A Lasting Peace: A Historical, Biblical, and Prophetic Lens on the Crisis in the Middle East

By Jonathan Bernis

The crisis in the Middle East is not a political issue. It's a spiritual issue.

Rapidly unfolding events in the Middle East will shape the future, not just of Israel but of our entire world. This insightful commentary by Rabbi Jonathan Bernis combines historical, biblical, and prophetic teaching to help you understand what’s happening and how Believers should respond to these events.

Drawing from the perspective of a Jewish Believer in Jesus, this book provides a biblical understanding of the complex issues continuing to unfold in the Middle East today and how they relate to key prophecy in Scripture.

Discover why there is constant upheaval in the Middle East, what to watch for in the days ahead, and whether peace is really possible.

Other books by Rabbi Jonathan Bernis include:

• Unlocking the Prophetic Mysteries of Israel
• A Hope and A Future
   

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charisma House
• Release date: Jan 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781629995878

Book preview

In this eye-opening book Jonathan Bernis shares how the history and conflict in the Middle East relate to us today. He helps us understand the significance of the times we live in from a historical, biblical, and Messianic perspective and reminds us that no matter what, God is still on His throne and He is still in control.

—ROBERT MORRIS

FOUNDING SENIOR PASTOR, GATEWAY CHURCH

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, THE BLESSED LIFE, THE GOD I NEVER KNEW,

AND FREQUENCY

Jonathan Bernis’ book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the conflict in the Middle East and the fight for the truth about Israel. With his clear analysis written in everyday terms, Jonathan gives a powerful message of God’s purpose for Israel in today’s world.

—AMBASSADOR DANNY AYALON

ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES, 2002–2006

Israel is the epicenter of all end-times activity. Every Believer must be on God’s side of the fence involving Israel. Only a God-ordained teacher and Messianic Jewish rabbi like Jonathan Bernis can make this complex issue simple and easy to understand.

—SID ROTH

HOST, IT’S SUPERNATURAL!

In A Lasting Peace, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis not only gives you a masterful review of the history and biblical context of modern Israel; he also answers the question What happens now? With Iran, Syria, Turkey, and Russia all having active military operations in the Middle East, the asymmetrical war with the Palestinian Authority could quickly turn into a regional conflict with global impact. The news headlines today all point to a future conflict that could threaten Israel’s existence. To understand today’s headlines, you need to read this book and find the answer to this question: Is lasting peace in the Middle East possible?

—GORDON ROBERTSON

CEO, THE CHRISTI6AN BROADCASTING NETWORK

My friend Rabbi Jonathan Bernis has written a new book that I believe every Christian leader and Believer in Jesus Christ should read, A Lasting Peace. He masterfully leads the reader to an understanding of world events unfolding before our own eyes in the Middle East, events that are taking place in direct confirmation of end-time prophecy recorded thousands of years ago in Scripture, including the attack on Israel and the persecution of Christians. This makes the message of this book relevant and worthy of our careful attention.

As Christians, we must stay informed of what is happening and comprehend the conflict of various kinds in the Middle East and elsewhere.

At times, however, all of this may seem too complex and rather difficult to understand well. Thankfully, Jonathan is anointed by the Holy Spirit of God to write in such a way as to clearly explain these conflicts and world events from a historical and biblical standpoint in light of the revelation of prophecy so the reader will finally be able to both fully understand what is happening and know how to personally respond.

The Word of God is eternally true, and it assures us that God is love and that His will is that none should perish but all should receive salvation and eternal life through the only way, truth, and life: Jesus Christ.

The only solution to the conflict between Jews and Arabs, or between any other groups, is Jesus. Therefore, we must watch, pray, and speak out! At its core that is the message of A Lasting Peace, a book I wholeheartedly recommend you prayerfully read.

—APOSTLE GUILLERMO MALDONADO

KING JESUS INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY

Most CHARISMA HOUSE BOOK GROUP products are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchase for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, and educational needs. For details, write Charisma House Book Group, 600 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, or telephone [phone].

A LASTING PEACE by Jonathan Bernis

Published by Charisma House

Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group

600 Rinehart Road

Lake Mary, Florida 32746

www.charismahouse.com

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®

Scripture quotations marked TLV are taken from the Tree of Life Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.

Copyright © 2019 by Jonathan Bernis

All rights reserved

Visit the author’s website at www.jewishvoice.org.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

An application to register this book for cataloging has been submitted to the Library of Congress.

