ARE SETTLEMENTS IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA LEGAL?!

June 25, 2003 Women in Green Hour with Ruth Matar Arutz Sheva English Program www.IsraelNationalNews.com

Last night, at 4:15 a.m. to be exact, the Israeli Army, on orders of the Sharon government, forcefully dragged a few young Jewish settlers out of their tent encampment near Hebron. This encampment was set up near where our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and our matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca and Leah are buried in Hebron, and the place where King David ruled for seven years before moving his capital to Jerusalem. An incredible victory for General Sharon and President George W. Bush! Or, was it really?

Last Sunday night, 400 rabbis from all over the country met in Jerusalem to protest against the plan to give up parts of the Land of Israel to foreign rule. Former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu said: "No one, from the simplest person to even the Prime Minister, has the right to cede even one granule of the Land of Israel! The Holy One, blessed be He, gave it to us! To us alone He gave it!"

Rabbi Dov Lior of Kiryat Arba said: "We will not make our security and safety dependent on conceding our rights to pieces of our Holy Land."

One rabbi stood up and in an impromptu manner said: "We are not talking about evacuation, we are talking deportation."

"Nearly ten years ago, we gathered here to express our opposition to the new-born Oslo Accords. We said that Arafat cannot be trusted, and that the Palestinian Authority would never fight terrorism, and that we must not trust the PLO to protect our lives. We warned that the PLO had not given up its plan to defeat Israel in 'stages', and we pleaded with the government not to give them guns, and we warned that Jewish blood would flow in the Holy Land. What was the reaction? 'Rabbis, go back to your synagogues and yeshivas, and leave these issues to the people who really know - leave it to the military men, and the politicians, and the poets, and the talk-show hosts, and the other opinion-makers.' But we all now see the truth! We know how right we were, and how wrong they were! I say to the press: Read all the garbage that you wrote in the last ten years, and realize that the rabbis were right!

"Mr. President Bush, you earned well-deserved admiration for your courageous and just actions in Iraq - but here in Israel, you have faltered. Deep down in your heart of hearts, you know that there is absolutely no difference between bin Laden and Saddam Hussein and Yasser Arafat! Only all-out war can crush what you called the 'axis of evil'. We call on you: Don't become the George Washington of a terrorist state alongside Israel! Please, listen to the words of the rabbis. Don't repeat the same mistakes of the last ten years.

"Mr. Prime Minister Sharon: Don't do it! We're not occupiers - this is our very own land! Tell the world the Land is ours! Open up a Bible and read it to them - they'll respect you for it. No one has the right to give away this Land, as it is ours in the past, present and future. Mr. Prime Minister: Don't travel that road!"

There is no dearth of opinions with regard to "Jewish settlers" and "Jewish settlements" in the Holy Land.

We hear that even "moderate" Arab rulers, like Mubarak of Egypt and King Hussein of Jordan, think that there can be no peace until all Jewish settlements are removed from "occupied" Arab land.

We keep getting not so subtle hints from Saudi Arabia, the very country who sent the United States 15 of the 19 suicide bombers who perpetrated the September 11 terrorist attack. 25% of the world's oil supply is in their hands, and they made it clear to President Bush that they will not continue to supply the US unless America dances to their music. For a start, the Jewish settlements have to be demolished, and all Jewish settlers have to be evacuated from Palestinian land. (The term Palestinian land, of course, is part of the Big Lie. Judea, Samaria and Gaza were never part of any political entity other than the Jewish State.)

Also, powerful financial interests like Mobil Oil; Anglo-Persian Oil; Aramco; Bechtel Corporation; Caltex; Gulf Oil; Dresser Industries; Iraq Petroleum Co.; Pan-American Petroleum Co.; Pauley Petroleum; Permargo; Soconi Vacuum; Standard Oil of California; Standard Oil of New Jersey; Texaco; Zapata Petroleum are vying with each other to support the Arab viewpoint.

A must read: The Bush family's connection to the oil industry as discussed in "The Secret War Against the Jews" by John Loftus and Mark Aarons, and how this connection affects American policy toward Israel.

Even President George W. Bush, who once was viewed as one of Israel's greatest friends, has crossed a dangerous red line by declaring his support for a Palestinian State and his designating Judea, Samaria and Gaza as "occupied" territory.

