JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
ISAIAH 51:3-4
3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion:(JERUSALEM) he will comfort all her waste places;(FROM NUCLEAR WAR) and he will make her wilderness like Eden,(I BELIEVE THE EZEKIEL-4TH TEMPLE WILL BE BUILT 25 MILES FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT AFTER JESUS RULE FOR THE 1,000 YRS FROM JERUSALEM) and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.(PRAISE TO JESUS IN THE DESERT-COULD BE THE NEW JERUSALEM-4TH TEMPLE BUILT 25 MILES INTO THE DESERT FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT.SINCE EZEKIELS TEMPLE IS WAY TO BIG FOR THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT)
4 Hearken unto me, my people;(ISRAEL) and give ear unto me, O my nation:(ISRAEL) for a law shall proceed from me,(JESUS IN JERUSALEM) and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.(ISRAEL AND THE WORLD)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Palestinians freeze all US contacts over threat to shutter PLO office in DC-Move comes amid intense efforts by Washington to bring Palestinians back to the negotiating table-By Dov Lieber and AFP-TOI-22 November 2017
The Palestinians have frozen all contacts with the United States after it decided to close their representative office in Washington, officials said on Tuesday.“In practice by closing the office they are freezing all meetings and we are making that official,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki told AFP.A spokesman for the Palestine Liberation Organization confirmed that it had received instructions from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “regarding closing down all communication lines with the Americans.”The Palestinian move comes as the Trump administration seeks to broker the long-out-of-reach Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.Speaking in the Spanish Parliament today, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinians were “committed to a historic peace deal [with Israel] under the auspices of President Trump.”Over the weekend the US State Department informed Malki that the PLO office in DC would be closed because the Palestinians had violated a 2015 US Congressional mandate.A US State Department official cited “certain statements made by Palestinian leaders” about the International Criminal Court as the violation.In December 2015, Congress introduced a new provision into the annual State and Foreign Operations Bill, mandating that the PLO mission in Washington be shut if the Palestinians initiate or support an International Criminal Court investigation against Israelis.In his 2017 address to the United Nations General Assembly, Abbas seemed to have violated that clause:“We have also called on the International Criminal Court, as is our right, to open an investigation and to prosecute Israeli officials” over Israeli settlement activity, he said.Earlier on Tuesday, Malki told the PA’s official radio station, the Voice of Palestine, that the US administration was reconsidering its decision to close down the PLO office due to the threat by the Palestinian leadership to freeze contacts.Malki added that if the US wanted to review the decision to shut the office in DC, it would also have to review all the laws passed by Congress that treat the PLO as a terrorist organization and “disrespect relations between the two countries.”In 1987, Congress outlawed any PLO presence on US soil due to the group’s terror activities at the time. In 1993, due to the Oslo peace process, Congress allowed for the PLO to open a mission in DC, as long as it stayed faithful to its commitments in the peace talks.In 1997, Congress made it easier for the president to waive sanctions against the PLO: The president would only have to say the waiver was in the US’s national security interest without providing addition explanation. Still, a waiver would have to be signed every six months.That was the case until 2011, when the Palestinians joined UNESCO and declared they wanted full membership status in the UN.In response, Congress introduced a new provision into the annual State and Foreign Operations Bill, mandating that if the Palestinians obtained full membership status in the United Nations outside of an agreement with Israel, the president would be unable to waive sanctions against the PLO, unless “the Palestinians have entered into direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel.”The “national security interest” excuse would no longer suffice.After the Palestinians joined the ICC in 2015, Congress passed a similar provision into the December 2015 foreign ops bill.The provision calls for the waiver to be revoked should the Palestinians “initiate an International Criminal Court (ICC) judicially authorized investigation, or actively support such an investigation” against Israel.The US consulate in Jerusalem declined to comment on Tuesday, instead referring back to a statement on Saturday that said it was hopeful any “closure will be short-lived.”“We are not cutting off relations with the PLO,” that statement said.The declaration does not automatically mean the mission will close.US President Donald Trump now has a 90-day window to decide whether “the Palestinians have entered into direct, meaningful negotiations with Israel,” according to 2015 law– in which case he can waive the requirement to shutter the office.However, the US, by its own admission, is still working on a way to bring the two sides back to the table for the first time since peace talks fell apart in 2014, and there is no timeline yet for the process to bear fruit, the State Department has said.
