RICE ASSURES ISRAEL

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Intense Atlantic storm causes widespread outages
Module body NOV 4,07

Tens of thousands of people in Atlantic Canada and parts of Quebec remained without power late Sunday after the remnants of Hurricane Noel battered Atlantic Canada with high winds and driving rain.In Nova Scotia, which was hit hardest, as many as 170,000 homes and businesses lost electricity overnight. By late Sunday, Nova Scotia Power said nearly half had their power restored.Half of those without power are in the Halifax area.The utility's website said power should be restored to a list of 31 communities just before midnight on Tuesday.NB Power reported outages for about 7,000 customers early Sunday, but by late evening, the number was down to around 2,800. In Prince Edward Island, about 2,500 people remained without power by the evening. In Newfoundland and Labrador, about 3,000 people lost their power, but utilities were predicting the lines would be repaired Sunday evening. The Humber Valley in the island's west was hit hardest, with nearby Corner Brook suffering a short outage.

This storm cut a wide swath, and when the storm switched track a little bit it came right over population areas, so our crews are now out working right here in HRM, in Halifax, as well as other counties to the east and the west and into parts of Cape Breton, said Margaret Murphy of Nova Scotia Power.Our crews were able to work through parts of the storm and actually restore power to 50,000 customers last night at the height, she said.Nova Scotia Power said it had sent 175 crews - all available employees - to assess and repair the damage. Another 37 crews from Hydro-Québec and Maine are heading for the province, and additional help from New England and perhaps New Brunswick may be available Monday.In eastern Quebec, 100 millimetres of rain fell Saturday night on parts of the Gaspé Peninsula. In Perce, the mayor said damage will be in the millions of dollars.At noon on Sunday, about 18,000 households on the North Shore were without power as a mixture of rain, wind and snow felled power lines.

Noel killed more than 100 in Caribbean

While it was still a hurricane, Noel killed at least 73 people in the Dominican Republic and 40 in Haiti. One person was killed in Jamaica and one man died in the Bahamas. It was downgraded to a tropical storm on Saturday, lashing the New England states as it churned north through the Atlantic.The winds were at their strongest late Saturday and into early Sunday as the storm hit the southwest shore of Nova Scotia, before passing over New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.Pounding rain and hurricane-force winds gusting to 130 kilometres per hour continued overnight across the Maritimes. To the north, gusts of 145 km/h were reported at Wreckhouse in southwestern Newfoundland early Sunday.Some areas were expected to receive up to 70 millimetres of rain. About 20 centimetres had fallen by late afternoon in some inland areas of Labrador.Overnight, city crews reported some flooding of streets in Moncton, N.B., where storm drains couldn't keep up with the flow of water.An elderly couple in Dartmouth, N.S., said the roof of their mobile home was torn off and there were numerous reports of fallen trees throughout the province.At the Nova Scotia Hospital, one-third of the roof of a building blew off, damaging its front entrance.Noel was having an impact on travel as well. Most flights across the region were cancelled on Saturday.Aircraft were kept in hangars overnight, said Peter Spurway, spokesman for Robert L. Stanfield International Airport in Halifax. There will be some availability of aircraft Sunday morning, but it won't be the normal complement, he said, adding that airline schedules were to remain out of kilter for the next couple of days.

Thousands without power as Noel rolls into Eastern Canada
Module body - Sat Nov 3, 8:42 PM

ST. JOHNS (CBC) - The remnants of Hurricane Noel brought heavy rain Saturday to parts of Atlantic Canada where residents are bracing for strong winds, high surf and potential widespread electrical outages.The storm is heading north to the region after cutting a swath through the Caribbean, where it left more than 100 people dead and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.In New Brunswick, more than 3,000 customers were in the dark just before midnight AT Saturday in the Fredericton and Rothesay areas.
Nova Scotia Power said the rough weather had knocked out power for about 1,000 customers along the province's south shore, but service was soon restored.Nova Scotia Power spokeswoman Margaret Murphy said more outages were likely as the worst of the storm approached.

