EUROPE DAY MAY 9,08

Last update - 22:14 08/05/2008 FM Livni: Israel ready to make sacrifices for peace By Haaretz Service

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Monday that Israel's leadership must make difficult decisions during its negotiations with the Palestinians, adding that Israel is prepared to make sacrifices to reach peace.During celebrations marking Israel 60th anniversary at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, Livni said the state's leadership need to look in the eyes of Israelis and tell them that this is the right thing to do.Livni is serving as Israel's chief negotiator for talks with the Palestinians, alongside former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia. Diplomats from more than 80 states participated in the ceremony on Thursday, alongside a number of Israeli regional leaders, including Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupoliansky and Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal. President Shimon Peres said during the ceremony that relations between Israel and the Palestinians was much more calm and tranquil, adding that the most difficult step now was putting these conditions on paper.

He said he hoped one day Israelis and Palestinians could live together side by side and called for an end to the hatred and misunderstandings as soon as possible.On Wednesday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert voiced hope that the solution for the Middle East conflict was within reach, speaking at an official memorial ceremony for Israel's victims of terror at the national military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. There is nothing we desire more than to end the conflict with our neighbors, and there is nothing that would benefit both sides more than the end of the conflict, Olmert said.

EU congratulates Israel on its anniversary, aims for closer ties 08.05.08 18:30

The European Union on Thursday congratulated Israel on the 60th anniversary of its independence, with officials vowing to forge even closer ties with the Middle Eastern state, dpa reported.The head of the bloc's executive, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, said Israel's significance for Europeans went beyond normal forms of cooperation with a close neighbour.Both the European Union and the state of Israel were born out of the same great convulsion of the Second World War and the Shoah, Barroso said in a message.In its 60 years as an independent state, Israel has had to contend with many challenges. Yet through it all it has continued to adapt, develop and prosper.We now take almost for granted impressive Israeli achievements in fields such as science and technology, industry, agriculture, education and the arts. In retrospect, we can only wonder at how all this was achieved under such difficult circumstances, Barroso added.

The commission chief noted that the EU and Israel were already cooperating on a range of issues such as climate change, counter-terrorism and the fight against racism and anti-Semitism.The EU is Israel's main trading partner and Israel is the only non-European country to participate in the EU's Research and Development programme, noted External Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.Hundreds of project proposals by Israeli researchers have received EU funding, for example developing innovative cancer diagnostic techniques, hydrogen cars, machine translation techniques. Also, Israeli students are benefiting from scholarships under the EU's Erasmus Mundus exchange programme, Ferrero-Waldner told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.And Israel is now close to being granted special status within the EU's neighbourhood policy, officials in Brussels said.Such a special status might include deals in the area of air transport, higher education, trade in agricultural products and services, social security, customs, information society, environment as well as consumer protection.

The EU and Israel are closer now than they were ever before, the commissioner said.

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.(TRADE 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).

NUMBERS 12 + 13 RATIFY THE LISBON TREATY.

Lithuanian, Latvian MPs Approve New EU Treaty
By VOA News 08 May 2008

The parliaments of Lithuania and Latvia have approved the European Union's new reform treaty.The treaty, which must be approved by all 27 EU states to take effect, will give the bloc a long-term president and a more powerful foreign policy chief, while streamlining its decision-making. In Vilnius Thursday, well more than half of the country's 141 lawmakers endorsed the charter by a vote of 83 to 23. In Riga, 70 of 100 Latvian legislators approved the document -- a simplified version of the bloc's draft constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch lawmakers in 2005.Legislators in Germany and Denmark approved the charter late last month.Today's vote brings to 13 the number of EU states that have given final approval to the draft.Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

Europe Day MAY 8,08

On May 9, 1950, Robert Schuman presented his proposal for the creation of an organized Europe, indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations.This proposal, known as the Schuman Declaration, is considered the beginning of the creation of what is now the European Union (EU). In the words of Schuman, Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity.The ninth of May has become a European symbol which, along with the emblem and the anthem, identifies the political entity of the European Union. Europe Day is an occasion for activities and festivities that bring Europe closer to its citizens and peoples of the Union closer to one another.Growing from six member states in 1951 to 27 in 2007, the European Union embraces more than 490 million people with the accession of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia. The other EU member states are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands (sometimes referred to as the founding members), Denmark, Ireland, and United Kingdom which joined in 1973, Greece in 1981, Portugal and Spain in 1986, and Austria, Finland, and Sweden in 1995. Last year, Bulgaria and Romania became the newest members. Croatia and Turkey are formal candidate countries with which accession negotiations started in October, 2005.

