As I write this, I am sitting at the David’s Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem. It is a beautiful July day on this, my 110th tour to Israel. I have a great love for the country and the people.

There are many hopeful signs on the peace front. Israel is preparing to withdraw from Gaza. Other withdrawals are planned. It’s also a good year for tourism. Of course, the partition wall is being built and dubbed by some to be Israel’s apartheid. The thing is truly ugly. It’s like a huge freeway wall, only longer and higher.

Then comes the bad news. There has been another suicide bombing in Netanya and a second one thwarted. This time the driver of the truck was found handcuffed to his steering wheel. (Evidently, he wasn’t so anxious to die.) Israel will no doubt seal things up again; and surely she has that right to defend herself. At least this time Prime Minister Abbas condemned the act as barbarous.

The news media tends to have its own slant on things, but the person I was with received a telephone call from officials at the scene – before the news hit the radio or television. In general, however, Israel has less crime than most cities in the U.S. My wife and I both feel safer on the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem than we do at home in Yakima, Washington.

This evening I spent a few minutes with former Prime Minister Shimon Peres, one of the truly great statesmen of Israel. Although his political party is not presently in power, at the age of 82, he continues to exert great influence.

What do I really believe about the place of Israel in the world? What do I think will happen? Good questions! Better yet, given the rapidly changing situation, what can I say that will hold true by the time you read this? Predictions based on common sense can’t really apply. Things look good, then better, and then seem
to explode.

Clearly, Israel is a nation chosen by God. Israel has a unique position in the family of nations: to bring blessing to this world. God promised Abraham, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 22:18, NKJ). This refers not only to the coming of Jesus, but also to many other blessings which have come through the nation of Israel.

As a nation, Israel was placed strategically in the center of the world, astride the land bridge between the three continents. It was supposed to be an example to the other nations. From the beginning of history, no nation – not Egypt, nor Greece, nor Rome, nor Great Britain – has ever existed very long as a world power without either controlling the area or having a strong alliance with Israel. This applies even today, which is the reason the government of the United States values friendship with Israel. We need Israel more than they need us.

For many nations, mistreating the Jewish people living within their borders spelled the beginning of the end of that nation’s influence within the community of nations. The first defeat Napoleon experienced was in Israel, at Acre. The British Empire began to unravel when it broke its promise to help establish a homeland for the Jewish people in what is now the country of Israel. I could list many other instances, but space does not allow.

What more can I tell you? I have reams of information on actions of the Islamic militants. They spew hatred, not only of Israel, but also of the entire “decadent” West, i.e., all non-Islamic people. Besides the attacks within Israel, there have been serious attacks on the United States (September 11), the train bombing in Madrid, and the recent series of bombings in London. Our leaders continue to refer to these events as “aberrations” within the peaceful Islamic religion.

Within the Islamic nations, many of the mainstream religious leaders preach and teach “jihad,” the destruction of all “infidels” (that’s us). Even local television in much of this part of the world is very anti-West. Their news commentators use the media to stir hatred in the viewers’ hearts.

In reality, most militant groups in what will soon be Palestine don’t really want their own country because if that happens, they will no longer have a way to justify their acts of terrorism. The goal of leaders of such groups as Hamas and Islamic Jihad is complete domination of the world, either by subterfuge or by force.

The Muslim population within Europe as well as here in the United States is growing. They are becoming bolder and looking for offence. We are a society which has thrived on religious tolerance, and that diversity is part of our strength. Let us pray that this tolerance does not also become a great weakness. Many of the Muslim clerics here and in Europe spew the hatred of the West while they enjoy a greater freedom and prosperity than they were ever allowed in the Arab Muslim world.

Within many Islamic countries, there is no freedom for any non-Muslim to worship as he or she desires. Meetings of Christians, even in small groups in private homes, can be cause for arrest, imprisonment or deportation of non-citizens, even for execution.

It is often said that freedom of speech doesn’t give anyone the right to yell “fire” in a crowded theater. Likewise, freedom of speech should not give anyone the right to preach the violent overthrow of the government or the destruction of innocent people with no fear
of arrest.

Some among us are protesting that security measures put in place since 9-11 could “restrict our personal freedoms.” I agree that perhaps they could, but since I have no plans to try to overthrow the government by force, I am willing to have my actions placed under a certain amount of scrutiny. Yes, it’s inconvenient not to be able to carry certain items on to an airplane with me, but I’ll adjust for the sake of my safety.

In addition, although pastors should have the right to speak their minds politically, I am sure that my pastor will never advocate that the congregation should destroy a mosque or synagogue or otherwise cause a riot. He may encourage us to participate in a “Jesus March” or perhaps go as far as boycotting or picketing an adult bookstore or abortion clinic. I am, however, certain he would be extremely unhappy if any member of the congregation were to take violent action against either of these. My pastor strongly advocates that everyone in the congregation exercise the right to vote, but he does not dictate the way we should vote. These behaviors sharply contrast those of militant Muslim leaders.

What does this have to do with the situation in the Middle East? Much, because the citizens of the Middle East live among us. There are mosques in many towns today where such a thing was unheard of a few years ago. Some areas have very large Islamic populations. I can live in peace with them if they are willing to live in peace with me. But too often many of them are not, nor are they willing to live at peace with Israel. And though God has promised much to His Church, His promises to the nation of Israel still apply, and will all be fulfilled.

The sacrifice of Jesus, the Son of God, allowed me to be adopted into the family of God – to be grafted into the vine, the nation of Israel. That makes me eligible for all of God’s promises as well. However, unless the natural children are also heirs, or the root of the vine continues to live, what chance does the grafted branch or the adopted child have? God plans to keep all His promises to the nation of Israel. We have not yet even begun to see all He plans to do for and through this nation in the coming days.



Ken Gaub has traveled to more than 115 countries and received numerous awards from government officials in several countries as well as the U.S.A., including the Medal of Merit in 1990 from President George Bush, the J. Edgar Hoover Gold Medal award for distinguished public service in 1991, the Vice Presidential Certificate of Commendation from Vice President Dan Quayle in 1992, and the presidential award from former President Ronald Reagan. Credentialed with Open Bible, Ken is also an author and much sought-after speaker.