Looking at the severe winds that were forecast, we could tell that there would be damage to different types of infrastructure across the province, she said. That combination of power lines and trees, with those high winds, that's a recipe that would cause some damage.Meanwhile, nearly all flights leaving and arriving at Halifax's Robert L. Stanfield International Airport on Saturday evening were cancelled, as were a handful Sunday morning.The full brunt of the storm was expected to reach the Nova Scotia coast by early Sunday morning, but earlier shifted slightly westward with the eye's direct path leading into southern New Brunswick, forecasters said.This storm is really, really huge, forecaster Bob Robichaud told the Canadian Press from Dartmouth, N.S. "Any slight deviation in track is not going to have a huge impact on how bad conditions are going to be.

Waves reaching 10 metres

Earlier in the day in the southern Nova Scotia town of Yarmouth, dozens of stormwatchers turned out as the skies turned from bright blue to dark black and rain began pelting the shore.It feels like little nails biting on your face, the CBC's Stephen Puddicombe said.Residents in the storm's path flocked to grocery and hardware stores to stock up on supplies such as food, flashlights and generators, he added.Forecasters predict gusts of 120 km/h inland and 140 km/h along the coastlines of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island from what is being called a post-tropical storm.The winds are the major concern because of the amount of damage they can do, New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization spokesman Ernie MacGillivray told CBC News on Saturday from Fredericton. The system is expected to bring between 50 and 100 millimetres of rain to portions of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Environment Canada also recorded waves as high as 10 metres pounding the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia on Saturday and warned they could reach as high as 12 metres when the storm hits.

People urged to prepare emergency kits

Peter Bowyer, program manager of the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Dartmouth, said Noel will not have the same impact as Hurricane Juan, which had winds of 165 km/h when it made landfall in Nova Scotia, but people should still prepare for very strong winds.This is not at this point anything like Hurricane Juan, but it's still a dangerous storm that can bring damaging winds, he said.We do expect there to be some significant ocean wave action along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, probably eight to 10 metres, meaning individual wave heights can be upwards of twice that.On Friday, the Nova Scotia Emergency Measures Organization was reminding people to stock up on supplies before the storm moves into the region.People in the storm's path should have an emergency supply kit with batteries for flashlights, a transistor radio and enough food and water to allow them to remain self-sufficient for 72 hours, the organization said.Nova Scotia Power said it has crews ready to be dispatched in case of outages. So we have put our crews on alert virtually in every county to cover every section of the province, said Murphy.

Volunteers on standby

The Canadian Red Cross said it has 500 volunteers on standby.The RCMP were urging people to avoid Nova Scotia's coastline. Bowyer said the timing of the storm has eased worries somewhat about the risks of a storm surge.If there's anything positive to say,the storm is actually arriving at a very favourable point in the tidal cycle, so we're not overly concerned about the storm surge, except perhaps in the Northumberland Strait area, he said.The storm will bring high winds and rain to Newfoundland and heavy snow for parts of Labrador by early Sunday, said meteorologist Chris Fogerty of the Canadian Hurricane Centre. A snowfall warning has been issued for the Churchill Falls area, where 20 centimetres of snow is expected.With files from the Canadian Press

Floods kill 46 in Vietnam, Typhoon Peipah nears
Module body NOV 4,07

HANOI (Reuters) - Floods have killed at least 46 people in central Vietnam in the last 10 days and a typhoon making its way across the South China Sea is forecast to dump more rain this week, reports said on Monday.The region, which includes the Central Highlands coffee belt, has been hit hard by storms and floods since early October, killing nearly 200 people, causing property and crop damage of $300 million and delaying the coffee harvest by two weeks.Flooding since October 26 have killed 46 people in nine central provinces and Danang city, reports from provincial disaster management committees said.Weather forecasters said Typhoon Peipah, which crossed the Philippines island of Luzon early on Monday, would bring rain again on central Vietnam.A new wave of floods could hit in the next two to three days, the government said.Rains delayed the start of Vietnam's coffee harvest, squeezing supplies to global markets and thus raised prices on London robusta futures markets to a contract high on November 1.More rains from Typhoon Peipah, a Chinese word for a popular pet fish in Macau, would further slow farmers' drying process, delaying the arrival of fresh beans at Saigon Port for loading.The three-month storm season, packed with up to 10 typhoons, often ends in Vietnam in October but this year tropical storms appear to be hitting later than usual. Peipah is the sixth typhoon forecast to strike Vietnam so far this season.

