GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 161

Another Israeli Election Pushed

In The Way Of Peace

In the last few days political leaders in the United States have said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the reasons there isn’t peace in the Middle East and needs to be replaced as we read in an article from i24news.tv:

U.S. President Joe Biden has voiced his support for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's recent advocacy for new elections in Israel, highlighting concerns over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's perceived role as a barrier to peace in the region.

The president's comments emerged during a traditional St. Patrick's Day meeting with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Biden thought that the senator’s speech reflected the opinions of America:

During the press conference, when asked about Schumer's remarks, President Biden stated, "He made a good speech. He expressed serious concerns, shared not only by him, but by many Americans."

And it appears that the White House and Schumer coordinated their words:

Biden acknowledged that Schumer had reached out to a "senior staffer" at the White House ahead of his address from the Senate floor, showcasing a coordinated approach between the Senate and the Executive Branch.

In my opinion, this coordinated effort to undercut Israel’s leadership is purely political and it uncalled for as Israel has been a friend of the United States for a very long time.

He’s Lost His Way

Turning our attention to Senator Schumer’s speech yesterday we read this from an article from The Times Of Israel:

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called on Israel to hold new elections, saying he believed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “lost his way” and was an obstacle to peace in the region.

His comments, which sparked anger and swift condemnation by various figures in Jerusalem, came as gaps between the US and Israel continue to grow over the latter’s prosecution of its war in Gaza against Hamas.

Schumer was very specific about his view of things in Israel:

“The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7. The world has changed – radically – since then, and the Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past,” said Schumer in a Thursday speech on the Senate floor.

We see exactly what he said is getting in the way of peace from his speech as read in an article from The Jerusalem Post:

The Jewish democratic senator from New York attacked Netanyahu, linking his reign over the Israeli government as one of four main obstacles to achieving peace – the others being Hamas and their supporters, Israel’s radical right-wing government, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

“These are the four obstacles to peace. And if we fail to overcome them, then Israel and the West Bank and Gaza will be trapped in the same violent state of affairs they’ve experienced for the last 75 years,” Schumer said.

The US government should demand that Israel conduct itself with a future two-state solution in mind, he said. “We should not be forced into a position of unequivocally supporting the actions of an Israeli government that includes bigots who reject the idea of a Palestinian state.

Schumer went on to talk about his relationship with the Prime Minister and why he thinks a change is needed:

“I have known Prime Minister Netanyahu for a very long time. While we have vehemently disagreed on many occasions, I will always respect his extraordinary bravery for Israel on the battlefield as a younger man. I believe [that] in his heart, he has as his highest priority the security of Israel,” Schumer said. “However, I also believe Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel.”

The Same Old Two State Logic

It needs to be said again and again that this line of reasoning has never worked and has never been accepted by the very people that say they want it. The Arab world hasn’t acknowledged Israel since 1948 as seen in the three “no” statements from the Khartoum Resolution of 1967:

No peace with Israel, No negotiation with Israel, No recognition of Israel.

To this day, that statement hasn’t been changed. How about the senior senator from New York bring that fact up and call for the Arab world to change their feelings about that resolution. It’s hard to have peace with people who still maintain that no peace is desired or that Israel doesn’t have the right to exist. And we must recall that Khartoum is in Sudan, a country the will join with other Middle Eastern countries in the War of Gog and Magog seen in Ezekiel 38. We must also realize that splitting up the land God promised to Abraham in Genesis is also something that Schumer conveniently forgets as he boasts of his Jewish heritage. Here is what it says about those who divide the land of Israel:

“In those days and at that time, I will return the riches of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for what they did to My people Israel. They have sent My people out among the different nations, and have divided up My land. (Joel 3:1-3, NLV)

It is sad the even those who claim to be a protector of Israel as Schumer likes to boast would not know the very Scriptures that talk against a two state solution. Time will tell how this will turn out for him and Biden, but I for one will not support what God doesn’t support.