Israeli Judicial Reform Protests Continue

For months, tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Israel in the most sustained and intense demonstrations the country has ever seen. The protesters rose out of opposition to a judicial overhaul spearheaded by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The proposals include a bill that would allow a simple majority in parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions. Another would give parliament the final say in selecting judges. Last month, the first piece of that legislative package passed: Israel’s parliament approved a measure that prevents judges from striking down government decisions on the basis that they are “unreasonable.” Netanyahu’s allies say the package is meant to restore power to elected officials and reduce the powers of unelected judges.

While protests are not unknown in Israel, these protests have taken on a new push as many of the protesters have said they will not show up for their military duties if the laws are passed. Israel has mandatory military service for most of its citizens and so having protesters ignore their military duty would be a major blow to their national defense.

The protesters fear the overhaul will push Israel toward autocracy. They say it is a power grab fueled by various personal and political grievances by Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, and his allies.

Proponents say the current “reasonability” standard gives judges’ excessive powers over decision making by elected officials. Israel does not have a constitution in the same manner as the United States. This means the judiciary are not judges whether laws are “constitutional” but instead are simply “reasonable”, a much vaguer term. But critics say that removing the standard, which is invoked only in rare cases, would allow the government to pass arbitrary decisions, make improper appointments or firings and open the door to corruption.

Protesters say Netanyahu and his allies want to change the law so they can appoint allies to government posts — and particularly so that they can fire the country’s independent attorney general, according to Amir Fuchs, a senior researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank.

The measures “make it more difficult to conduct oversight” over arbitrary decisions of elected officials, said Yohanan Plesner, the institute’s president. “This is one chapter of a broader plan and program of the government to weaken the checks and balances.” Netanyahu has dismissed accusations that the plan would destroy Israel’s democratic foundations as absurd. “This is an attempt to mislead you over something that has no basis in reality,” he said.

Israel has minimal local governance and lacks a formal constitution. This means that most of the power is centralized in parliament, where Netanyahu’s coalition has a majority. The “basic laws” — foundational laws that experts describe as a sort of informal constitution — can be changed at any time by that majority.

While this is strictly a dispute within the government structure of Israel, it has not stopped others outside of Israel from addressing the protests. President Biden, in a phone call with Netanyahu, told him that he was rushing the process and did not have a mandate to pass the laws, even though Netanyahu has a majority in his parliament. It is rare for a foreign leader to address another nation’s internal political situation, but Israel has always been under more scrutiny than other nations.

Biblical Connection: The Bible has a clear emphasis on justice within the government. As long as the Israeli government does not abuse this power, it fits within a Biblical structure.

How Does Russian Chaos Impact Prophecy?

The recent Russian attempted coup by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has created some chaos in Russia. Prigozhin was furious at the leaders of Russia’s Ministry of Defense, whom he repeatedly accused of sending tens of thousands of Russian soldiers to certain death through their corruption, incompetence, and cowardice. Over 20,000 of his own fighters were killed in the bloody battle for Bakhmut – a town of only 70,000 inhabitants before the war. He publicly blamed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov for Russia’s casualties and battlefield struggles. This led him to try to a mild coup, which ultimately failed and led to his exile to Belarus. While the coup did little to impact Russia today, it did show that the nation is in serious chaos with the war in Ukraine.

This was by far the most serious threat to Putin’s 23-year rule. On the one hand, you’re not supposed to be able to defy Putin in Russia this way and get away with it. Yet the men who shot down and killed an estimated 13 Russian pilots on their way to Moscow were pardoned. And the man who openly defied Putin’s orders, discredited his rationale for the war in Ukraine, and whom Putin declared a traitor on public television, is still alive (at least for now). Putin has jailed and killed people for a lot less, so this makes him look weak before the Russian public and the elites.

On the other hand, Putin’s regime was tested over the weekend, and the regime ultimately held together. Yes, there were a lot of people who didn’t fire to stop Wagner troops from advancing, but there were virtually no defections inside the Russian government, the military, or among elites. The government is still functioning normally, and the war in Ukraine is going the way it did before the mutiny. Putin is more vulnerable on the back of it, but that’s more a long-term than an immediate issue. The likelihood of regime change in Russia remains near zero … until it happens. But these events show that the risks are more than initially thought.

How does this coup impact the war in Ukraine? The incident is a problem for Putin’s credibility with elites and the Russian public, and this political vulnerability could make him more sensitive to major battlefield losses in the coming months. If we get to a point later in the summer or fall where Ukraine starts to threaten Crimea or the land bridge, the risk of a major Russian escalation (such as blowing up the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant or using a tactical nuclear weapon) in response would go up.

Biblical Connection: How does this chaos impact Russia in prophecy? When the Ukraine war began, many students of Biblical prophecy saw this aggression as a sign that Russia could be moving toward the Gog-Magog prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39. However, with the weakness of the Russian forces in Ukraine, it is clear that Russia is not as strong military as many thought. If Putin feels threatened or feels desperate, then he really only has two options. First, he may try to sue for peace and turn his resources to reestablishing his strength in his own nation. This would seem to point away from more Russian aggression in the near future. However, if Putin feels pressure to continue to show Russia is strong on the world stage, it could lead to more Russian aggression, which could lead to something like the Gog-Magog situation, especially if Putin turns to Iran to help its military exploits across the globe.

