In This Issue• SECTION ONE: HATE CRIMES
• SECTION TWO: HEALTH CARE
• SECTION THREE: CZARS IN THE NEWS
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
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P.O. Box 5152
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On Capitol Hill This Week - Volume XVI, Number 31a
October 12 - 16, 2009
October 12 - 16, 2009
* * * DOMESTIC ISSUES * * *
"When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness." (Isaiah 26:9)
SECTION ONE: HATE CRIMES
SECTION TWO: HEALTH CARE
SECTION THREE: CZARS IN THE NEWS
SECTION ONE: HATE CRIMES
1. OBAMA TO GAY GROUP: "THERE ARE STILL LAWS TO CHANGE"
2. HOUSE APPROVES HATE-CRIMES MEASURE; PART OF DEFENSE FUNDING
3. FRC STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF HATE CRIMES BILL IN HOUSE
4. BROWNBACK AMENDMENT SURVIVES COMMITTEE
1. OBAMA TO GAY GROUP: "THERE ARE STILL LAWS TO CHANGE"
President Obama delivered a rousing speech Saturday night to the nation's largest gay rights group, praising the gay community for making strides in equal rights and pledging to deliver on major campaign promises that some say he's left on the back burner.
"For nearly 30 years, you've advocated for those without a voice," Obama said during his address at the dinner for the Human Rights Campaign. "Despite the progress we've made, there are still laws to change and hearts to open. This fight continues now and I'm here with the simple message: I'm here with you in that fight," Obama told the applauding crowd.
The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement praising the speech, saying it was a "historic night when we felt the full embrace and commitment of the president of the United States. It's simply unprecedented." The Human Rights Campaign in its statement praised Obama's pledge that "we will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognize the relationships between two men or two women." The group also said Obama "made it crystal clear that he is our strongest ally in this fight, that he understands and, in fact, encourages our activism and our voice even when we're impatient with the pace of change." (CNN)
[In his speech, Obama also called for: the repeal of the ban on gays in the military -- the "don't ask, don't tell" policy; the repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and the passage of the Domestic Partners Benefit and Obligations Act; and passage of hate crimes legislation. The editor]
- God commands us to pray FOR all in authority. Pray for a miracle of divine intervention in the soul of this president, for his policies seem to be diametrically opposed to the Law of God. While praying for mercy for this president, pray for mercy for our land, and for all those who are entangled in the bondage of the same- sex lifestyle. May each one yet be set free to worship our Messiah in Spirit and in Truth. Amen.
- "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." (Lev. 18:22)
"He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law." (Daniel 7:25)
2. HOUSE APPROVES HATE-CRIMES MEASURE AS PART OF DEFENSE FUNDING
Legislation to punish hate crimes became a flashpoint on Capitol Hill on Thursday, as a measure expanding the definition of such crimes was attached to the bill outlining the Defense Department budget and approved by the House over the strong objections of Republicans.
House and Senate negotiators agreed earlier this week to attach the hate-crimes provision to the conference report for the $680 billion Defense Department authorization bill. The combined bill passed the House on Thursday, 281 to 146, with 131 Republicans and 15 Democrats in opposition. The measure must pass the Senate, in a vote that could come as early as next week, before it can head to President Obama's desk for his signature.
Congressional Republicans complained that appending the hate crimes provision to a bill laying out the Pentagon's budget for the coming year was an abuse of the legislative process and made U.S. troops "political pawns" in an unrelated social debate.
The provision would broaden the current definition of federal hate crimes to include attacks based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It would also create a new federal crime to cover attacks against U.S. military personnel because of their service.
"This is radical social policy that . . . is being put on the defense authorization bill, on the backs of our soldiers, because they probably can't pass it on its own," said House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio). (Washington Post)
- We pray for a wide-spread awakening throughout this nation for Your children to cry out against officials who are advancing their agendas. May the elected officials be alerted that their actions are in defiance of public opinion, and may they begin to work for the good of the people, not for the profit of special interests.
- "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." (Mark 7:21-23)
3. FRC STATEMENT ON THE HOUSE PASSAGE OF HATE CRIMES BILL
'Hate Crimes' Measure Violates Equal Justice Under the Law, Infringes on Free Speech and Religious Liberty
Washington D.C. - Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement after the House of Representatives approved a "hate crimes" provision within the defense authorization bill:
"By granting a special protection for a particular group, we diminish protections and thereby penalize everyone else. This is the ironic but unavoidable result of measures like the thought-crimes bill passed today," said Perkins.
"This measure is about giving special rights based solely on sexual behavior. We applaud the 146 Members of Congress of both parties who had the courage to oppose this otherwise popular bill because it was burdened with this irrelevant provision. It violates the principle of equal justice under the law and also threatens to infringe on the free speech rights of the American people.
"Congress should protect all Americans equally and not provide special protections to a few politically favored groups. A vote in favor of so-called 'hate crimes' legislation is a direct violation of the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause, since all violent crimes are hate crimes, and every victim is equally important. All of our citizens deserve equal justice under the law. Do we somehow care less about victims violently assaulted in the act of robbery or during a personal dispute than we do about those assaulted because they belong in a federally designated, politically motivated category?
"This also sets us on a slippery slope toward serious infringements of the freedom of speech and freedom of religion. 'Hate crime' legislation will lay the legal foundation and framework for investigating, prosecuting and persecuting pastors, business owners, and anyone else whose actions reflect their faith,'" Perkins concluded.
