MATTHEW 24:32
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:(ISRAEL WAS LITERALLY REBORN JUST BEFORE SUMMER,MAY 14,1948).
MARK 13:28
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
DANIEL 9:24
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (ISRAEL) and upon thy holy city,(JERUSALEM) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
ISRAEL WILL BE IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM, THE SIGN OF THE START OF THE LAST GENERATION.
NEHEMIAH 2:17
17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we (ISRAELIS) are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste,(AD 70) and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem,(DAN 9:24-27) that we be no more a reproach.
LUKE 21:24
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.(ISRAEL RECAPTURES JERUSALEM)(THE BEGGINING OF THE LAST GENERATION AND THE LAST END OF THE AGE OF GRACE.NOT THE END OF THE WORLD ,THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER)
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.
12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS
http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageNavigator/eng/USENG_homenew
I HAVE NOT PUT ANY INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP STORIES ON LATELY.ITS ABOUT TIME I DO TODAY AGAIN.
May 27, 2014 - 10:04 AM-Yael Eckstein on Educating Young People to Be a Voice for Israel
0-IFCJ-Yael Eckstein \
Israel-Yael Eckstein has written a piece for The Jerusalem Post on leading the next generation to an understanding of and commitment to Israel. After attending a conference of young Jewish leaders last week, Yael took heart in the Holy Land's future:During a three-day trip that passed in the blink of an eye, we studied the past while focusing our eyes toward the future, and were exposed to the outstanding and groundbreaking technology coming out of the Holy Land. We traveled the country from north to south and met with numerous spiritual leaders, Knesset ministers, and individuals who defied statistics and beat the odds to achieve success. We even had a private audience with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.I was pleasantly surprised to hear the advice that the prime minister gave to our group of leaders on how we can strengthen the State of Israel and her people. He presented us with three responsibilities which he proposed we take on ourselves: 1) Invest in Israel; 2) Spread the truth about Israel; 3) Create a bridge for more people to walk over and make aliyah.We couldn't agree more with Prime Minister Netanyahu's words, or with Yael's advocacy for Israel and its new generation of leaders and supporters.
47 Years Since Six Day War, Jerusalem Leads Israel-47th Jerusalem Day begins, stats show city leads Israel in hi-tech, immigration, and hope.By Ari Yashar-First Publish: 5/27/2014, 8:50 PM-IsraelNationalNews
Jerusalem Day, beginning Tuesday night, will be celebrated in Israel's capital through a series of events featuring top Israeli musicians and various performances.This year marks the 47th year since the unification of the 3,000-year-old capital of the Jewish people, which occurred in the 1967 Six Day War.On the occasion of Jerusalem Day, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat stated "the residents of Jerusalem feel the youthful energy coursing through the city, and are enjoying the great wave of development enveloping Jerusalem."" Jerusalem is a modern, attractive and leading city, which attracts young people who enjoy the culture, sport, leisure, excellent education and quality of life that exists only in Jerusalem," added Barkat. "We are continuing to develop the city together with the residents, and are investing all of our resources in developing Israel's capital for future generations. It is a great privilege." Figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics, the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies and other sources were released by the Jerusalem Municipality ahead of the celebrations. The statistics indeed support Barkat's appraisal of the capital.While Israeli hi-tech, so central to the nation's economy, is often linked to the central coastal region, revenue from the industry in Jerusalem is in fact nearly 12 billion shekels (around $3.5 billion), almost as much as the revenue Tel Aviv (6.7 billion shekels) and Haifa (7 billion shekels) combined.Attracting young people and olim, the happy and hopeful.Jerusalem is also leading Israel in attracting olim (new immigrants). The city absorbed 2,335 new olim in 2013, making 13% of the national total of olim, and over twice as many as Tel Aviv (1,060) or Haifa (1,130).The capital has also been attracting young people, as 30,000 people young people have moved to the city in the last four years. 51% of those moving to Jerusalem in 2012 were between the ages of 20 and 34.While the Central Bureau of Statistics reported 88% of Jerusalemites are happy, the Municipality figures found 92% of residents are happy with their lives, as compared to an 88% national average. Tel Aviv came in at 86% and Haifa at 81%.Jerusalem residents were also found to be the most optimistic in Israel: 63% felt their lives would be better in the future, a rate higher than the national average (59%), Tel Aviv (57%) and Haifa (54%).The last four years have also seen a marked growth in Zionist state and state-religious education systems, with students rising from 58,908 at the start of the 2010-2011 school year to 62,941 in the 2013-2014 school year.Building was also touted in the Municipality statement, which noted a record number of new projects began in 2013 breaking a 20-year record. In the last three years construction on 15,651 new residential units have been approved throughout the entire city.Roughly four million tourists stayed in Jerusalem during 2013, outpacing Haifa and Tel Aviv in that category as well.
Jews Make Aliyah Amid Ukraine Airport Battles-Jewish Agency rescues six Jewish immigrants to Israel, despite Ukrainian and pro-Russian clashes at Donetsk airport.By Ari Yashar-First Publish: 5/27/2014, 6:29 PM-IsraelNationalNews
Six Jewish residents of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk were flown to Israel on Tuesday to make Aliyah (immigration), in a quick rescue operation headed by the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Ukrainian armed forces and pro-Russian militants were battling over the Donetsk airport on Tuesday, with both sides making early announcements of victory. Pro-Russian rebels had taken the airport on Monday, after blocking locals the day before from participating in national presidential elections won by Petro Poroshenko, who placed putting down the rebels as his top priority.Amid the clashes and chaos, the six immigrants, including a couple with two twin baby girls from Donetsk and another couple from the city of Mariupol south of Donetsk on the Black Sea coast, had been set to make Aliyah on Monday night.The Jewish Agency's Russian-Speaking Jewry Unity decided to evacuate the six overland to Dnepropetrovsk to the west to stay at a local hotel until leaving for Israel. On Tuesday morning they flew to Kiev, and then on to the Jewish state, landing at Ben-Gurion International Airport."Jewish Agency representatives in Ukraine continue to be active in all areas and are prepared for any eventuality, as shown by this latest event in my own city of birth, Donetsk," remarked Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel.Donetsk has been the target of several anti-Semitic activities, with pamphlets calling for Jews to "register" being passed around in April, and a Jewish-owned bank in the city being targeted later in the month.Sharansky added that "due to the current situation in the country, we have significantly expanded our activities, assisting those who wish to immigrate to Israel, bringing young people to experience life in Israel on a variety of Jewish Agency programs, providing Hebrew classes, and so on."Roughly 30,000 Jews live in the Donetsk region according to the Jewish Agency, with 11,000 of them residing in the city of Donetsk. The Jewish Agency is now gearing up to bring other families to Israel in a similar way if the airport remains insecure.The first four months of 2014 witnessed a 142% rise in Aliyah from Ukraine, reports the Jewish Agency, as a total of 762 immigrants arrived from the country as opposed to 315 the previous year. The rate has increased over the course of those four months, with April recording a 295% increase.Anti-Semitism has similarly been causing a sharp rise in Aliyah from France, where a 312% increase was witnessed in the first three months of 2014. The uptick has led to predictions that the year will set records for French Aliyah.The Jewish Agency reports it has 90 staff members on the ground in Ukraine to assist Jews interested in making Aliyah.
May 27, 2014 - 12:25 PM-Counting Up to Shavuot-Ami Farkas-Bible \Torah-IFCJ
Beginning on the second night of Passover, the Jewish people are commanded to count the days leading up to Shavuot (the Pentecost), the holiday on which we celebrate the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Our counting demonstrates our enthusiasm for receiving God’s commandments, but is done a little differently than the regular counting that would accompany the anticipation of a great event.Typically, a person counting the days until their wedding or a long-planned trip would count downwards. If I knew that in thirty days I was going away on vacation I would mark off each day, starting at thirty and count down from there. However, when counting the days to Pentecost, we do the opposite, starting with one and counting up until we reach the holiday itself.There are varying explanations for why we count upwards as we approach the Pentecost, something we don’t practice on any other Jewish holiday. The main reason, though, is that counting up is ordained in the Bible.When our ancestors left Egypt, they had to prepare to receive God’s Word. The transformation from centuries as slaves to a free people ready to take on God’s mission would be tremendous. So, to prepare for the great day when Moses would climb Mount Sinai and receive the Ten Commandments, the Jewish people entered into a period of intense introspection and repentance.And still, each night as we count the days leading up to the Pentecost, we are to take an accounting of where we stand as individuals and as a nation. The count is to remind us that receiving the Torah comes with great responsibility. The least we can do in preparation is to reflect on our actions, thoughts, and desires, fixing whatever we find that is not in accordance with God’s will.We count up as the days between Passover and the Pentecost elevate us step-by-step, readying us for the holiday on which the Torah was given. We count up as we repent for our misdeeds, revise our actions, and refine our character. And we count up as our anticipation for the Pentecost goes up, as well.Every night, as I tuck my little ones into bed, we recite the blessing of the counting. The anticipation gradually builds as we inch closer to the Pentecost, and the joy of the coming holiday fills our home as we count together, as we are commanded to by God.