To update the political and legal structure of the Union, the Treaty of Lisbon was signed in December, 2007, and awaits ratification in 2008 to amend the existing treaties. Important institutions and bodies of the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank. EU citizens elect the Parliament every five years.

We congratulate the member states and peoples of the European Union led by Their Excellencies, President Jose Manuel Barroso of the European Commission, President Hans-Gert Pottering of the European Parliament, and President Janez Jansa of the European Council, and the European Commission in the Philippines headed by H.E., Ambassador Alistair B. MacDonald, on the occasion of Europe Day.

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)

German foreign minister favours EU army
08.05.2008 - 17:43 CET | By Honor Mahony

Germany's foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has indicated he would like to see a European army established.Speaking at a Social Democrat security policy conference in Berlin on Monday (5 May), Mr Steinmeier said he favoured the setting up of a European armed force and that he would like to see moves in this direction speeded up.German daily Tagespiegel reported Mr Steinmeier as referring to the fact that the EU's new treaty, currently undergoing ratification across the European Union, allows for the possibility of a group of member states to move ahead in defence policy.He noted that from Berlin's point of view, France is the key partner for this. Mr Steinmeier said he had already spoken with his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner, on concrete steps to improve common areas in the military field.These include the areas of transport, helicopter capacity and procurement.The end result of a consolidation of military capacities must be a European army, said Mr Steinmeier, according to German news agency DPA.

At the same conference, other leading politicians from the Social Democratic party - which currently forms part of the governing coalition with the Christian Democrats in Germany - also spoke out in favour of the idea. Former defence minister and head of the SPD group Peter Struck said: There will still be opposition to the idea of a European army as there once was against the single currency, the euro.But single states are no longer able to handle the threats of today, he continued.The German politicians' comments appear to be in line with the views of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has in the past made several statements on the need for common European defence.The French president has more recently not spoken on the issue. This is being seen as a deliberate ploy not to upset the EU treaty ratification process, particularly in neutral Ireland - the only country to have a referendum on the charter and where military issues are highly sensitive with the electorate.

An email from a Dublin-based UK official after a briefing by an official in the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs that was leaked to the press last month suggested that one of the reasons for having the treaty referendum before summer rather than in autumn was due to a fear of unhelpful developments during the French presidency – particularly related to EU defence.In addition Britain, as the other serious military power in the EU along with France, has also reacted coolly to Mr Sarkozy's push for more integration in EU defence. London has also yet to ratify the EU treaty.But Mr Sarkozy is expected to return to the issue in the second half of this year, during his stint at the EU helm.The EU treaty, which has to be ratified by all 27 countries to come into force, allows for a group of member states who are politically willing to go forward to structured cooperation in defence.

EU DICTATOR (WORLD LEADER)

REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

REVELATION 6:1-2
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:(PEACE) and he that sat on him had a bow;(EU DICTATOR) and a crown was given unto him:(PRESIDENT OF THE EU) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(MILITARY GENIUS)

REVELATION 13:1-10
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.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
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.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
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.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.

DANIEL 9:26-27
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;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Nicolas Sarkozy: A new style of EU Presidency? Published: Thursday 8 May 2008Joachim Fritz-Vannahme, Bertelsmann Stiftung
Le style c'est l'homme as the French say, yet Nicolas Sarkozy's style does not suit all European policymakers, explains Joachim Fritz-Vannahme in a February paper for the Bertelsmannstiftung.

In the paper, entitled The Sarkozy Mystery, Fritz-Vannahme questions the way the EU will be governed under the French Presidency, asking whether France will become more European, or if EU policymaking will become more French.Since his mandate started, the sum total of what he (Sarkozy) has achieved is actually not that bad, at least in the area of foreign and European policy, says Fritz-Vannahme. Yet when it comes to foreign policy, Sarkozy's will to reconcile France and Europe in fact becomes debatable, he writes. Sarkozy's style represents a marked contrast to his predecessors’ approaches, insists the author, underlining that he has managed to normalise the strained relationship with George W. Bush and American policymaking in general in very little time. The French President's EU priorities have not all been welcomed by his European counterparts, the paper says, saying European policymakers are particularly sceptical about his Mediterranean Union proposal.