Netanyahu presses Putin on keeping Iran out of Syria-Two leaders speak by phone day after Kremlin's envoy says Tehran's presence only meant to fight 'terror'-By TOI staff-NOV 22,17
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone about a ceasefire deal in the Syrian civil war and Iranian presence near Israel’s borders with the war-torn country, the Prime Minister’s Office said.The conversation was the latest in a series of high-level contacts between Israel and Russia, amid a dispute between the countries over allowing Iran and Shiite militias backed by Tehran to maintain a foothold near in Syria near the Israeli border.“The conversation lasted about half an hour and dealt with Syria, and Iran’s attempt to entrench itself in Syria,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. “Netanyahu insisted on Israeli security and reiterated his opposition to Iran’s entrenchment in Syria.”The conversation came a day after Moscow’s envoy to Israel, said Iran’s military presence in Syria was solely dedicated to the “war on terrorism.”“Russia respects the Israeli concerns in the field of national security,” Alexander Shein wrote in a message posted on his official Facebook page.Earlier Tuesday, the Kremlin said that Putin had met with Syrian President Bashar Assad the day before in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.The meeting in Sochi, which lasted three hours, preceded a summit between the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey set for Wednesday at the same venue. Iran and Russia have been Assad’s main backers in the civil war while Turkey supports the opposition.Putin and Netanyahu last met face to face in August, although they have reportedly spoken by phone several times since.On October 17, Netanyahu met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Jerusalem, where the two men discussed the Islamic Republic’s attempt to establish itself militarily in Syria.“Iran needs to understand that Israel will not allow this,” Netanyahu told Shoigu, according to his office.According to an unnamed Israeli official, under the Syrian ceasefire deal, militias associated with Iran would be allowed to maintain positions as close as five to seven kilometers (3.1-4.3 miles) to the border in some areas, Reuters reported last week.Last week, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Israel will not tolerate Iran’s presence in Syria as part of the US-Russian ceasefire deal, especially near the Israeli border.“We simply will not allow Shiite and Iranian entrenchment in Syria. And we will not allow all of Syria to become a forward-operating base against the State of Israel. Whoever doesn’t understand that — should understand that,” Liberman said.The day before, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters that the ceasefire terms did not include a Russian commitment to ensure Iran-linked militias would be pulled out of Syria.The Israeli Air Force has carried out numerous airstrikes in Syria on weapons convoys bound for the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group, though it rarely acknowledges individual raids. Hezbollah has sent thousands of its fighters to help Assad’s forces put down the insurgency, which has dragged on for six years.Earlier this month, the BBC, citing a Western security official, reported that Iran was setting up a permanent base on a site used by the Syrian army near el-Kiswah, 14 kilometers (8 miles) south of Damascus, and 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Israeli border.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
US investigator Mueller probing Kushner’s contacts with Israelis — report-Special counsel's team said seeking information about overtures from Jerusalem to Kushner and other Trump figures to thwart anti-settlement UN vote in December-By TOI staff-NOV 22,17
US special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is investigating senior White House adviser Jared Kushner over contacts with Israeli officials, according to a Wall Street Journal report Tuesday.Mueller, investigating Russian ties to the US President Donald Trump’s campaign, is looking at overtures Israeli figures made to Kushner and other senior Trump transition team staff surrounding a United Nations Security Council vote in December 2016 condemning West Bank settlements, the newspaper reported.Kushner is also being asked about contacts with foreign leaders and his role in the firing of former FBI director James Comey, according to the report.Israel mounted a furious, but ultimately unsuccessful, campaign to have the UN resolution quashed, with the Barack Obama administration withholding the US’s veto power and allowing the measure to pass.As part of the flurry of diplomatic efforts, senior Israeli officials apparently contacted Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law, as well as Stephen Bannon, another senior Trump aide, and others to see if the incoming president could intervene to torpedo the December 23 resolution.At the time, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also serves as foreign minister, personally called the transition team to ask for help against the measure.Trump condemned the vote at the time, questioning the efficacy of the United Nations, and promising that “things will be different” when he took office as president.As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2016-He also contacted Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, whose country had drafted the resolution, and persuaded him to postpone the vote, according to the Wall Street Journal.In February, Foreign Policy magazine reported that Michael Flynn, who briefly served as Trump’s national security adviser before being ousted over contacts with foreign officials, led a “vigorous” effort against the vote at Israel’s request, calling ambassadors of states on the council in a bid to have them change their vote against the resolution, to no avail.Trump’s transition team reportedly also asked the State Department to hand over all contact information for the Security Council’s 14 other members ahead of the December 23 vote on the resolution, which branded Israeli settlements as illegal, and said Jerusalem and West Bank land captured by Israel in the 1967 war, including the Old City, was occupied Palestinian territory.The request was denied.The scion of a wealthy New York-New Jersey developer, Kushner’s ties to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu predate his White House role. The New York Times reported earlier this year that Netanyahu had slept in Kushner’s bedroom when staying by the family during a trip to the US years earlier and that the two were friendly.He has taken a leading role in efforts to jump-start Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, bringing him to Israel several times since Trump took office.It was not immediately clear what connection there was, if any, between Kushner’s contacts with Israeli officials and Mueller’s probe into Russian interference.Kushner has already come under scrutiny for his contacts with foreigners, including meetings with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and Sergey Gorkov, who heads a state-run bank.Earlier this week his lawyer Abbe Lowell said Kushner actually encouraged others in President Donald Trump’s campaign to decline meetings with foreign people who “go back home and claim they have special access to gain importance for themselves.”The comments came after a Senate panel said Kushner was not full forthcoming in providing info requested for their own investigation into Russian meddling.The Associated Press contributed to this report
Driver in deadly NY car-ramming handed terror, racketeering charges-Sayfullo Saipov accused of supporting Islamic State, indicted on 8 counts of murder for October 31 rampage on Manhattan bike path-By Agencies-NOV 22,17-TOI
