DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADE BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD REGIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
Former German leader calls for United States of Europe Reuters By Brian Rohan | Reuters – Sun, Sep 4, 2011
BERLIN (Reuters) - Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Sunday called for the creation of a United States of Europe, saying the bloc needed a common government to avoid future economic crises.Schroeder, a Social Democrat who ran the country from 1998 to 2005, said in an interview with Der Spiegel that European Union leaders were wrong to expect the euro to drive the bloc on its own.The current crisis makes it relentlessly clear that we cannot have a common currency zone without a common fiscal, economic and social policy, Schroeder said.He added: We will have to give up national sovereignty.From the European Commission, we should make a government which would be supervised by the European Parliament. And that means the United States of Europe.Schroeder, who nurtured a close relationship with France during his leadership, welcomed an initiative launched by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to move toward a fiscal union in 2012.Their proposal, which would mean giving up sovereignty over budgetary policies with the aim to shore up the 17-nation currency union, has received a lukewarm response from other euro zone countries.Germany and France have sent a strong signal with the plan for a European economic government, if it is meant seriously and receives suitable authority such as a European finance minister, Schroeder said.
That is the correct way forward and the precondition for the correct funding -- euro bonds, he said.Germany, which enjoys lower costs for issuing debt than its single currency partners, has led resistance to joint euro-denominated bonds.It is a huge bond market -- speculators would no longer harbor hopes of splitting it up, Schroeder said.In order to initiate these changes, Schroeder said EU member states would have to return to the negotiating table and hammer out a new treaty to replace the one agreed in Lisbon that currently serves as the bloc's institutional framework.
In the crisis lies a real opportunity to achieve a political union in Europe, he said.Schroeder, who says the EU can only respond to growing competition with the United States and Asia by being fully united, has long pointed to Britain as a hurdle to further EU integration.Great Britain causes the greatest problems. (It is) not in the euro but the British nevertheless always want to participate when it comes to designing a European economic area, he said. That doesn't work.(Reporting by Brian Rohan; Editing by Karolina Tagaris)
ISRAEL
Whose Promised Land? Psalm 78:54-55 (ISRAELS)
54 And He brought them to His holy border, This mountain which His right hand had acquired.
55 He also drove out the nations before them,Allotted them an inheritance by survey, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
ZECHARIAH 12:1-5 King James Bible
1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
ZECHARIAH 14:1-9 King James Bible
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Tension, confusion behind EU facade on Palestine
03.09.11 @ 17:41 By Andrew Rettman
Hostility toward foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, confusion over what the Palestinians will ask for and how major EU countries will react marked behind-closed-doors talks of EU foreign ministers in Poland.Briefing press in the town of Sopot on Saturday (3 September) after the talks on Friday, Ashton said there is a strong EU position and a common belief that the Middle East conflict can only be solved via Arab-Israeli negotiations.She added: We do not have the resolution before the UN at the moment and therefore this was not the time to discuss the EU's repsonse to such a resolution.The EU meeting comes three weeks before Palestine is to submit a draft text to the UN General Assembly in New York asking the body to upgrade its status.While EU countries agree on basic principles - the importance of Arab-Israeli talks and the need for a two-state solution based on 1967 borders - Europe is split on whether or not to back Palestine's unilateral bid for statehood.
Some ministers put a positive spin on the Sopot talks.Sweden's Carl Bildt said they brought the EU closer to agreement on the issue. Estonia's Urmas Paet told EUobserver: My feeling is Yes, the EU will eventually agree on its position and will not split into 27 or two or three different directions.Other sources said the mood was not so friendly, however.One EU diplomat said Bulgaria, the Czech republic, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands called for the EU to oppose Palestinian independence but that Ashton sided with more Palestinian-friendly countries.She's going her own way, freewheeling a bit. She is struggling to put forward her own opinion without taking into account the opinion of this substantial minority ... If you want to have an EU common position, it will be hard to do it like this.On the pro-Palestinian side, Luxembourgish foreign minister Jean Asselborn broke the terms of an EU gentleman's agreement not to speak out before New York. The EU cannot give nothing to the Palestinians and should give them dignity he told Agence France Presse.In a third camp, sources indicated Poland is happy to back any solution that has a realistic chance of broad EU and UN support.For his part, German minister Guido Westerwelle added to confusion. Contacts said he was almost silent at Friday's talks, leaving colleagues unsure which way Berlin will go. Maybe it's because of his difficult situation at home,the source added, referring to calls in Germany for him to resign.A big problem was lack of knowledge of what the Palestinians will ask for.
