The Associated Press (AP) reports that Russia has been working to arrange a meeting for some type of peace discussion between Israel and the Palestinians:

September 8, 2016
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that the Israeli and the Palestinian leaders have agreed “in principle” to meet in Moscow for talks in what the Russians hope will relaunch the Mideast peace process after more than a two-year break.
The comments indicate that Russia is pushing forward with its attempt to become a peace broker after a setback earlier in the week. On Tuesday, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said a meeting scheduled in Moscow this week had been delayed at Israel’s request.
While bringing the men together would represent an accomplishment for Moscow, a diplomatic breakthrough seems unlikely.
Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remain far apart on key issues, and their differences have prevented meaningful talks since Netanyahu took office in 2009.
The last round of peace talks broke down two and a half years ago, with no progress reported during months of negotiations brokered by the United States. The Palestinian leader has demanded that Israel halt settlement construction on occupied lands claimed by the Palestinians and carry out a prisoner release that was promised during the last round of talks.
Netanyahu has rejected the terms and said the meeting should take place without conditions.
In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Abbas and Netanyahu had accepted an invitation to meet in the Russian capital, but a date has not been set yet. There also was no word on whether the two had settled on an agenda for the meeting – the key stumbling block in preparations.
“The most important thing is to pick the right timing,” Zakharova told reporters. “Intensive contacts on this are ongoing.” …
“If the Palestinian Authority can say with one voice that they are willing to meet without preconditions, then Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet President Abbas,” said the Israeli leader’s spokesman, David Keyes.
If a meeting takes place, the chances for substantial progress would seem slim.http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-09-08-08-15-29

While the AP report says, correctly, that prospects for peace are slim, notice an even more negative view from Al Monitor:

September 7, 2016
According to sources, the summit is being planned to take place around October or a little later. ..
Sources involved in negotiations told Al-Monitor that the entire sequence of events has been meticulously planned by Putin and Netanyahu, but with different objectives. The two men speak on the phone at least once a week and have met three times over the last two months. This is not evidence of any real affinity or closeness, but clearly a game involving the intersection of mutual interests. Putin encourages activities that strengthen Russian influence in the Middle East and annoy the White House, including diplomatic feints. Netanyahu, on the other hand, has his sights set on one main objective: averting a lame-duck American diplomatic initiative.
Al-Monitor’s sources say that neither man toys with the hope that the summit with Abbas will bring about a breakthrough or advance chances for peace. According to several people knowledgeable about what’s going on, Netanyahu has another goal in mind: “All he wants is to safely survive the two months between November and January, when President Obama [as a lame-duck president] will be free of all commitments and able to conduct a dramatic diplomatic move or simply refuse to veto a diplomatic initiative [at the UN Security Council]. This could inflict great strategic damage on Israel,” a senior Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor on the condition of anonymity.
The story line is simple: A dramatic diplomatic summit in Moscow in October or November is supposed to “pacify” Obama by creating a fake show that things are actually moving on the cold front between Netanyahu and Abbas, perhaps even a breakthrough. …
Netanyahu recently transmitted a message to the White House about his concern that Obama might try to initiate a last-minute diplomatic initiative that would inflict, according to the prime minister, great damage on both sides. Everything that Netanyahu has been planning in recent weeks is connected to a false diplomatic feint to help convince Obama that there is no real need for such an initiative. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/08/benjamin-netanyahu-vladimir-putin-mahmoud-abbas-barack-obama.html#ixzz4JfaKYszr

Notice the following comment about Al Monitor:

Some commentators have alleged Al-Monitor follows the agenda of the Iranian and Syrian governments and Hezbollah. (al Monitor, Wikipedia, accessed 09/08/16)

That being said, it is my view that the peace talk posturing is mainly political for the Russians, Israelis, and Palestinians at this time. This is not the deal of Daniel 9:27–at least not yet (see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).

What about Al Monitor points about two of the players?

Well, they are right in suggesting that US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do not particularly get along. And yes, the two months or so after the November 8, 2016 election would be a time for Barack Obama to propose and/or try to implement something for his ‘legacy’ related to the peace process in the Middle East. We will see.

Before going further, it should be pointed out that some Protestant prophecy watchers believe that the addition of Russia and its military forces to the region will lead to the relatively near term fulfillment of prophecies in Ezekiel 38 and 39 including an invasion and takeover of the tiny nation of Israel. I do not share that view as I do not believe it is biblically accurate. As far as Ezekiel 38 goes, it cannot be fulfilled for over a thousand years from now (see also Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day?).

But what about peace?

Will there be a peace deal involving Israel?

Yes.

Consider what Daniel 9:26-27 states:

26 And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate (Daniel 9:26-27).

The above is referring to a peace deal or covenant that has a time element attached to it.