NEW YORK — A 22-count indictment was returned Tuesday against a New Jersey man in the slayings of eight people during a truck attack on a bike path in New York City.Sayfullo Saipov, 29, of Paterson, was charged in Manhattan federal court with providing material support to the Islamic State group, along with eight counts of murder and 12 counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering. Numerous counts carry a potential penalty of death.Prosecutors had initially announced only two charges: provision of material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, and violence and destruction of motor vehicles.His initial court appearance in connection with the indictment is scheduled for November 28. He is expected to enter a plea at that time.If convicted on the murder and vehicle destruction charges, he would face a maximum penalty of life in prison or death, prosecutors said.President Donald Trump has called for him to be executed, but a capital punishment case would be extremely rare in New York, which has abolished the death penalty at the state level.The October 31 attack was the worst in the US financial capital since the September 11, 2001 Al-Qaeda hijackings that brought down the Twin Towers.Saipov allegedly drove a rented pickup truck down a mile-long stretch of bike path in Manhattan, where children and their parents were preparing to celebrate Halloween.Of the eight people killed, five were friends from Argentina celebrating 30 years since their high school graduation. Twelve other people were wounded.His lawyer did not return a message seeking comment.In a release, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the attack a “calculated act of terrorism in the heart of one of our great cities.”Acting US Attorney Joon H. Kim said “scores of videos and images on his cellphone” will be part of the evidence in the case against Saipov.“Like many terrorists before him, Saipov will now face justice in an American court,” Kim said. “And like New York City’s response to his alleged attack, we expect that justice in this case will be swift, firm and resolute.”William F. Sweeney Jr., head of New York’s FBI office, said the indictment should signal “that the rule of law will always prevail.”“When Sayfullo Saipov carried out his brutal attack last month, his intentions were to inflict significant damage, death and injury to innocent victims and terrorize this city,” Sweeney added. “We announce today’s indictment with the understanding that nothing can ever reverse the unfortunate events of that day, or alleviate the pain and sorrow of the victims’ families.”Saipov, held without bail, was charged with using a rental truck to mow down cyclists and pedestrians on a bike path.Authorities said he made statements after his arrest about his allegiance to the Islamic State group, which later took credit for the attack. He was shot by a police officer after crashing the truck into a school bus. His injury was minor enough that he was transferred to a prison facility in Manhattan two days later.He is now in federal custody. Investigators say he confessed to acting in the name of IS and told them he “felt good” about the killings.Saipov came to the US legally in 2010 from Uzbekistan, where officials say he had no history of trouble with the law. He first lived in Ohio, where he was a commercial truck driver, then in Florida. He most recently lived in New Jersey with his wife and children, and worked as an Uber driver.Authorities said in court papers that Saipov told investigators he was inspired to carry out the attack after watching a video of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi questioning “what Muslims in the United States and elsewhere were doing to respond to the killing of Muslims in Iraq.”Evidence against him includes what was found on two of his cell phones, according to court documents. Investigators said one phone contained 90 videos and other Islamic State propaganda, including one of a beheading and another of a tank running over a prisoner. The other phone showed a search for truck rental outlets.
Indian-Israeli trade group warns nixing missile deal threatens relations-On Monday, Indian media reported the country was poised to scrap a $500 million purchase of Israeli Spike anti-tank missiles-By Judah Ari Gross-TOI-22 November 2017
India’s reported plans to scrap a half-billion-dollar deal with Israel for anti-tank missiles will have negative repercussions not only on defense contracts between the two countries, but throughout the market, according to an Indian-Israeli commerce organization.The large sale has been lauded by Israeli officials as a major milestone in trade and military relations with India, giving its reported cancellation extra significance, said David Keynan, vice chairman of the Federation of Indo-Israeli Chambers of Commerce-“It is a very noteworthy deal. It will have an impact not only on defense trade, but on all trade,” Keynan told The Times of Israel Tuesday, speaking over the phone from Bangalor, India.He noted that defense exports often act as a “catalyst” for further trade.On Monday, Indian media outlets reported that the country’s defense ministry had decided to scrap a $500 million deal to buy Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in favor of developing such missiles domestically.The cancellation of the agreement has yet to be officially confirmed. A Rafael spokesperson said the company was continuing in its efforts as normal, until it is notified of a change.The Spike deal was not just words on paper, but had already reached more advanced stages of implementation. Rafael had begun preparations for delivering the missile, opening a production facility in India in August with its local partner, the Indian industrial giant Kalyani Group.The opening of the missile production facility this summer came weeks after a visit to Israel by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — the first official visit to Israel by a sitting Indian prime minister.In a speech at its inauguration, Rafael CEO Maj. Gen. (res.) Yoav Har Even said the factory “is another expression of the strong cooperation between Israel and India in general and of Rafael as a strategic ally of India in particular.”According to Keynan, whose organization facilitates trade between India and Israel, the reports that the massive deal will be called off sparked concern among businesspeople from both countries.“I have already received dozens of calls about it,” he said.Israelis expressed concern that the deal might indicate that agreements with Indian companies are not as solid as they seem. And Indians were worried that in the fallout, Israelis might indeed have those fears and be less interested in making deals in India.Keynan, who has lived in India since 2003, noted that his commerce group is not government-affiliated and was not involved in the Spike agreement or any other defense deals.While exports to India have increased over the years — New Delhi is currently Israel’s 10th-largest trade partner — they haven’t been doing so at the same rate as Israel’s exports in general, according to Keynan.From 2015 to 2016 bilateral trade grew by 0.85 percent, according to the Indian Embassy in Israel.“It’s slower than we’d like to see,” he said.The exact value of Israeli exports to India is difficult to calculate as not all the figures are publicly available, notably defense exports, which make up a significant percentage of the total. However, Keynan estimated that in the past year Israel exported approximately $5 billion to India in goods and services, some $1.5 billion of that in defense trade.According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel also ships approximately $1 billion worth of diamonds to India each year, along with approximately $1 billion in chemicals. The rest comes in the form of agriculture products, non-military technology, industrial products and other assorted goods and services.According to the Indian Express news outlet, the cancellation of the Spike deal was done in order to protect the government’s Defense Research and Development Organization, which is working on creating its own anti-tank guided missile.Indian military sources told the website that DRDO had already produced a few varieties of anti-tank guided missiles and that was “confident” it could produce one on par with the Israeli Spike.The Indian army, which currently uses an inferior anti-tank missile that does not work well at night, reportedly expressed concerns that the decision to scrap the Spike deal would negatively affect its preparedness, and that there was “operational urgency” for the Israeli missile.A spokesperson for Rafael noted the “Spike missile, which is in use in 26 countries, was chosen by India after a lengthy process, in which the system was inspected and successfully performed in a wide variety of scenarios.”This year was a major one for defense cooperation between Israel and India. In May and April, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced two deals with New Delhi for missile defense systems, which were together worth over $2.5 billion.Earlier this month, the Indian Air Force and special forces also took part in the Israeli Blue Flag air exercise, in what was seen as a sign of strengthening ties between New Delhi and Jerusalem. In June, a month before Modi’s visit, India helped sponsor the renowned Israeli Defense Expo in Tel Aviv.And in May, three Indian Navy ships docked in Haifa for an official visit, marking 25 years of diplomatic relations between the two counties.
