, listen. You have to be a
doer of the Word. It says, "don't be deceived".
You say, "how can I be deceived if I'm listening to the Word of God?". Well,
there are many people today who will go to all the services in the church.
They'll listen to Christian radio. They'll have the Bible on cassette. They'll
listen, listen, listen, listen and yet, they deceive themselves thinking they're
really spiritual. "Oh, I'm always listening to Christian radio. I'm always listening
to preaching. Oh, I'm always memorizing verses of Scripture," but no real
change inside is taking place.
When I was in Bible school many years ago, there was one young man who
was particularly arrogant and cocky and know-it-all. I thought, "boy, that guy
really has some work to be done in his life." Later, I heard that when he was
in high school, he'd memorized whole books of the Bible for Bible quizzing;
and yet, although he had memorized more Scripture than I ever dreamed
about memorizing, as I looked at his life, there were some major character
flaws. Although he knew the Word, the Word didn't know him.
So the Bible says just don't be a listener. Don't be self deceived thinking that
you're so spiritual because you've heard all these things and you know all
these things. It's got to change your life. The Word needs to be the mirror we
look into to see ourselves as we really are.
Now, in verse 25 of this chapter, we notice how the Word is to work in our life.
If you're in the habit of marking your Bible and would care to do so, I want you
to notice four key words in this one verse of Scripture, because it tells us how
the Word of God needs to work in our life.
We're starting a new series of messages called the Fundamentals of the
Faith. No, no. It's not about being a fundamentalist. That's something
different--but about the very basics, the very foundations of our faith. What
should be the bottom line and at the very bottom line is the foundation of the
Word of God. It's the standard. It's how we see ourselves as we are.
"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and
continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be
blessed in what he does." (James 1:25)
In this particular verse of Scripture, James 1:25, there are four different words
that speak about the relationship that the Word of God needs to have in our
life. First, we have to look at it intently. Second of all, we've got to continue in
the Word of God. Continue to do this. Third, not forgetting, remembering
what we've heard. And fourth, doing it. Just do it. When we do those things,
we will be blessed by the Lord.
Now the first thing it says is to look intently into it. This is another phenomenal
word in the Bible. It's only found on one other occasion. That's in John 20:5-
11. It's the passage about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you remember
the story, early that resurrection morning Peter and John are racing to the
tomb. John stops because he's cautious. Peter runs right in and the Bible
says that John stopped and he looked in and he gazed intently at the grave
clothes. What was John doing? He was examining them very closely. I mean,
there was the head piece. It was right in place and there were the linens right
in place and he's looking intently. You know, what is all this? Of course, it was
the resurrection. It took a little while for the disciples to realize that.
Then Mary comes and she stoops at the tomb and she just spends that time
gazing inside contemplating and looking. That's what this phrase means, that
you just look and you look, and you look and you look. It's a great, intense
look. And God has given us His Word as we are to look into a mirror we don't
just glance at ourselves and go on and we miss some certain things about
ourselves that we need to take care of. When we look intently, we make sure
that every hair is in place and that my dress is O.K. and now I'm ready to go
in the same way. We are to look intently and very closely at the teachings of
the Word of God.
Now do you know that you can read or study the Bible the wrong way? Did
you ever read the Bible out of duty? Because you had to do it? I knew a
young man a number of years ago who went off to Bible and they wanted
everybody in this Bible school to have daily devotions and read the Bible
every day. So they gave you a little booklet of Scripture readings with a little
place where you were supposed to write in the answers to some questions.
The dorm supervisor had to read them over every week, so you had to do it.
And everybody had to get up at 6:00 in the morning to have their daily
devotions.
Well this fellow said that guys would get up in the dorm and they'd be so tired,
they didn't want to do it. They were up late the night before. They would go to
their desks and they would just read a few verses and write something down.
Then they'd put their head on their Bible and sleep until breakfast time. You
see, you can do it out of duty.
Many years ago, I was in a church service and the pastor challenged
everybody to read the Bible from cover to cover every year. Being a goal
oriented person, I just jumped on that and said, "Yes! That's a great thing to
do!" and it is good to read the Bible from cover to cover, and yes, we should
be doing that; but I thought, "Yes. I'm going to do that." So I began every year
to read the Bible through and every year I did it, the better I felt every year
because I could tell people I'd read it through six times and seven times and
eight times and nine times. But it was a source of pride, spiritual pride. And
you know, in reality, there were many times in the morning I'd get up and read
the scriptures and think, "Well, today's three chapters. Today's four chapters"
and I'd read those three or four chapters, but I didn't get anything out of it.