Closing a circle-By Uri Heitner-MAY 26,14
On Jan. 23, 1904, six months before he died, an exhausted Theodor Herzl met with Pope Pius X. The multilingual Herzl tried to gauge whether the pope would support the Zionist movement, and lobbied him in Italian.But the pope's response was unequivocal -- he was outright against the idea of founding a Jewish home in the Land of Israel, and he opposed in principle the idea of recognizing the Jewish people."The Jews have not recognized our Lord, and therefore we cannot recognize the Jewish people," he said.Despite this stance, Pius was not opposed to Jews immigrating to the Land of Israel."We pray for them, that their minds be enlightened ... and so, if you come to Palestine and settle your people there, we shall have churches and priests ready to baptize all of you," he said.Pius stressed that Jerusalem "must not fall into the hands of the Jews.""The Jews, who ought to have been the first to acknowledge Jesus Christ, have not done so to this day," he said.Some 110 years later, Pope Francis is holding an official state visit in Israel, the nation-state of the Jewish people and its capital, Jerusalem. All the trappings of sovereignty are on display during this visit. The pope was scheduled to meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the chief rabbis; he was to visit the Yad Vashem Hall of Remembrance and the Western Wall.But in my view, his visit to Mount Herzl was the crown jewel of the visit, because it meant closure. It has a single overarching meaning: Zionism has triumphed.The rapprochement between the Holy See and the State of Israel was long and laborious. Pope Paul VI's visit to Israel in 1964, which lasted just 11 hours, was a milestone that bode well for bilateral relations as it allowed de facto recognition of the Jewish state. He refused to meet with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem, as this would have been interpreted as a recognition of Jerusalem as its capital. President Zalman Shazar and Prime Minister Levi Eshkol put their pride to one side and agreed to meet him in Megiddo. Only 30 years later did Israel and the Holy See announce the opening of formal diplomatic relations; it took another six years for a pope to make an official visit.Israel is often portrayed as a pariah state, an entity whose control over contested territory has turned it into an outcast. But that is a far cry from Israel's real standing on the world stage. In 1964, three years before the Six-Day War, when Jerusalem was still divided and Judea and Samaria were still under Jordanian rule, Israel's image was much worse than it is today. Pope Paul VI's visit and the way he conducted himself during his pilgrimage attest to that.Pope Francis' visit to Mount Herzl was a tribute to the visionary who foresaw the establishment of the Jewish state. His predecessor refused to make the same gesture. Herzl has won; his vision is being realized. Yes, Israel still faces a delegitimization campaign, some seven decades after its founding (this effort is embraced by some inside Israel, as well,) but its overall standing on the world stage is on the rise. Not for nothing do world leaders keep coming. One almost feels as if there is a constant airlift to Israel. The greatest performers hold concerts here, too. Israel has also enjoyed a boost in its economic ties worldwide. This is the triumph of Zionism. The pope's visit to Mount Herzl attests to that.
ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST
1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
ISRAELS TROUBLE
JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.
DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)
LETS GET ONE THING STRAIT.THE WORD PALESTINIAN DOES NOT EXIST IN THE ARAB VOCABULARY.IN FACT THE ARABS CAN'T EVEN PRONOUNCE THE WORD THEY CLAIM WILL BE THEIR STATE.THE ARABS SAY BALESTINIANS.THE WORD PALESTINIANS IS JUST A MADE UP WORD FOR POLITICS SAKE.SO THE PROPAGANDA FOR THE ARABS TO GET A STATE OF THEIR OWN-STEAL ISRAELS LAND AND DIVIDE JERUSALEM UNDER THE GUISE OF ISRAEL IS OCCUPYING THE LAND.
WELL YES ISRAEL IS OCCUPYING ITS LAND.GOD GAVE ISRAEL THE LAND TO BUILD WERE EVER THEY WANT.GOD WANTS ALL ISRAELIS IN ISRAEL.AND GOD WANTS ALL ISRAELIS TO HAVE LOTS OF CHILDREN.SINCE IN GEN 12:1-3 ISRAELIS WILL MULTIPLY AS THE SAND OF THE SEA AND WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED.HOW CAN ISHMAEL (ARAB/MUSLIMS) EVER THINK THEY CAN STEAL JERUSALEM FROM ISRAEL WITH PRESSURE ON ISRAEL FROM THE WORLD.BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THE LAND WILL BE DIVIDED.BUT ISRAELS ENEMIES.RUSSIA, ARABS, MUSLIMS, CHINA- THEN THE WHOLE WORLD WILL PAY FOR FORCING ISRAEL TO DIVIDE JERUSALEM AND FOR THINKING THEY CAN GET GOD (JESUS) OUT OF THE WAY.WELL I'LL GIVE YOU 3 BILLION REASONS WITH NUKES WHY GOD WILL SHOW THE EARTH.THEY WANNA GET IN GODS NOSTRILS AND FORCE ISRAEL.THEY HAVE TO BE TAUGHT A 3 BILLION DEAD WW3 LESSON.GODS IN CONTROL-NOT THE WORLD.AND GOD WILL PROTECT ISRAEL.AND JERUSALEM WILL VERY SHORTLY BECOME THE WORLD CAPITAL-NOT JUST ISRAELS CAPITAL.UNDER JESUS' RULE FROM DAVIDS THRONE IN JERUSALEM FOREVER.RULING OVER HIS PRECIOUS ISRAELIS FOREVER.NEVER ENDING.
Poll: Majority of Israelis Say PA Doesn't Want Peace-The more right wing an Israeli, the less likely they are to agree with the 'two-state solution,' a poll said.-By Yosef Berger-First Publish: 5/26/2014, 12:13 AM-IsraelNationalNews
A new poll shows that a majority of Israelis are opposed to further withdrawals from Judea and Samaria. In a poll taken by the Geocartographia organization on behalf of Ariel University, the majority of Israelis said that peace was not possible because of the refusal of the Palestinians to compromise on a political settlement. According to the poll's analysts, the refusal has turned the Israeli public more right-wing.As a result, the majority of Israelis support the government's decision to suspend peace talks with the Palestinians. That support, the poll found, was exacerbated by the recent decision by the Palestinian Authority to reconcile with Hamas and include it in the PA government. While more Israelis than ever expressed right-wing views on the matter, the dwindling number of leftists were also solidifying their positions, and demanded that Israel continue the talks, despite the agreement.The Israeli population is split almost evenly on the idea of the “two state solution.” About half see it – resulting from either a negotiated settlement or unilateral Israeli action – as the only solution to “the conflict,” while the other half does not belief a Palestinian state will, under current circumstances, solve anything. With that, the poll showed an incremental but clear increase in the latter attitude, again resulting from the frustration of Israelis with the Palestinian's endless demands. Those demands mean that “peace” as the Palestinians see it, a large majority of Israelis believe, is far different from the Israeli conception of peace.Most Israelis also do not believe that Israel can rely on international guarantees to ensure that a peace treaty is observed. The more right a respondent's views, the less s/he was willing to rely on those guarantees.The poll also asked respondents for their opinion on the “price tag” phenomenon, in which Jewish youths scrawl graffiti or slash tires in Arab towns in response to terror attacks. About a third consider these attacks to be as bad as terror attacks, a third justify them, and a third belief that while they may be justified, they are damaging to Israel and must be stopped. Here too, the more left a respondent's beliefs, the less they were likely to approve of price tag attacks.The majority of Israelis consider the international media to be pro-Palestinian, presenting almost exclusively the Palestinian side of things, while most Israelis consider the local media to be more fair. However, about a third of Israelis – mostly those on the “hard right” - say that the Israeli media is just as “pro-Palestinian” as the international media. However, many on the left, as well as on the right, agreed that the international media was almost completely pro-Palestinian.The poll of 500 Israelis representing a cross-section of the Jewish public in Israel was taken over the past several weeks, the polling organization said.