Hariri returns to Lebanon two weeks after shock resignation-After stops in Egypt and Cyprus, outgoing PM touches down in Beirut, where he is expected to attend independence day parade before meeting with president to discuss quitting post-By AFP-TOI-NOV 22,17
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s prime minister Saad Hariri returned to his home country late Tuesday, on the eve of its independence day and after a nearly three-week absence dominated by his surprise resignation.Hariri stepped down from his post in a televised address on November 4 from Saudi Arabia and then remained in Riyadh, where he spent two weeks before making brief trips to Abu Dhabi, Paris and Cairo.His plane touched down at Beirut international airport shortly before midnight, a statement from his office said.His first stop was to visit the grave of his father, assassinated former prime minister Rafik Hariri, before making his way to his home in central Beirut.His resignation shocked Lebanese, but Hariri’s prolonged stay in Saudi proved even more mysterious for many and sparked a litany of accusations that he was being held hostage there.Hariri had promised he would return to Lebanon in time to mark its 47th Independence Day on Wednesday and would clarify his position there.On Tuesday, he traveled to Cairo to see Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, whom he thanked for his support for Lebanon.Hours later, Hariri flew from the Egyptian capital Cairo to Larnaca in Cyprus where he met late at night with President Nicos Anastasiades, the Cyprus government spokesman said.After a brief visit he flew on to Beirut, where he is expected to take part in the independence day military parade early Wednesday and the customary reception at the presidential palace.He will then meet with President Michel Aoun, who has said he would not accept Hariri’s resignation until he received it in person.Hariri’s Future Movement called on supporters to gather at his home in downtown Beirut at 1:00 pm local time Wednesday.A dual Saudi citizen who has previously enjoyed Riyadh’s backing, Hariri resigned in a mysterious broadcast from the Saudi capital, accusing arch-rival Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilizing his country.During Hariri’s two-week stay in Riyadh, Aoun accused Saudi authorities of holding him “hostage” and demanded that he enjoy freedom of movement.After mediation efforts by Egypt and France — which held former mandate power over Lebanon — the 47-year-old premier left Riyadh on Saturday.Hariri tight-lipped-He headed to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and pledged he would be home by Wednesday.“As you know I have resigned, and we will discuss that in Lebanon,” he said.Hariri’s resignation from outside the country is unprecedented in Lebanese history.Questions remain over whether the resignation will stand, forcing negotiations on a new government, or if he might withdraw the decision.Under Lebanon’s constitution, the president is bound to accept a premier’s resignation however it is tendered, Lebanese constitutional expert Edmond Rizk told AFP.Although it is not outlined in the constitution, Rizk said, custom dictates “this resignation is supposed to be submitted to the president of the republic”.A resignation brings down the government, and the president then engages in consultations to select a new prime minister to form a cabinet.In Lebanon, divided for more than a decade between a pro-Saudi camp and a Tehran-backed alliance, that process typically takes months of political wrangling.But the discussions also aim to strike a balance between the country’s diverse religious communities.As part of Lebanon’s presidential-parliamentary system, the premier must be a Sunni Muslim, the president a Maronite Christian and the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim.More than a week ago, Hariri said he could walk back from his resignation if Hezbollah withdrew from regional conflicts, including Syria.-New government? Hezbollah, a terror group whose forces are fighting in neighboring Syria along government troops, said it still considers Hariri the current premier.“When he comes, we will see. We’re open to all dialogue and discussion,” its chief Hassan Nasrallah said on Monday.But if Hariri stands firm, Aoun has two options: either rename him premier or choose another prominent Sunni figure to lead a new cabinet.“If Hariri’s consultations lead to a new government, that would be a way out,” said Rizk.Aoun tipped Hariri as premier in 2016, as part of a deal across political lines that ended a two-and-a-half year stalemate in Lebanon.Hariri’s two terms as prime minister have both ended abruptly.In January 2011, as he was meeting with then-US president Barack Obama in Washington, Hezbollah and its allies withdrew their ministers and collapsed Hariri’s government.His unexpected resignation earlier this month was seen as part of an escalating power struggle between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, which back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.On the day Hariri resigned, the Saudi kingdom said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen at Riyadh.The announcement also coincided with a purge of more than 200 Saudi princes, ministers and businessmen.
