This Quartet comprises the USA, the EU, the UN and Russia.
The plan to implement this is called the "Road Map".
Reuters
| In February 2003, the world superpowers
were working hard on dividing up Israel's covenant land. (see Land
)
This Quartet comprises the USA, the EU, the UN and Russia. The plan to implement this is called the "Road Map". Reuters
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| Left to right, Colin Powell - US Secretary of State, Igor Ivanof - Russian Foreign Minister, Kofi Annan - UN Secretary General, Javier Solana - EU High representative. Meeting on 16th July 2002. | |
Joel 3 v1-3 says, "In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.
Sadly, this quartet appears to have set itself against God. At their July 2002 meeting they stated, "The Quartet remains committed to implementing the vision of two states, Israel and . . . Palestine . . . The Quartet calls on Israel to take concrete steps to support the emergence of a viable Palestinian state . . . The Quartet reaffirms that . . . the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 must end . . . "
On September 17th 2002 the Quartet stated, " The Quartet is working closely . . . on a concrete, three phase implementation roadmap that ould achieve a final settlement within three years . . . to be monitored and assessed by the Quartet . . . The plan will contain in its initial phase (2002-first half 2003) . . . Israeli withdrawals . . . In the plan's second phase (2003), our efforts should focus on the option of creating a Palestinian state with provisional borders . . In its final phase (2004-2005) . . . Consistent with the vision expressed by President Bush, this means that the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 will be ended through . . . Israeli withdrawals to secure and recognized borders."
The Road Map
| Phase | Target date | Requirement of Palestinians | Requirement of Israelis |
| Phase 1 | May 2003 | Effectively fighting terror, disarming and dismantling
Palestinian terrorist groups, preventing violent demonstrations and
totally halting incitement in the broadcast and print media, and in
schools.
Rebuilding public services, restoring the rule of law and holding parliamentary elections. Bringing order to the Palestinian security forces, and cutting them from 12 agencies to 3. |
A gradual withdrawal from all Palestinian territory occupied
after the fighting erupted in September 2000.
A freeze on settlement activity, including new construction and natural growth. Immediate evacuation of all illegal settlement outposts. |
| Phase 2 | December 2003 | A provisional Palestinian state with preliminary
borders will be established.
Israeli troops will withdraw from additional territory. The Quartet will oversee recognition of the new Palestinian state at the UN. Egypt and Jordan will restore diplomatic ties with Israel to the level they were before fighting erupted. |
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| Phase 3 | December 2005 | An international committee will hammer out a
final peace agreement on the thorniest "final status" issues -
Jerusalem, the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees and
Jewish settlements.
New negotiations among Israel Syria and Lebanon will begin. Final result: creation of an independent Palestinian state under a treaty that will end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. |
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Looking at the above overview of the "Road Map", it is very clear that it offers no more to Israel than the illusory "Land for Peace" deals of Oslo. The sacrifices are all on Israel's side and the benefits all on the Palestinians side.
May-June 2003 has seen the Palestinian terrorist organizations join together for a terror strike, increase the rate of bombings, threaten foreign nationals visiting Israel and vowing defiance of their Prime Minister's attempts to fight terror. Prime Minister Abas / Mazen has said he will seek to persuade terror groups to accept a cease fire (see Hudna under Islam ) and made it clear he will not force disarmament of terror groups. Prime Minister Mazen is still consulting with Yasser Arafat and he is sticking firmly to his "right of return" demand. The Palestinian side clearly has no intention of doing its part in phase 1 of the road map. Moderate prime minister Abu Mazen has also restated his holocaust denial statements from his doctoral dissertation that "Fewer than a million Jews were killed by the Nazis", and that "the Zionists created the myth of 6,000,000 to force the world to accept the state of Israel."
Update August 2003 - The current wrangling concerns the release of Palestinian prisoners, while the only progress along the roadmap that the Palestinians have made is the "Hudna" ceasefire, during which they are regrouping, (see Islam) Hamas Terror chief Abdel Aziz Rantisi says, "Failure to release all prisoners will be a major violation of the truce and lead to its annulment." and the International media is now criticizing Israel for jeopardizing the chance for peace. A look at the requirements of the Roadmap above will show that the release of prisoners is not a condition. Israel has released prisoners (not the worst terrorist killers) over and above the requirements of the first phase! The Hudna hardly constitutes "Effectively fighting terror, disarming and dismantling Palestinian terrorist groups, preventing violent demonstrations and totally halting incitement in the broadcast and print media, and in schools." Terrorists' weapons are being bought by the PA and stockpiled, rather than being destroyed, and media monitoring organizations report a surge in incitement. Those who can remember back far enough can see that the Roadmap is a re-run of Oslo in the 1990s
Syria (a terror sponsoring nation) has been given the presidency of the UN Security Council, again.
Israel's police have had to ban visits to Temple Mount by non Muslims under pressure from Yasser Arafat who threatened "grave consequences". This is a reversal of the limited visiting allowed to Jews and Christians after a three year ban.
Interestingly the world has taken its usual position of condemning Israel for sabotaging the chance for peace afforded by the road map by its violent actions against terrorists. This position takes no account of the furious outburst of Palestinian terror that preceded the Israeli counter measures nor that the Israeli actions were targeted against terrorists while the Palestinian violence was targeted against civilians. Yet the world presses on along the Road Map!
Remember this as you see the fallout in the news. National disasters hit USA
Many are surprised that George W Bush, an evangelical Christian, is so committed to a policy which is so contrary to a biblical view of prophecy and Israel. It could be that this is the payback to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair for his support for the war on Iraq. Tony Blair is determined to see Washington take what he sees as a more "balanced" approach to the Middle East.
Update post Yasser Arafat
Notice how the new situation of hopefulness that a better Palestinian leader will emerge is bringing out bland statements from European leaders that this will be a good opportunity to get the "roadmap" back on track - often skipping the first stage (Palestinians ceasing terror attacks).
One fellowship praying for wisdom for the leaders in implementing the road map was reminded that God has only one road map for peace in the Middle East. That is the "one new man" of Ephesians 2, "He did this in order to create in union with himself from the two groups a single new humanity and thus make shalom, and in order to reconcile to God both in a single body by being executed on a stake as a criminal and thus killing in himself that enmity. (Ephesians 2 v15-16 CJB) This is where hope lies.
Watch
out for the "Quartet" and their "roadmap" on the News, and remember what they mean.
The Quartet's road map has nothing in common with God's Isaiah 19 highway.
Watch and pray for what God is doing through Yeshua ha Messiah.
See also www.lightforthelastdays.co.uk . Acknowledgments to "israel today" magazine (June 2003) for much of the above information.