God's Peace Plan
for the Holy Land
A Peace Plan for Israel/Palestine
conforming to guidelines from the Bible and Qur’an
presented by
Robert Leon Mendelson
Copyright December 2010.
All rights reserved.
However, anyone may legally copy any part of this proposal
and share it with others, as long as no money or other form
of financial exchange
and/or barter is involved. Eventually, when there are any
proceeds, they'll go to
God through His people. (See page 17, Reparations)
Table of Contents
Preface
page
3
Chapter 1
God's Peace Plan for the
Holy Land
page
9
Chapter 2
Who Are The Palestinians?
page
24
Chapter 3
Who Are The Ashkenazi Jews?
page
38
Closing
page
52
All high-lighting by use of boldface type, italics,
underlining, color, and font size
have been added by myself unless specifically noted
otherwise. All Bible passages
in this book are from the New International version (NIV),
but were cross-checked
with the "King James", "New American"
(Catholic), and "New World Translation"
versions for accuracy. All Old Testament passages were also
cross-checked with
"The Jewish Study Bible" and "The
Torah: The Five Books Of Moses".
All passages from
the Qur'an are from the J.M. Rodwell translation, but were
cross-checked for accuracy with the M. Pickthall and M.H.
Shakir translations.
While text for all three versions is virtually identical,
literary style of the
M.Shakir and Pickthall versions is somewhat archaic [less
readable], so they’re
used only to verify accuracy of Rodwell's translation.
However, Rodwell's version
only numbers every tenth verse, so verse numbering from
Pickthall is used, instead.
Wherever you see
the word “Sura”, the passage is from the Qur’an.
Otherwise, the passage is from a book in the Bible.
To remain
objective, personal titles that may offend any of the three faiths
have been omitted. Proper names only are used unless a cited
source includes
a personal honorific
in the passage.
Preface
“God’s Peace for the Holy Land*”? Isn’t that
a presumptuous title? Please allow
me to explain.
First, since the sacred books of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
provide the
guidelines supporting this solution, and since I wasn’t the one who
wrote them, calling
them “God’s” seems fair. That’s why the words “presented by”
precede my name on
the title page. Second, this book in no way proselytizes or
puts one religion
above another. Nor does it openly or subtly encourage anyone to
convert to anything.
What it does is take into account something without which
attaining peace in
the Holy Land (Israel/Palestine) will forever be unattainable.
That “something” is
the sacred messages delivered to each of the peoples involved
in the dispute. In
this case, referencing the sacred books is more than some dry,
scholarly exercise
or even a gesture of courtesy. Without taking the sacred books
into account, peace
in the Holy Land will be near, if not completely, impossible.
What it boils down to is this: there are two
groups of people, Palestinians and
Ashkenazi Jews
(a.k.a. “Khazars”/“Eastern European Jews”) living in the Holy Land
and who appear to be
genetically unrelated. In general, the belief systems
(religions) of both
groups seem to direct them to subjugate and/or expel the other
group based on their
being alien interlopers. Since millions of participants believe
this, and because
their beliefs lead to acts of violence, finding a solution that
permits peace
requires referencing their sacred literature.
Some may say the conflict has nothing to do
with religion, but if this were so,
Jews wouldn’t claim
“God gave us this land”. There’d be no point in doing so if it
had no importance to
people. And Iran, a Persian nation, would have little interest
in a conflict
concerning Semitic peoples several hundred miles away. It’s the
religious connection
that brings Muslims of diverse backgrounds together in
support of
Palestinians. Nor would millions of American Christians support Israel
without that support
based on how they’re taught to read their Bibles.
Palestinians and their supporters believe
Palestinians have indigenous rights
to the land. Jews
see Palestinians as outsiders who occupied their land after
they’d been defeated
and exiled by the Romans about 2000 years ago. Most
Christians agree with
that point of view, so they support Israel. Unless both
parties can trace
concurrent historical roots there, the sacred traditions of
all involved parties
will continually be used to promote conflict.
* About using the term “Holy Land”; All land on
this Earth is holy. But, rather
than spell out
“Israel and the West Bank and Gaza” or saying “Israel” and
offending
Palestinians or “Palestine” and offending Israelis, since people are
already are familiar
with “the Holy Land”, we’ll go with that.
Genetic testing has
found only the vaguest connection between Palestinians
and Ashkenazi Jews.
Certainly not the extent one would expect if they were all
descended from a
common forefather a few thousand years ago. Nor is there
much, if any,
archaeological evidence that can prove anything. We know that
physical evidence
can disappear over time, and that tribes migrate from one area
to another. We also
know many tribes/cultures are mixed race, where everyone
may not descend from
a (recently) common ancestor. All these elements are
present in the
mystery of where the Ashkenazi originated. The same holds true
for Palestinians.
If
it could be proved both groups were mutual parties to an ancient land-sharing
agreement, peace would be much easier to achieve.
Then, neither side would be
perceived as thieves and villains. Neither
side’s religion would command them to
harm the other. People everywhere would act
much more even-handedly towards
members of either group. On the other hand,
if this can’t be proven, continued
misery and wars overseas are inevitable.
Perhaps even the mega-death nuclear
Armageddon so many Fundamentalists believe in
might occur.
