Displaying items by tag: Saudi Arabia

Friday, 06 April 2018 10:40

Saudi Arabia and Israel

Historically, Saudi Arabia has a hatred for Israel and Jews. No Jew may live in the kingdom, which has never opened diplomatic relations with Israel. For 70 years no Israeli passenger planes have been allowed over Saudi airspace. But there are now signs that this hostile stance may be cautiously changing. The Saudis have a ‘peace plan’ related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and recently there have been rumours of secret communications between the two countries. When President Trump made his maiden trip abroad last May, his first stop was in Saudi Arabia. From there his plane made one of the few flights ever allowed from Arabia to Israel. Netanyahu recently spoke of Israeli relations with the Arab world (including Saudi Arabia) as ‘best ever.’ As of April 2018, flights from India over the Arabian Peninsula will take place three times a week.

Published in Worldwide

(Image:Route of AI139 passenger flight from New Delhi to Tel Aviv 22 March 2018)

From the evening of her re-birth 70 years ago, Israel, has been always keenly aware and wary of the vast desert kingdom spreading southeastward from her western neighbor Jordan.

Six months previous, Saudi Arabia had cast their vote against the UN Partition Plan paving the way for the birth of the Jewish State.  Now, hours after Israel’s Declaration of Independence, as five Arab armies began their invasion to stamp out the new state, allied under the Egyptian army was a mass of soldiers sent from the Arabian Peninsula. 

Twenty-five years later, the Saudis would again send troops to support Egypt in the 1973 War. Afterwards, although there have been no further military overtures, Saudi Arabia has continued to be seen as an enemy nation, one with a hatred for Israel and Jews (By law, no Jew is allowed to live in the Kingdom).  They have never opened diplomatic relations with Israel. It was with uneasiness that Israel witnessed in 2010 the US sale of $60 billion worth of F-15 fighters, attack helicopters and advanced munitions to this unfriendly nation, some of whose borders lie only minutes by air from our capital. 

For 70 years no Israeli passenger planes have been allowed over Saudi airspace (When, some years ago, the authors travelled to Thailand, our plane was forced to fly southwards along the Arava through the Gulf of Aqaba, then down the length of the Red Sea—with enemy state Sudan to the west, Saudi Arabia to the East— on southward to just before the Horn of Africa, where we finally made a sharp left turn eastwards out over the Arabian Sea towards India—

In recent years, there have been signs that this official stance of hostility may be, at some levels anyway, beginning cautiously to change. The Saudis came out with a “peace plan” related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. More recently, rumors began to surface of secret communications between the two countries.  When the newly-elected President Trump made his maiden trip abroad last May, his first stop was to Saudi Arabia—from there his plane made one of the few flights ever allowed from Arabia to Israel. 

With the remarkable reforms which appear to be attending the rise of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman Al Saud, an unprecedented warming of relations with Israel has begun to be spoken of as a legitimate possibility (PM Netanyahu recently spoke of Israeli relations with the Arab world—obviously including Saudi Arabia—as “best ever.”  As of this week, the flights from India over the Arabian peninsula will continue three times a week.

Then this past Thursday night, history was made.  For the first time in Israel’s 70 year history, a passenger plane from another country was allowed to travel the length of the Arabian Peninsula (see map above) en-route to Tel Aviv.  The Air India Boeing 787 from New Delhi touched down at Ben Gurion Airport at 10:15 p.m.  Israeli Transport Minister Yisrael Katz described the occasion as “the first time that there is an official connection between the state of Israel and Saudi Arabia.”  Of its enormous significance, one Israeli analyst observed that even in the absence of an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty (considered for years a prerequisite for relations between Israel and the Arab world), “this shows you can have small gestures that are of real meaning.”

The most generally held explanation for this thaw in relations is that the Sunni Saudi government is eyeing the expansion of its Shi’ite arch-enemy Iran and its nearness to acquisition of nuclear weapons, and is therefore open to (at least temporarily) making an alliance with the Israelis, whom the Iranian Ayatolla’s have repeatedly vowed to annihilate.  While not discounting this as a factor, we sense it is essential that we seek the Lord as to what He—Lord of the Nations—is doing.  Of course there is war in the heavenlies, with evil powers and principalities over nations at war against the decrees of the Elyon—the Most High—on behalf of His redemptive purposes on the earth.

We believe that through the present year a season of grace is being extended in which nations are being granted opportunity for making choices as related to their alignments with God’s purposes in His covenant land and people Israel.  How they choose will significantly determine their pathway in the season ahead—whether for blessing and awakening or for darkness and great deception and delusion.  During this year, there will be nations whose past histories would have indicated them to be last in embracing Israel, which will turn towards here—others with reputations as friendly will turn away.

