JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
DISEASES 500 million Dead
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 billion) of (8 billion) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS)(500 million) and with hunger,(FAMINE)(500 million) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES)(500 million) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE)(500 million).
Top U.S. general: 'We don't know' if coronavirus emerged from Chinese lab-[Reuters]-May 5, 2020
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. general said on Tuesday it was still unknown whether the coronavirus emerged from a wet market in China, a laboratory or some other location, but reaffirmed the U.S. view that it was probably not man-made."Did it come out of the virology lab in Wuhan? Did it occur in a wet market there in Wuhan? Did it occur somewhere else? And the answer to that is: We don't know," Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news conference, adding the U.S. government was looking into it.The remarks stood in contrast to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's assessment on Sunday that there was "a significant amount of evidence" that the new coronavirus emerged from a Chinese laboratory.(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Chris Reese)
ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST
1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
GENESIS 12:1-3
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I (GOD) will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee,(ISRAELIS) and curse (DESTROY) him that curseth thee:(DESTROY THEM) and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
ISAIAH 41:11
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee (ISRAEL) shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing;(DESTROYED) and they that strive with thee shall perish.(ISRAEL HATERS WILL BE TOTALLY DESTROYED)
Iran’s president says an end to UN arms embargo is a ‘right’-Hassan Rouhani offers veiled warning of unspecified steps if international embargo, which is set to expire in October, is extended-By Nasser Karimi-may 6,20
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Iranian president said Wednesday that lifting a UN arms embargo on Tehran would be an “obvious right” and added a veiled warning of unspecified steps Iran could take if the embargo is extended, as the United States wants.Hassan Rouhani’s remarks were in response to a push by the US, which last month circulated a draft UN resolution that would indefinitely extend the embargo set to expire in October. Such a move is almost certain to spark opposition from Russia, which has made no secret of its desire to resume conventional weapons sales to Tehran.“Iran considers the lifting of the arms embargo an obvious right,” Rouhani said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast live on state TV.UN Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers envisages an end to the embargo five years after the deal. President Donald Trump pulled America out of the deal in 2018 and imposed harsher sanctions on Iran.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a ceremony celebrating the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, at the Azadi, Freedom, Square in Tehran, Iran, on February 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)The arms embargo was not a part of the 2015 accord, but Iran has long sought its removal and its expiration was included in the council resolution as a reward for Iranian compliance with the agreement’s nuclear restrictions.Since Iran is admittedly no longer complying with several elements of the nuclear deal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the US administration believes it has a case to make that the embargo should not be lifted.“Iran will not accept violation of the …. (UN) resolution under any circumstances,” Rouhani said. He said extending the embargo would lead to “serious consequence and a historic failure” for the West.If the embargo is extended, Rouhani said Iran’s response would mirror the steps it took after the US pullout from nuclear deal — including going beyond the deal’s enrichment and stockpile limitations and injecting uranium gas into over a thousand centrifuges at a fortified nuclear facility built inside a mountain.Rouhani did not elaborate but insisted that Iran’s arms program has always been a “defensive” one.Before the embargo, Iran had said it was exporting arms to dozens of countries but never offered specifics. Though it is not independently verifiable, Iran has been seeking a military self-sufficiency program since 1992, producing an array of weapons, including missiles, torpedoes, submarines and jetfighters.In this April 15, 2020, photo made available by US Navy, Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels sail close to US military ships in the Persian Gulf near Kuwait. (U.S. Navy via AP) Despite the coronavirus pandemic that has gripped both the US and Iran, which has the worst outbreak in the Middle East, tensions have escalated between Tehran and Washington in recent months.In April, the US Navy said that 11 gunboats belonging to Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard forces carried out “dangerous and harassing approaches” to American Navy and Coast Guard vessels in the Persian Gulf. The Americans said they used a variety of nonlethal means to warn off the Iranian boats, which eventually left. Iran, meanwhile, accused the US of sparking the incident.
FAMINE
EZEKIEL 5:16
16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
q8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
DEUTORONOMY 28:24
24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
EU forecasts 7.7% recession of ‘historic proportions’ due to virus pandemic-The Times of Israel-European Commission expects bloc’s economy to contract, with 19-member single currency zone rebounding by 6.3% in 2021, but in an uncertain recovery that would be felt unevenly-By AFP-may 6,20-Today, 1:46 pm
BRUSSELS — The European Commission said Wednesday the eurozone economy would contract by a staggering 7.7 percent in 2020, as the catastrophic consequences of the coronavirus outbreak sweep through the continent.alling it a “recession of historic proportions,” the EU’s executive said the 19-member single currency zone would rebound by 6.3 percent in 2021, but in an uncertain recovery that would be felt unevenly across the continent.That question is pressing, amid gripes by Italy and Spain that wealthier Germany and the Netherlands have the means to swiftly turbocharge their own recoveries, lessening their enthusiasm for measures to help the south.The commission’s data seemed to confirm this concern, with Italy seeing a cataclysmic recession of 9.5 percent in 2020, and only a 6.5 percent recovery next year to make up the ground.A man walks by the Euro sculpture in front of the old European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, May 5, 2020 (AP Photo/Michael Probst) Greece’s recession would reach an eye-watering 9.7 percent, wiping out all the gains of its post-bailout recovery, and only pull back by 7.9 percent in 2021, the commission said.The recovery meanwhile would be much healthier in Germany’s economy, Europe’s economic powerhouse, which was predicted to sink by 6.5 percent in 2020 and recover 5.9 percent in 2021.A woman covers her face while she pushes a shopping trolley along a street, in Pamplona, northern Spain, May 2, 2020 (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)The effects on public finances in heavily indebted Italy would be particularly bad, with the annual deficit soaring to 11.1 percent of annual output, and with Spain and France overspending by 10 percent.The EU limit is normally three percent.“Europe is facing an economic shock without precedent since the Great Depression,” said European Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, referring to the aftermath of the 1929 financial crash.