The only way to prove both groups belong and
have an ancient agreement is
through referencing
their sacred books, both those unique to each group and
those all parties
share in common. To some extent, the sacred books contain
historical accounts.
When adversaries of different faiths agree on the same
historical account
found in one book, that’s powerful, though circumstantial,
evidence the account
is true. In addition, if the account in one religion’s book
supports the
historical claims of their adversaries from another religion,
that’s also powerful
circumstantial evidence. Ironically, when we consult the
sacred books, we
find the Bible provides proof Palestinians belong and Muslim
sacred literature
provides the key proof Ashkenazi Jews belong. These topics
are covered in depth
in chapters 2 and 3. Once this is proven, the sacred books
go further,
providing the details for peace along
the lines of this peace plan,
which is presented
in chapter 1.
While there’s value in evidence found in books special to a particular
religion,
when it comes to formulating a peace
agreement, it’s much better if it’ comes
from a sacred source all parties hold as
sacred. As it so happens, Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam all share a portion
of sacred literature in common and
all disregard it in general. The shared
sacred literature is the Old Testament.
Despite the fact many people perceive the Old
Testament as being “Jewish”,
in practice it has as much impact on most
Jews as it does with either Christians
or Muslims. Both Orthodox and Hasidic Jews
rely more heavily on books written
after the Old Testament, which include the
Talmud and Mishnah, as well as an
oral tradition. Nevertheless, a Jewish adage
says to “Kiss the Torah” brings one
prosperity and a long life. “Kissing the
Torah” means connecting back to the
Old Testament. So, Jews should be more open
to a peace plan from a sacred
book from their roots, not one dictated by
the New Testament or Qur’an.
For
Christians, the Old Testament has mixed value. They’re taught that Jesus
freed them from the Law (i.e., Old
Testament), so the emphasis is much greater
on the New Testament. Despite that, Jesus
made the following statement…
Matthew 5:17-19, Jesus;
17 "Do not think that I have come to
abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to
abolish them but to fulfill them.
18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and
earth disappear,
not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen,
will by any means disappear from
the Law until everything is accomplished.
19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of
these commandments
and teaches others to do the same
will be called least in the kingdom of heaven,
but whoever practices and teaches these commands
will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
One
may argue that Jesus freed people from the Law, but that was only if they
accepted him as Christ. Otherwise, they’d
still be under the Law (Jews), which
hadn’t passed away. It still held for Jews.
He then said anyone teaching people—
especially Jews—to break those commands would
be “least in the kingdom of
heaven”. So, there ought to be some value for
Christians in listening to what the
Law says regarding Jewish people in their own
land. Consequently, Christians
should be able to support a Peace Plan
crafted by God for Jews and Palestinians
in the book their ancestors revered. Next, we
come to Islam and most Palestinians.
Sura 29:46;
Dispute not…with people of the
Book;
And say ye, "We believe in
what hath been sent down to us [Qur’an]
and what hath been sent down to
you. [Old & New Testaments]
Our God and your God is
one,..."
Sura 2:136;
Say ye: "We believe in God,
and that which hath been sent down to us [Qur’an],
and that which hath been sent down to Abraham
and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes [Joshua],
and in that was given
to Moses, and to Jesus,
and that which was
given to the prophets, from their Lord.
No difference do we make between any of them."
There are many other instances in which Muhammad told his people that
the books of the Bible were confirmed. Again, one can argue theology,
but
Muslims have a choice as to whether they wish to read the Qur’an for
life or
for death. Making use of the Old Testament for a solution meant for the
members of both tribes currently in the Holy Land in no way places
Muslims
in other lands under any constraints in their own land. The following
passage
is quite specific regarding the value of the Old Testament—properly
applied;
Sura 46:12;
But before the Koran was the Book
of Moses, a rule and a mercy;
and this Book confirmeth it (the
Pentateuch)—in the Arabic tongue—
that those who are guilty of that
wrong may be warned,
and as glad tidings to the doers
of good."
“glad tidings” to “doers of good”. Muslims are supposed to be “doers of
good”.
Using Old Testament Law for the descendents
of those it was originally given to
in the same land in which it was originally
received doesn’t violate shariah in the
least. Muhammad recited a verse
including a reference to David (from the Bible)
Sura 6:85;
And we gave him Isaac and Jacob, and guided both aright;
and We had guided…among the descendants of Abraham, David …”
David said something pertinent to the situation:
Psalm 19:9-11, David;
9…The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether
righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.”
And last, an Old
Testament prophecy of particular interest for Muslims
throughout the Middle East from Isaiah…
Isaiah 19:25;
The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying,
"Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria [Iraq] my handiwork,
and Israel my inheritance."
There is value for
all people to make use of this wonderful tool for peace.
Without it, well, the next two passages sum up what Muslims
will do.
The first passage explains how the situation in the Holy
Land is seen by
Muslims worldwide and how it effects their relations with
America.
Sura 60:7-9;
7 God
will, perhaps, establish good will between yourselves
and those of them whom ye take to be your enemies:
God is powerful: and God is gracious, merciful.
8 God doth not forbid you to deal with kindness and fairness
towards those who
have not made war upon you on account
of your religion,
or driven you
forth from your homes:
for God loveth
those who act with fairness.