PRAY: Pray that the situation in Ukraine would end peacefully and that Russian aggression would be limited and halted.

North Korea Sentences 2-year-old after Parents Caught with Bible

If Christians in North Korea are found possessing a Bible, they face the death penalty, and family members, including children, are sentenced to life imprisonment, reveals a report by the U.S. State Department. This report includes an incident where a 2-year-old child was sentenced to life in a prison camp after his parents were caught with a Bible.

An estimated 70,000 Christians are incarcerated in North Korea. Prisoners face harsh conditions and physical mistreatment, says the State Department’s recently released 2022 International Religious Freedom Report.

The report attributes 90% of documented human rights abuses against both Christians and adherents of Shamanism to that country’s Ministry of State Security. It cites Korea Future, a nonprofit organization working on human rights in North Korea, as saying that the North Korean government engages in severe persecution of individuals who practice religious rituals, own religious items, or associate with religious individuals, with punishments ranging from arrest and detention to torture, forced labor, deportation and denial of the right to life.

Educational materials in North Korea are anti-religion according to people who have escaped from the country. They recount textbooks containing sections on Christian missionaries, characterizing them as committing “evil deeds,” such as rape, organ harvesting and murder. While North Korea’s constitution officially guarantees religious freedom — the communist dictatorship points to churches it has constructed in Pyongyang as proof — the State Department report contends these churches function merely as “showpieces for foreigners.”

One victim was quoted, “Officials worked us hard without feeding us properly … I suffered from malnutrition and was sure I would not survive. I kept having diarrhea, even when I only drank water, and I weighed just 77 pounds. Today I weigh 132 pounds, so I was like a skeleton back then.” Others described or showed signs of being beaten, ingesting contaminated food, being forced into uncomfortable positions for long periods of time, and verbal abuse.

For Christians, the report points out, the sentences are significantly more severe than for other religious beliefs, ranging from 15 years to life in prison. One case involved the 2009 arrest of a family based on their religious practices and possession of a Bible. The entire family, including a 2-year-old child, were given life sentences in political prison camps.

In December, the United States co-sponsored a United Nations resolution deploring North Korea’s “systematic, widespread, and gross violations of human rights.” The resolution expressed significant concern about abuses, including summary executions of individuals exercising their freedom of religion or belief.

In its 2021 report, “Organized Persecution – Documenting Religious Freedom Violations in North Korea,” the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said the violations it documented in 2020 were “seemingly designed to remove all traces of Christianity.” “The campaign to exterminate all Christian adherents and institutions in North Korea has been brutally effective, and continues through the work of the Ministry of State Security, networks of informants that stretch into China, the presence of ‘no-exit’ political prison camps, executions, and an educational and organizational system that deters adherence through schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods,” said the report, which was based on interviews of survivors, witnesses and perpetrators of religious freedom violations.

For years, North Korea has ranked as the worst country globally when it comes to Christian persecution on Open Doors USA’s World Watch List. “Being discovered as a Christian is a death sentence in North Korea,” says Open Doors USA, adding, “If you aren’t killed instantly, you will be taken to a labor camp as a political criminal.”

Biblical Connections: It is sometimes easy to forget that there are Christians around the globe who place their lives on the line every day for the cause of Christ. One day in the future, this type of persecution will become global during the reign of the Antichrist.

PRAY: Pray for the believers in North Korea that God will protect them and their families. Pray for the persecuted church around the globe.

Military Maneuvers in the Middle East

The U.S. military is arming aircraft sent to the Middle East with “bunker busting” bombs. A squadron of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft — otherwise known as “Warthogs” — have been saddled with the structure-penetrating payload in response to increasing aggression from the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal. The warthogs are each capable of carrying approximately 16 bunker busters, otherwise known as GBU-39/B bombs.

Additionally, the Biden administration sanctioned Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organization, accusing it of wrongfully detaining Americans. Iran’s Guard Corps was sanctioned at the same time as Russia’s Federal Security Service.

“Today, and every day, our message to Russia, Iran and the world is holding hostage or wrongfully detaining Americans is unacceptable. Release them immediately,” Biden said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Iran renewed threats to target former President Donald Trump and top members of his former Cabinet, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for the 2020 killing of its top military commander, Qasem Soleimani.

“God willing, we are looking to kill Trump [and] Pompeo … and military commanders who issued the order should be killed,” Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps aerospace force, told Iranian state television. The threats themselves were nothing new, though they came as Tehran announced a new long-range cruise missile capable of flying more than 1,000 miles, which could give it additional capabilities to strike U.S. forces in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Iran has shipped over 300,000 artillery shells and a million rounds of ammunition to Russia across the Caspian Sea in the past six months, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Iran has mostly used cargo flights to ship weapons to Russia, which are nearly impossible for Western countries to stop, and blocking the shipment of weapons in the Caspian Sea would require the agreement of former Soviet republics in the area. US-allied British forces in the region have also intercepted several Iranian weapons smuggling attempts over the past few months. The US Fifth Fleet is based out of Bahrain and is active in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Arabian Sea. Among their many responsibilities is maritime security in the region, which includes combating attempted Iranian smuggling efforts. For example, recently the US Navy managed to intercept an Iranian ship that was smuggling several weapons over to Yemen, where they would have gone to the Iran-backed Houthis.

