What were the real motivations behind the 'Freedom Flotilla'?
[Update 2/3/10 - Daily Thought Pad: What is Really Happening With Israel and What is Behind the Freedom Flotilla? This is a comprehensive blog post that includes the entire broadcast of the Glenn Beck Program of 6/2/10. The video link (below) is only the after-the-show web exclusive that covers what was not included in the original broadcast due to time constraints. It is very important to view all of the videos at Daily Thought Pad, as well as the web exclusive video for a more detailed account of what the REAL STORY is behind the Freedom Flotilla. I was also quite pleased (and thoroughly surprised!) to read that Vice President Joe Biden has stated that Israel Has the Right to Stop Gaza Ships.
WOW!! Biden is looking much more presidential than Obama ever has! Could this be a sign of things to come? If Obama is booted out (name your scandal!), and Biden becomes president, at least we would then be certain that we have a natural born citizen in the office of the presidency!]
[Second Update: Apparently, writer Peter Ferrara of the American Spectator's Obama Watch: The Coming Resignation of Barack Obama predicted that Obama wouldn't even last the first four years in office!]
Since I am having trouble embedding the video here, please see Video of Glenn Beck's Web Exclusive, then return here for the rest of this post.
In my last post's comment thread, commentator Kevin wrote:
In my opinion, Israel is not always correct in everything they do. There is no reason why the U.S. should pretend that that is the case. If there is going to be hope for middle east peace, both sides are going to have to give up something. Otherwise, that area will spend the next 3,000 years fighting, just like they have the past 3,000 years (or so).
Would Kevin fall off of his chair if I told him that Glenn Beck agrees with this portion of his comment?
"Israel is not always correct in everything they do."
As a liberal/progressive (right...Kevin?) I don't think that Kevin and Glenn agree on many political issues. However, if Kevin takes the time to watch Glenn's show for just one week, perhaps he might see that Glenn shares information that the Lamestream Media of Mass Deception (like MSNBC) REFUSE to reveal!
Kevin, if you read this post and view that video, I'd like to know your opinion about it.
During Glenn's "after the show web video," he mentions that Egypt wanted the Flotilla ships to dock at one of the ports to be inspected, too. They don't want any trouble, either.
It's interesting to share a few facts about Egypt from Grant Jeffrey's book The Next World War: What Prophecy Reveals About Extreme Islam and the West.
In a previous book, Jeffrey wrote:
As astounding as it was, the prophecies surrounding the rebirth of Israel did not stop with the declaration of Israel's independence in 1948. Three thousand years ago God inspired King David to predict that the reborn nation of Israel would be immediately surrounded by enemies, including the Arab nations of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. "For lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken craftly counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Hoab; and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah" (Psalm 83:2-8). In this incredible prophecy, David described the modern states of the Middle East by naming the ancient nations that have now joined with the Palestinians in their attempt to destroy the Jewish state in the last days.
This ancient prophetic list of nations is fascinating, as it enumerates virtually every one of the nations in the Arab confederacy that oppose Israel's existence today:
Edom.........from Esau, brother of Jacob (Jordan)
Ismaelites...descended from Ishmael, son of Hagar (Arabs)
Moab.........son of Lot, (Jordan, east of Dead Sea)
Hagarenes....descended from one of the 12 sons of Hagar
Gebal........ancient Byblus, (north of today's Beirut)
Ammon........son of Lot, (capital of Jordan)
Amalek.......descended from Esau (southern Jordan)
Philistines..from Ham, (throughout Palestine, Syria)
Tyre.........a Phoenician city (Lebanon)
Assur........founded Assyria; (Iraq - Iran)
Children of Lot Moab and Ammon, (Jordan)
That list was also included in Chapter One - "The Roots of Arab Muslim Hatred", in Jeffrey's "The Next World War" book. The same chapter includes Bible verses that support Jeffrey's subtitle - "Enmity Between Ishmael and Isaac Has Come Home to Roost."
See Genesis 16 for the story of Ishmael and Isaac.
God described Ishmael, the father of the Arabs in Genesis 16.
Jeffrey writes:
And the angel of the LORD said unto [Hagar], Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; and his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. (Genesis 16: 11-12).
Ishmael would be an enemy to his neighbors, and his neighbors would be at enmity with him.
Tragically, this prophecy has been fulfilled in the thousands of years of hatred between the Arabs and the Jews. [Note: as Kevin pointed out in his comment]. The apostle Paul illustrated this age-old hatred in his letter to the Galatians: "But as then he that was born after the flesh [the Arabs] persecuted him that was born after the Spirit [the Jews], even so it is now" (Galatians 4:29). The Arab peoples lived as nomads; they never set up an independent nation or established a capital in the land of Israel.
