John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. AND IT'S ALL A TOTAL CONCOCTED LOAD OF BULLSHIT! Prophecy, not politics, may also shape America’s clash with Iran Analysis By John Blake Updated 4 hr ago https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/29/us/iran-israel-evangelicals-prophecy-cec Apocalyptic stories about the ‘Rapture‘ and non-believers being left behind have shaped White evangelicals' imaginations for years. They also may influence what happens next in America’s clash with Iran. ZU_09/Digital Vision Vectors/Getty Images When most people contemplate the future of America’s conflict with Iran, they hunt for clues in grainy satellite photos, statements from military analysts and President Trump’s social media posts. But when scholar Diana Butler Bass considers what could happen next, her thoughts turn toward another group she says is now thinking more about prophecy than politics. She recalls warnings from her childhood about the rise of an Antichrist, stories about weeping mothers clutching their empty blankets after their babies were suddenly “Raptured” to heaven and paintings of an angry Jesus leading armies of angels to an Armageddon-like, final battle in modern-day Israel. Those stories terrified and thrilled Bass when she heard them growing up in a White evangelical church in the 1970s. It was a time when the end always seemed near, and books like the bestseller “The Late Great Planet Earth” warned Christians to gird their loins for a period of Great Tribulation and prepare for Jesus’ triumphant return to Jerusalem. Bass, a prominent, progressive religious author who hosts a popular Substack newsletter called “The Cottage,” no longer believes those stories. Yet when she considers why the US struck three nuclear facilities in Iran this month and what could happen next, she now offers a prophecy of her own: Bombing Iran will reinforce Trump’s status as God’s “Chosen One” and Israel as His chosen nation among many of the President’s White evangelical supporters. Many of these supporters dismiss the dangers of a larger war, she tells CNN, because such a clash would mean the world is approaching the “end times” — a series of cataclysmic events ushering in the Second Coming of Christ and the rise of Israel as the fulfillment of biblical prophecies. “There’s almost a kind of spiritual eagerness for a war in the Middle East,” says Bass, describing attitudes among some White evangelicals. “They believe a war is going to set off a series of events that will result in Jesus returning.” Trump’s decision to bomb Iran has so far been examined almost exclusively through the lens of politics or military strategy. Yet there is a religious dimension to his decision – and what could happen next – that’s been underexplored. President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House on June 21, 2025, after the U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear and military sites, directly joining Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program. Joining him are Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Carlos Barria/AP America’s approach to Iran and Israel may not just be driven by sober assessment of geopolitics. Bass and other religious scholars say US policy in the Middle East is also influenced by the controversial teachings of a pugnacious 19th century Anglo-Irish clergyman and a series of lurid, “Left Behind” doomsday Christian books and films. This is dangerous, says Jemar Tisby, a historian and best-selling author of “Stories of the Spirit of Justice.” “Trump’s action underscores how these theological beliefs are not abstract; they have direct, dangerous, and deadly consequences,” Tisby wrote recently in his “Footnotes” newsletter. He elaborated in an interview this week with CNN, saying that that apocalyptic visions from the Bible should not influence America’s policy in Israel or Iran in any way. “You layer on this prophecy about the rise of Israel and now all of a sudden you have this very literalistic interpretation of the Bible informing US foreign policy,” he says. Are Christians obligated to support Israel? White evangelicals who see America’s conflict with Iran as primarily a spiritual battle instead of a political one tend to be motivated by several beliefs. One belief is that Trump is God’s “chosen one,” saved from assassination last year to do God’s work and protect Israel. He is, to borrow from the parlance of evangelical subculture, called “for such a time as this.” This belief is reflected in a text message to Trump from Mike Huckabee, the prominent evangelical and former Arkansas governor who was appointed by Trump to be US ambassador to Israel. Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, has been a staunch defender of the country for years and has led tours there of biblical settings. