Signs of the Times – Part unknown

Can Glasnost Survive Ethnic Nationalism?

Until Mikhail Gorbachev came to power three years ago, the outside world knew very little about the internal affairs of the Soviet Union. But now, thanks to Gorbachev’s policy of glasnost (openness) the world is seeing on its TV news some of the problems facing the Kremlin leadership.

In an attempt to improve the Soviet economy, some of the steps taken by Gorbachev include relaxation of central control and the encouragement of local initiative. A result of this policy has been a series of demands by unassimilated ethnic groups in various parts of the nation. The tiny Baltic provinces of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, that were independent nations between the two World Wars and still harbor separatist aspirations, were the scene of protest demonstrations recently over what they consider unfair treatment by the central government.

A few days later, at the southern end of the country, ethnic Armenians turned out for demonstrations by the tens of thousands in Yerevan, the ancient capital of the Soviet Republic of Armenia. At issue was the status of the Armenian Christian majority in Karabakh, a region in the neighboring predominantly Muslim Republic of Azerbaijan.

The demonstrations began peacefully and the attitude of the central government was conciliatory with Gorbachev issuing a personal appeal to the Armenian leaders for restraint. Clashes with police soon became more violent and the Moscow government now faces a dilemma which will require the utmost skill to resolve. If the government allows the dissidents to get what they are requesting, it is likely that other nationalistically inclined ethnic groups throughout the country will make similar demands. If the uprisings have to be put down by force, the reforms that are being implemented will have proved a failure.

Western analysts of the situation are concerned that if the unrest continues and Communist Party control in the outlying provinces is perceived to be threatened, the more conservative members of the party may force a return to the secrecy and repression that until recently have held together the Soviet empire. From the reports of these events, it is interesting to note that despite 70 years of attempted suppression of religion by the Soviet government, religious fervor still plays as prominent a role in Soviet politics as it does in the politics of much of the world today. The work of the immortalized saints in preaching the Aeonian gospel to these lands will be an interesting challenge indeed.

Persian Gulf Remains a World Hot Spot

The long war between Iran and Iraq appears to be entering a new phase. These two combatants on the Soviet’s southern border are now battering each other’s cities with missiles. At the time of this writing, over 30 have been rued by Iraq at several Iranian cities including Teheran, the capital, and Qom, the Shiite religious center. Iran has rued over a dozen missiles at Baghdad and Bosra.

Both sides are believed to be using Soviet-made Scud-B surface-to-surface missiles but the Soviet Union has denied supplying them. Iraq’s newspapers have issued editorials stating that the missiles fired are only a sample and that there are plenty on hand to continue the bombardment until Iran accepts the United Nations’ call for a cease fire.

Iranians are blaming the Soviets and are reported to be threatening the Soviet embassy in Teheran. Whether the Soviets are involved or not remains to be seen but it is certainly in Moscow’s interest to keep either side from gaining a clear-cut victory. In view of the unrest occurring just a few miles to the north within the Soviet Union, this is a development to be watched with great interest.

NATO Takes New Approach to Conventional Arms Talks

The top leaders of the 16 member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization met recently to consider guidelines for new negotiations with Warsaw Pact nations regarding reduction of conventional forces. The meeting approved a document that outlines the approach to be taken in negotiations that are expected to begin later this year. Instead of focusing on numbers of troops, as has been done in the past, the document concentrates on the numbers of those types of weapons that would be used in a surprise attack on Western Europe.

When the United States and the Soviet Union last December agreed to eliminate their short and medium range missiles in Europe, the issue of conventional weapons and troops assumed top priority for the alliance. President Reagan stated the concern of the United States when he said, “the most direct threat to our security and stability in Europe lies in the Soviet Union’s massive military presence at a level far exceeding its defense needs.” The President also sought to reassure the allied leaders of a continued American commitment to Western Europe in spite of warmer relations with Moscow.

The general secretary of the alliance, Lord Carrington, cautioned the delegates of the need for vigilance in the negotiations despite recent progress in arms control. He pointed out that one agreement which reduces some weapons and a leader who is ready to reduce some tensions, however significant, do not in themselves remove the military capability and potential of the So­viet Union. President Reagan is expected to meet with Gorbachev in Moscow in late May.

U.S. Renews Mideast Peace Efforts

Several months of rioting in Israel’s occupied territories has had the effect of getting the United States involved again in the attempt to bring about negotiations between Israel and its Arab neighbors over the Palestinian problem. Secretary of State George Shultz has been engaging in shuttle diplomacy with leaders throughout the region trying to find a basis on which they might agree to begin negotiations.

