PCG's Storyline of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
What stands out about PCG's rigid stance is how utterly incurious they are about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They do not challenge themselves to see if events contradict their story line. No matter what happens they "know" what is really happening. Any events that occur are simply reinterpreted to adhere to their predetermined story line.
Every article of theirs discusses some immediate topic and often quotes some recent news articles but they are just window dressing for PCG's writers to repeat the same story line they have been saying since at least 1996.
PCG's story line on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict goes something like this. (The following is my paraphrase of PCG's story.)
Israel is good. The Palestinians are bad. They are terrorists. They are influenced by Iran.
The peace process is not a sincere attempt by the Palestinians to make peace but a sinister attempt by the Palestinians destroy the State of Israel using non-violent means. It constitutes the State of Israel's "deadly wound".
Any attempt by the State of Israel to sincerely negotiate with, or give concessions to, the Palestinians is extremely foolish and is bound to fail miserably and is stridently condemned by PCG's leaders as not only foolish but even blasphemous.
Israel and America are fated to break their alliance. This is referred to as "breaking the brotherhood".
The Israelis are fated to foolishly enter an alliance with a German led Europe only to be betrayed and conquered by the Catholic European superpower and taken as slaves into continental Europe along with the Americans.
All Israelis and Americans enslaved by the European superpower will be liberated and restored to their former estate after Christ returns. (My summary of PCG's story line of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.)PCG's story line regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was set in Gerald Flurry's 1996 booklet, Hosea and God's Adulterous Wife, and Gerald Flurry's 2001 booklet, Jerusalem in Prophecy.
PCG Repeating Themselves: Part 1
One example of PCG's rigid view of the conflict may be seen in what Gerald Flurry wrote in the original 1996 Hosea booklet. (Note: These words are not in the current version of this booklet.)
Europe is becoming a real powerhouse. French President Jacques Chirac has publicly called for a Palestinian state. The Palestinians were delighted. They gave him a hero’s welcome on a visit to the Middle East in late 1996. The Israelis were deeply hurt. After giving away so much of their land, powerful foreigners pressure them to go beyond their own very generous goals of land for peace.
France and Europe know that such a public maneuver will gain them favor with the terrorists and with the Arabs from whom they get almost 100 percent of their oil. They are willing to sacrifice Judah to achieve their goals. Much more is happening here than the public could even imagine!
In speaking before the Palestinians, Mr. Chirac stated that Palestinian statehood “is not in any way a danger to the security of anyone. On the contrary, a Palestinian state and comprehensive and just peace guarantees security for all.”
That is easy for him to say. But it is treacherous to the Jews. They have to live in a sea of Arab enemies. And these statements make it a lot more dangerous—for Palestine! ...
Germany no doubt endorsed Mr. Chirac’s explosive views. The Germans are the real power behind Europe. (Gerald Flurry, Hosea and God's Adulterous Wife, 1996 version, pp. 28-9.)Five years later this anecdote is repeated in Joel Hilliker's August 2001 article, "The Counterfeit Peacemaker". At one point this article refers to what Gerald Flurry wrote in the 1996 version of Hosea and God's Adulterous Wife.
Arafat has found particularly favorable reception in Europe. On the whole, Europe, in assigning blame for Mideast problems, habitually points to Israel.
In 1996, French President Jacques Chirac became the first head of state to speak to the Palestinian legislative council. He was loudly cheered for “treating the Palestinians to a rare feast of support and succor,” according to the New York Times. In his speech he called for Israel to concede all of the Palestinians’ main demands. (Joel Hilliker, "The Counterfeit Peacemaker", August 2001.)Even though Hilliker's article was printed five years after President Chirac's speech he still cites it in blatant imitation of Gerald Flurry's 1996 article and booklet. Hilliker gives no acknowledgement of the fact that he is repeating what Flurry said five years earlier. A reader would not know he is repeating Flurry's words here. Although as we shall see later Hilliker does quote Flurry later on in this 2001 article.
Three years later Hilliker cites the same story three years later in 2004. This is eight years after this story was first cited in 1996.
Having this Bible-based understanding has given the Trumpet a clear-eyed view of the situation for many years. Editor in Chief Gerald Flurry wrote back in December 1996, after a pro-Palestinian speech by French President Jacques Chirac ... (Joel Hilliker, "The Enemies of Jerusalem", March-April 2004.)So we see that PCG likes to parrot the same lines again and again about this most serious conflict.
PCG Repeating Themselves: Part 2
We now turn back to Gerald Flurry's 1996 booklet, Hosea and God's Adulterous Wife. In that booklet Gerald Flurry also says the following.
Mr. Chirac DEMANDS that the Jews give the Arabs even more than liberal American leadership does! So this is not just a serious slap at Israel. IT'S ALSO A STRONG MOVE AGAINST THE ISRAEL-AMERICAN AXIS. IT'S ALSO A POWER MOVE TO TAKE OVER THE PEACE PROCESS FOR EUROPE'S GREAT BENEFIT. The European Union is moving to be the heavyweight in the Middle East.