International Standard Book Number: 978-1-62999-586-1 (trade paper); 978-1-62999-588-5 (hardback); 978-1-62999-587-8 (e-book)

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: Bloodshed in Israel

CHAPTER 2: The Growing Conflict

CHAPTER 3: The Birth of Zionism

CHAPTER 4: Who Really Owns the Land of Israel?

CHAPTER 5: The Holocaust and Beyond

CHAPTER 6: Yasser Arafat and the PLO

CHAPTER 7: A Monster Called ISIS

CHAPTER 8: The War Against Christians

CHAPTER 9: Whatever Happened to the Arab Spring?

CHAPTER 10: The United Nations vs. Israel

CHAPTER 11: Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood .

CHAPTER 12: Trouble in Iran

CHAPTER 13: Catastrophe in Syria

CHAPTER 14: Betrayal in Egypt

CHAPTER 15: Jordan: Friend or Foe?

CHAPTER 16: Upheaval in Turkey

CHAPTER 17: Russia’s Plans for the Middle East

CHAPTER 18: Recognition at Last

CHAPTER 19: Where Do We Go From Here?

NOTES

CHAPTER 1

BLOODSHED IN ISRAEL

The Zionist regime will soon be destroyed, and this generation will be witness to its destruction.

—HOJATOLESLAM ALI SHIRAZI, SUPREME LEADER AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI’S REPRESENTATIVE TO THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD

PEOPLE WHO LIVE in Israel never know when an attack is going to come. They have to be ready all the time.

Since 2001, more than 28,000 rockets have been fired into Israel from Palestinian territory—28,352 of them to be exact.¹ That works out to a little over four rockets every day for seventeen and a half years.

Of course, it would be ridiculous to say that four rockets fall on Israel in an average day. Some days there are dozens, even hundreds of them. Other days there are none at all. Go online to israelhasbeenrocketfreefor.com, and you’ll find a digital clock that tells you how long it has been since the last attack on Israel. The clock resets every time a rocket falls.

Many Israelis keep well-stocked first aid kits on hand, full of essential supplies such as bandages and even gas masks. They also know where the nearest bomb shelter is. Bomb shelters may be a thing of the past for most Americans—a relic from the Cold War with the Soviet Union. But many Israeli neighborhoods have them and use them on a regular basis.

Bear in mind that the rockets fired into Israel are not aimed at any specific targets. The Palestinians who fire them don’t care what they destroy or whom they kill. If a rocket smashes into an Israeli military base, the Palestinians are delighted. But a school or a hospital would make them just as happy. Their desire is to kill Jews. Any Jew will do.

According to the Israeli government, Although Israel’s Iron Dome Missile Defense system stops some of the attacks, most rockets are capable of reaching Israel’s biggest cities. More than half a million Israelis have less than 60 seconds to find shelter after a rocket is launched from Gaza into Israel. Many have only 15 seconds.²

As I write these words, I am in Tiberius, Israel, where a rocket attack was just launched from Syria by Iran. My hotel shook from the blasts as Israel’s Dome system intercepted and destroyed several of the missiles. Some missiles did make it through and exploded in the Golan Heights just a few miles from here. Fortunately there were no casualties and no significant damage. Tensions on Israel’s border with Syria have been intensifying and will continue to do so as long as Iran is free to operate there. Of course, Israeli jets were in the air within minutes and attacked a number of Iranian military bases in response.

But missile attacks are not the only threat Israel faces.

FROM ROCKETS TO KNIVES

According to a December 2015 article in the Washington Post, near-daily Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers cause fear and anger in Israeli society. The Post reported that a series of deadly attacks did not fit past patterns,³ and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described these attacks by individuals as a new kind of terrorism.⁴

The Post explained:

Young Palestinians with kitchen knives are waging a ceaseless campaign of near-suicidal violence. . . . Four attacks occurred in the past 48 hours alone—two stabbings and two vehicular assaults. There have been about 120 attacks and attempted assaults by Palestinians against Israelis since early October, an average of more than one a day. At least 20 Israelis have been killed; more than 80 Palestinians have been shot dead by security forces and armed civilians during the assaults.⁵