9 Only doth God forbid you to make friends of those who,
on account of
your religion,
have warred
against you,
and have driven
you forth from your homes,
and have aided [America & the West] those [Israel] whom drove you
forth:
and whoever maketh
friends of them are wrongdoers."
Palestinians
weren’t allowed to return to their homes after the war in 1948.
Then, after the 1967 war, more Palestinians were displaced.
The majority of
Palestinians are Muslims, and whether rightly or wrongly,
injustices committed
by Israel against Palestinians are perceived as injustices
against Muslims as a
religion. According to this belief, verse 9 forbids all Muslims
from making peace
with either Israel or anyone who supports Israel until this
issue is resolved.
To understand what this next one is saying, understand that
when Jews follow
the Torah and Old Testament, they’re included as “faithful”,
too.
Sura 49:9-10;
9
If two bodies of the faithful are at war,
then make ye peace between them;
and if one of them wrong the other,
fight against that party which doth the wrong,
until they come back to the precepts of God;
if they come back, make
peace between them with fairness,
and act impartially; God loveth those who act with
impartiality.
10 Only the faithful [those
who obey God's statutes] are brethren;
wherefore make peace between your brethren;
and fear God, that ye may obtain mercy."
The command to
Muslims is for un-ending war until all parties abide by the
“precepts of God”.
For Israelites, the precepts for sharing the land were placed
in the Old
Testament. There was no need for covenants regarding land sharing
in the Holy Land to
be duplicated in the Qur’an. Nor does referencing them in
any way make a
Muslim disobedient to God. On the contrary—it enables them
to receive God’s
mercy.
Perhaps as a brief
antidote to all the doom and gloom Armageddon prophecies
we’re all tired of,
here’s some prophecies foretelling good…
Hosea 11:9;
I will not carry out
my fierce anger,
nor will I turn and
devastate Ephraim [Palestinians].
For I am God, and
not man--the Holy One among you.
I will not come in wrath."
Isaiah 54:13-14; 13 All your sons
will be taught by the LORD,
and great will be your children's peace.
14 In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear.
Terror will be far removed;
it will not come near you."
Isaiah 55:12; You
will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;…"
Isaiah 19:23-25;
23 In that day there will be a highway from
Egypt to Assyria.
The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria.
The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.
24 In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria,
a blessing on the earth.
25 The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying,
"Blessed
be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork,
and
Israel my inheritance."
For peaceful,
salvation prophecies to come true along with the doom and gloom
prophecies, the latter are fulfilled allegorically through
the destruction of ungodly
systems and governments which oppress people, not literally
by nuclear war.
Which way do you think God wants them fulfilled?
Jeremiah 31:31,
32, 1;
31 "The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will
make a new covenant
with the house of
Israel and the house of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their
forefathers
when I took them
by the hand to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke
my covenant,…"
1 "At that time," declares the Lord,
"I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they
will be my people.”
According to verse
32, this new covenant for Israelites will be different than
the first one because both parties broke the old covenant.
That’s why their
descendents are still fighting today. Things change. Some
elements of their new
covenant will be different than the last one. Now, let’s see
what that looks like…
CHAPTER 1
GOD’S PEACE PLAN FOR THE
HOLY LAND
Summary of Key Points of the
Plan
1. Create a new nation, "Israel" composed
of Israel, West Bank, & Gaza,
with two
Sub-States/tribal areas called “Judah” and “Ephraim”,
respectively. Each tribal area will have
its own civil government.
"Judah" consists of what we call
"Israel" today, "Ephraim" consists of
the West Bank and Gaza. Boundaries are the
same as pre-1967 War.
2. Jerusalem will be the undivided national
capital. Jerusalem’s security will be
handled by an international peace force
mutually agreed upon by both parties.
The international peace force will remain
until Israel’s new “Congress”
unanimously agrees on returning these
duties to Israel’s control.
3.
Hebron’s security issues will be handled the same as with Jerusalem.
4. All Palestinians and all Israelis, Jew, Arab,
or otherwise, will be recognized as
citizens of the new, re-united, state of
Israel.
5.
Right of Return. All Palestinians may return to live in the land and be
citizens.
Palestinians who’ve had land confiscated
in the West Bank or Gaza will have
their land returned. Palestinians who’ve
had land confiscated in Judah’s portion
will receive financial compensation.
6. Israeli settlers in settlements in the West
Bank and/or Gaza are
to receive new
homes within "Judah’s" territory.
7. All
citizens from either group who haven’t killed civilians of the other tribe
may purchase land in either tribal area,
i.e., anywhere in the entire country.
8.
Freedom of religion in both tribal areas.
9. A
national army made up of both tribes.
10. One national
government, with a democratically-elected "Congress"
made up of twenty-four "elders"
and a “President”.
Next, we’ll see how the sacred
books support this solution…
One Nation
Ezekiel 37:22,
God;
I will make them one nation in the land…
…they will never again be two nations or divided into two
kingdoms."
Isaiah 19:23-25;
24 In that day Israel will be the third,
along with Egypt and Assyria [Iraq], a blessing on the earth.
25 The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying,
"Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance."
The
prophecy in Ezekiel mandates a united nation of Israelites called “Israel”.