3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion:(JERUSALEM) he will comfort all her waste places;(FROM NUCLEAR WAR) and he will make her wilderness like Eden,(I BELIEVE THE EZEKIEL-4TH TEMPLE WILL BE BUILT 25 MILES FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT AFTER JESUS RULE FOR THE 1,000 YRS FROM JERUSALEM) and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.(PRAISE TO JESUS IN THE DESERT-COULD BE THE NEW JERUSALEM-4TH TEMPLE BUILT 25 MILES INTO THE DESERT FROM THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT.SINCE EZEKIELS TEMPLE IS WAY TO BIG FOR THE CURRENT TEMPLE MOUNT)
4 Hearken unto me, my people;(ISRAEL) and give ear unto me, O my nation:(ISRAEL) for a law shall proceed from me,(JESUS IN JERUSALEM) and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.(ISRAEL AND THE WORLD)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Palestinians freeze all US contacts over threat to shutter PLO office in DC-Move comes amid intense efforts by Washington to bring Palestinians back to the negotiating table-By Dov Lieber and AFP-TOI-22 November 2017
The Palestinians have frozen all contacts with the United States after it decided to close their representative office in Washington, officials said on Tuesday.“In practice by closing the office they are freezing all meetings and we are making that official,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki told AFP.A spokesman for the Palestine Liberation Organization confirmed that it had received instructions from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “regarding closing down all communication lines with the Americans.”The Palestinian move comes as the Trump administration seeks to broker the long-out-of-reach Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.Speaking in the Spanish Parliament today, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinians were “committed to a historic peace deal [with Israel] under the auspices of President Trump.”Over the weekend the US State Department informed Malki that the PLO office in DC would be closed because the Palestinians had violated a 2015 US Congressional mandate.A US State Department official cited “certain statements made by Palestinian leaders” about the International Criminal Court as the violation.In December 2015, Congress introduced a new provision into the annual State and Foreign Operations Bill, mandating that the PLO mission in Washington be shut if the Palestinians initiate or support an International Criminal Court investigation against Israelis.In his 2017 address to the United Nations General Assembly, Abbas seemed to have violated that clause:“We have also called on the International Criminal Court, as is our right, to open an investigation and to prosecute Israeli officials” over Israeli settlement activity, he said.Earlier on Tuesday, Malki told the PA’s official radio station, the Voice of Palestine, that the US administration was reconsidering its decision to close down the PLO office due to the threat by the Palestinian leadership to freeze contacts.Malki added that if the US wanted to review the decision to shut the office in DC, it would also have to review all the laws passed by Congress that treat the PLO as a terrorist organization and “disrespect relations between the two countries.”In 1987, Congress outlawed any PLO presence on US soil due to the group’s terror activities at the time. In 1993, due to the Oslo peace process, Congress allowed for the PLO to open a mission in DC, as long as it stayed faithful to its commitments in the peace talks.In 1997, Congress made it easier for the president to waive sanctions against the PLO: The president would only have to say the waiver was in the US’s national security interest without providing addition explanation. Still, a waiver would have to be signed every six months.That was the case until 2011, when the Palestinians joined UNESCO and declared they wanted full membership status in the UN.In response, Congress introduced a new provision into the annual State and Foreign Operations Bill, mandating that if the Palestinians obtained full membership status in the United Nations outside of an agreement with Israel, the president would be unable to waive sanctions against the PLO, unless “the Palestinians have entered into direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel.”The “national security interest” excuse would no longer suffice.After the Palestinians joined the ICC in 2015, Congress passed a similar provision into the December 2015 foreign ops bill.The provision calls for the waiver to be revoked should the Palestinians “initiate an International Criminal Court (ICC) judicially authorized investigation, or actively support such an investigation” against Israel.The US consulate in Jerusalem declined to comment on Tuesday, instead referring back to a statement on Saturday that said it was hopeful any “closure will be short-lived.”“We are not cutting off relations with the PLO,” that statement said.The declaration does not automatically mean the mission will close.US President Donald Trump now has a 90-day window to decide whether “the Palestinians have entered into direct, meaningful negotiations with Israel,” according to 2015 law– in which case he can waive the requirement to shutter the office.However, the US, by its own admission, is still working on a way to bring the two sides back to the table for the first time since peace talks fell apart in 2014, and there is no timeline yet for the process to bear fruit, the State Department has said.