One knifing victim was Aharon Banita Bennett, a young father pushing his child’s stroller while out walking with his family. In another attack, the four children of Eitam and Naama Henkin watched from the back seat of the family’s car as their parents were shot to death in the front seat. A victim in another attack, Nehemia Lavi, was an activist for Jewish settlements⁶; another victim was a peace activist named Richard Lakin, whose Facebook page called for the sides to ‘co-exist.’⁷

The Washington Post article reported that teens were responsible for more than fifty attacks at the time,⁸ which means that violence is deeply ingrained in the younger generation and so is likely to continue far into the future. What may be even worse is a survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that those who support the knife attacks and armed struggle against Israel are in the majority among Palestinians.⁹

This violence has continued to sweep through Israel. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs states the following about the period between September 2015 and June 2017:

• There were 180 stabbing attacks and 124 attempted stabbings, 150 shootings, 58 vehicular (ramming) attacks and one vehicular (bus) bombing.¹⁰

• In 2016, 12 vehicular ramming attacks and 100 stabbing attacks were thwarted by security forces.¹¹

• According to the Foreign Ministry website, since September 2015, 50 people have been killed in terrorist attacks and 759 people (including four Palestinians) injured.¹²

If you are someone who tries to keep abreast of what’s going on in this world of ours, I realize that I’m not telling you anything new. You may not have known the extent of the recent bombings and knife attacks in the Middle East, but certainly you were aware that they exist. Anyone who occasionally reads a newspaper or watches a national news broadcast knows that the Middle East has been a boiling cauldron of strife and bloodshed for centuries. The killings have continued nonstop since Israel officially became a country in 1948, and the carnage has increased as human beings have developed more efficient ways to kill one another.

PALESTINIANS ARE VICTIMS TOO

I want to make it clear that my intent is not to point a finger at the Palestinian people or try to make them sound inherently evil. They are human beings created in the image of God, as are the Jews who live in Israel. But for many of them, every ounce of human compassion and conscience has been swept away by a river of unreasoning hatred. And so bloodshed and war go on and on with no end in sight, despite the dozens of attempts and countless millions of dollars that have been invested in the effort to bring a lasting peace to the Middle East.

And while I do not support everything Israel does (Israelis have made plenty of mistakes over the years), I do believe that its leaders have done everything possible to live in peace with its neighbors. Israel has made dozens of concessions in response to their demands. Israel has returned land it won—not through acts of aggression but because it was attacked and fought back.¹³

Tragically very few of its overtures of friendship have improved conditions in the Middle East. So Israel has become adept at the practice of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. In other words, If you hit me, I’ll hit you back—and harder.

This Jewish response to continual aggression against Israel is understandable. Current Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in his book A Durable Peace:

I am convinced of one thing: The Jewish people will not get another chance. There are only so many miracles that history can provide a people, and the Jews have had more than their share. After unparalleled adversity the Jews came back to life in the modern State of Israel. For better or worse, the Jewish future is centered on the future of that state. Therefore we must be extra careful not to toy with Israel’s security or jeopardize its defenses, even as we pursue peace with our neighbors, for what is at stake is the destiny of an entire people.¹⁴

And so thousands of Palestinians have been injured and killed due to their leaders’ insistence on attacking Israel, just as hundreds of thousands of Muslims throughout the Middle East have died at the hands of Islamic extremists.

In A Durable Peace, Netanyahu talks about a discussion he had with Zian Zemin, the president of China, in 1999. The president pointed out that the Chinese and Jewish people make up two of the world’s oldest civilizations, both stretching back thousands of years. Netanyahu agreed, adding India to the list of long-lived civilizations.¹⁵ Netanyahu recounts their continued exchange, beginning with his remarks to Zemin:

But there are one or two differences between us. . . . For instance, how many Chinese are there?

1.2 billion, replied Zian Zemin.

How many Indians are there? I pressed on.

About 1 billion.

Now how many Jews are there? I queried.

No answer.

There are 12 million Jews in the world, I said.