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images In the text, which was shared by Trump, Huckabee alluded to the two assassination attempts Trump survived last year in saying that God spared him “to be the most consequential President in a century—maybe ever.” He added, “I trust your instincts,” because “I believe you hear from heaven,” and that “You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU!” Huckabee’s ambassadorship to Israel is not surprising. Many White evangelicals believe the church is obligated by the Bible to provide unwavering support to Israel. They view the ancient Israel described in the Bible as the same as the modern nation-state of Israel, which was created in 1948. Trump reinforced this view during his first term when he broke from decades of American policy to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. The move thrilled many White evangelical leaders, two of whom attended a ceremony marking the occasion. There is a long history of White evangelical leaders urging American presidents and politicians to treat Israel as a divinely favored nation. Many White evangelicals believe Israel’s existence is a fulfillment of biblical prophecies that would usher in Jesus’ return. Some cite a scripture from Genesis 12:3, which recounts God saying, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you, I will curse.” That passage depicts God addressing Abraham, the Jewish patriarch and “father of all nations.” But some White evangelicals say that passage also refers to Israel — both then and now. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz alluded to that scripture when he defended his support of Israel’s war with Iran in a recent interview. “Growing up in Sunday School, I was taught from the Bible that those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed,” he said. Other evangelical leaders have made similar claims. Pastor John Hagee, a prominent evangelical leader, has said that supporting Israel is not a political issue — it’s a biblical one. Hagee is the founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel, which boasts 10 million members and bills itself as the largest pro-Israel organization in the US. “It is not possible to say, ‘I believe in the Bible’ and not support Israel and the Jewish people,” he once declared. Trump won the support of about 8 out of 10 White evangelical Christian voters in the 2024 presidential election. And in a CNN poll after the airstrikes on Iran, 87% of Republicans said they trust Trump to make the right decisions about US’ use of force against the country. Franklin Graham, son of the late evangelical leader Billy Graham, said on X after the bombing of Iran “that the world is in a much safer place.” The Rev. Robert Jeffress, a prominent evangelical leader, suggested last week that opposition to Israel is rebellion against God. While delivering a Sunday sermon praising Trump’s decision, Jeffress sermon was interrupted by applause and a standing ovation from his congregation. President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City on May 22, 2017. Ronen Zvulun/Pool/AFP/Getty Images “Those who oppose Israel are always on the wrong side of history, and most importantly, they are on the wrong side of God,” Jeffress said. “And I thank God we finally have a president who understands that truth in Donald Trump.” Such unconditional support of Israel might make spiritual sense to evangelicals. But some scholars say it’s a risky stance for a multiracial and multireligious democracy like the US to take. Americans’ support for Israel had dropped to historic lows before the US’ use of force in Iran. Tisby, the religious historian, tells CNN that the Israel depicted in the Bible is not the same as the modern-day country. “If you conflate the two, you end up supporting all kinds of actions that hurt people in the name of politics,” Tisby says. “It leads to the reluctance to recognize the rights of Palestinians. It blinds us to the human rights and justice issues that are at stake in the Middle East.” A controversial form of Christianity drives evangelical views on the Middle East Tisby and other religion scholars say America’s bombing of Iran is also influenced by another source: a form of Christianity pioneered in the 19th century by John Nelson Darby, an Anglo-Irish pastor. Darby looked at certain passages in the Bible’s book of Revelations and devised the concept of “dispensationalism.” It divides history into distinct “dispensations,” or periods through which God interacts with humanity differently. Many adherents to this tradition believe in a fiery apocalypse and the “Rapture” — a moment when Christians are suddenly lifted to heaven before a period of tribulation on Earth. Darby’s views were amplified a century later by the popular “Left Behind” novels and films of the 1990s and 2000s, which reached millions of evangelicals with apocalyptic visions of the end