- Pray for strength for Tony Perkins and for all who will now work to block passage of this bill in the Senate, where it has been attached to a Defense Authorization bill. Pray that God will dismantle the devices of the wicked, who are bent on "sneaking" the hate crimes amendment through Congress, any way they can.
- "The people who know their God shall do exploits." (Daniel 11:32)
4. BROWNBACK AMENDMENT SURVIVES COMMITTEE
Will Protect Free Speech and Religious Rights of Every American
Prayer asked that it will also survive final vote on hate crimes bill in Senate, possibly as soon as this week.
Congressional staff and Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have been meeting behind closed doors since August, ironing out the differences between House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647). This legislation contains the hate crimes amendment language that was, in turn, amended by Sen. Brownback just before the Conference Committee began to meet. NRB heralded the Brownback amendment because it added free speech and religious exercise protections to the hate crimes language - protections that were greatly needed to keep the hate crimes language from infringing upon the religious and speech rights of every American.
While NRB has consistently opposed hate crimes legislation, we knew that this was the year it had unstoppable momentum - with both Democrat-led Congress and the White House in support. That prediction was borne out earlier this week when Members in the House offered a Motion to Instruct Conferees to remove the hate crimes language, and that amendment failed by a vote of 178-234. Given that vote, we expect the final National Defense Authorization Conference Report to contain hate crimes language and to retain the Brownback protections. Now, the most important question is whether or not H.R. 2647 will also contain language that seeks to limit the scope of the Brownback protections. (National Religious Broadcasters)
- Offer praise that the Brownback Amendment was NOT stripped during conference, and intercede for the defeat of H.R. 2647. Pray!
- "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)
SECTION TWO: HEALTH CARE
1. HEALTH CARE VOTE IN SENATE COMMITTEE DUE ON TUESDAY
2. SNOWE, LINCOLN TO DETERMINE OUTCOME OF HEALTHCARE BILL!
3. UPDATE: CONGRESSIONAL HEALTH PLAN--FOR THEM--NOT US
4. CONGRESS' SECRET PLAN TO PASS OBAMACARE - CONFIRMED
5. GRASSLEY AMENDMENTS TO HEALTH CARE BILL FAIL IN COMMITTEE
1. ABORTION REMAINS IN HEALTH CARE BILL; VOTE IN COMMITTEE DUE ON TUESDAY
On Wednesday, our friends at National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) blasted out the latest transcript from the White House on abortion in the health care bill. During the daily press briefing, CNS reporter Fred Lucas asked the question, "So far the health reform bills considered in the committee, including the new Senate Finance Committee [concept] have not met the President's challenge of barring the use of federal dollars for abortion. Is that statement wrong?" Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, as he often does, retreated into the administration's old line of "there's a fairly well- documented law that prevents it."
The law he's referring to is the Hyde Amendment, which, as the NRLC points out, only applies to the funding in HHS's annual appropriations bill. Without specific language to ban taxpayer-funded abortion in health care reform, there's no stopping it. But don't take our word for it! Read today's blurb from the Associated Press, the second AP article to refute the President on this issue. "The proposed legislation would permit government-sponsored health plans, open to non- Medicaid patients, to cover abortions. [T]axpayer funds [would] mingle with some insurance plans that, one way or another, pay for abortion." (Family Research Council)
- Scripture is clear: The shedding of innocent blood brings a CURSE upon a nation. Cry out for Mercy upon the mercy heart of our God; and stand in the gap between a civil government that Defies his law, and the Kingdom government that stands forever. Amen.
- "So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it." (Numbers 35:33) "Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them." (Ps. 106:23)
2. SNOWE AND LINCOLN WILL DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF THE HEALTHCARE BILL!
Watch how Olympia Snowe (R - ME) and Blanche Lincoln (D - AR) vote in the Senate Finance Committee on the Baucus version of the Obama healthcare plan. As Snowe and Lincoln go, so will the Congress.
The Democrats need Snowe's vote desperately, to convince wavering moderate Democrats that they can offer a veneer, however thin, of bipartisanship to the health proposal. If Snowe, their last chance at a Republican vote, opposes the Obama/Baucus proposal, there is no hope of a bipartisan fig leaf for the package. On the other hand, if Snowe backs the bill, it will send a signal to moderate Democrats that it's OK to join in and the bill will probably attract the 60 votes it needs for Senate passage.
Lincoln's vote becomes critical if Snowe votes no. Lincoln is probably the single most vulnerable Democrat running for reelection in 2010. If she makes it, so will all the Democrats. Hailing from a conservative Southern state, her poll numbers suggest that she would be in a heap of trouble with a stiff challenger. If Lincoln defects and joins the Republicans in voting no (as she has done on a number of amendments), she will do a lot to cement her chances to remain a senator, but will open a wound in the Democratic Party. A domino effect will likely set in. . .
Once Obama's plan fails to attract 60 votes, Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-Nev.) will fall back on reconciliation as a strategy and hope for 50 votes. But if the Democrats pass the bill with 50 votes, it will set a precedent they may come to rue. It would basically eliminate the filibuster as a parliamentary tactic and would condemn any future minority party (Democrats in 2011?) to the same irrelevance as afflicts their House colleagues. Probably Reid will go for the "secret plan." (See Below) [Dick Morris]
- Please pray for these two Senators -Snowe and Lincoln- to vote "NO"! on the health care bill. Pray for the citizens of these two states, especially, and for other states that the people will make their voices heard so that the halls of the Capitol ring with a NO vote. Ask the Lord to thwart any attempts at bribery or arm twisting to get votes.