So far, little concrete progress has been reported although Shultz has expressed the hope that a joint delegation of the Palestinians and Jordanians may be a viable approach. The Arab nations have been refusing to compromise on the demand that the PLO be part of any delegation, but Israel and the U.S. have been just as adamant in opposition to the PLO because it refuses to recognize Israel. Because of the close family and cultural ties that Palestinians have with Jordan, Shultz is hopeful of a breakthrough from this direction.

The Israeli government is split over the question of the occupied territories. The hard-line Likud party led by Yitzak Shamir refuses to give up control of any more territory and expects ultimately to annex the occupied areas. The labor party under Shimon Perez is more willing to compromise and would accept an international conference to negotiate a settlement even though it might not accept Jordan’s demand for a pre-commitment to yield territory for peace. With the complexities of the Middle East such as they are, the possibility seems very remote that a solution to the troubles of the region will result from the present efforts.

Beginning of Israel’s 40th Anniversary Year Marked by Arab Unrest

The year 1988 has been awaited with great anticipation by many students of Bible prophecy because it will mark the 40th anniversary of the reestablishment of an independent Jewish state in the land of Israel. The 40th anniversary is considered significant not only because of the symbolic use of the number 40 throughout Scripture, but also because 40 years is the possible duration of the “generation” mentioned in Matt. 24.34 and Luke 21:32 in connection with Jesus’ fig-tree prophecy in the preceding verses.

Whether this is the correct interpretation of this prophecy remains to be seen but the stage is certainly set for major developments to occur in the Middle East in this Anniversary year With the eight year old Iran-Iraq war draining the resources of her Arab enemies, Israel dwells quite confidently in a military sense for the present But the internal problems facing Israel appear to be as crucial as any that the nation has had to deal with since gaining its independence under United Nations auspices in 1948.

Unrest in the Arab population of the occupied territories has forced the Israeli army to take severe measures to restore order. Mass arrests of the ring leaders and the many Arab deaths from the use of live ammunition have brought on much adverse criticism and Israel appears to be coming out very badly in the propaganda war. The Israeli government claims the riots are being orchestrated by the PLO and led from abroad, which may be true! Many observers, however, place the root cause of the unrest on miserable conditions in the refugee camps and lack of progress toward a solution of the problem of the Palestinians, these peoples are as unwanted by the Arab world as they are by Israel but are useful as pawns in the ideological war between Arabs and Jews.

The harsh measures taken to suppress the uprisings have caused further division among Israeli, themselves as evidenced by the reported refusal of some 160 Israeli army reservists to accept duty in the West Bank and Gaza. Israeli Arabs, who usually do not get involved in these matters, are taking the side of the Palestinians, and there are sharp divisions of opinion on policy matters between the various factions of the government itself.

On the bright side for Israel, however, is the news that despite U.S. budget cuts, aid for Israel will not be cut The U S congress approved the administration’s proposal for an economic and military aid package of three billion dollars for the coming year Also, legislation is pending for refinancing of Israel’s 11 billion dollar debt to the U S. If the legislation is passed, a significant reduction in interest payments will result Due to the economic reforms of recent years, Israel’s economy is strong with inflation more restrained and employment and productivity at a high level

Israel Takes Over Electric Generation for East Jerusalem

A remarkable coincidence for the anniversary year is the expiration of the charter of the Arab-owned Jerusalem District Electric Company The company had supplied electricity to the eastern portion of Jerusalem but due to large debts and inability to find Arab financial backing its concession area will be taken over by the Israel Electric Company.

The concession was established early in the century under the Ottoman Turkish government and was taken over by the British in 1926 who in 1928 gave a 44-year extension of the concession. When the Jordanians annexed the West Bank in 1948, the concession was extended an additional 16 years. For reasons of economy, some 95 percent of the company’s electrical output was already being gen­erated in Israel. The takeover will place control of all of Jerusalem more firmly in Israeli hands. How the Palestinians react to this latest affront to their nationalistic pride remains to be seen.

Dating Project for Shroud of Turin Appears Stalled

One of the most famous relics in Christendom is a large piece of linen cloth known as the Shroud of Turin. On it are stains resembling the bloody imprint of what many believe to have been the body of the crucified Jesus. For many years scientists have wanted to make tests on the cloth including carbon-14 dating to try to determine its age and place of origin. Until recently these proposals were always rejected due to the size of the sample needed which at that time amounted to a piece about the size of a pocket handkerchief.

Now with improvements in testing methods the tests can be made on samples that are each no larger than a postage stamp. A year ago, both the pope and the Archbishop of Turin, the custodian of the relic, committed themselves to allow the tests to be made and a protocol was set up to test six samples in seven laboratories in Europe and the United States. The agreed-upon number of labs and samples had been worked out on statistical grounds to ensure that there would be no question about the results.