You see, I read it out of duty. So I could just do it. Just check it off. I wasn't
looking intently into it. Just get it done and I could say I'd done it. Many people
approach personal devotions that way. "Well, did that for the day! Time to go
on..." That's the wrong way.
You can read the Scripture just for doctrine or teaching. Maybe you're into the
Rapture or certain other things and you think, "Oh, boy! I found a verse here
and I found a verse there!" and there's nothing wrong with teaching and
doctrine; but if we're only approaching the Bible in an intellectual way, just to
find and gain more knowledge, we're reading for the wrong reason. So you
can read the Word out of duty. You can read the Word out of doctrine. You
can also read out of debate. Maybe you're having a discussion with someone
at work or someone in your Bible study group and they're wrong and you're
right and you're sure of it. Boy, you're reading through the Word and you're
finding some more ammunition. You go, "Whoa! I can't wait to get this verse
and show them that! I'm gonna' prove them wrong!" So we look at the Word
as ammunition to fight somebody else. And we're not getting anything out of
it.
In Psalm 1:2 we read of the man who really has a hunger for God and his
delight is the law of the Lord. In his law he meditates day and night. So when
we look at the Word, we need to approach it as if we were looking into a
mirror. "God, what's wrong? What needs to be done in my life? I'm looking at
your Word. Now what do You have to say to me?" That's why I like to write in
my Bible when I have my time with the Lord-- because when God zaps me
with something I say, "Oh, God, I'm going to ask You to help me with that.
Lord, I need some help there." And I'll write it and I'll even date it. I'll claim this
verse and I'll claim this date for God to work in my life this way.
You see, if we're going to use the Word as God says, as a mirror, then we
need to look at it intently. We need to be constantly looking at it. The Bible
says, "sincerely desire the milk of the Word that you may grow thereby." You
and I will not grow spiritually, the Bible says, if we're not feeding on spiritual
food. So we have to feed on the things of the Word of God. So first of all we
have to look intently at it.
Second of all it says to continue to do this. Many of us are like my friend Tim.
Many years ago Tim came to know the Lord as his Savior and I just watched
him explode in growth. I mean, he had such a hunger for the things of God.
When he got up in the morning during his breakfast, he'd be reading the
scripture. At lunch time, he'd take the Bible, put it in his lunch bucket and
when it was lunch, he'd be reading the Bible. He'd get home from work that
evening. No TV. He'd read the Bible. He had just such a hunger for the things
of the Lord, but as time went on, it got a little colder.
One day my wife and I were over at his house. He looked at me and said, "I
don't know what happened. I used to have such a hunger for the Bible. I used
to spend so much time in the Bible and now I can't even pick it up." He said,
"I haven't read it in weeks and it's just one of the hardest things for me to do
is to pick up the Bible again." Isn't it easy to get started in things and quit? It's
easy to start, but it's hard to finish. You say, "How do you know that?" Well,
how many people have started diets and have quit? How about, "I'm going to
finally begin to exercise!"? You go around to yard sales and at every house
there's a treadmill or there's an exercise bike or a set of weights where
people had great intentions, but after a week or two they quit. You see, it's
easy to get started in doing something right but
Now, why'is it so hard? At one time, when we're on fire for God and we really
devour the Word, why is it so hard to continue to do it? I believe the answer is
because the enemy doesn't want it to happen. I believe he's got his hand right
on the book. You say, "Why do you say that?" Well, what weapon did Jesus
use to fight the enemy? Of all the spiritual weapons that Jesus Christ had
available, when the enemy came at Him three times, every time he said this:
"Devil, it is written..." and then He quoted the Word of God.
Now, if the Word of God is that important for us as a weapon, then he wants
to keep it out of our hands. The Bible says that of all the armor we have, we
have one offensive weapon and that's the sword of the Spirit--the Word of
God. I believe that every time we open the Word up and we begin to get into
it and we begin to get fed on it, then we are defeating the enemy. So say,
"Devil, I'm not going to let you have me in this. I'm not going to let you put me
down in this. I am going to continue with what God has asked me to do."
I Peter 2:2 "Sincerely desire the milk of the Word, that you may grow
thereby." I need to grow spiritually. God, I need Your Word. I need to look in
the mirror so I want to hunger and thirst after righteousness that I might be
filled. You see, so many times in life we start, we start, we start. But we stop.
The Bible says continue, continue.
It's very interesting that the tense of these words are participles and they
mean continuous action. So, you look and you look and you look and you
continue and you continue and you continue. You don't forget, you don't
forget, you don't forget. You just do it and you do it and you do it and you do
it. Because God says through James that we need a mirror. We've got to
keep looking.