Variables include Palestine asking the UN Security Council to become a fully-fledged UN member - an option that would see a US veto and a clash between the US and pro-Palestinian EU countries; Palestine asking the UN to become a non-member state like the Vatican - an option that could see Israel abandon previous peace deals; Palestine attaching supplementary clauses on recogntion of Israel or security issues which are unacceptable even for its EU friends.A sudden split between Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas, an outbreak of Arab-Israeli violence or new Israeli settlement decisions could also influence EU swing countries in coming days.There were lots of buts, ifs, maybes and it depends,Estonia's Paet told this website.The process is moving so fast that what was true yesterday or today might be inadequate next week. So nobody is rushing to say what their position is.
Shalom: The Current Palestinian Leadership Wants Peace-Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom at Tel Aviv conference: Abbas and Fayyad are committed to peace. There's no alternative to negotiations.By Elad Benari & Yoni Kempinski First Publish: 9/6/2011, 4:36 AM
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/147578#.TmWCH2rtg44
Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Cooperation Silvan Shalom, hosted on Monday the first International Regional Cooperation Conference in Tel Aviv. The conference was attended by diplomats, Israeli politicians and Palestinian Authority Arab businessmen.Addressing the conference participants, Shalom said that the conference shows that regional cooperation can continue even when problems exist.
Shalom spoke of the peace treaties Israel has with Jordan and Egypt and said that one must remember the common people in those countries who want peace and not just look at the extremists who are against peace.I would like to believe that after the election in Egypt the new government will be committed to the peace treaty that was achieved between our two countries more than 30 years ago, he said. I was very happy to find out that all the candidates said very clearly that they are committed to the idea that the peace treaty between our two countries should last forever.Shalom said that the moderate regimes in Islamic countries should be supported rather than the extremist regimes led by Iran, including in his definition of moderate regimes also the current leaders of the Palestinian Authority.
I really believe that the current leadership of the Palestinians would like to achieve peace with Israel, he said. I talked to Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas –ed.) as well as to Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad and I found them to be really committed to the idea of peace with Israel.Unfortunately, I don’t think that a unilateral move will be helpful to achieve an understanding that will move us toward peace, added Shalom, referring to the PA’s unilateral statehood bid at the United Nations on September 20.We have been trying to resume negotiations for a very long time. We have tried it since we took power. Unfortunately, we haven’t succeeded.Shalom also spoke of the work his own ministry has done to promote peace.We’ve done everything we can for integration - cancelled roadblocks, and tried to make life easier. We are going to build a business lounge by four different crossings. Israelis and Palestinians can meet there and discuss projects. Both sides are very encouraged by that idea……….We have reopened the Allenby crossing to allow Palestinians to go directly to the Amman airport without an overnight stay in Amman. We have extended opening hours of Tarkumiyah crossing to 13 hours every day which allow for free movement of trucks headed toward Ashdod, Haifa and the Ben Gurion International airport. There is no other alternative to direct negotiations for improving these processes.As part of the conference, Shalom awarded Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair a token of appreciation for his tireless work to open huge blocks and assist in the security situation in the Middle East.
LAND FOR PEACE (THE FUTURE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH)
JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
THE WEEK OF DANIEL 9:27 WE KNOW ITS 7 YRS
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 11:21-23
21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
JEREMIAH 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnP7SoeTiGk&feature=player_embedded
Tony Blair: It's Not in Anyone's Interest Not to Make Peace-Tony Blair after receiving a token for appreciation for advancing peace: Return to direct negotiations. Peace is in everyone's interests.By Elad Benari & Yoni Kempinski First Publish: 9/6/2011, 2:39 AM
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Quartet Middle East envoy, was in Israel for the first International Economic Regional Cooperation Conference on Monday at the David Intercontinental Hotel.During the conference, Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom awarded Blair a token of appreciation for his tireless work to open huge blocks and assist in the security situation in the Middle East.On stage, Vice Prime Minister Shalom said that although Tony Blair deals with the Middle East as a whole, he is first and foremost dedicated to the Arab-Israeli conflict.Blair was later interviewed on stage by Channel 2 News’ diplomatic analyst Udi Segal.Asked about what he thinks will happen in the region in the next few weeks as the Palestinian Authority plans to submit its unilateral statehood bid to the United Nations, Blair emphasized the need to return to direct negotiations.We should try as hard as we possibly can to find a way through that allows us to get back to the only thing that will resolve this, and that is a negotiation toward a viable independent state of Palestine and a secure state of Israel recognized by the region, Blair said.We can carry on with this impasse or that impasse, he added, [but] we always come back to the same issue and the same basic conclusion.While Blair admitted that he does not know whether it would be possible to resume peace negotiations before September 20, when the PA presents it statehood bid, he said efforts should be made to do so as possible.