Fritz-Vannahme claims Sarkozy's expressed hope for common policies on immigration, defence, energy and environment has raised eyebrows, particularly those of Le Monde journalist Thomas Ferenczi, who described it as French resumption. But the complexity of these issues means they cannot be solved quickly, argues the author.Regarding the French President's attempt to position himself as the leader of a common European defence policy, it remains to be seen whether (Sarkozy's) proposals are feasible says the author, referring to the setting up of an EU intervention force with 10,000 troops.On Middle East issues, Sarkozy's policies tend to converge with the American and Israeli positions, the author says.Concerning Iran, foreign minister Bernard Kouchner raised the idea of a possible war, he adds.The author suggests that the French President will have to how a willingness to compromise on agricultural policy.

Perceived as not easy to deal with due to his plethora of ideas and his linguistic agility, Fritz-Vannahme nevertheless concludes that Sarkozy's contradictions may also be a reason for hope.

Euro area lacking single voice abroad, Brussels says
08.05.2008 - 09:24 CET | By Lucia Kubosova

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - In a review of ten years of the euro, the European Commission argues the single currency has often suffered from political attacks in countries where it is used, as well as from lacking sufficient weight on the world stage, which Brussels suggests the 16-member to be eurozone could overcome with a single chair at international financial institutions.The euro - established by the then EU leaders ten years ago this month and launched on 1 January 1999 - has been an unarguable political and economic success, EU economic and monetary affairs commissioner Joaquin Almunia told the European Parliament on Wednesday (7 May).

He added however that the public image of the single currency does not always enjoy the reputation it should do, partly because it frequently becomes a scapegoat for economic problems of individual member countries. In a report adopted by the EU executive on Wednesday, Brussels highlighted the key economic achievements of the euro area, such as sustained price stability, a fall in average interest rates from nine to five percent, better fiscal policies and creation of 16 million jobs since 1999.But economic growth has on average been around two percent per year since the introduction of the single currency, broadly the same rate as in the 10 preceding years, the paper acknowledged.Growth has been weak in countries where structural reforms in product and labour markets have been lagging. Such slow pace of reform perhaps reflects the fact that the single currency has provided a shield against adverse shocks, which generally act as a stimulus to reform, noted the paper.

Brussels argues that This paradox can only be resolved by strengthening the co-ordination of structural reform in the euro area. The commission itself will soon gain more powers to boost its surveillance of the national reform performances.Under the EU's Lisbon treaty - set to come into force early next year if ratified in all 27 member states, the commission will be allowed to send direct warnings to countries seen as failing in reforms, without having to wait for the bloc's finance ministers' approval.Apart from improvements on the internal front, the EU executive also calls for a better coordination of eurozone members when speaking to the outside world, with Mr Almunia noting it is absolutely necessary for them to have one single presence in international financial bodies.At the moment, it is individual countries rather than the eurozone as a bloc who are represented at institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the G7 group of leading industrialised nations, with the biggest countries enjoying the highest status. And although continually urging for a single voice and chair at international bodies for the eurozone, the commission is aware it is not yet politically acceptable.

We're aware that it's not for today, tomorrow or probably the day after either. Politically, it's delicate, but we have to do it as a medium- to long-term goal because otherwise we're a political dwarf and an economic giant, a senior official said on Tuesday.The euro area currently includes 15 countries, with Slovakia set to join on 1January 2009 after it received a green light from Brussels on Wednesday.

Commissioner attacks protectionist mirage of Obama, Clinton
08.05.2008 - 09:17 CET | By Leigh Phillips

The EU's trade chief has hit out at the more protectionist positions on trade that have increasingly been deployed by the Democratic presidential candidates in the United States.Britain's Financial Times is reporting that trade commissioner Peter Mandelson in an interview with the BBC on Thursday (8 May) attacked rhetoric coming from US candidates on the imposition of new tariffs and criticising the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

It is irresponsible to be pretending to people you can erect new protection, new tariff barriers around your economy in this 21st century global age and still succeed in sustaining peoples' living standards and jobs, he is reported as saying. It is a mirage and they know it.The two remaining presidential candidates scrapping it out for the nomination of the Democratic Party, senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, have stepped leftwards in their rhetoric on trade in comparison to the strongly pro-free-trade agenda of the last Democratic administration under Ms Clinton's husband, Bill Clinton, who signed NAFTA.Senator Clinton has said she wants to see a renegotiation of NAFTA, and that if that is not possible, then the US would be forced to withdraw from the trade agreement, rhetoric that has been matched by her opponent.The two politicians also support the imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods in retaliation for what they view as the undervaluation of the Chinese renminbi.

