Today's News for Prayer• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• Netanyahu Addresses the U.N.
• Abbas' Statement at U.N.
• What Does Abbas' UN Bid Mean?
• Obama Feels The Heat On Israel
• The Good News Corner
• Stand With Israel
• Worship with Us Today!
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The Daily Brief - Friday, Sept. 23, 2011
"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD." (Proverbs 21:31)
The Daily Brief
1. The U.S. Plan to Avoid a Palestinian Statehood Bid Falls Apart - Atlantic
Ever since the 1970s, the U.S. has served as the primary facilitator for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. But over the last 24 hours, two events have raised questions about whether the U.S. can still play that role. On Thursday, Palestinian officials defiantly announced that they will press their bid for full U.N. membership in the Security Council despite President Obama's call yesterday for bilateral negotiations outside the U.N. And on Wednesday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy challenged President Obama's approach by proposing that the Palestinians upgrade to "observer" status at the U.N. General Assembly as a precursor to statehood.
- Father, we thank You that our President clearly stated that we must be committed to the safety of Israel, and that we oppose a unilateral declaration of a palestinian state, and also that Israel must be acknowledged as a legitimate Jewish state. We ask that he stand behind his speech, and honor his own words both now, and in the future. We ask, Lord, for the failure of any move toward the dividing of Your Land, in Yeshua's precious Name. Amen.
- " I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; And they have divided up My land." (Joel 3:2)
2. Update: Durban III Conference
a. In New York, Christians and Jews rally against Durban - Israel Hayom
Hundreds of pro-Israel demonstrators gathered outside the U.N. building in New York on Wednesday as President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for talks inside the building.
b. Durban III conference opens in New York amid allegations of anti-Israel bias - Ha'aretz
As the Palestinian statehood bid draws increasing support at the United Nations convention in New York, key member states have distanced themselves from a conference marking the ten-year anniversary of the Durban anti-racism conference in South Africa, in which both the United States as well as Israel stepped out due its alleged anti-Israel agenda.
- O Lord, the Righteous Judge of the nations, we thank You for the show of solidarity of Your Children from across the nation and the world, standing in agreement and support of Your people, Israel!! We ask You to bless those who are blessing Israel, in their show of unity against this racist conference, falsely accusing Israel of racism. May Truth prevail, and Your people be blessed!! We consider it an honor to be aligned with our precious Jewish brethren in their struggles. May You be their Strength and their Deliverer! Amen.
- "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly." (Exodus 18:11)
3. Government Shutdown Looms as Democrats Defeat House Bill - Fox News
Senate Democrats on Friday defeated a House GOP-backed stopgap Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government through November 18 by a vote of 59-36. The $1.04 trillion measure contained $3.7 billion for disaster aid . . . Reid then took the House measure, stripped the offsets, and offered a new substitute amendment. A procedural vote is set for Monday night in the Senate, but the chamber's GOP leader, Mitch McConnell, predicted that bill's demise.
Harry Reid is holding a bill up with full funding of what is needed right now for no reason - no reason but for politics. Again, this is why the people just don't have the respect for this institution and this town anymore," charged House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va.
Still, no one wants a government shutdown, and it was clear Cantor has left the door open to a compromise. He would not say the House would adjourn for a scheduled week-long recess in observance of the Jewish high holidays. Read more.
- Lord, here we are again, or still. We ask that politics be laid aside, and that these elected officials will truly care more about their constituents, and their nation, than about their own jobs and lust for power! We ask that the secret things be revealed, that wasteful, foolish spending would end, and that Your power and wisdom and discernment would lead these Senators and Representatives to stop their "bickering" and foolish "posturing", and get down to the nitty gritty mechanics of solving our economic woes. We pray they would humble themselves, and seek Your way and wisdom; and that You would, indeed, lead them with Your eye!
- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." (Psalm 32:8)
A SPECIAL NOTE TO OUR READERS:
Because both the House and the Senate were originally scheduled to go into recess next week in honor of the Jewish High Holy Days, we will honor that schedule and will STAND DOWN from publishing "On Capitol Hill This Week," per normal. However, please be advised that a special alert may be posted over this weekend, dealing both with the economy and with events now unfolding at the United Nations. We will publish a special edition of the Daily Brief on Monday, too. Thank you!