This all comes amid deepening ties between Moscow and Tehran. This stronger relationship was forged amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Iran providing Russia with drones and Russia providing Iran with cash and seized Western weapons. Exactly how Iran manages to ship these drones to Russia is unclear, though a report indicated that many of them were smuggled by way of Iranian ships on the Caspian Sea. Iran has continued to try to smuggle as many munitions and drone technology as possible to Russia for use in Ukraine. They are doing this so that Russia will continue to cover for them, both in the United Nations and in a renewed nuclear deal. They hope that the threat of Russian intervention would protect them from any western interference if they ever went to war with Israel. Indeed, Iran knows that it cannot defeat Israel if they are backed by the American military. However, if America is limited by Russia, then Iran believes that they and their proxy allies could attack Israel in the future.

Biblical Connections: Ezekiel 38-39 has Iran, Turkey and possibly Russia in a future alliance with a few other nations in an invasion of Israel. Forty years ago, people questioned how Iran and Russia would ever work together. That seems to no longer be an issue in our modern context.

PRAY: Pray the threat of western interference will cause Iran to back down from their aggression and peace will be restored in the region.

Global Military Spending at an All-time High

Global military spending increased by 3.7% in 2022, bringing the total to $2,240 billion, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported. In Europe, military spending has seen the steepest rise in the last 30 years. SIPRI released an annual report detailing the heightened levels of military spending in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its global implications. The United States, China and Russia have been largely responsible for the sharp incline, as they accounted for 56% of the global total.

Military spending has grown over the last eight years, although 2022 saw the most significant rise. Europe’s spending jumped 13%, which SIPRI explains is largely due to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia War. Many countries have offered military aid to Ukraine, increasing their total expenditure, and dedicating more funds to their own militaries out of fear of Russia’s future military excursions.

“The continuous rise in global military expenditure in recent years is a sign that we are living in an increasingly insecure world,” said Dr Nan Tian. “States are bolstering military strength in response to a deteriorating security environment, which they do not foresee improving in the near future.”

“The invasion of Ukraine had an immediate impact on military spending decisions in Central and Western Europe. This included multi-year plans to boost spending from several governments,” said Dr. Diego Lopes da Silva. “As a result, we can reasonably expect military expenditure in Central and Western Europe to keep rising in the years ahead.”

Central and Western European military expenditure surpassed that of 1989, when the cold war was ending, totaling $345 billion. This is a 30% increase from 2013. Some of the countries which border Russia saw the sharpest increase. Finland, which recently joined NATO, saw a 36% increase. Lithuania saw a 27% increase and Poland saw an 11% increase. Russia’s own military spending has estimated to have grown by 9.2% in 2022. SIPRI estimates that this would total $86.1 billion, around 4.1% of Russia’s GDP. The amount increased by 3.7% from 2021, before it began its invasion of Ukraine. “The difference between Russia’s budgetary plans and its actual military spending in 2022 suggests the invasion of Ukraine has cost Russia far more than it anticipated,” said Dr Lucie Béraud-Sudreau.

In response to the invasion, Ukraine’s military spending went through a significant increase. Ukraine’s military expenditure reached a total of $44 billion, which is a 640% increase from 2021 and the highest single-year increase that SIPRI has ever recorded. Despite global increases, the United States remains the biggest military spender with expenditure reaching $877 billion in 2022. This constitutes 39% of global military expenditure but is only a 0.7% increase since 2021.

The US gifted Ukraine military aid packages valued at $19.9 billion throughout 2022, 2.3% of the total US military expenditure. “The increase in the USA’s military spending in 2022 was largely accounted for by the unprecedented level of financial military aid it provided to Ukraine,” said Dr Tian. “Given the scale of US spending, even a minor increase in percentage terms has a significant impact on the level of global military expenditure.” China was the second biggest military spender, spending $292 billion in 2022. This was a 4.2% increase from 2021.

Biblical Connection: Matthew 24:6 states “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” It should not surprise readers of the Bible that instead of moving to a peaceful utopia, the world will instead move closer and closer to global conflict as we move closer to the end times.

PRAY: Pray that all of this increase in weaponry and military spending will not lead to another massive global conflict.

North Korea Claims 800,000 Join Army in a Single Day

Nearly 800,000 people signed up to join the North Korean military in a single day, the country’s state-run media claimed. The North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun says 800,000 students and workers signed up to fight the U.S., just one day after North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea between South Korea and Japan. The total number included many North Koreans who sought to re-enlist, the paper noted. “The soaring enthusiasm of young people to join the army is a demonstration of the unshakable will of the younger generation to mercilessly wipe out the war maniacs making last-ditch efforts to eliminate our precious socialist country and achieve the great cause of national reunification without fail and a clear manifestation of their ardent patriotism,” the state-run newspaper wrote.