Op-Ed: Pope's Visit to Israel A Victory for Islamic Terrorism-This Pope is Islam's brother. The trip was all about Islam's grievances and we let them get away with it.Published: Tuesday, May 27, 2014 12:43 PM-Jack Engelhard
If anyone was infallible during the Pope’s visit to Israel, it was terrorist president Mahmoud Abbas. He got everything he wanted from the Pope.Abbas choreographed the entire thing. Showtime started when the Pope bypassed Israel proper and went straight to PA controlled Bethlehem…and of course the entire trip was a show. It was about symbols. Otherwise what was the purpose and frankly, hardly anyone remembers the purpose.If the Pope’s journey to the Holy Land was to justify terrorism, mission accomplished.Mercifully it is over. But the damage has been done.Whose Holy Land is it anyway? The deed was given to the Hebrews. God’s contract is in every page of Scriptures read in every church and synagogue.If that pledge given to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob was ever abrogated, “Show me the paper,” Rabbi Kook used to say.That was Pope John XXIII who (quoting Genesis 45:4) declared to the Jews, “I am Joseph, your brother.”No, this Pope was Islam’s brother.The trip had absolutely nothing to do with Israel. It has nothing to do with Jews or Catholics. It was all about Islam and its grievances. The Pope complied.Balaam at least tried to stall the curses.Abbas took the stage and never let go. He wrote, produced and directed the entire spectacle. He wanted the Pope at the wall, the protective barrier that Israel erected 10 years ago so that fewer Arabs could murder fewer Jews? He got his wish. Except that Abbas wanted it to symbolize Israeli “apartheid.” The Pope obliged.Bibi had to quickly summon a speech to remind Pope Francis how dangerous it was before the wall went up, but too late.The pictures worth a thousand words had already circulated the globe.Where was Israel’s leadership from the beginning of this disaster until the end? Didn’t they know the Pope was coming? Half of life is showing up. The other half is being prepared. Israel’s leadership failed here on both counts.How did Abbas get to play the moral equivalency card – make that the moral superiority card – during every step of the Pope’s visit? Half of life is showing up. The other half is being prepared. Israel’s leadership failed here on both counts.Victimhood in its entirely belonged to Abbas and his Palestinian Arabs and the Pope was taken in.How did the oldest of nations, Israel, going back more than 3,500 years, get outsmarted by a gang that was invented in 1967, A.D. and calling itself Palestinians? Bibi and the rest of his staff were constantly playing catch-up and constantly being outmaneuvered by Abbas – a thug, a terrorist.Did Israel not know that Abbas had plans to “prove” that the “baby Jesus” was a Palestinian Arab? Too late again.The Pope blessed that, too, an Arab Jesus, and pictures were taken.That image will stick for centuries and who knows how this will play throughout today’s Catholic world? My good Catholic friend John calls it, “Heresy.”As if we need proof that Israel is absolutely lame in the art of public relations, here is evidence that is most telling and disturbing --After getting the Pope to visit that protective barrier, a real coup and a cute trick for Abbas, Israeli leaders had to swiftly transfer the Pope to Israel’s national cemetery at Mount Herzl. The word we get is that this was not part of the itinerary but was tacked on to save the day.But nothing could save this misadventure. This Papal visit was no blessing, but a victory for Islamic terrorism. There is no other way to say it.Jack Engelhard writes a regular column for Arutz Sheva. New from the novelist, the 25th anniversary edition of the international bestseller Indecent Proposal and a love story of heartbreak and redemption The Girls of Cincinnati. Website: www.jackengelhard.com
FALSE POPE FROM THE VATICAN
REVELATION 13:11-13
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he (FALSE RELIGIOUS LEADER) exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
REVELATION 17:1-5,9,15-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.(BOMB OR NUKE THE VATICAN)
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city,(VATICAN) which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Op-Ed: For Shame, Pope Francis-Insidious allusions are as bad as outright anti-Semitism. Published: Monday, May 26, 2014 11:31 PM-Giulio Meotti-IsraelNationalNews
Two images will be remembered from Pope Francis' visit to the “Holy Land”.One will be of the Pope pictured praying at Israel’s security barrier beneath a graffiti that compares Palestinian Arabs with Jews under the Nazis. “Bethlehem looks like the Warsaw Ghetto”, graffiti on the wall said.If you were a “friend of the Jewish people”, as the Catholic media and some rabbis try to present you, you should have rejected the Judeophobic Palestinian propaganda.The other will be the altar from which the Pope delivered his message in Bethlehem, facing a giant baby Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh, the very symbol of Palestinian anti-Semitic irredentism.Papa Bergoglio delivered a message of hate to the Jews. How is that? The Warsaw Ghetto was created by the Nazis as a means of collecting Jews in preparation for their extermination by Zyklon B. How can a Pope accept that it is compared to an Arab city under the Palestinian Authority’s rule? The “Palestinian concentration camp” claim is a blatant anti-Semitic lie and an insult to the millions who really did suffer and die in the camps, and the Pope should have denounced it.But it was clear in the homily delivered by Pope Francis in Bethlehem that he didn’t come to bring peace: “Are we like Mary and Joseph, who welcomed Jesus and cared for him with the love of a father and mother? Or are we like Herod, who wanted to eliminate him?”.So according to Pope Francis, the Israeli Jews are like Herod, who killed all the innocent babies because his heart was set on killing Jesus.This is an insidious form of anti-Semitism which subtly accuses the Jewish State of trying to murder the new Jesus, symbolized by the Palestinian Arabs.Pope Francis should have asked the opinion of the nuns at the Rosary Sisters School in the Dachyat El Barid neighborhood north of Jerusalem. They asked to be included on the Israeli side of the fence, in light of requests from the Mother Superior of the Order. Why? They didn’t want to live under the Palestinian autocracy.Why did the Pope meet with Palestinian Arab "refugees" if not to present the 1948 war as the source of an “injustice” committed by Israel when it pushed away the Palestinian Arabs? Pope Francis, the refugee problem was created not by an inexorable eruption of hostilities, but by an Arab war of annihilation against Israel. You should have said that. Why did you ignore the 800,000 Jewish refugees who were driven out of Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East in the years after Israel obtained its independence? Why did Pope Francis accepted to walk in the Temple Mount, Judaism’s most sacred site, with Mufti Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, who declared that “the Hour of Resurrection will not come until you fight the Jews”, who promoted terror against Israel and denied the existence of the Jewish Temples? Talk is cheap, Pope Francis. If you were a “friend of the Jewish people”, as the Catholic media and some rabbis try to present you, you should have rejected the Judeophobic Palestinian propaganda; you should have refused to be pictured beneath images comparing Israel's actions to Hitler's and the Palestinian Arabs to Jesus; you should have refused to shake hands with the Muftis who want to annihilate the Jewish people.After visiting the concentration camp of Mauthausen on June 25, 1988, Pope John Paul II said that the Jews “enriched the world by their suffering,” and their death was like the grain which must fall into the earth in order to bear fruit, in the words of Jesus who brings salvation.One wonders whether being killed is the only role of the Jews in the eyes of the Papacy.Now we have a new Pope who sees Israel as a baby-killer.
