Monitor The Strategic Trends

Introduction:

      Jerusalem is a holy city to three faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. As such, the debate over who should control the city is more than just a political one; it is a battle over which god is God, and which religion is the truth. Centuries have passed since the founding of Jerusalem and, as Scripture has predicted, it has become a stumbling block for anyone who tries to pick it up.

The 'Piece' Process Resumes In Revised Mideast January 03, 2012

Jerusalem: The City Without A Country November 08, 2011

PA Determined To Be A UN State September 13, 2011

UN Blessed Palestinian State Will Solve Nothing August 30, 2011

It's Tel Aviv And Not Tehran August 09, 2011

The Piece Process by Dan Stolebarger

A History Of Preservation by Chuck Missler

New on DVD: Strategic Perspectives'Israel by Ron Matsen, Director of Koinonia House Europe

A Feasibility Study: Will Israel Attack Iran? by Mary Miller, Koinonia Institute

Mid-East Update: Five Basic Arguments Against a Palestinian State by Professor Paul Eidelberg

Documents

Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements - September 13, 1993

Israeli Declaration of Independence - Friday 14th May 1948 - Erev Shabbat 5th Iyar 5708

Related Sites

Eye on the U.N. - A Project of the Hudson Institute New York and the Touro Law Center Institute for Human Rights. At the foundation of the UN in 1945, democracy dominated the character of the majority of member states, despite pockets of instability. Nevertheless, democracy was not made a pre-condition for membership in the UN. Sixty years later, the majority of UN members are not full-fledged democracies. The consequences for UN operations and outcomes are profound. Human rights are the most powerful political currency of our time. But the UN human rights system has squandered the commitment and passion of its original benefactors. This site is dedicated to making transparent the UN's record on its fundamental promise - to identify, condemn, and protect against human rights violations. The site will provide an information base for the re-evaluation of priorities and directions for modern-day democratic societies. This site documents anti-Israel bias in the U.N.

DEBKAfile - Intelligence headlines updated often

News Sources

NEW! Palestinians Refuse Peace Talks Without Designated Borders - The Palestinian Authority will not restart direct peace negotiations with Israel unless Jerusalem recognizes the borders of a Palestinian state, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday according to the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA). The most outstanding issue preventing the resumption of high-level direct negotiations is the continued expansion of Israeli settlements, especially in "occupied" Jerusalem, Abbas said according to the report. Israeli officials took a more positive tone, saying Tuesday they were confident the Palestinians would continue the talks being held in Jordan beyond the January 26 Quartet deadline, which Israel contests.

1500 y.o. Bread Stamp Found In Israel - A 1,500-year-old seal with the image of the seven-branched Temple Menorah has been discovered near the city of Acre. The ceramic stamp, which dates from the Byzantine period in the 6th century CE, was found during ongoing Israel Antiquities Authority excavations at Horbat Uza, east of Acre. "The stamp is important because it proves that a Jewish community existed in the settlement of Uza in the Christian-Byzantine period. The presence of a Jewish settlement so close to Acre - a region that was definitely Christian at this time - constitutes an innovation in archaeological research," said Dr. Danny Syon, one of the directors of the excavation, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Coins Found Under Western Wall Shed Light On Building Date - Archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority now say diggers have found coins underneath the massive foundation stones of the compound's Western Wall that were stamped by a Roman proconsul 20 years after Herod's death. "The find changes the way we see the construction, and shows it lasted for longer than we originally thought," said the dig's co-director, Eli Shukron. The four bronze coins were stamped around A.D. 17 by the Roman official Valerius Gratus. The coins were found inside a ritual bath that predated construction of the renovated Temple Mount complex and which was filled in to support the new walls.

Backlash After Shalit Freed In Hamas Prisoner Exchange - Images of the lanky soldier with dark eyes have haunted Israel for five years, but Gilad Shalit may finally be heading home. Israel and Hamas announced an agreement Tuesday to free Shalit, who was abducted in a cross-border raid near Gaza Strip, in exchange for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli soldier's 2006 capture pushed Israel to tighten a punishing blockade. Shalit's captivity has long been a source of national anguish in Israel. In a country where most young people are required to serve in Israel's army, nearly every household could identify with the Shalit family's pain. But the case also triggered national soul-searching over whether to negotiate with Hamas, which Israel and the U.S. consider a terrorist group, and how high a price to pay for one soldier's freedom.

Cracks In European Unity Over PA Statehood Bid - The Palestinians' bid for statehood is starting to create cracks in European unity, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Monday, after discussing the issue with his European Union counterparts in Luxembourg. "You see two tendencies appearing more and more among the 27 [member states]," he told reporters, saying that "a lot of energy" would be needed to keep them unified. The Middle East Quartet - the EU, United States, Russia and the UN - has been trying to get the two sides to resume negotiations.

The Legacy: Israel In Prophecy In MP3 on CD-ROM - Chuck Missler Now in one self-contained CD-ROM; The Feasts of Israel, The Next Holocaust, Betrayal of the Chosen, The Prodigal Heirs, Legacy of Hate, and Jihad: America's New War! Click for more information - MP3 on CD-ROM

Thy Kingdom Come - Audio CD - Chuck Missler In this briefing pack Thy Kingdom Come, Chuck Missler gives insight into the questions, Are you ready?, Do you understand? Does your behavior now matter later? Click for more information - Audio CD with MP3

The Legacy: Israel In Prophecy In MP3 on CD-ROM - Chuck Missler Now in one self-contained CD-ROM; The Feasts of Israel, The Next Holocaust, Betrayal of the Chosen, The Prodigal Heirs, Legacy of Hate, and Jihad: America's New War! Click for more information - MP3 on CD-ROM

A Legacy of Hate - Audio CD - Chuck Missler and Avi Lipkin Avi Lipkin, a former Israeli Defense Intelligence specialist, details many of the reasons for the historic tensions between Islam and the Jews. Click for more information - Audio CD with MP3

Roots of War - Audio CD - Chuck Missler On September 11, 2001, Islamic extremists shook the world. This briefing will update you on the history of the Middle East since the fall of the Roman Empire. Click for more information - Audio CD with MP3