4. ACLU Suits Could Allow Porn on School Computers - NewsMax
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has launched a joint initiative with Yale Law School that could expose children to hard-core pornography via school computers, David Cortman writes in an editorial at HumanEvents.com.
- Abba, again our children are being targeted by the enemy of our souls. We pray confusion on the ACLU, and all those who would seek to harm our children through this perversion. We ask that You arise, and Your enemies (and ours) be scattered! May their evil plans be thwarted, we pray. Show Yourself strong on behalf of these innocents, and protect them and their young, impressionable minds. May Your angels surround and defend them, and cause their enemies to come to nothing. We pray that You reveal Yourself in Your Righteousness and Purity to those who want to foster this vileness, and may they fall on their faces before You, O Lord, and cry out for Your mercy and deliverance and salvation! Amen!
- "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 18:6,10)
5. GOP Candidates Debated in Florida
a) Candidates at GOP Debate Refine Their Pitches to Voters While Targeting Front-Runner Perry - Fox News
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the GOP presidential front-runner, fended off pointed attacks from his rivals during Thursday night's debate over his criticism of Social Security and his record on immigration.
b) Perry, Romney Go on Attack at Debate - Wall Street Journal
Republican presidential front-runners Rick Perry and Mitt Romney, taking up where they left off in their last on-stage meeting, attacked each other over Social Security and health care in a televised debate Thursday, with the Texas governor on defense for much of the contest.
- Father, we thank You for the freedom we have in this country to openly debate our varying points of view. We ask that this election not be about politics, per se, but about truth and an honest exchange of ideas. We ask that You would "stop the mouths of liars" and reveal the secret things we need to know in evaluating the candidates before us. We pray for Wisdom and for Your insight in choosing candidates that would honor You and serve with integrity, and according to Your principles, set forth in Your Word! We thank You, in Yeshua's Name, Amen!
- "He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend." (Psalm 15:2,3)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He takes up the isles as a very little thing." (Is. 40:15)
1. Sarkozy recommends one-year peace plan for Mideast peace - Jerusalem Post
French President Nicolas Sarkozy recommended that Palestinian state recognition at the United Nations be viewed as an intermediate step on the path to an eventual peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians.
2. Israelis deploy disorienting 'Scream' system for first time against Palestinian demonstrators - World Tribune
The Israel Army has introduced a non-lethal weapon to quell Palestinian unrest in the West Bank.
3. Durban III conference opens in New York amid allegations of anti-Israel bias - Ha'aretz
As the Palestinian statehood bid draws increasing support at the United Nations convention in New York, key member states have distanced themselves from a conference marking the ten-year anniversary of the Durban anti-racism conference in South Africa, in which both the United States as well as Israel stepped out due its alleged anti-Israel agenda.
4. The U.S. Plan to Avoid a Palestinian Statehood Bid Falls Apart - Atlantic
Ever since the 1970s, the U.S. has served as the primary facilitator for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. But over the last 24 hours, two events have raised questions about whether the U.S. can still play that role. On Thursday, Palestinian officials defiantly announced that they will press their bid for full U.N. membership in the Security Council despite Obama's call yesterday for bilateral negotiations outside the U.N. And on Wednesday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy challenged Obama's approach by proposing that the Palestinians upgrade to "observer" status at the U.N. General Assembly as a precursor to statehood.
5. Palestinians blast Obama's UN speech at West Bank rally - Ha'aretz
Dozens of Palestinians gathered outside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office in Ramallah on Thursday, protesting Obama's opposition to their bid to gain recognition of a Palestinian state in the United Nations.
6. Ahmadinejad: 'Palestine will one day be liberated' - Jerusalem Post
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he believes "Palestine will one day be liberated," saying the Iranian government believes it is the Palestinians' right to establish a state, speaking with university students in New York on Wednesday.
The Daily Jot
Removing all doubt about the peace process
Mark Twain is credited with the quote: "It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than open ones mouth and remove all doubt." This is good advice, especially for former President Bill Clinton, who along with Jimmy Carter, just can't seem to leave us alone without espousing their brand of wisdom, which is foolishness. We should know that the Clinton machine will become more visible the closer we get to the Democratic nomination process. Clinton is hoping that the current failure in the White House will drop out of the race, clearing the way for his wife. Meantime, he is breaking his silence and removing all doubt about his prowess as a Middle East analyst.