However, both candidates have surrounded themselves with advisors close to Wall Street and who are veterans of the Clinton administration. Analysts reckon much of the rhetoric on trade is just that, and that if elected, either candidate would hew closely to the liberalising trade agenda that has characterised administrations of both stripes since Jimmy Carter.Indeed, a minor scandal erupted from within the Obama campaign in March, when it emerged that one of the senator's senior economic advisors had secretly reassured Canadian officials that Obama's attacks on NAFTA should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans.But Mr Mandelson believes even the rhetoric itself is dangerous.It is very irresponsible in my view to pretend to people that we can disengage from international trade, we can create barriers around our economy and then be surprised when people retaliate by doing the same, he said. It is going to lead us into a vicious spiral of beggar-thy-neighbour policies which will take us decades back in terms of trade growth.

EU-US trade, worth some €1.89 trillion, represents around 37 percent of world trade, but the EU regularly engages in trade spats, with the European Commission regularly complaining about regulatory barriers for EU exports to the US.The latest development that is expected to spiral into a sharp dispute at the WTO is a complaint from the European Biodiesel Board, which, as its market is steadily squeezed with governments beginning to back away from their previously robust support for biofuels, says that US subsidies are creating a severe injury to their European counterparts.Additionally, towards the end of April, the commission published a report on US trade barriers that complained of the use of national security as a fig leaf for what are in reality trade protectionist measures. Shipping container security screening and related additional US customs routines are causing significant additional costs and delays to shipments of EU machinery and electrical equipment to the US, read the report.The EU hopes to finalise a deal on world trade ahead of the US presidential elections, lest negotiations have to start all over again from scratch under a new president.On Tuesday, Mr Mandelson told reporters in Brussels he believes a breakthrough in trade talks can be achieved in the next few weeks.Meanwhile, EU-US trade concerns are likely to be raised at the upcoming meeting of the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) on 13 May, a government-to-government mechanism set up in 2007 with the aim of avoiding trade-related disputes and advancing economic integration between the two sides.

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY ISRAEL !

Shalom to all our wonderful Intercessors ,

Isaiah 27:6 .................. Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit

As I watched the 60th birthday celebration for Israel on the television last night with our friends, I realised what a monumental victory this is for Israel. 60 years !! WOW, this is just amazing. In 60 years Israel has gone from a swamp infested, mosquito ridden land, to a cultivated, modern, economically thriving, successful, growing nation that exports fruits, flowers, herbs and other quality merchandise to the nations of the world, and has seen almost 7 million Jewish people return to the land of their forefathers as was prophesied. As I pondered on this victory I also saw what a tremendous victory it is in the face of our enemies. They know it as much as we do what a victory this is. To the glory and name of the God of Israel this land makes her statement to the world, Um Israel Chai (the people of Israel live)

The best though is still yet to come. Spectacular miracles, signs and wonders greater than what were displayed in Egypt are still yet to be manifest to the people of Israel and before the face of her enemies. However, as we all know before we will celebrate future birthdays of Israel we remain at war, there will be war, and we need to remain vigilant in our call as intercessors to stand before the Lord, and ask for His forgiveness as a nation, to plead for His mercy and to remind Him of His covenant, and promises that He may fulfill them for His great name sake, and Messiah can return.

ALIYAH - Isaiah 11: 11-12 ...... It shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again for the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth

We are heading towards another summer in Israel, when generally, it is trend during the months of July and August for
thousands of Jews make Aliyah (return to their homeland). As you are aware from previous bulletins and news reports, there has been a breakthru in Aliyah from North America and Canada. This breakthru has seen a big increase each year over the last 3 - 4 years.

There are various reasons that Jewish people home. One is anti-Semitisim, one is the results of the Jewish Agency campaigns that are done to encourage Jews to return, one is the excellent package deals that are offered, one is Zionism, but I believe the under-current of all of these and any other reasons Jews come home is that the God of Israel has ordained it. It is written, therefore it is and will happen.

I have actually heard some Jewish people here say they do not know why they came back - so that gave an opportunity to explain about Aliyah from a Biblical perspective. It is the Spirit of the Lord drawing His people home, there is a clarion call going out, He is whistling for His people to come home, this sound is a spiritual sound, but it has gone forth for now is the appointed time for the second exodus and ingathering of His people to be here in the land in preparation for Messiah's return.

