Israel exists as a nation with a rich history and contemporary significance due in no small part to her involvement in biblical tradition and role in future events. Whichever direction one looks, forward, present day, or backward, Israel stands out like a flowering cactus in the scorching desert. The rich traditions of Israel ripple through history. Consider the powerful and infamous kings of Israel past: King David and King Solomon. The chaotic exodus from Egypt into the Promised Land. The heroic ancestor, Abraham, father to three faiths. Israel figures prominently in various configurations of end time events. Regardless of the forecaster, the center of the political spectrum always ends up residing in the Middle East. With all eyes on the Valley of Armageddon, the Mount of Olives, and the jewel city of Jerusalem, the nation of Israel figures to be a prime time player in the future. Israel’s worthy past and important future mean all the more for Israel’s impact on the world today. Events emanating out of Israel have dominated the news channels for decades. Since 1948, when Israel was reconstituted as a democratic parliamentary system, this tiny nation with enormous influence has been both a target for Arab arrows and an aggressor of the Zionist agenda. One’s view on Israel as a modern state varies depending upon how the facts are colored. The prime issue concerning life in Israel is the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. With the influx of Jews into Israel during the past 60 years, the rights of Palestinians and some Arabs in general have been infringed upon. Jewish immigrants have displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into neighboring nations such as Jordan and Lebanon. Israeli politics has opened up enough to allow for Palestinian rights within Gaza and the West Bank, but Palestinians are limited in enjoying an adequate lifestyle. It comes down to security – Israelis do not feel safe. And who can blame them when Palestinians are firing rockets from the Gaza Strip into Jewish areas by the rate of hundreds per day and carrying out suicide bomb attacks in Jewish cities? Israel has responded by building a wall to limit Palestinian rights and movement. A stalemate exists between Jewish security and Palestinian freedom. Surrounding nations and world powers have attempted countless attempts at solutions and reconciliation. Many efforts have resulted in little progress. What is Israel, full of Jews and Palestinians, to do? There are other major pieces to the crisis such as Jews building settlements, Palestinians not being able to govern themselves successfully and control extremists, the right of return for displaced Palestinians, and the decision concerning Jerusalem as an Arab capital, but the crux of the matter comes down to security vs. freedom. What can be done to bring resolution to these issues? Both sides need to set aside fear and embrace humility. Then key nations need to begin treating both sides equally to be true mediators. Can peace be accomplished? Only by God’s intervention as the end times approach, proving that Israel is a nation with a glorious past, a turbulent present, and a dynamic future. For more information on Israel, visit http://israelmicroblog.com and http://microblogisrael.com

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