The North Korean military operates on a conscription system, with males required to serve for 10 years and females required to serve for 3 years. This stands in stark contrast to the South Korean conscription requirements, which require males to serve for approximately two years and the females are not forced into mandatory service. This is one of the reasons why the North Korean active military, standing at approximately 1.2 million soldiers,  is the fourth largest in the world, only trailing China, India and the United States. South Korea, on the other hand, has an army of approximately 500,000 soldiers, even though South Korean’s population is about 51 million people while North Korea’s population is only 25 million. North Korea’s recruitment drive and missile launch came as the U.S. and South Korea began joint military drills recently. The 11-day Operation Freedom Shield 23 began March 13 and lasted for 11 days. This caused Kim Jong Un’s regime to express outrage at joint military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea.

 Kim’s regime fired another ballistic missile, which flew roughly 500 miles across the country and landed in the sea off its east coast, according to South Korean and Japanese assessments. There were no reports of any injuries due to the launch, and Japan says the missile landed outside its exclusive economic zone. North Korea cited joint military drills between the U.S., Japan and South Korea as the reason for its launches, vowing to respond to such operations with “overwhelming powerful” force.

 Meanwhile, the Pentagon argues such operations have proven to be a successful deterrent for North Korea. “I think what’s important for people to understand is, one, deterrence continues to work,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters. “Despite launching missiles into the ocean, North Korea is not attacking, nor should they, and that the United States, Japan, South Korea and other allies and partners in the region will continue to work together to expand that deterrence and to keep our countries safe.”

 While North Korea has consistently wanted to reunite the peninsula under the communist regime, as long as South Korea is supported by nations such as Japan and especially the United States, there is very little that they can do to accomplish this mission militarily. This explains why North Korea has spent so much time and treasure attempting to develop nuclear weapons, which they believe might be the only way they could stop direct intervention from other nations outside of South Korea. 

 North Korea’s heightened aggression in the region has mirrored China’s own aggression toward Taiwan. These moves, combined with the Russian war in Ukraine, the war in Syria and Iran’s attempts to build toward nuclear capacity, have created a firestorm of international intrigue and danger for the world stage.

 PRAY: Pray the aggression from North Korea will be stymied and that peace will reign in the region.

War in Syria Pushing Turkey Toward Russia and Iran

Since 2019, the Syrian situation has been largely at a stalemate, with authority divided among three de facto enclaves, each dependent on the sponsorship of outside powers. The Assad regime, guaranteed by Russia and Iran, controls around 60-65% of Syria’s territory, including the coastline and the main cities. The US-backed, Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces hold most of the area east of the Euphrates, comprising roughly 30% of Syria’s area. Turkey, in partnership with the self-styled “Syrian National Army”, the remnants of the Sunni Islamist rebellion, remustered under Turkish auspices and with the jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, controls an area in the northwest, comprising around 10% of Syrian territory.

 This de facto partition has mostly held since early 2018. Turkey shifted the balance somewhat in October-November 2019, with a ground incursion east of the Euphrates. This resulted in the establishment of an enclave of Turkish-controlled territory biting into the Kurdish-controlled area, and in the deployment of regime and Russian forces east of the Euphrates in order to deter further Turkish advances. Since then, the military situation on the ground has been static, the broader question of Syria’s future unresolved.

 There are indications of renewed movement. Specifically, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been carrying out an air campaign against targets in the Kurdish/US area since November 20th of last year. Erdogan has already threatened a ground incursion, with the intention of pushing the Kurdish forces back 30 kilometers from the border and conquering three towns – Tal Rifaat, Manbij and Kobani. Turkey is now also moving toward more diplomatic ties to both Russia and Syria. “We want to take a tripartite step as Syria-Turkey-Russia,” Erdogan told reporters on his way back from Turkmenistan, as reported on the Al-Monitor news website. The statements followed talks in Istanbul between the Turkish and Russian deputy foreign ministers, and a phone conversation between Putin and Erdogan.

 This is a far cry from the Erdogan of a decade ago. Turkey emerged as the first and most determined supporter of the Islamist insurgents who sought to destroy the Assad regime. In 2012, in the early days of the insurgency, Erdogan effectively opened the border to the rebels, allowing them to ferry weaponry and supplies into Syria. Now, as the last protector of what is left of the revolt, the Turkish leader appears to be pursuing a very different goal – namely, rapprochement with the Assad regime, under Russian auspices.

 The Turkish leader’s stance indicates that while he may have for the moment abandoned his ambition to stand at the head of a group of Sunni Islamist regional states, this is not leading him to return to a pro-US regional policy. Rather, he appears to be seeking to draw closer to Russia in order to further weaken and eventually nullify the Kurdish-led entity in eastern Syria. Erdogan considers that this body, aligned with the US in its fight against ISIS, is a front for the PKK (Kurdish Workers Party), with which Turkey has been at war since 1984. His efforts since 2015, when it became clear that the rebellion was not going to defeat Assad, have been mainly directed toward seeking the destruction of the Kurdish-led area. In this regard, Turkey finds natural partners in Russia and Assad. Assad wants to reassert his nominal control over the entirety of Russian sovereignty. Russia supports this goal too, as does its ally Iran, and both would like to see the departure of the US troops currently guaranteeing the continued existence of the Kurdish-led enclave. As Turkey moves away from NATO and toward Russia and Iran, could this be setting the stage for Gog and Magog?