"Well I looked at myself a month ago! I looked pretty good then!" What would
you and I look like if we never looked in a mirror for a month? Not so good,
huh? So the Bible says continue in doing it. For some of us, it's been a long
time. The Lord's saying, start again. Be faithful again.
Then it goes on to say, "not forgetting what he has heard". I find it very
interesting that in the Scripture we're told so many times to forget. "There's
one thing I do," the Apostle Paul said in Phillipians 3:13 "forgetting the things
that are behind and pressing forward to the things that are ahead." Did you
ever notice how the enemy flip-flops things around? See, the Bible says to
forget the past. We forget the glory of our past as well as the gloom of our
past. We're just to put it behind us and to press ahead. The Bible says forget
the past. Press on to the future. But here the Bible says something not to
forget. Don't forget all of what you've read, all of what you've heard, all of
what you've studied. And what happens is, we forget what we've learned, but
we remember the past. See, everything God tells us to do the right way, the
enemy flips around and many of us spend our time not forgetting the past, but
forgetting what God tells us in the mirror of His Word.
Oftentimes, when it comes to the Scriptures, we have selective hearing. We
only hear certain parts. We only hear the parts we want to hear. We ignore
the parts we don't want to hear. It's kind of like the typical husband. You
know, guys, it's like we're sitting there reading the paper and our wife says,
"Honey, would you take out the trash?". "Honey, would you come help me
with this?" and we don't hear a thing; but then we hear "dinner's ready!".
Boom, we're at the table just like that! Right? We're selective about what we
want to hear. Oftentimes, we approach the Scriptures the same way. You
see, for many of us, when the Bible speaks about serving the Lord we say,
"oh that's wonderful. Yes, I want to serve God." You say, "I want to be
involved in service to Him" and it's very important. The Bible tells about
serving the Lord; but you see, the Bible says that not only is it important to do
what God wants us to do. What we are is also important. You see, our being
is as important as our doing. God working inside in our heart and our
character is as important at serving the Lord.
In fact, if we have a flaw in our character, our service will come tumbling
down. Over and over we've watched people who've been known not only
nationally but around the world. I mean, they were doers. They were serving.
But because there was a flaw inside the whole thing came crumbling down.
So, it's easy to do the things that we get the strokes for--the things we get the
affirmation for. "Oh, well you're doing this;" and "you're gifted in this" and
"you're doing that" and we can focus on those parts of the Word of God, but
miss the character in the fruit that God wants to develop in our life.
When God begins speaking about character, things that people don't see on
the surface, and when we look in the mirror and He says, " I want to deal with
this and this and this," we have to look at all of it. Not forgetting any of it. Not
just being selective and taking the things that we like to hear.
You see, some people approach the scripture like a cafeteria. "Oh boy, this is
good. Man, what a nice meal here! Whew, prophecy! Yes, I'll take all that!
Oh, I'm loved! Yes, I'll take all that! God's going to forgive me my sins! I'll take
all that!"
"I don't think I'll take that, that deals with my temper. You know, that's my
nationality anyway. So I can't help that." No, we take it all. Right? Whatever
God says.
So, we're to look intently. We're not to quit. We're to continue in the standard,
God's Word. We're not to forget it but to continue to go looking in it. Why
does the Bible repeat itself so many times? To help us to remember. Isn't that
a good way to learn? Repetition, repetition. Why does the Bible say 26 times
"love one another"? --for us to get the point and not to forget that we need to
love one another!
The last thing it says is "but doing it." Just not hearing, just not looking, just
not knowing, "but doing it." The King James version says to be a doer. It
reminds me of the Nike commercial. You know, all those athletes are out
there and they're playing basketball, or they're doing track, or doing this sport
or that sport. You can see all that happening and then it says, "just do it."
That's what God's saying here. (Way before the commercial.) "Just do it!"
We're to be doers whether you like it or not. Whether you want to or not.
Whether you say it's hard or not. God just says be a doer of the Word of God.
Whatever he says, do.
We look in the mirror and we see things and say, "Oh Lord, this is hard!" But
He says, "just do it!"
"Well, I don't know about this!" And He says, "JUST DO IT!"
Of course, we don't do it on our own because we can't; but the Holy Spirit is
there to help us and to give us power to have victory in our lives. He says,
"just do it."
Now we can stop the text right here and say, "Whew! Lord, that's a tough
one. I've not really been in your Word like I should be. I'm really not looking
like I should be and I'm not where I should be." We could be convicted right
now, but the text goes on.
It says, just to make sure, if you haven't gotten the point, here's what this all
means: in verse 26 "if anyone considers himself to be religious, to be
spiritual, and yet does not keep a rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and
his religion is worthless." You look at yourself and you say, "Oh I'm not going
to worry about what I say. You know, that's a different thing." The Bible says
it's empty. It's worthless.