However,
accepting “Israel” as the nation’s name is a bit problematic for Muslims,
even though it’s the name used in the prophecy
foretelling peace with Iraqis and
Egyptians. However, it’s quite fair and
appropriate that name be used. It’s not
particularly complimentary, but it is
truthful. “Israel” literally means, “he struggles
with God”. The original “Israel”, a man named
“Jacob”, was given the name as a
description for something he did in Genesis
32:22-30. Jacob/Israel is said to have
wrestled with a man?/angel?/God? It’s an
earned title. Here’s part of verse 28:
“Your name will no longer be
Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled
with God and with men and have
overcome.” The people of the Holy Land have
struggled with each other and God for
thousands of years. Sadly, they’ve earned
that title. That’s probably why God selected
the name in the first place. I’m sure
it has nothing whatsoever to do with
favoritism.
Two Sub-States Within One
Nation
Based on the Pre-1967 War
Boundaries
The new, united
nation of "Israel" includes the modern-day state of Israel,
the entire West Bank and Gaza, with one national government
(described later),
and two tribal areas, "Judah" and
"Ephraim", each with it’s own civil administration.
Why two sub-states?
Here are some logical reasons (God may have others):
A One-State, united nation with one democratic vote for
every citizen sounds fair,
but in reality it isn’t. Since there are many more
Palestinians than Israeli Jews in
the Holy Land, One Nation/ One Vote by definition means the
Israeli Jewish tribe
loses all sense of self-government and security. Considering
all that tribe has gone
through over the last 2000 years, that’s something they’ll
never agree to. Nor are
Palestinians willing to be dominated by Israeli Jews. But a
Two-State solution is
also unworkable. A Two-State solution requires dividing
Jerusalem, and neither
party will cede control of their special sacred place to the
other. On top of that,
certain passages of the Qur’an can be read as forbidding the
existence of a
religiously exclusive non-Muslim state. Even if religious
freedom is the law in the
Jewish portion, many Muslims will see it as Jewish-only and
continue battling.
Perhaps that’s why the following prophecies describe One
State/Two Sub-States.
To understand the
next prophecy, it’s important to know a brief bit of history.
After “conquering” Canaan, the land was divided twelve ways
by the Israelite
tribes. Then, they were united under kings Saul, David, and
Solomon as “Israel”.
After Solomon, the kingdom divided in two, the northern part
being called “Israel”
and the southern part, “Judah”. The dividing line was just
north of Jerusalem.
“Samaria” was the
heartland of the northern kingdom of Israel, and in tribal days
it was called
“Ephraim” and “Manasseh”. The prophecy makes this distinction
between the “houses”
of “Israel” and “Judah”. The “Israel” of verses 1-22 refers
to the single people
as a whole (hence, “all of the clans”), but in verse 22,
the two separate
“houses” refers to the divided kingdoms, or Judah (Israeli Jews)
and the Palestinians
as “house of Israel”. This is discussed further in Chapter 2.
Jeremiah 31:1,5,21,22,31 God;
1 "At that time," declares the Lord,
"I will be
the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people."
5 Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria;
21 …Return, O Virgin Israel, return to your towns.
22 How long will you wander, O unfaithful daughter?
The Lord will create a new thing on earth
—a woman will
surround a man.
31
"The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of
Israel and the house of Judah.”
"a
woman will surround a man"? What is that? Well, it has to do with a new
covenant between the tribes. The prophecy is looking to the future. If
that
future is now, Palestinians are in the weaker position, Israeli Jews in
the
stronger, ruling over the other. So, allegorically, Palestinians are the
“woman“
and Israeli Jews the “man”. This prophecy describes the West Bank and
Gaza
(two distinct territories) surrounding modern Israel/Judah. The allegory
of
both peoples being a “man” and a “woman” is carried out in more than one
place.
A good example is Malachi 2:10-16, which makes no sense unless the
husband
and wife mentioned in it allegorically represent both groups. Still, this
is hardly
definitive. A much clearer description was given in Zechariah 9…
Zechariah 9:10, 12-13, God;
10 I will take away
the chariots [light
vehicles used for war] from
Ephraim
and the war-horses [tanks] from Jerusalem [capital city of ancient Judah] ,
and the battle bow
will be broken…
The first part of the prophecy describes
peace being made between “Ephraim”
(representing
Palestinians) and “Jerusalem”, capital of Judah or modern-day Israel.
Zechariah 9:10, 12-13, God, cont.;
12 Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope;
even now [over 2000 years ago] I announce
that I will restore twice as much [as the "Road Map"
offers] to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with
Ephraim."
In verses 12-13, Judah (modern-day Israel)
is bent like a bow around Ephraim
(the West Bank).
This graphic description didn’t occur in 1948. Judah’s “bow” was
incomplete. Nor does this describe a Palestinian state with only
half the West Bank,
as the "Road
Map" presented by former U.S. president George Bush proposed.
Actually, it appears
God is saying, “If you’ll listen to me, Palestinians should receive
double that—the entire West Bank!” That’s how to “fill” Judah’s “bow” with “Ephraim”.
Isaiah 61:7, God;
Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs."
And the result of listening to God…Isaiah
11:13;
Ephraim will not be jealous of
Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim."
One last prophecy:
Ezekiel 37:15-22 “Two
Small Sticks and One Big Stick”
15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 "Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, `Belonging
to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.' Then take another stick of
wood, and write on it, `Ephraim's stick, belonging to Joseph and all the house
of Israel associated with him.' 17 Join them
together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.