Europe is moving not only to be a co-sponsor in the peace process--they want to gain control of it! And they are also investing many millions of dollars to do so! (Gerald Flurry, Hosea and God's Adulterous Wife, 1996 version, p. 30.)Note the confusing way Flurry describes the situation. He labels Israeli Jews as simply "the Jews". In fact most Jews are not in the State of Israel at all. Such talk is confusing.
Flurry talks of "the Arabs". This obscure the fact that the current conflict is mainly between the State of Israel and the Palestinians. It seems as though Flurry cannot see that there is a difference between the Palestinians and the other Arabs. Such talk is confusing.
Also why on Earth does Flurry talk of a "ISRAEL-AMERICAN AXIS"? Why is he not embarrassed to use a term that is associated with the infamous Axis that America and many other countries heroically fought against in World War II?
Furthermore in Hilliker's article he quotes Gerald Flurry at length. The words he quote appear on page 30 of Flurry's 1996 booklet but Hilliker appears to be quoting from The Philadelphia Trumpet article that booklet was based on as the first quoted sentence in the booklet is "So this is not just a serious slap at Israel."
Here are the prophetic words Trumpet Editor in Chief Gerald Flurry wrote in response to Chirac’s 1996 speech: “This is not just a serious slap at Israel. It’s also a strong move against the Israel-American axis. It’s a power move to take over the peace process for Europe’s great benefit. The European Union is moving to be the heavyweight in the Middle East.
“Europe is moving not only to be a co-sponsor in the peace process—they want to gain control of it!”
As time progresses, we are watching as these profound and revelatory words are proved true! (Joel Hilliker, "The Counterfeit Peacemaker", August 2001.)It would seem that Hilliker is not embarrassed to talk of an "Israel-American axis" either.
Three years later Hilliker cites the same story three years later in 2004. This is eight years after this story was first cited in 1996.
The fact—supported by history, current events and biblical prophecy—is that EUROPE WANTS TO CONTROL JERUSALEM.
Having this Bible-based understanding has given the Trumpet a clear-eyed view of the situation for many years. Editor in Chief Gerald Flurry wrote back in December 1996, after a pro-Palestinian speech by French President Jacques Chirac, “[T]his is not just a serious slap at Israel. IT’S ALSO A STRONG MOVE AGAINST THE ISRAEL-AMERICAN AXIS. IT’S A POWER MOVE TO TAKE OVER THE PEACE PROCESS FOR EUROPE’S GREAT BENEFIT—at the expense of the U.S. and the Jews. The European Union is moving to be the heavyweight in the Middle East.
“Europe is moving not only to be a co-sponsor in the peace process—they want to take control of it!”
Already they are positioning themselves to do just that. Europe would like nothing more than to implement the “solution” to the present conflict. But that “solution” will result in the demise of the Jewish state! (Joel Hilliker, "The Enemies of Jerusalem", March-April 2004.)Eleven years later PCG's writers continue to promote the same story line without fail. Accusing America of plotting to betray the State of Israel and other such things.
PCG's leaders are just repeating the same storyline. It does not matter if the situation itself changes PCG's leaders can be relied on the say the same things. This is not a sign of having special knowledge. It is a sign that they do not know what is happening at all. They merely sell their dogmatic storyline.
PCG Blinded by Dogma
Are they not curious about the situation? Do they never for a moment wonder if they just might be missing something? Notice what one of PCG's writers alluded to in an article in 2005.
With more than a quarter of the population [of Palestinians] unemployed and half of all Palestinians living below the poverty line, Abbas has been seen as ineffective. (Timothy Oostendarp, "Hamas Waxes Stronger; Israel Will Pay The Price", December 20, 2005.)It is astounding that PCG's writers never seem to ask themselves if such widespread poverty among the Palestinians, a fact even they themselves admit despite themselves, is a reason why relations are so tense within the Holy Land between Israelis and Palestinians. It is astounding that PCG's writers seem unable to even wonder if there just might a connection.
Do PCG's leaders ever stop to ask why they condemn and vilify a people that they themselves admit endure widespread unemployment and are often impoverished?
Also many Palestinians happen to be Christians. They rarely admit this fact.
It seems as though PCG's writers have never questioned if their preconceived stance regarding this conflict is correct.
The reason they do not notice such things is because they have already decided that they "know" what is "really" going on. Any information will happens to contradict their dogmatic stance is simply ignored and they "find" exactly what they expected to find. Any contrary information is carefully ignored. Consequently PCG is useless in understanding what is actually happening in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The purpose of this post is not to tell people how to view that painful and tragic conflict but to point out how simplistic and rigid PCG's stance on this issue is.
So it may be seen that PCG's writers are useless at explaining what is happening within the Holy Land or in describing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Whether you support the Israelis or the Palestinians or try to be neutral PCG's rigid story about it is useless in understanding what is happening in the Holy Land.
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