Israel's Election - The Wait Continues; Impeachment Begins in Washington

It is now eight days since the elections in Israel were completed.  The ballots have been counted.  The result is that no one won a clear majority in the Knesset, Israel's Parliament.  Two parties dominated that election: the Blue and White Party, under the leadership of Benny Gantz, and the Likud Party, under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  But neither party won a majority.  During this past week, both party leaders began creating a coalition, yet, in spite of that coalition creation, there is still not a majority for either party.  Both Prime Minister Netanyahu and Benny Gantz met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.  He urged them to form a unity government.  In other words, both parties would share leadership.  The portfolios of ministry - sort of similar to our Cabinet positions - would be divided.  Both Netanyahu and Gantz would share the prime minister position - although they would have to take turns in that office, one would have it for two years, the other for the following two years.  It sounds simple enough, yet there is really nothing simple in Israeli politics.  So now the question becomes: who will get to be prime minister first? We will await that answer.


What happens if a unity government cannot be formed?  What happens if a coalition cannot be achieved?  Then the citizens of Israel will be asked to conduct another national election probably sometime in December.  It would be their third election within a nine month period of time.


I know some of you are asking this question: Why can't someone win a majority of the vote in an Israeli election?  That is a great question.  The answer is very simple: Israel has a multi-party political system.  In our country, we basically have a two-party system.  There are Republicans and Democrats.  Historically the United States has been a two-party government since George Washington declined to serve a third term as president.  Oh there have been the occasional third party challenges, but they have basically failed to gather enough steam to make a difference.  So, if you have just two parties, it is easy to reach a majority.  However, in Israel there are a multitude of political parties.  Each party's candidate or candidates are listed on the ballot.  Each party is seeking to gain enough votes to commandeer one of the 120 seats within the Knesset.  If my memory serves me correctly, I believe that nine parties garnered enough votes to have at least one seat within the Knesset.  In many ways, these minority parties hold the key as to which majority party forms the government. 


This is a critical time for Israel to be without a leader.  Hamas is threatening once again upon Israel's western border with the Gaza Strip.  And, in the north, Hezbollah is rattling the sabers.  Iran keeps its boisterous claims that it can erase Israel from the face of the earth in a matter of mere moments.  Tensions continue to escalate between Iran and Saudi Arabia and one wonders what promises Israeli leaders have made to the Saudis in the past.  President Trump awaits in the wings to present his "deal of the century" that will define Middle East peace, yet cannot do so because of the leadership crisis in Israel. 


Yet we know that God has a future and a plan for Israel.  They are back in the land because of His promise to them.  The land is blossoming and becoming fruitful - again it is because of God's promises to them.  Yes, the Bible indicates that difficult days still lie ahead for Israel, including an invasion by a coalition of Russian, Iranian, and Turkish forces, along with a handful of others.  They will be oppressed by the Antichrist, that one world ruler who is to come.  Yet, they will see their salvation when the King of glory returns.  What a day that will be!  Friends, I challenge you to never forget to focus upon what is happening in the Middle East because what happens there has strong biblical implications.


This is the week that the world's leaders descend upon New York City and speak at the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations.  Each leader comes with his or her vision of how the world could be made better.  And, of course, there are the always ubiquitous media people seeking interviews and exclusives with those leaders.  These make for some interesting reading and viewing.  Of course you have to take many of their statements at face value. 


Finally, I want to just make a comment on the decision yesterday to begin a formal inquiry into the impeachment of President Trump.  This is something that has been smoldering within the hearts of the majority of the news media and also within many within the Democratic Party since the 2016 elections.  Here is what I find so sad.  There is a growing list of important issues facing America today: the crisis on the border and the need for some type of immigration reform; the continued rise in opiod addiction, not to forget the explosion in healthcare costs; the increase in homelessness within our major urban centers; and the ever growing national debt which is spiraling out of control.  These are important issues; yet what occupies the minds of our law-makers? it is the matter of impeaching the president.  This will continue to be the center of media's attention.  This will cost the American taxpayer monies that could be more wisely spent to solve real problems.  This will take time away from our lawmakers to work on issues that could bring change.  I have studied American history long enough to know that politicians are smart enough to know how to create an artificial crisis to divert the focus away from a real crisis that they simply do not want to become engaged with.  I think we are seeing another one of those artificial crisis today. 


It is so good to know that God is behind the scenes.  He has written the script long before the worlds were even created.  Nothing that is happening around us surprises God.  It began as His story and that is how it will end - as His story.  And for that truth we celebrate Him and His story. 

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