- "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan." (Proverbs 29:2)
3. CONGRESSIONAL HEALTH PLAN--FOR THEM-- NOT US
On Tuesday, the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page amendment, courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn which would require all Members of Congress and their staff members to enroll in any new government-run health plan.
Congressman John Fleming has proposed an amendment that would require Congressmen and Senators to take the same health care plan that they would force on us. (Under proposed legislation they are exempt)
Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go to his Website and sign his petition. The process is very simple.
- This past summer, we asked prayer for the inclusion of Senator Coburn's amendment in the health care bill. Offer praise for answered prayer; then continue to lift up Rep. Fleiming's parallel amendment for passage, as well. Praise God!
- "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Mt. 21:22)
4. CONGRESS' SECRET PLAN TO PASS OBAMACARE - CONFIRMED!
Leaders in the House and Senate have a plan to pass President Barack Obama's sweeping health care plan by Thanksgiving without any significant participation by the American public. CNS News has confirmed the details in our September 22nd titled "Passing a Shell of A Bill: Congress' Secret Plan to Ram Through Health Care Reform." A senior aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told CNSNews.com that it is 'likely' that Reid will use H.R. 1586-a bill passed by the House in March to impose a 90-percent tax on bonuses paid to employees of certain bailed-out financial institutions-as a 'shell' for enacting the final version of the Senate's health care bill, which Reid is responsible for crafting."
This story confirms the four part scenario that would railroad the bill through the Senate using a very unusual closed door procedure to craft the bill with no input from the American people.
The four stage plan to pass Obamacare has been publicly confirmed and is ready to be implemented. The following is a comprehensive update: (The Heritage Foundation)
• WOW! Is the only word to describe this ploy to deceive the American public. The time spent to work out these parliamentary procedures could have been used to create real health care reforms. Pray that the Lord will bring mass confusion into the implementation of this ploy. Ask the Lord to bring His judgment on those members of Congress who are so disloyal to the Constitutional concept of government, enough judgment that they sink to their knees and ask forgiveness. "In God We Trust!" Call your members of Congress and tell them to vote NO for the health care reform bill now being offered by Senator Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. No!
- "The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me." (Deuteronomy 28:20)
5. GRASSLEY AMENDMENTS TO HEALTH CARE BILL FAIL IN COMMITTEE
We are delighted to report that the two amendments, planned by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) as add-ons to the health care legislation, were not offered in committee last week. Sen. Grassley had written amendments that would have empowered the IRS to intrusively demand detailed data from non-profit organizations and ministries about their internal governance. Many of you will recall the six broadcast ministries that Sen. Grassley targeted in the last Congress, and while none of them were NRB members, we were carefully tracking his demands on their ministries because the Senator had requested just this type of personal, privileged information from them.
While we can claim victory for the moment, the price of liberty really is eternal vigilance. Bob Powers, NRB's Vice President of Government Relations, fully expects these amendments to resurface later this year - most likely in a tax bill since Sen. Grassley is the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. (Source: NRB)
- Yes, and "eternal vigilance" is needed in prayer, too, to see every wicked provision of this megabill defeated in Congress, and ONLY provisions that are pleasing to the LORD survive. Carry on!
- "Fight the good fight of faith." (I Tim. 6:12)
SECTION THREE: CZARS IN THE NEWS
1. LAWMAKERS HOLD HEARING ON CZARS
2. SCIENCE CZAR: ICE AGE WILL KILL ONE BILLION
3. CASS SUNSTEIN: "MINISTRY OF TRUTH, OBAMA-STYLE"
4. OBAMA ADVISER SAYS SHARIA LAW IS MISUNDERSTOOD
1. LAWMAKERS HOLD HEARING ON CZARS
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., held a hearing Tuesday to look into President Barack Obama's appointment of "czars." The move may be partly a response to the negative press surrounding his pick for safe-schools czar, Kevin Jennings.
Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, one of the most powerful gay- activist organizations in the country, is the subject of a letter to Obama from Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, the first lawmaker to publicly call for the firing of the gay activist.
In his letter, King said Jennings' career in gay activism disqualifies him for a position promoting school safety. "There is more to safe- and drug-free schools than can be accomplished from the narrow view of Mr. Jennings," he wrote, "who has, for more than 20 years, almost exclusively focused on promoting the homosexual agenda."
Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Darrell Issa, R-Calif., wrote a similar letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, calling for the committee to investigate Jennings' qualifications and the process by which he was appointed.
"While serving as executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network in 2000," the letter states, "his organization co-sponsored a seminar that provided disturbing sexually explicit information to 12- year-old schoolchildren. This callous disregard for America's youth is distressing on a number of levels." (Focus on the Family; CitizenLink)
- Offer praise that this Senate Committee has held a hearing on this very critical matter. Thank YOU for your prayers, offered since last week, for the removal of Kevin Jennings from the White House staff. Many other "czars" need to be vetted; and indeed, the entire process of appointing these non-cabinet personnel -- which lies outside of our Constitution -- must be challenged, too. Congress has a lot of work ahead of them; pray that they will fulfill their responsibility with excellence. Pray!