05/27/2014 -THE VATICAN INSIDER-Pope sends out clear signals on Synod and financial scandals-Francis in the Holy Land-An analysis of Francis’ interview with journalists on the return flight from Israel: the summit with Peres and Abu Mazen, the debate with remarried divorcees, the role of the Secretariat of State and the Pope’s irritation over the financial scandals-ANDREA TORNIELLI
vatican city-Some parts of Francis’ interview with journalists on yesterday evening’s flight from Tel Aviv to Rome help us to understand his thoughts on some of the more controversial issues of his pontificate and on the outcome of his three-day visit to the Holy land.First of all, his words, even his announcement of the prayer meeting in the Vatican with the Israeli and Palestinian presidents, confirm the Pope’s spiritual - not political – approach to the problem of the conflict between these two peoples. In the interview, Francis refused to comment on a possible future for Jerusalem, clarifying that “it would be foolish on [his] part” to do so. He confirmed that the meeting with Abu Mazen and Peres should have taken place during his visit to the Holy Land, adding that the Pope and the two presidents will meet in the next few days in the Vatican to pray for peace, not to trace a new road map for negotiations. The Pope believes in the power of prayer, as he demonstrated with last September’s prayer vigil for peace in Syria. During the interview, Francis explained that the gestures he made throughout the trip – the silent prayers in front of the wall that separates the West Bank from Israel and in front of the memorial that commemorates victims of terrorism and the moving hand kisses he gave to a number of Holocaust survivors – were all spontaneous and had not been pre- planned.The financial scandals are another key aspect. The question started off with the controversy over Cardinal Bertone’s apartment, it went on to mention the scandal of the 15 million Euros that were embezzled from the IOR and invested in the Lux Vide television production company by Bertone. Finally, it mentioned the VIP buffet organized on the terrace of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See on the occasion of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II’s canonizations.Francis said measures needed to be taken so certain incidents would not be repeated. He explained that the 15 million Euro affair was still being looked into, confirming that although no formal criminal investigation is being carried out by the Vatican magistrature, the case is under observation. It is also striking that the Pope did not spring to Bertone’s defence, even though he had the opportunity to do so. Bertone on the other hand, publicly announced that he had received a telephone call from the Pope, expressing his support. But no such solidarity was expressed in yesterday’s interview.It is also important to note that Francis mentioned the new Secretariat for the Economy headed by Australian cardinal George Pell, a number of times, as an antidote to overspending and scandal. He also stressed, however, that the Vatican’s new “ministry of finance” works “together with the Secretariat of State.” This phrase, which Francis mentioned in passing, shows that the Secretary of State Pietro Parolin carries more weight, the Pope wants him by his side and wants to involve him more and more in economic and financial questions as well.As to the question about whether he would consider resigning from the pontificate in the future as his predecessor did, Francis made it clear he had not made any such decision. He aslo explained, however, that thanks to the path opened by Benedict XVI, it would be easier and less traumatic for any future successors to resign should they feel they no longer have the strength to continue their ministry.The question relating to celibacy also quoted the letter recently sent to the Pope by a group of women who either are or have been in a relationship with a priest. Francis indicated that he knew about it and its authenticity is confirmed, to the disappointment of some ideological commentators. Francis responded in a clear and simple manner, stressing what he already mentioned in the book he co-wrote with Rabbi Skorka. Priestly celibacy is not a dogma, there are married priests in the Catholic Church (in Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite and in the Anglo-Catholic ordinariates), but the Pope considers it as a gift for the Church and although he said the subject was open for discussion, he seemed to indicate that there were no changes on the horizon with regards to celibacy.The answer given to the question regarding remarried divorcees was also important. Francis recalled that the Cardinal Walter Kasper’s address at last February’s Consistory contained various passages on the family. But everyone’s attention was focused solely on the bit about pastoral care for remarried divorcees who enter a second union. Aside from the Synodal debate – which some would like to conclude and predefine straight away – the Pope made it very clear that he did not appreciate the public comments made by some men of the Church – cardinals for the most part – against the ideas proposed by Kasper, focusing only on the issue of communion for remarried divorcees and not on the family in general.Another key part of the interview was Francis’ confirmation of his trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines in January 2015. This will be Francis’ fourth international visit. This August the Pope will be visiting South Korea. Two visits to Asia then. It is important to note that the Philippine leg of his visit will be to the region that was hit by the tsunami. On this occasion - as his visits to various parts of Italy, particularly Lampedusa - Francis yet again seems to have given precedence to the peripheries.
05/27/2014 - THE VATICAN INSIDER-Pakistan: Asia Bibi’s lawyer says what was an anomaly is now an injustice-Women in lahore demonstrate for Asia Bibi's release-Asia Bibi’s lawyer, Naeem Shakir, speaks exclusively to Vatican Insider: the first hearing for the appeal trial of the Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy was supposed to take place today but was postponed again-Paolo Affatato
Rome-Shock and dismay. Bitterness and a full awareness that there’s something not quite right. This is the fifth time in the space of a few months that the first hearing for Asia Bibi’s appeal trial has been postponed. The woman was sentenced to death after being accused of blasphemy in Pakistan and has been in prison for almost five years. These continuous postponements are frustrating her leading defence lawyer, Naeem Shakir. Shakir is a well known figure in the field of human rights and in 2012 was awarded the Human Rights Defender Award by the Pakistani government. In an exclusive interview with Vatican Insider, Shakir, a Pakistani Christian who strives to combine faith and justice in his profession, does not hide his scepticism and criticisms against Pakistan’s current judicial system, which is unable to bring justice to an innocent woman.
Mr. Shakir, what happened with Asia Bibi’s hearing?
“The hearing was in the list of hearings that were scheduled to take place today, 27 May. Then it suddenly disappeared from the list. We don’t know why and we don’t know when or if another date will be set. All I can say is that what is happening is not normal. We are in touch with the Lahore High Court administration and we are waiting for an official explanation for this anomaly which translates into a lack of justice for an innocent victim.”
What is your take on Asia Bibi’s case?
“We have reason to hope as there are solid grounds for an absolution. The judge in the court of first instance committed a legal error, distorting and ignoring the evidence. There were some principles of criminal law that were not respected during the trial that was held back in 2009 in the Nakhana court. The judge was overcome by religious sentiment and was influenced by Islamist radicals who were putting pressure on him. The sentenced passed is based on “hearsay” which is not acceptable by law. Three of the witnesses, including the main person who made the accusation, the Imam Masjid, the chief of a local mosque, were not physically present when the blasphemous comments was allegedly made and never heard Asia Bibi pronounce them. The only two real witnesses for the prosecution, are two women who claimed they heard her pronouncing offensive comments about the Prophet Muhammad and the Koran. But these witnesses are self-interested and biased and therefore unreliable and lacking in credibility. They are the two village women who argued with Asia when they were working in a field on 14 June 2009. They refused to drink the water she had brought, saying they “would not drink water brought by a non-Muslim” because it was impure. This argument led them to make up this story out of revenge, with the help of a Muslim cleric.”
What will you be basing her defence case on?
“First of all, there has been a big and inexplicable delay between the date when the alleged blasphemous comment was made (14 June) and the date the incident was reported to the police (19 June). Why the wait? This proves that the complaint was lodged after a deliberate consultation. There is a plethora of precedents in high courts, in which inexplicable delays – even delays of a few hours –provide grounds to strongly doubt a complaint lodged and are considered as evidence that the facts have been manipulated. In Asia’s case, six days is a lot and the accusation does not appear in the least bit credible.”
Do you have any other objections with regards to the witnesses?
“Of course, because there are contradictions and discrepancies between the statements prosecution witnesses have given to the police and what they said in court. These discrepancies have been ignored in the trial. It should be noted that providing false evidence is a serious offence, even in Islamic law. Blasphemy became a crime in 1982 (article 295c of the criminal code) and related penalties were introduced in 1986 based on Islamic law. But in this case, the judge should look into the appropriateness and reliability of a witness, in accordance with Islamic law. Not even these requirements of Islamic law were adhered to. On the basis of this, I am confident that the sentence can be overturned. But we still need a system that ensures the correct administration of justice.”
Will Asia be called to testify?
“If a new trial is held, and we hope it will be soon, I don’t think she will be able to for security reasons. But Asia denied the accusations, stating she had profound respect for the Prophet and the Koran, claiming that the accusations were part of a conspiracy. Her position has not changed.”
What do you think about Pakistan’s blasphemy law?
“It is already a widely recognized fact – both nationally and internationally – that this blasphemy law is regularly exploited to resolve private disputes and in cases of professional rivalry and religious persecution. Nevertheless, it seems that the state has given into pressure from the Islamic religious lobbies that support it. Blasphemy cases are on the rise and there is something strange about this. Just think about it for a moment: who would dare speak ill of the Prophet and the Koran in this wild witch-hunt? Only someone with a few loose screws would. I think the time has come to adopt some corrective measures otherwise the legal system and rule of law will collapse.”
What is your take on intolerance in Pakistani society?
“Pakistani society is exploding as a result of extremism, militancy and intolerance which have spread to all areas of life. Society has fallen victim to religious extremists, organized militia and so-called “custodians” of the true religion. This is worsened by the fact that school curriculums are based on material that encourages hatred and religious prejudice against non-Muslim minorities like Christians and Hindus. This is a serious problem.”
What are the consequences?
“This example has produced very negative results across three generations because a mentality has developed, based on sectarianism. Religious extremism and militancy have entered the very fabric of the state, the institutions and politics and are challenging the system of governance. They have gradually eroded the socio-religious harmony and tolerance. Even the legal community comprising lawyers and judges, appears to be deeply influenced by an anti-democratic doctrine and said divisions. Bar associations which once used to be beacons of pluralism and debate have become hubs for religious extremism. The recent murder of Rashid Rehman, a distinguished lawyer and human rights activist is indicative of this: he was killed because he agreed to defend a man who was accused of blasphemy. It was awful to hear that death threats were made against him, in court, by colleagues who accused his client; and this in the presence of a judge. Not one word was said by representatives of the legal system regarding this terrifying assassination.
What steps need to be taken in your opinion?
“A culture of dialogue and cultural and religious pluralism is needed, so that new generations are brought up in the spirit of fraternity. The solution lies in the hands of the political leaders: they must have the courage to adopt concrete measures to achieve this, otherwise society may fall apart. All democratic forces must unite for the good of the country and propose an new social order, based on values such as peace, tolerance, harmony and social justice.”