The worst sin of all is that of Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He probably made his statement that Judea and Samaria are not "in dispute", but rather "occupied", to gain brownie points with President Bush. However, to quote Mid-East analyst Emanuel Winston: "Any leader of a country working with a foreign government to subvert that nation's legal positions would be considered treasonous. If Sharon has with malice aforethought stated that Israel's position in the territories is not 'in dispute', but rather 'occupied' to assist foreign governments, that is high treason in any language."

The Attorney General of Israel, Elyakim Rubinstein, informed Sharon of his "error" and mandated a written retraction. Sharon complied with this demand, but his statement had already been absorbed into the Bush-Quartet Road Map.

Don't we have any powerful friends whatsoever? Open the Bible to Genesis chapter17, verses 7 & 8. These scriptures make it very clear that we do have a powerful friend. The G-d of the Bible is on Israel's side, and He has said:

"I will ratify My covenant between Me and you and between your offspring after you, throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant, to be a G-d to you and to your offspring after you; and I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojourns - the whole land of Canaan - as an everlasting possession; and I shall be a G-d to them."

No doubt about G-d's intentions here. Bible believing Jews and Christians know that the Word of HaShem is eternal and that G-d does not change His mind.

Our guest tonight is Daniella Weiss, the Mayor of Kedumim in Samaria, and a member of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. In many ways, Daniella Weiss is a role model for the Women in Green. She has an important position, but never hesitates to be there for all who are struggling to settle the land of Israel.

(A recording of this entire program, including the interview, is available on http://www.israelnationalnews.com Click on Radio/On Demand Audio)

The important question we are addressing in this program is whether Jewish Settlements in Judea and Samaria are legal.

Keeping up with the policies of recent American presidents with regard to Jewish settlement in Judea, Samaria and Gaza is like riding a roller coaster.

Former President Jimmy Carter decreed that Jewish settlements were illegal. Former President Ronald Reagan, on the other hand, always maintained that Jewish settlements in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip were perfectly legal. The Bush Senior administration seemed to consider the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to be "foreign" territory to which Israel has no claim. Bill Clinton's Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, had to reluctantly admit that Jews had a perfect right to settle in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, but thought that this did not promote peace. President George W. Bush follows in his father's footsteps and has declared Jewish settlement in the disputed territories absolutely illegal, but does not mind Arabs building without permits wherever they feel like it, even along the new bypass roads designed to protect the Jews. President George W. Bush and his advisors Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, et al have even gone a step further and declared Judea, Samaria and Gaza "occupied" territory. Of course, none of these people mentioned had a degree in law.

One authority who can legally clarify the question of whether Jewish settlements in Judea, Samaria and Gaza are legal is Eugene W. Rostow. He was US Assistant Secretary of State between 1966 and 1969, and former Dean of the Yale Law School. His legal opinions were published in consolidated articles in the magazine, The New Republic, in 1990 and 1991. In fact, he, as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, helped negotiate Resolution 242.

Resolution 242 calls on the parties to make peace and allows Israel to administer the territories it occupied in 1967 until "a just and lasting peace in the Middle East" is achieved. When such a peace is made, Israel is required to withdraw its armed forces "from territories" it occupied during the Six-Day War - not from "the" territories, nor from "all" the territories, but some of the territories. Resolution 338, passed after the Yom Kippur War in 1973, makes Resolution 242 legally binding.

Since 1967, Arab states have pretended that the two resolutions are "ambiguous" and can be interpreted to suit their desires. And some Europeans and even American officials have cynically allowed Arab spokesmen to delude themselves and their people about what the resolutions mean. It is common for even American journalists to write that Resolution 242 is "deliberately ambiguous" as if the parties are equally free to rely on their own reading of its key provisions.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Five-and-a-half months of vehement public diplomacy made it perfectly clear what the missing definite article in Resolution 242 means. Ingeniously drafted resolutions calling for withdrawals from "all" the territories were defeated in the Security Council and General Assembly. Speaker after speaker made it explicit that Israel was not to be forced back to the "fragile" and "vulnerable" armistice demarcation lines but should retire once peace was made to what Resolution 242 called "secure and recognized" boundaries agreed to by the parties.

It is important to note that some Bush (Senior) administration statements and actions on the Arab-Israeli question, and especially Secretary of State James Baker's disastrous speech of May 22nd, 1989, betrayed a strong impulse to escape from the resolutions as they were negotiated, debated and adopted, and award to the Arabs all the territories between the 1967 lines and the Jordan River, including East Jerusalem.