PSALMS 137:5-6
5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.(STROKE)
6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
ISAIAH 31:5
5 As birds flying,(WAR PLANES WITH BOMBS) so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem;(WITH PLANES) defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.(NUKE OR BOMB ISRAELS ENEMIES)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(disolved from atomic bomb) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(disolved from atomic bomb) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(disolved from atomic bomb)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)
ZECHARIAH 14:1-4 King James Bible
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
US ambassador says Washington ‘ready to recognize annexation’ within weeks-The Times of Israel--US ambassador says Washington ‘ready to recognize annexation’ within weeks-David Friedman tells newspaper that applying sovereignty in parts of West Bank is up to Israel, as long as it’s done within framework of Trump peace plan-By TOI staff-may 6,20 12:59 pm
In the latest show of American support for Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank, US Ambassador David Friedman said in an interview that Washington is ready to recognize Israeli sovereignty in the disputed areas should it be declared in the coming weeks.In an interview with the pro-ruling party Israel Hayom daily published Wednesday, Friedman said that it is up to Israel to decide whether it wants to move forward with annexing settlements but that if it does, Washington will recognize the move.“We are not declaring sovereignty, but rather Israel, and then we are ready to recognize it,” he said.then the mapping process is over, when the Israeli government agrees to freeze building in the same parts of Area C that aren’t designated for the application of sovereignty and when the prime minister agrees to negotiate with the Palestinians on the basis of the Trump plan — and he already agreed to this on the first day — we’ll recognize Israel’s sovereignty in areas that according to the plan will be a part of it,” he said in comments published in Hebrew.US President Donald Trump (ledt) and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu take part in an announcement of Trump’s Middle East peace plan in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 28, 2020. MANDEL NGAN / AFP) Last week, amid reports intimating that the White House was conditioning its support for Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank on negotiations over a Palestinian state, the Trump administration stressed that it continued to back Israel’s annexation plans, as long as they’re carried out in the framework of the peace plan US President Donald Trump presented on January 28.According to the proposed plan, the US will recognize an Israeli application of sovereignty over parts of the West Bank following the completion of a survey conducted by a joint US-Israel mapping committee and Israel’s acceptance of both a four-year freeze of the areas earmarked for a future Palestinian state and a commitment to negotiate with the Palestinians based on the terms of Trump’s peace deal.Despite the stipulation that Israel impose a partial settlement freeze, Friedman told Israel Hayom that the communities in question will be able to expand within their municipal boundaries even if they are prohibited from growing their footprints on the ground.Under the coalition deal reached between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and the Blue and White party last month, the next government can begin passing legislation to annex the Jordan Valley and West Bank settlements after July 1; the prospective government has yet to be formed.After the announcement of the unity deal last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that annexation is not something for Washington to interfere with.“The Israelis will ultimately make those decisions. That’s an Israeli decision, but we’ll work closely with them to share our views of this in a private setting,” he said during a press conference.Less than a week later, on April 27, a State Department spokesperson reiterated that the US was ready to recognize Israel’s annexation of parts of the West Bank but asked Israel’s government to also negotiate with the Palestinians.A view of the Israeli West Bank settlment of Ariel, January 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)“As we have made consistently clear, we are prepared to recognize Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty and the application of Israeli law to areas of the West Bank that the vision foresees as being part of the State of Israel,” the spokesperson said.“The annexation would be in the context of an offer to the Palestinians to achieve statehood based upon specific terms, conditions, territorial dimensions and generous economic support. This is an unprecedented and highly beneficial opportunity for the Palestinians,” he said.The Palestinian Authority and much of the international community has rejected the Trump plan. Senior officials in the European Union and United Nations on have warned Israel against the intention to annex parts of the West Bank, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell saying that such a move “would constitute a serious violation of international law.”The US had initially called on Israel to slow down on annexation when Netanyahu vowed to swiftly start annexing parts of the West Bank moments after the White House unveiled its peace proposal. Though Friedman initially backed the move happening immediately upon the release of the Trump plan, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and the chief architect of the plan, said publicly he expected Israel to wait at least until after Knesset elections.Vision for Peace Conceptual Map published by the Trump Administration on January 28, 2020.In his remarks to Israel Hayom, Friedman asserted that Israelis across the political spectrum supported the Trump plan and that “just as Americans would never relinquish the area on which the Statue of Liberty stands, even though it’s a very small area, Israel would never agree to give up” settlements like Beit El and Hebron.Settlement leaders welcomed Friedman’s comments on Wednesday, even as they remained divided on the merits of the overall Trump plan.Oded Revivi, mayor of the Efrat settlement, pointed to Chaim Weizmann’s backing of the decisions at the San Remo conference 100 years ago “even though the entire Zionist dream wasn’t realized” and David Ben-Gurion’s acceptance of the UN partition plan in 1947 despite reservations about the proposed borders of a Jewish state.“The same courage is now required from the right-wing and settlement leadership to say yes despite the conditions and the challenges,” he said in a statement.
ISRAEL
Whose Promised Land? Psalm 78:54-55 (ISRAELS)
54 And He brought them to His holy border, This mountain which His right hand had acquired.
55 He also drove out the nations before them,Allotted them an inheritance by survey, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
PSALMS 79:1-13 (GOD GIVES 7 TIMES DESTRUCTION TO WORLD NATIONS FOR COMING AGAINST JERUSALEM)
1 A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance;(JERUSALEM) thy holy temple have they defiled;(AD 70) they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.
2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.
4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
5 How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob,(ISRAEL) and laid waste his dwelling place.
8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;
12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold (7 TIMES THE DESTRUCTION) into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.(BY DESTROYING JERUSALEM)
13 So we thy people (ISRAELIS) and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever:(KING JESUS) we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.(FOREVER ON EARTH)
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20 And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)
ZECHARIAH 12:1-5 King James Bible
1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
JOEL 3:2 (WW3 OCCURS WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED)
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people (ISRAEL) and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.(JERUSALEM)(WW3 STARTS BECAUSE JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AND ISRAELIS UPROOTED FROM THEIR GOD GIVIN LAND BRINGS 3 DEAD BILLION IN WW3)
MICAH 4:1,6-13
1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;
7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.
10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.