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:(ISRAEL WAS LITERALLY REBORN JUST BEFORE SUMMER,MAY 14,1948).
MARK 13:28
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
DANIEL 9:24
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (ISRAEL) and upon thy holy city,(JERUSALEM) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
ISRAEL WILL BE IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM, THE SIGN OF THE START OF THE LAST GENERATION.
NEHEMIAH 2:17
17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we (ISRAELIS) are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste,(AD 70) and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem,(DAN 9:24-27) that we be no more a reproach.
LUKE 21:24
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.(ISRAEL RECAPTURES JERUSALEM)(THE BEGGINING OF THE LAST GENERATION AND THE LAST END OF THE AGE OF GRACE.NOT THE END OF THE WORLD ,THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER)
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.
12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS
http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageNavigator/eng/USENG_homenew
I HAVE NOT PUT ANY INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP STORIES ON LATELY.ITS ABOUT TIME I DO TODAY AGAIN.
May 27, 2014 - 10:04 AM-Yael Eckstein on Educating Young People to Be a Voice for Israel
0-IFCJ-Yael Eckstein \
Israel-Yael Eckstein has written a piece for The Jerusalem Post on leading the next generation to an understanding of and commitment to Israel. After attending a conference of young Jewish leaders last week, Yael took heart in the Holy Land's future:During a three-day trip that passed in the blink of an eye, we studied the past while focusing our eyes toward the future, and were exposed to the outstanding and groundbreaking technology coming out of the Holy Land. We traveled the country from north to south and met with numerous spiritual leaders, Knesset ministers, and individuals who defied statistics and beat the odds to achieve success. We even had a private audience with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.I was pleasantly surprised to hear the advice that the prime minister gave to our group of leaders on how we can strengthen the State of Israel and her people. He presented us with three responsibilities which he proposed we take on ourselves: 1) Invest in Israel; 2) Spread the truth about Israel; 3) Create a bridge for more people to walk over and make aliyah.We couldn't agree more with Prime Minister Netanyahu's words, or with Yael's advocacy for Israel and its new generation of leaders and supporters.
47 Years Since Six Day War, Jerusalem Leads Israel-47th Jerusalem Day begins, stats show city leads Israel in hi-tech, immigration, and hope.By Ari Yashar-First Publish: 5/27/2014, 8:50 PM-IsraelNationalNews
Jerusalem Day, beginning Tuesday night, will be celebrated in Israel's capital through a series of events featuring top Israeli musicians and various performances.This year marks the 47th year since the unification of the 3,000-year-old capital of the Jewish people, which occurred in the 1967 Six Day War.On the occasion of Jerusalem Day, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat stated "the residents of Jerusalem feel the youthful energy coursing through the city, and are enjoying the great wave of development enveloping Jerusalem."" Jerusalem is a modern, attractive and leading city, which attracts young people who enjoy the culture, sport, leisure, excellent education and quality of life that exists only in Jerusalem," added Barkat. "We are continuing to develop the city together with the residents, and are investing all of our resources in developing Israel's capital for future generations. It is a great privilege." Figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics, the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies and other sources were released by the Jerusalem Municipality ahead of the celebrations. The statistics indeed support Barkat's appraisal of the capital.While Israeli hi-tech, so central to the nation's economy, is often linked to the central coastal region, revenue from the industry in Jerusalem is in fact nearly 12 billion shekels (around $3.5 billion), almost as much as the revenue Tel Aviv (6.7 billion shekels) and Haifa (7 billion shekels) combined.Attracting young people and olim, the happy and hopeful.Jerusalem is also leading Israel in attracting olim (new immigrants). The city absorbed 2,335 new olim in 2013, making 13% of the national total of olim, and over twice as many as Tel Aviv (1,060) or Haifa (1,130).The capital has also been attracting young people, as 30,000 people young people have moved to the city in the last four years. 51% of those moving to Jerusalem in 2012 were between the ages of 20 and 34.While the Central Bureau of Statistics reported 88% of Jerusalemites are happy, the Municipality figures found 92% of residents are happy with their lives, as compared to an 88% national average. Tel Aviv came in at 86% and Haifa at 81%.Jerusalem residents were also found to be the most optimistic in Israel: 63% felt their lives would be better in the future, a rate higher than the national average (59%), Tel Aviv (57%) and Haifa (54%).The last four years have also seen a marked growth in Zionist state and state-religious education systems, with students rising from 58,908 at the start of the 2010-2011 school year to 62,941 in the 2013-2014 school year.Building was also touted in the Municipality statement, which noted a record number of new projects began in 2013 breaking a 20-year record. In the last three years construction on 15,651 new residential units have been approved throughout the entire city.Roughly four million tourists stayed in Jerusalem during 2013, outpacing Haifa and Tel Aviv in that category as well.
Jews Make Aliyah Amid Ukraine Airport Battles-Jewish Agency rescues six Jewish immigrants to Israel, despite Ukrainian and pro-Russian clashes at Donetsk airport.By Ari Yashar-First Publish: 5/27/2014, 6:29 PM-IsraelNationalNews
Six Jewish residents of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk were flown to Israel on Tuesday to make Aliyah (immigration), in a quick rescue operation headed by the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Ukrainian armed forces and pro-Russian militants were battling over the Donetsk airport on Tuesday, with both sides making early announcements of victory. Pro-Russian rebels had taken the airport on Monday, after blocking locals the day before from participating in national presidential elections won by Petro Poroshenko, who placed putting down the rebels as his top priority.Amid the clashes and chaos, the six immigrants, including a couple with two twin baby girls from Donetsk and another couple from the city of Mariupol south of Donetsk on the Black Sea coast, had been set to make Aliyah on Monday night.The Jewish Agency's Russian-Speaking Jewry Unity decided to evacuate the six overland to Dnepropetrovsk to the west to stay at a local hotel until leaving for Israel. On Tuesday morning they flew to Kiev, and then on to the Jewish state, landing at Ben-Gurion International Airport."Jewish Agency representatives in Ukraine continue to be active in all areas and are prepared for any eventuality, as shown by this latest event in my own city of birth, Donetsk," remarked Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel.Donetsk has been the target of several anti-Semitic activities, with pamphlets calling for Jews to "register" being passed around in April, and a Jewish-owned bank in the city being targeted later in the month.Sharansky added that "due to the current situation in the country, we have significantly expanded our activities, assisting those who wish to immigrate to Israel, bringing young people to experience life in Israel on a variety of Jewish Agency programs, providing Hebrew classes, and so on."Roughly 30,000 Jews live in the Donetsk region according to the Jewish Agency, with 11,000 of them residing in the city of Donetsk. The Jewish Agency is now gearing up to bring other families to Israel in a similar way if the airport remains insecure.The first four months of 2014 witnessed a 142% rise in Aliyah from Ukraine, reports the Jewish Agency, as a total of 762 immigrants arrived from the country as opposed to 315 the previous year. The rate has increased over the course of those four months, with April recording a 295% increase.Anti-Semitism has similarly been causing a sharp rise in Aliyah from France, where a 312% increase was witnessed in the first three months of 2014. The uptick has led to predictions that the year will set records for French Aliyah.The Jewish Agency reports it has 90 staff members on the ground in Ukraine to assist Jews interested in making Aliyah.
May 27, 2014 - 12:25 PM-Counting Up to Shavuot-Ami Farkas-Bible \Torah-IFCJ
Beginning on the second night of Passover, the Jewish people are commanded to count the days leading up to Shavuot (the Pentecost), the holiday on which we celebrate the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Our counting demonstrates our enthusiasm for receiving God’s commandments, but is done a little differently than the regular counting that would accompany the anticipation of a great event.Typically, a person counting the days until their wedding or a long-planned trip would count downwards. If I knew that in thirty days I was going away on vacation I would mark off each day, starting at thirty and count down from there. However, when counting the days to Pentecost, we do the opposite, starting with one and counting up until we reach the holiday itself.There are varying explanations for why we count upwards as we approach the Pentecost, something we don’t practice on any other Jewish holiday. The main reason, though, is that counting up is ordained in the Bible.When our ancestors left Egypt, they had to prepare to receive God’s Word. The transformation from centuries as slaves to a free people ready to take on God’s mission would be tremendous. So, to prepare for the great day when Moses would climb Mount Sinai and receive the Ten Commandments, the Jewish people entered into a period of intense introspection and repentance.And still, each night as we count the days leading up to the Pentecost, we are to take an accounting of where we stand as individuals and as a nation. The count is to remind us that receiving the Torah comes with great responsibility. The least we can do in preparation is to reflect on our actions, thoughts, and desires, fixing whatever we find that is not in accordance with God’s will.We count up as the days between Passover and the Pentecost elevate us step-by-step, readying us for the holiday on which the Torah was given. We count up as we repent for our misdeeds, revise our actions, and refine our character. And we count up as our anticipation for the Pentecost goes up, as well.Every night, as I tuck my little ones into bed, we recite the blessing of the counting. The anticipation gradually builds as we inch closer to the Pentecost, and the joy of the coming holiday fills our home as we count together, as we are commanded to by God.