Netanyahu presses Putin on keeping Iran out of Syria-Two leaders speak by phone day after Kremlin's envoy says Tehran's presence only meant to fight 'terror'-By TOI staff-NOV 22,17
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone about a ceasefire deal in the Syrian civil war and Iranian presence near Israel’s borders with the war-torn country, the Prime Minister’s Office said.The conversation was the latest in a series of high-level contacts between Israel and Russia, amid a dispute between the countries over allowing Iran and Shiite militias backed by Tehran to maintain a foothold near in Syria near the Israeli border.“The conversation lasted about half an hour and dealt with Syria, and Iran’s attempt to entrench itself in Syria,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. “Netanyahu insisted on Israeli security and reiterated his opposition to Iran’s entrenchment in Syria.”The conversation came a day after Moscow’s envoy to Israel, said Iran’s military presence in Syria was solely dedicated to the “war on terrorism.”“Russia respects the Israeli concerns in the field of national security,” Alexander Shein wrote in a message posted on his official Facebook page.Earlier Tuesday, the Kremlin said that Putin had met with Syrian President Bashar Assad the day before in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.The meeting in Sochi, which lasted three hours, preceded a summit between the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey set for Wednesday at the same venue. Iran and Russia have been Assad’s main backers in the civil war while Turkey supports the opposition.Putin and Netanyahu last met face to face in August, although they have reportedly spoken by phone several times since.On October 17, Netanyahu met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Jerusalem, where the two men discussed the Islamic Republic’s attempt to establish itself militarily in Syria.“Iran needs to understand that Israel will not allow this,” Netanyahu told Shoigu, according to his office.According to an unnamed Israeli official, under the Syrian ceasefire deal, militias associated with Iran would be allowed to maintain positions as close as five to seven kilometers (3.1-4.3 miles) to the border in some areas, Reuters reported last week.Last week, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Israel will not tolerate Iran’s presence in Syria as part of the US-Russian ceasefire deal, especially near the Israeli border.“We simply will not allow Shiite and Iranian entrenchment in Syria. And we will not allow all of Syria to become a forward-operating base against the State of Israel. Whoever doesn’t understand that — should understand that,” Liberman said.The day before, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters that the ceasefire terms did not include a Russian commitment to ensure Iran-linked militias would be pulled out of Syria.The Israeli Air Force has carried out numerous airstrikes in Syria on weapons convoys bound for the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group, though it rarely acknowledges individual raids. Hezbollah has sent thousands of its fighters to help Assad’s forces put down the insurgency, which has dragged on for six years.Earlier this month, the BBC, citing a Western security official, reported that Iran was setting up a permanent base on a site used by the Syrian army near el-Kiswah, 14 kilometers (8 miles) south of Damascus, and 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Israeli border.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
US investigator Mueller probing Kushner’s contacts with Israelis — report-Special counsel's team said seeking information about overtures from Jerusalem to Kushner and other Trump figures to thwart anti-settlement UN vote in December-By TOI staff-NOV 22,17
US special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is investigating senior White House adviser Jared Kushner over contacts with Israeli officials, according to a Wall Street Journal report Tuesday.Mueller, investigating Russian ties to the US President Donald Trump’s campaign, is looking at overtures Israeli figures made to Kushner and other senior Trump transition team staff surrounding a United Nations Security Council vote in December 2016 condemning West Bank settlements, the newspaper reported.Kushner is also being asked about contacts with foreign leaders and his role in the firing of former FBI director James Comey, according to the report.Israel mounted a furious, but ultimately unsuccessful, campaign to have the UN resolution quashed, with the Barack Obama administration withholding the US’s veto power and allowing the measure to pass.As part of the flurry of diplomatic efforts, senior Israeli officials apparently contacted Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law, as well as Stephen Bannon, another senior Trump aide, and others to see if the incoming president could intervene to torpedo the December 23 resolution.At the time, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also serves as foreign minister, personally called the transition team to ask for help against the measure.Trump condemned the vote at the time, questioning the efficacy of the United Nations, and promising that “things will be different” when he took office as president.As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2016-He also contacted Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, whose country had drafted the resolution, and persuaded him to postpone the vote, according to the Wall Street Journal.In February, Foreign Policy magazine reported that Michael Flynn, who briefly served as Trump’s national security adviser before being ousted over contacts with foreign officials, led a “vigorous” effort against the vote at Israel’s request, calling ambassadors of states on the council in a bid to have them change their vote against the resolution, to no avail.Trump’s transition team reportedly also asked the State Department to hand over all contact information for the Security Council’s 14 other members ahead of the December 23 vote on the resolution, which branded Israeli settlements as illegal, and said Jerusalem and West Bank land captured by Israel in the 1967 war, including the Old City, was occupied Palestinian territory.The request was denied.The scion of a wealthy New York-New Jersey developer, Kushner’s ties to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu predate his White House role. The New York Times reported earlier this year that Netanyahu had slept in Kushner’s bedroom when staying by the family during a trip to the US years earlier and that the two were friendly.He has taken a leading role in efforts to jump-start Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, bringing him to Israel several times since Trump took office.It was not immediately clear what connection there was, if any, between Kushner’s contacts with Israeli officials and Mueller’s probe into Russian interference.Kushner has already come under scrutiny for his contacts with foreigners, including meetings with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and Sergey Gorkov, who heads a state-run bank.Earlier this week his lawyer Abbe Lowell said Kushner actually encouraged others in President Donald Trump’s campaign to decline meetings with foreign people who “go back home and claim they have special access to gain importance for themselves.”The comments came after a Senate panel said Kushner was not full forthcoming in providing info requested for their own investigation into Russian meddling.The Associated Press contributed to this report
Driver in deadly NY car-ramming handed terror, racketeering charges-Sayfullo Saipov accused of supporting Islamic State, indicted on 8 counts of murder for October 31 rampage on Manhattan bike path-By Agencies-NOV 22,17-TOI
