that is a really good article by Terry James, pointing out the dangers of Trump's Middle East advisor, father to his new son in law. Not only is it sticky having family battles, but mix in the President of the USA, a daughter he's just starting to get close to, who grew up on the outside of his other children's inner circle, but how does he balance what is right for his family, his country and Israel? Terry put his finger right on the problem there. Tiffany's mother raised her away from Trump and the other children. It's only since she became an adult and around the time she married after his first term that she's gotten closer to her father and half siblings. That's a delicate situation right there.
Quote from the article that I found quite alarming:
"The following touches on the trap I propose might be in the process of being set to turn the new US presidential administration from no two-state solutions to an offering of land for peace, opposed by Mr. Netanyahu, most of the Israeli people, and, currently, most of Trump’s people.
WASHINGTON — Massad Boulos, President-elect Donald Trump’s advisor on Middle Eastern and Arab affairs, said that the United States would have to discuss laying out a “roadmap” to Palestinian statehood if it hopes to establish relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi officials have long made it known that they would not establish ties with Israel absent progress toward a Palestinian state. But for Boulos — a Lebanese-American billionaire and the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany — to emphasize the point is significant because other Trump appointees, in addition to Trump himself, are seen as close to the Israeli right, which rejects Palestinian statehood.
“I think the issue of a roadmap that would lead to a Palestinian state is an important part of the discussions between the United States and Saudi Arabia,” Boulos said in a wide-ranging interview last week with Le Point, a French magazine. “It is certainly a very important point.”
Boulos, 53, framed the focus on Palestinian statehood in terms of expanding the Abraham Accords, the 2020 normalization agreements between Israel and four Arab countries that were Trump’s signature foreign policy achievement in his first term.
Trump has spoken repeatedly about expanding the Abraham Accords. In the interview, Boulos said that many additional countries would initiate ties with Israel if Saudi Arabia did so.
“It is important to remember that Saudi Arabia is not demanding the creation of a Palestinian state today, but it is asking for a vision and a road map for it, that’s all,” he said. “Today, the president’s priority is to resume discussions on the Abraham Accords, with, of course, Saudi Arabia first. Because we know very well, and the president has said it, that once we agree with Saudi Arabia on Israel, there will be at least 12 Arab countries that will be immediately ready to follow suit.” (Massad Boulos, Trump’s new Middle East adviser, touts roadmap to Palestinian state, By Ron Kampeas/JTADECEMBER, Jerusalem Post)
We can all be thankful for the new direction America is apparently pointing with the election of Mr. Trump, who promises a change from the moral and governance madness experienced over the past number of years. But we can also watch and pray while we work toward pointing out that the satanic trap we might be witnessing being set will be recognized by the new president."
Prayers are definitely required for Trump as he navigates what could become very rough water very very quickly.
The Abraham Accords have so far NOT included any land deals - it's restricted to doing deals, increasing business, tourism and allowing for ambassadors to be exchanged.
If Trump had won his second term 4 years ago, Saudi Arabia was expected to sign onto the AA without any such conditions that Boulos has cleverly tossed into the mix.
The REASON the Trump Peace Plan was rejected and this alternative was quickly proposed by the Arabs, was to AVOID losing land in the West Bank aka Judea and Samaria. That area was being carved up and the Arabs knew they would forfeit claims on large sections permanently so they quickly proposed this Abe Accords and said they'd sign on as long as the Peace Plan got shelved.
HOPEFULLY Trump doesn't cave to this nonsense. The reason he did carve up Israeli land for peace in his previous Peace Deal was to create a different approach to land for peace and a 2 state settlement. But make no mistake, it still gave away land that belongs to Israel and land that was stolen from them.
Boulos is not a good addition to the team.
Makes me wonder if he encouraged his son to go after Trumps other daughter knowing she would be the way to her father's heart as he loves all his children very much in spite of how her mother pointedly raised her in California far away from Trumps New York and Florida home base. An easy target to manipulate and create an opening into Trumps inner family circle.
Great points and observations Margery. In some ways I find it fairly ironic that the fate of prophetic Israel is so in the hands of a family with issues from the USA, the Trump family. That in and of itself is like, wow...lol.