times. The book series, inspired by Rapture theology and gory scenes in the Book of Revelation, has sold more than 65 million copies. Cassi Thomson in "Left Behind," a 2014 film based on theories of the Rapture and which depicts the world plunging into chaos after millions of people suddenly disappear. Stoney Lake/Gonella Productions/Kobal/Shutterstock The “Left Behind” books were marketed as fiction, but they were treated as biblical truth by many evangelicals. Views of dispensationalism were taught in many evangelical churches, youth camps and Sunday schools, bringing them into the mainstream. Central to dispensationalism is the role of Israel in the last days. Its adherents believe that the establishment of the modern state of Israel marks the beginning of the end times — heralding the Second Coming of Christ. Israel’s geopolitical success and security are seen as necessary preconditions for Christ’s return, Tisby says. Dispensationalism has permeated White evangelical culture so much that many evangelicals today have adopted its tenets without being familiar with the term, Tisby says. “Just because you don’t have the name doesn’t mean you’re not actually adhering to the beliefs,” he says. “It’s so common now that it doesn’t need to be named anymore.” She calls the Rapture a ‘completely invented theology’ Prophecies about angelic armies battling demonic armies in an apocalyptic Middle East sound implausible to many, but such beliefs gripped many of the White evangelical pastors and families she grew up with, says Bass, author of “Freeing Jesus.” She recalls evangelical pastors preaching that whenever Israel gained more territory, it was God’s will. Some pastors condemned Iran as evil. Jews, they said, would finally accept Jesus as their savior. But Jesus’ return would be preceded by a series of cataclysmic events like the sudden disappearance of God’s faithful and those “left behind” — the non-believers who didn’t accept Jesus. The belief that Christians could be teleported to heaven in the twinkle of an eye traumatized many young people at the time, she says. “I had friends who would literally wake up in the middle of the night. And if their house was really quiet they would get very frightened and they’d sneak into their parents’ bedroom to make sure their parents were still in their house,” she says. A paradegoer holds a sign at the Israel Day Parade celebrating the nation's 64th birthday on June 3, 2012, in New York. Anthony Behar/Sipa Most mainstream biblical scholars say the word “rapture” does not appear in most translations of the Bible or the Book of Revelation. Many mainstream Biblical scholars say the Book of Revelation does not depict the literal end of the world: It’s an anti-Roman tract that used coded language to tell Christians that God would destroy Rome’s evil empire. Bass calls belief in the Rapture a “completely invented theology” and “one of the most wildly successful heresies in the history of Christianity.” A belief system that says God will end the world through violence offers no incentive for a political or religious leader to avoid war — or backtrack when events spiral out of control, she says. “In the framework of this ‘end times’ theology, destruction is always a sign that God is working and is about to return,” Bass says. “In this theology, the worse things become, the closer it is to the end. There is no motivation to do good, care for the poor, make sure that wars don’t happen, and care for the planet.” Why prophecy and politics don’t mix Apocalyptic visions about the end of the world are common in many religions. And it’s not unusual for a political leader to invoke God before going to war. But when citizens in a democracy believe political leaders are divinely appointed and driven by prophecies, it leaves no room for debate, Tisby says. “There’s a sort of fundamentalism to it all,” he says. “It’s unbending, unchanging and it can’t be critiqued because its divine. Who are we to question? “Any uncritical, unyielding support of a political actor, no matter what the conflict, is dangerous,” he says. If this is part of the dynamic that guides the US’ future actions in the Middle East, it could lead to another final question. Many critics of Iran say it is a theocracy led by someone who reduces the world to a clash between good and evil and whose foreign policy is driven by apocalyptic religious myths. What if America’s clash with Iran is driven in part by some of the same religious forces?
The bride of Christ is a whorehouse. Matthew 23:25-28 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
So Trump is "God’s chosen one, saved from assassination last year to do God’s work and protect Israel"? LMAO. Never mind that Trump constantly lies his ass off (in the name of god), evangelicals are just totally blind sheep kowtowing to corrupt politicians who feather their tax exemptions nest.