According to Clinton, as reported in Foreign Policy, it is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is to blame for not having a peace deal with the Palestinians. He said, "The most pro-peace Israelis are the Arabs; second the Sabras, the Jewish Israelis that were born there; third, the Ashkenazi of long-standing, the European Jews who came there around the time of Israel's founding. The most anti-peace are the ultra-religious, who believe they're supposed to keep Judea and Samaria, and the settler groups, and what you might call the territorialists, the people who just showed up lately and they're not encumbered by the historical record."
Clinton, of course, was promoting his own peace plan where East Jerusalem is given over to the terrorists as a capital. He said, "[Palestinian leaders] have explicitly said on more than one occasion that if [Netanyahu] put up the deal that was offered to them before -- my deal -- that they would take it." He was referring to the 2000 Camp David deal rejected by Yasser Arafat. Clinton said that the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the stroke of Ariel Sharon "make you wonder if God wants Middle East peace or not." It is obvious that even though Clinton carried a Bible to church each Sunday he went during his presidency that he is not up to speed with its content.
Here Clinton is saying that the most pro-peace Israelis are the Palestinian terrorists and the most anti-peace are the ultra-religious who believe they are supposed to keep Judea and Samaria. And this is the way that many world leaders think. Their logic is totally flawed. There will not be peace so long as the Palestinian representatives believe that Israel should be destroyed. Giving them an official country only guarantees more violence, as evidenced by the events coming from Gaza. Jeremiah 8:11 says, "For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." Another translation says "They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious..."
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
Netanyahu Addresses the U.N.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Delivers Remarks at the United Nations
Key quotes:
On negotiations for peace between Israel and the Palestinians
"President Abbas, why don't you join me? We have to stop negotiating about the negotiations. Let's just get on with it. Let's negotiate peace . . . I suggest we talk openly and honestly. Let's listen to one another . . . President Abbas, I extend my hand, the hand of Israel, in peace. I hope that you will grasp that hand."
"Israel has extended its hand in peace from the moment it was established 63 years ago . . . I extend my hand to the Palestinian people, with whom we seek a just and lasting peace."
"We cannot achieve peace through U.N. resolutions, but only through direct negotiations between the parties. The truth is that, so far, the Palestinians have refused to negotiate. The truth is that Israel wants peace with a Palestinian state, but the Palestinians want -- want a state without peace."
"I believe that, in serious peace negotiations, [Israel's] needs and concerns can be properly addressed. But they will not be addressed without negotiations . . . All these potential cracks in Israel's security have to be sealed in a peace agreement before a Palestinian state is declared, not afterwards, because if you leave it afterwards, they won't be sealed."
On Palestinian refusals to recognize Israel as a Jewish state
"The core of the conflict is not the settlements; the settlements are a result of the conflict . . . the core of the conflict has always been -- and unfortunately remains -- the refusal of the Palestinians to recognize a Jewish state in any border."
"I think it's time that the Palestinian leadership recognizes what every serious international leader has recognized . . . Israel is the Jewish state. President Abbas, stop walking around this issue. Recognize the Jewish state and make peace with us."
On Iran and the threat of militant Islam
"The international community must stop Iran before it's too late. If Iran is not stopped, we will all face the specter of nuclear terrorism. And the Arab Spring could soon become an Iranian Winter. That would be a tragedy."
"Militant Islam has already taken over Lebanon and Gaza On Iran and the threat of militant Islam "The international community must stop Iran before it's too late. If Iran is not stopped, we will all face the specter of nuclear terrorism. And the Arab Spring could soon become an Iranian Winter. That would be a tragedy." "Militant Islam has already taken over Lebanon and Gaza....It opposes not the policies of Israel, but the existence of Israel." It opposes not the policies of Israel, but the existence of Israel."
On the UN's isolation of Israel
"[I]t's here [at the United Nations], year after year, that Israel is unjustly singled out from condemnation. It's singled out for condemnation more often than all the nations of the world combined"
On Gilad Shalit
"Hamas has been violating international law by holding our soldier, Gilad Shalit, captive for five years. They haven't given him even one Red Cross visit. He's held in a dungeon in darkness, against all international norms."
Read the full text of the Prime Minister's remarks, or watch a video o his speech, here.
[Source: AIPAC]
Abbas' Statement at U.N.
Abbas: No pressure will deter UN statehood initiative
NEW YORK (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday that no amount of pressure could deter him from the UN membership bid, and he was not authorized to discuss any proposals for a return to negotiations with Israelis while in New York.
