We are just weeks away from the release of my third Marcus Ryker book, The Jerusalem Assassin, in which Marcus is tasked with keeping the rollout of the U.S. president’s revolutionary peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians . . . well, peaceful. Not surprisingly, there are some who are not excited about the possibility for peace, and all sorts of mayhem follows. On January 28, fact once again met fiction when President Donald Trump revealed what has been dubbed the “Deal of the Century”—a peace plan that has received rave reviews from both the expected and many unexpected sources. Thankfully, we have not seen Marcus Ryker–level mayhem following.

Both Israeli prime minister contenders, incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu and (in an unprecedented move) challenger Benny Gantz, were invited to the White House ahead of the unveiling. This was a very intelligent strategy that sought to ensure the backing of whichever candidate comes out on top in the March 2 elections in Israel. And sure enough, both Bibi and Gantz strongly support the deal.

Almost immediately, numerous Sunni Arab governments also began putting out positive feedback. In another smart move, representatives from Oman, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates were invited to the peace plan rollout ceremony, and each was recognized by Trump, Netanyahu, and Gantz, to thunderous applause. While these Arab states have not officially come out in support of every detail in the proposal, they have commended the U.S. president for his effort and have urged Palestinian leaders to come to the table to negotiate. Sadly, any sort of negotiation with Abbas or Hamas is highly unlikely.

As with every other peace proposal offered to the Palestinian leadership, this one was dead on arrival in Ramallah. Actually, it was dead well before it arrived. Prior to the end-of-January revelation of the plan, it had already been rejected by the Palestinian Authority (PA). In his response when the details were finally revealed, Mahmoud Abbas, head of the PA, said, “We say a thousand times: No, no, and no to the ‘deal of the century.’”[1] This is despite incredible concessions given to them—an independent state (although smaller than any other offered), an element of an East Jerusalem capital, and $50 billion in financial incentives that the Arab states are ready to back.

A second group quick to turn their backs on this deal are many of the West Bank settlers. They see this plan as dangerous to their safety. Yesha Council leader and Jordan Valley Regional Council Chairman David Elhayani said, “We call on the prime minister and members of Knesset not to accept a comprehensive agreement within which a Palestinian state can be established in any form.”[2] While the settler community is not a huge bloc and a majority of Israeli citizens are very supportive of the deal, they are a big enough contingent to cause a major problem for Netanyahu in the upcoming election should they choose to pull themselves away from him.

There is one more group that is important to consider, and among these people the opinions are a mixed bag. Overall, most evangelical Christians are very happy with the Deal of the Century. They see that Trump is happy with the plan, Netanyahu is happy with the plan, and Gantz is happy with the plan, so why shouldn’t they be happy with the plan? However, there are others who are adamantly opposed. Their resistance comes down to offering to the PA and Hamas their own independent state. This, they believe, is exactly what the Lord warned about through the prophet Joel, when he said, “I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land” (Joel 3:2). In their interpretation, giving the Palestinians a portion of Israel’s promised land will bring certain judgment on both the United States and the current government of Israel. Could the defection of this segment of evangelicals cause reelection problems for Donald Trump in November? It’s difficult to tell.

While I don’t hold out a lot of hope for this plan being implemented, it has already had a major impact uniting leadership in Israel, the United States, and numerous Arab nations. Let’s pray for wisdom and peaceful leadership for Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz and their advisors. Let’s lift the Palestinian people before the Lord. They are hurting economically and are being led by corrupt leaders. They are sheep without a shepherd. Let’s pray for continued movement within the Arab world. Even though the PA has rejected this plan, several Arab governments are considering making a separate peace with Israel even before the Palestinian issue is resolved. Finally pray that there is no violence. Already rockets are flying across Israel’s borders from Gaza and violent protests are taking place in the West Bank. Ask the Lord to blanket the area with his peace so that calm may remain throughout his holy land.

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[1] Adam Rasgon, “Abbas on US Plan: ‘We Say 1,000 Times: No, No and No to the Deal of the Century,’” Times of Israel, January 29, 2020, www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-on-us-plan-we-say-1000-times-no-no-and-no-to-the-deal-of-the-century/.

[2] Jacob Magid, “Settler Leaders Call on PM to Oppose Trump Plan, Even at the Cost of Annexation,” Times of Israel, January 28, 2020, www.timesofisrael.com/settler-leaders-call-on-pm-to-oppose-trump-plan-even-at-the-cost-of-annexation/.