By James Wilson
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization – UNESCO – has struck again. The organization has a long record of substituting propaganda for history, including their 2015 resolution declaring such Israeli sites as Rachel’s Tomb (the wife of Jewish Patriarch Jacob) and the Cave of the Patriarchs Islamic sites. Scholars do not dispute the authenticity of these locations, but international organizations top heavy with drinkers of Koolaid supplied by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem will swallow anything. Said Grand Mufti claims the Jewish Temple was built after the Eighth Century Dome of the Rock; he holds the Dome was actually built by Adam or angels – not sure which – back when the earth was created. October 2016 has seen UNESCO sink below its own cellar by resolving in successive votes of its executive board that Israel has no legitimate connection to Jerusalem. The resolution even declares the Western Wall of the Jewish Temple a Muslim (only) holy site.
UNESCO’s action makes about as much sense as stating the sun actually rises in the west because delegates living in the west have enough votes to declare it so. But the implications are far more grisly. Though UNESCO is neither the General Assembly nor the Security Council, the resolution paves a portion of the argument to declare Jerusalem (at best) an international city under United Nations control and stripped of Israeli sovereignty over her ancient and current capitol. This is not at all farfetched considering Hamas rockets were found stashed in UN operated facilities during the 2014 fighting in the Gaza Strip. UN antipathy toward Israel is virulent.
Truth is, anyone familiar with – and believing – the Christian scriptures will know this UNESCO lunacy makes perfect sense. Jesus the Christ – Yeshua Hamashiach in His native Hebrew – told His closest followers to expect three things as the world enters its last earthly season. There would be wars and rumors of wars all over the world. Men would call evil good and good evil and many if not most would drink that Koolaid. And followers of the Living God would be hated by all for the sake of that Living God’s Jewish Son. In the contorted reasoning of this resolution UNESCO simply walks out the irrationality and inchoate hatred predicted by this very Jewish Messiah. The wars and rumors of wars have been erupting all over the world since well before this new outrage and the other prophecies are run their course in their own good time.
Reaction to UNESCO’s action was immediate with more than sixty thousand people across the world signing a protest petition. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked – with tongue firmly in cheek – “What’s next? A UNESCO decision denying the connection between peanut butter and jelly? Batman and Robin? Rock and roll?” Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat was more pointed, “Would UNESCO vote to deny the Christian connection to the Vatican? Or the Muslim connection to Mecca?…In fact it is the UNESCO vote that has no connection to reality.” PM Netanyahu took a more serious note as well when he said, “It’s like saying the Chinese have no connection to the Great Wall of China and the Egyptians have no connection to the Pyramids.”
American leaders leapt to denounce the moral atrocity as well. Senator Ted Cruz drafted a resolution in support of – not just Israel – but reason and truth; he was joined by lawmakers in both parties and from both houses of Congress. Senator John McCain and Presidential Candidate Donald Trump were quick to lend their very forceful personalities to the cause. The United States was one of six nations to oppose the UNESCO vote – standing against twenty-four nations supporting and twenty-six too cowardly to vote at all. However, Trump’s rival, Hillary Clinton, and President Obama were silent, an unsurprising development given their demands that Israel withdraw to her pre-1967 and essentially indefensible borders.
UNESCO executives themselves expressed serious angst at what their colleagues have done. UNESCO Director General Irina Berkova referred to Jerusalem as King David’s capitol as she decried the vote of her own agency’s directors. She has received death threats in retaliation for her strong stand. UNESCO Chair Michael Verbes said, “I am aware of the connection between Israel and Jerusalem, and I will never deny it…This is our stance on the issue and it trumps all decisions that the principal committee has recently made.” Verbes pledged to use his influence and connections to restore what he termed the historic consensus, but the committee’s preliminary decision has already been upheld in a subsequent vote.
What should be done? Michael Verbes well intentioned statement can only be taken as wishful thinking in light of the now final vote of the executive board. The historic consensus he remembers disappeared decades ago; these developments merely illustrate the paucity of that now distant memory. Any appropriate response must take into account the larger realities outlined in the Word of God. These realities pinpoint Israel’s place in the EndTimes but they encompass the whole world. Whatever else needs doing, they require the same action God calls out for any other aspect of His end-of-days scenario. These include a person-by-person reengagement with Scripture and the His Spirit combined with a will to sacrifice our sacred cows – read entitlements and prejudices – as we re-focus attention on Him and His vision for human being.
Pragmatic activities will be effective only insofar as they are shaped in this perspective of re-focus.
James A. Wilson is the author of Living As Ambassadors of Relationships, The Holy Spirit and the End Times, and Kingdom in Pursuit – available at local bookstores or by e-mailing him at praynorthstate@gmail.com
