Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Abbas Receives Draft Interim Constitution as PA Advances Statehood Effort
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has received a 70-page draft “Interim Constitution” aimed at laying the legal groundwork for a future Palestinian state, Palestinian media reported. The document was presented in Ramallah by a constitutional committee led by Mohammed al-Hajj Qassem, according to the PA-affiliated WAFA.
Finalized after months of consultations, the draft will be submitted to the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization before public release. Palestinian officials say the constitution is intended to modernize the PA’s legal framework, which has operated under basic laws since the Oslo Accords, and to prepare for a possible declaration of statehood.
Abbas stated, “This year is the year of democracy. We have set a date for the Palestinian National Council elections, both within Palestine and abroad, as well as for the eighth Fatah conference, in addition to holding local elections next April.”
Israeli officials are expected to oppose any unilateral move, arguing that it violates the Oslo Accords, which require direct negotiations.
Analysts say the constitution’s impact on daily life would likely be limited, as Israel retains overall security control of the territory. However, embedding statehood claims in a constitutional framework could strengthen the PA’s standing internationally, particularly as it seeks broader recognition and responds to U.S. and international demands for political and institutional reform.
Prophetic Concerns Raised Over Push for Two-State Framework
The renewed momentum behind a two-state solution has also stirred strong reactions among biblical prophecy teachers and evangelical leaders who interpret territorial partition through passages such as Joel 3:2, which warns of judgment upon nations that “divided up My land.”
Several well-known prophecy scholars cautioned that any attempt to divide territory understood as covenant land—biblically promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—carries serious spiritual implications.
George Whitten, founder of Worthy Ministries, noted the complexity of the issue. “While the land is covenanted with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it does not mean that God doesn’t have a part to play with the Sons of Ishmael,” he said.
Whitten pointed to Genesis 17:20, where God promises to bless Ishmael with multiplication and influence. “God’s promise to Ishmael was remarkably specific and generous,” he said, referring to the twelve princes listed in Genesis 25:12–16 — Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah — regarded as the patriarchs of the Arab peoples. “This was a divine blessing of multiplication, prosperity, and influence that God Himself initiated out of His compassion for Hagar and her son.”
At the same time, Whitten argued that this blessing exists in tension with theological elements within Islam that he believes conflict with the Abrahamic blessing principle of Genesis 12:3: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.”
“The challenge we face is that traditional Islamic teaching includes antagonism toward both Christians and Jews, which places adherents in direct conflict with God’s blessing principle,” he said. “When a religious system teaches its followers to curse those whom God has called to bless, it creates a spiritual barrier to receiving the fullness of what God intended for Ishmael’s descendants.”
Still, Whitten stressed that this tension does not absolve believers of their responsibility to pursue peace. “As ministers of reconciliation, called according to 2 Corinthians 5:18–19, we see the urgent need to bring genuine, lasting peace to the Middle East,” he said. “But we must be clear-eyed about the reality: this can only be accomplished through the Prince of Peace, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) — not through political resolutions, international agreements, or land divisions imposed by secular authorities.”
Whitten concluded that while diplomacy has its place, true and enduring peace in the region must come through spiritual transformation — one that honors God’s covenant purposes while extending grace and the gospel message to all peoples, including the descendants of Ishmael.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to let Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas address next week’s gathering by video after the United States denied him a visa for the second year in a row. The measure passed 152–3, with four abstentions. The United States, Israel and Paraguay voted against it.
The State Department has approved a possible $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, bringing the kingdom closer to acquiring one of America’s most advanced warplanes.
For decades, St. Peter’s Evangelical Church in central Tehran was more than a sanctuary. Its ten-acre compound held homes, two schools and offices tied to Iran’s Protestant community. Now the church is closed, its residents have been evicted, and guards have been posted to keep worshippers from returning.
Two figures in the latest Census Bureau report offer a clear sign of economic progress: American households earned more, and a smaller share of the country lived in poverty in 2025.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed an unprecedented proposal for Canada to become the European Union’s first “associate member” despite threats of economic retaliation from U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
A Hungarian television and radio presenter has been fired after failing to immediately cut off a live caller who suggested using a sniper to “eliminate” Prime Minister Péter Magyar, amid wider concerns over violent political rhetoric in Hungary.
Russia’s attack drones are getting faster, and Ukraine’s defenders are being forced to adapt. New Geran models use turbojet engines instead of the propellers carried by earlier drones, shortening the time between an air-raid warning and a possible strike.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com