 Biblical Connections: Ezekiel 38-39 talks about the battle of Gog and Magog in which Turkey, Iran and Russia will align with other nations to invade Israel in the future.

 PRAY: Pray for God’s will to be accomplished throughout these events in the Middle East.

Doomsday Clock Moved to Closest Setting Since the End of World War 2

The world is closer to annihilation than it has ever been since the first nuclear bombs were released at the close of World War II, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said recently. The time on the Doomsday Clock moved forward from 100 seconds to midnight to 90 seconds to midnight. It’s a reset of what has come to be known as the Doomsday Clock, a decades long project of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists featuring a clock face where midnight represents Armageddon.

Between Russia's nuclear brinkmanship in its war on Ukraine, the real threats of climate change becoming increasingly dire and ongoing concerns about more possible pandemics caused by humans encroaching on formerly wild areas, the Bulletin chose to set the clock the closest to midnight yet. The world is facing a gathering storm of extinction-level consequences, exacerbated by the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. This explains the latest advance of the clock, said Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. "The threats are even more acute, and the failures of leadership even more damning. We live today in a world of interlocking crises, each illustrating the unwillingness of leaders to act in the true long-term interests of their people," she said.

The Bulletin was founded in 1945 by Albert Einstein and University of Chicago scientists who helped develop the first atomic weapons at the Manhattan Project. Two years later they launched the clock as a way to warn humanity just how close to nuclear apocalypse the world was. "It's a way to remind people of issues that are so big they pose a threat to civilization as a whole," said Steve Fetter, a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland and member of the Bulletin's Science and Security Board, which sets the clock each year.

The clock has ticked minutes or seconds toward or away from catastrophe over the years. Wars bring it closer, treaties and cooperation further away. For the past two years, it has been at 100 seconds to midnight. The movement of the clock to just 90 seconds to midnight sends a message that the world's situation is urgent, with possible broad consequences and long-standing effects, said the Bulletin's president, Rachel Bronson. "What we're conveying with this clock move is things are not going in the right direction, and they haven't been going in the right direction. Those who are listening say 'The world doesn't feel safer today,' – they're not alone," she said.

Their hope is that this year's announcement will focus on world awareness and push people toward action and away from a business-as-usual mindset. Scientists are unequivocal, said Robinson. "Leaders, wake up! This is your responsibility. This is on your watch," she said. The clock ticked forward largely, though not exclusively, because of the nuclear dangers posed by the war in Ukraine, the Bulletin said in its statement. "Russia’s thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict – by accident, intention, or miscalculation – is a terrible risk. The possibility that the conflict could spin out of anyone’s control remains high," the statement read.

Biblical Connection: Matthew 24:36 states, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” While no one knows the time of Jesus’ Return, the dramatic events of the last few years certainly seem to portray a dark future. How much longer the world can continue to move forward before all-out nuclear war seems to lessen every year.

PRAY: Pray that as many people as possible will hear the Gospel and be saved before the time finally comes for Jesus to return for His bride.

Israel, US Hold Air Drill Simulating Striking Iran Nuclear Program

The Israel Air Force held one of its largest drills in years with the United States Air Force simulating offensive strikes against Iran’s nuclear program. The drill took place over the Mediterranean Sea and Israel. It included long-range flights such as those that Israeli pilots might need to make in order to reach the Islamic Republic. The exercise included refuelers as well as fighter jets from both forces. Washington and Israel have signed an agreement that would see the US come to assist Israel with missile defense in times of war, and the two militaries have held numerous joint air defense exercises in recent years.

 These drills occurred at a time when tensions between Israel and Iran remain high. Iran, which possesses over 1,000 short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, continues to smuggle weapons to countries and non-state actors such as Hezbollah, which is estimated to have an arsenal of some 50,000 missiles on Israel’s northern border. With tensions high over Iran’s nuclear program and regional hostility, Israel and the Islamic Republic have been threatening each other with senior officers stating that their militaries are capable of striking the other. Israel has significantly increased its readiness level and has taken steps throughout the past year to prepare a credible military option against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

 The NIS 58 billion defense budget set for the IDF in the coming year is expected to allow the Israeli military to focus on the threats posed by Iran across the region, with some NIS 3.5b. designated specifically for this very task. The drill was discussed by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi during his visit to Washington recently. Kohavi, who returned to Israel a day earlier than planned following a deadly double bombing in Jerusalem, met with senior American officials including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, and CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla. In the last year, the IDF and CENTCOM forces have held several joint drills as well as operational missions.

 Kurilla was in Israel a week prior to Kohavi’s visit and toured the northern border as well as the IAF’s fleet of F-35 Adir stealth fighter jets. “We are operating together on all fronts to gather intelligence, neutralize threats, and prepare for various scenarios in either one or multiple arenas” Kohavi declared. His counterpart, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi, also stated, “We are operating together on all fronts to gather intelligence, neutralize threats, and prepare for various scenarios in either one or multiple arenas,” adding that the two countries were “developing joint military capabilities at an accelerated rate” against Iran and other threats in the Middle East.