Ex-official in charge of prisoner swaps sees ‘real possibility’ of Hamas deal-The Times of Israel-official in charge of prisoner swaps sees ‘real possibility’ of Hamas deal-German report says Swiss diplomat and 2 officials from Berlin have teamed up with Egyptian general to spearhead negotiations for return of Israeli captives in Gaza-By TOI staff-may 6,20-Today, 11:08 am
A former Mossad official who was involved in the 2011 deal to free Gilad Shalit expressed optimism about the possibility of a prisoner swap between Israel and the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group in an interview published Wednesday.“It seems there is a real possibility at the moment for a deal between Hamas and Israel for the release of the captives and the missing,” David Meidan told German weekly Die Zeit, according to the Ynet news site. “The gaps aren’t so great.”“Hamas, for its part, is under pressure because of the coronavirus pandemic and fears that when it erupts, it may be left without adequate medical equipment,” said Meidan, who previously served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointed representative overseeing efforts to return Israelis held captive by Hamas in Gaza.However, according to the report, German officials are wary of their Israeli counterparts’ optimism.David Meidan, the negotiator responsible for efforts to return captive soldier Gilad Shalit at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, October 12, 2011 (Miriam Alster/Flash90) The possibility of a deal to return two Israeli captives — Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed — and the bodies of two IDF soldiers being held in the Gaza Strip has appeared to pick up momentum recently.According to the Die Ziet report, Zehava Shaul, whose son Oron’s body is held by Hamas, visited Berlin in December 2017 and, during a series of meetings arranged by the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli officials, asked Germany to take a role in possible negotiations for a deal.Three months later, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Israel and met with Netanyahu, with the two men agreeing that Berlin would take an active role in negotiations.The report said that when he was justice minister, Maas had close relations with his Israeli then-counterpart Ayelet Shaked, a role during which he spoke many times about the importance of Germany’s commitment to Israel, “because of Auschwitz.”After the meeting between Maas and Netanyahu, German Chancellor Angela Merkel instructed German Federal Intelligence Service chief Bruno Kahl to become involved in mediation and Kahl in turn imposed the task on two senior officials who searched for a path to access the Hamas leadership, in particular the terror group’s Gaza chief, Yahya Sinwar.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, on March 26, 2018 (Kobi Gideon / GPO) It was determined that a senior Swiss diplomat stationed in the Middle East had the necessary contacts, and the three were then joined in the team by an Egyptian general who was a partner in the negotiations that led to the Shalit deal.Israeli officials last month reportedly quietly confirmed that “significant” talks were underway with Hamas.The government’s current chief negotiator for the release of Israelis held by the terror group updated families last week regarding the prisoner swap talks, while a senior Hamas official reacted Sunday to reported progress, saying the terror group was willing to “sacrifice everything” to win the release of its members from Israeli prisons.Clockwise from top left: Abera Mengistu, Hisham al-Sayed, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul (Flash 90/Times of Israel) Husam Badran, the Gaza-based movement’s international spokesman and a member of its political bureau, said Hamas was aiming to make “a significant achievement” in the deal but wasn’t eager to discuss the details in the media.“The further things are from the eye of the media, the more there are positive and practical results,” he said, according to Hebrew-language media reports.Defense Minister Naftali Bennett was asked about the possibility of a prisoner swap during a press conference on Sunday, but refused to comment on any specific developments.“I oppose releasing murderers. Period,” Bennett said.Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday said he too would oppose a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.“If there’s a deal like this I’ll oppose it with all my might,” he told the Ynet news site, adding that Netanyahu had refused his request for the security cabinet to discuss a potential swap deal.“I’m troubled,” he said. “The release of terrorists is a red line that can’t be crossed.”Illustrative: Hamas members watch as a bus carrying Palestinian prisoners arrives at the Rafah crossing with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip on October 18, 2011. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash 90)The meeting last week between current Israeli chief negotiator Yaron Blum and the families of Sergeant First Class Shaul and Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, both killed in action during the 2014 Gaza war, came after Netanyahu earlier convened the ministerial committee responsible for returning Israeli captives to discuss efforts to reach a prisoner exchange with Hamas, Channel 13 reported.While Hamas has in recent weeks expressed interest in reaching a deal, the terror group, which is the de facto ruler in the Strip and openly seeks Israel’s destruction, has said that in order for such a deal to take place, Israel must first release all teenage, female and elderly prisoners in addition to those who were rearrested after the 2011 Shalit deal, when more than 1,000 terror convicts were freed in exchange for a single IDF soldier.Ismail Haniyeh, who leads the Gaza-based group, has said that he was optimistic there was a chance to reach a prisoner swap deal with Israel, and that the group was ready for indirect negotiations.Leah Goldin (r), mother of late Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, and Zehava Shaul, mother of late Israeli soldier Oron Shaul, whose bodies are held by Hamas in Gaza, outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem, August 5, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)The issue of the captives was reportedly delaying Israel’s okay for new investment money to be funneled into blockaded Gaza, and Hamas was growing desperate to lift part of the blockade amid the global coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn.Some Israeli defense bodies are said to believe a prisoner swap would bring quiet to the often tense border for the immediate future.After weeks of quiet, Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket into Israel early Wednesday that landed in an open area, causing no injuries or damage, the IDF said. The IDF said that in response tanks shelled three Hamas military positions in the northern Gaza Strip.Israel and Hamas have in the past failed to advance in the talks, in part because each has demanded a different timetable. Hamas has demanded two rounds of prisoner releases — the first in exchange for information on the captives, the second in exchange for the actual delivery to Israel of the captives and the soldiers’ bodies. Israel has refused, insisting that any deal must take place in a single exchange.The coalition deal inked last month between Netanyahu and Benny Gantz also opens a possible political window for a deal, as Gantz’s Blue and White party would likely support an exchange even if some of Netanyahu’s right-wing allies do not.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY WHAT GOD DEALS WITH IN THE LAST AGE.(ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM)
DANIEL 9:24
24 Seventy weeks(490 YEARS) 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.(JESUS AS RULING KING FROM JERUSALEM FOREVER)
HOW WE KNOW A 1,000 YEARS IS ONE DAY.AFTER CREATION-GOD CREATED THE WORLD IN 7 DAYS.SO ON THE 3RD DAY (2,000 YEARS AFTER JESUS DIED,ISRAEL BECAME A NATION AND RECAPTURED JERUSALEM THIS IS THE COUNTDOWN OF THE LAST GENERATION ON EARTH)
HOSEA 6:2
2 After two days will he revive us:(ISRAEL AS A NATION(1948) AND RECAPTURE JERUSALEM(1967) in the third day he will raise us up,(ANY TIME AFTER 2007-1967+40-51 YEARS FOR A GENERATION=2007-2018 SHOULD BE THE END OF THE LAST GENERATION OR LAST AGE OF GRACE)(NOT THE END OF THE WORLD,THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER AND EVER) and we shall live in his sight.(JESUS LIVES FOREVER WITH ISRAEL RULING FROM JERUSALEM FOREVER)