18 "When your countrymen ask you, `Won't you tell us what you mean
by this?'
19 say to them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
I am
going to take the stick of Joseph--which is in Ephraim's hand-
-and
of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah's stick,
making
them a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.'
20 Hold before their eyes the sticks
you have written on 21
and say to
them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of
the
nations
where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring
them
back into their own land. 22
I will make
them one nation in the land,
on the
mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them
and
they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.”
Jerusalem Shared As National
Capital
A basic problem
with the 1948 borders dictated by the U.N. is the division of
Jerusalem, with one tribe (Ephraim/Palestinians) being given
a choke-hold on the
other tribe’s (Judah/Jews) access to their most sacred spot
and previous capital.
In view of Jews’ past experience of being denied rights to
worship at the Wailing
Wall (and Temple Mount), it’s unreasonable to expect them to
cede full control to
Palestinians. Nor for similar reasons will Palestinians
accept continued control by
Israeli Jews. Fortunately, a fair solution is provided in
the book of Ezekiel…
Ezekiel 45:1-4, 6;
1 "When you allot the land as an inheritance,
you are to
present to the Lord a portion of
the land as a sacred district,
25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits wide;
the entire area will be holy.
2 Of this, a section 500 cubits square is to be for the
sanctuary,
with 50 cubits
around it for open land.
3 In the sacred district,
measure off a
section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide.
In it will be the
sanctuary, the Most Holy Place."
[The Temple Mount. Both
Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Wailing Wall]
4 It will be the sacred portion of the land for the priests,
who minister in
the sanctuary and who draw near to minister before the Lord.
It will be a place
for their houses
as well as a holy
place for the sanctuary.
6 "You are to give the city as its property an area
5,000 cubits wide
and 25,000 cubits long, adjoining the sacred portion;
it will belong to the whole
house of Israel."
[“the whole house of Israel”
= both Israeli Jews & Palestinians]
A cubit is a unit of length equal to 1.5 feet
(18 inches). A mile is 5280 feet.
25,000 cubits x 1.5 = 37,500
37,500/5280 = 7.1 miles
20,000 cubits x 1.5 = 30,000
30,000/5280 = 5.68 miles
So, an area 7.1 miles long and 5.68 miles
wide…
"you are to
present to the Lord...as a sacred
district,
...the entire area
will be holy."
That's pretty much
the entire size of present-day Jerusalem. While Jerusalem must eventually be
returned to full control by Israel, believers all over the world
also have a legitimate rights to access and security to the
Temple Mount and
other sites. Following is the rationale for this …
Genesis 17:4-6;
4 "As for me, this is my covenant with you:
You
will be the father of many nations.
5 No longer will you be called
Abram; your name will be Abraham,
for I
have made you a father of many nations.
6
…I will make
nations of you, and kings will come from you."
Romans 4:16-17,
Paul;
16 Therefore, the promise comes by
faith, so that it may be by grace
and may be guaranteed to all
Abraham's offspring
--not only to those who are of
the law
but also to those who are of
the faith of Abraham.
He is the father of us all.
17 As it is written: "I have
made you a father of many nations."
“many nations”.
Provision must be made that access to the sacred sites be
granted to members of all faiths to worship God in Jerusalem
and all shrines
must be fully maintained and protected--eternally. Until the
peace has taken root
and flourished, to avoid further discord security for the
city should be handled
by an international peace force agreed upon by both parties.
At the point in time
where the “Congress” of the new, united nation of Israel
unanimously agrees to a
resolution granting this authority to the nation, control of
security in Jerusalem
can responsibly be returned to the inhabitants.
Interestingly, a prophecy in Isaiah
states that when the people make peace within the guidelines
presented in the
sacred books, the city and nation will be freed of terrorism
and other violence…
Isaiah 54:11,13-15,
God;
11 "O afflicted city [Jerusalem], lashed by storms and not
comforted,…
13 All your sons will be taught by the [words of the] Lord,
and great will be
your children’s peace."
14 In righteousness [following God’s laws] you will be
established:
Tyranny will be
far from you; you will have nothing to fear.
Terror will be far
removed; it will not come near you.
15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
whoever attacks
you will surrender to you."
There will be no more need for "martyr brigade" suicide attacks
or IAF air
strikes. With the arrival of justice, those committing violence will be seen as
servants of Satan, not heroes! There will be no more
crushing occupation by Israel
and no more terrorism by either party. If God promises to
put an end to terrorism
and tyranny, what believers will want to incur divine wrath
by opposing peace?
Consider that
Jerusalem of Ezekiel’s day was a fraction of the size mentioned
in Ezekiel 45. It reached the dimensions prophesied by
Ezekiel only in the present
day. Add to that the two passages from Jeremiah and
Zechariah which perfectly
describe the geographical
and political situation today, even down to the "Road Map"
taking half the West Bank from Ephraim. Perhaps this is
God’s way of telling us
this is the Divine blueprint for peace and we’re meant to
follow it! Perhaps David’s
prayer for
Jerusalem’s peace will be answered at last…
Psalm 122:6-9,
David;
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your
citadels."
8 For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say,
"Peace be within you."
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity."
