In 1938 Neville Chamberlain came back to England from the Munich Peace Conference. He was waving a piece of paper when he descended from the plane. It was a declaration signed by himself and Herr Hitler saying that Britain and Germany would live in harmony together. The mantra for the next twelve months was:
"Peace in our times"
Fast forward.
In the last forty years I can recall the expressions of hope from the various foreign ministers who have engaged the Nation of Ishmael and the Nation of Israel in the business of reconciliation.
Henry Kissinger called his shuttle diplomacy:
"Working for a middle East solution"
Warren Christopher termed his efforts:
"The Middle East Peace Process."
Condoleesa Rice drew up a treaty called:
"A road-map to peace"
George Mitchell called his solution: "The wider peace accord"
Yesterday Hilary Clinton opted for:
"A Broader Middle East Calm"
My sister Anne, ever a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, said to me over the phone : "Ian, we must hope."
To which I must reply: "Dream on, Sis"
There will be no peace until the Prince of Peace returns, and that's what the message of Christmas is all about.
Jubilate.
Ian
I
The Souk Market, Aleppo. (before)
By way of some sobering perspective here are just a few of the events that took place THIS week in the Nation of Ishmael.
1) Mob violence in Cairo that injures 600.
2) Execution of 6 Palestinians in Gaza by other Palestinians on the dubious grounds of sympathizing with the enemy.
3) A rejection of the Western backed Syrian Free Army by Islamist rebels saying that nothing short of an Islamist Republic in Syria will satisfy them.
4) Thousands marching in the streets of Amman, Jordan, demanding the overthrow of gentle King Abdullah.
5) Assassination of leading Lebanese commander for supporting President Assad of Syria.
6) All out ideological war between PLO in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza
7) Huge destruction of Northern Syrian border town by Assad forces.
The Souk (after)
And all this without the help of the Nation of Israel.
Save your breath, Hilary. Go home and bake a Thanksgiving Turkey for Bill, and let the Nation of Ishmael sort itself out.
Jubilate.
Ian
Being a Palestinian war lord is a risky business.
2800 years ago Goliath, their champion from Gath, was taken down with a rock to his head, fired from the sling of David.
More recently the means of elimination have become more sophisticated but the results just as deadly.
Last week, on the same day that Ahmed Jabari was killed by a missile fired from an Israeli drone, the body of the Palestinian's old war chief Yassir Arafat was dug up in Ramallah.
There is strong evidence that he was poisoned by a lethal dose of polonium.
Polonium is a radium based substance that, once ingested, will effectively destroy a person's blood stream. There is no antidote.
Think of that! A rock to the head, a laser guided missile or a polonium pellet. Net results the same: another one bites the dust!
Which causes us to ask the question "Is Israel always right?"
Absolutely not.
But 4000 years of history have shown us that God loves this little nation and, if He does, so do I!
Jubilate.
Ian
Seconds out round three.
At this very moment the over-crowded Gaza Strip is due to receive 60,000 unwanted tourists in the form of the Israeli armed forces.
Another war has begun but this is one with a huge difference.
Since the victory of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Spring Elections, Egypt has declared itself firmly on the side of Hamas.
What are these new implications?
In the simplest of terms it means that in the light of military intervention or material support from Egypt to Hamas, the conditions of the Camp David Accord will be breached and control of the Sinai Peninsular will revert back to Israel.
Fasten the seat belts of your faith. This is going to be a bumpy ride.
Jubilate.
Ian