PSALMS 90:4
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
2 PETER 3:8
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
PSALMS 95:10
10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
MATTHEW 1:17
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations;(14)and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations;(14)and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.(14)(42 GENERATIONS DIVIDED BY 2160 YEARS = 51.4 YRS TO A GENERATION)
LUKE 3:38,23
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,(SO HERE IN LUKE 3 WE HAVE 77 GENERATIONS FROM ADAM TO CHRIST-77 DIVIDED BY 4,000 YEARS = 51.9 YRS TO A GENERATIN)(SO A TRUE BIBLE GENERATION IS FROM 40 TO 51 YEARS)
MATTHEW 24:33-36
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things,(ALL THE SIGNS OF PROPHECY HAPPENING IN THEIR BEGGINING STAGES AFTER ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM)(THEN) know that it is near, even at the doors.(THE RAPTURE)
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass,(1967-ISRAELS RECAPTURE OF JERUSALEM=40-51 YRS(A GENERATION)=2007-2018) till all these things be fulfilled.(ALL THE LITERAL PROPHECIES OF THE BIBLE WILL BE FULFILLED(AT LEAST 500 WILL BE FULFILLED)
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Israel approves accessibility plan for Hebron site that violates deals with PA-Defense Ministry announces plan for elevator and bridge at entrance to Tomb of the Patriarchs, which is currently only accessible via a long flight of stone stairs-By Marcy Oster-may 6,20-Today, 10:34 am
JTA — The Defense Ministry has approved plans to make the Tomb of the Patriarchs handicap accessible without obtaining the agreement of the Hebron municipality, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority.The plan would violate several agreements between Israel and the Palestinians that make the Palestinian Authority the planning authority for the site.The Hebron municipality and the Waqf, which oversees Muslim holy sites in the Palestinian territories, objected to what it described as the expropriation of Palestinian land for the project.The site, holy to both Jews and Muslims, is accessible now only by its iconic stairs. The $1.4 million project includes an elevator, a path to reach the entrance from the parking area and a bridge connecting the elevator to the entrance.Jews pray at the Hall of Isaac at the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron on August 29, 2019. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90) “The time has come to move forward,” Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday. “We have green-lighted the elevator project to end the many years of discrimination at the site. Every person, irrespective of whether or not they are disabled, should have the opportunity to visit the tomb, which is an important Jewish heritage site.”Bennett, the defense minister since November, will give up the position in the coming days when the new coalition government is scheduled to be sworn in.The plan still needs the approval of the higher planning council of the military’s Civil Administration, which oversees civilian activity in the West Bank.
ISRAELS TROUBLE
JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.
DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)
Women hail victory as Sudan moves to ban genital mutilation-Transitional authorities expected to ratify amendments to punish those who perform operation with up to 3 years in jail and fine; nearly 9 out of 10 Sudanese girls are victims-By Abdelmoneim Abu Idris Ali-may 6,20-Today, 9:13 amy 5, 2020 (ASHRAF SHAZLY / AFP)
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AFP) — Hakam Ibrahim was seven when, like most Sudanese girls, she became a victim of female genital mutilation — an age-old practice decried as horrific that the post-revolution government is now banning.A mother of four in her 40s, Ibrahim vividly recalls the traumatic experience of what remains a widespread ritual in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia despite a concerted human rights campaign to end it.The night before it happened, Ibrahim remembers, women from her neighborhood in the capital Khartoum were singing and ululating as they drew ceremonial henna tattoos on her hands.In the day itself, she was taken to a small room where a woman in a white robe performed the operation to remove Ibrahim’s external genitalia.“I was put on a bed and felt excruciating pain jolting through my body,” she told AFP. “The pain lasted an entire week.”The practice has long been viewed, especially in rural communities, as a “rite of passage” for girls and a way to preserve their chastity.Sudanese women and youth walk together in the capital Khartoum’s district of Jureif Ghar on May 5, 2020 (ASHRAF SHAZLY / AFP) In Sudan nearly nine out of 10 girls fall victim to what is known as FGM or genital cutting, according to the United Nations.In its most brutal form, it involves the removal of the labia and clitoris, often in unsanitary conditions and without anesthesia.The wound is then sewn shut, often causing cysts and infections and leaving women to suffer severe pain during sex and childbirth complications later in life.Rights groups have for years decried as barbaric the practice which can lead to myriad physical, psychological and sexual complications and, in the most tragic cases, death.‘Rights violation’Last week, Sudan’s cabinet approved amendments to the criminal code that would punish those who perform the operation with up to three years in prison and a fine.It is expected to soon be ratified by Sudan’s transitional authorities.In this photo from August 31, 2019, Sudan’s ex-president Omar al-Bashir appears in court in the capital Khartoum to face charges of illegal acquisition and use of foreign funds. (Ebrahim Hamid/AFP) The watershed move is part of reforms that have come since the ouster more than a year ago of strongman Omar al-Bashir after mass demonstrations in which women took a leading role.“It is a very important step for Sudanese women and shows that we have come a long way,” said women’s rights activist Zeinab Badreddin.The United Nations Children’s Fund also welcomed the landmark decision.“This practice is not only a violation of every girl child’s rights, it is harmful and has serious consequences for a girl’s physical and mental health,” said Abdullah Fadil, the UNICEF Representative in Khartoum.The UN says FGM is widespread in many countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, affecting the lives of millions of girls and women.In Sudan, rights campaigners say the custom has over the past three decades spread to remote regions where it was previously not practiced, including Sudan’s Nuba mountains.Political upheaval-In neighboring Egypt, as in several other countries, genital cutting is now prohibited. A 2008 law punishes it with up to seven years in prison.Sudan’s anti-FGM advocates came close to a ban in 2015 when a bill was discussed in parliament but then shot down by Bashir who caved in to pressure from some Islamic clerics.Yet many religious leaders have spoken out against genital cutting over the years.“Criminalizing FGM does not contradict religion, and there is no (religious) text that permits female circumcision,” said 28-year-old rights activist Sherine Abu Bakr.“It is a practice that should be fought, especially with the change happening in the country.”Sudan has been shaken by political upheaval — most notably the April 2019 military ouster of Bashir following mass protests against his 30-year-rule, and the dismantling of his ruling Islamist party.People gather as they celebrate the first anniversary of mass protests that led to the ouster of former president and longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum, Sudan, November 19, 2019. (AP Photo)A transitional administration including a civilian-majority ruling body has since August taken the reins to steer the country through a mountain of social, economic and political challenges.“While we are very happy with the amendments, the law alone is not enough,” said Manal Abdel Halim of the Salima initiative fighting FGM in Sudan.“We still need more community awareness campaigns,” she added.Badreddin also believes punishments should be extended to family members who pressure their female relatives into undergoing the operations.Ibrahim agreed. “I hope that the amendments help people realize that people should keep their girls in the good physical condition in which they were born,” she said.