Mexico says homes of a half-million people damaged in floods Module body NOV 4,07 By Ioan Grillo, The Associated Press

VILLAHERMOSA, Mexico - Residents began running perilously short of food and water in Mexico's southern Gulf coast Sunday after a week of devastating floods that destroyed or damaged the homes of as many as half a million people. Authorities said two more bodies were found Sunday floating in brackish waters covering much of the region. If confirmed the deaths were caused by the flooding, the disaster's toll would stand at 10. We are seeing one of the worst natural catastrophes in the history of the country, President Felipe Calderon said in Tabasco state. Not only because of the size of the area affected, but because of the number of people affected.Since rivers first began to burst their banks Oct. 28, the homes of an estimated half a million people have been damaged or destroyed, and at least that many more people have been affected by severed utilities and transportation corridors, according to the government. In neighbouring Chiapas state, four bridges and almost 300 kilometres of roads were washed out.

People are fighting over food and water, and the lack of electricity and running water are making life in the city impossible, said Martha Lilia Lopez, who has been handing out food to victims on behalf of a nonprofit foundation she heads. Many in Tabasco remained camped out on the rooftops or upper floors of their flooded homes to guard their possessions from looters, but their resolve was running out - along with water, food and other supplies. I would prefer to be in my house instead of a shelter, but we ran out of everything, said Patricio Bernal, 53, who was evacuated by boat along with his wife from their home in the state capital, Villahermosa. We spent days without food. We thought we were going to die, said Marta Vidal, 47, who was taken to safety by helicopter. Daniel Montiel Ortiz, who oversaw helicopter rescue efforts for the federal police, said rescuers were now focused on selective evacuations - primarily of sick people - and delivering badly needed supplies to isolated communities still surrounded by water. Some desperate residents in Villahermosa broke into shuttered stores and took food and household goods, and police reported detaining about 50 people for looting over the last couple of days. But Ortiz called those isolated incidents.After water covered about 80 per cent of Tabasco's already swampy coastal territory, authorities struggled to calculate the damages. The federal Social Development Department estimated that the homes of 400,000 to 500,000 people were damaged or destroyed. River levels began to recede slightly Sunday, but Villahermosa remained largely flooded. Health authorities reported cases of eye, skin, intestinal and respiratory infections, but no mass outbreak of waterborne diseases that many had feared.

EUROPEAN UNION ARMY

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)

DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.

DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.

REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)

LOOKOUT FOLKS THE EU WILL BE GUARENTEEING ISRAELS SECURITY, THE BIBLE SAYS ITS THE EU AND SINCE NATO TROOPS ARE FILLED WITH EU TROOPS WATCH FOR NATO TO PROTECT ISRAEL TILL THE EU GETS THEIR STANDING ARMY TOGETHER.

U.S. Mulls Heading Int'l Force in Judea and Samaria

(IsraelNN.com) Israel and Western nations, headed by the United States, have been discussing a plan to bring an international force to patrol Judea and Samaria, Reuters News Agency reported. The proposal also would include the Gaza region, but planners admit that the control of Hamas would make it difficult to deploy forces there.The Palestinian Authority (PA) previously has objected to the presence of foreign troops, and opinion in the Israeli government was negative before Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's latest proposals to turn over most of Judea and Samaria to the PA.The idea of an international force in the PA areas is a preliminary idea, that has not been discussed at the Cabinet level, said Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin. However, Vice Prime Minister Chaim Ramon, who has led the program to divide Jerusalem with the PA, said that government sentiment has shifted from previous opposition. NATO and UNIFIL are considered in Israel as a success. In the past we were totally against intervention, he told Reuters.

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).

