ISRAEL UPDATEJune 10, 2001 - After President Bush took office in January of this year; he decided to remove the U.S. from a pivotal role in the Middle East peace process. He felt the Clinton administration and Israeli Prime Minister Barak had made one set of rules and it was time to start over.
On May 22, 2001, a Phoenix newspaper carried an article stating America has now decided to increase its role and function in the same Middle East peace process. This is significant for several reasons, but I believe first and foremost, it is the oil issue that is being brought to the table as a weapon of intimidation.
President Bush has openly stated that we need to be free from foreign oil supplies because "some" of the oil producing countries don't have the same values we do.
In reality, try to name any Islamic/Arab nation that has the same values of the western world. How many of those countries are sympathetic to Israel's survival?
Three years ago in Phoenix you could buy a gallon of gas for $1.12, today it is now $1.70 and it appears the price won't come down for a while. It also appears our President is under phenomenal pressure to resolve an energy crisis that will affect the world, so we must pray for him to stand strong. However, it is better to stand with Israel than bow down to the oil sheiks.
June 10, 2001 - As we approach the second anniversary of this weekly publication, I can safely say that the truth of G-d's word continues to reveal itself and verify the accuracy of the scriptures. Also, several of these articles have shown the flow of literally millions upon millions of dollars going into Arafat's coffers, not just from oil-rich nations, but corporations around the world.
Yet with all of this, reports now released state that the first of the year checks made out to martyrs’ families have bounced, the government cannot pay phone bills and it has to borrow money just to meet payroll.
The scandal and corruption shows and documents that Arafat and his cohorts are directly channeling money to personal accounts. The war with Israel has damaged the Palestinian people's economy, as well as that of the Palestinian Authority. Experts say that without receiving 50 million dollars a month the whole system could collapse.
But as America, Japan and European nations scramble with the Arab countries to find a solution, Saddam Hussein's supply trucks bring food from Iraq through Jordan into the Palestinian areas bolstering his popularity.
Is Arafat losing control? I believe so.
Also, I think it is safe to say he is out of control, so the plight of the Palestinian people looks bleak at best.
One more example of a corrupt leader, a frustrated group and a need for a leader to come to power with a plan.
To be continued...