DISEASES 500 million Dead
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 billion) of (8 billion) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS)(500 million) and with hunger,(FAMINE)(500 million) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES)(500 million) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE)(500 million).
Top U.S. general: 'We don't know' if coronavirus emerged from Chinese lab-[Reuters]-May 5, 2020
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. general said on Tuesday it was still unknown whether the coronavirus emerged from a wet market in China, a laboratory or some other location, but reaffirmed the U.S. view that it was probably not man-made."Did it come out of the virology lab in Wuhan? Did it occur in a wet market there in Wuhan? Did it occur somewhere else? And the answer to that is: We don't know," Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news conference, adding the U.S. government was looking into it.The remarks stood in contrast to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's assessment on Sunday that there was "a significant amount of evidence" that the new coronavirus emerged from a Chinese laboratory.(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Chris Reese)
ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST
1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
GENESIS 12:1-3
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I (GOD) will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee,(ISRAELIS) and curse (DESTROY) him that curseth thee:(DESTROY THEM) and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
ISAIAH 41:11
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee (ISRAEL) shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing;(DESTROYED) and they that strive with thee shall perish.(ISRAEL HATERS WILL BE TOTALLY DESTROYED)
Iran’s president says an end to UN arms embargo is a ‘right’-Hassan Rouhani offers veiled warning of unspecified steps if international embargo, which is set to expire in October, is extended-By Nasser Karimi-may 6,20
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Iranian president said Wednesday that lifting a UN arms embargo on Tehran would be an “obvious right” and added a veiled warning of unspecified steps Iran could take if the embargo is extended, as the United States wants.Hassan Rouhani’s remarks were in response to a push by the US, which last month circulated a draft UN resolution that would indefinitely extend the embargo set to expire in October. Such a move is almost certain to spark opposition from Russia, which has made no secret of its desire to resume conventional weapons sales to Tehran.“Iran considers the lifting of the arms embargo an obvious right,” Rouhani said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast live on state TV.UN Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers envisages an end to the embargo five years after the deal. President Donald Trump pulled America out of the deal in 2018 and imposed harsher sanctions on Iran.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a ceremony celebrating the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, at the Azadi, Freedom, Square in Tehran, Iran, on February 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)The arms embargo was not a part of the 2015 accord, but Iran has long sought its removal and its expiration was included in the council resolution as a reward for Iranian compliance with the agreement’s nuclear restrictions.Since Iran is admittedly no longer complying with several elements of the nuclear deal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the US administration believes it has a case to make that the embargo should not be lifted.“Iran will not accept violation of the …. (UN) resolution under any circumstances,” Rouhani said. He said extending the embargo would lead to “serious consequence and a historic failure” for the West.If the embargo is extended, Rouhani said Iran’s response would mirror the steps it took after the US pullout from nuclear deal — including going beyond the deal’s enrichment and stockpile limitations and injecting uranium gas into over a thousand centrifuges at a fortified nuclear facility built inside a mountain.Rouhani did not elaborate but insisted that Iran’s arms program has always been a “defensive” one.Before the embargo, Iran had said it was exporting arms to dozens of countries but never offered specifics. Though it is not independently verifiable, Iran has been seeking a military self-sufficiency program since 1992, producing an array of weapons, including missiles, torpedoes, submarines and jetfighters.In this April 15, 2020, photo made available by US Navy, Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels sail close to US military ships in the Persian Gulf near Kuwait. (U.S. Navy via AP) Despite the coronavirus pandemic that has gripped both the US and Iran, which has the worst outbreak in the Middle East, tensions have escalated between Tehran and Washington in recent months.In April, the US Navy said that 11 gunboats belonging to Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard forces carried out “dangerous and harassing approaches” to American Navy and Coast Guard vessels in the Persian Gulf. The Americans said they used a variety of nonlethal means to warn off the Iranian boats, which eventually left. Iran, meanwhile, accused the US of sparking the incident.
FAMINE
EZEKIEL 5:16
16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
q8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
DEUTORONOMY 28:24
24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
EU forecasts 7.7% recession of ‘historic proportions’ due to virus pandemic-The Times of Israel-European Commission expects bloc’s economy to contract, with 19-member single currency zone rebounding by 6.3% in 2021, but in an uncertain recovery that would be felt unevenly-By AFP-may 6,20-Today, 1:46 pm
BRUSSELS — The European Commission said Wednesday the eurozone economy would contract by a staggering 7.7 percent in 2020, as the catastrophic consequences of the coronavirus outbreak sweep through the continent.alling it a “recession of historic proportions,” the EU’s executive said the 19-member single currency zone would rebound by 6.3 percent in 2021, but in an uncertain recovery that would be felt unevenly across the continent.That question is pressing, amid gripes by Italy and Spain that wealthier Germany and the Netherlands have the means to swiftly turbocharge their own recoveries, lessening their enthusiasm for measures to help the south.The commission’s data seemed to confirm this concern, with Italy seeing a cataclysmic recession of 9.5 percent in 2020, and only a 6.5 percent recovery next year to make up the ground.A man walks by the Euro sculpture in front of the old European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, May 5, 2020 (AP Photo/Michael Probst) Greece’s recession would reach an eye-watering 9.7 percent, wiping out all the gains of its post-bailout recovery, and only pull back by 7.9 percent in 2021, the commission said.The recovery meanwhile would be much healthier in Germany’s economy, Europe’s economic powerhouse, which was predicted to sink by 6.5 percent in 2020 and recover 5.9 percent in 2021.A woman covers her face while she pushes a shopping trolley along a street, in Pamplona, northern Spain, May 2, 2020 (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)The effects on public finances in heavily indebted Italy would be particularly bad, with the annual deficit soaring to 11.1 percent of annual output, and with Spain and France overspending by 10 percent.The EU limit is normally three percent.“Europe is facing an economic shock without precedent since the Great Depression,” said European Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, referring to the aftermath of the 1929 financial crash.
