Israel’s newly appointed Defense Minister Naftali Bennett promised to take a “hardline on all forms of terrorism” and, as per his vow, he is also taking a hardline approach to illegal Palestinian construction funded by the European Union. A closer look reveals that this strange alliance between European Christianity and Catholicism with Arab Islamists is actually a dangerous end-of-day phenomenon.

Last week, Bennett met with a group of European politicians that included the ambassadors to Israel of Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Denmark. At the meeting, Bennett made it clear that the Israeli security establishment intends to destroy any illegal Palestinian construction in Area C, including construction that was funded by the EU and other European entities.

Area C was one of the administrative divisions set out in the Oslo Accords signed in 1993. The Oslo Accords established Area A that would be entirely under the administration of the Palestinian Authority and would remain ethnically cleansed of all Jews. Jews were legally prevented from entering Area A. The PA is responsible for medical and educational services to Palestinians in Area C, however infrastructure construction is done by Israel. Approximately 385,900 Jews live in Area C alongside approximately 300,000 Palestinians. The PA announced in August that they entirely rejected the Accords, reneging on all their agreements, declaring they will build in areas designated for Jewish construction.

Bennett warned the European politicians not to “waste their money.”

“If you want to invest in the Palestinians,” the defense minister said, “It would be better to focus on humanitarian activities rather than illegal construction.”

This alliance between European Christian and Catholic governments and Islamic fundamentalist Palestinians seems counterintuitive since the two religions have been openly at war for several millennia. Rabbi Pinchas Winston, a prolific end-of-days author, described this as the pre-Messiah alliance of Esau and Ishmael in a previous interview with Breaking Israel News.

Winston cited the basis for this connection as being found in Kol Hator, (The Voice of the Turtledove), written by Rabbi Hillel Rivlin of Shklov. The book presents the teachings concerning the process of Messiah from Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, the preeminent 18th-century scholar known as the Vilna Gaon.

Winston cited the basis for this connection as being found in Kol Hator, (The Voice of the Turtledove), written by Rabbi Hillel Rivlin of Shklov. The book presents the teachings concerning the process of Messiah from Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, the preeminent 18th-century scholar known as the Vilna Gaon.

“There are three klipot (husks of impurity): Esav, Ishmael, and Erev Rav (mixed multitude),” Rabbi Winston explained. “ The Erev Rav works to bring together Esav and Ishmael to destroy the Jewish people.”

Winston explained that this related to the Jewish concept of a two-stage Messiah beginning with Moshiach (Messiah) from the house of Joseph, a practical process that includes building up the land of Israel and the ingathering of the exiles. Moshiach from the house of David is a miraculous process culminating in the completion of the Third Temple and the resurrection of the dead.

“Ishmael, from the side of klipa (impurity), is the impure hamor (donkey) which corresponds to Moshiach ben David on the side of kedusha (holiness),” Rabbi Winston explained. “Moshiach ben Yosef is the holiness that corresponds to the impurity of Esav on the side of the shor (bull). Esav comes to destroy Moshiach ben Yosef just as Ishmael comes to destroy Moshiach ben David. They work in tandem trying to separate Moshiach ben David from Moshiach ben Yosef.”

The rabbi explained that this culminates in the War of Gog and Magog which is an alliance of Esav and Ishmael. They come together against Israel though they are still at odds with each other.

“This relationship between Esav and Ishmael is supported and energized by the erev rav, which today are many of the leftists and the liberals, even the Jews, who, like the erev rav that came out of Egypt, are working to undermine Israel and prevent geula (redemption). The Zohar says that when Moses took the erev rav out of Egypt, he sealed the fate of the Jewish people until Moshiach. Moses will come back in every generation just to fix the erev rav.”

Rabbi Winston noted how this Esav-Ishmael relationship was an essential element of the connection between the Palestinians and Nazism.

“The point is that the connection between the Palestinians and Muslims with the Nazis is not just a relationship of convenience,” Winston said. “Esav and Ishmael are intrinsically linked and this connection has kabbalistic roots with Moshiach implications. That is why Esav marries Machala, the daughter of Ishmael; to forge an evil alliance against the descendants of Yaakov. ”

Though it is generally agreed in rabbinic sources that Ishmael is represented today by Islam and the Arab world, identifying Esav today is a bit more complicated.

“Esav has three components: business, religious, and the bully,” Winston explained. “Russia is clearly the bully Esav, which is difficult to deal with but it is still possible. Rome is the religious Esav. America is the businessman Esav, which you can bargain with.”

Rabbi Winston noted that Esav is frequently identified as Christianity since the Church began to flourish after it was centered in Rome, the nation most closely identified with Biblical Esau. But the rabbi emphasized that not all of Christianity is prophesied to fulfill a negative function in the end-of-days.

Winston cited a section of the Talmud in which Antoninus, a Roman emperor, was told that he merited the world to come for being kind to the Jews and to Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi (who compiled the Mishnah). The rabbi assured him that for his deeds he would merit the world to come. Antonius expressed concern that the eventual destruction of Esav was prophesied. Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi explained that Esav (i.e. Rome) would eventually be destroyed as prophesied but only the parts of Esav who fulfill the role of Esav as being a destroyer.

“This is a source for the concept of a righteous gentile,” Rabbi Winston explained. “This is what we are seeing today in the Christians who support Israel.”

Netanyahu’s appointment of the New Right Party was intended to shore up his coalition but since it appears that Israelis will be going to the ballot boxes for the third time, Bennett will probably be serving as the Defense Minister for at least a few months.