There’s no way of looking at this in which we are in a better place without negotiations, he emphasized, adding that the Quartet is trying to find solutions for a negotiations framework from where the situation stands now.Blair reemphasized the benefits of democracy, referring to Israel’s recent protest movement and the Israeli government’s response as a model for the region as a whole. You’ve got freedom of assembly here…they’re not firing on demonstrators here and that’s the difference in a democracy.He concluded by saying that he is still optimistic about peace and is basing that optimism on looking at the big picture.If you look at the big picture, it’s not in anyone’s interest not to make peace when you could make so much with peace, he said.It’s not sensible to remain in conflict when in peace we could create so much for both Israelis and Palestinians and for this region.
Netanyahu: PA UN Bid will Lead to Deadlock-Senior Fatah official expects 140 countries to recognize, vote for a PA state at the UN General Assembly.By Gil Ronen First Publish: 9/5/2011, 4:40 PM
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called on Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Monday to enter into direct negotiations with Israel immediately.He can come to Jerusalem, I could go to Ramallah or we could both go to Brussels, the Prime Minister suggested.Netanyahu noted that since taking up office, he has ascribed supreme importance to the holding of direct negotiations and added that to his regret, the PA leadership has chosen to refrain from direct dialogue, preferring instead to appeal to the UN, a move which will lead to deadlock.Prime Minister Netanyahu made the statement as he met with Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme at his official residence and welcomed him on his first visit to Jerusalem, noting that this was a good opportunity to improve bilateral relations.The two leaders discussed economic development and bio-technology and agreed to increase bilateral cooperation in these areas.Senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath said Sunday that he expects 140 countries to recognize and vote for a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly's 66th meeting, due to be held on September 23.
Report: Abbas, Barak Met in Amman-PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas says he met secretly with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak last month in Amman, Jordan.By Gavriel Queenann First Publish: 9/5/2011, 9:49 PM
Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas told reporters in Ramallah he met with Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Amman on August 24.Abbas, who refused to specify the circumstances behind the meeting, said the two 'discussed a number of issues' and reiterated the PA fully intends to present its statehood bid to the UN in September.
We are going to complain to the UN about the occupation that we have been under since the Ottoman regime,he said.We want peace. We want to be with Israel, not to isolate it. We encourage Arab nations to recognize Israel as we have promoted in the Arab Peace Initiative. We will not de-legitimize (Israel).Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused PA officials of doing everything to avoid negotiations saying the unilateral move at the UN would only result in deadlock.Netanyahu, who spoke after meeting Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme, invited Abbas to come to Jerusalem, and offered to come to Ramallah to resume direct negotiations.Abbas, who spoke to reporters after meeting with a group of Israeli scholars, did not address the PA's intention to request the UN to recognize a PA state.Abbas confirmed that he has met with President Shimon Peres a number of times in Jordan, Italy and the UK.
There was supposed to be another meeting on July 28, but it was cancelled due Peres' request,he said.Meanwhile, a PA official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Ramallah has yet to decide how they will press their statehood agenda at the United Nations this month, indicating less certainty than had previously been signaled on details of the plan.Israeli officials - but not Netanyahu himself - have indicated the plan would result in a diplomatic eye for an eye and that Israel has no agreements with a Palestinian state.All agreements with the Palestinian Authority are under the Oslo Accords, which at once forbids unilateral moves while defining ministry contacts, as well economic, infrastructure, and security arrangements.IDF officials have begun to preparing both its own forces and Jewish residents in Judea, Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem for the prospect of widespread violence in PA enclaves - or even attempts by PA forces to exercise sovereignty in Israeli areas.
Op-Ed: Sept. at UN: Jihad is Against the Bible-Published: Monday, September 05, 2011 9:27 AM-First of a series on PA's unilateral request for UN recognition on September 20th: It is another signal date in the annals of global jihad, says the writer.