Closing a circle-By Uri Heitner-MAY 26,14
On Jan. 23, 1904, six months before he died, an exhausted Theodor Herzl met with Pope Pius X. The multilingual Herzl tried to gauge whether the pope would support the Zionist movement, and lobbied him in Italian.But the pope's response was unequivocal -- he was outright against the idea of founding a Jewish home in the Land of Israel, and he opposed in principle the idea of recognizing the Jewish people."The Jews have not recognized our Lord, and therefore we cannot recognize the Jewish people," he said.Despite this stance, Pius was not opposed to Jews immigrating to the Land of Israel."We pray for them, that their minds be enlightened ... and so, if you come to Palestine and settle your people there, we shall have churches and priests ready to baptize all of you," he said.Pius stressed that Jerusalem "must not fall into the hands of the Jews.""The Jews, who ought to have been the first to acknowledge Jesus Christ, have not done so to this day," he said.Some 110 years later, Pope Francis is holding an official state visit in Israel, the nation-state of the Jewish people and its capital, Jerusalem. All the trappings of sovereignty are on display during this visit. The pope was scheduled to meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the chief rabbis; he was to visit the Yad Vashem Hall of Remembrance and the Western Wall.But in my view, his visit to Mount Herzl was the crown jewel of the visit, because it meant closure. It has a single overarching meaning: Zionism has triumphed.The rapprochement between the Holy See and the State of Israel was long and laborious. Pope Paul VI's visit to Israel in 1964, which lasted just 11 hours, was a milestone that bode well for bilateral relations as it allowed de facto recognition of the Jewish state. He refused to meet with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem, as this would have been interpreted as a recognition of Jerusalem as its capital. President Zalman Shazar and Prime Minister Levi Eshkol put their pride to one side and agreed to meet him in Megiddo. Only 30 years later did Israel and the Holy See announce the opening of formal diplomatic relations; it took another six years for a pope to make an official visit.Israel is often portrayed as a pariah state, an entity whose control over contested territory has turned it into an outcast. But that is a far cry from Israel's real standing on the world stage. In 1964, three years before the Six-Day War, when Jerusalem was still divided and Judea and Samaria were still under Jordanian rule, Israel's image was much worse than it is today. Pope Paul VI's visit and the way he conducted himself during his pilgrimage attest to that.Pope Francis' visit to Mount Herzl was a tribute to the visionary who foresaw the establishment of the Jewish state. His predecessor refused to make the same gesture. Herzl has won; his vision is being realized. Yes, Israel still faces a delegitimization campaign, some seven decades after its founding (this effort is embraced by some inside Israel, as well,) but its overall standing on the world stage is on the rise. Not for nothing do world leaders keep coming. One almost feels as if there is a constant airlift to Israel. The greatest performers hold concerts here, too. Israel has also enjoyed a boost in its economic ties worldwide. This is the triumph of Zionism. The pope's visit to Mount Herzl attests to that.
ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST
1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
ISRAELS TROUBLE
JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.
DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)
LETS GET ONE THING STRAIT.THE WORD PALESTINIAN DOES NOT EXIST IN THE ARAB VOCABULARY.IN FACT THE ARABS CAN'T EVEN PRONOUNCE THE WORD THEY CLAIM WILL BE THEIR STATE.THE ARABS SAY BALESTINIANS.THE WORD PALESTINIANS IS JUST A MADE UP WORD FOR POLITICS SAKE.SO THE PROPAGANDA FOR THE ARABS TO GET A STATE OF THEIR OWN-STEAL ISRAELS LAND AND DIVIDE JERUSALEM UNDER THE GUISE OF ISRAEL IS OCCUPYING THE LAND.
WELL YES ISRAEL IS OCCUPYING ITS LAND.GOD GAVE ISRAEL THE LAND TO BUILD WERE EVER THEY WANT.GOD WANTS ALL ISRAELIS IN ISRAEL.AND GOD WANTS ALL ISRAELIS TO HAVE LOTS OF CHILDREN.SINCE IN GEN 12:1-3 ISRAELIS WILL MULTIPLY AS THE SAND OF THE SEA AND WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED.HOW CAN ISHMAEL (ARAB/MUSLIMS) EVER THINK THEY CAN STEAL JERUSALEM FROM ISRAEL WITH PRESSURE ON ISRAEL FROM THE WORLD.BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THE LAND WILL BE DIVIDED.BUT ISRAELS ENEMIES.RUSSIA, ARABS, MUSLIMS, CHINA- THEN THE WHOLE WORLD WILL PAY FOR FORCING ISRAEL TO DIVIDE JERUSALEM AND FOR THINKING THEY CAN GET GOD (JESUS) OUT OF THE WAY.WELL I'LL GIVE YOU 3 BILLION REASONS WITH NUKES WHY GOD WILL SHOW THE EARTH.THEY WANNA GET IN GODS NOSTRILS AND FORCE ISRAEL.THEY HAVE TO BE TAUGHT A 3 BILLION DEAD WW3 LESSON.GODS IN CONTROL-NOT THE WORLD.AND GOD WILL PROTECT ISRAEL.AND JERUSALEM WILL VERY SHORTLY BECOME THE WORLD CAPITAL-NOT JUST ISRAELS CAPITAL.UNDER JESUS' RULE FROM DAVIDS THRONE IN JERUSALEM FOREVER.RULING OVER HIS PRECIOUS ISRAELIS FOREVER.NEVER ENDING.
Poll: Majority of Israelis Say PA Doesn't Want Peace-The more right wing an Israeli, the less likely they are to agree with the 'two-state solution,' a poll said.-By Yosef Berger-First Publish: 5/26/2014, 12:13 AM-IsraelNationalNews
A new poll shows that a majority of Israelis are opposed to further withdrawals from Judea and Samaria. In a poll taken by the Geocartographia organization on behalf of Ariel University, the majority of Israelis said that peace was not possible because of the refusal of the Palestinians to compromise on a political settlement. According to the poll's analysts, the refusal has turned the Israeli public more right-wing.As a result, the majority of Israelis support the government's decision to suspend peace talks with the Palestinians. That support, the poll found, was exacerbated by the recent decision by the Palestinian Authority to reconcile with Hamas and include it in the PA government. While more Israelis than ever expressed right-wing views on the matter, the dwindling number of leftists were also solidifying their positions, and demanded that Israel continue the talks, despite the agreement.The Israeli population is split almost evenly on the idea of the “two state solution.” About half see it – resulting from either a negotiated settlement or unilateral Israeli action – as the only solution to “the conflict,” while the other half does not belief a Palestinian state will, under current circumstances, solve anything. With that, the poll showed an incremental but clear increase in the latter attitude, again resulting from the frustration of Israelis with the Palestinian's endless demands. Those demands mean that “peace” as the Palestinians see it, a large majority of Israelis believe, is far different from the Israeli conception of peace.Most Israelis also do not believe that Israel can rely on international guarantees to ensure that a peace treaty is observed. The more right a respondent's views, the less s/he was willing to rely on those guarantees.The poll also asked respondents for their opinion on the “price tag” phenomenon, in which Jewish youths scrawl graffiti or slash tires in Arab towns in response to terror attacks. About a third consider these attacks to be as bad as terror attacks, a third justify them, and a third belief that while they may be justified, they are damaging to Israel and must be stopped. Here too, the more left a respondent's beliefs, the less they were likely to approve of price tag attacks.The majority of Israelis consider the international media to be pro-Palestinian, presenting almost exclusively the Palestinian side of things, while most Israelis consider the local media to be more fair. However, about a third of Israelis – mostly those on the “hard right” - say that the Israeli media is just as “pro-Palestinian” as the international media. However, many on the left, as well as on the right, agreed that the international media was almost completely pro-Palestinian.The poll of 500 Israelis representing a cross-section of the Jewish public in Israel was taken over the past several weeks, the polling organization said.