Recently, it has been learned the number of samples to be allowed was later cut to three and only three labs – the University of Arizona in Tucson. Oxford University in England and the Technical University of Zurich would be given a part in the testing. The scientists who set up the original protocol disagree with the changes on the grounds that if the labs disagree, there will be no way to determine which is correct. They say that as things stand now it appears unlikely the tests will lead to uncontroversial conclusions.

Ozone Controversy Continues

Environmental scientists continue to debate the question of whether the observed thinning of the earth’s protective layer of ozone in the atmosphere is a result of human activity or whether the changes are due to naturally occurring fluctuations. This layer, 15 to 25 miles above the earth, protects life by shielding out excessive amounts of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Certain industrial chemicals known as CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) react with ozone to change it to ordinary oxygen which does not have the ultraviolet filtering ability of ozone.

Although an international agreement was reached last September in Montreal by delegates from 23 nations to reduce the use of CFCs by 50 percent by the end of the century, many scientists are of the opinion that this amount of reduction will merely slow, but by no means eliminate, ozone depletion. At the other end of the spectrum of opinion are those who claim that, while man-made chemicals undoubtedly contribute to the depletion, natural weather conditions have a greater effect especially at the South Pole where the size of a hole in the ozone layer increases and decreases seasonally and from year to year.

Teams of researchers from around the world were busy last year in Antarctica gathering data from which they hope to draw conclusions regarding the cause of the hole. Others are utilizing the ozone hole to study the effects of increased ultraviolet radiation on the ecology of the region with particular emphasis on phy­loplankton, an important link in the food chain of the oceans.

What conclusion may believers in God’s prophetic word, the Bible, draw from these matters? Is it not that mankind has about reached the limits of so called “progress”? Are not men’s hearts failing them for fear that an error of policy may cause an environmental catastrophe to man’s habitat, the earth? A faith in God’s promises in His Holy Word assures the believer that there is a point at which God will intervene to protect the earth He has promised to His servants for an everlasting possession.

Pope Visits U.S. Amid Controversy

The visit of Pope John Paul II to nine U.S. cities last September was considered a success by most observers in spite of opposition from Jewish groups, dissident Catholics and various rights groups. The ten day trip, carefully orchestrated to minimize unpleasant confrontations and take full advantage of the pope’s gregarious personality, emphasized the requirement that Roman Catholics must obey all the dictates of the church and not pick and choose doctrine to suit their personal preferences.

Recent polls have shown that as many as 80 percent of American Catholics consider themselves faithful members of the church even though they do not practice all church teachings. One survey claims to show that 42 percent of American catholics favor forming an American Catholic Church independent of Rome. Although the Pope did not belabor the point he stated firmly that the individual member does not have the right to shape the church in accordance with prevailing trends in contemporary society. He did not bring any new pronouncements on any of the controversial issues that con­cern catholics such as divorce, contracep­tion, abortion, homosexuality and the ex­pansion of the role of women in the church.

In Miami at a long awaited meeting with Jewish leaders the Pope’s televised speech made no mention of the controversial meeting last June with Austrian President Kurt Waldheim that so enraged the Jewish community that many leaders threatened not only to boycott the visit of the Pope but also to demonstrate against it. After conciliatory gestures on the part of the Vatican the leaders decided that a minimizing of the conflict was the part of wisdom.

Jewish leaders also received little satisfaction from John Paul’s defense of Pope Pius XII’s record during the holocaust that has been the subject of so much Jewish criticism. Although mention was made of the Jews’ right to live in peace in Israel, the rights of the Palestinians to a homeland was also stated. As expected the question of Vatican recognition of the nation of Israel was not addressed.

In the weeks since the visit a worldwide synod of bishops has been meeting in Vatican City to discuss the role of lay people in the church. The synod, an advisory body to the Pope, deliberated in closed session but its findings will be summarized and published as an official papal document. In recent years the laity has been playing an increasingly important role in the Catholic Church in what are known as non-ordained ministries.

Islamic Terrorists Receive Support from the PLO

Terrorism in Israel appears to be taking on a new aspect, according to a report from Israeli security sources. The religiously motivated Islamic Jihad appears to be getting support from the Palestinian liberation group known as Fatah Although Fatah, led by PLO chief Yasser Arafat, is nominally Moslem it has not until recently been known to be involved with Islamic fundamentalists.