THE EU DICTATOR

REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS. 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES ON THE SCENE BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR, COMES FROM 1 OF THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3 COUNTRIES RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT STARTED THE EU. FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A LAND FOR PEACE 7 YEAR TREATY.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM SATAN,HE COMES FROM THE OCCULT).
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION. JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS HOW HE CAN CLAIM TO BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE EARTH.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

7YR TREATY BY PROOF

GENESIS 2:2-3 GOD RESTED THE 7TH DAY
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

LEVITICUS 25:1-9 THE 7 YEAR SABBATICAL
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
5 That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.
6 And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,
7 And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.
8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.

God has always dealt with Israel in 7's, it just makes sense the last dealing with Israel and the World will be a 7 yr treaty. God rested from creation on the 7TH DAY. Every 7TH YEAR Israel is suppose to rest the land. And the 7X7=49 YRS and the jubilee is the 50TH YEAR.

Now the scriptures that a week in Israel history is 7YEARS.

Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

Isn"t this interesting it comes from the same Person whos name was changed to Israel,(JACOB) and Israel and Jerusalem is the places dealt with in Daniel 9:24-27.

GENESIS 32:27-28
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

1 CHRONICLES 17:6-14
6 Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?
7 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:
8 And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.
9 Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,
10 And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house.
11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.
13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:
14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

MATTHEW 24:32-35
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:(MAY 14,1948 ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION IN 1 DAY).
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

LUKE 21:24
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.(JERUSALEM IN JEWSH HANDS JUNE 6-10, 1967).

DANIEL 9:24-27
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (ISRAEL) and upon thy holy city,(JERUSALEM) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks,(7X7=49 YRS) and threescore and two weeks:(62X7=434 YRS) the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. (69x7=483 YRS TO THIS POINT, THE FINAL 7 YR TREATY IS IN THE NEXT VERSE TO FULFILL THE 490 YEARS OF DANIELS PROPHECY.
9:27 And he (THE FUTURE ROMAN PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3RD TEMPLE DESECRATED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.(WW3)

Mideast meet could be last chance to stop extremism: Jordan Sun Nov 4, 10:01 AM ET

AMMAN (AFP) - Jordan warned on Sunday that a US-sponsored Middle East meeting could be the last chance to advance the peace process and stop chaos and extremism in the region. It is important to come up with the suitable atmosphere and careful planning for the meeting, which could be the last chance to achieve the required progress in the Middle East peace process, Foreign Minister Abdel Ilah Khatib told EU ambassadors at a meeting.Losing such a chance might lead to more chaos and extremism in the region, state-run Petra news agency quoted Khatib as saying.Washington has called the meeting, expected to take place in Annapolis, Maryland, later this month in an effort to jumpstart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks following the June takeover of Gaza by the Islamist group Hamas.Khatib said the meeting would be a key opportunity to find permanent solutions to final status issues between the Palestinians and Israel, including Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees.The European Union has an important role in making the meeting a success and creating peace and stability in the Middle East, added the minister, whose country is a key US ally.Jordan has repeatedly called for a clear agenda for the meeting embracing the core issues.

Olmert: We Come to Annapolis with Joy and Hope
by Gil Ronen NOV 5,07

(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave a speech Sunday regarding the upcoming Annapolis conference that exuded optimism and a belief that Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) are entering a new phase in their relations. Speaking at the annual Saban Forum at the Jerusalem King David Hotel, Olmert said that everything was on the table: All of the historical questions that overshadow the argument between us and the Palestinians are on the agenda. We will not evade any one of them, and will not avoid discussing each one of them.Olmert repeated his claim that Israel has a partner in the form of the current PA leadership. Mahmoud Abbas… and Salam Fayad… say publicly, without hesitation, despite all of the difficulties it entails, that they want to live in peace with us, he said. This is an opportunity, we must seize it.

Olmert said that the PA was obliged to fight terror and to change its interna. There is a chance that we can reach real accomplishments, maybe even before the end of President Bush's term.l reality but added: We should also remember that the Road Map demands a series of steps by Israel. These, like the Palestinians' commitments, have not yet been implemented.We will not waive the Palestinians' obligations, according to the Road Map, and we will not evade carrying out our own, down to the last one, Olmert announced. Some of them are not comfortable, some will create significant political difficulties, I am aware of that.

