July 1, 2004

Beloved, below is an article by Aaron Klien of WorldNetDaily.com. I believe that it is pertinent in this hour as so many of us have been praying for the peace of Jerusalem for so long. We know that the peace that we are all looking for, will only become a reality when the Prince of Peace, Yeshua steps on stage; but it is nice to see terror subsiding and some level of security being established. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the many peace loving “Palestinian” people who desperately need work along with the most elementary human needs in these difficult times.

Rick and Cheryl Lunsford
Gratefully Grafted Ministries Int’l

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WorldNetDaily Exclusive

TROUBLE IN THE HOLY LAND
Here's shocker: Peace in Israel!
Officials wonder if Palestinian terror war has failed, now turning against militants

With the Palestinians unable to carry out a single suicide bombing in Israel since March, and Hamas halted from unleashing the large-scale revenge attacks called for after its top terrorist leaders were assassinated, Middle East analysts and politicians are beginning to debate whether the intifada – the terrorist war against Israel started by PLO leader Yasser Arafat after rejecting offers at the Camp David peace summit in 2000 – is coming to an end.

At this time last year, there were 20 suicide bombings killing 141, while 2002 saw 25 such attacks in which 147 Israelis were killed. So far this year, there have been only two bombings in Israel proper, killing 19.

Israel says its tactics clearly are working and that life in the Jewish state may gradually be restored to the way it was before the violence started in 2000. The security fence completed in Gaza and the one being constructed in the West Bank are credited with keeping suicide bombers out, and raids in Palestinian areas and targeted killings of top terrorist commanders seem to be putting Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades on the run and unable to orchestrate attacks.

Also, the downfall of Saddam Hussein, who was paying $25,000 to the families of suicide bombers, is likely a contributing factor to the decline of the violence and incentive of some in the Palestinian population to join with terrorist groups.

The question is whether the trend marks the end of the intifada, or is merely a lull while the terrorists, temporarily decapitated, regroup and rethink.

"There is no doubt that efforts by the PLO to dictate the terms of our surrender and bring about our collapse have failed, they have accomplished none of their goals," chief Sharon spokesman Raanan Gissin told WND. "Therefore, one can say the intifada has failed, and is now even turning against its own initiators." (continuted on page 2)

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