Almost half of those that returned last summer from North America and Canada were young adults and professional people.

Please pray for thousands more, a multiplication of last years numbers to be brought back into Israel this summer of 2008 - especially from North America and Canada. But also of course from all the nations in Europe, and in South Africa, South America, England, Wales and Scotland, Iran, Ethiopia, India, Australia and even the ends of the earth, New Zealand.

Please pray for the Birthright Programs that are targeting 18 - 25 year old young adults, that the programs would have the desired effect, that is, during their time here, their souls would make a connection with their Jewish heritage, Jewish roots, to the land, and their God.

Pleaese pray for David's nephew Jonathan Buchan (19) who is here for one year on a Birthright program (his brother Daniel, who I had you pray for two years ago and was also here on a Birthright program, will now be making Aliyah this coming September from Australia). Please pray for Jonathan as he spends time also with our boys, Stefan and Jordan and when he is in our home on the various Shabbats for quality times to share, and that he too, will conceive the seeds of Zionism while here in his homeland.

Please pray for Jewish people who are living in volatile anti-Semitic nations to be roused to leave and return to their homeland.

Please pray for all hindrances to be removed, all the stones to be taken out of the way for His people to return

Please pray for all the religious Jews in the nations to have a desire to return and live permanently in Israel and to set their eyes towards Zion.

Please pray that all Jews still scattered in the nations, will sense an restlessness in their spirits and will be not at peace until they make Aliyah

Jeremiah 31: 8-9 Behold I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child, and her that travails with child together. They shall come with weeping and with supplications, I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble for I am father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

PRAYER FOR ISRAEL

Israel is currently at one of her most crucial times of her entire history. President Bush representing the Quartet continues to walk and move with great intention to see a Palestinian state. He is pressing the Israeli government extremely hard to arrive at a peace agreement with the Palestinian Authority before his time as President is completed at the end of this year. Israel's Prime Minister Olmert and Foreign Minister Livni seem to be totally under the influence of Bush and Rice and look to be ready to give up large parts of Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights.

Earlier this week the police launched another corruption and bribery investigation on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. So far Olmert has survived all of the previous investigations but this one seems to be far more serious than the previous ones. There is expectation of charges being laid against which could bring about his immediate resignation as Prime Minister. This would basically bring the peace process to a halt or at least delay it.

Please pray that this present government will be removed and that the Lord will raise up a godly government.Please pray that the Lord will give us the shepherds that He promised for Israel (I will restore your judges as at the first and your counsellors as at the beginning......... I will give you shepherds according to My heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding)Pray that all evil will be exposed, everything that his hidden in Olmert's life will come out into the light.Pray that Israel will NOT agree to a Palestinian state in our land.Pray that ALL works of darkness will be exposed

OUT OF ZION MINISTRIES - Isaiah 2:3 ... For Out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem

Thank you all for praying for David's trip to Canada and his recent ministry trip to Germany. His word will not return void. The word of the Lord is going forth in the hearts of many Messianic Jews from Israel to the nations, a fulfillment of the calling on Jewish people to be a light to the nations.

Please pray that as His word is going forth it will plant seed, the seed will be watered, it bring forth fruit and reap a harvest of hearts having revelation of the true meaning of the Holy scriptures concerning Israel, the Jewish roots of Christianity , the connection of the church with Israel, the calling on the church towards Israel, the Church's relationship and responsibility towards Israel, a deep love for the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

ISRAELI FRIENDS - Smadar and Israeli Levi, Shlomo and Yehudit Zayit, Mel and Gita Cornfield, Tami, Neeva, Uriah, Hana Sherbo

Please continue to pray with us for our friends that they will know redemption, that God will be merciful to each one of them, that He will give them understanding as we speak to them from the scriptures and the prophecies in connecting with all that is taking place in Israel today and the reasons why.

OUR IDF SOLDIERS -

Pray daily for all our IDF soldiers, especially those in combat units, and also our IAF. They are doing daily combat assign-ments, usually in the middle of the night.
Pray for success, divine supernatural protection, wisdom, pray they will all come out from an assignment as whole as they go in, pray the hosts of angels will go before them, surround them, have charge over them, pray that the angels will deflect all weaponry and explosives that are thrown into their midst, pray that the eyes of our enemies will be opened to the supernatural protection around our soldiers and flee.