Here's a basic issue. Look in Proverbs and what does it talk about?
Controlling the tongue. Jesus spoke about it in the New Testament and
James says, in case you haven't gotten it yet, here's one particular thing!
Here's one particular area to really demonstrate whether you're looking in the
mirror of the Word. Are you letting God change you in this area? He says this:
religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this--be a great
preacher, great evangelist, great teacher, great soul-winner, great singer.
Hah! It doesn't say that! Anything wrong with those things? Absolutely not.
But he brings it very practically and says this, pure religious spirituality: to look
after orphans and widows in their distress, to look after those who are hurting,
those who need love, those who need help and to keep oneself from being
polluted by the world--that's character. Ouch!
James says, you really want to know what I'm saying here about looking at
the word of God and looking in the mirror and looking intently and being a
doer of the Word? Here are just a couple examples of what I'm talking about.
You see, the problem is that so often we get affirmation and we get our
strokes by the things that people see about us. Is there anything wrong with
serving? We need to serve. But it's about all of us, about our total being as
we look at ourselves as God wants us to through the mirror of His Word.
Now I want you to turn to one more passage in Matthew 7 to see what the
Lord says about this. Matthew 7: the most important thing is doing the will of
God. And even though we might do spectacular things, awesome things,
apart from God's will, they're meaningless. Matthew 7:21--"not everyone who
says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. But only he who
does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Verse 22--"Many will say to me
on that day Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name
drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I
never knew you. Away from me you evildoers." The most important thing is
doing the will of God whether it's visiting a widow, whether it's keeping
ourselves from being polluted, whether it's bridling our tongue, God says do
it. It's the only standard we have. It's really the only truth that we will ever
have about who we really are and what God is asking us to do to conform us
into the image of His Son.
So we have to ask ourselves, if we look in the mirror of James 1:25, "Am I
looking intently in God's Word?" "Am I in it on a daily basis looking for what
God needs to say to me?" "Am I continuing?" Some of us got great starts, but
we got cold. We need to restart and say, "God I need to begin again to be in
Your Word." "Am I remembering what God is asking me to do? Lord, this is a
character flaw, this is a weakness, this is an area. God, I need You, by Your
Holy Spirit, to help me with this, to work on this, to work on that."
We're saying, God whatever it is, you say to do it. No matter how hard, no
matter what the consequence, God, You're saying do it. So as we look at the
Word of God we have to say, "Mirror, mirror on the wall. What are you really
saying to me after all?
Let's pray: Lord, your Word is a light and a lamp. Lord, you have given us
your standard. You say it's the perfect law of liberty, that we are liberated
through it and that it is perfect. There are no errors. Father, maybe to others
we look like we're the superstars and yet, Lord, as we look at the mirror of
your Word, we see Lord that there are areas that we have not let you work on
or cared to work on. So we pray, Father, that you would help us to see
ourselves as you see us as we look in your Word and that we will be
conformed to the image of your Son. Lord, here we are wholly available. We'll
be at your altar, Father, for you to do your work in our hearts. We ask in the
name of Jesus. Amen.
You know, the very first thing that the Scripture tells us is that you must be
born again. That's not some decision of some church or some group of
people somewhere. Jesus said it: unless a man is born again he cannot see
the kingdom of heaven. Just as we have a physical birth, we need a spiritual
rebirth. If you're reading this, t
hat's what God's Word has to say. If you've not
received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior to come into your life, to
change your life, you can become a different person with your sins forgiven
and with the Lord in your life. If that's you, I invite you to accept Christ today
The Bible tells us, that as many as received Him (Jesus), He gave them the
right to become children of God, even those who believe on His name.
So I am going to pray a prayer of invitation to receive Jesus into your life. It is
not like saying an "our Father" or like reading a prayer card, it is not the words
that are significant but what it means. You are going to ask Jesus to save you
from your sins, to come into your heart, to be the master of your life and to
take you to heaven when you die. So if you are not sure of your salvation
today, and the desire of your heart is for Jesus Christ to come into your life to
be your Lord and Savior, make this your prayer.
Dear Lord, I am a sinner. I confess my sins to you and right now ask you to
forgive my every sin. I invite you right now into my life, to be my Lord and my
Savior. Thank you for coming into my life. May never be the same again.
Make me a new person in Jesus Christ for I thank you in Jesus name. Amen.
