Important: Pre-Obama Cairo Speech Analysis

In the last few days before his much anticipated speech in Cairo, Egypt, President Obama has chosen to speak, not just through surrogates, but also directly as to the direction he is headed with the Middle East conflict and Israel.

Here are a few of the important statements he has made with my translation as to their meaning:

 

• Obama: Although the US needs to maintain its strong support for Israel, Washington also has to be “honest” with Israel regarding the direction in which the region is heading, even if this includes resorting to “tough love”.
• Translation: Previous Presidents have not been strong enough to make Israel do what it should and needs to do for the best interests of Israel and the US. He, President Obama, is tough enough and determined enough to make Israel do what other President’s did not have the will to do and force Israel to comply with his plan for the Middle East. 
• Obama: I don’t think (emphasis mine) we have to change strong support for Israel. We do have to retain a constant belief in the possibilities of negotiations that will lead to peace, and that’s going to require, from my view, a two-state solution.
• Translation: The 50 year position the US has taken of standing with Israel through “thick and thin” is no longer a sure thing. In order to maintain US support, Israel must now do what Obama  feels is the right way to handle things. It’s Obama’s way or the highway.
• Obama: Part of being a good friend is being “honest” and I think there have been times where we were not as we should be about the fact that the current direction, the current trajectory in the region is profoundly negative, not only for Israeli interests but also US interests. And that’s part of a new dialogue that I’d like to see encouraged in the region.
• Translation: There is a new sheriff in town and I am going to try a radically new approach of courting the Muslims and if necessary sacrificing our long term relationship with Israel if they do not act in the best interests for the US.
• Obama: The United States has to follow through on what it says. It is important for us to be clear about what we believe will lead to peace – and that there is no equivocation.
• Translation: I mean what I say and I say what I mean. I am not backing down so don’t challenge me on this or you will force me to play “hardball” with you.

So How is PM Netanyahu Taking All of This?

This is the first time I have heard an Israeli Prime Minister flat out contradict a US President in public. Usually statecraft dictates handling things indirectly and discreetly. President Obama has left Netanyahu no options. Netanyahu’s response has been…

• The demand to freeze all settlement growth even natural growth is “unreasonable”.
• He also said, “It is likely that we are not going to reach an agreement with the Americans regarding settlement construction.”

Conclusion

The possibility of a deep rift between Israel and this President’s administration is very high. 

How is the Palestinian Authority Responding?

PA President Abbas was not only surprised and happy with this unexpected turn of events but also made it very clear from news sources that there are a few items that Obama has proposed in his new Middle East plans which are completely unacceptable to the Palestinians. They are as follows:

• The right of return of millions of Palestinian refugees to Israel.
• The establishment of an independent state with all of East Jerusalem including the Old City as its capital.
• Lastly Abbas has said, “The only way to achieve real and lasting peace is by forcing Israel to withdraw from all the territories that were occupied in 1967.”

Is the Cairo Speech Important?

As you can see, his speech tomorrow could signal a complete change in US relations with Israel and the Muslim world. This President believes he can handle the religious fanaticism of radical Islam. In short I believe he feels he can solve the world’s problems if you just give him what he wants and enough time. 

Where is this headed prophetically?

There is no absolute certainty yet but I believe that unless Obama pulls back from the harsh measures he is planning (i.e. the tough love he has talked about) to make Israel compliant with his new Middle East plan he will force Israel into a final Arab/Israeli war. Unless Israel gives Obama what he wants, which I do not believe is going to happen–Israel will have no other choice than to attempt to resolve the conflict once and for all militarily.

Keep one eye on this speech tomorrow and one eye on Isaiah 11 which describes the Final Arab/Israeli war. I will blog on this more in the future.

Joel Chernoff

~The views contained in The Joel Chernoff Report are not necessarily views held by the MJAA~

A New and Unique Perspective

Blog Focus

This being the first blog entry in The Joel Chernoff Report (TJCR) I take the liberty (since it’s my blog) to give some direction as to its future content. TJCR will look at and comment on a wide range of issues and events surrounding the Biblically prophesied physical and spiritual restoration of Israel.

ISRAEL

Since I am very aware of these prophecies as I study them in Scripture, I believe that we live in a time when we are seeing Biblical prophecy come alive and be fulfilled. We know from Scripture what the prophetic trajectory looks like and now we have the privilege of seeing these events unfold before our eyes. These are both terrifying and exciting times.

The interesting thing about Biblical prophecy is that God chooses to share with us what I call “prophetic/signpost events”. He chooses not to tell us exactly when and where or even in what order various important prophetic events will happen. He simply states that these events will transpire in the prophetic period called the “Last Days”. In Scripture the “Last Days” is that time period just before the Messiah returns to Jerusalem and sets up His Kingdom over the whole earth. The reason these prophecies were given to us by God was to help us know that His return was imminent.

What do Messianic Jews believe about the Messiah?

Many within today’s Jewish world either do not believe the Messiah has come or don’t know or care. Messianic Jews (like me) believe that the Messiah has come and that He is returning at the end of the prophetic period called the “Last Days”. He is known to Messianic Jews by His Hebrew name, Yeshua while the western world knows him in English as Jesus.

How do we know we are in the “Last Days”?

There are two significant prophetic events” that confirm with certainty that we are in the “Last Days”.

Israel is Born

1.  The Physical Restoration of the Nation of Israel: (ie the Jewish people being re-established in her original land grant) This event was prophesied over and over both in the Tenach (Old Testament) and in the Brit Chadasha (New Testament). This was only to happen in the “Last Days” and indeed this was fulfilled in 1948 after almost 2000 years of exile, with the re-establishment of the State of Israel. Significantly, this is the only time in history that a nation was disbursed from its original homeland and later restored to the very same homeland as a people. This was indeed a miraculous prophetic fulfillment.

2. The Spiritual Restoration of Israel: The Jewish prophets foretell a massive spiritual awakening will sweep the nation of Israel in the “Last Days” and move our people to a place of right relationship with God. I believe that Messianic Judaism also known as the Messianic Jewish Movement is that revival.

Why I believe Messianic Judaism is that revival?

In 1967 there were fewer than 2000 Messianic Jews in the US. Today that number, according to Jewish population studies in the US, estimates the number at between one to two million in the US alone. In 1967 there were zero Messianic synagogues and today there are over 700 worldwide and those numbers are increasing faster than anyone can keep track.

National Messianic Conference

Consequently, I can confidently assert that since 1967, Messianic Judaism is the fastest growing stream of Jewish religious life on the planet today. This movement is not the product of any person or organization but simply the work of God’s Spirit in fulfillment of prophecy according to God’s purposes and plans.

Middle East Conflict

Having said all of the above you can see why the events and continuing conflict surrounding Israel are so important. The spiritual and physical restoration of Israel is central in God’s prophetic plan for planet earth and the Messiah’s second coming is inextricably and prophetically connected to Israel’s restoration. Indeed Yeshua himself said that He will not return to Israel until the Jewish people say “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Last word on TJCR focus

TJCR will specifically focus on events surrounding Israel, her allies and her enemies and bring a Messianic Jewish and prophetic perspective to those events.

For Messiah’s glory,

Joel Chernoff

-The views contained in The Joel Chernoff Report are not necessarily views held by the MJAA-