As we pray for the peace of
Jerusalem
Prophetic News and Commentary
Weekend Edition,
Weekend Ending November 25, 2007
Jeremiah 6:17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet….
Isaiah 62:6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O
Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make
mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
V:7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise
in the earth.
Psalms
122:6 Pray for the peace of
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viewpoints; until such time as God reveals how perfectly His Word will be
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encourage the reader to be as the Bereans and search
the scriptures to see if these things are so (see Acts 17:10-11)
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The following articles are compiled by:
Rick Allinson
A powder keg in Lebanon
Source: LATimes
22
November 2007 –
While the eyes of the world are focused on the fading prospects of
ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the upcoming meeting in
Annapolis, Md., an electoral deadlock in Lebanon grinds inexorably
to a climax, threatening to upset an 18-year factional truce and
ignite a new civil war that will add one more explosive ingredient
to Middle East instability.
Lebanon's problems are not new. They are rooted in the 1920s, when
France's colonial regime created the country out of Syrian territory
and squeezed Christians, Druze and Muslims -- Sunni and Shiite --
into it. At that time, the Maronite Christians, whose close ties to
France dated to the Middle Ages, were the colonial power's political
allies, so the constitution that France imparted required that
Lebanon's president, its most powerful official, be a Maronite. The
prime minister, under the constitution, would be a Sunni Muslim and
the speaker of the parliament would be a Shiite. The system, a
peculiar form of democracy, is called "confessionalism."
For most of the ensuing years, confessionalism enabled the sects to
coexist in a fragile balance. The enormous exception was the
horrible civil war that raged from 1975 to 1989, killing 100,000 and
leaving much of the country in ruins. None of the sects wants a
repetition.
The current president is Emile Lahoud, an ex-general whose term
expires Friday. For weeks, the country's political and sectarian
leaders have been meeting in secret to agree on a replacement, who
will have to be confirmed by the parliament in order to take office.
So far, they have failed.
Lebanon: Once More to the Brink
Source: Time
25 November 2007 – Lebanon has entered a perilous and unprecedented constitutional vacuum following the departure midnight Friday of the pro-Syrian president, Emile Lahoud, with no elected successor. The two rival factions — the Western-backed March 14 block, which holds a thin parliamentary majority, and the pro-Syrian opposition, spearheaded by the militant Shi'ite Hizballah — are locked in a tense standoff, both waiting for the other to make the first move.
Lebanese troops and armored vehicles have deployed at key junctions in Beirut in case the tensions spill over into factional violence. "It's a very delicate moment in the country," said Sateh Noureddine, a columnist for Lebanon's As Safir daily newspaper.
The long-simmering crisis peaked Friday when parliamentarians failed to elect a new head of state to replace Lahoud due to a lack of the required quorum. Despite weeks of back-room negotiations and intense international mediation, the feuding politicians have been unable to find a suitable successor acceptable to both sides. Parliament is scheduled to convene again on November 30 for another attempt at electing a president.
With a vacuum looming, Lahoud, in a final act as president, charged the army with enforcing law and order, claiming that "risks of a state of emergency" prevailed over Lebanon. Lahoud, like the opposition, has refused to recognize the legitimacy of government since all five Shi'ite ministers walked out of the cabinet a year ago. But the office of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora swiftly responded by saying that Lahoud's move was unconstitutional and that the army would continue to follow the instructions of the government. So far, the leaders of both factions appear unwilling to risk further escalation in their dangerous game of brinkmanship.
…
Though Arab nations as a whole have agreed to show up in Annapolis on Tuesday, it is not yet certain whether Syria will be among them. Thus, the Annapolis conference could end up having a greater impact on keeping the peace in Lebanon than on reaching peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Lebanon situation "critical", Christian leader warns
Source: M&C
25 November 2007 – The head of Lebanon's Maronite Christian community warned Sunday that the political situation in the country is 'critical' following the expiry of Emile Lahoud's term as president and the failure to agree on a successor.
Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir during Sunday prayers urged all Lebanese leaders to put aside their differences in the interests of the country.
Sources close to Sfeir meanwhile said that Lebanon's Christian community are concerned about the country's highest political office remaining vacant, especially as according to Lebanon's confessional power-sharing system it should be occupied by a Maronite.
'Lebanon during this political vacuum is at a critical juncture in its history,' one source said, adding that the situation would end in 'either stability or chaos.'
Such fears were echoed on Sunday by Christian worshippers across Beirut.
'The Christians are being marginalized and I fear there will not be a president for Lebanon,' said Christian Augette Sarkis. 'We are living in a country with no head and we face a dark future.'
Comments: Update; (From 8 October) The Middle East peace process starts on Tuesday but the big story right now is the current situation in Lebanon. There is no elected successor to Emile Lahoud and the country is in a state of emergency. The Annapolis meeting could help to end the crisis so we will have to see if they can do anything there but if the situation drags on the prospect of civil war will increase day by day. The Christians, Druze and Muslims all want to see the right man to run the government but can’t decide on who that will be. The wrong president placed in power could have disaterouse consequenses and as I said before “a well placed car bomb or assasination at this time could send the country spiralling into a civil war”. Keep an eye on the situation in Lebanon, its on a razor’s edge and could slip at any time. This week will be interesting.
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Keep watching (Matt 24:42)!
Shalom!