The Jewish right of settlement in the West Bank is conferred by the same provisions by the mandate under which Jews settled in Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem before the State of Israel was created. The mandate for Palestine, recognizing "the historical connection of the Jewish People of Palestine, and the grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country", is dedicated to the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish People.

In order to read Eugene Rostow's article in its entirety, you can contact me and I will email the article to you.

The solution to the Middle East has to begin with truth, not myth, fantasy and wishful thinking. Palestine has never existed as an autonomous entity. Palestinians are Arabs, indistinguishable from Jordanians, Syrians, Lebanese, Iraqis, etc.

The President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Great Britain and the leaders of Russia and Germany and France and the EU and the UN, none have the right to endorse the creation of a Palestinian state in Israel, nor should they demand that Israel violate G-d's covenant. Who put you all on the throne of G-d and gave you the right to violate G-d's covenant?

ISRAEL'S SETTLEMENTS - THEIR CONFORMITY WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW

1. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Jewish settlements in the West Bank have existed for many hundreds of years. The Jewish community in Hebron existed throughout the centuries of Ottoman rule, while such settlements as Neve Ya'acov and the Gush Etsion block were established under the British Mandatory Administration, which allowed Jewish settlement in these areas.

The approach of the Mandatory Administration to Jewish settlement was fully in accord with the Mandate of the League of Nations, Article 6 of which provided:

"The administration of Palestine, while ensuring that the rights and position of other sections of the population are not prejudiced, shall facilitate Jewish immigration under suitable conditions and shall encourage, in cooperation with the Jewish Agency referred to in Article 4, close settlement by Jews on the land, including State land not required for public use."

Even though British Mandate Authorities, particularly in the latter period of the Mandate, were not sympathetic to the Zionist cause, they nevertheless permitted the establishment of Jewish settlements in the territories since they were implementing the League of Nations Mandate which called for Jewish settlement in the whole area west of the river Jordan.

The right of Jews to establish their homes in these areas is as valid today as always. As Former Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Distinguished Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, Eugene V. Rostow, has written:

"The right of the Jewish people to settle in Palestine has never been terminated for the West Bank..." (American Journal of International Law, vol. 84, July 1990, p. 718).

2. THE LAW OF OCCUPATION
- even if it applies, does not prohibit Israeli settlements

Israel has consistently taken the position that the areas of the West Bank and Gaza cannot be considered as occupied territories under international law. Nonetheless, Israel has undertaken to comply with the humanitarian provisions of the Law of Occupation in its administration of the territories.

In this regard, it has been charged that the establishment of settlements by Israel in the administered areas violates article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and, in particular, paragraph 6, which provides that:

"The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies."

However, it is clear from both the full text of article 49 and from its title, "Deportations, Transfers, Evacuations", that the full provision is directed against the forcible transfer of civilians with a view to protecting the local population from displacement. Oppenheim-Lauterpact confirms that the prohibition is intended to cover "cases of the occupant bringing its nationals for the purpose of displacing the population of the occupied territory" (Vol. II, 7th. ed., p. 452).

This understanding of the provision is underscored by its historical context. Drafted only four years after the end of the Second World War, the provision was intended to deal with forced transfers of population like those which took place in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary before and during the war. The authoritative ICRC commentary states clearly that paragraph 6 was intended to "prevent a practice adopted during the Second World War by certain powers, which transferred portions of their own population to occupied territory for political and racial reasons or in order, as they claimed, to colonise these territories" (Commentary: IV Geneva Convention ed. Pictet (1958), p. 283).

Accordingly, it is evident that Article 49 has no bearing as regards the settlements in the territories. The existence of Jewish settlements in these areas is a continuation of a long-standing Jewish presence. Moreover, the movement of individuals to these areas is entirely voluntary, while the settlements themselves are not intended to displace Arab inhabitants, nor do they do so in practice.

3. THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE AGREEMENTS
- contain no prohibition on the building or expansion of settlements

It has been charged that the building or expansion of Israeli settlements is a breach of the provisions of the Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements.

In fact, neither of the agreements in force between Israel and the PLO - the Declaration of Principles and the Interim Agreement - contain any provision prohibiting or restricting the establishment or expansion of Israeli settlements. Similarly, none of the other agreements between the two sides, now superseded by the Interim Agreement, contained such a provision. At various stages during the negotiations over these agreements, requests were made by the Palestinian side to include such a provision. Israel, however, opposed the inclusion of such a provision, pointing out that Israeli policy in this regard had already been established in a number of decisions by the Israeli Government, and explaining that it was not prepared to undertake any commitment beyond these unilateral Government decisions.