The ‘one week’ time element has generally been understood by prophecy watchers to mean a seven year deal, that will be broken in the middle of it (after 3 1/2 years). The ‘with many’ would seem to indicate that ‘many’ nations, as opposed to one or two, are agreeing to something.

The deal is confirmed by a leader referred to as a ‘prince’ when he does it. The same leader is later the final King of the North and he will essentially break the deal as Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 11:31 show.

Why is this believed to be a type of ‘peace deal’?

There are several reasons, but notice some other scriptures that discuss this leader who is to be involved in it:

25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:25, KJV).
23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. (Daniel 11:23-24, NKJV)

So this leader (called the King of the North in Daniel 11:40) gives people the impression that there will be “peace” and is involved in some type of deal. This is the same leader that confirms the covenant in Daniel 9:27. The term is translated as “peace” in Daniel 8:25 is from the Hebrew term shalvah and essentially means security. In other words, this leader will destroy “many” who are under the impression that they are secure because of some type of security and/or trade arrangement. Such arrangements are now commonly referred to as peace deals or treaties.

Since the prophesied deal has not been confirmed, at least not publicly, the Great Tribulation would seem to be at least 3 1/2 years away (you may also wish to watch a YouTube video titled Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?).

Verse 24 also shows that this leader will somehow also be accumulating wealth. Perhaps to back up a European supported currency, he may end up with personal and/or national gold reserves and/or wealth from the Vatican. The Vatican has a vast amount of wealth and is prophesied to be improperly involved with the kings of the earth in the end times per Revelation 17. A pope will probably endorse/encourage the deal (cf. Revelation 13:11-17)–various false prophets will likely see this deal and other forms of international cooperation as signs of real peace, when there is no peace (Ezekiel 13:10-16). This ‘prince’ of Daniel 9:27 is not representing Russia asRussia is NOT the King of the North of biblical prophecy.

Based upon what the Bible teaches about the seven churches ofRevelation 2 & 3, it is my position that aspects of this deal will not be clear enough to Catholics, Protestants, nor most who claim to be in the Church of God for them to realize this is the prophesied deal. Just like they do not consider certain prophetic matters clear enough (e.g. How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God), the vast majority will not truly understand the prophetic implications when the related deal is made.

Furthermore, I do believe that the Vatican will be involved in the peace deal and items that happen prophetically thereafter. The Vatican wants more access to certain sites in Jerusalem (such as Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill) and wants to establish itself as an intermediary between more nations and has taken some steps related to this.

Russia may well be involved in the deal, but I do not believe it is about to get such a deal.

Neither Israel nor the Palestinians wish to give up claims to certain territories at this time for a peace deal. There have been rockets, retaliations, and other fighting between Israel and the Palestinians. Although there have been temporary cease-fires, it has been stated that, “Neither side appeared ready to accept the other’s conditions for a permanent cease-fire” (http://www.voanews.com/content/israel-hamas-resume-fighting-as-cairo-talks-break-down/2419518.html). A multi-year temporary peace deal will come about per Daniel 9:27. Israel, likely because of threats and international pressures (some of which are growing now) will decide it has to accept a deal that it does not want to now expect. It should also be understood that, at some point, Gaza will apparently end up with more territory (see also Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy).

Iraq does not want to loose territory to ISIS or the Kurds (see alsoIraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy). Iran wants to pursue its nuclear and Islamic ambitions, while Syria’s Assad wants to stop its civil war and stay in power–yet the time will come when Damascus will be destroyed (watch also Damascus and Syria in Prophecy). It may well be that the deal will not come about until after weapons of mass destruction are used in the Middle East.

BTW, the nuclear deal that Iran has been involved with is NOT the deal of Daniel 9:27 (for more on Iran, see Iran in Prophecy). This is NOT the deal with ‘many’ per se. However, let me add that the fact that the Iranian nuclear deal has a time element to it, in that sense will help set a precedent for a time period like the one for Daniel 9:27. Daniel 9:27 could be, for example, a ten-year deal, that is ‘confirmed’ after three years (or an eight year deal confirmed after one, etc.).

When the deal is made, many people will be misled about this deal and will tend to believe it is good (1 Thessalonians 5:3; cf. Ezekiel 13:10-14).

While few wish to believe it, the West or even Russia will not solve the problems in that region of the world. A peace deal in the Middle East, even if it temporarily reduces terrorism, will not last or bring true peace.

It will take the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of theKingdom of God to truly solve all of the conflicts in the world, including those in Israel, Palestine, Syria, and Iran. And more conflict is coming first.

http://www.cogwriter.com/news/prophecy/russia-arranging-peace-negotiations-between-israel-and-the-palestinians-is-this-the-daniel-927-deal/

News presenter: Bill Wedekind.