Purim – Is it happening again in 2015?
By GF Herrin
Some 1500 years ago (between 486 to 465 B.C.), a young Jewish queen burdened by the impending destruction of her exiled people, courageously came to speak to the one man who had the power to do something about it. Queen Esther, knowing full well the risks of speaking to King Ahasuereas (Xerxes), without getting permission first to approach him. Despite the danger, Esther mustered up the courage, knowing that the survival of Israel might well depend on her willingness to take a stand against the anti-Semitic law written by the evil adversary, Haman.
Now, in 2015, on the eve of the Jewish holiday, Purim, which celebrates the deliverance of Israel from Haman’s destruction, another courageous Jew, Benjamin Netanyahu will speak to the U.S. Congress. Netanyahu comes to speak at a joint session despite the opposition of a U.S. President who is seemingly hostile and indifferent to Israel and will not take direct action to defend the citizens of that country. Congress has the power to help protect Israel from the actions of another evil adversary, Iran. The timing of this situation is uncanny and should not be dismissed by an increasingly Bible illiterate United States.
What has come to light in the last two weeks is that President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry have a potential agreement in the works with Iran that could be harmful for Israel. Iran, who has been a terrorist nation for the past 35 years and has already produced enough plutonium for one nuclear bomb, would like to escape the burden of heavy economic sanctions. They are reportedly close to an agreement with the U.S., who is in favor of lifting the sanctions in return for assurances from Iran that they will curtail their production of plutonium going forward. At the negotiation table with Iran, have been the nations of the U.S., Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia. Conspicuously missing has been Israel.
The Obama administration has been successful in painting the Netanyahu address to congress as a controversial one. When speaker of the House John Boehner extended an invitation to Netanyahu to speak to Congress, Obama wasn’t notified. Protocol wasn’t followed and that ruffled feathers with his administration. But, truly there is no trust between Obama and Netanyahu, after repeated slights and intentional snubs (even verbal assaults) that the White House has offered to Israel’s leader.
Now, comes the latest news that Obama Threatened to Shoot Down IAF Air Strike in 2014. “The Netanyahu government took the decision to strike Iran some time in 2014 soon after Israel had discovered the United States and Iran had been involved in secret talks over Iran’s nuclear program and were about to sign an agreement in that regard behind Israel’s back.”
Yet it is Netanyahu who was castigated famously by people within Obama’s administration as being “Chicken sh—“for not taking action against Iran in the first place. How is it that when the Netanyahu comes to the U.S. for help he is insulted verbally, yet when he takes actions to protect his country himself he is persecuted, also? How can anyone win with an administration as blatently as inept as Obama’s dare to claim the high ground here?
BBC News, says, that “Mr Netanyahu’s visit will start with an address on Monday to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee – the largest Jewish interest group in the US. Also speaking will be Susan Rice – President Barack Obama’s National Security Adviser. On Wednesday, she said Mr Netanyahu’s visit was “destructive to the fabric” of the US-Israel relationship.” Liberal Democrat senator Dianne Feinstein has described Netanyahu’s plans to speak to Congress as “arrogant” .
These allegations against a Prime Minister simply speaking in defense of his country remind one of Haman’s hatred focused against Israel so long ago. If you will recall, the beginning of Haman’s persecution of the Jews, you will remember that it all began when Mordecai did not pay the proper homage to Haman, thus, incurring his wrath (Esth. 3:5). We seem to be seeing history repeating itself, with Obama being 2015’s version of Haman. The enemy, ever the antagonist of the Jews, is at work once again.