 Outgoing Defense Minister Benny Gantz told reporters that while Israel has the capabilities to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu must consider the issue “carefully” before giving the order. “Israel has the ability to act in Iran. We have the readiness, development capabilities, and long-term plans we are managing. We need to prepare for this possibility, and we will also need to consider this issue very carefully before carrying it out,” he said.

 Biblical Connections: Ezekiel 38-39 has Israel being invaded in the future by a coalition in which Iran is a major player of in the battle of Gog and Magog. The fact that Iran and Israel continue to have major tension in the region should be a warning to followers of Biblical prophecy. In prophecy, Israel is attacked without allies and only through God’s intervention are they delivered. It will be interesting to see what role, if any, America would play in that future invasion.

PRAY: Pray for peace in the region and that the tension between Iran and Israel would not lead to a major war.

Human Rights Violations Against Believers Investigated

Persecution of Christians is on the rise in at least 18 countries, especially in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, due to growing jihadism and nationalism, according to a report released by the group Aid to the Church in Need. The ACN examined human rights violations against believers in 24 countries where it is particularly difficult to be a Christian. An analysis of the persecution in the years 2020-2022, compared to 2017-2019, shows that the situation for Christians has become worse, or “slightly worse,” in at least 18 countries.

These countries include Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Mali, Sudan, Nigeria, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Russia, North Korea, China, Vietnam, India and Qatar, according to the report titled “Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians oppressed for their Faith 2020-22.” Around the world, more than 360 million Christians live in places where they experience high levels of persecution just for following Jesus — that’s one in seven believers worldwide, according to Open Doors USA’s World Watch List, which ranks the top 50 countries where Christians experience the worst persecution for their faith.

The ACN said its report was presented in the Houses of Parliament in the U.K. with a keynote address by Nigeria’s Bishop Jude Arogundade. Arogundade’s Diocese of Ondo was targeted by gunmen who killed more than 40 people at a packed Sunday service on Pentecost Sunday last year. He commented, “no one seems to pay attention to the genocide” taking place in swathes of Nigeria’s Middle Belt. “The world is silent as attacks on churches, their personnel and institutions have become routine. How many corpses are required to get the world’s attention?” he said.

African countries saw a sharp rise in terrorist violence from non-state militants, with more than 7,600 Nigerian Christians murdered between January 2021 and June 2022 the ACN reported. In May, a video was released showing 20 Nigerian Christians being executed by Islamist terror group Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West Africa Province.

In Asia, “state-authoritarianism” was behind the worsening oppression, especially in North Korea, where religious beliefs and practices are routinely and systematically repressed, it said. The report also noted that religious nationalism has triggered increasing violence against Christians in the region, with Hindu nationalist and Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist groups active in India and Sri Lanka, respectively.

The report noted that India witnessed 710 incidents of anti-Christian violence between January 2021 and the start of June, “driven in part by political extremism.” It cited an example of a mass rally in Chhattisgarh state, where members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party applauded as right-wing Hindu religious leader Swami Parmatmanand called for Christians to be killed.

In the Middle East, the report said a migration crisis threatened the survival of some of the world’s oldest Christian communities. In Syria, the Christian population declined from 10% to less than 2%, falling from 1.5 million just before the war began to around 300,000 today. ACN added that while the rate of exodus is slower in Iraq, there was a community that numbered around 300,000 before the 2014 invasion by ISIS had halved to 150,000 by the spring of 2022.

Even Europe was not immune to the rise in persecution. From 2020-2021, over 1,500 anti-Christian hate crimes occurred. Open Doors USA’s 2022 World Watch List, which looked at incidents reported between Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021, found at least 5,898 Christians were killed, 5,110 churches were attacked or closed, 6,175 Christians were arrested without trial, and 3,829 Christians were kidnapped. 2021 saw a 24% increase in Christians killed for their faith.

Biblical Connection: The Bible describes a great persecution on the Tribulation Saints that will arise in the last days. Could current situations be laying the foundation for this prophecy? Only time will tell.

PRAY: Pray for the persecuted church throughout the world.

Persecution Continues to Rise Against Jews in Academia

Recently, Law Students for Justice in Palestine (LSJP) at University of California, Berkeley, School of Law promoted a bylaw  that would create what critics have characterized as “no-go zones for Jews,” “LSJP is so excited to announce that multiple student affinity groups and clubs at Berkeley Law have adopted a pro-Palestine bylaw divesting all funds from institutions and companies complicit in the occupation of Palestine, and banning future use of funds towards such companies!” the group wrote in an Instagram post in August. “LSJP is calling ALL student organizations at Berkeley Law to take an anti-racist and anti-settler colonial stand and adopt the bylaw into their constitutions ASAP!”

 In addition to urging student groups to support the ongoing BDS campaign against Israel, the bylaw also included troubling language to expunge any speech by individuals who might be considered pro-Israel or pro-Zionist, especially speech meant to correct the many factual and historical inaccuracies in the pro-Palestinian bylaw. “In the interest of protecting the safety and welfare of Palestinian students on campus,” the suggested language read, groups who adopt this bylaw “will not invite speakers that have expressed and continued to hold views or host/sponsor/promote events in support of Zionism, the apartheid state of Israel, and the occupation of Palestine.”