DANG IT! Top Iranian cleric issues 'fatwa' against Trump, Netanyahu Religious decree follows 12-day conflict where Trump-backed operations damaged Iran's nuclear capabilities By Stepheny Price Fox News Published June 29 https://www.foxnews.com/world/top-iranian-leader-issues-religious-ruling-against-trump-netanyahu Iran's top Shiite cleric issued a religious decree against President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday, an act some experts called an incitement to terrorism. The fatwa from Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi called on Muslims around the world to take a stand, according to the New York Sun. It states that any individual or government that challenges or endangers the leadership and unity of the global Islamic community (the Ummah) is to be regarded as a "warlord" or a "mohareb," defined as someone who wages war against God. Under Iranian law, those identified as mohareb can face execution, crucifixion, limb amputation, or exile. "Those who threaten the leadership and integrity of the Islamic Ummah are to be considered warlords," Makarem said in the ruling. He finished with a prayer asking for protection from these "enemies" and for the swift return of the Mahdi, a messianic figure in Shiite Islam. British-Iranian commentator Niyak Ghorbani condemned the fatwa, describing it as a state-endorsed incitement to global terrorism. He posted on his X account that the Islamic Republic's aggression is not limited to domestic dissent but signals broader international ambitions for religiously motivated violence. "The West must realise: the Islamic Republic is not only targeting its own people — it is preparing for global violence in the name of religion," he wrote in the post. This fatwa followed what has been dubbed the "12-Day War," during which American and Israeli efforts reportedly inflicted significant damage on Iran’s nuclear capabilities. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet at the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 4, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) On June 13, Israeli airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear and military facilities, reportedly killing top scientists and commanders. In retaliation, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israeli cities. The U.S. joined the conflict a week later, striking three Iranian nuclear sites. Trump had earlier warned that any further enrichment of uranium by Iran to weapons-grade levels would provoke additional American action. This warning followed a brief ceasefire that ended a 12-day period of intense conflict. It is not the first time Iranian clerics have used fatwas to incite violence. The most infamous case was the 1989 decree against author Salman Rushdie after the release of his novel "The Satanic Verses," which many Muslims considered offensive. That fatwa forced Rushdie into hiding, led to the murder of a Japanese translator, and multiple attacks on the book’s publishers.Rushdie has survived multiple assassination attempts since, including a 2023 stabbing attack in upstate New York in which he lost an eye.
Dozens reportedly killed in strike on Gaza cafe as Netanyahu agrees to meet Trump By Michael Koziol July 1, 2025 Trump, having helped broker a truce between Israel and Iran last week after the US bombed key Iranian nuclear facilities, has made clear that ending hostilities in the wartorn Palestinian territory is his next priority. Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in April.Credit: AP “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!” he posted on social media at the weekend. Confirmation of the imminent visit, which came from a White House official on Tuesday (AEST), suggests a development of some form may be on the cards. Israel’s strategic affairs minister, Ron Dermer, is already in Washington engaging in talks with administration officials. It has been more than three months since Israel broke an earlier ceasefire agreement with terrorist group Hamas, which was negotiated under the Biden administration. That agreement began just before Trump’s inauguration. Israel and the US blamed Hamas’ refusal to release more hostages for the resumption of hostilities. Since March 18, near-daily Israeli fire has killed more than 6000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Palestinians walk through the ruins of a Gaza City cafe after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike on Monday.Credit: AP Israeli forces killed at least 74 people in Gaza overnight, witnesses and health officials said. One airstrike hit a seaside cafe in Gaza City crowded with women and children, Ali Abu Ateila, who was inside Al-Baqa Cafe, said. “Without a warning, all of a sudden, a warplane hit the place, shaking it like an earthquake,” he told the Associated Press. Dozens were wounded, many critically, and 30 people were killed, the head of the Health Ministry’s emergency