So like on one hand I wonder how much of the deal of the century might have been a way to get the Abraham Accords all along. I have noticed in other "random" reporting that Trump is somewhat known for the strategy of: looking like he wants (a) but really for the sake of getting (b). And this noticed outside the middle east issues. Just saying in general.
The other way this strikes me in some ways odd (although of course is understandable) is the great concern expressed with what happens in relation to the Trump family and Israel. Because, generally, the kind of table set I look at that I come to when considering the middle east is never really what volatility goes with the Trump family so much. As wondering how God shapes the middle east for what looks like escalating Ez 38 theme lineups. But wow, there is not only such a human face on it...that human face just happens to be the 1st American family. A country most in the watcher world thought would fade away into irrelevance. Now, instead, there is this one core family that has as much potential radioactive ways concerning it as the state of Israel itself. To me, this is super mind blowing...lol. Because now instead of, "America fades explaining why its not apparently in the Ez 38 voices like Saudi Arabis is." We have, "The Trump family voices concerning Israeli have never been such a concern as they now are." Another way of saying that in my vernacular might be: How to super size American presence in Israeli prophecy potentially.
Of course this heightened focus on the Trump family could also lead to America tanking down the line. But for now, the escalation has been going in the exact opposite direction of roads watcher views thought Ez 38 potentially to be about. And in a day and time where the watcher world would want to downplay America in prophesy (because God doesn't need America to secure Israel type of ideas), instead what we are getting is an America with fries (the Trump family), lol. And in some ways it is rather playful to see all this play out to some extent in how it might.
I think it is actually heartwarning that the story of middle east tension be so much about a fireside family chat and outdoor late night bbq. The metaphors of the Trump dynasty upon the middle east in some ways kind of brings into focus a cozy, cuddle and spoon worthy soap opera marathon night. Like in some ways the thoughts I have on this are in full flight rejection mode of the utter gravity magnetically strong arming such a ground level social mood upon this. Like this for me is almost too raw...lol. I'm use to undoing thoughts that gravitate toward how my eschatology mounts up--and failsafe system built in I reckon. So, even to venture to consider what is being looked at in this article, for me, is almost embarrassingly too raw for me to allow myself even to consider. If that might make sense?
But in any event, on some levels of course I am encouraged that these kinds of concerns are taking place. We know Saudi Arabia will find a way to neutralize with Israeli should we be in the exact location we tend to understand eschatologically we might be. I recall Uturn on JDF used to say all the time that he thought that Saudi Arabia would best be the governor over the Palestine. Uturn almost insisted like that would have to happen. Well that and maybe a blend of SA and Qatar + Jordan? 7 or 8 months ago it was presumed that the Saudi normalization might still move forward and I remember Uturn chopping at the bit of some arrangement to manage Palestine outside of Israeli borders to have occured. So yeah It's hard to say what path may come. It would seem since Saudi Arabia is so central in where they eventually end up prophetically, that a one state solution might hold. For a while I was thinking it might go in that direction. Perhaps it can. But wow that would be amazing to see that AND and Saudi normalization. Not sure how that would work though.
. . . . .
In general the different approach I would take to looking at the middle east is like a silhouette approach. Like seeing what might be coming into place to fulfill prophecy later. So as I got confused just barrowing your
@Margery take on the article, the question kept coming up in me: "So what is a trap?" And, "What to see that means what?" lol. If that question sounds confused, yeah...I kind of am. So...this forced me to have to read the article...lol. I was hoping to just skip a long the water surface here. So now that I read it...
Ahhh...I see. First off, I am really glad this article is pretrib. Amen. That's a good sign. But what threw me for a loop was what I mentioned above without even reading the article. And that would be the interesting day and age we have where it seems that for some reasons there is this watcher view on things mode that tends to seem to build and construct within narratives the beautiful art of story with some intriguing plot agenda. I studied deeply the art of creative writing. So maybe that is why it stands out to me like that. I just knew that if in my early college days I needed to take English as a Second Language courses for me to even understand how to write, lol, I should probably get really familiar with writing in general. So I tried. But I never thought creative writing would ever be a mode of prophetic evaluation. lol. I just find that pretty odd. A path I would have never chosen on purpose. And had I, well I would have also sought psychological help...because that to me would have been a bozo approach to eschatology. Yet, now that it seems we are here, it makes all the sense in the world in a way. Because the ability to detect "story" in themes is kind of a given staple for me. No expert by far. But I just go there on auto pilot.