Diana West is a nationally syndicated American journalist with a weekly column, pundit and author. She writes a commentary for the Newspaper Enterprise Association and is the author of the non fiction book The Death of the Grown Up.Beyond the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks looms another signal date in the annals of global jihad. That date is Sept. 20, when the Palestinian Authority's Mahmoud Abbas is expected to petition the United Nations for statehood.What would a U.N.-ordained Palestinian state have to do with global jihad? Practically everything, because such statehood would mark a major victory in the long war on Israel's existence. And, whether unadmitted or unimagined, it is Israel on which the axis of Islamic jihad turns.I've never been more convinced of this than after reading four, clarifying pages of Bat Ye'or's new book, Europe, Globalization, and the Coming Universal Caliphate (Lexington Books). In a first-chapter primer on the relationship between the European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, much of which revolves around mutual animus toward Israel,Ye'or revisits the hateful perversion that passes for political normal: the relentless mission of the Islamic world, with EU encouragement, to appropriate a tiny piece of land -- Israel -- as a political and religious cause despite the fact, as she reminds us, no town, village or hamlet of Israel is mentioned in the Koran or early biographies of Muhammad.
Why Israel? Ye'or asks. Given the immense territories conquered and Islamized over thirteen centuries of expansion and war, she writes, why would Muslim countries keep plotting to destroy Israel? And further: Why does the immense oil wealth of Muslim nations nourish a flood of hatred that poisons the heart of humanity against such a small nation? Why is Israel considered so alarming? What Israel possesses is the Bible. It is Israel on which the axis of Islamic jihad turns.The well-read global citizen might regurgitate something about land, modern Zionism and the post-1948 plight of the Palestinians, but these are stock narratives overwriting the age-old reason. What Israel possesses,Ye'or explains, is the Bible.To appreciate the depth and breadth of this perhaps obvious but seldom pondered explanation, it's essential to realize that Jewish and Christian Bible characters, from Abraham to Moses to Jesus, pop up in the Koran as Muslim prophets who actually preach Islam, not Judaism or Christianity. This is the time-wrinkling, religion-morphing way in which Islam repudiates what it regards as falsifications in both the first (old) and second (new) testaments.Given that the Jewish and Christian religious books long predate the Islamic religious book, it's not surprising that in their Koranic guises the biblical characters wander, as Bat Ye'or writes, in uncertain space with no geographical or temporal references. Still, Muslims claim that these same Muslim characters lived in Palestine, Bat Ye'or writes, on the basis of the Jewish and Christian scriptures that they reject.
It follows from this highly unstable construct that Islam sees the biblical past as Islamic history usurped by Jews and Christians. Thus, the land in which it took place -- though ... never mentioned in the Koran -- is (considered) a Muslim land, and Jewish and Christian holy sites are all (considered) Muslim, writes Ye'or, the pre-eminent modern historian of dhimmitude, the diminished condition of non-Muslims under Islamic law (Shariah).The land of Israel itself -- whose every region, town and village is mentioned in the Bible with historical and chronological precision -- is thus sacrilegious to Muslims, she explains. They observe with destructive rage this unfolding return of history that they claim as their own. ... Any confirmation of the veracity of the Bible is seen as an attack on the Islamic authenticity of the Koranic figures taken from the Bible.So much for those slivers of real estate as being the driver of war on Israel. It is, in fact, a jihad, a religious war against Judaism and the land of the Bible, root of Christianity. As Ye'or puts it, Israel, in the land of its history, towns and villages, resuscitates the Bible, the book the Koran must supplant.This back-to-basics interpretation allows us to see through the masks and deceptions to a war on Israel that is also a jihad against Christianity. Remember that the Koranic Jesus, Isa, has Muslim, not Jewish roots. As Ye'or writes, Muslims see Christians as having gone astray by placing themselves in the lineage of the Hebrew Bible, because their real origin is Islam.The Islamic answer is to return Christianity to its supposedly Koranic origins.And then? Bat Ye'or believes the destruction of Christianity's sustaining Jewish roots (would) facilitate its Islamization.And the world's.
Op-Ed: Top 10 Non-Jews Positively Influencing Jewish Future Published: Monday, September 05, 2011 8:07 AM-Some of the entries on this list may not be to your liking. This expresses the writer's opinion only. Let us know what you think.Dovid Efune, Dir. Algemeiner Journal-The Author is the director of the Algemeiner Journal and the GJCF and can be e-mailed at defune@gjcf.com
After seeing a list of the world's richest Jews (in JPost, gave rise to much controversy on why the list was made at all, ed.), I was inspired to create a list of my own -- not of Jews, but of non-Jews, specifically those that are having the most positive influence in shaping the Jewish future.A year later, much has changed, new figures have emerged, others have faded and some have remained. But the importance of bringing attention to this group is constant. For this reason I have sought to make this a regular endeavor, as such I present the second-annual list.