All Palestinians And Israelis Are Citizens
All
Palestinians are Citizens
Ezekiel 47:21-23;
21 "You are to distribute this land among yourselves
according to the tribes of Israel.
22 You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves
and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have
children.
You are to consider them as native-born Israelites;
along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance
among the tribes of Israel.
23 In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance,"
declares the
Sovereign Lord."
All Ashkenazi Jews are Citizens, too
Isaiah 49:20-21;
20 The children born during your bereavement will yet say in your hearing,
`This place is too small for us; give us more space to live
in.'
21 Then you will say in your heart, `Who
bore me these?
I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected.
Who brought these up?
I
was left all alone, but these--where have they come from?' "
(see Chapter 3 for more
prophecy examples)
Right Of Return For Palestinian Exiles
Now, we come to the issue of
“Right of Return”. What about the rights of
Palestinians driven from their lands to return? The following three
prophecies
call for right of return of exiled Palestinians:
Isaiah 11:11, God;
In that day the Lord will reach out
his hand a second time [after 1948]
to reclaim the remnant [Palestinians] that is left of his people
[i.e., Israelites. The Jewish side of the Israelite tribes were the first to return]
from Assyria [Iraq & Syria], from Lower Egypt [Sudan],
from Upper Egypt [Egypt], from Cush [Somalia, Ethiopia], from Elam [Iran],
from Babylonia [Iraq], from Hamath [Syria], and from the islands of the sea
[Palestinian expatriates in USA
and Great Britain]."
Hosea 11:11, God;
They will come trembling like birds
from Egypt, like doves from Assyria.
I will settle them in their
homes," declares the LORD."
Zechariah 10:6-10, God;
6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah [Israelis]
and save the house of Joseph [Palestinians].
I will restore them because I have compassion on them.
They will be as though I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord
their God and I will answer them."
7 The Ephraimites [Palestinians] will become like mighty men,
and their hearts will be glad as with wine.
Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will
rejoice in the Lord."
8 I will signal for them and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them; they
will be as numerous as before.
9 Though I
scatter them among the peoples,
yet in distant lands they will
remember me.
They and their children will
survive, and they will return."
10 I will bring them
back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to Gilead ["East
Bank" of Jordan]
and Lebanon [some
returnees will settle here],
and there will not be room enough [in Palestine]
for them."
So, the prophecies in the Old Testament of
the Jewish portion of the Bible
say Palestinians will
return, according to G-d. This means if Jews wish to
“Kiss the Torah” to
ensure a long and prosperous life, then they must accept
Palestinian “Right of
Return” in some form. But what form will that be?
Obviously, in the area that is to be the
Palestinian homeland (West Bank
and Gaza) any
Palestinian who has lost land to Israel must have it returned.
But does this also mean
that all (or most) Jews must vacate their homes,
even in their share of
the Holy Land? Or does it mean something else?
Perhaps Palestinian
refugees from areas that are Judah’s share might
receive financial compensation
along with the right to purchase land
anywhere within the
nation. Verse 10 of Zechariah 10 clarifies this issue:
Zechariah 10:10, God;
I will bring them back from Egypt
and gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to Gilead ["East
Bank" of Jordan]
and Lebanon [some
returnees will settle here],
and there will not be room enough [in Palestine]
for them."
If many of the
returnees are re-settling in Lebanon and Jordan, then
they must have received compensation and used it to purchase
nearby land.
Otherwise, they’d simply have re-settled in their old homes.
This solution is
fair in that it respects land-rights for everyone, even though
possession of the land shifted over time. Old land rights
are respected along
with newer ones.
Reparations
A flat rate will be set for all land. The
price per acre will be set at the
current average cost of land in modern-day "Israel"
north of Jerusalem.
Downgrading the cost
by including non-arable desert land in the Negev isn’t fair.
The land taken from
Palestinians was in the more valuable northern half of the
country, and that’s
what people should be compensated for. Fifty percent (50%)
of all contributions
from overseas to either the nation of Israel or organizations
within Israel should
be devoted to the reparations fund for any confiscated land.
Anyone who produces a legal deed for confiscated land in
Judah is eligible for
remuneration at the set rate.
If money for reparations comes from foreign
contributions, what happens
if the contributions
dwindle because of economic distress overseas? And is it
fair that the burden
should be carried by the working and middle classes as well
as the wealthy? This
situation was evidently foreseen by God.
Isaiah 49:23;
Kings will be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.
They will bow down before you with
their faces to the ground;
they will lick the dust at your
feet.
Then you will know that I am the
LORD;
those who hope in me will not be
disappointed."
Isaiah
60:10-12,16;
10 "Foreigners will rebuild your
walls, and their kings will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you
compassion.
11 Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or
night,
so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations--
their kings led in triumphal procession.
12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish;
it will be utterly ruined.
16 You will drink the milk of nations and
be nursed at royal breasts.
Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior,
your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."
Please note in
verse 16 that the “milk of nations” comes from “royal breasts”.
Not “poor peoples’ breasts”, nor “working” or “middle class”
“breasts”. These "kings
and queens" include royalty of both Muslim and European
nations. Since the wealthy
who’ve made money selling armaments live like “kings” and
“queens”, they’re included
as well. If any royal families want God to bless them
they'll have to live up to what
the prophecies say. I'm not going to go further into the
prophecies regarding this
issue at this time, some from the Bible, some from
Muhammad’s prophetic hadiths.
