Arab League condemns Israeli 'occupation'Print
Israel
Written by Chris Perver  
Monday, 04 June 2007 17:00
As the Israelis commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War, during which the Jewish state experienced a miraculous deliverance from the hands of a half a dozen Arab countries that were determined to drive it into the sea, it seems many other nations are mourning the day their plans came to nothing. Members of the Arab League gathered for a special session in Cairo today, marking the 40th anniversary of the first day of the war. The Arab League's Secretary General Amr Moussa used the occasion to condemn Israel's "occupation" of land captured during the Egyptian-initiated Six Day War, and stated that Arab nations would not tolerate it.

Quote: "The Arab League gathered Tuesday in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, for a special session marking the 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War with Israel, which led to the Jewish state seizing large territories from Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said Arab countries would never put up with Israel's occupation of their lands during that war, including East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Syria's Golan Heights. 

On the 29th of May 1967, President Nasser of Egypt had boldly proclaimed that Egypt was ready for war with the Jewish state. The goal of the war with Israel was the restoration of Arab dignity, following the failures of the War of Independence in 1948 and the Suez War in 1956. The "excuse" for war was the Palestinian cause, and Egyptian President Nasser was aiming for nothing less than the complete destruction of the state of Israel...

Quote: "[Nasser]: "Now, eleven years after 1956, we are restoring things to what they were in 1956. This is from the material aspect. In my opinion this material aspect is only a small part, whereas the spiritual aspect is the great side of the issue. The spiritual aspect involves the renaissance of the Arab nation, the revival of the Palestine question, and the restoration of confidence to every Arab and to every Palestinian. This is on the basis that if we were able to restore conditions to what they were before 1956, God will surely help and urge us to restore the situation to what it was in 1948.

Egypt had blocked Israeli shipping in the Straits of Tiran, and was massing its armies in Sinai. Israel faced an existential threat, being completely surrounded by hostile nations, both outnumbered and outgunned. The US was putting pressure the UN to reopen the Straits of Tiran, but by the time that could be affected, Israel's economy may have already collapsed. There was only one option left open to Israel, and that was to strike first. The goal Israel had in mind was not the occupation of Arab land, but simply its own survival. Israel mobilized its entire fleet of just 200 aircraft (one fifth of which were training aircraft), and sent them on a daring mission to destroy the Egyptian airforce numbering some 450 planes. Within a few hours most of Egypt's airforce was destroyed, and President Nasser didn't even know about it. On this day in 1967 Nasser had convinced King Hussein of Jordan that Israel's destruction was assured. Jordanian radar had picked up waves of planes heading for Israel, and wrongly assumed that they must be Egyptian. Israel pleaded with Jordan not to enter the war, but King Hussein ignored those pleas. Rather than the destruction of Israel, which the Arab nations had hoped for, the result was a stunning series of victories which can only be attributed to Divine intervention of the Mighty God of Jacob. 

Isaiah 31:3-5
Now the Egyptians [are] men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together. For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, [he] will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver [it; and] passing over he will preserve it.

Today the world reflects on what has transpired since then. Arab states continue to remember the date as a second "nakba", or "great catastrophe". Jordanian newspapers, forgetful of their country's involvement in the war against the Jewish state in 1967, blame Israel for escalating Muslim fanaticism and state they will not be immune from attack in a future Arab war...

Quote: "Another Jordanian newspaper, the Arabic daily al-Dustour, held the Israeli occupation of Palestinian, Egyptian and Syrian lands in 1967 as responsible for the "growth of the Jihad ideology" and other extremist doctrines in the Arab and Islamic worlds. "Israel, which turns its back to Arab peace overtures, should know that the invincible military power on which it so far depended faltered in last summer's war (in Lebanon) and that its ally (the United States), which it dragged into a war against Iraq, is about to be brought to its knees," the paper said.

As Christians we are supportive of Israel, for they are God's chosen people, and through them all the families of earth have been blessed in the Messiah - Jesus Christ (Genesis 12:3). But even though the Arab nations have fought against Israel and attempted to destroy God's people on numerous occasions, God has a plan for them too and for the Palestinians. And one day I believe that all Arab nations will celebrate the day God brought His people home to Eretz Yisrael. 

Zephaniah 3:20 
At that time will I bring you (Israel) [again], even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.

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