Jerusalem has always been a focal point of tension and conflict, from biblical times right through the present. And, if the prophet is to be believed, the situation is only going to become more strained until those who oppose God’s plans are broken upon the walls of Jerusalem.
“I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”US President Donald Trump was just playing his role in this saga by declaring:
And yet, for many in Israel, Trump’s assertion that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will actually facilitate peace rings true.
Israel has been trying for decades to make peace based on the formula of meeting Arab land demands in return for a reduction in terrorist violence.“We cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions and repeating the same failed strategies of the past. Old challenges demand new approaches,” explained the president. “It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result.”
It hasn’t worked.
One of the reasons it hasn’t worked is that many in the Arab world still cling to the fantasy that Israel is illegitimate and a temporary phenomenon. And that fantasy has been fueled by the fact that too few in the international community have recognized Israel’s historical and religious claims to this land and to this city.
Or, it could further inflame the situation.Having the United States officially back Israel’s claim to Jerusalem could very well serve to pacify hostile Arab elements.
Only time will tell if Trump’s historic announcement advances Zechariah’s prophecy, or is merely a passing phenomenon, as many still hope of Israel itself.
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