“The suffering of the Israelis must end. The suffering of the Palestinians must end. A lasting peace can only be achieved through a two-state solution,” Germany’s Foreign Office tweeted on December 19. This was immediately after Israeli Opposition leader Yair Lapid met with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Many in the German government believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands in the way of such a solution; they increasingly criticize his war against Hamas terrorists.

Prior to departing for a trip to the Middle East in the beginning of November, Baerbock told the German news agency dpa: “Only a return to the promise of living side-by-side—in two states—can give both Israelis and Palestinians peace, security and dignity.”

Together with United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Baerbock wrote in the British newspaper Sunday Times on December 16: “Israel will not win this war if its operations destroy the prospect of peaceful coexistence with Palestinians.”

The two called for a ceasefire, writing, “[T]oo many civilians have been killed. The Israeli government should do more to discriminate sufficiently between terrorists and civilians, ensuring its campaign targets Hamas leaders and operatives.”

These statements reveal a great deal about Germany’s true intentions regarding the Jewish state. To speak as though Israel is the roadblock to peaceful coexistence with the Palestinians is terribly false.

Why the Deadlock

In reality, Israel has agreed to several versions of a two-state solution over many decades. It has participated in negotiations and made numerous concessions over that time, but the Palestinians have rejected those offers and repeatedly resorted to violence.

One of the most intractable points of contention between the two sides has been the status of one city. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry writes in Jerusalem in Prophecy:

Today the Israelis and Palestinians are in a bloody deadlock over who will control Jerusalem. They have tried for decades now to resolve their many differences through negotiation and compromise. But their talks always break down over Jerusalem!

This is an impossible problem with no resolution that will be acceptable to all parties. As one analyst put it, “A peace between the Arabs and Jews that does not resolve the question of Jerusalem will be no peace. Indeed, a peace that weakens the Jews by returning the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights to Arab control but leaves Jerusalem as an unresolved dispute will make war more not less likely. … The assumption of the diplomats that all things can be solved by negotiation underestimates the emotions involved. Jerusalem is nonnegotiable” (Islamic Affairs Analyst, June 1, 1993). That means there is no peaceful solution.

The conflict is not about giving people space to live. It has always been religious in nature, and it has always centered around Jerusalem. Mr. Flurry notes:

In March 2001, after months of clashes between Arabs and Jews, [Palestinian leader Yasser] Arafat was quoted as saying, “Our people will continue the Aqsa intifada until we raise the Palestinian flag in every mosque and church and on the walls of Jerusalem.”

The situation has changed little since Arafat died. His successor, Mahmoud Abbas, simply cannot maintain a leadership role unless he accommodates the spirit of the overwhelming majority of Palestinians who reject Israel’s existence.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said on October 7 that the terrorists slaughtering Israelis were “leading a heroic campaign aimed at defending the al-Aqsa Mosque, the holy places and the [Palestinian] prisoners.” In other words, they want to control Jerusalem where the al-Aqsa Mosque is located.

Muslims and Jews are not the only ones fighting over the status of Jerusalem.

The Vatican and Germany’s Interest

Decades before 1947, when the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 called for Jerusalem to be governed by “a special international regime,” the Catholic Church suggested making Jerusalem an international city. After 1948, Pope Pius xii and his successors held that same position. In 2012, the Vatican again called for “an internationally guaranteed special statute” for Jerusalem.

After United States President Donald Trump announced moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in 2017, Pope Francis declared: “I cannot remain silent about my deep concern for the situation that has developed in recent days and, at the same time, I wish to make a heartfelt appeal to ensure that everyone is committed to respecting the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.”

Many Jews and Muslims in the Middle Eastern conflict believe they can trust the Vatican and Germany as an unbiased negotiator. But the truth is that both the Vatican and Germany have their own interests in Jerusalem.

The late Israeli journalist Joel Bainerman wrote:

The end goal of the Vatican is to seize control of the Old City of Jerusalem out of the clutches of the State of Israel. To that end, they have a secret agreement with Israel which obliges Israel to respect the “extraterritorial” claim to their physical presence in the city. In short, we have accepted the Vatican’s rights to have little Vatican sovereign embassies throughout our eternal capital of Jerusalem. That same Vatican has committed itself, in public and in a written agreement, to ensure that the Palestinians have sovereignty in the Old City of Jerusalem.

So as Europe gets involved in the Middle East, it is not a neutral third party. And for some, a two-state solution isn’t about finally concluding a conflict that has lasted decades. Instead, it’s about getting involved themselves. As Mr. Flurry explains: “The Catholic Church, like the Arabs, also has a passionate interest in this city. The Vatican and Germany are the heart of the Holy Roman Empire. They have conquered Jerusalem several times before.”

Judah’s Wound

The Bible has many specific prophecies for the end time that revolve around Jerusalem, and it warns of one nation betraying Judah, or what is called Israel today.

A crucial prophecy is Hosea 5:13 states: “When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.” Mr. Flurry explained in his article in the newest Trumpet issue, “The Jewish State’s Deadly Wound”:

In biblical prophecy, Ephraim refers to modern Britain; Judah is the modern Jewish state of Israel.

What is Judah’s “wound”? Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon says the root word refers to “the pressing together, binding up of a wound; hence used figuratively of a remedy applied to the wounds of the state.” Note that: The way this word is used, the remedy does not heal the wound—it is the wound.

This sense is reinforced in Obadiah 7, which uses nearly the identical Hebrew word: “All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.” This “wound” comes from the same Hebrew root word as in Hosea. Gesenius’ Lexicon defines the word here as “falsehood; hence, fraud, insidious dealing; … a net, or snare.” Here this wound is directly related to being deceived by a peace pact!

Israel has worked desperately to end its conflict with the Arabs through negotiations and agreements with people who won’t even acknowledge its right to exist! Now people worldwide are chanting radical Islamist slogans like “from the river to the sea,” explicitly calling for Israel to be wiped out! Clearly their efforts for peace have been disastrous!

“Judah saw his wound,” Hosea 5:13 foretells. For years, the Jewish people have seen the effects of this wound, but when this prophecy is fulfilled they will acknowledge the cause. But what will they do about it?

The Hebrew indicates that both Ephraim (Britain) and Judah “went … to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb.” In biblical prophecy, “the Assyrian” refers to the Germans (prove this from our article “Is Germany in Bible Prophecy?”). “King Jareb” literally means a warlike monarch.

Yes, God prophesies that when Israel recognizes its deadly wound, it will look for help from Germany! The relationship developing between Israel and Germany today is fulfilling Hosea’s prophecy. But the Germans certainly will not be able to heal this wound. In fact, prophecy warns that they will do very much the opposite.

The Bible reveals that Catholic Europe has not lost interest in controlling Jerusalem; it is just waiting for the right moment. To think otherwise would be to ignore the history of religious conflicts, human nature and Bible prophecy.

An old saying often cited in Germany goes: “When two people quarrel, a third rejoices.” Some in Germany and the Vatican know that as long as Jerusalem remains securely in the hands of Israel, they are unable to control it. But the flames of conflict may open a door, and that is what the Bible reveals will happen.

European calls for a “two-state solution” are not in Israel’s interest, and the Jews’ willingness to trust Germany and Catholic Europe is certain to end tragically. Read about this in Mr. Flurry’s newest article as well as his cover story from the January 2024 Trumpet issue, “As You Watch Gaza—Watch Germany.”