"Jerusalem should remain an undivided city"

- U.S. Policy according to the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995

 

SECRETARY RICE GRABS FOR THE KEY

 

In the speech President Bush gave to the Knesset on May 15 marking Israel's 60th birthday, he called the founding of the Jewish state 60 years ago "the redemption of an ancient promise given to Abraham and Moses and David - a homeland for the chosen people, Eretz Yisrael."  

 

 

With such beautiful, moving, meaningful words spoken by Mr. Bush, it was a disappointment to read (on Monday) of Secretary of State Rice's latest remarks in respect of Jerusalem.

 

"Rice Criticizes Israel on West Bank Settlements," is the way the headline was written on the Associated Press, which characterized Ms. Rice's language as "exceptionally harsh." The Wall Street Journal headline was "Rice Says Jewish Housing Plan Undermines Mideast Peace Talks." What a contrast with Mr. Bush's first principles.

The settlements at issue, after all, aren't in the West Bank, but in Jerusalem, Israel's capital. Even if they were in the West Bank, it can't have escaped Mr. Bush's notice that the land promised to Abraham and Moses and David was the West Bank.

 

What is the point of celebrating God's promise of the land of Israel to the Jewish people if every time the Jewish state wants to create new housing units in its own capital the American secretary of state turns it into an international cause of complaint? Lest Ms. Rice or Mr. Bush feel tempted to waver on this point, they could consult American law, the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, setting forth "the policy of the United States" that "Jerusalem should remain an undivided city" and that "Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel." (Editorial - Jun 16, 2008 The New York Sun)  Read more

ISRAEL TOURISM BREAKS ALL-TIME RECORD

 

Close to 300,000 tourists streamed into Israel this past May, breaking all records, according to the Tourism Ministry. The number of visitors was 5 percent higher than the previous record, set in the year 2000. The projected total tourism for 2008 will be almost 3,000,000 visitors to the Jewish State.

 

 

IRAQI TROOPS MOVE INTO MILITIA-HELD CITY

 

Pray that wisdom and strategy be granted to U.S. commanders in Iraq. Intercede for Iraqi President Jalal Talabani (Kurdish), Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (Shiite Muslim), the Parliament, and all officials-that a form of good government that is representative of all Iraqi socio-religious ethnic groups be established and maintained. Intercede for all troops deployed and for their families-for protection, good health and morale. Intercede for all Christians and churches in Iraq. (1 Tim 2:2)

 

The Iraqi government sent troops into the southern city of Amara early on Thursday, in a military operation aimed at Shiite militias loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr. Iraqi security forces detained the deputy governor of the city saying that he had links to insurgents.

 

The operation was the latest initiative this year in which Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq has sent troops into a city dominated by Shiite or Sunni militias, and followed an offer of amnesty by Mr. Maliki to militants in Amara who were willing to surrender. He had also offered to buy back heavy weapons from militia fighters.

 

Similar offers in the past few months had presaged military operations against Shiite or Sunni militias in Basra, the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul.  

 

 WORLD POPULATION TO HIT 7 BILLION IN 2012

 

Ask the Lord to preserve life

 

There is ample evidence from history that God changed nations in answer to prayer.

 

Pray that the Lord gives wisdom to government and business leaders - may they have the prophetic understanding of Joseph -

May there be stores of food to support the global population.

 

May policy made by dictatorial leaders be overruled to allow all peoples to live out the number of days which God has allotted to them.

 

May the Church rise up and spreadthe message of the Kingdom.

 

The world's population will reach 7 billion in 2012, even as the global community struggles to satisfy its appetite for natural resources, according to a new government projection. (Image: NASA)

 

There are 6.7 billion people in the world today. The United States ranks third, with 304 million, behind China and India, according to projections released Thursday by the Census Bureau. The world's population surpassed 6 billion in 1999, meaning it will take only 13 years to add a billion people. By comparison, the number of people didn't reach 1 billion until 1800, said Carl Haub, a demographer at the Population Reference Bureau. It didn't reach 2 billion until 130 years later.

 

There is no consensus on how many people the Earth can sustain, said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. He said it depends on how well people manage the Earth's resources. There are countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East where the average woman has more than six children in her lifetime. In Mali and Niger, two African nations, women average more than seven children. (AP, Breitbart 6/19/08)

 

 

 "DRILL HERE, DRILL NOW, PAY LESS"

 

American Solutions for Winning the Future announced today that one million Americans have signed the "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" petition urging Congress to immediately start drilling for American oil to lower gas prices.

The "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" movement continues to gain momentum and shape the national debate. Just this week, President George Bush, Senator John McCain, and Florida Governor Charlie Crist all called for lifting the federal ban on offshore drilling. And U.S. Representative Lynn Westmoreland has started a pledge in the U.S. House in support of American oil production that has been signed by 126 members of Congress.

 

"Our dependence on foreign oil from unstable countries is a threat to our energy and national security," said Dave Ryan, American Solutions' Executive Director. "An America that's independent of other countries for its energy needs, is an America that holds a safer and more secure future for our children and grandchildren."

 

As more and more Americans demand action to protect their safety and prosperity, American Solutions plans to deliver 3 million "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" signatures to both parties' national conventions. (PR Newswire 6/19/08)

 

 

SAUDI ARABIA

TO INCREASE OIL OUTPUT

 

Saudi Arabia said Thursday it planned to increase daily oil output by 200,000 barrels per day, according to a statement posted on the country's London embassy website.

 

"Saudi Arabia recently announced a plan to increase oil output by 200,000 barrels per day," the statement said, ahead of a weekend meeting of consumers and producers in Jeddah to discuss sky-high crude prices. "Oil prices subsequently fell further yesterday (Wednesday) from record highs of almost 140 dollars a barrel last week." The statement confirmed comments on Sunday from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who said that Saudi Arabia had told him it would increase its oil output by 200,000 bpd in July.  (AFP 6/19/08)

 

 

DEALS WITH IRAQ TO BRING OIL GIANTS BACK

 

For the American government, increasing output in Iraq, as elsewhere, serves the foreign policy goal of increasing oil production globally to alleviate the exceptionally tight supply that is a cause of soaring prices.

 

Four Western oil companies are in the final stages of negotiations this month on contracts that will return them to Iraq, 36 years after losing their oil concession to nationalization as Saddam Hussein rose to power.

 

 

 

Oil fields in Basra Province, Iraq. Iraq, which produces 2.5 million barrels of oil a day, is viewed to have considerable potential to quickly ramp up production.

 

Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP - the original partners in the Iraq Petroleum Company - along with Chevron and a number of smaller oil companies, are in talks with Iraq's Oil Ministry for no-bid contracts to service Iraq's largest fields. The no-bid contracts are unusual for the industry, and the offers prevailed over others by more than 40 companies, including companies in Russia, China and India.

 

The contracts, which would run for one to two years and are relatively small by industry standards, would nonetheless give the companies an advantage in bidding on future contracts in a country that many experts consider to be the best hope for a large-scale increase in oil production. (International Herald

Tribune 6/20/08) 

 

 ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH: