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| TAOISEACH Enda Kenny |
He is being linked with two top positions in the European Union in an analysis of the contenders by an influential Brussels-based opinion-shaper.
The Taoiseach is viewed as a frontrunner for the powerful post of European Council president, as he is seen as "capable but not a big name with an ego".
The European Council president chairs the meetings of EU leaders where all the major decisions are made.
The post is up for grabs in December 2014.
And Mr Kenny has an outside shot for European Commission president, the head of the EU cabinet, which becomes available next June.
The Taoiseach's name is being mentioned following the success of Ireland's EU presidency, where he "impressed in his handling of the EU budget negotiations".
The frontrunners for the elite posts are identified by Burson-Marsteller, one of Europe's leading public affairs and communications consultancy firms.
"Kenny has a good profile for the European Council job in particular – a consensus-builder (he is in a coalition government with Labour) from a small member state who has had some success at EU level with his successful steering of negotiations on the EU's long-term budget during the Irish presidency.
"Possibly a better bet for the Council job than for the Commission," Burson-Marsteller says.
Mr Kenny's spokesman said the Taoiseach's "sole focus" was on his current post.
He continued: "We don't comment on speculation" – while declining to rule out the move. He added: "The Taoiseach is completely focused on the job in hand, which is exiting the bailout and creating jobs."
The European Council president will be picked directly by the 28 EU leaders. They will select a current or former EU leader, so the candidates come from a limited pool.
FOOTNOTE: As the Antichrist was always thought of as being the president of the EU, if appointed as the next president of the EU does this then make Edna Kenny the Antichrist?
Even if he were to be selected as the president of the EU, if the first and current president of the EU Herman Van Rompuy is any sort of an indicator at all then most certainly the answer to that could only be a resounding NO! As was the case with Van Rompuy, this individual appears to be rather mild looking, hardly any sort of an Antichrist type when we are possibly looking for a sterner looking individual by a long shot. It seems to me that is the intention anyway, to appoint someone who does not comes across as being much of a threat to the larger body of the EU members? In the long run the Christians are looking for someone who comes across as a strong man, a leader, who will be able to take over the reins of the running of the EU as a powerful dictatorial Super President of types. God bless
WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.
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| Netanyahu |
Israel says won't sign EU deal under new terms
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel would rather forgo hundreds of millions of dollars in EU research grants than accept an anti-settlement clause Europe wants written into any new partnership deal, Israel's deputy foreign minister said Friday, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened top Cabinet ministers to stake out a position.
The deputy minister, Zeev Elkin, said Israel still hopes to soften the terms of Horizon 2020, a seven-year Europe-wide research grant program that begins in 2014 and has a budget of 80 billion euros.
If it joins, Israel would pay in about 600 million euros and likely receive more than 1 billion euros in grants. Israel successfully participated in the outgoing European grant program.
"We want to sign and we are ready to negotiate, but if the conditions are as they are today, which are unprecedented ... we can't sign," Elkin told Israel Radio.
The new EU guidelines say any partnership agreements with Israel must state clearly they are not applicable to the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967. The guidelines were introduced, in part, to show the EU's growing dismay over Israeli settlement expansion on war-won land the Palestinians want for a state.
The settlements, home to about 560,000 Israelis, are deemed illegal by most of the international community, including the EU. Israel's 1967 annexation of east Jerusalem into its capital has not been recognized by most countries in the world.
Negotiations between Israel and the EU on signing Horizon 2020 are to begin in the coming days.
On Thursday, Netanyahu met with Cabinet ministers to try to find a way out of the dilemma.
Netanyahu presides over a center-right coalition that includes prominent pro-settler politicians and would likely find it difficult to accept the EU's new "territorial clause." However, turning down the research partnership could cause significant harm to Israeli research and economic interests.
Zehava Galon of the dovish Meretz Party said the government is acting recklessly by endangering Israel's participation in the grant program.
"This is what a sinking ship looks like when its captains decide to establish the State of Judea (biblical term for the West Bank) while destroying the future of Israel," she told Israel Radio. "Because this is destroying the scientific future of Israel, Israeli research."
Elkin said Israel was faced with a decision of principle.
Losing access to Horizon 2020 would be considerable, mainly "in terms of promoting Israeli science and its need to compete with scientists around the world," he said. However, "Israel cannot discriminate (between different areas), as the EU demands now, with special certificates and commitments."
It remains unclear how much wiggling room, if any, negotiators would have.
Europe might want to avoid a showdown with Israel at a time when Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are finally underway, following a five-year freeze. Negotiations resumed last month.
However, the EU appeared unlikely to agree to the changes sought by Israel, since their new wording "reiterates the long-held position that bilateral agreements with Israel do not cover the territory that came under Israel's administration in June 1967," as the bloc's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, put it last month.
On Friday, her spokesman Michael Mann said the EU Commission, the 28-nation bloc's executive arm, is aware of media reports that Israel is planning to seek clarifications.
"We stand ready to organize discussions during which such clarifications can be provided and look forward to continued successful EU-Israel cooperation, including in the area of scientific cooperation," he said
Food for thought? As the word MANY in the prophecy Daniel remains somewhat opaque, when we are looking for a seven year treaty confirmed by the Antichrist there is a possibility that as the EU has many nations, the MANY may just refer to Israel and the EU? That is still not to say that the popular theory over the years has always been that the many referred to Israel and the Arab states in the area, with the suggestion always being that what we were looking for was a seven year Middle East peace treaty? However, that is still not to say that we still need to consider other options relative to a seven year treaty, even if that involves something that is out the norm, so to speak. As that is the case, then consider the following as what is being referred to in this instance is a seven year treaty between Israel and the EU, even if that treaty does not of necessity refer to a seven year Middle East peace treaty. Even though I may be wrong in this instance, what we seem to be looking at is Israel joining the EU? As a natural consequence of that arrangement Netanyahu would more or less lose the enormous power that he wields for the time being in Israel? In turn, that would bring him and the nation of Israel under the control of the Antichrist, whoever he happened to be at the time of the signing of the treaty. Therefore, what we are really looking at in this instance is some kind of bribe to more or less bring Israel under the control of the EU and the Antichrist? There are of course numerous other aspects to this that could open a mine field of conjecture and possible scenarios. We know that the Antichrist is based in Jerusalem when the Great Tribulation begins but has anyone ever considered the possibility that he may already be there? Netanyahu is opposed to any of these changes but would he change his mind if Israel were ever to be offered the entire presidency the EU while he is still being based right back at home in Israel? I know that appears to be a way out there and right up with the fairies type of a suggestion but who really knows what is right around the corner when we are dealing with the end times Bible prophecies. After all, there were always those who were saying that we need to keep a close eye on Israel for the fulfilment of the remainder of the Bible prophecies? If there was anyone else who would like to add anything at all to that statement then I would certainly like to hear your comments.
WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.