Op-Ed: Pope's Visit to Israel A Victory for Islamic Terrorism-This Pope is Islam's brother. The trip was all about Islam's grievances and we let them get away with it.Published: Tuesday, May 27, 2014 12:43 PM-Jack Engelhard
If anyone was infallible during the Pope’s visit to Israel, it was terrorist president Mahmoud Abbas. He got everything he wanted from the Pope.Abbas choreographed the entire thing. Showtime started when the Pope bypassed Israel proper and went straight to PA controlled Bethlehem…and of course the entire trip was a show. It was about symbols. Otherwise what was the purpose and frankly, hardly anyone remembers the purpose.If the Pope’s journey to the Holy Land was to justify terrorism, mission accomplished.Mercifully it is over. But the damage has been done.Whose Holy Land is it anyway? The deed was given to the Hebrews. God’s contract is in every page of Scriptures read in every church and synagogue.If that pledge given to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob was ever abrogated, “Show me the paper,” Rabbi Kook used to say.That was Pope John XXIII who (quoting Genesis 45:4) declared to the Jews, “I am Joseph, your brother.”No, this Pope was Islam’s brother.The trip had absolutely nothing to do with Israel. It has nothing to do with Jews or Catholics. It was all about Islam and its grievances. The Pope complied.Balaam at least tried to stall the curses.Abbas took the stage and never let go. He wrote, produced and directed the entire spectacle. He wanted the Pope at the wall, the protective barrier that Israel erected 10 years ago so that fewer Arabs could murder fewer Jews? He got his wish. Except that Abbas wanted it to symbolize Israeli “apartheid.” The Pope obliged.Bibi had to quickly summon a speech to remind Pope Francis how dangerous it was before the wall went up, but too late.The pictures worth a thousand words had already circulated the globe.Where was Israel’s leadership from the beginning of this disaster until the end? Didn’t they know the Pope was coming? Half of life is showing up. The other half is being prepared. Israel’s leadership failed here on both counts.How did Abbas get to play the moral equivalency card – make that the moral superiority card – during every step of the Pope’s visit? Half of life is showing up. The other half is being prepared. Israel’s leadership failed here on both counts.Victimhood in its entirely belonged to Abbas and his Palestinian Arabs and the Pope was taken in.How did the oldest of nations, Israel, going back more than 3,500 years, get outsmarted by a gang that was invented in 1967, A.D. and calling itself Palestinians? Bibi and the rest of his staff were constantly playing catch-up and constantly being outmaneuvered by Abbas – a thug, a terrorist.Did Israel not know that Abbas had plans to “prove” that the “baby Jesus” was a Palestinian Arab? Too late again.The Pope blessed that, too, an Arab Jesus, and pictures were taken.That image will stick for centuries and who knows how this will play throughout today’s Catholic world? My good Catholic friend John calls it, “Heresy.”As if we need proof that Israel is absolutely lame in the art of public relations, here is evidence that is most telling and disturbing --After getting the Pope to visit that protective barrier, a real coup and a cute trick for Abbas, Israeli leaders had to swiftly transfer the Pope to Israel’s national cemetery at Mount Herzl. The word we get is that this was not part of the itinerary but was tacked on to save the day.But nothing could save this misadventure. This Papal visit was no blessing, but a victory for Islamic terrorism. There is no other way to say it.Jack Engelhard writes a regular column for Arutz Sheva. New from the novelist, the 25th anniversary edition of the international bestseller Indecent Proposal and a love story of heartbreak and redemption The Girls of Cincinnati. Website: www.jackengelhard.com
FALSE POPE FROM THE VATICAN
REVELATION 13:11-13
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he (FALSE RELIGIOUS LEADER) exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
REVELATION 17:1-5,9,15-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.(BOMB OR NUKE THE VATICAN)
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city,(VATICAN) which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Op-Ed: For Shame, Pope Francis-Insidious allusions are as bad as outright anti-Semitism. Published: Monday, May 26, 2014 11:31 PM-Giulio Meotti-IsraelNationalNews
Two images will be remembered from Pope Francis' visit to the “Holy Land”.One will be of the Pope pictured praying at Israel’s security barrier beneath a graffiti that compares Palestinian Arabs with Jews under the Nazis. “Bethlehem looks like the Warsaw Ghetto”, graffiti on the wall said.If you were a “friend of the Jewish people”, as the Catholic media and some rabbis try to present you, you should have rejected the Judeophobic Palestinian propaganda.The other will be the altar from which the Pope delivered his message in Bethlehem, facing a giant baby Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh, the very symbol of Palestinian anti-Semitic irredentism.Papa Bergoglio delivered a message of hate to the Jews. How is that? The Warsaw Ghetto was created by the Nazis as a means of collecting Jews in preparation for their extermination by Zyklon B. How can a Pope accept that it is compared to an Arab city under the Palestinian Authority’s rule? The “Palestinian concentration camp” claim is a blatant anti-Semitic lie and an insult to the millions who really did suffer and die in the camps, and the Pope should have denounced it.But it was clear in the homily delivered by Pope Francis in Bethlehem that he didn’t come to bring peace: “Are we like Mary and Joseph, who welcomed Jesus and cared for him with the love of a father and mother? Or are we like Herod, who wanted to eliminate him?”.So according to Pope Francis, the Israeli Jews are like Herod, who killed all the innocent babies because his heart was set on killing Jesus.This is an insidious form of anti-Semitism which subtly accuses the Jewish State of trying to murder the new Jesus, symbolized by the Palestinian Arabs.Pope Francis should have asked the opinion of the nuns at the Rosary Sisters School in the Dachyat El Barid neighborhood north of Jerusalem. They asked to be included on the Israeli side of the fence, in light of requests from the Mother Superior of the Order. Why? They didn’t want to live under the Palestinian autocracy.Why did the Pope meet with Palestinian Arab "refugees" if not to present the 1948 war as the source of an “injustice” committed by Israel when it pushed away the Palestinian Arabs? Pope Francis, the refugee problem was created not by an inexorable eruption of hostilities, but by an Arab war of annihilation against Israel. You should have said that. Why did you ignore the 800,000 Jewish refugees who were driven out of Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East in the years after Israel obtained its independence? Why did Pope Francis accepted to walk in the Temple Mount, Judaism’s most sacred site, with Mufti Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, who declared that “the Hour of Resurrection will not come until you fight the Jews”, who promoted terror against Israel and denied the existence of the Jewish Temples? Talk is cheap, Pope Francis. If you were a “friend of the Jewish people”, as the Catholic media and some rabbis try to present you, you should have rejected the Judeophobic Palestinian propaganda; you should have refused to be pictured beneath images comparing Israel's actions to Hitler's and the Palestinian Arabs to Jesus; you should have refused to shake hands with the Muftis who want to annihilate the Jewish people.After visiting the concentration camp of Mauthausen on June 25, 1988, Pope John Paul II said that the Jews “enriched the world by their suffering,” and their death was like the grain which must fall into the earth in order to bear fruit, in the words of Jesus who brings salvation.One wonders whether being killed is the only role of the Jews in the eyes of the Papacy.Now we have a new Pope who sees Israel as a baby-killer.