Father we thank you. We thank you for the body and blood of Jesus and as
we come around your table, help us to come with a heart cleansed by the
blood of Christ, with an attitude of gratefulness and a desire to walk in the
holiness you have called us to. We thank you and praise you in Jesus name
****************
PropheZine NEWSBYTES
"LITTLE WAILING WALL" PLANNED FOR JEWISH PRAYER
The Religion Ministry plans to discuss setting up a new prayer area,
nicknamed the "Little Wailing Wall" in the Moslem quarter of the Old City of
Jerusalem, despite police warnings that prayer at the site will create "a high
security risk."
The Little Wailing Wall is part of a small alleyway located near the Atirat
Kohanim Yeshiva. Like the Wailing Wall, it is part of the western retaining
wall built in 20BC by Herod around the Second Temple, but is located in an
area that is now dirty and dilapidated.
In the past, the Little Wailing Wall has been suggested as a prayer site for
women or for Reform Jews. The Women of the Kotel (Wall) organization
which has fought for equal prayer rights for women at the Wailing Wall has
always rejected the idea, saying it is too dangerous given its location in the
heart of a hostile neighborhood.
When the suggestion first arose, the police gave its opinion that "prayer at the
site would constitute a high security risk due to its location in the midst of a
hostile population and across from the entrance to the Temple Mount."
The Religion Ministry plans to hold discussions today with officials from the
ministries of Housing, Interior Security, Transportation, Tourism and
Education and Culture on a general plan, costing about 15 million shekels, to
improve facilities for prayer and tourism in the old city.
Under the plan, more than 2.5 million shekels would be allocated for the Little
Western Wall, half of it to widen the alleyway and the rest to clean and fortify
the structure.
Religion Ministry Director General says the plan, mentioned in the ministry's
internal newsletter, is not politically motivated. {HAARETZ 5/6 P|C}
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
EBOLA-LIKE VIRUS IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
BLOW THE TRUMPET. This report is unconfirmed by the mainline media,
but has been reported by a reliable source, Dr. Len Horowitz. If the story
turns out to be true, then the biological war against mankind may have
started. The plagues spoken of by Jesus in Matthew, Chapter 24 will be a
reality, and this may just be the beginning of that reality.
Subject: New Ebola-like Virus Outbreak in the Dominican Republic
The following report was submitted by telephone to Tetrahedron, Inc. from
local citizens of the Dominican Republic:
On the Northeast side of the Island, poor villagers and wealthy farmers alike
are dying, apparent victims of a biological weapons attack. Trucks bearing
the letters "CDC" were reported spraying a white smoky substance into the
air surrounding the areas in question. To date, the international news
community have failed to report anything on this outbreak.
>From Boya to San Piedro and San Cristobal, as close as 75km from Santo
Domingo, the nation's capital, largely dissolved corpses are being carted off
in body bags by gloved masked men in white infection control outfits,
Beginning on Thursday, May 1, all traffic was stopped going in and out of this
"hot zone." All live stock and farm animals in these regions were observed
lying dead. CDC officials on the scene informed locals that the spraying
trucks were being used to reduce the spread of lethal viruses. A search of the
Internet failed to reveal any mention of this outbreak. U.S. citizens and people
throughout the world should be informed and warned that they too may be at
risk for biological weapons attack possibly from US government vehicles and
terrorists.
Reported by Dr. Len Horowitz, May 6, 1997, author of "Emerging Viruses:
++++++++++++++++++++++++
************
URGENT PRAYER NEEDED: China orders the execution of Christians
By: John Loeffler
Reliable sources in China have informed International Christian Concern that
the Chinese government has ordered the execution of China's most
prominent Christian house church leaders. Xu Yong Ze could be executed
any time soon, according to the source.
Pastor Xu was arrested in Zhengzhou, Henan province on March 16 along
with 16 other popular house church leaders. The eight were arrested after
having met together to discuss uniting their house churches. Pastor Xu's
church network Cong Sheng (Born Again) is estimated to be over eight
million in number. The merger would have created the largest organized
body of Christians is China.
The names of the other seven arrested in March are: Liu Zhenying, Wang
Xincai, Wang Baoquan, Fang Xian, Mui Sheng Ging Jing and Elder Qiao.
The fate of these seven is unknown.
The Born Again House Church is considered a "heresy" by the Chinese
government. In the government's "strike hard" campaign against crime, the
illegal house churches are being targeted because of their rapid growth and
evangelistic fervor.
Pastor Xu Yong Ze had been imprisoned three times. He has been in hiding
since 1991 following his release from his last prison sentence. His last arrest
occurred in 1991 following an attempt to meet with evangelist Billy Graham.
President Bill Clinton is expected to decide this month whether or not China
should continue to receive Most Favored Nation trading privileges. ICC is
urging Americans to express their outrage by phoning the White House and
their representatives in Congress.