PSALMS 137:5-6
5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.(STROKE)
6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
ISAIAH 31:5
5 As birds flying,(WAR PLANES WITH BOMBS) so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem;(WITH PLANES) defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.(NUKE OR BOMB ISRAELS ENEMIES)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(disolved from atomic bomb) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(disolved from atomic bomb) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(disolved from atomic bomb)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)
ZECHARIAH 14:1-4 King James Bible
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
US ambassador says Washington ‘ready to recognize annexation’ within weeks-The Times of Israel--US ambassador says Washington ‘ready to recognize annexation’ within weeks-David Friedman tells newspaper that applying sovereignty in parts of West Bank is up to Israel, as long as it’s done within framework of Trump peace plan-By TOI staff-may 6,20 12:59 pm
In the latest show of American support for Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank, US Ambassador David Friedman said in an interview that Washington is ready to recognize Israeli sovereignty in the disputed areas should it be declared in the coming weeks.In an interview with the pro-ruling party Israel Hayom daily published Wednesday, Friedman said that it is up to Israel to decide whether it wants to move forward with annexing settlements but that if it does, Washington will recognize the move.“We are not declaring sovereignty, but rather Israel, and then we are ready to recognize it,” he said.then the mapping process is over, when the Israeli government agrees to freeze building in the same parts of Area C that aren’t designated for the application of sovereignty and when the prime minister agrees to negotiate with the Palestinians on the basis of the Trump plan — and he already agreed to this on the first day — we’ll recognize Israel’s sovereignty in areas that according to the plan will be a part of it,” he said in comments published in Hebrew.US President Donald Trump (ledt) and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu take part in an announcement of Trump’s Middle East peace plan in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 28, 2020. MANDEL NGAN / AFP) Last week, amid reports intimating that the White House was conditioning its support for Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank on negotiations over a Palestinian state, the Trump administration stressed that it continued to back Israel’s annexation plans, as long as they’re carried out in the framework of the peace plan US President Donald Trump presented on January 28.According to the proposed plan, the US will recognize an Israeli application of sovereignty over parts of the West Bank following the completion of a survey conducted by a joint US-Israel mapping committee and Israel’s acceptance of both a four-year freeze of the areas earmarked for a future Palestinian state and a commitment to negotiate with the Palestinians based on the terms of Trump’s peace deal.Despite the stipulation that Israel impose a partial settlement freeze, Friedman told Israel Hayom that the communities in question will be able to expand within their municipal boundaries even if they are prohibited from growing their footprints on the ground.Under the coalition deal reached between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and the Blue and White party last month, the next government can begin passing legislation to annex the Jordan Valley and West Bank settlements after July 1; the prospective government has yet to be formed.After the announcement of the unity deal last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that annexation is not something for Washington to interfere with.“The Israelis will ultimately make those decisions. That’s an Israeli decision, but we’ll work closely with them to share our views of this in a private setting,” he said during a press conference.Less than a week later, on April 27, a State Department spokesperson reiterated that the US was ready to recognize Israel’s annexation of parts of the West Bank but asked Israel’s government to also negotiate with the Palestinians.A view of the Israeli West Bank settlment of Ariel, January 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)“As we have made consistently clear, we are prepared to recognize Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty and the application of Israeli law to areas of the West Bank that the vision foresees as being part of the State of Israel,” the spokesperson said.“The annexation would be in the context of an offer to the Palestinians to achieve statehood based upon specific terms, conditions, territorial dimensions and generous economic support. This is an unprecedented and highly beneficial opportunity for the Palestinians,” he said.The Palestinian Authority and much of the international community has rejected the Trump plan. Senior officials in the European Union and United Nations on have warned Israel against the intention to annex parts of the West Bank, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell saying that such a move “would constitute a serious violation of international law.”The US had initially called on Israel to slow down on annexation when Netanyahu vowed to swiftly start annexing parts of the West Bank moments after the White House unveiled its peace proposal. Though Friedman initially backed the move happening immediately upon the release of the Trump plan, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and the chief architect of the plan, said publicly he expected Israel to wait at least until after Knesset elections.Vision for Peace Conceptual Map published by the Trump Administration on January 28, 2020.In his remarks to Israel Hayom, Friedman asserted that Israelis across the political spectrum supported the Trump plan and that “just as Americans would never relinquish the area on which the Statue of Liberty stands, even though it’s a very small area, Israel would never agree to give up” settlements like Beit El and Hebron.Settlement leaders welcomed Friedman’s comments on Wednesday, even as they remained divided on the merits of the overall Trump plan.Oded Revivi, mayor of the Efrat settlement, pointed to Chaim Weizmann’s backing of the decisions at the San Remo conference 100 years ago “even though the entire Zionist dream wasn’t realized” and David Ben-Gurion’s acceptance of the UN partition plan in 1947 despite reservations about the proposed borders of a Jewish state.“The same courage is now required from the right-wing and settlement leadership to say yes despite the conditions and the challenges,” he said in a statement.
ISRAEL
Whose Promised Land? Psalm 78:54-55 (ISRAELS)
54 And He brought them to His holy border, This mountain which His right hand had acquired.
55 He also drove out the nations before them,Allotted them an inheritance by survey, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
PSALMS 79:1-13 (GOD GIVES 7 TIMES DESTRUCTION TO WORLD NATIONS FOR COMING AGAINST JERUSALEM)
1 A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance;(JERUSALEM) thy holy temple have they defiled;(AD 70) they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.
2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.
4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
5 How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob,(ISRAEL) and laid waste his dwelling place.
8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;
12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold (7 TIMES THE DESTRUCTION) into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.(BY DESTROYING JERUSALEM)
13 So we thy people (ISRAELIS) and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever:(KING JESUS) we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.(FOREVER ON EARTH)
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20 And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)
ZECHARIAH 12:1-5 King James Bible
1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
JOEL 3:2 (WW3 OCCURS WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED)
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people (ISRAEL) and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.(JERUSALEM)(WW3 STARTS BECAUSE JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AND ISRAELIS UPROOTED FROM THEIR GOD GIVIN LAND BRINGS 3 DEAD BILLION IN WW3)
MICAH 4:1,6-13
1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;
7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.
10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.