 And in language which is Orwellian in its attempt to paint bigotry as virtue, cooperating student groups, the bylaw read, will proclaim that they are “publicly stipulating the organization’s position of anti-racism and anti-settler colonialism to speakers, ensuring that proposals for speakers emphasize the organization’s desire for equality and inclusion,” all of this for the purpose of creating “a safe and inclusive space for Palestinian students and students that are in the support of the liberation of Palestine.”

 The implementation of a litmus test of ideological allegiance — only targeted at Jews who support Israel — is part of a decades-old campaign to malign Israel and transform it into a pariah state. It excludes its supporters from progressive groups, by falsely alleging Israel is an apartheid, racist regime of white supremacy that continues to oppress innocent Arabs who were the actual indigenous residents of the land now called Israel.

 Imagine if a student government yanked accommodations for halal food on campus because Islam can be linked to terrorism, the same spurious linkage these social justice cretins have created for “apartheid” Israel, Zionism and kosher food from pro-Israel companies. The campus-wide howling about Islamophobia and bigotry would be deafening.

 The Berkeley situation is, of course, part of a broader effort to marginalize Jewish students, malign Israel and Zionism without debate or counter-argument, contort history and facts to elevate the Palestinian cause and denigrate the Jewish state, and promote hatred and hostility to any supporter of Israel. The real intention of pro-Palestinian radicals, now encompassing a large swathe of academia, is to exclude Israel and Zionism as reasonable topics of discussion and to prevent supporters of the Jewish state from even defending it or offering counterarguments. While Israel is not a perfect country and when they do make mistakes they should be called out on those mistakes. However, the immense hatred of the Jewish people that has arisen to almost pre-World War 2 levels is a sign that Satan is continuing his attacks.

 Biblical Connection: In Revelation 12, the nation of Israel, depicted symbolically by a woman figure, is attacked by both Satan and the forces of the Antichrist.

 PRAY: Pray that the Jewish people will be protected from these types of unjust attacks in the public square.

Russia and China Moving to Create a New Global Threat?

A top Chinese official said that his country will continue its partnership with Russia in the hopes of creating a new international order that will rival western influence. “The Chinese side is willing to work with the Russian side to continuously implement high-level strategic cooperation between the two countries, safeguard common interests and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction,” Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Yang Jiechi recently stated.

 The comments come amid Russia’s ongoing war with neighboring Ukraine, which has resulted in international outrage and an effort by many western governments to sanction Russia and cut off its influence around the globe. But the international influence campaign has seemingly brought Russia and China closer together, with Chinese President Xi Jinping set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Xi’s first foreign trip since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While China has not provided Russia with direct support or relief from sanctions, it has extended its trade partnership with a Russian economy struggling to find international partners. About 81% of Russian car imports during the second quarter came from China, Bloomberg reported, while China’s Xiaomi phone brand became the most popular in Russia during the same time period. China has also been a dependable consumer of Russian fuel, buying up liquefied natural gas (LNG) at a steep discount from Russia. The arrangement has benefited both countries, giving Russia a buyer for its energy resources while China has used the windfall to sell energy sources at a markup to a European economy that has found itself short of resources amid sanctions against Russia.

 “Russia and China are building a massive $55 billion pipeline called the ‘Power of Siberia,’ delivering gas from Siberia to Shanghai,” Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer and the author of “Putin’s Playbook: Russia’s Secret Plan to Defeat America,” told Fox News Digital. “This is a major development of strategic importance as Putin is pivoting to Asia in a big way. The Kremlin has concluded that Russia-U.S. relations are irreparable and that the U.S. and Western sanctions are here to stay indefinitely.”

Russia and China have also worked together to send money transfers to China in yuan without using the SWIFT messaging system, which helps Russia bypass international sanctions and works toward the Chinese goal of devaluing the influence of the U.S. dollar. “Russia already has established a method of transferring payments to convert wire currency into Chinese yuan, bypassing SWIFT,” Koffler said, adding that the Russian Finance Ministry also announced the country is “transitioning to yuan, playing into China’s strategic goal of replacing the U.S. dollar with the Chinese yuan as the dominant international reserve currency by 2049.”

 This is yet another example of Russia moving away from Western relationship and making strong connections with other more savory nations. Western sanctions of the war in Ukraine have driven Russia into stronger trade and military relationships with Iran, North Korea and now China. If these nations continue to grow closer and gain more strength and power in the international community, it could spell trouble on a global scale.

 Biblical Connections: Russia has always been seen as a problem in biblical prophecy because of the Gog-Magog prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39. Making strategic alliances with other nations like Iran and China do not help to alleviate fears that they could once again become a major problem not only in the global community, but specifically in the Middle Eastern theatre, where they already have influence with both Syria and Iran.

Iran Declares It Can Use Nuclear Missiles to Turn “New York into Hellish Ruins”

“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”

Revelation 6:8

  The Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps recently said that it can develop a nuclear weapon within a rapid-fire amount of time and obliterate New York with ballistic missiles. The London-based Iran International news organization reported that the Bisimchi Media (Radioman Media) Telegram Channel aired a short video titled, “When Will Iran’s Sleeping Warheads Awaken.” The video said the Islamic Republic of Iran is capable of building nuclear bombs in a compressed period of time “if the US or the Zionist regime make any stupid mistakes.” The Iranian theocratic state refers to Israel as the “Zionist regime.” The IRGC-affiliated video said that Iranian ballistic missiles have the capability of “turning New York into hellish ruins.” 