So I said all that to say this: What the author of this article seems to do (as seems to be a huge trend in the watcher community) is construct story themes that present a problem for the watcher community to find cause in. I mean I understand a mess is totally dropped in our laps. And who is to say what is THE best approach, amen. Far be it from me to overly try. But to me, this article (as endearing your comments are dear sister from how it struck you are--and they are super endearing and wonderfully presented) seems to be about the skill of incerting plots for the watcher community to...solve? in a sense? I'm trying to get my head around it. Because to me it just seems odd that we might be looking at conditions that might do this or that or the other thing. But if like we are this close to end times...it really can only go one way. The way Providence would have it. So maybe its just me and I am too story minded for my own good. This is probably happening. But the sense that there is this trap is unusual to me. I mean I see it. And its cool to notice. Even better, that you put such lovely heart in sussing out the things you point out. And the awesome heart of
@dlcv in bringing it to us to check out. It's always good to see what various trends are being considered. Amen.
But I feel like I might be missing something. Because just in general the way I look at the middle east is not so much like a story plot unfolding as much as a providential theme refining. I guess in that sense I am far too prone to just chill while the dust clears. And see what is left standing. But this article approach seems to invoke of a sense of theater in the middle east that I guess makes the story more mysterious? I just feel like I am missing something. It does seem the concerns the article has is intriguing. But I'm not sure on what level to process that with. Because whatever happens, trap or not trap, it goes one way. And we just get to find that out. I'm not sure if it makes sense what I am asking. Forgive me if this is kinda thick. I'm just not tracking as much these days I reckon.
But what does stand out in the article where I would differ is what to me would seem to be a potential blind spot. And this would only matter if the blind spot noticed is actually relevant. If not, then there is no blind spot. But what this author seems to do is try and balance out over zeal with Trump with practicality. Which is a noble gesture. Amen. So that is quite the opposite of a blind spot I can get behind. Amen. But the blind spot for me would be in this: "If we have not even got to the tribulaiton yet, how is what Trump is doing now relevant for a war 7 years into the tribulation?" Armegeddon does not occur at the beginning of the tribulation. Nor in the middle. It occurs at the end. Way after 7 years of 3 huge cycle judgements. So how is it that what we are looking at today has approaching relevance to 7 years in an era so different than the age of grace that we track 7 years into the future to develop plot lines in the middle east for today? To me that is just way into the future. The guy has his convictions. Amen. Its just that for me the blind spot is like what happens between our events in the age of grace and Armegeddon are kind of night and day. To me there is too much data in-between those two periods to even dare consider a narrative that brings Armegeddon into view. So to me the blind spot might be Ez 38. I was thinking he might hit on that.
So if Ez 38 is what is slowly forming, it might make sense why skipping that and overlaying it with Armegeddon might be a way to look at prophecy in like a "busy work" fashion. But it would just seem too far afield to have traction. Now if Ez 38 is not in play and other things go down, the mystery is more valid. But I would still not try to stretch out so far into Armegeddon when the tribulation is not even in play yet. Perhaps its the excitement? Which is cool and awesome to see. And be a part of. If Ez 38 is a blind spot then mazel tov. I reckon its supposed to be? I mean we are talking about prophecy. So it stands to reason it be hidden to some great degree. But when I look at the middle east it has Ez 38 written all up one side and down the other. What might I be missing here? I'm sincerely asking. Not in fear of foregoing my perspective. But typically I find solace in understanding the views of the watcher trends even if I don't see it the same way. But on this one, i'm kind of lost a bit. Hope that makes sense. Well whatever might be helpful i'd appreciate. I always love to see as much as I can as others might percieve. Because I think understanding the views of others is actually more important than understanding my own views too much. I don't really trust my views all that much...lol. Although I do tend to land there. So this might be a helpful exercise.
Blessings.