The Declaration of Principles does provide, in Article V, that the issues of settlements and Israelis are among a number of issues to be negotiated in the permanent status negotiations. Article IV provides that the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Council covers "West Bank and Gaza Strip territory, except for those issues that will be negotiated in the permanent status negotiations." Accordingly, not only is there no restriction on settlement activity during the interim period, but the Council has no jurisdiction over settlements or Israelis. Settlements and Israelis remain under exclusive Israeli authority throughout the interim period.

Finally, the suggestion has been made that settlement activity is prohibited by the Interim Agreement, which provides in Article XXXI.7:

"Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations."

The suggestion that this provision prohibits settlement activity is disingenuous. The building of homes has no effect on the status of the area. The prohibition on changing the status of the areas is intended to ensure that neither side takes any unilateral measures to change the legal status of these areas (such as by annexation or a declaration of statehood) pending the final status talks. Moreover, since the provision applies to both sides ("Neither side..."), were it to prohibit building, it would prohibit the construction of homes for Israelis and Arabs alike. This is not only impractical but also clearly not what was envisaged by the Interim Agreement, which contains provisions dealing with planning and zoning, on the assumption that building is to continue throughout the interim period.

4. ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION
- is effected in strict conformity with international law

Israel's actions relating to the use and allocation of land under its administration are all taken with strict regard to the rules and norms of international law. All such actions are under the supervision of the Supreme Court of Israel sitting as the High Court of Justice which is accessible to any aggrieved resident of the areas.

Although the Hague Regulations, in Article 52, permit the administering authority to requisition private property for reasons of military necessity, Israel does not requisition private land for the establishment of settlements, even where there is military justification.

Where land is not subject to private ownership, Article 55 of the Hague Regulations provides that the administering authority is permitted to utilize such public land and to enjoy the "usufruct". Indeed, there is a positive duty which obliges the authority to take possession of public property in order to safeguard it pending the final determination as to the status of the territory concerned. Felichenfeld in "The International Economic Law of Belligerent Occupation" (1942) (at page 55) observes that the right to enjoy the usufruct includes the right to lease or utilize public lands or buildings, sell the crops, cut and sell timber, and work the mines."

Contrary to allegations frequently made in this regard, Israel does not expropriate any private land for the purpose of establishing settlements. Settlements are only established on public land after an exhaustive investigation has confirmed that no private rights exist in the land in question. The process of investigation includes an appeals process, through which any individual claiming rights in the land can object. Decisions of the Appeals Board and any declaration that land is state-owned can also be appealed to the High Court of Justice.

5. CONCLUSION

Jewish settlements have existed in the areas for hundreds of years. During the time of the League of Nations Mandate, settlements were set up with the Mandate's permission and encouragement.

Although the status of the territories is not strictly "occupied territory", Israel complies with the provisions of international law regarding occupied territory. It does not confiscate or seize private land, nor does it displace the local population. Professor Eugene Rostow has written:

"The Jewish right of settlement in the area is equivalent in every way to the right of the local population to live there" (AJIL, 1990, vol. 84, p. 720).

Israel has agreed to negotiate the future of the settlements in the permanent status negotiations with the Palestinians. Until then, the two sides have agreed that settlements in the areas are to remain unaffected and under exclusive Israeli authority. The Israel-PLO agreements do not place any restrictions on the continued building or expansion of settlements.

In political fora, there have been repeated allegations that Israel's settlements in the areas are a violation of international law. Such allegations have no legal or factual basis and reflect political motivations. The allegations are particularly troubling since they demonstrate an approach to international law that is less than objective or rigorous. It is only on the basis of an honest respect for the provisions of international law that there can be serious hope for a durable and lasting peace.

"...Who put you all on the throne of G-d and gave you the right to violate G-d's covenant?..."

(WHO violated it? If you all are going to keep dragging "God's covenant" into this thing, you might try telling the WHOLE truth, and not just the convenient part.)

Jos 23:11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.

Jos 23:12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, [even] these that remain among you, and SHALL MAKE MARRIAGES WITH THEM, and go in unto them, and they to you:

Jos 23:13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out [any of] these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, UNTIL YE PERISH FROM OFF THIS GOOD LAND which the LORD your God hath given you.

