Netanyahu's Speech, Iran's Reactor and Yom Kippur ©September 27, 2009 Asher Intrater

Netanyahu's Speech, Iran's Reactor, and Yom Kippur

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu gave an historic speech before the United Nations this week.

Netanyahu started out by refuting Holocaust denial attempts. He gave several obvious and simple proofs. But his point was deeper. Do we believe historical truth?

Secondly, he noted that the same forces that deny the Holocaust are calling for the destruction of Israel today. The Jihad mentality that threatens Israel also threatens every other nation. The current regime in Iran stole the election, brutalizes its own people, and funds terror around the world. This is not a battle against Iran, but against barbarism that glorifies death over civilization that sanctifies life.

He then refuted the "so called" Human Rights Commission report concerning the Gaza War. During 8 years Israel suffered hundreds of missile attacks from Gaza, purposely aimed at population centers. There was not one word of criticism from any UN body. After Israel ripped over 8,000 settlers out of their homes in Gaza, the rocket attacks not only did not decrease, but increased 10-fold.

Thousands of phone calls, text messages and flyers were sent to remove innocent Palestinians from military targets. No other country would respond with such restraint.

The report perverted justice by equating terrorist attacks with the legitimate right of a democratic government to defend its citizens from terror. It encourages terrorist groups everywhere that if they likewise will use civilians as human shields, they too will receive immunity.   

Netanyahu challenged the UN that it has been in a moral "descent" since the 1975 decision to condemn Zionism as racism. The time has come for the nations to decide once and for all: Will you stand with Israel or with terrorism? On these three issues - Holocaust denial, Iran's call for the destruction of Israel, and the UN report on Gaza - Netanyahu drew a moral line concerning 1) historical truth versus lies, 2) glorification of death versus sanctity of life, and 3) moral equivalency versus justice.

The Jews are not "foreign" conquerors occupying someone else's land. Israel is our homeland and has been so for 3,500 years. The vision of world peace that is a motto for the UN is taken from the prophet Isaiah (chapter 2), a Jew who lived in the land of Israel 2,800 years ago. It is impossible to separate hope for universal peace from the Hebrew prophets of Zion.

Netanyahu called the nations to stand courageously (on the basis of Joshua 1) against the forces of international terror today. He also stated that Israel wants peace and will accept a Palestinian state on the condition that the Palestinians also accept Israel as the Jewish homeland. There must be disarmament in Judea and Samaria so that it does not turn into another Iranian backed terrorist base like Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Netanyahu, Obama and Ahmadinejad represent three different bases of power. Netanyahu's is based on covenant, Obama's on popularity, and Ahmadinejad's on evil.  They represent three competing "messianic" visions: one Hebraic, one humanistic, one demonic. Although Netanyahu is not a believer in Yeshua (Jesus), he was speaking as the head of the government of Israel. That office is in effect the "chair" of David's seed, representing the earthly kingdom of the Messiah.

Netanyahu ended with a Hebrew blessing (Psalm 29:11), which speaks of both peace (shalom) and security ('oz). May the Lord grant true Christians around the world the ears to hear and discern what the Spirit is saying to the Church in these end times (Revelation 2-3).

Within 48 hours of the UN speech the scandal of Iran's secret nuclear weapons plant broke out.  The plant is located near Kum, an area which is a stronghold of Shiite extremism. Kum is the home of one of Ahmadinejad's mentors, Ayatollah Taki Yezadi, one of the signers of the declaration in February 2006, stating that according to Islam, there is no reason not to use nuclear weapons (Bergman, Yediot).

The news of this reactor is uniting some of the Western nations to take a firmer stance against Iran's nuclear armament. The key political question is how Russia and China will respond. In the past they have been unwilling to back sanctions against Iran.

The story also reveals how Ahmadinejad has been lying and making fools of Western media - such as his interview on the Larry King show in which he denied nuclear weapons development (Amir, Maariv).  In November 2007, a US intelligence committee reported that Iran had ceased efforts to build nuclear weapons. US President Bush (along with Israel) objected to that report. The current exposing of the Kum power plant proves its falsehood, but the damage had already been done.

Today Israel celebrates Yom Kippur. In addition to the ancient priestly themes of repentance, forgiveness, and atonement, modern Israel associates this day with the Yom Kippur War of 1973, in which Israel was invaded simultaneously by Egypt and Syria. Israel came close to being annihilated before a miraculous victory despite horrible losses.

Today Iran is planning a test launch of its new ballistic missile (The Great Prophet 4), as part of its doomsday plans.

Yom Kippur symbolizes the ancient blood of atonement and the prophetic "great and terrible" day of the Lord. It contains the themes of both atonement and apocalypse.  I see a spiritual "domino effect" from the repentance prayers of the Israel pastors last week on the Feast of Trumpets, to Netanyahu's speech before the UN, to the exposure of Kum nuclear reactor.

Let us stand together in faith and the fear of the Lord. May His will done for Israel, the Church, and the Nations! On this Yom Kippur we are aware more than ever that we are approaching the 2^nd coming of Yeshua to rule and reign on this earth!