Jumping On The Bandwagon

Over the past few days nation after nation is recognizing a Palestinian state in the hopes of ending the war in Israel as we read in a report from CBN.com:

France and Saudi Arabia led several nations in recognizing a Palestinian state and supporting a two-state solution at a summit in New York on Monday. The United States and Israel boycotted the summit.

France hopped on board today:

French President Emmanuel Macron announced France's participation, saying, "I declare today that France recognizes the State of Palestine."

As we should expect Israel is not happy:

On Monday's 700 Club, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon slammed those declarations, calling them a reward to Hamas for their murderous attack on October 7th, 2023.

“It’s shameful," Danon remarked. "They are rewarding terrorism. We know that it's an empty declaration. Nothing good will come from those declarations. and they are detached from reality. You know, we still have 48 hostages in captivity. Hamas is still in control of parts of Gaza, and instead of supporting Israel, the only force who is actually fighting evil on the ground, fighting Hamas, (they are) condemning Israel and trying to reward terrorism.”

Danon added that some decisions are in the works in response to the international pressure:

Danon indicated that Israel's government will decide which counter-measures to take after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with President Donald Trump next week and then returns to Israel.

As if France needed to do more harm, they’re asking Gaza to be ruled by people who hate Israel:

France also issued a so-called "New York Declaration," calling for the Palestinian Authority to lead Gaza after the war and for an invitation for international troops and a U.N. mission to deploy in the Gaza Strip.

Not A Fan

US President Donald Trump did his part at the United Nations today to strongly criticize the push to make Gaza into a nation as we read in a report from i24news.tv:

US President Donald Trump delivered his first address to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday since returning to the White House, using the platform to sharply criticize Western nations that have recently recognized a Palestinian state.

Trump made it very clear who wins with these calls for a Palestinian state:

“Recognizing a Palestinian state is giving a prize to Hamas terrorists,” Trump declared, singling out France and its allies. He argued that the growing wave of recognitions amounted to submitting to Hamas’s “ransom demands,” rewarding the group, and fueling conflict.

He kept the limelight on Hamas as he rightfully should while also taking a swipe at the UN:

The president accused Hamas of rejecting repeated opportunities for peace. After briefly joking about a malfunctioning teleprompter, he turned his criticism toward the UN itself. “In seven months, I ended seven wars that the organization should have finished,” he said, dismissing the UN’s efforts as “empty words” incapable of resolving conflicts.

Then the US President turned his attention to Iran:

Trump also claimed credit for “completely” dismantling Iran’s nuclear program through strikes on facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. He asserted that he had ended a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, adding: “Today, most of the Iranian military leaders are no longer with us; they are dead.”

Then Trump made it extremely clear about the hostages:

On Gaza, Trump said he was “deeply involved” in negotiations to halt the war but blamed Hamas for rejecting “reasonable” proposals. He reiterated his belief that 38 of the 48 hostages held in Gaza are already dead and urged for their immediate release. “We don’t want to get them back two by two, then two more, then three more,” he said. “We want all of them now.”

Trump’s remarks come as international pressure on Israel intensifies, following several Western countries’ formal recognition of Palestine in recent days.

I don’t know how Israel will get the hostages back and how Hamas will be defeated, but I do know that this war needs to end soon if only because those held captive can’t survive much longer. As we continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem we need to ask God to do whatever He needs to do to end this conflict in the best possible way. I don’t think He is uninvolved at all, but prayer is our way to fight the evil that exists in the region and really around the world.