Abbas addressed around 200 representatives from the Palestinian community in the US at his New York hotel, just hours before he is due to speak at the UN General Assembly and submit an application for full membership of the global body.
"The US administration did all it could to prevent us, but we will go to the Security Council," he vowed.
"We are heading to implement the decision of the Palestinian leadership regardless of the pressure."
Abbas told those assembled, "there are many things you will hear in my speech in a few hours." (Ma'an News, September 23, 2011) Read more. [Reported by Unity Coalition for Israel]
What Does Abbas' United Nations Bid Mean?
Gavriel Queenann
Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas presented his application for full United Nations membership to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday. Ban will then pass the application to the Security Council for review. It is widely thought the Security Council will issue a recommendation on the application Friday afternoon.
Procedurally, however, guidelines for a Security Council response only requires they issue their recommendation 35 days before a General Assembly session or 14 days before a special session. The Security Council could table the application for discussion at a later date, in which case Abbas' application could sit in stasis for months.
The Palestinian Liberation Organization has had non-voting observer status at the UN allowing it to participate in deb ates at the world body since 1974.
Abbas has declared he will pursue every option in the 15-member decision making Security Council and 193-member General Assembly to obtain full membership as a recognized sovereign state. (Arutz 7) Read more. [Reported by Unity Coalition for Israel]
Obama Feels The Heat On Israel
[Hussein] Obama spoke to the U.N. General Assembly yesterday. The speech was a "yawner," significant for what he did not say rather than what he said. There was a lot of rhetoric about how bad poverty and nuclear weapons are. (I doubt Iran's Ahmadinejad will be moved to end his nuclear weapons program.) Applause was polite, but nothing more. Obama's habit of apologizing for America during his first three years in office has won us no new "friends" among the world's assorted thugs and dictators.
Perhaps the most telling part of the speech was what Obama did not say about the Middle East conflict. There was no more finger wagging at our trusted ally Israel. He dropped the call for Israel to return to the indefensible 1967 "Auschwitz" borders. And he publicly acknowledged that Israel is surrounded by nations that have repeatedly waged wars against it.
What happened? Did Obama discover some new information on the threats Israel is facing that he did not know before? Of course not! What happened was the unmistakable evidence that voters who care about maintaining a strong Israeli/American alliance are abandoning Obama in droves.
Democrats lost a safe New York House seat they had held for over 80 years, largely over this issue. Groups like Christians United for Israel and the Emergency Committee for Israel, both of which I am proud to be a part of, have increased their grassroots efforts, and Obama's knees buckled as a result. But make no mistake about it: If "O" gets a second term, he will return in a second to his habit of bashing Israel. (Gary Bauer)
The Good News Corner
Flying Over Earth on the Back of an Angel
At least, that's what this spectacular 60-second time-lapsed video pieced from images from the International Space Station looks like!
Founding Editor's note: When I was a summer camp counselor and barely older than a teen, I walked by a transformer just as lightning hit it and it nearly scared me to death. But who can deny its beauty. I wish the technology would allow us to hear the thunder in this video, awesome! -Steve Shultz, BCN.
Using an estimated 600 free-to-access images on the website, The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth, science teacher James Drake pieced together a video that has become an internet sensation.
Watching it, I felt as though I was sweeping over the face of the earth on the back of an angel. Indeed, it almost felt like visual worship; as though God's creation is so awe-inspiring you can only praise Him as you watch.
Framed by pieces of the International Space Station, the video captures views of North and South America as well as the Pacific Ocean at night. Because it's dark, you can easily spot cities by their tell-tale clusters of lights.
My favorite portions of the video are the lightning-strikes illuminated against bands of thunderstorms. It's a breathless sight, culminating with the sun rising over the globe in the upper left corner of the tape.
A big thanks to Mr. Drake for putting this together!
(Source: Oliver Pickup - The Daily Mail) To see this video, go here and access it from the original article in the UK Daily Mail. Awesome!
[Reported by: Breaking Christian News]
Stand With Israel
Shalom Jerusalem (with Lyrics) - Paul Wilbur
Shalom shalom, Jerusalem . . . peace be to you.
Worship with Us Today!
THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD!
Let's keep singing and let's keep decreeing, saints of the Most High God!
THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD!