Several Chinese jaws dropped in the room, understandably, given that this number could be contained in an enlarged suburb of Beijing.¹⁶

When the Chinese president asked why there are so few Jews despite a history that stretches back over four thousand years, Netanyahu replied:

You, the Chinese, kept China; the Indians kept India; but we Jews lost our land and were dispersed to the four corners of the earth. From this sprang all our calamities, culminating in our greatest catastrophe in the twentieth century. This is why for the last two thousand years we have been trying to retrieve our homeland and re-create our independent state there.¹⁷

THE ELUSIVE SEARCH FOR PEACE

The history of the Middle East is filled with the remnants of many shattered peace treaties. Over the past one hundred years there have been at least ten attempts to bring peace between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East. They include the following:

• 1919: The Faisal-Weizmann Agreement following World War I was a very short-lived agreement for Arab-Jewish cooperation on the development of Jewish and Palestinian homelands in the Middle East.¹⁸

• 1949: The Armistice Agreements were signed at the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and established armistice lines between Israel and the West Bank, also known as the Green Line. This boundary lasted until the 1967 Six-Day War.¹⁹

• 1978: The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin after twelve days of secret discussions at Camp David.²⁰ Sadat was later assassinated.

• 1993: The Oslo Accords constituted the first direct, face-to-face agreement between Israel and political representatives of Palestinians and the first time any Palestinian factions publicly acknowledged Israel’s right to exist.²¹

• 2000: The Camp David Summit failed to establish a final status settlement²² between Israel and the Palestinians. In attendance were Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat.²³

• 2002: The Road Map for Peace consisted of principles first outlined by US President George W. Bush in a speech on June 24, 2002.²⁴ As had been done many times before, Bush called for an independent Palestinian state that lived beside Israel in peace.²⁵

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The ancient Hebrew prophets foresaw many bloody battles in the Middle East, which they described in gory detail. We’ll take a brief look at some of these prophecies in later sections of this book. The New Testament Book of Revelation also contains a powerful description of a cataclysmic battle that takes place at the end of the age. Yeshua (Jesus) Himself said that we could expect wars and rumors of wars (Matt. 24:6) until His return.

Does this mean that Believers should sit on the sidelines and watch the violence continue? Are we supposed to throw up our hands and say, Oh well, it’s all preordained, so there’s nothing we can do about it?

I don’t see it that way, largely because of something else Yeshua said: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God

(Matt. 5:9). I believe that God wants and expects His people to work for peace, even when war seems inevitable. And He wouldn’t expect us to work for peace if it were unachievable.

In other words, what we do can make a difference in Israel and the rest of the Middle East. Our actions can save lives and spare innocent children and families unnecessary pain and suffering. We can put peace in the hearts of people whose lives have been filled with anxiety and fear.

JEWS AROUND THE WORLD ARE SUFFERING

As president and CEO of Jewish Voice Ministries, I often travel to Israel and countries where Jews are waiting for a chance to move to Israel and start new lives there, which they call making Aliyah.

In Ethiopia, for example, there are thousands of desperately poor Jews called the Beta Israel. Many are suffering and dying due to a lack of basic medicines and access to health care. As a direct result, we at Jewish Voice Ministries go there to provide the treatments they desperately need. Thousands of people, many of them children, are suffering terribly.

Some of these precious people have been beaten or burned out of their homes. They have been blocked from finding decent jobs. They are despised and desperately want to start new lives in Israel. They are accused of having the Buda (the evil eye, which is presumably able to make non-Jews sick when these people look at them), and some say they turn themselves into bloodthirsty hyenas that roam the countryside at night looking for victims.²⁶

It breaks my heart to see the way these kind and gentle people are treated by their neighbors. But I have discovered that this type of treatment of Jews is not unique to Ethiopia, nor is it unique to the Beta Israel. Jews all over the world have been treated in similar ways, especially in predominantly Arab countries of the Middle East.

I have listened to them tell their stories. Jewish children have told me about attending public primary schools where they were taught that Jews were monsters who killed children and drank their blood as part of their religious rituals. Others told of how they felt at recess when Muslim children pretended to be mowing down Jews with automatic weapons while teachers looked on approvingly.

I could go on and on about what Jewish people have suffered at the hands of their Arab cousins. I don’t want to pretend that no Arabs have suffered at the hands of Jews. But if Arabic children are taught to hate Jews from a very early age and are taught that Jews are monsters who deserve to be killed, then what hope is there for a lasting, just peace?

It is also true that despite what the Jews have endured, the Arabs have somehow succeeded in making most of the world think that Jews are always the aggressors and Arabs are always their victims. The Palestinians fire rocket after rocket into Israel in an attempt to kill and maim as many Jews as possible, and the world blames Israel! Palestinians and other Arabs have waged constant war on Israel since 1948, and