As I write this today I am reeling in shock. I have just watched USA President Donald Trump announce that the USA is taking over Gaza, while Israel is looking to annex the West Bank and Samaria. I am a Kiwi not an American, so I am neither a democrat nor a republican. I am someone looking in from the outside. Many people will have hugely divided opinions about his actions, I am sure. But I want to share my initial thoughts on this as it will effect not just the USA but the entire world. My immediate first thought - he's standing up and taking responsibility for cleaning up a mess he didn't make, when he didn't have too WOW! Taking a second look I do see it as being in the best interest of the USA - I'm still impressed he's willing to do it.

From everything I have seen, President Trump is NOT wrong in his assessment of Gaza. It is hell on earth and NO civilians should being going back to live there. There is unexploded ordnance everywhere, the vast majority of buildings there are virtually rubble and those that aren't have been destabilized to such an extent that they could crumble at any time - even a small earthquake could flatten the place entirely, and how many of the 2.2 million people of Gaza would survive that? It's a disaster waiting to happen. I am stunned by his vision to turn it into the Riviera of the Middle East. The fact that he can see the potential rather than just the reality makes him a man of vision.

The Palestinians have to be re-educated and taught that anti-Semitism is NOT OK. That genocide is NEVER OK. That those who murder other people by blowing themselves up are NOT Hero's, and that if you have an issue with your genetic cousins over the property inheritance - take it to court. Long-term, when they grow up and behave themselves and prove they can be trusted, Gaza could become the 51st state in the USA and the Palestinians would all hold USA citizenship. That won't scare the USA too much - they have dealt with the Hatfield's and McCoy's, the KKK and Neo-Nazi's in the past, so they have experience. They were already a target in the terrorists eyes, 'The Big Satan', 911 proved that. So I am sure that it hasn't escaped President Trump that having boots on the ground there and a strong base is going to help, 'cut off the head of the snake'.

Israel annexing the West Bank would restore it to what it was Biblically and what God deigned for it's borders to be. This would mean they would have to give all West Bank citizens full Israeli citizenship. Might take a bit for those there calling themselves Palestinians to get their head around the fact that they would be Arab-Israeli's with the same rights as any Israeli Jew and the same responsibilities. There is NO  apartheid in Israel, the current check points are border crossings between separate countries because the West Bank is NOT part of the country of Israel. They would no longer need the check points anymore - just more police and anti-terrorism units for a while.

These are huge changes to consider. Bold moves on the part of both the USA and Israel, I could see it actually bringing peace to the Middle East in our generation, something I never thought could happen. It's worth praying about - we are living in interesting times.