Though we are happy about the fact that there were no vote about the Palestinian statehod bid last week in New York and that the Quartet is asking the two paerties to resume talks with a new timeline we still need to press on in prayer.  Despite the clear message from the international community to ask for new talks the PA leadership seems determined to bring the question to a vote in the Security Council.

The tactics of the PA has been to boast about their international support even when it has not been materialized. Today the PA leaders suggest that they are only one vote short of a majority in the security council which will discuss the issue again on Wednesday next week.

Please pray in particular that Nigeria and Gabon would clearly express their support for Israel. Though it has been widely believed that Nigeria would have come over to the side of Israel the Palestinians are now implying that they have the support both of Nigeria and Gabon, both countries important swing votes in the Security Council.

As both countries have a large Christian constituency and Nigeria has a born again president it is important that we continue to pray for these two countries.

Let us pray that the new timetable – which would postpone a deadline for a comprehensive peace agreement by December 2012 – would be accepted by the two parties as soon as possible.

This update is written only one day after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Abbas held their most anticipated speeches at the UN. Whereas Abbas continued to call his peace partner "a colonial oppressor which has smashed every peace proposal to the wall" Netanyahu called upon Abbas to meet for unconditional peace talks there and then.

The two speeches represented two different narratives of the realities in the Middle East. Now it is up to the nations to decide if they chose truth or lies. I beliece Romans 1.18 can be applied in this situation.

Only a few hours after the speech the Middle East quartet asked for renwed peace talks with a clear timeline and a definite deadline for a comprehensive peace deal by December 2012.

Although anything can still happen, ( The Security Council is to meet on Monday to discuss the situation ) we believe the Lord has answered our prayer for an extended window of grace during which we need to continue to pray and present the Biblical, historical and legal truths about the conflict in the Middel East.

Thank you for your prayers in the last few weeks. The battle does not stop here. We will continue to update you on the developments here on this website. Please pass on the information to all your intercessory friends as we continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

In just a few hours the much expected showdown between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Abbas will take place in the United Nations General Assembly here in New York. As I write this report, late evening Eastern time ( GMT – 5 ) Netanyahu is still preparing for, what could become his most important speech in his whole political career. Please pray for wisdom, courage and clarity of thoughts as he speaks to the UN tomorrow morning here in New York. ( late afternoon in most Europeancountries ) You can watch his speech live on http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/

Thank you for praying together with us for these last two weeks in particular as we have been here with our team in New York, praying inside and outside of the UN building. Our prayers have not been in vain. However, do remember to press on to the very end of this week as we will finally get an answer to what the Palestinians will do with the unilateral declaration.

Even those countries who support a statehood bid, such as France, have asked for more time for negotiations and have even suggested a new timeline of one year. Please pray that the speech of Netanyahu will convince those still undecided about their position and make them stand up for Israel and for real peace in the Middle East.

Two significant events have taken place here in New York today on Tuesday as we close the day. President Obama delivered in his speech to the UN General Assembly a clear message to the Palestinian delegation that "there is no shortcuts to peace." The only way to achieve sustainalble peace is to return to direct talks with the Israelis. As the members of the Palestinian delegations criticized Obamas speech for being pro-Israel most observers  considered it to be balanced and fair.

It now seems as if the Palestinians are willing to let the Security council study their statehood bid for several months before they vote on the issue. This is something that we have been praying for all week. Please continue to pray that the  process for statehood will be delayed so that we have more opportunities to present the facts to those will make the decisions.

In the last few days we have been able to give interviews and pass on our information both here in the United States as well as to media outlets in Ukraine, Brazil and Japan, just to mention a few countries.

After having originally planned to leave New York today we have now decided to stay on until Friday when both Netanyahu and Abbas will speak at the United Nations.

Nigeria seems to be the first member state of the UN Security Council to make a decision not to vote for a Palestinian state when, and if, the issue is brought to the UN Security Council later this week.

Pressure is also mounting on US president Obama to take a clear stand for Israel when he addresses the UN General Assembly here in New York tomorrow morning, (Wednesday) at 10.00 Eastern time ( GMT -5 ) At a press conference at the W hotel on Tuesday Texas governor and presidential candidate Rick Perry criticized Obama for conducting a policy of appeasement. Obama is expected to use his veto to block a PA statehood bid but has nevertheless been criticized for sending mixed signals to the Middle East from the White House.

Earlier tonight we took part in a prayer meeting at the Crenshaw Christian Centre organized by Robert Stearns where prayer leaders from New York united in prayer for the UN. Tomorrow, immediately after the speech of Obama there is a pro-Israel rally co-sponsored by the European Coalition for Israel.

Please read the following article which gives a good timeline for this week

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=238504

It now seems that there could be a major showdown at the UN this week as last minute talks to reach a comrpomise have failed. At the same time there are indications that several countries in the security council are still undecided about how they would vote on a PA state. These countries includes UK, France, Germany, Portugal, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Nigeria, Colombia and Gabon. US is expected to use its veto to block a Palestinian state.

Please pray especially for these countries as their governmenst are trying to make up their mind.

A BBC report of today says that ”more people favor a Palestinian state than oppose it. ” Still many are against it. The results are hardly surprising as people simply do not have the historical and legal facts about Israel’s legal foundation and do not understand the consequences of an Islamic Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as capital. Last week it was reported that the Palestinian authorities had stated that ”no Jews would be allowed to settle in a future PA state.”

Please pray for journalists that can share the truth about this weeks UN meetings and not spread half truths and lies

As the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas promised on Friday to take his Palestinian statehood bid  directly to the UN Security Council, leaders from the World Community are struggling to find a last minute compromise.  On Sunday leaders from the Middle East Quartett ( US, EU, Russia and the UN )  will meet here in New York to try to avert a PA statehood bid by presenting a last minute compromise to the Palestinians.

Despite media reports that such a compromise was likely to be accepted earlier this week Abbas has so far flatly rejected any such compromises. It now seems likely that the showdown that most parties has  wanted to avoid may nevertheless take place here next week in New York.

Please pray that the unwilingess  of Abbas to listen to the world community will reveal his true intents and work against his plans. Please pray that any premature showdown would be averted and that a last minute deal could be accepted which would send the two parties back to the negotiating table. We are prayin for a period of  extended grace for world leaders in which they can learn  more about the conflict in the Middle East and rediscover the pledges which they have already made to the Jewish people concerning the right to their land.

As the UN vote is drawing near it is important that we pray for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to some inside reports he would now be close to accepting an upgrade of a Palestinian  membership in the UN General Assembly while still trying to prevent their membership in the International Criminal Court which would give them the right to press charges against Israeli military staff and government ministers.

Still nothing is decided and anything can happen. There seems to be a slight divide between the positions of the US and the Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair on the one side and the European Union Foreign Affairs representative Catherine Ashton on the other side. Especially France and Spain seem to push for a  full recognition of a Palestinian state. The US and Tony Blair are closer to the Israeli position.

Please pray that the Lord would cause confusion among those who plot to divide the land and stengthen the hand of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stand strong on the promises of God.

http://youtu.be/a4q7wFgPB2o