Annapolis a starting block

Olmert said Annapolis would not be a venue for negotiations, but would kick-start a negotiation process: It will provide an international stamp of approval for negotiations on a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians... Annapolis will be the starting block for a continuous, serious, profound negotiation process that will not avoid any issue...If we and the Palestinians act determinedly, he said, there is a chance that we can reach real accomplishments, maybe even before the end of President Bush's term.His body language exuding conviction, Olmert said: I am excited with the opportunity to contribute to an opportunity. I know all the excuses and reasons for saying no, but I feel in the depth of my heart that it is time! This is the spirit with which we approach Annapolis... We come with good will, joy and hope.

Protesters carry torches

1,500 people marched Sunday evening from the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem to the King David hotel, to protest the meeting there between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Quartet envoy Tony Blair and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.The protesters said the three were discussing a declaration of principles that included a return to pre-1967 borders and the redivision of Jerusalem. They carried torches and signs that called Mahmoud Abbas Abu Bluff.

Israel, with US support, says peace possible by end of 2008 by Ron Bousso Sun Nov 4, 4:11 PM ET

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he may be able to make peace with the Palestinians by the end of 2008 as the United States vowed to defend Israel's security during the difficult process. If we act decisively together, we and the Palestinians, there is a chance for us to reach real achievements, maybe even before the end of President (George W.) Bush's term, he said at the Saban Forum think-tank in Jerusalem.There is no intention to drag out the negotiations without end. There is no reason to again hit the foot-dragging that characterised our talks in the past, the premier said.Israel and the Palestinians have been engaged in intensive talks in an effort to draft a joint statement outlining a solution to the decades-old conflict ahead of a meeting in Annapolis, Maryland expected later this year.

The two sides plan to launch intensive bilateral talks on a permanent agreement following the international meeting, aimed at reviving a peace process that has been dormant for seven years.
The Palestinians have repeatedly demanded that the joint statement include a clear timetable for the negotiations, but Israel has insisted on a looser document based on a 2003 peace blueprint known as the roadmap.At the same event US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice vowed to defend Israel as it pushes ahead with the peace process, saying that it was time for all sides to make the difficult decisions necessary for a lasting peace.All Israelis should be confident that America is fully behind you, that we are fully committed to your security and that you can thus be bold in your pursuit of peace, she said.Rice, on her eighth visit to the region since the begining of the year, warned that if peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians flounder, extremists would take over the Palestinian leadership.If we do not act now to show the Palestinians a way forward, others will show them a way forward, Rice said. Failure is simply not an option.Around 2,000 Jewish settlers protested against the talks in central Jerusalem, saying they would lead to painful concessions on the fate of the city, which they call the indivisible, eternal capital of Israel.

We know perfectly well that with the concessions envisaged by Olmert, Hamas will end up in the West Bank and the heart of Israel will be within the range of their rockets, Shaul Goldstein, a protest leader, said.The Islamist movement Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since a bloody takeover in which security forces loyal to Abbas were defeated nearly five months ago, has also rejected the conference.It's well-known goals are normalisation with the Arabs, the hardening of internal divisions and the preparation for the coming attack on Iran and Gaza and Syria and Lebanon, Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said in Gaza City on Sunday.
Special Middle East envoy Tony Blair nevertheless insisted that despite the differences between Israel and the Palestinians, everyone involved in the negotiations knows what a final agreement will look like.The irony is the final settlement is not hard to see. It is visible in the distance, the house on the hill. But the path to it is utterly fraught, he said.Israeli negotiators and their Palestinian counterparts have been divided for weeks over a joint document which will form the basis of future negotiations, and until now have not written a word.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has pushed for a document with a timetable that addresses the most hotly contested issues of the conflict -- the borders of a Palestinian state and the fate of Jerusalem and the refugees.