- " . . . if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matt. 18:19)
2. SCIENCE CZAR: ICE AGE WILL KILL ONE BILLION
White House science czar John Holdren has predicted 1 billion people will die in "carbon-dioxide induced famines" in a coming new ice age by 2020.
As WND previously reported, Holdren predicted in a 1971 textbook co-authored with Malthusian population alarmist Paul Ehrlich that global over-population was heading the Earth to a new ice age unless the government mandated urgent measures to control population, including the possibility of involuntary birth control measures such as forced sterilization. Read more. (WorldNetDaily)
- As above, please pray.
3. CASS SUNSTEIN: "MINISTRY OF TRUTH, OBAMA-STYLE"
President Obama has been agitating for the authority to criminalize political opponents since he took office. First a raft of DHS reports profiled conservatives as terrorists. Then came the push for a new fairness doctrine, subsequently refined to be achieved in diversity regulations to be imposed on local radio stations. Following these attacks on free speech was the much debated hate crimes legislation, considered by many to be a back-door path to silencing critics of the administration. But, while dangerous to free speech, none of these draconian policies could do as much damage as new regulatory czar Cass Sunstein's shocking proposal to ban "falsehoods" -- a term left up to the Obama administration to define. If Sunstein succeeds, free speech will be truly dead in America.
These revelations are found in Sunstein's new book, On Rumors: How Falsehoods Spread, Why We Believe Them, What Can Be Done, in which he attacks the plague of "rumors" besetting the Obama administration. Rumors must be regulated. To combat "rumors," Sunstein proposes fines, and even obligatory retractions, in the case of Internet publications. In his new book, harsh penalties would be meted out for those that "spread rumors about an appointee of a Democratic president," an occurrence likely to increase if Sunstein continues to assault the very foundations upon which America is built. Sunstein will have to accuse millions of Americans of "spreading rumors." Perhaps Sunstein even dreams of an eventual final solution for rumor perpetrators. Read more. (American Thinker)
- Pray for Mr. Cass Sunstein, who obviously has never had a loving encounter with our Lord and Savior. Pray for his removal from the White House as a "czar," as was Van Jones. Ask the Lord to keep alive in America the concept of freedom of speech. The hedonists must fall on their knees before the Lord.
- We would like to say this about our president: "Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful." (Psalm 1:1)
4. OBAMA ADVISER SAYS SHARIA LAW IS MISUNDERSTOOD
Dalia Mogahed, a member of President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, joined a representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) for a television interview in Great Britain on Sunday. The Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report (GMBDR) noted that Mogahed was interviewed along with Dr. Nasreen Nawaz, women's representative for HT, on the British Muslim show "Muslimah Dilemma," which airs on the Islam Channel. GMBDR described the program as "a show presented by members of Hizb ut- Tahrir" featuring Nawaz "in her capacity as spokesperson" for the group. In some ways, Mogahed's performance during the 45-minute program (which has been posted to HT's website and can be viewed here offers a tutorial on how not to make America's case to the Muslim world. Mogahed, who was interviewed by telephone, did not challenge any of the views expressed by Nawaz or HT - including the group's call for establishing an international caliphate and imposition of Islamic law, or sharia, which includes suppression of women's political rights. Read more . (The Investigative Project)
- With all respect, it seems that another of Obama's advisers, appointed by the president but never approved by the U.S. Congress, is the one that does not understand. Sharia law is the law of tyranny; the laws of our land, when properly interpreted and obeyed, lead to individual freedom. PRAY THAT SHARIA LAW NEVER TAKE HOLD IN AMERICA. PRAY!
- "But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar." (Gal. 4:24,25)
On Capitol Hill This Week - Volume XVI, Number 31b
• SECTION ONE: NEWS ABOUT ISRAEL
• SECTION TWO: REGARDING IRAN
• SECTION THREE: AFGHANISTAN
• This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
* * * INTERNATIONAL ISSUES * * *
SECTION ONE: NEWS ABOUT ISRAEL
1. OBAMA AND THE PEACE PRIZE: ISRAEL'S RESPONSE
2. ARABS CONTINUE RIOTS IN JERUSALEM
3. UN SHELVES GOLDEN REPORT ... FOR NOW
4. US FORCES IN ISRAEL FOR DEFENSE EXERCISE
5. JOEL ROSENBERG: TWO NEW GRAVE THREATS TO ISRAEL
6. ISRAELIS CELEBRATE SUKKOT: FEAST OF TABERNACLES
7. ISRAEL: THIS JUST IN (PRISONER EXHANGE?)
1. OBAMA AND THE PEACE PRIZE: ISRAEL'S RESPONSE
Within an hour of the announcement, Reuven Rivlin, veteran speaker of the Israel Knesset Parliament, warned that "Someone who gets a peace prize should not force-feed Israel with his version of peace", going on to say that he hoped that the peace prize would not inspire the president to "dictate a peace accord to Israel"
Israel has reasons to be concerned:
The committee that awards the Nobel Peace prize is comprised of officials from the Norwegian political elite, as opposed to other Nobel prizes for excellence in science, education, health or other scholarly concerns.
The announcement of this prize occurs at a time that Norway remains almost the only European nation to recognize, aid and abet the Hamas regime in Gaza, at a time when Norway sanctions boycotts of some Israeli companies, and at a time when Norway openly funds movements in Israel that advocate the expulsion of Jewish communities from Judea, Samaria, the Golan and Jerusalem.
