Officials estimate that Israel will evacuate all 6,000 of its nationals from the Gaza Strip as well as about 50,000 from the West Bank. The estimate reflects Sharon's plans to withdraw from the entire Gaza Strip and most of the West Bank to pave the way for an interim Palestinian state by 2005.

Europe Wants To Rival US As Military Superpower ...
Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - European Union support for the Palestinian Authority against Israel is part of Europe's "hidden war" against the United States to become a world superpower, a European parliamentarian said in Jerusalem this week.

U.S. Warns Israel Against Rushing Into Syrian Talks
Damascus is urging the U.S. to help it renew peace talks with Israel from the point at which they were halted in January 2000, the Syrian state-run newspaper Al-Thawra said yesterday. American officials cautioned Israel against rushing into talks with Syria, stating that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is not serious in his intentions. PM Ariel Sharon said Israel is conditioning talks on an end of Syrian support for terror.

Sharon Bends To US Demands
Reports continue to surface that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's diplomatic policies are being run more in tandem with American dictates than with Israeli Cabinet decisions.

Experts Seeking 'Dirty Bombs' In Cities
(AP) - Government nuclear experts are walking the streets in at least four major U.S. cities, using high-tech equipment hidden in briefcases and golf bags to hunt for radiological "dirty" bombs and other weapons terrorists might use. The Energy Department's Nuclear Incident Response Teams were deployed to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York and Washington last month, when the nation's terror alert status was upgraded to orange, or high alert, according two government officials who spokes on condition of anonymity.

Comments
Israel is planning to ask the U.S. for billions of dollars in aid to help finance a massive evacuation of Israeli troops from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.  This will be done by 2005 to accommodate the creation of a Palestinian state.  It's looking more and more like this will actually happen.  

Sharon is being accused of ignoring the Israeli Cabinet in order to stay on track with American wishes.  That will serve to put Israel in a real difficult position.  Of course, this roadmap is a joke but Israel has been pressured and lied to in order to keep them steadfast toward the goal of a Palestinian state.  I believe this will set Israel up for eventual destruction but God will have other plans.  Look for a Palestinian state to be created under the U.S. roadmap, but I don't believe that it is the peace plan we Christians have been looking for.  It could be a part of it, but this may turn out to be the time when the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39 comes to pass.  If you remember, Ezekiel 38:11 says that Israel will be dwelling safely in their own land just before they are attacked.  Could that day be upon us?

There are many scenarios that could take place following the establishment of a Palestinian state.  One, Israel could be attacked by the Russia-Arab alliance.  That's always the first and foremost possibility.  I still have a hard time coming up with a motive for why Russia would get involved in this war.  Of course, the Bible states it will be for the reason of taking a spoil (Ezekiel 38:12).  Many point to Israel's vast untapped wealth located beneath the Dead Sea.  It's commonly believed that Israel will discover the mother of all oil discoveries sometime in the future.  There's also a severe water shortage in the Middle East and many point to this leading to the next big battle in the region.  But that still raises the question of why Russia?  I look for Israel to discover that mother load of oil sometime shortly after a Palestinian state is created.  This would sweeten the pot for Russia to enter into the fray.  

Following the attack, the E.U. will finally make a pact or treaty with many in which Israel will be a part of.  This could take the shape of confirming a treaty that was already in progress before the Russian-Arab invasion.  The invasion could also lead to the E.U. bringing Israel under their protection in the form of E.U. membership.

There's another direction that I haven't seen addressed by anyone in the world of prophecy.  As you know, the E.U. has had problems of their own developing a constitution and bringing members and member candidates together on the same page.  That's proved to be a near impossible task.  Many in the E.U. are pointing to a two-speed Europe.  Those who are ready now would go forward with the constitution as written and the remaining would come in when they meet the constitutional bylaws.  

Could it be that the treaty the antichrist will confirm (Daniel 9:27) will turn out to be the E.U.?  Bringing the E.U. together has proved to be almost as difficult as the Middle East situation.  Will the antichrist figure out a way to bring everyone together under one umbrella, which would include Israel?  Could it be that the ten kings (Revelation 17:12) will go in the first wave of a two-speed E.U.?  Could it be that the E.U. president will convince the ten kings that it would be a huge international victory for them to include Israel in the second wave of members?  Remember, it is a believed that the antichrist will confirm a treaty with many.  This certainly would fall in that category.

Certainly, this is mere speculation and anything could happen, but it does make for an interesting future.

Pastor Malone