Jos 23:14 And, behold, this day I [am] going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, [and] not one thing hath failed thereof.

Jos 23:15 Therefore it shall come to pass, [that] as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things, UNTIL HE HAVE DESTROYED YOU FROM OFF THIS GOOD LAND which the LORD your God hath given you.

Jos 23:16 When ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and YE SHALL PERISH QUICKLY FROM OFF THE GOOD LAND WHICH HE HATH GIVEN UNTO YOU.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Jos/Jos023.html

Jer 11:10 They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND THE HOUSE OF JUDAH HAVE BROKEN MY COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/11/10.html

Jdg 3:5 ****And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

Jdg 3:6 AND THEY TOOK THEIR DAUGHTERS TO BE THEIR WIVES, AND GAVE THEIR DAUGHTERS TO THEIR SONS, AND SERVED THEIR GODS.

Jdg 3:7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves. http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Jdg/Jdg003.html#1

Canaanite = see Cana "zealous"

1) descendant of inhabitant of Canaan

2) descendant or inhabitant of Canaan

3) a merchant, trader

Hittite = "descendant of Heth"

1) the nation descended from Heth, the 2nd son of Canaan; once inhabitants of central Anatolia (modern Turkey), later in north Lebanon

Amorite = "a sayer"

1) one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt

Perizzite = "belonging to a village"

1) a people who inhabited southern Canaan prior to the conquest

Hivite = "villagers"

1) 6th generation of descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham, who were living in northern Canaan near Mount Hermon at the time of the conquest

Jebusite = "descendants of Jebus"

1) descendants of the 3rd son of Canaan who lived in or around the site of Jebus, the early name for Jerusalem

Hab 2:12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Hab/2/12.html

Psa 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Psa/37/11.html

Psa 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Psa/37/29.html

Isa 60:21 Thy people also [shall be] all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Isa/60/21.html

See also http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Isa/Isa056.html for those who God includes among His "chosen".

The Jews get their authority to be in Israel from the Balfaour Declaration, not God:

The
Balfour
Declaration

November 2, 1917

Lord Rothchild,

I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.

His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievenment of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non- Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country. I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.

Signed: Arthur James Balfour

http://www.preteristarchive.com/Jesus_is_Israel/index.html

Let the peace proceed in truth and with no malice aforethought.

you might try telling the WHOLE truth, and not just the convenient part

Take your own advice.

http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Jer/Jer031.html

Jer 31:4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

Jer 31:5 Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat [them] as common things.

Jer 31:6 For there shall be a day, [that] the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God.

Jer 31:7 For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.

Jer 31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, [and] with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.

Jer 31:9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I 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 a father to Israel, and Ephraim [is] my firstborn.

Jer 31:10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare [it] in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd [doth] his flock.

Jer 31:11 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of [him that was] stronger than he.

Jer 31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

Jer 31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

Jer 31:14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.

Jer 31:15 Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, [and] bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they [were] not.

Jer 31:16 Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

Jer 31:17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

Thanks for the blueletterbible.org links.

http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Zec/Zec008.html

Zec 8:1 Again the word of the LORD of hosts came [to me], saying,

Zec 8:2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.

Zec 8:3 Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.

Zec 8:4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.

Zec 8:5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.

Zec 8:6 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.

Zec 8:7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;

Zec 8:8 And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

Zec 8:9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which [were] in the day [that] the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

Zec 8:10 For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither [was there any] peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.

Zec 8:11 But now I [will] not [be] unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.

Zec 8:12 For the seed [shall be] prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these [things].

Zec 8:13 And it shall come to pass, [that] as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, [but] let your hands be strong.

Zec 8:14 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:

Zec 8:15 So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.

Zec 8:16 These [are] the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

Zec 8:17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these [are things] that I hate, saith the LORD.

Zec 8:18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,

Zec 8:19 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth [month], and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.

Zec 8:20 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; [It shall] yet [come to pass], that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:

Zec 8:21 And the inhabitants of one [city] shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.

Zec 8:22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.

Zec 8:23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days [it shall come to pass], that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard [that] God [is] with you.

"Take your own advice."