Similar to the criteria used by other list makers, I chose my candidates from around the world and from all walks of life. The list includes, politicians, activists, business giants and more, all of whom have made a significant constructive impact on Israel and the Jewish world. Last year I only listed the top six, but wanted to make the list slightly more comprehensive, so it is now expanded to include the top 10. They are in ascending order.Although by no means an exact science, my aim in this compilation, is to provide some insight into the playing field of this unique yet modest group. Additionally I aim to provide a glimpse at their often courageous, sometimes unacknowledged activities on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people.
10. Julie Burchill-Columnist and novelist
Currently a columnist for The Independent, she has written for newspapers such as The Sunday Times and The Guardian. The Jewish Chronicle described her in 2008 as Israel's staunchest supporter in the UK media.
9. Jon Voight-Actor
Supporter of Jewish causes, most notably Chabad, Voight is also a prolific spokesman for Israel. A rarity in Hollywood circles, he has advocated for Jewish values, consistently reaching an often indifferent audience.
8. Patrick Debois-Founder, Yahad-In Unum
A Roman Catholic priest, Debois is head of the Commission for Relations with Judaism of the French Bishops' Conference and Consultant to the Vatican. He is the co-founder and president of Yahad-In Unum, an organization whose mission is to document the murder of the 1.5 million Jews of Ukraine, shot dead by the Nazis and buried throughout the country. This work is vital in ensuring that the memory of these victims will not fade with the death of the last witnesses.
7. John Hagee-Founder, Christians United for Israel
Hagee's Christians United for Israel continues to experience rapid growth, now boasting upwards of 600,000 members. The group makes significant contributions to Jewish causes, and has become a potent political force in support of Israel. Author of Jerusalem Countdown and In Defense of Israel, the pastor from San Antonio has met with every Israeli prime minister since Menachem Begin and his ministries have given more than $8.5 million to bring Jews from the former Soviet Union to Israel.
6. Warren Buffet-Investor
The famed investor has been a strong supporter of Israeli innovation, and has bought into it significantly. Last year, while visiting the country, he famously said that Israel has shown that it has a disproportionate amount of brains and energy. Buffet's strong statement of confidence has gone a long way in encouraging significant foreign investment in the Jewish State.
5. Jose Maria Aznar-Former Prime Minister of Spain
In 2010, Aznar founded the Friends of Israel Initiative, with the stated goal to counter the attempts to delegitimize the State of Israel and its right to live in peace within safe and defensible borders. Referring to the ill-fated takeover of the Mavi Marmara by Israeli commandos, Aznar said in 2010 that the world must support Israel because if it goes down, we all go down. His unique organization provides a strong voice of reason in circles where it might otherwise not be heard.
4. Manmohan Singh-Prime Minister of India
The largest customer of Israeli military equipment and Israel's second-largest economic partner, Indian ties with Israel are now stronger than ever and advanced negotiations for an extensive bilateral trade pact are well under way. Singh is largely responsible for cultivating and developing this crucial alliance that is vital to Israel's economic stability and continued growth.
3. John Boehner-Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Among the many friends of the Jewish community in the U.S. Congress, Boehner's recent actions have made him stand out. Centrally involved in the recent invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress, Boehner provided the platform for the Jewish narrative to be conveyed to a pivotal audience at an important time.
2. Rupert Murdoch-CEO of News Corporation
At an American Jewish Committee dinner honoring Murdoch he opened his acceptance speech by saying, over the years, some of my wildest critics seem to have assumed I am Jewish. At the same time, some of my closest friends wish I were. So tonight, let me set the record straight: I live in New York. I have a wife who craves Chinese food. And people I trust tell me I practically invented the word chutzpah.As CEO of News Corporation, Murdoch has continued to ensure that the outlets under his direction, including The London Times, Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, are fair and honest in their coverage of matters relating to Jews and Israel.
1. Stephen Harper-Prime Minister of Canada
Recently winning a majority government for his conservative party, Harper has been a great friend to Canada's Jewish community as well as an outspoken supporter of Israeli positions in the international political arena, saying last year, When Israel, the only country in the world whose very existence is under attack, is consistently and conspicuously singled out for condemnation, I believe we are morally obligated to take a stand.His recent blocking of a G8 resolution in support of President Obama's Middle East policy speech that would mention the call for a Palestinian State based on the 1967 lines, while not incorporating other elements of the speech, earns him the top spot this year.(Sent to Arutz 7 by the writer)