Ex-official in charge of prisoner swaps sees ‘real possibility’ of Hamas deal-The Times of Israel-official in charge of prisoner swaps sees ‘real possibility’ of Hamas deal-German report says Swiss diplomat and 2 officials from Berlin have teamed up with Egyptian general to spearhead negotiations for return of Israeli captives in Gaza-By TOI staff-may 6,20-Today, 11:08 am
A former Mossad official who was involved in the 2011 deal to free Gilad Shalit expressed optimism about the possibility of a prisoner swap between Israel and the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group in an interview published Wednesday.“It seems there is a real possibility at the moment for a deal between Hamas and Israel for the release of the captives and the missing,” David Meidan told German weekly Die Zeit, according to the Ynet news site. “The gaps aren’t so great.”“Hamas, for its part, is under pressure because of the coronavirus pandemic and fears that when it erupts, it may be left without adequate medical equipment,” said Meidan, who previously served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointed representative overseeing efforts to return Israelis held captive by Hamas in Gaza.However, according to the report, German officials are wary of their Israeli counterparts’ optimism.David Meidan, the negotiator responsible for efforts to return captive soldier Gilad Shalit at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, October 12, 2011 (Miriam Alster/Flash90) The possibility of a deal to return two Israeli captives — Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed — and the bodies of two IDF soldiers being held in the Gaza Strip has appeared to pick up momentum recently.According to the Die Ziet report, Zehava Shaul, whose son Oron’s body is held by Hamas, visited Berlin in December 2017 and, during a series of meetings arranged by the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli officials, asked Germany to take a role in possible negotiations for a deal.Three months later, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Israel and met with Netanyahu, with the two men agreeing that Berlin would take an active role in negotiations.The report said that when he was justice minister, Maas had close relations with his Israeli then-counterpart Ayelet Shaked, a role during which he spoke many times about the importance of Germany’s commitment to Israel, “because of Auschwitz.”After the meeting between Maas and Netanyahu, German Chancellor Angela Merkel instructed German Federal Intelligence Service chief Bruno Kahl to become involved in mediation and Kahl in turn imposed the task on two senior officials who searched for a path to access the Hamas leadership, in particular the terror group’s Gaza chief, Yahya Sinwar.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, on March 26, 2018 (Kobi Gideon / GPO) It was determined that a senior Swiss diplomat stationed in the Middle East had the necessary contacts, and the three were then joined in the team by an Egyptian general who was a partner in the negotiations that led to the Shalit deal.Israeli officials last month reportedly quietly confirmed that “significant” talks were underway with Hamas.The government’s current chief negotiator for the release of Israelis held by the terror group updated families last week regarding the prisoner swap talks, while a senior Hamas official reacted Sunday to reported progress, saying the terror group was willing to “sacrifice everything” to win the release of its members from Israeli prisons.Clockwise from top left: Abera Mengistu, Hisham al-Sayed, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul (Flash 90/Times of Israel) Husam Badran, the Gaza-based movement’s international spokesman and a member of its political bureau, said Hamas was aiming to make “a significant achievement” in the deal but wasn’t eager to discuss the details in the media.“The further things are from the eye of the media, the more there are positive and practical results,” he said, according to Hebrew-language media reports.Defense Minister Naftali Bennett was asked about the possibility of a prisoner swap during a press conference on Sunday, but refused to comment on any specific developments.“I oppose releasing murderers. Period,” Bennett said.Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday said he too would oppose a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.“If there’s a deal like this I’ll oppose it with all my might,” he told the Ynet news site, adding that Netanyahu had refused his request for the security cabinet to discuss a potential swap deal.“I’m troubled,” he said. “The release of terrorists is a red line that can’t be crossed.”Illustrative: Hamas members watch as a bus carrying Palestinian prisoners arrives at the Rafah crossing with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip on October 18, 2011. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash 90)The meeting last week between current Israeli chief negotiator Yaron Blum and the families of Sergeant First Class Shaul and Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, both killed in action during the 2014 Gaza war, came after Netanyahu earlier convened the ministerial committee responsible for returning Israeli captives to discuss efforts to reach a prisoner exchange with Hamas, Channel 13 reported.While Hamas has in recent weeks expressed interest in reaching a deal, the terror group, which is the de facto ruler in the Strip and openly seeks Israel’s destruction, has said that in order for such a deal to take place, Israel must first release all teenage, female and elderly prisoners in addition to those who were rearrested after the 2011 Shalit deal, when more than 1,000 terror convicts were freed in exchange for a single IDF soldier.Ismail Haniyeh, who leads the Gaza-based group, has said that he was optimistic there was a chance to reach a prisoner swap deal with Israel, and that the group was ready for indirect negotiations.Leah Goldin (r), mother of late Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, and Zehava Shaul, mother of late Israeli soldier Oron Shaul, whose bodies are held by Hamas in Gaza, outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem, August 5, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)The issue of the captives was reportedly delaying Israel’s okay for new investment money to be funneled into blockaded Gaza, and Hamas was growing desperate to lift part of the blockade amid the global coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn.Some Israeli defense bodies are said to believe a prisoner swap would bring quiet to the often tense border for the immediate future.After weeks of quiet, Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket into Israel early Wednesday that landed in an open area, causing no injuries or damage, the IDF said. The IDF said that in response tanks shelled three Hamas military positions in the northern Gaza Strip.Israel and Hamas have in the past failed to advance in the talks, in part because each has demanded a different timetable. Hamas has demanded two rounds of prisoner releases — the first in exchange for information on the captives, the second in exchange for the actual delivery to Israel of the captives and the soldiers’ bodies. Israel has refused, insisting that any deal must take place in a single exchange.The coalition deal inked last month between Netanyahu and Benny Gantz also opens a possible political window for a deal, as Gantz’s Blue and White party would likely support an exchange even if some of Netanyahu’s right-wing allies do not.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY WHAT GOD DEALS WITH IN THE LAST AGE.(ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM)
DANIEL 9:24
24 Seventy weeks(490 YEARS) 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.(JESUS AS RULING KING FROM JERUSALEM FOREVER)
HOW WE KNOW A 1,000 YEARS IS ONE DAY.AFTER CREATION-GOD CREATED THE WORLD IN 7 DAYS.SO ON THE 3RD DAY (2,000 YEARS AFTER JESUS DIED,ISRAEL BECAME A NATION AND RECAPTURED JERUSALEM THIS IS THE COUNTDOWN OF THE LAST GENERATION ON EARTH)
HOSEA 6:2
2 After two days will he revive us:(ISRAEL AS A NATION(1948) AND RECAPTURE JERUSALEM(1967) in the third day he will raise us up,(ANY TIME AFTER 2007-1967+40-51 YEARS FOR A GENERATION=2007-2018 SHOULD BE THE END OF THE LAST GENERATION OR LAST AGE OF GRACE)(NOT THE END OF THE WORLD,THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER AND EVER) and we shall live in his sight.(JESUS LIVES FOREVER WITH ISRAEL RULING FROM JERUSALEM FOREVER)