NEW YORK — A 22-count indictment was returned Tuesday against a New Jersey man in the slayings of eight people during a truck attack on a bike path in New York City.Sayfullo Saipov, 29, of Paterson, was charged in Manhattan federal court with providing material support to the Islamic State group, along with eight counts of murder and 12 counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering. Numerous counts carry a potential penalty of death.Prosecutors had initially announced only two charges: provision of material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, and violence and destruction of motor vehicles.His initial court appearance in connection with the indictment is scheduled for November 28. He is expected to enter a plea at that time.If convicted on the murder and vehicle destruction charges, he would face a maximum penalty of life in prison or death, prosecutors said.President Donald Trump has called for him to be executed, but a capital punishment case would be extremely rare in New York, which has abolished the death penalty at the state level.The October 31 attack was the worst in the US financial capital since the September 11, 2001 Al-Qaeda hijackings that brought down the Twin Towers.Saipov allegedly drove a rented pickup truck down a mile-long stretch of bike path in Manhattan, where children and their parents were preparing to celebrate Halloween.Of the eight people killed, five were friends from Argentina celebrating 30 years since their high school graduation. Twelve other people were wounded.His lawyer did not return a message seeking comment.In a release, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the attack a “calculated act of terrorism in the heart of one of our great cities.”Acting US Attorney Joon H. Kim said “scores of videos and images on his cellphone” will be part of the evidence in the case against Saipov.“Like many terrorists before him, Saipov will now face justice in an American court,” Kim said. “And like New York City’s response to his alleged attack, we expect that justice in this case will be swift, firm and resolute.”William F. Sweeney Jr., head of New York’s FBI office, said the indictment should signal “that the rule of law will always prevail.”“When Sayfullo Saipov carried out his brutal attack last month, his intentions were to inflict significant damage, death and injury to innocent victims and terrorize this city,” Sweeney added. “We announce today’s indictment with the understanding that nothing can ever reverse the unfortunate events of that day, or alleviate the pain and sorrow of the victims’ families.”Saipov, held without bail, was charged with using a rental truck to mow down cyclists and pedestrians on a bike path.Authorities said he made statements after his arrest about his allegiance to the Islamic State group, which later took credit for the attack. He was shot by a police officer after crashing the truck into a school bus. His injury was minor enough that he was transferred to a prison facility in Manhattan two days later.He is now in federal custody. Investigators say he confessed to acting in the name of IS and told them he “felt good” about the killings.Saipov came to the US legally in 2010 from Uzbekistan, where officials say he had no history of trouble with the law. He first lived in Ohio, where he was a commercial truck driver, then in Florida. He most recently lived in New Jersey with his wife and children, and worked as an Uber driver.Authorities said in court papers that Saipov told investigators he was inspired to carry out the attack after watching a video of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi questioning “what Muslims in the United States and elsewhere were doing to respond to the killing of Muslims in Iraq.”Evidence against him includes what was found on two of his cell phones, according to court documents. Investigators said one phone contained 90 videos and other Islamic State propaganda, including one of a beheading and another of a tank running over a prisoner. The other phone showed a search for truck rental outlets.
Indian-Israeli trade group warns nixing missile deal threatens relations-On Monday, Indian media reported the country was poised to scrap a $500 million purchase of Israeli Spike anti-tank missiles-By Judah Ari Gross-TOI-22 November 2017
India’s reported plans to scrap a half-billion-dollar deal with Israel for anti-tank missiles will have negative repercussions not only on defense contracts between the two countries, but throughout the market, according to an Indian-Israeli commerce organization.The large sale has been lauded by Israeli officials as a major milestone in trade and military relations with India, giving its reported cancellation extra significance, said David Keynan, vice chairman of the Federation of Indo-Israeli Chambers of Commerce-“It is a very noteworthy deal. It will have an impact not only on defense trade, but on all trade,” Keynan told The Times of Israel Tuesday, speaking over the phone from Bangalor, India.He noted that defense exports often act as a “catalyst” for further trade.On Monday, Indian media outlets reported that the country’s defense ministry had decided to scrap a $500 million deal to buy Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in favor of developing such missiles domestically.The cancellation of the agreement has yet to be officially confirmed. A Rafael spokesperson said the company was continuing in its efforts as normal, until it is notified of a change.The Spike deal was not just words on paper, but had already reached more advanced stages of implementation. Rafael had begun preparations for delivering the missile, opening a production facility in India in August with its local partner, the Indian industrial giant Kalyani Group.The opening of the missile production facility this summer came weeks after a visit to Israel by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — the first official visit to Israel by a sitting Indian prime minister.In a speech at its inauguration, Rafael CEO Maj. Gen. (res.) Yoav Har Even said the factory “is another expression of the strong cooperation between Israel and India in general and of Rafael as a strategic ally of India in particular.”According to Keynan, whose organization facilitates trade between India and Israel, the reports that the massive deal will be called off sparked concern among businesspeople from both countries.“I have already received dozens of calls about it,” he said.Israelis expressed concern that the deal might indicate that agreements with Indian companies are not as solid as they seem. And Indians were worried that in the fallout, Israelis might indeed have those fears and be less interested in making deals in India.Keynan, who has lived in India since 2003, noted that his commerce group is not government-affiliated and was not involved in the Spike agreement or any other defense deals.While exports to India have increased over the years — New Delhi is currently Israel’s 10th-largest trade partner — they haven’t been doing so at the same rate as Israel’s exports in general, according to Keynan.From 2015 to 2016 bilateral trade grew by 0.85 percent, according to the Indian Embassy in Israel.“It’s slower than we’d like to see,” he said.The exact value of Israeli exports to India is difficult to calculate as not all the figures are publicly available, notably defense exports, which make up a significant percentage of the total. However, Keynan estimated that in the past year Israel exported approximately $5 billion to India in goods and services, some $1.5 billion of that in defense trade.According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel also ships approximately $1 billion worth of diamonds to India each year, along with approximately $1 billion in chemicals. The rest comes in the form of agriculture products, non-military technology, industrial products and other assorted goods and services.According to the Indian Express news outlet, the cancellation of the Spike deal was done in order to protect the government’s Defense Research and Development Organization, which is working on creating its own anti-tank guided missile.Indian military sources told the website that DRDO had already produced a few varieties of anti-tank guided missiles and that was “confident” it could produce one on par with the Israeli Spike.The Indian army, which currently uses an inferior anti-tank missile that does not work well at night, reportedly expressed concerns that the decision to scrap the Spike deal would negatively affect its preparedness, and that there was “operational urgency” for the Israeli missile.A spokesperson for Rafael noted the “Spike missile, which is in use in 26 countries, was chosen by India after a lengthy process, in which the system was inspected and successfully performed in a wide variety of scenarios.”This year was a major one for defense cooperation between Israel and India. In May and April, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced two deals with New Delhi for missile defense systems, which were together worth over $2.5 billion.Earlier this month, the Indian Air Force and special forces also took part in the Israeli Blue Flag air exercise, in what was seen as a sign of strengthening ties between New Delhi and Jerusalem. In June, a month before Modi’s visit, India helped sponsor the renowned Israeli Defense Expo in Tel Aviv.And in May, three Indian Navy ships docked in Haifa for an official visit, marking 25 years of diplomatic relations between the two counties.