INTERCESSORS FOR THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL - 2008 PRAYER SUMMIT : 25 MAY - JUNE 2, 2008

Arise O God ...... and let your enemies be scattered

We are just two weeks away until we launch into our IRI 2008 prayer summit.

David and I are just doing final preparations and we are with expectation that the Holy Spirit will guide and lead us all in worship, prayer and intercession and that as His word goes forth He will be watching over it to perform it .

Please would you pray for each one coming for travelling mercies, for prepared hearts. For anointing on all we do and for angelic protection as we travel around the country. Pray also pray for our guest speakers each night for anointed messages. Please pray for our worship leader Shirley Fryer coming from Wales, for anointing as she leads us in worship and for her hands to be blessed with every note she will play.

Blessings and love from Zion ...
Josie. David & Josie Silver Out of Zion Ministries Mt Carmel
Israel www.out-of-zion.com

CHRONOLOGY-Vladimir Putin's years as Russian leader
Reuters - Tuesday, May 6 02:42 pm(Reuters)

- Vladimir Putin, who hands over the Russian presidency to his protege Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday, rose from obscurity to dramatically change the face of Russia in his eight-year rule.

Following are key events during his two terms in office:

August 9, 1999 - The ailing and unpopular President Boris Yeltsin names 46-year-old Putin, the low-profile head of the FSB security service, as his new prime minister and preferred successor.

September 1999 - More than 300 civilians die in apartment block blasts blamed on Chechen rebels in cities including Moscow.

September 23, 1999 - Putin orders bombing raids against Chechen capital Grozny followed by a full-scale land offensive. Within months Russian troops retake Chechnya and install a loyal administration. Putin's popularity rating rockets to 48 percent in November from 5 percent in August.

December 31, 1999 - Yeltsin announces his early resignation. Putin becomes acting president.

March 26, 2000 - Putin wins the presidential election with 53 percent of the vote.

May 2000 - Putin appoints liberal economist Mikhail Kasyanov as his prime minister. A series of bold market reforms including tax reform, the adoption of a new land code and liberalisation of monopolies are introduced. The Russian economic recovery, helped by high oil prices, takes off.

May 2000 - The Kremlin launches a campaign against the media empire of tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky, one of a handful of oligarchs who wielded huge influence over the Kremlin at the end of the Yeltsin presidency.

The jewel of Gusinsky's empire, NTV television, ends up in the hands of state-controlled gas giant Gazprom. The campaign against Gusinsky launches a process which puts Russia's biggest media outlets under the control of the Kremlin and its allies.

August 2000 - Nuclear submarine Kursk with 117 sailors and officers on board sinks in the Barents Sea. There are no survivors. The incident exposes Putin to a barrage of media reports alleging he mishandled the crisis.

September 2002 - Nearly 130 hostages die in a Moscow theatre seized by Chechen rebels. The government introduces a set of anti-terrorism laws restricting the media.

October 2003 - Russia's richest businessmen and owner of the YUKOS oil major, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, is arrested on fraud and tax evasion charges. He is sentenced to 9 years in prison in May 2005, later reduced to eight years. The trial becomes a signal to the business community to stay away from politics.

September 1, 2004 - More than 330 people, half of them children, killed in attack by Chechen rebels on a school in the southern town of Beslan. Putin orders a crackdown on the rebels and demands more powers he says are needed to fight terrorism.

Within two years, rebel leaders Aslan Maskhadov and Shamil Basayev are killed. Large-scale rebel resistance ceases.

Parliament approves new laws changing the rules of parliamentary elections and scrapping gubernatorial elections. Critics say the changes give Putin sweeping powers.

March 14, 2004 - Putin is re-elected with 71 percent of vote.

July 2006 - Russia hosts the G8 summit in St Petersburg, the high point in Putin's drive to revive Russia as a key global player.

January 2007 - Putin, addressing an international conference in Munich, accuses the United States of a desire to dominate the world. The speech irks Western governments already concerned about how Moscow uses its growing energy might.

Early 2007 - The Russian government says Gross Domestic Product has passed the level it was at in 1990, a key landmark on Russia's path to economic recovery.

