Regarding the president's address on the Middle East last week, Dore Gold, a former ambassador to the U.N. and a confidant of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, called the speech "a radical shift in United States policy towards Israel." As Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor declared, the 1967 lines were never recognized international borders. President Obama's call to Israel to withdraw to "1967 borders" (which, in reality, are the 1949 armistice lines) is a departure from commitments by both Houses of U.S. Congress in 2004. (Interestingly, the land the president wants Israel to have is far less land area than was granted to Israel at its announced statehood in 1948.)

In taking the stand he did in his address, the president departed from four decades of U.S. policy based on U.N. Security Council Resolution 242 (Nov. 1967), which never recognized the 1967 borders as Israel's final borders and stated that Israel should have a "secure and recognized" border. In agreement with this resolution, Congress stated in a letter to Israel in 2004 that Israel is entitled to "defensible borders", stipulating that Israel was not expected to withdraw to the pre-1967 borders.

The borders called for by the president are anything but secure. As pointed out by the Israeli prime minister, those borders are "indefensible". In fact, going beyond that statement, Jonathan Rynhold, senior research associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, declared that "Obama's vision poses a serious danger to Israel's security". Since the West Bank is a tactical and strategic area for Israel, removing Israeli security forces from it would constitute military suicide. Its high ground would then provide for terrorists a perfect vantage point overlooking major population centers.

Adding to this suicidal portrayal is Mr. Obama's plan for Israel to withdraw Israel's security presence from the West Bank. Israel's defense requires an Israeli military presence along the Jordan River. Without that, Israel opens itself to terrorist attacks that could, potentially, reach the majority of the country.

As if these issues from the address were not serious enough, President Obama called Israel an occupier, indicating that he believes Israel to be illegally occupying land belonging to the Palestinians. Really? Since Israel has a 4,000-year history with the land of Israel, when did the Palestinians come to own that land?

By his latest push into the Middle East "peace" process, the president has further strained U.S. - Israel relations (and encouraged the Palestinians to stay away from negotiations). Though Congress gave Israeli PM Netanyahu a four-minute standing ovation when the prime minister was introduced on Tuesday—to show their support for Israel—still, the damage has been done by a president the Israeli leadership can no longer trust.

By promoting this insane plan, the president slapped down Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. In addition, the president's remarks were a move toward the Palestinian position within two weeks after the Palestinian Authority signed a unity deal with Hamas, a group the U.S. views as a terrorist organization. In all reality, this means the president is taking sides with Hamas against Israel.

As a result, we are watching God's alignment of end-times prophecy before our very eyes. Since the U.S. is absent from Bible prophecy, America needed to move from the side of Israel, the nation that is at the very center of God's prophetic plan. This is what has already occurred.

Furthermore, based on Genesis 12:3, where God warns He will bring trouble upon the one who brings trouble to Israel, the president's move does not appear to be a wise one at all! Seeing that this is one in a long list of adversarial approaches toward Israel the past two and a half years, the U.S. should prepare for some serious consequences ahead.

Moreover, this pressure by the U.S. leader emphasizes even more the security Israel needs in this world of insecurity. It is enough that the Middle East is a raging territory of insecurity, but now the president of what used to be Israel's greatest friend underlines the Jewish nation's need to guard its security.

Therefore, in connection with Bible prophecy, this means Israel will be looking for a peace treaty that will "guarantee" its security. That fits perfectly with the end-times treaty, which will bring for Israel—and for the global community—apparent security. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:3.)

In the meantime, believers in Jesus Christ need to realize that in the midst of the chaos and apparent insanity, God is still in control, working in the hearts of leaders to produce His end-times alignment (cf. Proverbs 21:1). But as we see this alignment taking shape, we need to keep looking up!

John

[For a clear understanding on the riveting events leading up to the return of Christ—including the end-times treaty, the rebuilding of the temple, and the incredible events following, see Apocalypse 2012: The Ticking of the End Time Clock—What Does the Bible Say?]