Things are so bad between Norway and Israel that the Israeli Foreign Ministry is now considering filing a formal request to expel Norwegian peace keeping observers from Hebron.
In other words, for many Israelis. the Norwegian endorsement of a peace initiatives of President Obama reads like a kiss of death for Israel, conveying a message, which is that the US should lead the world community to establish a Palestinian state, even if that state would launch aerial attacks on Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, much as the Palestinian entity in Gaza now fires freely on Sderot and the Western Negev.
Will the Nobel Peace Prize give President Obama the leverage that he needs to lower the boom on Israel? (www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com)
- What has happened to the voices of the Christians and Jews in Norway that they do not cry out against such outrageous behavior towards Israel? Maybe they've been silenced by Norway's version of Cass Sunstein. Pray for the Norwegians that a revival in Jesus Christ will turn that misguided nation back to the Lord, for they do not understand the curses that are coming upon them (Genesis 12:3).
Continue to pray the Lord's strength and wisdom for Israel.
- "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord . . ." (Psalms 33:12a)
2. ARABS CONTINUE RIOTS IN JERUSALEM
Rock-throwing Arabs wounded eleven Border Policemen in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ra'as al-Amud on Friday, as tensions in the capital flared again. Four of the policemen were taken to a hospital for treatment; the others were treated at the scene. Officers arrested two Arabs for throwing stones. Earlier Friday, the Hamas Islamic terrorist organization declared Friday a "day of rage" and called on its supporters to come out and demonstrate at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount. The call came Thursday, following days of tension at the Temple Mount compound as Arab protesters sporadically clashed with Israeli police patrolling the holy site. In efforts to curb the violence, Israel established restrictions on Muslim worshipers entering the compound, allowing men only over 50 years of age to enter. No restriction has been placed on women. Consequently, thousands of women arrived at the Temple Mount compound on Thursday in organized buses from Arab towns across Israel, and a similar showing took place on Friday.
Meanwhile, Member of Knesset (MK) Yariv Levin (Likud) said Wednesday that the way the authorities dealt with the Arab rioting on the Temple Mount is an example of the mistaken approach that the Jewish people have adopted towards the problem of the Arab citizens of Israel, and in the matter of the Temple Mount especially. "There is a crisis of judicial feebleness here," he said in an interview for the Hebrew version of ARUTZ SHEVA. Levin said that Israel must not fear violent responses by the Arabs to assertions of its sovereignty throughout Jerusalem and specifically on the Temple Mount. "If we live our lives according to fears of Arab rioting we will not go far," he said.
"We need to take charge of matters and to behave accordingly." At the same time, he said, Israel should determine regular arrangements for the ascent of Jews to the Temple Mount. The Israeli hesitation to act in this spirit is what causes more and more riots, he said.
Despite tensions in Jerusalem's Old City, some 30,000 worshipers arrived at the Western Wall on Monday to attend the traditional Sukkot Priestly Blessing. Following recent violent events in the area, police were on high alert and many officers were deployed throughout the allies of the Old City leading up to the Western Wall, in an attempt to prevent any conflict. Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch was also at the Western Wall on Monday, in order to oversee police preparedness. As he entered the site, activist Itamar Ben Gvir shouted at the minister, "The police should take care of those who threaten violence and not show weakness. It is shameful that the Muslims threaten violence and the state of Israel gives in." [Ha'aretz, Arutz Sheva, YNETNews] - Update: Tension in East Jerusalem is so great that police do not want to enter that part of the city. The recent attacks at the Western Wall and throughout East Jerusalem were orchestrated, not spontaneous outbursts. The fear is that this could be the start of another intifada. Please pray that this extremely dangerous situation to be defused.
- Pray that the Lord will move swiftly and decidedly to stop this Islamic hostility and bring to an end any plans for a third intifada.
- "Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men who plan evil things in their hearts; they continually gather together for war." (Psalm 140:1-2)
[Prayers offered by Bridges for Peace]
3. UN SHELVES ISRAEL-BASHING REPORT . . . FOR NOW
The United Nations Human Rights Council has shelved the distorted, unfair, libelous and dangerous report on Israel's war of self-defense in Gaza (aka "The Goldstone Report") until October 14. At the request of Libya, the UN Security Council agreed to move up its monthly session in order to move forward on the Goldstone Report "while the issue is still hot." The Security Council had been reluctant to deal with the Goldstone Report until the Human Rights Council voted on it, but agreed to discuss those parts of the document accusing Israel of war crimes. . . The goal was to put Israel in the dock but the Obama administration pushed the Arabs into withdrawing such a resolution, proving that, at least in this case, US membership on the council came in handy.
However, according to a report by THE MEDIA LINE, "sources" in Washington and Ram'Allah report that the US and the PA/PLO have agreed that in return for the Arab vote to defer consideration of the Goldstone Report, the Obama administration will increase pressure on Israel to end all building on land it acquired in the 1967 war and to work within the Arab-declared two-year timeframe for achieving an agreement with Israel and declaring statehood. PA/PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas has come under strong criticism from Arab nations for agreeing to defer consideration of sending the Goldstone Report to the General Assembly for further action against Israel. Abbas was to have met with Arab leaders in Damascus this week, but those meetings are in doubt because of the PA vote. Demonstrations against Abbas and the vote are scheduled to take place in Ram'Allah on Monday. [New York Daily News, The Media Line]
- Offer up a chorus of praise that this viscious, anti-semitic report has been shelved, at least for Now, by the UNHCR. May the nations wake up to the call of God to pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem, and to be a blessing to Israel, and not a curse.