The event that highlighted this trend was the arrest of five West Bank Palestinians suspected of planning a suicide car bombing of an Israeli population center. The car loaded with explosives was to have been driven by a 25-year-old devout Moslem, unmarried woman from Bethlehem. The car, the explosives, their hiding places and other expenses were all paid for by the Fatah, according to the information source reported in the Jerusalem Post.

Other members of the group though born in various places in the Israeli occupied territories were recruited and trained separately in Jordan, Iraq, Syria and Algeria. One member had learned to construct and operate remote detonators at an Afghan guerrilla training cam in Pakistan. One of those arrested i suspected of being involved in a bombing as long ago as 1979.

Authorities believe that Fatah’s increasing emphasis on religion is intended to win over young activists who are being drawn to the increasingly popular Islamic fundamentalist movements. Yasser Arafat, leader of Fatah, is seen to be making increased use of religious vocabulary and Koranic Quotations in his speeches an statements. Islamic Jihad cells are known to exist in the occupied territories and one was known to be responsible for the stabbing murders of two Israelis last year and a recent jail break. A year ago a grenade attack on Israelis at the Dung Gate of Jerusalem’s old city is known to have been carried out by Islamic Jihad members with Fatah support.

The word jihad means holy-war, and the name Islamic Jihad is popular with many fundamentalist groups in the Mos­lem world who are not necessarily connected. When a spectacular suicide attack is successful it invites emulation by other extremist organizations so authorities on terrorism recognize that the best deterrence is prevention. Due to religious indoctrination with the Moslem theme of immediate unconditional reward for religious martyrs there appears to be no shortage of volunteers for suicide missions among naive and idealistic young people of the Moslem world.

Nuclear Arms Reduction Agreement Imminent

The date of December 7 has been agreed upon for the signing of a treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union eliminating medium range nuclear weapons in Europe. Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev will meet U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Washington for the signing and to discuss other matters including concessions on the Star Wars missile defense program which the Soviet leader had hoped to link to the treaty. He later found it necessary to abandon that position to reach an agreement. If progress on this point appears to be possible, another summit for a treaty to reduce long range nuclear weapons may be held in Moscow next year.

Even though a date has been set for the summit some of the details concerning verification still have to be worked out, and many critics of the treaty are voicing opposition. The problem that the critics see in eliminating these weapons is that Europe will be left vulnerable to superior Soviet conventional forces. The fear that even though the U.S. has pledged support with long range and submarine based nuclear weapons it would if the chips were down never risk nuclear retaliation to save Europe.

The critics see the treaty as a ploy for the Soviets to cause a split between the U.S. and its NATO partners. In this era of budget deficits and trade imbalance the U.S. is not likely to increase its commitment of conventional forces to take the place of the withdrawn nuclear weapons. American influence will therefore be diminished and European members of the alliance will then do as each sees fit regarding defense. When this takes place all the Soviets will need to get control of Europe is patience and they appear to be well endowed with that.

Bible Reading Recommended By the President

In a message of proclamation for Nov. 22-29 to be designated National Bible Week, President Reagan called for a “re-examination of the priceless and timeless message of the Scriptures.” Americans he said, “derived from the Bible an abiding belief in the inalienable, God-given rights of the individual and a deep respect for freedom and justice.”

The President also quoted John Adams the second president of the United States who called the Bible “the best book in the world.” The theme for National Bible Week was “To Know Where You’r Going, Read the Bible.”

Peace of Jerusalem Disturbed by Fanatical Sect

For many years after Israel took full control of the divided city of Jerusalem in the 1967 war the Arab problem” was the major concern of the municipal authorities But now the fanatical ultra-Orthodox Jewish segment of the population has been increasing so rapidly as to cause concern that this aggressive and demanding sect will turn the city into a ‘religious fortress,” according to an in-depth report in a recent issue of the Jerusalem Post.

Known as “haredim,” meaning God-fearing in Hebrew, and characterized by their black garb, the ultra Orthodox are reported to be causing friction between themselves and their secular neighbors as they try to impose their life style on the community Residents who use their cars on the Sabbath have found their tires slashed Apartments occupied by single women have been fire bombed or vandalized and residents who live near haredim have to be careful to make sure their radios or televisions cannot be heard outside their apartments on the Sabbath

The haredim, although undeniably Jews, are not considered Zionists Their attitude toward the secular Jewish state ranges from outright rejection to grudging acceptance Few of their young men do full military service since they receive deferment during years of yeshiva study The sect demands restrictive local laws such as Sabbath road closings and the elimination of public swimming pools and other recreational facilities from their neighborhoods

Many secular residents as well as many conventionally orthodox religious Jews, including rabbis, have moved from the hared neighborhoods because of uncompromising religious and political demands on them by the haredim Recently, however, the secular’s are organizing to stand their ground, not by physical confrontation but by influencing the authorities to adopt urban planning policies aimed at limiting the concentration of the haredim in the city of Jerusalem. Although the municipal authorities are generally on the side of the seculars they are haunted by planning mistakes from years past when it was thought best to distribute the haredim throughout the communities rather than allow them to close themselves off in enclaves. The seculars fear that if the present trend continues the secular and conventionally religious population will leave the city and it will be eventually lost as Israel’s capital. Those familiar with scripture, however, will realize that Jerusalem is destined not to be only Israel’s capital but the capital of the whole earth.