God has given us
free-will and is testing people. Suffice it to say, some kingdoms
and wealthy will do
the right thing and survive. Others won't. Either way, funds will
become available.
Remember Isaiah 60:12;
For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will
perish;
it will be utterly ruined."
So be it.
Rights Of Israeli Settlers
In The West Bank
Israelis living in settlements in the West
Bank have rights as Israelites, too.
The southern part of
the West Bank, which will be ceded to Ephraim, was property
of the tribe of
Judah. Two thousand years after Judah was expelled by the
Romans, no legal
deeds exist for their land. These undocumented yet legitimate
rights should be
transferred to the Israeli settlers. The settlers were put in the
West Bank in large
measure by the government of modern-day Israel. So, the
responsibility for
providing land for these people should fall on that government
as well. Perhaps
with peace, some of the land reserved for military bases could
be used for civilian
housing, instead. In any case, the
reparations fund must
provide new homes
for them, too--within the newly agreed upon borders of Judah.
Rights Of Citizens To Own
Land Anywhere In Israel
All citizens of
Israel without prior convictions or pending trials for killing
members of the other tribe have the right to purchase land
anywhere within
Israel. That settles "Right of Return".
Compensation will be given to those
whose land was confiscated so they can buy land. No innocent
Israeli or
Palestinian will be denied rights to own land anywhere in
Israel.
Peace requires
avoiding acts of vengeance by members of one tribe against
members of the other. For the next fifty years anyone,
including Palestinian
"fighters" or "soldiers" of the Israeli
Defense Force (IDF), who has killed
unarmed civilians of the other tribe should not be allowed
in the other tribe’s
territory. The only exception to this is if specific
permission is given by the
other tribe’s government. People shouldn’t have to worry
killers roam freely
among them. Nor is it desirable that people who’ve committed
such acts become
victims of vigilante justice, provoking yet more bloodshed.
Moses set the
principle for this law in the Torah, in the Book of Numbers;
Numbers 35:6,12,26-28;
6
Six of the towns…will be cities of refuge,
to which a person
who has killed someone may flee.
12
They will be places of refuge from the avenger,
so that a person
accused of murder may not die
before he stands
trial before the assembly [Judgment Day].
26…if the accused ever goes outside the limits
of the city of
refuge to which he has fled
27 and the avenger of
blood [Tribal government] finds him outside the city,
the avenger of
blood [Tribal
government] may…*
[arrest the accused, try, and
carry out the legal sentence for the crime].
28 The accused must stay in his city of refuge [his tribe's territory]
until the death of
the high priest**;
only after the
death of the high priest may he return to his own property."
* In the Old Testament, the closing clause of
Numbers 35:27, actually reads,
states the "avenger of
blood may" "kill the accused without being
guilty of
murder". It’s been replaced
here with “arrest
the accused, try, and carry out
the
legal sentence for the crime”. It’s permissible for the Law to be updated
to abolish the death penalty, but it’s also possible for the death
penalty to
remain in place. That’s up to the people to decide.
** In this case, "death of the high
priest" will be taken as meaning the next
Year of Jubilee
after the coming of peace—a 50 year limit.
Hebron
The city of Hebron
in the southern West Bank requires special attention.
Hebron is burial site of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, so it's sacred
to both tribes. Historically, Hebron was part of Judah's
land. Now, Judah must
cede Hebron to Ephraim. To avoid further discord while
respecting sacred rights,
administration of Hebron should be handled in the same
manner as Jerusalem, i.e.,
an international peace force mutually agreed upon by both
parties will security
until Israel's Congress unanimously agrees to a resolution
granting this authority
to the new, re-united state of Israel. When the former
enemies are in accord with
one another, they should handle their own business. Safe
road access for tribal
members of Judah to Hebron is to be provided by the
international peace force.
Freedom Of Religion
Sura 2:256;
"Let there be
no compulsion in religion.
Now is the right
way made distinct from error.”
THE
GOLDEN RULE
The “Golden Rule”,
which translates as, “Treat other people the way you
want other people to treat you” is a part of all three
religions. Islam has the
most to-the-point directive regarding freedom of religion,
which you just
read. It’s not said quite as clearly in the Bible, so the
Golden Rule suffices.
If a Jew or Christian wants religious freedom for
themselves, their sacred
literature indicates they should support religious freedom
for others, too.
Full freedom of religion in both tribal areas must be national law.
Integrated Military Forces
Historically, and
according to the Law, all Israelites were required to do their
share in national defense. Therefore, Palestinians must be
integrated into the
national army in regular and growing numbers, with cultural
sensitivity and
forgiveness required for basic training. If Americans
(descendants of Yankees
and Confederates) can serve their country together, so can
Israelites.
Isaiah 11:13, God;
Ephraim’s jealousy
will vanish, and Judah’s enemies will be cut off;
Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim."
Note that "Judah’s enemies [i.e.,
"Muslim" terrorists] will be cut off".
This is how to end
the scourge of terrorism--God's way.
GOVERNMENT
"CONGRESS"
Revelation 4:4;
Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones,
and seated on them were twenty-four elders."
Revelation 20:4; I saw thrones
on which were seated
those who had been given authority to judge."