- "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen. 12:3)
4. US FORCES IN ISRAEL FOR DEFENSE EXERCISE
United States military forces are deploying in Israel for a strategically important ballistic missile defense exercise, considered one of the most complex ever conducted by the two allies.
"Juniper Cobra 2009," the latest in a biennial series that began in 2001, will focus on how well US and Israeli forces can integrate and operate together in any future confrontation with Iran. US officials insist that the exercise, due to commence Monday and end next Friday, is routine. "This exercise is not related to or in response to any world events," the US Embassy in Tel Aviv stressed.
But the maneuvers have taken on added importance since the US administration scrapped plans to deploy land-based ballistic missile defense systems in Eastern Europe in August. The focus will now be on US naval forces in the Mediterranean and the North Sea. It is also possible that the unusually extensive US participation this year is intended to reassure Israel, which considers Iran's nuclear and missile programs to be an existential threat. There has been speculation that the US will leave behind some missile units when the maneuvers end to bolster Israel's defenses.
Some 1,000 troops from the US European Command, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, and 15 warships from the US 6th Fleet will participate in "Juniper Cobra" to work alongside Israelis in countering computer- simulated missile attacks from Iran and its Arab ally Syria, as well as from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Israel is in the process of building a multilayered defense shield against all calibers of missiles, dominated by the high-altitude, long-range Arrow-2 anti- ballistic system, whose development over the last decade has been largely funded by the US. But the US military, whose bases and installations in the Middle East are also potential targets for Iranian missiles, has found that Israel has become a handy testing ground for its own ballistic missile defense systems.
"Juniper Cobra" will involve limited live-fire exercises. The Israelis will test their upgraded Arrows during "Juniper Cobra," while the US will test three of their BMD systems. The Patriot Advanced Capability-3 batteries will link with an advanced US X-band radar unit, capable of detecting and tracking multiple incoming missiles. That unit, manned by US personnel, was set up at the Nevarim air base in the southern Negev desert in 2008. The US will also deploy the Theater High Altitude Area Defense system, which works in conjunction with PAC-3 to intercept missiles in the final phase of their trajectory. The 6th Fleet ships, which will be an integral part of the new US BMD network, will complete the triad of US BMD systems with the Standard Missile-3 aboard upgraded Aegis guided-missile cruisers and destroyers. (Emetnews.org)
- Praise the Lord for this cooperation between the USA and Israel. Pray that neither nation involved gets "cold feet" about these military maneuvers, especially since Sweden's surprise. Probably Israel has some strategies to teach us, and we must keep the funding going. Pray that no personnel participating will be wounded nor killed. Ask the Lord to give His wisdom to the officers involved in the planning and in the execution of the maneuvers.
- "Like birds flying about, So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it." (Isaiah 31:5)
5. JOEL ROSENBERG: TWO NEW GRAVE THREATS TO ISRAEL
The first threat is the real and growing possibility that the United Nations will shift the nuclear spotlight away from Iran and on to Israel in an effort to force Jerusalem to disclose and dismantle its alleged nuclear weapons and join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Israel does not openly acknowledge having atomic weapons. But the U.N. Security Council could pass a resolution forcing Israel to allow international inspectors in. If Israel refused to comply, she could be subject to diplomatic isolation, crippling economic sanctions, and even international enforcement (that is, a coalition of nations ready to go to war over the issue, just as the U.S. led a coalition in 2003 to force Iraq to comply with U.N. resolutions regarding weapons of mass destruction.)
The second threat is the real and growing possibility that the world will unilaterally create and recognize a Palestinian State, not through negotiations with Israel but by fiat. World leaders have been trying to engineer a "comprehensive" final peace agreement for decades. The Palestinians rejected a generous final peace offer by then-Israeli PM Ehud Barak in 2000 at Camp David (too generous, in my view). Then, Yasser Arafat unleashed the "Second Intifada" and a horrific wave of suicide bombings throughout Israel. The Palestinians then rejected repeated peace offers by then-Israeli PM Ehud Olmert (also too generous). Then, Hamas fired thousands of rockets and mortars at southern Israel until Operation Cast Lead crushed most of the Hamas activities in January of 2009.
Rather than be impatient with the Palestinian leadership, however, for consistently rejecting sweeping Israeli peace proposals, the world increasingly wants to force Israel to make deeper and deeper concessions. . .
- Offer praise that, in these perilous times, God has raised up watchmen on the wall like Joel Rosenberg. May we take heed to his reports, and may we continue to undergird Israel In prayer as she faces the schemes of a world set against her.
- "For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem." (Zech. 14:2a)
6. ISRAELIS CELEBRATE SUKKOT: FEAST OF TABERNACLES
CELEBRATIONS IN SHDEMA AND HARESHA
A thousand people from throughout Israel made their way to Shdema last week to celebrate on the eve of the Sukkot holiday. Pictures can be seen at . Shdema (meaning "field of produce") is an abandoned Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Army Camp, located on Israeli land, close to Har Homa. The Olmert-Livni government had announced that it was planning to hand over this strategic area to the Palestinian Authority (PA/PLO) to build an Arab neighborhood, which would endanger both Jerusalem and Gush Etzion. The Women in Green initiated the struggle for a Jewish Shdema, organizing the local action committees and the local youth. The recent event at Shdema centered around the slogan of "Aliya to Shdema," with the aim of uniting many olim (immigrants), both veteran and new. The event included a photograph exhibition, the music of Musa Berlin and his band, the speeches and greetings by the guest speakers, the Simhat Beit ha-Sho'evah of the Me'Shir Zion band of Benzi Thee and Avi Schmell, and vendors' stands. Events for the children included the art workshops, a clown, the juggler, balloons, movies, and a ride on a donkey.
