"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: (Titus 2:13).

Rice in Mid-East to pressure Israel on West Bank roadblocks

By Haaretz Service and Reuters

05/04/2008

		U.S. Secretary of State Rice with Olmert (Moshe Milner/GPO)

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday she will ask Israel to remove more physical barriers erected in the West Bank. The
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's security forces began deploying to the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Saturday for a law-and-order campaign meant to show the government is laying the ground for statehood.
"Everyone, President Abbas, I, the president (Bush) would like to see things move more quickly - that's why we keep coming and pressing all the parties to meet their obligations," Rice said.

Rice meets with Abbas on Sunday

Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

GAZA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat announced on Saturday that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to meet in Ramallah on Sunday with President Mahmoud Abbas.

Rice has arrived in Israel on Saturday for holding talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials on the recent development of the peace negotiations between the two sides.

Erekat told reporters that Rice will meet with Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday to discuss with him the outcomes of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that began after holding Annapolis peace conference held in late November.

Meanwhile, Israeli Radio, Arabic service reported on Saturday that Abbas will convene on Monday in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to follow up the results of their peace negotiations.

Erekat said "settlements' expansion in the West Bank, the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and the Egyptian efforts to agree on a mutual ceasefire are the subjects that will be discussed with both Rice and Olmert."

"The continuation of settlements, land confiscation and keeping on expansions and annexations undermines the principle of two" Israeli and Palestinian statehood," negotiator Saeb Erekat said.

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Oh yes, there will be a 'peace' covenant.  It will be confirmed by the beast.(Dan. 9:27).   But, it certainly isn't difficult to believe it won't bring peace:

"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape"

(I Thessalonians 5:3).

"And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it" (Isaiah 28:18).

"And when ye shall Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh" (Luke 21:20).

"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24).

But there is hope for the Christian:

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (I Thessalonians 4:16-18). Retired pastor/teacher   James McCutchan