White House: (202) 456-1111
Capitol: (202) 224-3121
Chinese Embassy: (202) 328-2582
From:
John Loeffler
Steel on Steel Radio Program
P.O. 3358
Hayden, ID 83835-3358
****************************************
F.Y.I. - Israel In The News
Week Ending: May 17, 1997/10 Iyar, 5757
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be
born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion
travailed, she also brought forth her sons." Isaiah 66.8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY: Israel celebrated its 49th year of
independence on Monday with the traditional lighting of the torches on Mount
Herzl. The theme of this year's celebrations was the 100th anniversary of the
First Zionist Congress in Basel. Major public ceremonies included a reception
for commanders in the War of Independence in the President's House, a
reception for outstanding soldiers and the diplomatic corps, the International
Bible Contest, and the prestigious Israel Prize award ceremony. The Shas
Party declared Independence Day a "Day of Torah." A satellite link broadcast
Torah lectures and prayer from Jerusalem's Bucharin neighborhood to
synagogues nationwide. In his address to the Palestinian Authority (PA)-
elected council in Ram'Allah, PLO Chairman Arafat stated the day the State
of Israel achieved its independence was a "sad day" for his people and the
"Palestinian people were subjected to the worst holocaust in history." The PA
announced that it would commemorate Israel's Independence Day as a
"national day of mourning." Thousands from Kiryat Arba and Hevron filled the
park in front of Ma'arat HaMachpela to hear speeches and listen to children's
choirs from the various educational institutions in Kiryat Arba. Of course,
fireworks were also a main attraction.
Following the events holiday prayer services took place both inside and
outside the Ma'arat. (Arutz Sheva, SNS, Hevron Press Office, Kol Yisrael,
MED)
ON THE NORTHERN FRONT: Three Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers
from the elite parachutists' commando unit were killed Thursday night in a
bitter battle with Hizb'Allah terrorists north of the Security Zone in Lebanon.
Seven others were wounded in the battle. Two of the terrorists were killed.
The Israel Air Force bombed terrorist bases Friday morning in Lebanon. The
fighting follows a marked escalation in clashes and attacks by Hizb'Allah on
IDF and South Lebanese Army (SLA) targets. In a clash Wednesday morning
in the eastern sector of the Zone, the IDF Spokesman said at least one
Hizb'Allah gunman was killed, while there were no casualties among the IDF
soldiers. In a separate incident late Wednesday night, Hizb'Allah gunmen
fired Sagger missiles at two IDF tanks in the Barasheet area in the western
sector of the Security Zone. There were no casualties from the missile attack,
although one of the tanks was damaged. IDF gunners returned fire. There
were no reports of any casualties from the shelling. Meanwhile, on Monday, a
force of 60 Hizb'Allah terrorists attempted to conquer the SLA stronghold of
Sujud in the eastern sector of the Security Zone in southern Lebanon. Four of
them were killed, as were four SLA soldiers; 4 soldiers of the SLA and one of
the IDF were lightly injured.
Meanwhile, the IDF has issued warnings to soldiers serving in south Lebanon
after receiving information about possible attempted kidnappings in the
Security Zone. According to an Arab journal, members of Ahmed Jibril's
Palestinian rejectionist group are planning, together with Hizb'Allah, to abduct
soldiers and transfer them to the Beka Valley. In the magazine, it is reported
that the plan was prompted by a rivalry between various organizations
operating in south Lebanon.
Iran delivered 37 jumbo flights of weapons to Syria, destined for Hizb'Allah
guerrillas in Lebanon, in the first four months of the year. The statement was
made Thursday by Uri Lubrani, an Israeli government official who coordinates
Israel's activities in Lebanon. He said Hizb'Allah takes it orders from Iran, but
could be controlled by Syria if terms of an agreement with Israel were worked
out. At the same time, Lubrani said, Russia and China continue to provide
Iran with nuclear weapons technology. "We will do our utmost to prevent Iran
from getting an unconventional weapon," the Israeli official said. (Arutz
Sheva, Jerusalem Post, SNS, Kol Yisrael, MED, AP)
LEGISLATORS IN ISRAEL, US OUTRAGED AT PA THREATS AGAINST
LAND DEALERS: Arabs in the PA who deal in the sale of lands to Jews
continue to be in danger. The body of the Arab real estate agent Farid
Bashiti, who was murdered last week, was examined Sunday in the (Israeli)
Pathological Institute in Abu Kabir. His family was refused permission to hold
a funeral ceremony in a Jerusalem mosque, and the imam [the prayer leader]
told them that he should be buried next to the murdered Arab who sold his
Jerusalem apartment to Ariel Sharon some years ago. Member of Knesset
(MK) Chanan Porat (NRP) has joined his colleague MK Shaul Yahalom in
asking the Attorney-General to open an investigation against top Arafat-
advisor Dr. Ahmed Tibi. They claim that Tibi's remarks against Palestinians
who sell land to Jews constitute incitement to murder. Bashiti was murdered
the same day that Tibi's remarks were broadcast. Congressman Jim Saxton
(R-NJ) commented on the intention of the PA to institute the death penalty for
land sales to Jews: "This piece of legislation is one of the most anti-Semitic
laws ... To make matters worse, the United States is implicitly acquiescing in
this policy by providing funds for the Palestinian Authority, which produced
this abominable piece of legislation. [This law] is in direct violation of the
Middle East Peace Facilitation Act, which requires that the PA 'respect civil
liberties, human rights and democratic norms.'" The US House international
relations committee chairman Benjamin Gilman called the PA's death penalty
edict "racist" and urged Arafat to repudiate it.
