Although any such unilateral declaration would clearly violate the Oslo Accords, Mr. Arafat is reported to be ready to gamble.

If he makes such a declaration, Israel would be pressured to protect its Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and other areas of the West Bank. Speculation has it that the Israeli government would then be tempted to annex certain territories not under Mr. Arafat's full control. The subsequent troop movements and the potential for violence are potentially disastrous for peace prospects.

Any Middle Eastern peace settlement seems far away. The Bible predicts anything but peace in this historically troubled area for our time. In fact, it will dominate the news as the center of world conflict just before to the second coming of Jesus Christ. (Source: The New York Times.)