and ambulance service in northern Gaza, Fares Awad, said. It was one of only a few businesses to continue operating during the 20-month war in Gaza and was a gathering spot for residents seeking internet access and a place to charge their phones. Videos circulating on social media showed bloodied and disfigured bodies on the ground and the wounded being carried away in blankets. Israeli forces also killed 11 people who had been seeking food in southern Gaza, according to witnesses, hospitals, and Gaza’s Health Ministry. In Israel, the Jerusalem District Court cancelled this week’s scheduled hearings in Netanyahu’s long-running corruption trial, accepting a request made by the Israeli leader citing classified diplomatic and security grounds. A Palestinian stands on the beach outside the cafe hit in Gaza City.Credit: AP Israeli media reported the country’s president, Isaac Herzog, would meet with former Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak on Tuesday evening, Israel time, to discuss ways in which the trial might be brought to an end. Barak has previously said any deal in which Netanyahu escapes trial must involve him leaving office. Trump has recently involved himself in the matter by publicly declaring the corruption trial was “terrible” and claiming it interfered with negotiations. “How is it possible that the Prime Minister of Israel can be forced to sit in a Courtroom all day long, over NOTHING (Cigars, Bugs Bunny Doll, etc.),” Trump posted on the weekend. “It is a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT, very similar to the Witch Hunt that I was forced to endure. This travesty of ‘Justice’ will interfere with both Iran and Hamas negotiations. In other words, it is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu.” Trump also issued a thinly veiled threat, adding: “The United States of America spends Billions of Dollar a year, far more than on any other Nation, protecting and supporting Israel. We are not going to stand for this.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday (AEST) that Trump was simply emphasising his empathy for Netanyahu. “He, too, was a victim of a judicial system that was trying to put him in jail,” she said. Netanyahu has publicly thanked Trump for his support, vowing that together the two of them will “make the Middle East great again”. But Trump’s intervention in the case has been polarising among Israelis, with some arguing it is inappropriate and portrays Israel as effectively a protectorate or client state of the US. In the left-leaning Israeli newspaper Haaretz, writer Yossi Verter said the trial was “dissolving before our very eyes” and Trump’s meddling was the final straw. “The proceeding has become a total joke, and it wasn’t all too serious to begin with,” he wrote. Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust for accepting more than $US200,000 ($304,000) in luxury gifts, while granting regulatory favours to prominent businessmen. While in office, US president Joe Biden also made comments about domestic matters surrounding the trial, urging Netanyahu to “walk away” from planned judicial reforms that would have allowed the government to override Supreme Court decisions. with Reuters, AP
At least 30 dead in Israeli strike on internet cafe in Gaza popular with journalists By Maddy Morwood with wires Topic:War 59 minutes ago An attack on a seafront cafe takes the total number of journalists killed in Gaza to at least 227. (AFP: Majdi Fathi) In short: An internet cafe in Gaza frequented by journalists was targeted by the Israeli military, killing at least 30 people including Palestinian photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab. At least 227 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the UN Human Rights Office, and it remains the deadliest place in the world to be a journalist. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters without Borders both allege that Israel is directly targeting journalists in Gaza. A seafront cafe in Gaza known for its public internet connection frequented by journalists, media workers, activists and students has been the target of the latest deadly strike by the Israeli military. Gaza's civil defence agency said that at least 30 people — including women, children and multiple journalists — were killed and dozens more injured in an Israeli strike on Al-Baqa Cafe. One of the few businesses to continue operating during the war, the cafe was a popular gathering spot for those seeking internet access, phone chargers and a place to work. Ismail Abu Hatab was a freelance photojournalist. (Instagram: ismailabuhatab) "The place is always crowded with people because [it] offers drinks, family seating and internet access," eyewitness Ahmed Al-Nayrab told AFP, recalling a "huge explosion that shook the area". "I saw body parts flying everywhere, and bodies cut and burned … It was a scene that made your skin crawl." Among the dead was 32-year-old Palestinian photojournalist and film director Ismail Abu Hatab. Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna was "Gaza's eye". Her death marks another journalist killed during the Israel-Gaza war, which has now become the "worst ever conflict" for journalists. Ismail Abu Hatab was known for curating photo exhibitions detailing the horrors of life in Gaza, including the immersive photography exhibition Between the Sky and the Sea, which was recently shown in Los Angeles. He was previously injured in an Israeli air strike while working at the Al-Ghafari tower in November 2023, he said in an interview last year to NDTV World. Well-known Palestinian journalist Bayan Abu Sultan was also among the dozens injured at the cafe, multiple media outlets confirmed. Bayan Abu Sultan survived the attack but was injured. (AFP: Majdi Fathi) At least 227 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the UN Human Rights Office, which condemned what it called the Israeli military's pattern of killings of journalists in Gaza. Israeli military attacks reportedly killed 18 journalists in May 2025 alone, it added in a statement. "Gaza remains the deadliest place in the world to be a journalist." The Palestinian Journalist Syndicate confirmed that more than 220 journalists had been killed in Gaza since the war began. Monday's strike came amid the latest offensive of the 20-month war, which started when Hamas militants entered Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking a further 251 hostage. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry. 'Killed for trying to have internet access' Since the war began, the Gaza Strip has experienced at least 10 partial and full communication and internet outages, limiting the flow of information to and from Gaza and preventing journalists from reporting. Between June 10 and 21, the Gaza Strip experienced a complete internet outage and widespread mobile phone interruptions, which the Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority described as "systematic targeting". Palestinian journalist Bayan Abu Sultan is well-known on social media and was injured in the attack. (Supplied: Instagram/bayanpalestine) The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (also known as Reporters sans Frontières or RSF) both allege that Israel is directly targeting journalists in Gaza, something which Israel denies. "Israeli forces have done everything in their power to prevent coverage of what is happening in Gaza, and have systematically targeted journalists who have taken tremendous risks to do their jobs," RSF campaign director Rebecca Vincent said. Palestinian journalist Gathi Sabbah, 65, last month told The Journal that some public internet access points or cafes had become targets for Israeli drones. "You might be killed for trying to have internet access there," he said. "Even going to a cafe carries real risk to our lives," he told Palestinian journalist Hana Salah at The Journal. "Many people have lost their lives just by being there, even though they were civilians." Gaza's government media office said it condemned "in the strongest terms the systematic targeting, killing and assassination of Palestinian journalists" by Israeli forces. In May, Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna was killed in an Israeli air strike just one day after she found out a documentary about her life in Gaza was to premiere in Cannes. Approached for comment by AFP, the Israeli army said it was "looking into" the reports of the attack at Al-Baqa Cafe. ABC/wires
Hebron Sheikhs Seek Change: Five prominent Arab sheikhs from Hebron are advocating to join the Abraham Accords. Break from Palestinian Authority: They wish to separate from the Palestinian Authority, which they describe as corrupt and tyrannical. Proposed Partnership with Israel: The sheikhs propose establishing a self-governing emirate that would partner with Israel, offering full recognition of it as a Jewish state. Rejection of Palestinian Nationalism: This move represents a rejection of the broader Palestinian nationalist cause. Author's Perspective: The author views this as a significant ideological shift and a critical opportunity for Israel to foster a new peace arrangement. https://www.jns.org/hebron-arab-leaders-back-joining-abraham-accords/ Hebron Arab leaders back joining Abraham Accords In an ideological earthquake, five prominent sheikhs declare they want to recognize Israel and break away from the Palestinian Authority. Something unbelievable just happened—something that should be rocking headlines across the Jewish world, Washington and Brussels. Five of the most prominent Arab sheikhs in Hebron—yes, Hebron, the heart of biblical Judea—just declared that they want to join the Abraham Accords, recognize Israel as the Jewish state and break away from the Palestinian Authority. Not as part of some negotiated peace process. Not as part of a “two-state