Israel has accused Arafat's personal security unit of the murder. A senior
Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated: "There is no doubt
at all that [Arafat's personal guard] Force 17 killed him." Bashiti was seen at
the Force 17 headquarters in Ram'Allah on Thursday night, the official said.
Five hours later, "the hospital in Ram'Allah phoned his wife and told her she
could come and pick up his body." The Israeli official said Bashiti was lured to
a meeting at an east Jerusalem hotel by a woman who told him she had
buyers for two houses in Ram'Allah he was trying to sell. From there it
appears he was abducted. Members of his family have reportedly
corroborated this report.
Meanwhile, Israeli police have arrested a female Arab resident of Jerusalem
for suspicion of having taken part in the murder of Bashiti. Last Thursday,
several hours before his murder, the suspect was seen escorting Bashiti from
the East Jerusalem Ambassador Hotel. The police believe that, from there, a
Jerusalem lawyer who is an officer in the PA police assigned to the Ram'Allah
District, took Bashiti to Ram'Allah, where he was blindfolded, tied and
bludgeoned to death in an alley near the police station. the PA officer was
arrested Friday. (Arutz Sheva, ICEJ, SNS)
'MEGA' IS CIA ISRAEL DESK CHIEF: Israel has told the US that "Mega" -
the mystery subject of an FBI probe into alleged Israeli spying in Washington
- was merely the codename for the head of the Israel desk at the CIA, Yediot
Ahronot reported Tuesday. The US administration has made it clear to the
Israeli embassy in Washington that no US official body was behind the
reports last week that Israel has been spying in the US. When the
Washington Post broke the shattering news that an Israeli mole codenamed
'Mega' had been asked to procure the secret letter of assurances sent by
former secretary of state Warren Christopher to Arafat following the Hevron
withdrawal, Israeli intelligence chiefs could hardly believe their ears. The
contents of Christopher's letter had, after all, appeared in Ha'Aretz not long
after it was sent. However, what appears to have been revealed, contrary to
the "scoop" by the Washington Post, is that Israel's much-vaunted electronic
code system, called Silon (geyser in Hebrew) had been broken by National
Security Administration specialists. [According to a military intelligence
specialist] there was only one way they [the US] could have broken Silon. And
that is through a NSA mole operating inside Israeli intelligence. "I am certain
that the Israelis are working full blast right now, weighing the consequences
of the NSA interception." The very same fears are jolting European
intelligence services - particularly in Paris, where there has been a strong
suspicion of NSA spending huge sums in bribing local security operatives
worldwide to hand over top-secret electronic codes. Eliyahu Ben-Elissar,
Israel's ambassador in Washington, urged his government to take harsh
action against the US for tapping its phones. (ICEJ, Kol Yisrael, MED,
Jerusalem Post, AP)
ROSS MISSION A FAILURE? PA negotiator Saeb Erekat has said that Israel
is no longer a peace partner and that the mission of US envoy Dennis Ross
has failed. Prime Minister Netanyahu seemed more optimistic. He said there
is a basis for holding more talks. Ross held two unexpected, last-minute
meetings Friday evening with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but no
breakthrough was achieved and Ross said he would go home. Meanwhile,
resisting calls that the US should apply pressure and that she engage in
shuttle diplomacy, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Friday it was up
to Israel and the Palestinians -- not the US -- to get negotiations back on
track. (Kol Yisrael, MED, AP)
A RETURN TO HEBRAIC ROOTS: An in-depth study of the Israeli populace,
published Friday in Yediot Acharonot, shows an impressive percentage of
return to Jewish roots. 17% of Israeli citizens reported that they have come
"significantly closer" to religious faith in the last six years. Over 200,000 have
become fully observant, and some 130,000 say that they have changed from
"secular" to "traditional." (Arutz Sheva)
PA THREATENS TO RESUME VIOLENCE: The Palestinian Cabinet warned
Saturday that violence would resume in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza
Strip unless the US forced Israel to stop building new Jewish settlements. In
Shechem, thousands of Islamic militants cheered and whistled as a dozen
would-be suicide bombers covered in fake blood marched behind white
coffins, chanting "We are the death-seekers." Leaders of the terrorist group
Hamas told the crowd that only violent resistance, not negotiations, would halt
Jewish settlement construction. Meanwhile, O.C. Southern Command Maj.-
Gen. Shlomo Yannai warns the PA against renewing an armed struggle
against the IDF. He said that if violence erupts, "the IDF's policy of restraint
will disappear, and any uniformed Palestinian who fights us will be killed ... At
Netzarim Junction [in Gaza], 30 Palestinian police will not lie injured, but
dead."