During this window of opportunity, the determined efforts of intercessors, though small in number, may have great influence in swaying the stance of their leaders towards that which is good.  It is remarkable that we see the leadership of Egypt, with whom Arabia allied strongly in both the 1948 and 1973 wars against Israel, slowly but steadily engaging in more friendly relations with her.  We believe this is being surely facilitated through the prayers of millions of Christian believers and the many houses of prayer in that land who love and are praying fervently towards the fulfillment of the Isaiah 19 “Highway” which God says will connect “Egypt My people” with “Israel My inheritance.” 

If God has such plans for Egypt, where His people suffered bondage for 400 years, might He not also have redemptive plans for the Arabian Peninsula, where it is appears that these same Children of Israel may have wandered for 40 years in the desert? (In fact, in the opinion of a growing number of Biblical scholars, many factors point towards the very Mountain where the LORD came down and spoke with Moses as lying, not in the “Sinai Peninsula,” but in that area of Midian on the “back side” (i.e. the Arabian side) of the Gulf of Aqaba). 

Might not this area of the world in which the delusion of Islam arose—a delusion which holds vast throngs of people throughout the nations in a bondage not unlike that typified by Egypt before the Exodus—might not this area where His manifest presence once moved among His people Israel be one in which the God of Salvation longs to begin releasing freedom to captivities from evil—even from its very source?  Perhaps this itself sounds delusional.  But God, whose greatness will dwell in Jerusalem, is beginning to shake things—“Let the peoples tremble…let the earth shake, YHWH is great in Zion, He is exalted above ALL peoples…They SHALL praise Your great and awesome name: Holy is He!” (Psalm 99:1-3).  This includes those in captivity to darkness in Saudi Arabia! 

Some of the Body of Messiah in Israel is using the shifts we sense occurring to stir us to pray for His life and blessing to spread over this great enemy from our past.  After all, a part of our call, from the beginning, has been that through the seed of Abraham, every family and nation will find blessing!  (Genesis 12:3; 22:18). 

Will you join with us!

PLEASE PRAY:

* That the Spirit which is drawing a new generation in Saudi Arabia towards regarding Israel with favor, will increase - that the leaders there would respond positively to this Spirit.

* That the “true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every human being” (John 1:9), will illumine hearts of Muslims throughout the Arabian Peninsula to the truth that Issa-Yasuah-Yeshua-Jesus who was born in Bethlehem is the divine Son of God and saviour of the World (We personally have heard testimonies of former Muslims who were illumined by this Light while on the Haj in Mecca itself!).

* For Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman Al Saud, that He will be protected in mind and body; that the Power which has already been at work in him towards releasing freedoms towards women, and other areas of his society which have for centuries lain in unjust bondage and oppression, that this Power will reveal itself in a personal way.

* For Israel’s leaders, to regard the initiatives in Saudi Arabia with wisdom, discernment and grace.  That God will work His alliances between the two countries out in His way and timing.

* That the grace and favor which is presently linking India and Israel will be released over the Arabian peninsula over which their flights are now free to take place!

“In world first, Air India crosses Saudi airspace to Israel”: AFP (Reprinted in The Times of Israel: 22 March 2018).

Martin & Norma Sarvis

Jerusalem

Friday, 09 March 2018 09:41

Saudi Arabia: potential for religious freedom

During a three-day visit to the UK Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, has vowed to promote religious freedom. He said this at an hour-long private meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury on 8 March. Justin Welby described the crown prince as 'cordial and honest' and a statement from Lambeth Palace said the prince had 'made a strong commitment to promote the flourishing of those of different faith traditions and to interfaith dialogue within the kingdom and beyond'. 32-year-old Mohammed bin Salman, considered the presumptive heir to 82-year-old King Salman, is seeking to promote new reforms for Saudi Arabia. During the discussion the Archbishop pressed concerns over restrictions on Christian worship in Saudi Arabia, where converting away from Islam is punishable by death and non-Islamic places of worship are banned.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 19 January 2018 09:41

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq: instability

Iran’s regional activities have stretched its capacity, its economy is already in difficulty, and while President Trump has said he will renew the sanction waivers one last time, a collapse of the nuclear enrichment agreement would cause severe problems. It is not known who might replace the ailing Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, in the near future. In Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is assuming greater power while preparing to become king. He has liberal policies on economic reforms, and some foresee possible attempts to prevent his coronation. When Kurds voted for independence Iraq experienced political chaos, and challenges remain as they prepare to elect a new parliament in May. Meanwhile Christian villages are being freed from jihadists and the faithfulness of the region’s church is causing Muslims, disillusioned by violence perpetrated in the name of religion, to walk the path of peace and reconciliation.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 08 December 2017 11:52

Global: the power of leaders’ words

There is huge power in the words we speak. The ambitious crown prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia called Iran's supreme leader ‘the Hitler of the Middle East.’ An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman accused the ‘adventurist’ prince of ‘immature, inconsiderate, and baseless remarks and behaviour.’ Rivals for control of the Middle East, Shi'ite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia are presently engaged in proxy wars in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria. Kim Jong-Un’s ballistic bluster and President Trump’s ‘fire and fury’ has created more tension in Asia, while Pope Francis was cautioned not to utter the word ‘Rohingya’ in Myanmar. We are asked to pray for the world's leaders to understand fully the power that their words have to hurt or to build up, to cause conflict or to ease tension. May they heed the advice of many seasoned and wise counsellors.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 30 November 2017 11:36

Saudi Arabia - Is a door opening?