"Congress" will have one house with twenty-four members, with
two
representatives for each tribe. Historically, Reuben and Gad
were together
with Manasseh in Gilead.
They were taken captive together by the Assyrians
in 1 Chronicles 5:23-26 to land in eastern and western
Assyria (Iraq). These
would have mixed over time and are fairly represented by any
Arabs or others
who may have joined the Samaritans at a later date. The
other eight tribes
were expelled together by the Romans. Israeli Jews are the
descendents of
these tribes. Therefore, sixteen "elders" would
come from the Israeli side
and eight "elders" from the Palestinian side.
However, in Isaiah, God states,
Isaiah 61:7;
Instead of their shame my people will receive a double
portion,
and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their
inheritance…"
Revelation 4:4;
Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones,
and seated on them were twenty-four elders."
As Palestinians are
the ones dispossessed of their inheritance, the prophecy
refers to them. So, double their representation to sixteen,
making a total
of 32 members, then reduce that to 12 for each tribe, making
24 total.
PRESIDENT
Hosea 1:10-11, 2:21,23;
1:10 "Yet
the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore,
which cannot be measured or
counted.
In the place where it was said to
them, `You are not my people,'
they will be called `sons of the
living God.'
11 The people
of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited,
and they will appoint one
leader
and will come up out of the land,
for great will be the day of Jezreel."
2:21 "In that
day I will respond," declares the LORD—“…
23 …I will say to those called `Not my
people, ' `You are my people';
and they will say, `You are my God.' "
Forgiveness For Past Sins
For
there to be peace, forgiveness is a must.
Sura 5:13;
But for breaking
their covenant We have cursed them [all Israelites],
and have hardened
their hearts…
Thou wilt not
cease to discover deceit on their part, except in a few of them.
But forgive them,
and pass it over:
verily, God loveth
those who act generously!” "
Sura 49:9-10;
9 If two bodies of the faithful are at war,
then make ye peace
between them;
and if one of them
wrong the other,
fight against that
party which doth the wrong,
until they come
back to the precepts of God;
if they come back,
make peace between them with fairness,
and act
impartially; God loveth those who act with impartiality.
10 Only the faithful are brethren;…"
[
Remember, Sura 5:69 says Judaism properly followed is a form of
Islam,
so Jews worshipping properly are
considered brethren of the Faithful]
10 cont.;
"…wherefore make peace between your brethren;
and fear God, that
ye may obtain mercy."
Both parties of Israelites have acted deceptively
towards each other.
Each has behaved
dishonorably at times. Nevertheless, when both parties
return to the
statutes of God, for the faithful, war must cease.
Sura 5:8;
O believers!
stand up as witnesses for God by righteousness:
and let not ill-will
at any, induce you not to act uprightly.
Act uprightly.
Next will this be to the fear of God.
And fear ye God:
verily God is apprised of what ye do."
When Palestinians acknowledge brotherhood
with Jews as fellow Israelites
by descent from
Ephraim, they're entitled by Jewish and Islamic laws to
Ephraim's tribal
lands.
Ephraim & Manasseh’s Land In Joshua’s Time
To view the map displaying tribal boundaries
set by Joshua for Ephraim and
Manasseh, and the ten tribes associated with Judah, click on
the following link…
"Files" section, where you'll find "Map of
the Holy Land" in both WORD and
ADOBE formats. Joshua, Moses’ authorized successor, details
name of cities
and geographical features marking borders allotted Ephraim
and Manasseh…
Joshua 16:1-4;
1 The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan
of Jericho [just north of Jerusalem], east of the
waters of Jericho,
and went up [north] from there
through the desert
into the hill
country of Bethel.
2 It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz),
crossed over to
the territory of the Arkites in Ataroth,
3 descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites
as far as the
region of Lower Beth Horon and on to Gezer,
ending at the [ Mediterranean ] sea.
4 So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph,
received their
inheritance."
Joshua 17:10-11;
10 On the south the
land belonged to Ephraim,
on the north to Manasseh.
The territory of Manasseh reached the sea
and bordered Asher on the north [just below the Sea of Galilee]
and Issachar on the east.
11 Within Issachar
and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan, Ibleam
and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach and Megiddo,
together
with their surrounding settlements
(the third in the list is Naphoth)."
The ancient
boundaries run like this: First, lump modern Israel and the
occupied territories together to make one country. On a
present-day map draw
a line running east/west from the Jordan River to the
Mediterranean Sea
starting a little north of the West Bank and just south of
the Sea of Galilee.
That’s the north border of Ephraim and Manasseh's lands. Tel
Aviv and Haifa
are located south of this line. The southern border of
Ephraim and Manasseh
began just north of Jerusalem, again running west from the
Jordan River to the
Mediterranean Sea. All of the West Bank south of this,
including Hebron and
Bethlehem, belonged to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
I am in the process of reading this booklet for the third time. This writing has so changed my view of what can be accomplished in the Middle East that I asked permission to publish this document as a blog so that more people would read it.
ReplyDeleteGod's Peace Plan for the Holy Land has already been translated into both Arabic as well as Hebrew. You will find both of these documents at the Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/godspeaceplan/
God's Peace Plan for the Holy Land
The full document can also be viewed at:
http://www.godspeaceplan.org/user/image/gods-peace-plan-for-the-holy-land.pdf