In another story, requests by PA security officials have been rejected by
Israeli senior military officials. The PA requested bringing in two Bell 212
helicopters, over 300 additional Kalashnikov assault rifles, additional
policemen from outside of Israel and the speeding up of arrangements
permitting the take-off and landing of Yassir Arafat's plane from the Dahaniya
[Gaza] air strip. (AP, Arutz Sheva, SNS)
ELEVEN WANTED TERRORISTS SERVING IN PA SECURITY: The
government announced Tuesday that it submitted six weeks ago 31 requests
to the PA to transfer terrorists who have found refuge within its borders. Of
the terrorists whose transfer to Israel is being sought, eleven are either
serving in the Palestinian police or are in the process of joining its ranks. A
spokesman in the Prime Minister's Office said that the lack of response by
the PA to the requests is a blatant violation of the Oslo accords. (Arutz
Sheva)
AID TO ISRAEL AND EGYPT TO BE CUT: The US is considering cutting aid
to Israel in order to increase its financial support to Jordan. The
Administration wants to give Jordan an additional $100 million in each of the
next five years. Congress, however, is demanding that the overall foreign aid
budget remain at the same level. One option being considered by the
Administration is to cut the $100 million each year from the allocations to
Israel and Egypt. "Several [Israeli] officials said they had been informed of a
plan by the Clinton administration to significantly reduce civilian aid in the next
fiscal year. However, Washington's $1.8 billion dollars in annual military aid to
Israel would be untouched," stated a report in Ma'ariv quoting Israeli
government officials. (Kol Yisrael, MED)
YITZHAR UNDER US SURVEILLANCE? 200 people responded to the
invitation advanced by the community of Yitzhar to spend this past Shabbat
on its most controversial hilltop. Yitzhar spokesman Yehuda Livman stated
that the experience of "hosting Jews from all over the country, including from
secular Kibbutzim, for the sake of a common goal, has given all of us
strength and inspiration to last us for a long while to come." The motivation to
demolish the homes in Yitzhar last week apparently was a result of American
pressure. American intelligence agents have approached the Israelis with
detailed aerial photographs of Judea and Samaria, demanding explanations
about buildings that have been recently built. The American Consulate in
Jerusalem has long activated a Tracking Committee for the Settlements,
whose members travel the area and check up on new developments. (Arutz
Sheva)
MISSIONARY ACTIVITY TO BE BANNED: Recently proposed legislation
takes the form of a far-reaching extension of statutes against missionary
activity. The proposal has recently passed its first Knesset reading and is now
before the Law Committee of the 120-seat parliament. An English translation
of the proposed law states: "Whoever possesses contrary to the law, or prints
or copies or distributes or shares or imports tracts, or advertises things in
which there is an inducement for religious conversion is liable for one-year
imprisonment." An amendment adds: "Any tract or advertisement in which
there is inducement to religious conversion will be confiscated." The new law
is much tougher than the existing anti- missionary legislation which is
opposed to "any missionary seduction to convert religion", especially that
involving minors and offering financial inducements to Jewish adults to
convert. The Bill's sponsors, Moshe Gafni, of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah
Judaism Party, and Nissim Zvili, of the main opposition Labor Party, claim
that they are responding to a Christian missionary campaign last year, when
hundreds of thousands of Jews received proselytizing material in the post. In
response to Christian objections, Zvili pledged that "No one will be barred
from possessing the New Testament. If the law violates the Basic Law:
Human Dignity and Freedom, I will not support it." (MED)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FYI - Israel In The News
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet" Isaiah 62:1
'F.Y.I.' may be reproduced & distributed in any form. Please give proper
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