PSALMS 90:4
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
2 PETER 3:8
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
PSALMS 95:10
10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
MATTHEW 1:17
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations;(14)and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations;(14)and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.(14)(42 GENERATIONS DIVIDED BY 2160 YEARS = 51.4 YRS TO A GENERATION)
LUKE 3:38,23
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,(SO HERE IN LUKE 3 WE HAVE 77 GENERATIONS FROM ADAM TO CHRIST-77 DIVIDED BY 4,000 YEARS = 51.9 YRS TO A GENERATIN)(SO A TRUE BIBLE GENERATION IS FROM 40 TO 51 YEARS)
MATTHEW 24:33-36
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things,(ALL THE SIGNS OF PROPHECY HAPPENING IN THEIR BEGGINING STAGES AFTER ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM)(THEN) know that it is near, even at the doors.(THE RAPTURE)
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass,(1967-ISRAELS RECAPTURE OF JERUSALEM=40-51 YRS(A GENERATION)=2007-2018) till all these things be fulfilled.(ALL THE LITERAL PROPHECIES OF THE BIBLE WILL BE FULFILLED(AT LEAST 500 WILL BE FULFILLED)
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Israel approves accessibility plan for Hebron site that violates deals with PA-Defense Ministry announces plan for elevator and bridge at entrance to Tomb of the Patriarchs, which is currently only accessible via a long flight of stone stairs-By Marcy Oster-may 6,20-Today, 10:34 am
JTA — The Defense Ministry has approved plans to make the Tomb of the Patriarchs handicap accessible without obtaining the agreement of the Hebron municipality, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority.The plan would violate several agreements between Israel and the Palestinians that make the Palestinian Authority the planning authority for the site.The Hebron municipality and the Waqf, which oversees Muslim holy sites in the Palestinian territories, objected to what it described as the expropriation of Palestinian land for the project.The site, holy to both Jews and Muslims, is accessible now only by its iconic stairs. The $1.4 million project includes an elevator, a path to reach the entrance from the parking area and a bridge connecting the elevator to the entrance.Jews pray at the Hall of Isaac at the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron on August 29, 2019. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90) “The time has come to move forward,” Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday. “We have green-lighted the elevator project to end the many years of discrimination at the site. Every person, irrespective of whether or not they are disabled, should have the opportunity to visit the tomb, which is an important Jewish heritage site.”Bennett, the defense minister since November, will give up the position in the coming days when the new coalition government is scheduled to be sworn in.The plan still needs the approval of the higher planning council of the military’s Civil Administration, which oversees civilian activity in the West Bank.
ISRAELS TROUBLE
JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.
DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)
Women hail victory as Sudan moves to ban genital mutilation-Transitional authorities expected to ratify amendments to punish those who perform operation with up to 3 years in jail and fine; nearly 9 out of 10 Sudanese girls are victims-By Abdelmoneim Abu Idris Ali-may 6,20-Today, 9:13 amy 5, 2020 (ASHRAF SHAZLY / AFP)
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AFP) — Hakam Ibrahim was seven when, like most Sudanese girls, she became a victim of female genital mutilation — an age-old practice decried as horrific that the post-revolution government is now banning.A mother of four in her 40s, Ibrahim vividly recalls the traumatic experience of what remains a widespread ritual in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia despite a concerted human rights campaign to end it.The night before it happened, Ibrahim remembers, women from her neighborhood in the capital Khartoum were singing and ululating as they drew ceremonial henna tattoos on her hands.In the day itself, she was taken to a small room where a woman in a white robe performed the operation to remove Ibrahim’s external genitalia.“I was put on a bed and felt excruciating pain jolting through my body,” she told AFP. “The pain lasted an entire week.”The practice has long been viewed, especially in rural communities, as a “rite of passage” for girls and a way to preserve their chastity.Sudanese women and youth walk together in the capital Khartoum’s district of Jureif Ghar on May 5, 2020 (ASHRAF SHAZLY / AFP) In Sudan nearly nine out of 10 girls fall victim to what is known as FGM or genital cutting, according to the United Nations.In its most brutal form, it involves the removal of the labia and clitoris, often in unsanitary conditions and without anesthesia.The wound is then sewn shut, often causing cysts and infections and leaving women to suffer severe pain during sex and childbirth complications later in life.Rights groups have for years decried as barbaric the practice which can lead to myriad physical, psychological and sexual complications and, in the most tragic cases, death.‘Rights violation’Last week, Sudan’s cabinet approved amendments to the criminal code that would punish those who perform the operation with up to three years in prison and a fine.It is expected to soon be ratified by Sudan’s transitional authorities.In this photo from August 31, 2019, Sudan’s ex-president Omar al-Bashir appears in court in the capital Khartoum to face charges of illegal acquisition and use of foreign funds. (Ebrahim Hamid/AFP) The watershed move is part of reforms that have come since the ouster more than a year ago of strongman Omar al-Bashir after mass demonstrations in which women took a leading role.“It is a very important step for Sudanese women and shows that we have come a long way,” said women’s rights activist Zeinab Badreddin.The United Nations Children’s Fund also welcomed the landmark decision.“This practice is not only a violation of every girl child’s rights, it is harmful and has serious consequences for a girl’s physical and mental health,” said Abdullah Fadil, the UNICEF Representative in Khartoum.The UN says FGM is widespread in many countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, affecting the lives of millions of girls and women.In Sudan, rights campaigners say the custom has over the past three decades spread to remote regions where it was previously not practiced, including Sudan’s Nuba mountains.Political upheaval-In neighboring Egypt, as in several other countries, genital cutting is now prohibited. A 2008 law punishes it with up to seven years in prison.Sudan’s anti-FGM advocates came close to a ban in 2015 when a bill was discussed in parliament but then shot down by Bashir who caved in to pressure from some Islamic clerics.Yet many religious leaders have spoken out against genital cutting over the years.“Criminalizing FGM does not contradict religion, and there is no (religious) text that permits female circumcision,” said 28-year-old rights activist Sherine Abu Bakr.“It is a practice that should be fought, especially with the change happening in the country.”Sudan has been shaken by political upheaval — most notably the April 2019 military ouster of Bashir following mass protests against his 30-year-rule, and the dismantling of his ruling Islamist party.People gather as they celebrate the first anniversary of mass protests that led to the ouster of former president and longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum, Sudan, November 19, 2019. (AP Photo)A transitional administration including a civilian-majority ruling body has since August taken the reins to steer the country through a mountain of social, economic and political challenges.“While we are very happy with the amendments, the law alone is not enough,” said Manal Abdel Halim of the Salima initiative fighting FGM in Sudan.“We still need more community awareness campaigns,” she added.Badreddin also believes punishments should be extended to family members who pressure their female relatives into undergoing the operations.Ibrahim agreed. “I hope that the amendments help people realize that people should keep their girls in the good physical condition in which they were born,” she said.