Everyone was moved to tears by the sight of hundreds of automobiles coming up to Shdema with people coming from as far as Haifa, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Bet Shemesh, Herzliya, Ramat Gan, Jerusalem as well as Kiryat Arba Hevron, Tekoa, Efrat, and Gush Etzion to identify with the struggle for a Jewish Shdema.
Meanwhile, 3,000 people participated Thursday in the Beit HaShoeva celebration at the threatened community of Haresha north of Jerusalem. The event was part of the struggle to raise awareness to that community's plight. The High Court has ruled that the permanent houses in the community must be destroyed. Haresha was established 12 years ago. Plans were prepared for permanent housing and the Ministry of Construction and Housing invested money in infrastructure. However, the Defense Minister has been unwilling to sign the plans for its development. The original Beit HaShoeva celebration, which dates back to the times of the Jewish Temple, involved the drawing of water from the Shiloach spring, and the pouring of that water at the altar of the Temple, together with wine.
- Capitol Hill Prayer Partners joins our friends throughout the world in wishing all of our Israeli friends a joyous Sukkot and a Happy New Year.
- "Rejoice with those who rejoice . . ." (Romans 12:15)
7. ISRAEL: THIS JUST IN (PRISONER EXHANGE?)
The government is facing the hard decision to trade 1000 convicted terrorists for the captured soldier Gilead Shalit. There is a tremendous pressure being exerted on Israel to do this. However, if they do many think it will set a terrible precedence for future kidnappings and exchanges. Also this exchange for Shalit will eventually result in the loss of hundreds of Israeli lives from resultant terror attacks. Please pray that the leaders make the right decision at this time.
- Stand in agreement with this prayer request, sent in by a friend "on the ground" in Israel. Lift up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisors, that they might find the mind of the Lord in this critical matter. Pray!
- "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)
SECTION TWO: REGARDING IRAN
1. JOEL ROSENBERG WARNS CONGRESS ON IRAN
2. IRAN WARNS AGAINST ATTACK
3. CLINTON, GATES: IRAN TALKS "POSITIVE" SO FAR
1. JOEL ROSENBERG VISITS CAPITOL HILL; WARNS CONGRESS ON IRAN THREAT
On Tuesday night, I was invited up to Capitol Hill for an "Inside The Revolution" event. Attending were 13 Members of Congress, several of their wives, several chiefs of staff, some Congressional staffers, the ambassador of an African country, a diplomat from an Asian country, several pastors, ministry leaders and lay people. In all there were about 60-70. We showed 30 minutes of excerpts from the Inside The Revolution documentary DVD. I spoke for about 15 minutes on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's End Times theology, and how it is driving Iranian foreign and military policy. Then I answered questions for about an hour. Excellent questions. Fascinating discussion. Wish I could have brought you all into the room.
Prayer Requests from Joel Rosenberg:
Please pray that the Lord opens the eyes of our government and religious leaders, and that they truly understand the threat Iran poses. Pray, too, that our leaders will have their opened to precisely how they can and should properly defend the United States and our interests, and to the critical importance of standing with Israel and blessing the Jewish people. Finally, please pray that our leaders will not only bless Israel, but will also be champions for the freedom and human rights of oppressed Muslims in the epicenter who suffer under such tyranny, and the growing threat of a major war.
- In 2 Kings 6:17, the Hebrew Prophet Elisha prays, "O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see."
2. IRAN WARNS AGAINST ATTACK
Iran issued another warning on Friday against any attack on the Islamic republic, while claiming its talks with world powers over its controversial nuclear programme were "a success and a victory." Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's deputy representative to the elite Revolutionary Guards, Mojtaba Zolnour, said Tehran will "blow up the heart" of Israel if attacked by the Jewish state or the United States. "Even if one American or Zionist missile hits our land, before the dust is settled, Iranian missiles will blow up the heart of Israel," state news agency IRNA quoted Zolnour as saying. (Agence France-Press)
- You are mighty to save Israel. We pray that the nations of the world will begin to back Israel against those who seek to destroy her.
- "They have said, 'Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.'" (Psalm 83:4)
Please read all of Psalm 83 and mediTate on it.
3. CLINTON, GATES: IRAN TALKS "POSITIVE" SO FAR
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on October 5 that last week's nuclear talks with Iran had been a limited success. Appearing jointly on CNN, Clinton said the Geneva session had yielded three agreements that would allow the United States to assess Iran's seriousness about the negotiations.
In the meantime, the US would continue to move toward additional sanctions if Iran does not back off from its nuclear program. Clinton said the session in Geneva "was a worthwhile meeting," as the Iranians had agreed to inspections of all nuclear sites, to ship low- enriched uranium abroad for processing, and to another round of talks later this month.
However, she added: "This is not by any means a stopping point. There is much more to be done. We expect much more. On balance, what came out of the meeting in Geneva was positive."
