EU leaders express solidarity with Palestinians

European Union leaders on Friday expressed solidarity with the Palestinians and pledged to re-launch Mideast peace efforts, as Yasser Arafat clings to life in a Paris hospital.

The 25 EU leaders, meeting in Brussels at the final session of a two-day summit, were to issue a statement encouraging Palestinian leaders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to ensure a peaceful transfer of power while Arafat is gravely ill.

French President Jacques Chirac said he visited Arafat at his bedside on Thursday before coming to Brussels, but declined to comment on his illness or his condition.

"I went to greet Arafat ... and I shook his hand," Chirac told reporters. "President Arafat is in the hands of excellent doctors who are doing their maximum."

A draft copy of the EU statement urged Palestinian leaders "to demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility in ensuring the regular functioning of Palestinian institutions."

European leaders were also expected to adopt a statement Friday on revitalizing the road map peace plan, which envisions an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. And EU leaders tasked their security affairs chief, Javier Solana, with trying to revive it.

The plan - sponsored by the EU, the United Nations, the United States and Russia - stalled shortly after it was launched in June 2003.

Among the proposals in the EU draft statement for trying to restart peace efforts were providing aid to Palestinian security forces, promoting reform of the Palestinian Authority through "friendly persuasion" and supporting Palestinian elections.

EU leaders were reluctant to speculate on the impact Arafat's departure could have on Middle East peace efforts.

"We are very concerned," said Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, the summit's chairman. "It is not proper to talk about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at a time when the health of Mr. Arafat is so bad."

"Arafat's well-being will affect all of us," said Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. "It is crucial that the Palestinian Authority has a reliable and strong leadership."

The EU has extended more than US$12.5 million in aid and trade benefits to Israel and its Arab neighbors since 1995, and the EU's financial outreach is crucial to the running of the Palestinian Authority.

Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot said that with Arafat gravely ill, the EU stood in "solidarity with the Palestinian nation."

"We hope to be able to work in the future with a legitimate leadership" in the Palestinian Authority, he said.

History is culminating. As a Christian it is easy to see that this all has to do with the one world government and the anti-Christ and the lady called the whore of Babylon with MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH written on her forehead (interesting in light of what is going on with the area of Babylon right now which is destroyed according to prophecy in the books of Jeremiah and Revelation). I would not be surprised if OBL is the anti-Christ. Many Muslims believe he is the Messiah and the Euros seem to be rapidly falling into line. Is is not a stretch to envision them worshiping him (or he may be a forerunner of the aC or the false prophet who is to reign with the aC). To the freepers who are left behind after the rapture, don't take the mark of the beast. Beheading will be painless but living under the aC will be pure hell on earth. For my Jewish friends don't be fooled. He will make a pact with the Jews that will only last for awhile and then he will turn on them. In the Old Testament book of the prophet Zechariah a description of the aC shows that he will have a bad arm from a battle and his right eye will be darkened. We know that OBL does not have use of his left arm because of battle. I am not sure about his eye. It could be he will lose it in a future battle if he is the aC (I am not saying that for sure he is, just that he may could be). But whatever you do watch out for someone with a bad arm a darkened eye. Also the prophet Daniel in the Name of the LORD says that in the end of time the idol shepherd will confirm a covenant with many (the Oslo Accord?) and the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt so the Jews are able to do their sacrifices but then he will turn on them.

Zec 11:17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword [shall be] upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

I suggest reading the verses in context. There are threescore and two weeks from the time Daniel received the prophecy until the Messiah was cut off (killed) and then another week is mentioned. I believe this week is separated from the other weeks and is at the end of the age. From the time the Messiah is cut off until the 68th week starts I believe is the times of the Gentiles spoken about in Luke 21:24. A week is 7 years Biblically speaking in this context. The last 7 years are the tribulation spoken of over and over in the whole Bible. The time of this last week starts when the evil prince confirms the covenant with many and allows the Jews to make sacrifices in a rebuilt temple. It is in the middle of the 7 years that he turns on them and makes the temple desolate. From this point on all "hell" breaks out on earth as the wrath of God is poured out on the wicked (using them to seal their own fates). They will be so miserable that they will wish they were dead and many will die (it looks like from other prophesies that huge atomic war takes place and disease is rampart with scorching heat and blackness). This will last 3 1/2 years and then the true Messiah will return and set up his Kingdom on earth. He will do this just in time to save the earth from being utterly destroyed by the wicked. Those that are his during the time of tribulation will either be beheaded (don't the Muslims like beheadings) or if not taken yet preserved from wrath with the mark of God on their foreheads sealing them for purposes. In the final analysis whatever anyone does do not take a mark on your forehead or hand that you cannot get unless you pledge to worship the anti-Christ. It is much better to die and go to heaven with great glory. You will be resurrected.

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