Thank you, I will. Once again, the whole Truth:

Jer 31:4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/4.html

Jer 31:5 Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat [them] as common things. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/5.html

Jer 31:6 For there shall be a day, [that] the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/6.html

Jer 31:7 For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/7.html

Jer 31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, [and] with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/8.html

Jer 31:9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I 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 a father to Israel, and Ephraim [is] my firstborn. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/9.html

Jer 31:10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare [it] in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd [doth] his flock. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/10.html

Jer 31:11 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of [him that was] stronger than he. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/11.html

Jer 31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/12.html

Jer 31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/13.html

Jer 31:14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/14.html

Jer 31:15 Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, [and] bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they [were] not. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/15.html

Jer 31:16 Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/16.html

Jer 31:17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/17.html

kEY CHAPTER:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Amo/Amo008.html#2

Some key phrases:

Amo 9:8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD [are] upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD. http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Amo/9/8.html

Rom 9:27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a REMNANT shall be saved: http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Rom/9/27.html

Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a REMNANT according to the election of grace.

Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. http://www.preteristarchive.com/JewishWars/index.html

Rom 11:23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.

Peace.

My point in all of this is that 1)the "Biblical land grant" is a false issue, and maybe the Balfour Declaration is where the discussion should begin; and 2)the people who were living in Palestine (whatever name you wish to give them) were not a party to the agreement.
1. You presume that God cannot act through people.
Did God Return the Israelites from Babylonian exile with a pillar of fire like that which the Israelites followed on their return from Egypt? No. Instead King Cyrus of Persia allowed the Jews to return.
Does that mean that the Second Commonwealth was a Persian invention and that God's commandments were a non-issue?
I don't think so. If you believe that God had nothing to do with the recreation of an independent Jewish state after 2000 years? That seems to be an odd assumption for a man faith. If this was not an act of God's will, what is?
2. The Arabs have a state on 3/4 of the land. Transjordan was created in 1923 as the Arab state. The Arab countries and leaders accepted this at the time.

When Chritians in the US blindly side with the Israelis for "Biblical" reasons, it plain ticks the Arabs off, which is good for the NWO. They LOVE conflict; that's how they advance their agenda; just witness the Patriot Act. The towers hadn't finished smoldering before that abomination was trotted out. Once people understand those two points, maybe progress can be made towards finding a solution.

What is your solution?
The NWO/UN/Tranzis hate Israel. Would you simply surrender it to UN control, setting a precident of UN domination?
Would you support the Arab states in an act of appeasement?
Would you have us walk away under pressure from the Tranzis and Islamists?

You assume that Israel is either the only or the main reason for Islamist hatred of the US. That is incorrect. Listen to their rhetoric. They wish worldwise Khalifaya. They want to conquere the US and force an islamist regime.

Even if we let Israel go, Europe will be the next battlefield.
Paleoconservatives cannot afford to associate themselves with the anti-war Transnational Progressives and Communists in a myopic opposition to Americans defending our national interest. The fear by paleoconservatives of an American Empire imposing a Pax Americana or leading a Wilsonian crusade on the world is understandable. However, the current alternative is for the UN to become the arbiter of international law, justice, and the exercise of force, allowing the Islamists to strengthen.

I also believed (since that was what I had rammed down my throat from every 'Christian' preacher) that God had given the Jews the land forever.

That's interesting. I never believed that. I just believe that Jews are humans, and have the right to exist, in towns ("settlements") if they like. Where do I err?

maybe the Balfour Declaration is where the discussion should begin

Actually I see no need to go back that far. These "settlers" are people, moving onto a piece of land which has been purchased, and starting to live their lives there. What's the problem?

the people who were living in Palestine (whatever name you wish to give them) were not a party to the agreement

"The people who were living in Palestine" in 1917 or whenever the Balfour agreement was signed are mostly dead.

When Chritians in the US blindly side with the Israelis for "Biblical" reasons,

How about when we side with the Israelis because the Israelis are people and have the right to do things that other people have the right to do (such as: buy land; exist; etc.)

it plain ticks the Arabs off,

Nevertheless. The fact that something "ticks the Arabs off" doesn't mean we shouldn't do it. In fact if we approach things that way we send the message to Arabs and others that the way to change our behavior is to be "ticked off" about something (<--by "being ticked off" I assume of course you mean "murdering teenage girls in pizza parlors" etc)

which is good for the NWO. They LOVE conflict; that's how they advance their agenda; just witness the Patriot Act

What's your worst favorite part of the Patriot Act? Just so I know where you're coming from.

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