05/27/2014 -THE VATICAN INSIDER-Pope sends out clear signals on Synod and financial scandals-Francis in the Holy Land-An analysis of Francis’ interview with journalists on the return flight from Israel: the summit with Peres and Abu Mazen, the debate with remarried divorcees, the role of the Secretariat of State and the Pope’s irritation over the financial scandals-ANDREA TORNIELLI
vatican city-Some parts of Francis’ interview with journalists on yesterday evening’s flight from Tel Aviv to Rome help us to understand his thoughts on some of the more controversial issues of his pontificate and on the outcome of his three-day visit to the Holy land.First of all, his words, even his announcement of the prayer meeting in the Vatican with the Israeli and Palestinian presidents, confirm the Pope’s spiritual - not political – approach to the problem of the conflict between these two peoples. In the interview, Francis refused to comment on a possible future for Jerusalem, clarifying that “it would be foolish on [his] part” to do so. He confirmed that the meeting with Abu Mazen and Peres should have taken place during his visit to the Holy Land, adding that the Pope and the two presidents will meet in the next few days in the Vatican to pray for peace, not to trace a new road map for negotiations. The Pope believes in the power of prayer, as he demonstrated with last September’s prayer vigil for peace in Syria. During the interview, Francis explained that the gestures he made throughout the trip – the silent prayers in front of the wall that separates the West Bank from Israel and in front of the memorial that commemorates victims of terrorism and the moving hand kisses he gave to a number of Holocaust survivors – were all spontaneous and had not been pre- planned.The financial scandals are another key aspect. The question started off with the controversy over Cardinal Bertone’s apartment, it went on to mention the scandal of the 15 million Euros that were embezzled from the IOR and invested in the Lux Vide television production company by Bertone. Finally, it mentioned the VIP buffet organized on the terrace of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See on the occasion of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II’s canonizations.Francis said measures needed to be taken so certain incidents would not be repeated. He explained that the 15 million Euro affair was still being looked into, confirming that although no formal criminal investigation is being carried out by the Vatican magistrature, the case is under observation. It is also striking that the Pope did not spring to Bertone’s defence, even though he had the opportunity to do so. Bertone on the other hand, publicly announced that he had received a telephone call from the Pope, expressing his support. But no such solidarity was expressed in yesterday’s interview.It is also important to note that Francis mentioned the new Secretariat for the Economy headed by Australian cardinal George Pell, a number of times, as an antidote to overspending and scandal. He also stressed, however, that the Vatican’s new “ministry of finance” works “together with the Secretariat of State.” This phrase, which Francis mentioned in passing, shows that the Secretary of State Pietro Parolin carries more weight, the Pope wants him by his side and wants to involve him more and more in economic and financial questions as well.As to the question about whether he would consider resigning from the pontificate in the future as his predecessor did, Francis made it clear he had not made any such decision. He aslo explained, however, that thanks to the path opened by Benedict XVI, it would be easier and less traumatic for any future successors to resign should they feel they no longer have the strength to continue their ministry.The question relating to celibacy also quoted the letter recently sent to the Pope by a group of women who either are or have been in a relationship with a priest. Francis indicated that he knew about it and its authenticity is confirmed, to the disappointment of some ideological commentators. Francis responded in a clear and simple manner, stressing what he already mentioned in the book he co-wrote with Rabbi Skorka. Priestly celibacy is not a dogma, there are married priests in the Catholic Church (in Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite and in the Anglo-Catholic ordinariates), but the Pope considers it as a gift for the Church and although he said the subject was open for discussion, he seemed to indicate that there were no changes on the horizon with regards to celibacy.The answer given to the question regarding remarried divorcees was also important. Francis recalled that the Cardinal Walter Kasper’s address at last February’s Consistory contained various passages on the family. But everyone’s attention was focused solely on the bit about pastoral care for remarried divorcees who enter a second union. Aside from the Synodal debate – which some would like to conclude and predefine straight away – the Pope made it very clear that he did not appreciate the public comments made by some men of the Church – cardinals for the most part – against the ideas proposed by Kasper, focusing only on the issue of communion for remarried divorcees and not on the family in general.Another key part of the interview was Francis’ confirmation of his trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines in January 2015. This will be Francis’ fourth international visit. This August the Pope will be visiting South Korea. Two visits to Asia then. It is important to note that the Philippine leg of his visit will be to the region that was hit by the tsunami. On this occasion - as his visits to various parts of Italy, particularly Lampedusa - Francis yet again seems to have given precedence to the peripheries.
05/27/2014 - THE VATICAN INSIDER-Pakistan: Asia Bibi’s lawyer says what was an anomaly is now an injustice-Women in lahore demonstrate for Asia Bibi's release-Asia Bibi’s lawyer, Naeem Shakir, speaks exclusively to Vatican Insider: the first hearing for the appeal trial of the Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy was supposed to take place today but was postponed again-Paolo Affatato
Rome-Shock and dismay. Bitterness and a full awareness that there’s something not quite right. This is the fifth time in the space of a few months that the first hearing for Asia Bibi’s appeal trial has been postponed. The woman was sentenced to death after being accused of blasphemy in Pakistan and has been in prison for almost five years. These continuous postponements are frustrating her leading defence lawyer, Naeem Shakir. Shakir is a well known figure in the field of human rights and in 2012 was awarded the Human Rights Defender Award by the Pakistani government. In an exclusive interview with Vatican Insider, Shakir, a Pakistani Christian who strives to combine faith and justice in his profession, does not hide his scepticism and criticisms against Pakistan’s current judicial system, which is unable to bring justice to an innocent woman.
Mr. Shakir, what happened with Asia Bibi’s hearing?
“The hearing was in the list of hearings that were scheduled to take place today, 27 May. Then it suddenly disappeared from the list. We don’t know why and we don’t know when or if another date will be set. All I can say is that what is happening is not normal. We are in touch with the Lahore High Court administration and we are waiting for an official explanation for this anomaly which translates into a lack of justice for an innocent victim.”
What is your take on Asia Bibi’s case?
“We have reason to hope as there are solid grounds for an absolution. The judge in the court of first instance committed a legal error, distorting and ignoring the evidence. There were some principles of criminal law that were not respected during the trial that was held back in 2009 in the Nakhana court. The judge was overcome by religious sentiment and was influenced by Islamist radicals who were putting pressure on him. The sentenced passed is based on “hearsay” which is not acceptable by law. Three of the witnesses, including the main person who made the accusation, the Imam Masjid, the chief of a local mosque, were not physically present when the blasphemous comments was allegedly made and never heard Asia Bibi pronounce them. The only two real witnesses for the prosecution, are two women who claimed they heard her pronouncing offensive comments about the Prophet Muhammad and the Koran. But these witnesses are self-interested and biased and therefore unreliable and lacking in credibility. They are the two village women who argued with Asia when they were working in a field on 14 June 2009. They refused to drink the water she had brought, saying they “would not drink water brought by a non-Muslim” because it was impure. This argument led them to make up this story out of revenge, with the help of a Muslim cleric.”
What will you be basing her defence case on?
“First of all, there has been a big and inexplicable delay between the date when the alleged blasphemous comment was made (14 June) and the date the incident was reported to the police (19 June). Why the wait? This proves that the complaint was lodged after a deliberate consultation. There is a plethora of precedents in high courts, in which inexplicable delays – even delays of a few hours –provide grounds to strongly doubt a complaint lodged and are considered as evidence that the facts have been manipulated. In Asia’s case, six days is a lot and the accusation does not appear in the least bit credible.”
Do you have any other objections with regards to the witnesses?
“Of course, because there are contradictions and discrepancies between the statements prosecution witnesses have given to the police and what they said in court. These discrepancies have been ignored in the trial. It should be noted that providing false evidence is a serious offence, even in Islamic law. Blasphemy became a crime in 1982 (article 295c of the criminal code) and related penalties were introduced in 1986 based on Islamic law. But in this case, the judge should look into the appropriateness and reliability of a witness, in accordance with Islamic law. Not even these requirements of Islamic law were adhered to. On the basis of this, I am confident that the sentence can be overturned. But we still need a system that ensures the correct administration of justice.”
Will Asia be called to testify?
“If a new trial is held, and we hope it will be soon, I don’t think she will be able to for security reasons. But Asia denied the accusations, stating she had profound respect for the Prophet and the Koran, claiming that the accusations were part of a conspiracy. Her position has not changed.”
What do you think about Pakistan’s blasphemy law?
“It is already a widely recognized fact – both nationally and internationally – that this blasphemy law is regularly exploited to resolve private disputes and in cases of professional rivalry and religious persecution. Nevertheless, it seems that the state has given into pressure from the Islamic religious lobbies that support it. Blasphemy cases are on the rise and there is something strange about this. Just think about it for a moment: who would dare speak ill of the Prophet and the Koran in this wild witch-hunt? Only someone with a few loose screws would. I think the time has come to adopt some corrective measures otherwise the legal system and rule of law will collapse.”
What is your take on intolerance in Pakistani society?
“Pakistani society is exploding as a result of extremism, militancy and intolerance which have spread to all areas of life. Society has fallen victim to religious extremists, organized militia and so-called “custodians” of the true religion. This is worsened by the fact that school curriculums are based on material that encourages hatred and religious prejudice against non-Muslim minorities like Christians and Hindus. This is a serious problem.”
What are the consequences?
“This example has produced very negative results across three generations because a mentality has developed, based on sectarianism. Religious extremism and militancy have entered the very fabric of the state, the institutions and politics and are challenging the system of governance. They have gradually eroded the socio-religious harmony and tolerance. Even the legal community comprising lawyers and judges, appears to be deeply influenced by an anti-democratic doctrine and said divisions. Bar associations which once used to be beacons of pluralism and debate have become hubs for religious extremism. The recent murder of Rashid Rehman, a distinguished lawyer and human rights activist is indicative of this: he was killed because he agreed to defend a man who was accused of blasphemy. It was awful to hear that death threats were made against him, in court, by colleagues who accused his client; and this in the presence of a judge. Not one word was said by representatives of the legal system regarding this terrifying assassination.
What steps need to be taken in your opinion?
“A culture of dialogue and cultural and religious pluralism is needed, so that new generations are brought up in the spirit of fraternity. The solution lies in the hands of the political leaders: they must have the courage to adopt concrete measures to achieve this, otherwise society may fall apart. All democratic forces must unite for the good of the country and propose an new social order, based on values such as peace, tolerance, harmony and social justice.”