Pope Meets Waldheim Despite Protests

The willingness of Pope John Paul II to receive ostracized Austrian president Kurt Waldheim has not been explained to the satisfaction of leaders in the Jewish community or for that matter even many members of the Catholic hierarchy. American Jewish leaders have declared that they will boycott the planned September meeting in Miami that was to have been one of the highlights of the pope’s U.S. tour.

Waldheim was elected president of Austria last year in spite of accusations of falsification of his record as an officer of Nazi forces in World War II that massacred and deported Jews and other ethnic minorities. Because of his questionable past, Waldheim has been denied entry to the U.S. and many other western countries but has recently visited Jordan and Libya.

In response to the outcry the Vatican issued a communique affirming the pope’s respect for the Jewish people, but his esteem was also noted for Austria, “an old and noble Catholic country.” Those familiar with European history will recall how for many centuries the Austrian emperors shared power with the popes as the political and ecclesiastical heads of that vestige of the western branch of the Roman Empire known as the Holy Roman Empire. In the historic political interpretation of Bible prophecy this power has been identified by some as the little horn of Daniel’s fourth beast. (Dan. 7:8)

Is Reform in the Soviet Union Real?

Fundamental changes appear to be taking place in the Soviet Union. The question that observers have been asking during the last few months is whether Mikhail S. Gorbachev is sincere in his apparent efforts to introduce social and economic reform to his nation or are they merely cosmetic changes to lull the outside world into a false sense of security. It now seems clear that the new policies are being introduced to overcome the serious economic and social decline and foreign policy setbacks that have plagued the Soviet Union in recent years.

The Soviet leadership realized that to transform the economy it would be necessary to make fundamental changes in society. The problem was how to make the necessary changes without inviting a backlash from a threatened party bureaucracy. The first step was to allow greater openness in news reporting both inside the country and to the outside world. This policy called “glasnost” meaning openness has been extended to the point where only Gorbachev and his closest associates are exempt from media criticism.

Reform of the military has in the past been difficult for the civilian politburo to accomplish. Gorbachev got the chance he needed when a 19-year-old West German pilot embarrassed soviet air defenses by landing his light plane in Red Square near the Kremlin. Defense minister Marshal Sergei Sokolov was dismissed and one of the most junior of the four-star generals, Gen. Dmitry Yazov, 63, was elevated to the post. Although relatively unknown until his appointment, Yazov appears to have impressed Gorba­chev with his commitment to efficiency and doing more with the resources available.

During the past year Gorbachev has suggested that in an era of strategic nuclear parity a cut in regular army troop strength might be appropriate. For decades Soviet Military doctrine has emphasized offensive warfare. The new policy seems to be one of limiting troop strength to what is adequate and necessary for defense so that the economy can be improved by spending less on the military.

Whether the new policies will mean a change in Soviet assertiveness only time will tell, but if history is any guide, no Russian leader since Peter the Great has accepted for long a pause in the expansion of Russian worldwide influence.

United States Involvement in Persian Gulf Increases

For years U.S. policy in the war between Iran and Iraq, the two most dangerous moslem nations, has been to see that neither side won a decisive victory. As the two nations fought to a draw in the land war the strategy turned to disruption of each other’s oil trade that was financing the war. With the disclosure last November of the secret U.S. arms deals with Iran, Kuwait, a neighbor and ally of Iraq accepted the loan of three oil tankers from the Soviet Union and at the same time asked for U.S. assistance in protecting 11 other tankers from Iranian attack.

Rather than let the Soviets gain control of the sea lanes of the Persian Gulf by default the U.S. agreed to put the Kuwaiti tankers under the American flag and protect their passage through the gulf. Iran, angered by this, began to deploy Chinese-made Silkworm, shore to sea missiles. Although some analysts doubt that Iran would risk attacking U.S. ships directly others see the possibility of suicide attacks or some other form of terrorist activity in another part of the world. The Soviet Union, meanwhile, continuing a policy of neutrality in the conflict, has called for all foreign military to he withdrawn from the area.