Hariri returns to Lebanon two weeks after shock resignation-After stops in Egypt and Cyprus, outgoing PM touches down in Beirut, where he is expected to attend independence day parade before meeting with president to discuss quitting post-By AFP-TOI-NOV 22,17
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s prime minister Saad Hariri returned to his home country late Tuesday, on the eve of its independence day and after a nearly three-week absence dominated by his surprise resignation.Hariri stepped down from his post in a televised address on November 4 from Saudi Arabia and then remained in Riyadh, where he spent two weeks before making brief trips to Abu Dhabi, Paris and Cairo.His plane touched down at Beirut international airport shortly before midnight, a statement from his office said.His first stop was to visit the grave of his father, assassinated former prime minister Rafik Hariri, before making his way to his home in central Beirut.His resignation shocked Lebanese, but Hariri’s prolonged stay in Saudi proved even more mysterious for many and sparked a litany of accusations that he was being held hostage there.Hariri had promised he would return to Lebanon in time to mark its 47th Independence Day on Wednesday and would clarify his position there.On Tuesday, he traveled to Cairo to see Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, whom he thanked for his support for Lebanon.Hours later, Hariri flew from the Egyptian capital Cairo to Larnaca in Cyprus where he met late at night with President Nicos Anastasiades, the Cyprus government spokesman said.After a brief visit he flew on to Beirut, where he is expected to take part in the independence day military parade early Wednesday and the customary reception at the presidential palace.He will then meet with President Michel Aoun, who has said he would not accept Hariri’s resignation until he received it in person.Hariri’s Future Movement called on supporters to gather at his home in downtown Beirut at 1:00 pm local time Wednesday.A dual Saudi citizen who has previously enjoyed Riyadh’s backing, Hariri resigned in a mysterious broadcast from the Saudi capital, accusing arch-rival Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilizing his country.During Hariri’s two-week stay in Riyadh, Aoun accused Saudi authorities of holding him “hostage” and demanded that he enjoy freedom of movement.After mediation efforts by Egypt and France — which held former mandate power over Lebanon — the 47-year-old premier left Riyadh on Saturday.Hariri tight-lipped-He headed to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and pledged he would be home by Wednesday.“As you know I have resigned, and we will discuss that in Lebanon,” he said.Hariri’s resignation from outside the country is unprecedented in Lebanese history.Questions remain over whether the resignation will stand, forcing negotiations on a new government, or if he might withdraw the decision.Under Lebanon’s constitution, the president is bound to accept a premier’s resignation however it is tendered, Lebanese constitutional expert Edmond Rizk told AFP.Although it is not outlined in the constitution, Rizk said, custom dictates “this resignation is supposed to be submitted to the president of the republic”.A resignation brings down the government, and the president then engages in consultations to select a new prime minister to form a cabinet.In Lebanon, divided for more than a decade between a pro-Saudi camp and a Tehran-backed alliance, that process typically takes months of political wrangling.But the discussions also aim to strike a balance between the country’s diverse religious communities.As part of Lebanon’s presidential-parliamentary system, the premier must be a Sunni Muslim, the president a Maronite Christian and the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim.More than a week ago, Hariri said he could walk back from his resignation if Hezbollah withdrew from regional conflicts, including Syria.-New government? Hezbollah, a terror group whose forces are fighting in neighboring Syria along government troops, said it still considers Hariri the current premier.“When he comes, we will see. We’re open to all dialogue and discussion,” its chief Hassan Nasrallah said on Monday.But if Hariri stands firm, Aoun has two options: either rename him premier or choose another prominent Sunni figure to lead a new cabinet.“If Hariri’s consultations lead to a new government, that would be a way out,” said Rizk.Aoun tipped Hariri as premier in 2016, as part of a deal across political lines that ended a two-and-a-half year stalemate in Lebanon.Hariri’s two terms as prime minister have both ended abruptly.In January 2011, as he was meeting with then-US president Barack Obama in Washington, Hezbollah and its allies withdrew their ministers and collapsed Hariri’s government.His unexpected resignation earlier this month was seen as part of an escalating power struggle between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, which back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.On the day Hariri resigned, the Saudi kingdom said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen at Riyadh.The announcement also coincided with a purge of more than 200 Saudi princes, ministers and businessmen.
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