Notice what this verse in Galatians is telling us. Because Ishmael was "born of the flesh" - in other words, Abram and Sarai took matters into their own hands and had Abram lay with Hagar to have the child Ishmael. However, God's promise was to be fulfilled with the birth of Isaac - who was "born after the Spirit" rather than just of the flesh. Hagar was an Egyptian maidservant (see Genesis 16: 1-3), and Sarai gave the maidservant to Abram as a substitute wife in order to produce children. This was a common practice of that time. Abram was acting in line with the custom of the day, but his action showed a lack of faith that God would fulfill his promise. That one act of lack of faith created a whole series of problems. Because they tried to make God's promise come true through efforts that were not in line with His specific direction. The consequences of that error and sin reminds us of Adam and Eve - who did the same thing in Genesis 3:12,13 - has wreaked havoc ever since.
In Genesis 17, we learn that God changed Abram's name to Abraham, and Sarai's name to Sarah. The covenant of circumcision was introduced. God revealed specific parts of His covenant:
1. God would give Abram many descendants
2. Many nations would descend from him
3. God would maintain his covenant with Abram's descendants
4. God would give Abram's descendants the land of Canaan.
The name change meant that Abraham would be the "father of many". Sarai's name was changed to Sarah because God blessed her with a child of her own - Isaac. God's covenant was to be established through Isaac and as Genesis 17:19 reveals, "...I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him."
Genesis 17:20 - And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year."
It is interesting to note that the name "Isaac" means "he laughs." Recall how Abram and Sarai laughed when they learned that they were to have a child while in their 90's! But back then, people lived longer lives than we do today.
Back to Jeffrey's book.
I noticed something in chapter one and wondered if anyone reading here might know the answer to my question. Is Egypt considered as one of the Arab nations of today who will rise up in the last days as enemies of Israel?
One reason I ask this is because of something Jeffrey shared in his book:
It is interesting to note that although Egypt is typically considered an Arab nation, it is not. As Max Dimont observed in his excellent book Jews, God, and History, "Strictly speaking, Egypt...is not an Arab nation, though 90 percent of its people follow the Moslem faith and speak Arabic. The vast Majority of today's Egyptians are of Hamitic descent [or descendants of Noah's son Ham], with the Arab Bedouins composing the largest minority group. Only a small minority, the Copts, are true descendants of the ancient Egyptians."2
[Footnote: Max I. Dimont, Jews, God and History (New York: New American Library, 1962), 390.]
When we view the ancient list of nations, Egypt is not included in the list of modern Islamic nations of today (in parentheses above) that oppose Israel's existence. I never noticed that before!
Of course, as was mentioned in Genesis 15:13,14 and the book of Exodus, the story of the enslavement and miraculous deliverance of Abram's descendants from Egypt in ancient times is well known.
Back to Glenn Beck's assessment of the 'Freedom' Flotilla. Did you notice that like Israel, Egypt didn't want the flotilla ships to enter without inspection? They are just as concerned with possible terrorist invasions and apparently suspected ulterior motives behind the 'Freedom' Flotilla ships.
Any thoughts about all of this?
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Additional Posts about the Flotilla incident:
Nice Deb
Video: Netanyahu’s Statement On Israeli Flotilla Raid - For many in the international community, “Israel is guilty until proven guilty”. MORE: The IDF website reports: Attackers of the IDF Soldiers Found Without...
Gateway Pundit
Brave High School Student Faces Raging Leftists & Islamists Screaming “Allahu Akbar” at a Pro-Gaza Flotilla Rally in LA (Video) - Raging leftists and Islamists screaming “Allahu Akbar” swarm on a lone high school student carrying the Israeli flag at a pro-Gaza Flotilla rally in LA: Wh...
Atlas Shrugs
Czech President: Gaza Flotilla planned provocation against Israel ... "Many in Europe agree with me but are afraid to voice their opinion," - President of the Czech Senate, Dr. Farmisal Subotka, visited the Knesset on Wednesday and expressed unprecedented support for Israel regarding the Gaza floti...
Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
An Iranian Port In Gaza - An Iranian port in Gaza is the goal of those who want uninspected sea shipping to Gaza. The "Freedom Flotilla" is a lie and a fraud. The Islamist governmen...
Thoughts Of A Conservative Christian
Turkey Responsible for Flotilla Deaths - Turkey Responsible for Flotilla Deaths June 2, 2010 David A. Ridenour V.P. The National Center for Public Policy Research The international community sho...
Joel Rosenberg's Weblog
TURKEY TURNING AGAINST ISRAEL: After vicious, premeditated attacks against Israelis, why does the U.S. refuse to defend the Jewish State? - President Obama and the rest of the United States government should immediately and unequivocally condemn all of the activists who used live weapons, stun ...
CultureWatch
Terrorism, the Media, and Israel - Here we go again: more “peace activists” – complete with knives, iron rods, and clubs. It all takes me back to my radical student days, when I too was a “p...
Israel after the Flotilla Debacle
posted by null at American Thinker - 14 minutes ago
As a terrorist polity run by actual murderers who seized power from other terrorists by killing them, Hamas-run Gaza should be blockaded. Maybe the Flotilla Debacle is a wake-up call.
The Gaza Flotilla Decoy for Iranian Missiles to Hezb'allah
posted by null at American Thinker - 14 minutes ago
Camouflaging a real land fleet bringing missiles and advanced weapons to Hezb'allah from Syria to the Bekaa Valley.
Hat tips to all links.