APRIL 8th PREDICTION

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WJC to call on NATO to grant Israel 'associate membership'

By Reuters

BRUSSELS - The World Jewish Congress will call on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization next week to grant Israel associate membership in the alliance to bolster Israel's security and smooth relations between Europe and the Middle East, an official said on Friday.

World Jewish Congress Chairman Israel Singer said the organization would propose the move at a meeting of Jewish leaders from around the world in Brussels. The organization represents Jewish communities in nearly 100 countries.

"An associate membership can have many different faces," Singer told Reuters ahead of the January 9-11 conference, adding the proposal did not mean Israel should be a full member of the 26-nation alliance.

"That would make Israel feel secure," he said. "If Israel became secure in its approach, it would change the entire mix with regard to Israelis taking chances for peace, and the rest of the Arab world would look at Israel differently."

He said the move would also help bridge a gap between European and Middle Eastern nations.

"NATO itself has changed. In that function Israel could play a major role tying the Middle East and Europe together."

Israel is currently one of NATO's so-called Mediterranean Dialogue states along with Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.

NATO foreign ministers held talks with ministers from those states in December in a bid to improve the alliance's image and ties in the region.

A NATO official said on Friday the alliance did not have a provision for associate membership but said Israel was a valued member of the Mediterranean grouping. "Israel is partner of NATO in being part of this Mediterranean Dialogue programme."

An Israeli diplomatic source said his country was not seeking more than its current relationship with NATO. "For the time being we haven't asked for anything which is more than that."

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/524422.html

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Turkey to intensify Mideast diplomacy, foreign minister says

By The Associated Press

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Friday that Turkey planned to intensify its diplomatic efforts to help find a solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Gul's remarks followed his trip this week to the region, where he met with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Predominantly Muslim Turkey generally enjoys friendly relations with both sides.

"As the [foreign] ministry and government, we will intensify" our efforts, Gul said in an interview with private NTV television. "Turkey will increase its presence in the region."

Gul said Turkey was evaluating requests to help bring peace in the region, but refused to elaborate.

However, he left open the possibility that Turkey could act as a mediator between the two sides or host talks toward bringing a settlement - long-standing offers by Turkey.

He also said Turkish officials would visit the region more frequently.

Gul said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was expected to travel there, but said no date has been specified as yet.

Gul's visit was seen as an effort to improve Turkish-Israeli ties after Erdogan accused Israel of engaging in state terrorism against Palestinians last year.

Turkey has repeatedly urged both sides to end the violence.

Gul also criticized Palestinian suicide bombings, saying they were not helping the Palestinian cause.

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/524420.html

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Muslim Link to Anti-Semitism Rise in Europe, U.S. Says

Reuters

Jan 6, 2005

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Poll shows UK big business against EU Constitution

10.01.2005 - 17:45 CET | By Richard Carter EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS

A new opinion poll to be published later on Monday (10 January) has shown that almost two-thirds of big business leaders in the UK are against the EU Constitution.

The survey - by independent polling company MORI - surveyed 105 leaders of Britain's top 500 companies and discovered that 23 percent were "strongly against" the Constitution, with 37 percent "generally against".

On the other hand, only eight percent of the business leaders polled said they were "strongly in favour" of the Constitution, with 32 percent saying they were "generally in favour".

Simon Wolfson, Chairman of Next plc - and opponent of the Constitution, said, according to a statement, "The EU already generates far too much harmful regulation. The Constitution would make things even worse, it is a licence to interfere in every aspect of our lives".

UK business is one of the most vocal critics of EU red tape and the UK finance minister Gordon Brown repeatedly criticises Brussels bureaucracy.

The fact that so many big business leaders are opposed to the Constitution is likely to make it even harder for UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to win a referendum on the issue, which is pencilled in for Spring 2006.

Public opinion in the UK is also generally hostile to the Constitution.

http://euobserver.com/?sid=9&aid=18097

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EU becomes China's biggest trading partner

10.01.2005 - 09:49 CET | By Richard Carter

The EU has leap-frogged the US and Japan to become China

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Berlin offers to build tsunami warning system for Asia

10.01.2005 - 09:54 CET | By Lisbeth Kirk

Following the tsunami disaster in south east Asia, Germany has offered to play a leading role in improving international early warning systems.

An institute in Potsdam which specialises in earthquake and tsunami research could undertake the work, the German government said over the weekend.

"With our concept we are able to build an efficient early warning system within one to three years", research minister Edelgard Bulmahn told German daily S

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Why This Could Be It

I'm not surprised about the fast pace of these prophetic events. That's the way the Bible tells us they will happen. All the end-time events will occur in just one generation. And, they will occur closer together -- like birth pangs -- as we near the end.

Jesus compared it to a fig tree. He said:

Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place (Matthew 24:32-34 New American Standard Bible).

This brings us to why I believe the EU's next seven-year budget term may begin the foretold 70th week of prophecy. You see, we may have already seen many of the end-times events. We've seen the rebirth of Israel, the revival of the Roman Empire, the appearance of a 10-nation alliance and the Office of High Representative. We may even now know who the three horns are that are to be pulled -- the EU's so-called "big three -- Schroder, Chirac and Blair (Read about it here)>>>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3500949.stm

You see, if these events are the fulfillments of prophecy that I think they are, then the seven-year covenant with many must be in sight. And, as I've been reporting, there is a seven-year covenant with many in sight. It's Javier Solana's new Neighborhood Policy and seven-year funding instrument.

I know it's hard for some to see. That's because it's hard to understand what's really going on in the EU. On January 1, 2007, when the EU's next seven-year budget term begins, the EU will have six new funding instruments with which to function -- including one drawn up by, and for, Solana. At the same time, Solana is scheduled to become the EU's new Foreign Minister and Vice President of the Commission. He will have almost complete control over the EU's foreign and security policy and be the most powerful man in the EU -- and possibly the world.

Friends, it's all coming together. A perfect fit for what we Bible prophecy believers have been expecting. Beginning January 1, 2007, Solana will have at his fingertips everything he needs to confirm a seven-year covenant with many -- a covenant destined to be broken.

That's why this could be it.

01-10-05

http://fulfilledprophecy.com/why_could_be_it.html

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As Herb suggests in his commentary above, 2007 appears to be a very important time table for the EU, in more ways than one. It seems that they have a whole list of accomplishments that are pointing to 2007 as a completion date.

In my next two posts, Lord willing, I'll show how at least two other events are pointing to 2007 as well. But for now, I must close to get ready for work.

Stay tuned!

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Ireland not to take part in EU battlegroups

10.01.2005 - 09:44 CET | By Honor Mahony

Ireland is not to take part in the European Union's battlegroups due to constitutional difficulties.

The Irish Times reports that Irish defence minister Willie O'Dea ruled out participation for the foreseeable future because of major legal and constitutional difficulties.

Ireland is a neutral country and needs a UN mandate before deploying its troops.

It is foreseen that the EU battlegroups should be deployable within 10-15 days but getting a UN Security Council Resolution passed usually takes longer.

"The Security Council doesn't pass resolutions in five to 10 days," said Mr O'Dea adding that a resolution is "a necessary mechanism to trigger [ireland's] participation".

Other aspects of the battlegroup proposal - which envisions teams of up to 1,500 troops being rapidly deployed to trouble spots - are also causing problems for Ireland.

As a small country it does not have the means to provide a battlegroup on its own but was hoping to participate with other neutral countries, Finland and Sweden.

However, it appears that under a defence act of 1954, Irish troops cannot be sent abroad for training, while having foreign troops in the country may breach the Irish Constitution.

This says that there may be only one army in the state.

These revelations are set to be an embarrassment for the Irish government at the EU level as it had been part of the original decision to set up battlegroups.

The EU's battlegroups are supposed to be ready for action by 2007.

http://euobserver.com/?sid=9&aid=18087

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EU plans centralised visa system

10.01.2005 - 09:44 CET | By Honor Mahony EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS

The practice of shopping around different member states for visas or using false passports to enter the EU is to become much more difficult under plans adopted by the European Commission at the end of last month.

The plans foresee a new system where member states share information about who has applied for a visa to enter the EU.

Presenting the proposal on Friday (7 January), a commission official said it was to "make sure that problematic people do not enter our territory".

At the moment, someone can apply for a visa at a French consulate and if rejected can go on and apply at another EU consulate.

However, under the new plans, which are not due to be fully in place until at least 2007, anyone applying for a visa will have their fingerprints and a digitalised facial image taken.

This information will then automatically be sent to all national visa databases as well as a central visa database - these systems can then check whether an applicant has applied before.

Once the person has a visa, their fingerprints and facial image will be also be checked at the EU border to verify that the person and the details still match.

Freedom and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini said the two main goals of the system are to contribute "to the internal security of the member states and the fight against illegal immigration".

Smart card?

But although the European Commission is strongly pushing for this centralised visa system; not all member states are convinced.

Some still support having a 'smart card' which would carry all the biometric information. This would stop long queues at all external borders - sea, land and air - as people get their biometric information checked.

However, smart cards, which would have a chip, could cause "interference" with chips already contained on passports.

Member state experts are to discuss the issue again next week.

Civil liberties

Sensitive to charges of breaching civil liberties, Commission officials say that it is not possible to have a system based on names only.

People with common names would never be found in the system.

"You probably have 1000s of John Smiths who have been issued a visa", said the Commission official adding that this would make it impossible for the system to find the right person.

In 2001, there were 12 million visa requests - this is expected to rise to around 20 million by 2007.

Citizens from 134 countries require visas to enter the European Union.

Both member states and the European Parliament have to approve the plans before they can go ahead.

http://euobserver.com/?sid=9&aid=18085