December 2007 - Putin presents his long-time ally Dmitry Medvedev as his preferred successor and agrees to become his prime minister. Putin's support makes Medvedev's victory in the March 2 presidential election certain.
http://uk.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/russia
(Writing by Oleg Shchedrov; editing by Keith Weir)

* * * * FLASH TRAFFIC: WASHINGTON UPDATE * * * *
WHAT IS NEXT FOR VLADIMIR PUTIN?
Medvedev slated to become President Wednesday.
By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., May 6, 2008) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered hundreds of state-of-the-art tanks, fighter jets and ballistic missiles to be paraded through Red Square last Friday, a chilling signal to Russia's neighbors and enemies, though Putin insists he bears no evil intent. This is not sabre-rattling, Putin told reporters ahead of Russia's traditional Victory Day parade. We are not threatening anyone and don't plan to.Oh really? Why then is Russia selling billions of dollars of weapons -- including missiles, fighter jets, submarines, nuclear technology and enriched uranium -- to Israel's enemies, and ours? Why is Russia building strategic alliances with enemies like Iran, Libya, Sudan and Syria? Why has Russia repeatedly threatened neighbors like Georgia and Ukraine? Why is Russia building vast new military and political alliances in Central Asia and Far East Asia? Tomorrow, May 7th, Putin will ostensibly hand over the reigns of the presidency to Dmitry Medvedev, the baby-faced former law professor whom Putin hand-picked and personally anointed to take his place as president. But it seems unlikely that Putin will actually give up much -- if any -- real political power.

Putin says he plans on ascending to the role of Prime Minister. In the past, that has been a less powerful position, but in Putin's hands I expect it to become a vastly more powerful role. As I have written in the past, Putin seems intent on fashioning himself as the new Czar of Russia. He is centralizing power and wealth unto himself. He is silencing political and religious opposition. He is rebuilding the offensive capabilities of the Russian military. And he seems to be itching for a military adventure of some kind, an opportunity to show Russia's new might and reclaim the glory of Mother Russia.

No wonder he has triggered the following headlines:

CZAR VLADIMIR
CBS News.com, October 3, 2007

CZAR VLADIMIR
New York Post, October 7, 2007

PUTIN, THE CZAR
Pravda (Moscow), November 26, 2007

CZAR PUTIN
CNN Special Report, November 20, 2007

PUTIN FOR CZAR?
Khaleej Times (Dubai), December 2, 2007

A CZAR IN THE MAKING:
The Cold War is dead, but Vladimir Putin is very much with us
Air Force Magazine, December 2007

And let us not forget that on December 4, 2007, Time magazine named Putin its Person of the Year. The title of the cover story that followed? A TSAR IS BORN.Now, could Medvedev eventually find a way to ice his benefactor out of the way and seize full control of Russia himself? It is conceivable, perhaps, but as of this writing seems unlikely. For starters, Medvedev is in every way Putin's junior. He is twelve years younger that Putin, just 42 at the time of his landslide victory in a rigged (read: sham) election in March 2008. Medvedev is three inches shorter than his mentor, clocking in at 5'4 as compared to Putin's already diminutive 5'7. What's more, while Medvedev has spent the last several years running Gazprom for Putin - the behemoth state-run gas monopoly that supplies 30% of Europe's gas and has a market capitalization of $345 billion - he has precious little experience in the cut-throat, winner-take-all worlds of FSB intelligence or Kremlin palace politics.

Then, of course, no sooner did Putin select Medvedev for the job of president than his puppet blurted out that Putin would and should run the country anyway. In order to stay on this path [of foreign and economic policy strength], it is not enough to elect a new president who shares this ideology, Medvedev told reporters. It is not less important to maintain the efficiency of the team formed by the incumbent president. That is why I find it extremely important for our country to keep Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin at the most important position in the executive power, at the post of the chairman of the government.Putin, for his part, has made no bones about how long he plans to stay in power or whether he will be subservient to Medvedev. I formulated the objectives for the development of Russia from 2010 to 2020, Putin has told reporters, and if I see that I can realize these goals in this position [of Prime Minister], then I will work as long as this is possible. When asked if he will hang President Medvedev's portrait in his office? I do not have to bow to [Medvedev's] portraits, Putin stated without apparent humor.

One area to keep an eye on: Putin has been working quietly but steadily in recent years on creating a merger between Russia and neighboring Belarus. Is it possible that Putin could turn himself into a Czar of a new Russian-Belarus superstate? Or is this just a head-fake for a larger, even more ambitious power grab? One of Putin's main characteristics is to never disclose his plan until the last moment, says Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs, a foreign policy journal. He allows all sorts of misimpressions to thrive, while he bides his time and decides what he wants to do.