www.smh.com.au/world/tears-for-jewish-family-slain-in-their-sleep-20110314-1bujm.html
Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, in a rare interview to the Israeli media, condemned the deadly attack as ''despicable, immoral and inhuman''. Mr Abbas told Israel Radio that the images of the victims ''cause anyone humane to ache and cry''.
Too late!
No one is under any illusions, Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, is in a no win situation. His own political situation demands that the Palestinian claim that the land belongs to them and them alone, and this is entrenched in the culture of the Palestinian exodus since 1948.
However, the reality is that Israel is there to stay. The international agreements after World War II and the meteoric development of Israel as a nation, compared with its Arab neighbours, guarantees that.
Israel had already given up land and settlements in the forlorn hope of a peace which has never eventuated, and this new Israeli Prime Minister came to power on the promise 'giving up land' would not occur again.
What sort of message would it send now for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say to the Israeli electorate and the world community that this terrible murder of a family of five demands an acquiescence to Palestinian land demands?
The reality is that he only had one non-militarist alternative. No, not tanks going in blazing, no, not an economic response by preventing food and aid getting into the West Bank and Gaza, no, not even a threatening fly-over by nuclear armed jets.
What was this one option? He needed to announce new settlement blocs on land the Palestinians hold; land that some conservative Jewish groups within Israel, and with a veto within the Parliament (the Knesset), believe is their God-given right to hold.
Netenyanhu needed to deliver a political message to hold his country together.
I am with Netenyanhyu on this.
In my theological research, I have come to the conclusion that this political form of "standing firm" without direct military action has Old Testament precedents - such as Moses over Pharaoh (God brought the plagues); Elijah over the prophets of Baal (God brought down the fire); and David over Saul (David left Saul's fate to God).
Israel is in a seemingly impossible situation, whereby radical Palestinians who are in effect uncontrollable, will continue to create as much havoc as possible.
Again, there is a theological discussion that impinges on this. Christians who hold to Replacement Theology (Super-succession-ism); which in one phrase is the Church replacing Israel as God's chosen vehicle to bring light to the nations; and under this theological prescript anything today that Israeli politicians decide is no different to any other nation's politic.
But there is another theological view, based on Romans 11 and other like passages, where the Jewish people continue to be a central part of the economy of God.
The return of the Jewish people in 1948 to their ancient homeland to establish the nation is an example of this other theological view. Another, would be Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking the wisdom of the Lord and following these Old Testament illustrations of the providence of God.