solution.” But as a rejection of the entire Palestinian nationalist cause. The Wall Street Journal just published a stunning piece. It reports on a letter signed by five influential Hebron sheikhs, led by Sheikh Wadee’ al-Jaabari (also known as Abu Sanad), who wish to join the Abraham Accords, sever ties with the corrupt Palestinian Authority and establish a self-governing emirate in partnership with Israel. In return, they pledge peace and full recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. They want cooperation, coexistence and jobs. This is beyond an offer of peace. It is a political and ideological earthquake. For decades we’ve been told that there is a “Palestinian people” with national rights and historic claims to the land. We’ve been told their dream is to establish an independent state, that “Palestine” is their destiny, that justice demands its creation. Yet now, Arab Muslim tribal leaders from Hebron—the largest Palestinian city in Judea and Samaria—are openly admitting the truth: They don’t want a Palestinian state. They want peace with Israel. They want to end the PA’s tyranny and corruption, its culture of death, its economic disaster, and its obsession with terror. They want to live—and work— and be part of the Israeli success story. Let that sink in. Make no mistake. These sheikhs are not “moderates” groomed in Western think tanks. These are traditional clan leaders, rooted in the Arab-Muslim cultural fabric of Judea for centuries. And they see the Palestinian Authority for what it is: a corrupt mafia propped up by Western diplomats who would rather appease dictators than confront reality. And that reality is: There is no Palestinian nation. There are tribes. Families. Clans. Some religious, some secular. Many are feuding. All have been manipulated by the PA and Hamas to serve a made-up cause that’s never been about their own statehood but about the destruction of Israel’s statehood. With clarity these Arab leaders understand that the PA is weak and Israel is strong. And they are jumping ship, not to Hamas but to us. This letter from the Hebron sheikhs is the final nail in the coffin of the Palestinian state fantasy. If the very Arab leaders of Hebron want to replace the PA and join with Israel, the idea of “Palestine” as a national movement is officially dead. It never existed to begin with—this just confirms it. There is no justice in creating another terror-led Arab dictatorship called “Palestine” on our ancestral land. Even those who are supposed to be its proud citizens don’t want it. Why? Because the Abraham Accords worked. Because Israeli strength works. And because the Oslo delusion is finally cracking. Let this echo in every European capital that lectures Israel on peace while bankrolling incitement and in Western governments that have thrown billions into the pockets of PA thugs who persecute their own people, arrest dissidents, and pay terrorists to murder Jews. What Sheikh al-Jaabari and his colleagues are saying is that the PA is the problem—not Israel. They want coexistence. They want to build with Israel. This is a gift wrapped in tribal pragmatism. We should take and use it – but not trust it blindly. The sheiks are clearly acting out of tribal survival, not ideological enlightenment. Yet history has taught us that the moment our Arab neighbors smell weakness they’ll turn on us, like their grandfathers did when decades of peaceful coexistence ended with the 1929 Hebron massacre. Israel should pursue this opportunity with its eyes wide open. Let this move destroy Oslo, neuter the PA and bury the two-state delusion once and for all. Let the world see that Arab leadership in Judea and Samaria prefers cooperation with Israel over subjugation under Ramallah’s mafia. We can leverage this moment to finally crush the Oslo framework, end international support for the PA and reshape Judea and Samaria on Israel’s terms—not through delusions, but through reality. To do that, Israel must remain strong militarily, diplomatically, and psychologically, and not rely on personal relationships, signed letters, or tribal loyalty. It means rejecting fantasies that crop up every few years about a “new Middle East.” It means remembering that the 1929 Hebron massacre wasn’t a distant fluke, but a warning etched in Jewish blood waiting to return on Oct. 7, 2023, or any moment of weakness. Because, as Dr. Mordechai Kedar has said, “If we want short-term peace, Israel needs to be invincible in the short term. If we want long-term peace, Israel needs to be invincible in the long term.” We will have peace only when they believe we are invincible. Not just today, but forever.
About JNS Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) is the fastest-growing news agency covering Israel and the Jewish world. We provide news, briefs, features, opinions and analysis to 100 print newspapers and digital publications on a daily basis. Fucking yaaaaaawn with the bs!