Is a Door Opening for Christianity in Saudi Arabia?

(Worthy News) - Stunning political developments in Saudi Arabia have some wondering if the strict Muslim-ruled Kingdom could become more tolerant of Christianity.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has said he intends to return Saudi Arabia to "moderate Islam" and open the country to all faiths.

As part of his reform drive, dozens of officials – including 11 princes – have been arrested on corruption charges. The kingdom also says it has dismissed several thousand imams from mosques for spreading extremism.

The percentage of Saudi Arabian citizens who are Christians today is officially zero, because conversion from Islam to Christianity has long been punishable by death.

But it's estimated that between four and five percent of the population is Christian – mostly guest workers who are not allowed to worship openly.

Some are hopeful that change is coming.

"The days of a religious monopoly in Saudi Arabia are over," says Christian Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab to Christianity Today, "No more pushing Islam down every citizen's throat."

Andrea Zaki, president of the Protestant Churches of Egypt, said of the reform promises, "I hope it will lead Saudi Arabia and the region to a more open society."

But time will tell whether Prince Mohammed can bring real reform and religious pluralism to a nation that has known little to none of it since its founding.

More: http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2017/november/is-a-door-opening-for-christianity-in-saudi-arabia

Friday, 17 November 2017 10:19

Yemen: civilians suffer from blockade

A Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's government will not allow rebel-controlled air and sea ports to reopen until a better system is created to prevent weapons being smuggled from Iran. The coalition tightened its two-year blockade after a ballistic missile was fired at Riyadh airport. Iran denied arming Houthi rebels, and said the missile launch was ‘an independent action’ in response to coalition ‘aggression’. 2,000+ have died since April from cholera, and 3,500 cases are being treated daily. The blockade will undo efforts to curtail its spread. 27,000 children a month are treated for severe and acute malnutrition. With no aid deliveries, nutrition supplies will run out within two months, affecting the treatment of 400,000 children over the coming year. The children will bear the scars of this conflict long into the future. Civilians are the only people paying the price for political wrangling.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 01 September 2017 10:14

Saudi Arabia: Global Day of Prayer

Saudi Arabia is one of the most unreached nations in the world. A partnership between Windows International, Saudi Advocacy Network and Pray for Saudi has designated 23 September as the international Saudi Global Day of Prayer. The group are dedicated to reaching Saudis for Christ, and know that prayer plays a crucial role. They are inviting Christians and prayer groups across the nations to unite and participate in a thirty-minute prayer slot. The vision is a circle of prayer from around the globe praying for Jesus to reach into the hearts of many Saudis and bring them to salvation. There will be live prayer times broadcast from different locations across continents. Resources and more information can be found by clicking the ‘More’ link.

Published in Worldwide

Mujtaba al-Sweikat, a Saudi Arabian young man, was accepted as a student at Western Michigan University, but is now facing imminent beheading in his home country for participation in pro-democracy protests. He was arrested and charged in 2012 at a Saudi airport on his way to the USA. He has been held since then and his execution sentence was given recently. Thirteen other minority Shi’ites are facing the same fate. After the recent sentencing, Mujtaba and the others were transferred to a prison in Riyadh where Saudi Arabia routinely carries out its executions. Many human rights groups and a large US teachers’ union are becoming involved, calling on President Trump to intervene. We can praise God that it is getting news coverage and drawing international attention because it involves a potential American student, but this is normal behaviour in Saudi Arabia.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 07 July 2017 15:15

Extremism in UK backed by Saudi Arabia

The think-tank Henry Jackson Society has reported a 'clear and growing link' between Islamist organisations preaching violence in the UK and foreign state funding. It has called for a public inquiry into extremism bankrolled by several Gulf States. Saudi Arabia and Iran are responsible for much of the foreign funding of extremism in the UK; Saudi Arabia has spent millions on exporting its conservative Wahhabi Islam to Muslim communities since the 1960s. Funding takes the form of endowments to mosques and Islamic educational institutions which host radical preachers and distribute extremist literature. Running parallel with this is the fact that the Saudis are one of the main buyers of UK-made arms, with the UK Government approving £3.5bn-worth of arms exports licences to the Gulf state recently and British ministers cultivating trading relationships as the UK looks for post-Brexit trading partners.

Published in British Isles
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