Gates said there was a possibility that Iran could be persuaded that the weapons Iran is suspected of developing would be counterproductive in the long run. Asked if the Iranians were committed to resolving the dispute over their nuclear program, Clinton said: "We don't know yet. We don't know." Gates said he agreed. "I think the jury's out." (By World Jewish Congress, October 6, 2009)
- Pray that any evil intent on the part of the Iranian government be clearly revealed in these discussions. Pray that the nations of the world deal courageously and firmly with this very dangerous issue.
- "A wicked man hardens his face, but as for the upright, he establishes his way. There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD." (Proverbs 21:29-30) [Reported by: Bridges for Peace]
SECTION THREE: AFGHANISTAN
1. AFGHANISTAN WILL BE WON OR LOST IN NEXT 12 MONTHS
2. ARMY CHAPLAINS SAY TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN LOSING HEART
3. SENATORS ESCALATE CALL FOR OBAMA TO SEND MORE TROOPS
1. AFGHANISTAN WILL BE WON OR LOST IN NEXT 12 MONTHS
President Obama called General Stanley McChrystal to a face-to-face meeting on board Air Force One on the tarmac in Copenhagen during the president's unsuccessful Chicago Olympic bid. President Obama had had only one prior meeting with General McCrystal over the span of seventy days.
Congressional leaders were called to the White House on Tuesday for a briefing on Afghanistan. Lawmakers left divided on AfPak strategy. Members of the president's party are resisting calls for more combat troops. This is forcing him to seek support from Republicans who favor McChrystal's plan.
Wednesday was the 8th Anniversary of U.S. and NATO Deployment to Afghanistan. General McChrystal's request that President Obama deploy 40,000 additional troops is under review.
Obama told congressional leaders last week that he is not contemplating reducing troop levels in the near future under any scenario which is under consideration.
Prayer Requests from Intercessors for America:
- Pray for the White House "War Council" engaged in meetings over a few weeks to review, formulate policy, deploy troops, and execute warfare against al Qaida / Taliban forces in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq, and to defuse the nuclear threat from Iran. - Pray that "wisdom from above," strategy, consensus, and resolve be granted to President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, National Security Advisor General James Jones, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, CENTCOM Commander General David Petraeus, and Commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal. - Pray that the Lord cause this Council to heed His Word and posture regarding Israel, Jerusalem, and the Middle East.
- Pray for General Petraeus who is battling prostate cancer.
- "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it. . ." (Ezekiel 22:30)
2. ARMY CHAPLAINS SAY TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN LOSING HEART
American soldiers serving in Afghanistan are depressed and deeply disillusioned, according to the chaplains of two US battalions that have spent nine months on the front line in the war against the Taleban. Many feel that they are risking their lives - and that colleagues have died - for a futile mission and an Afghan population that does nothing to help them, the chaplains told The Times in their makeshift chapel on this fortress-like base in a dusty, brown valley southwest of Kabul.
The men are frustrated by the lack of obvious purpose or progress. "The soldiers' biggest question is: what can we do to make this war stop. Catch one person? Assault one objective? Soldiers want definite answers, other than to stop the Taleban, because that almost seems impossible. "It's hard to catch someone you can't see," said Specialist Mercer.
The chaplains said soldiers were seeking their help in unprecedented numbers. "Everyone you meet is just down, and you meet them everywhere - in the weight room, dining facility, getting mail," said Captain Rico. Even "hard men" were coming to their tent chapel and breaking down. Captain Masengale, a soldier for 12 years before he became a chaplain, said: "We want to believe in a cause but we don't know what that cause is."
The chaplains said that many soldiers had lost their desire to help Afghanistan. "All they want to do is make it home alive and go back to their wives and children and visit the families who have lost husbands and fathers over here. It comes down to just surviving," said Captain Masengale. "You carry on for the guys to your left or right," he added. (Drudge Report)
- While the president continues to delay making a firm decision on Afghanistan, ask that our GOD would intervene to bolster the morale of these troops who are "caught in the middle." May each one be sustained by an amazing power greater than himself, and may all come to know Jesus as Lord through this time of trial.
- Captain Rico offered a particularly apposite reading from Corinthians: "We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."
3. SENATORS ESCALATE CALL FOR OBAMA TO SEND MORE TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN
The Obama administration is deep in deliberations over whether to build on its counterinsurgency strategy with thousands more troops in Afghanistan or focus more on taking out top Al Qaeda targets, particularly in Pakistan. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is joining Senate Republicans in calling for the president to approve the request for more troops.
- Pray that Obama will hear the pleas of these senators, and pray that more senators on the left side of the aisle (Democrats) will join Ms. Feinstein in demanding an increase in troops on the ground at this time. The lives of our men and women in uniform are at stake; PRAY!
- "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." (2 Corinthians 10:4
This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
COUNSELOR (Yo-ayts)
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called . . . Counselor . . . " (Isaiah 9:6)
Dear Father,
Your counsel rues over all earthly machinations. You are Sovereign, and I am so thankful that I can come to You for the best counsel. Thank You for this wisdom from above -- from You. Help me to have ears to hear, and a heart ready to accept. I thank You for being the best counselor. Amen.
(Taken from: Intimate Moments with the Hebrew Names of God, by Barri Cae Malin and Shmuel Wolkenfeld; Bridge-Logos Publishers; Gainesville, FL, 32614. ISBN: 0-88270-801-5)