On Sunday, Olmert said he was not opposed to discussing the so-called final status issues, but that he preferred to wait until after the conference that Washington hopes to convene before the end of the year. Annapolis will be a stepping stone for continued, serious, deep negotiations that will not overlook any topic, Olmert said. No firm date has yet been announced for the US meeting, and Arab powers likely to be invited to the conference have been sceptical about its chances of success without any serious effort to address the concerns of all involved. On Monday, Rice will meet Abbas, Ahmed Qorei who heads his negotiating team and prime minister Salam Fayyad in the West Bank political capital of Ramallah. The Palestinians have asked that Rice put more pressure on Israel, insisting that Israeli security will only come with a larger political settlement. The statements of some Israeli officials that consider Israeli security more important than the establishment of a Palestinian state hinder an agreement, Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP. The establishment of a Palestinian state is what will guarantee the security and stability of the whole region, he added.

Rice assures Israel and urges bold peace moves By Sue Pleming and Alastair Macdonald Sun Nov 4, 4:12 PM ET

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Condoleezza Rice urged Israel on Sunday to be bold in pursuing peace with the Palestinians after Israeli leaders warned her there could be no deal on a Palestinian state until their own security was guaranteed. In Jerusalem to negotiate on a planned peace conference, the U.S. Secretary of State assured Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert the United States was committed to ensuring Israel's survival and said it was time to take difficult decisions.Olmert said that despite questions over Palestinian leaders' ability to rein in militants hostile to Israel, he was ready to negotiate on all core issues after the initial conference, to be hosted by U.S. President George W. Bush, and held out the possibility of a breakthrough before Bush steps down next year.But Rice, who will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Monday, cautioned that it was still too early to set a date for the conference at Annapolis, Maryland. U.S. officials have penciled in the week beginning November 26.

It is time for us all to make difficult decisions for the sake of peace, Rice said in a speech to an audience that included Olmert. All Israelis should be confident that America is fully behind you, that we are fully committed to your security and you can thus be bold in your pursuit of peace.Earlier, on Rice's eighth visit in a year -- and third in six weeks -- to the region, Israel's chief negotiator told her the situation was more complicated than ever, and said Israel would only accept a Palestinian state if Abbas ensured, under the U.S.-backed road map accords of 2003, that his state posed no threat to Israel.They need to understand that the implementation of future understandings would be implemented only according to the phases of the road map -- the meaning is security for Israel first and then the establishment of a Palestinian state, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told reporters as Rice stood at her side.Abbas says Israeli occupation hampers his security efforts.

THREATS

Olmert, speaking later at the same event as Rice, noted the threats Israel faced, both in the occupied West Bank where Abbas's Fatah faction holds sway and in the Gaza Strip, which was seized by Hamas Islamists in June. Nonetheless, he said, Israel wanted to take the opportunity Abbas's overtures presented.We have reasons to delay, he said. But ... we have a partner and we are not willing to delay the negotiations to a time when our partner might be unable to fulfill the task.If we and the Palestinians act with determination there is a chance of making significant achievements, maybe even before the end of president Bush's term, Olmert added.Annapolis will be the springboard for continuing serious and intensive negotiations that will not pass over any issue and will avoid no controversy, he said, conceding that Israel too had yet to fulfill its road map commitments. Notable among these is an obligation to rein in Jewish settlement in the West Bank.Several hundred torch-bearing demonstrators marched nearby to protest at his apparent readiness to discuss dividing Jerusalem between the two states. Some said they opposed any Arab state on land they believed was given to the Jews by God.Abbas said in Ramallah that the Palestinians had met 90 percent of their commitments and Israel must now do its part.Rice and Olmert both noted they were speaking on the 12th anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jew hostile to his plans for peace.Speaking of a rise of violent ideologies, some sponsored by Iran or linked to al Qaeda, Rice warned that if Palestinian leaders were unable to deliver on hopes for a state then the moderate centre could collapse forever and the next generation of Palestinians could become lost souls of unbridled extremism.

She stressed: Failure is simply not an option.

Israel and the Palestinians are at odds over a joint policy document for the conference, after which they would negotiate on core issues such as borders, the fate of Jerusalem and millions of Palestinian refugees. Israel also opposes Abbas's push for a deadline to conclude a deal, which Abbas would like by August.
(Additional reporting by Adam Entous, Ari Rabinovitch and Eli Berlzon in Jerusalem and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah)