JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE
November 21, 2011 

“The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill.
Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her.” Joel 3: 16-17

HUNDREDS INJURED IN CAIRO CLASHES: Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to prevent protesters staging a long-term sit-in following a huge demonstration against the military leadership on Friday. The latest violence comes just over a week before parliamentary elections are scheduled to begin. Protesters are angry about a draft constitution many believe would allow the military to retain too much power after a new civilian government is elected.  News agencies say more than 600 people were injured in Saturday's clashes in Cairo's Tahrir Square. The clashes began as police moved into the square to break up a sit-in. The numbers swelled, reportedly after a call went out on social media for people to join the demonstration following the police assault. One of them, Ali Abdel Aziz, said security forces beat up protesters to break up the sit-in. "They beat us harshly, they didn't care for either men or women," the 32-year-old  professor told AFP news agency. "The interior ministry must take responsibility. We have one demand, the military council must go," he said. Black smoke rose over the square after protesters swarmed over an armored police van, turned it over and set it alight, reports said. There were multiple reports of injuries from rubber bullets, including to two journalists. This weekend’s demonstration was the largest in the square for months. (AFP/Ynet/BBC) Pray for those who have been injured in Egypt’s latest clashes. Pray also for the Gospel to make headway in the Middle East even as principalities and powers opposed to Israel are moving into end-time, prophetic positions according to God’s word.

ISRAEL BLAMES ABBAS FOR CHOOSING HAMAS OVER PEACE: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has vowed to accelerate reconciliation with Hamas, a sworn enemy of Israel, with elections to be held in May. Abbas is reaching out to the rival Hamas terrorist group in a renewed bid for unity after his campaign for UN membership failed in the Security Council last week. Mr. Abbas is reportedly pushing to set a May 2012 date for Palestinian elections – the first such vote in five years – and will bow to Hamas demands for the resignation of PM Salam Fayyad so an interim unity cabinet can be appointed. The fresh effort at reconciliation highlights an apparent contradiction. Israel considers Abbas' potential cooperation with Hamas as collusion with a sworn enemy.  Hamas and Abbas' Fatah party had formed a unity government in 2006, after Hamas won elections that year. But they split in 2007, when Fatah was violently ousted from the Gaza Strip. Since then, Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group, has ruled Gaza, while the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority has run the West Bank. Anticipation of a breakthrough on the Fatah-Hamas impasse has been stoked in part by a scheduled meeting between leaders from both groups in Cairo this week. Representatives of the two organizations haven’t met since last May, when Fatah signed a unity deal with Hamas. At the time of the May announcement, Netanyahu said that Abbas must choose between peace with Hamas and peace with Israel. But Abbas has said settlement construction in the West Bank and Jerusalem is evidence the current Israeli government isn’t interested creating a viable Palestinian state. (CSM)  "He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He catches the wise in their craftiness and the schemes of the wily are swept away.” Job 12:13

IF SETTLEMENTS ARE ONLY 1.1 PERCENT OF WEST BANK HOW ARE THEY AN OBSTACLE TO PEACE? In an interview with the Arabic radio station As-Shams two weeks ago, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that based on an aerial photograph provided by European sources Israeli settlements cover only 1.1% of the West Bank. If that is so, why are they deemed the main obstacle to peace? (Commentary)

HAMAS: NEXT PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT WILL BE LOCATED IN GAZA: Fatah and the Hamas terrorist group have agreed the next Palestinian government will be located in the Gaza Strip, and hence the next head of the Palestinian government will be from Gaza, an adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on Saturday. Ahmed Yousef summarized the political program of all Palestinian factions, which he said is the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with its capital in Jerusalem. Yousef added that Hamas would support Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' efforts to receive full membership for Palestine at UN institutions. On Wednesday, Abbas will meet in Cairo with Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Meshal. In that meeting, the two leaders will likely determine the identity of the prime minister for an interim Palestinian government as well as the process for holding parliamentary and presidential elections in May 2012. (Ha’aretz)  Israel’s retreat to the "67 lines" would make its borders indefensible to its enemies on all sides.

US: WORLD UNITED IN OPPOSITION TO NUCLEAR IRAN: The White House said Saturday that Iran is facing an unprecedented degree of isolation, with major world powers united in their opposition to Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons. "Russia, China and the US I can tell you share a similar goal, and that is to not continue seeing the Iranians move toward the development of nuclear weapons," said American national security adviser Tom Donilon. "The degree of isolation really is unprecedented," he said, referring a Friday vote by the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA expressing concerns about Iran's nuclear program. (INN)

BARAK: TIME RUNNING OUT TO STOP A NUCLEAR IRAN: Iran is less than a year away from being unstoppable in its goal of producing a nuclear weapon, Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a press interview released on Saturday. Barak said Israel was focused on the prospect of a nuclear Iran and what "should and could be done about it on time." (Ynet)

OBAMA AND THE EU COULD STOP IRAN’S NUCLEAR QUEST WITH CRIPPLING SANCTIONS: On Monday, November 14, only days after the UN nuclear authority detailed Iran’s unlawful nuclear activities, a meeting of European foreign ministers came up short of determined plans with which to change Tehran’s behavior. The disunity among the European Union’s top diplomats - who are already losing sleep over the continent’s economic meltdown - sent precisely the wrong message to Iran’s rulers. German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle promptly stated that “We won’t be part of a discussion about a military intervention ... such a discussion is counter-productive.” Strikes on Iran’s military facilities would lead to an “uncontrollable spiral,” stressed French foreign minister Alain Juppe, following Berlin’s lead in rejecting the policy that would do most to degrade Iran’s nuclear program. While military action has entered the Iran debate, the US and its allies could still impose crippling economic sanctions that might stall Iran’s nuclear program and contribute to the demise of its anti-democratic regime. If the EU were to reduce its €25 billion in annual trade with Iran, and its massive consumption of Iranian crude oil, it could deliver a devastating blow to Iran’s nuclear program and its terrorist proxies abroad, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Europe’s capitals could also ban critical financial transactions with Iran’s economic lifeline, the Central Bank of Iran. Europe should support a package of serious economic disincentives and leave a military option on the table to turn back Iran’s nuclear clock. (Fox News) “For the love of money is the root of all evil; and while some have coveted after it, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Tim 6:10

IRAN PAPER: DEADLY BLAST OCCURRED DURING INTERCONTINENTAL MISSILE TEST: The brother of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander killed in an explosion at an ammunition depot west of Tehran days ago has been quoted by a government daily as saying the dead man was testing an intercontinental missile. Gen. Hasan Tehrani Moghaddam was killed together with 20 other Guard members Nov. 12 at a military site 25 miles southwest of Tehran. The Revolutionary Guard said the accidental explosion occurred while military personnel were transporting munitions. But Mohammad Moghaddam was quoted by the government-run “Iran” newspaper as saying that his brother was killed when the weapon exploded during testing. Iran says it has ruled out sabotage. Iranian officials denied press speculation that Israel was responsible for the blast. (Ha’aretz)

ISRAEL: PROMOTION OF SYRIA DEMONSTRATES UN’S IRRELEVANCE: Israeli officials on Wednesday said a decision by the UN Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) to name Syria as the Arab representative to a committee on implementing human rights at a time when the Syrian regime is massacring its own citizens further demonstrates the total irrelevance of the world body. Israeli media reported on Syria's promotion last Thursday, just one day after the UN had issued a report condemning the massacre of at least 3,500 Syrian pro-democracy activists and other civilians at the hands of Syrian government forces. "We are talking about an outrageous absurdity," said one Israeli official. "UNESCO is legitimizing Syria as a human rights champion even as it is slaughtering its own people." (Israel Today/Ryan Jones)  “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” Isa 5:20

MORE ISRAELI EARTHQUAKE AID ARRIVES IN TURKEY: An Israeli cargo ship unloaded humanitarian aid in Turkey on Friday for victims of deadly earthquakes. The ship, organized by the Defense Ministry, was carrying mobile homes sufficient to house 1,000 people. (J. Post) Continue to pray that vital good relations with Israel’s former closest ally in the Middle East will be restored. Pray against radical Islamic elements that increasingly sway Turkey’s secular government towards religious extremism and hatred of Israel.

Blessings from Israel 

Barry Segal with the Editorial Staff 

As international speakers and messengers of the Good News through music, Barry and Batya Segal are at the forefront of what God is doing in the present day nation of Israel. With strong ties in both the nations and Jerusalem, the Segals are weaving the deepest roots of our biblical heritage together with the fresh Spirit-filled worship of today to create their rich harmony of Scripture and song.

The Segals have a vast vision for God's purposes in the nations and to the people of Israel. In fact, their longing to help rebuild Israel both spiritually and physically inspired them to pioneer the non-profit charity organization, Vision for Israel and The Joseph Storehouse. This arm of their ministry focuses on assisting the poor and needy, widows and orphans, and reaching out to the new Jewish immigrants coming into the land of Israel. Vision 's most challenging project to date is "The Joseph Storehouse?", humanitarian aid center, located in the hills of Jerusalem. The Joseph Storehouse functions as a channel of blessing to all of Israel, Jewish and Arab, through the gathering and distribution of emergency medical supplies, food, clothing, and other basic life necessities. USA office contact info: Vision for Israel, PO Box 7743, Charlotte NC 28241, 866-351-0075. The Segal's web site is http://www.visionforisrael.com/

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.