 The video said, “the nuclear facilities of Fordow have been built deep under mountains of Iran and are protected against trench-busting bombs and even nuclear explosion… all infrastructures required for nuclear breakout have been prepared in it.” According to the Iran International report, the video said Iran has advanced its uranium enrichment process to develop a nuclear weapons device in the underground facilities of Fordow, near the holy city of Qom. Some other key takeaways from the IRGC-affiliated videos include Iran’s dangerous proximity to developing nuclear weapons, joining the club of nuclear powers.

 “These threats are a direct result of a weak and unclear foreign policy coming from the White House,” stated Lisa Daftari, an expert on Iran and the editor-in-chief of the website The Foreign Desk. “The Iran regime would not be so brazen as to make threats toward the U.S. if it did not feel that it has the upper-hand in dealing with the US and world powers….”

The Biden administration kept going back to the negotiating table for a deal making it clear that Iran did not have to show any good behavior or change in demeanor to get a deal.” Daftari noted that “Iran is playing out the clock and taking advantage of the current White House’s policies.” 

 The Biden administration seeks to cut a deal with Iran’s clerical rulers that would impose temporary restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for massive economic sanctions relief. President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid the United States will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon as Tehran seeks stronger guarantees from Washington for the revival of a nuclear deal with world powers. Israel opposes a return to the 2015 deal, which imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear weapons program in exchange for the lifting of U.S., European Union and United Nations sanctions on Tehran.

 The Trump administration designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. The second IRGC-affiliated Telegram channel Sepah-e Qods republished Bisimchi Media’s video with the caption: “Iran Prepared to Carry Out Top Secret EMAD Project. Building First Nuclear Warhead if Natanz Comes Under Attack.” Natanz is one of Iran’s principal nuclear sites and EMAD is an Iranian weapons program.

 Biblical Connections: The rise in the desire to proliferate nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction should not shock readers of the Scriptures. The Book of Revelation makes it clear that in the last days there will be massive war and bloodshed unlike any seen in the history of the world. For example, the horseman of Revelation 6 bring war and destruction to the globe and a fourth of the world is killed. The presence and prominence of these types of weapons make this a very real possibility.

 PRAY: Pray that either negotiations will prevent Iran from creating nuclear missiles or something will stop their potential nuclear capabilities.

Iran is Becoming a World Leader in Drone Technology

Iran has made steady advances in the design and production of military drones in recent years and has stepped up their transfer to militant groups across the Middle East as it seeks to shift the dynamics of battlefields from Yemen to Gaza. Those efforts now extended far beyond the region.

 Iran is now seeking to build its global clout and sell increasingly sophisticated weapons-capable drones commercially to other nations, including those that have been subject to various sanctions in recent years, like Venezuela and Sudan, according to Iranian news media, satellite images and defense experts inside and outside Iran. That has provided an important source of funds and political influence for Iran, which is itself isolated and struggling under U.S. financial restrictions.

 “Iran is increasingly becoming a global player in terms of drone exports,” said Seth Frantzman, a Jerusalem-based defense analyst and drone expert. The fact that newer drones, such as the Mohajer-6, are now being seen in places like the Horn of Africa shows that countries see them as a potential game-changer,” he added, referring to an advanced Iranian drone claimed to have a range of about 125 miles and the ability to carry precision-guided munitions.

 Tehran began drone development in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq war. Despite crippling sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear and missile programs in recent years, it has managed to produce and field a vast array of military drones, used for both surveillance and attack, according to experts.

That program has become a major concern for Israel and the United States in recent years. Israel has targeted drone production and storage sites in its escalating shadow war with Tehran. And the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement on July 21 that “the Iran-proliferated network of attack unmanned aerial systems,” or drones, was a key topic of discussion at a recent regional security meeting in Qatar.

 A United Nations embargo aimed at preventing Iran from selling and buying weapons expired in 2020, despite protests from the United States, which wanted it extended, removing a significant legal obstacle, analysts said, for Iran to export its drones and carve out its status as a global player in drone technology.

 Hossein Dalirian, a military analyst with close ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, posted a video on his YouTube channel in January in which he said that Iran was exporting drones to Ethiopia and Venezuela. “The Islamic Republic has long reached mass production level in the production of various drones including military surveillance and suicide drones and now has a very large stock,” Mr. Dalirian said by direct message. “Because the drones are effective and some countries have been enthusiastic about the drones, in recent years Iran has been exporting drones such as New Mohajer-2 (M2-N) and Mohajer-6 (M6) and even Ababil (AB-2).”

 Iran has both political and financial incentives to sell drones to such countries, as well as supplying them to proxy groups as part of its regional policy in the Middle East. The sales allow Tehran to build international links in defiance of Western efforts to isolate it and provide an additional source of revenue alongside oil sold in contravention of sanctions. “They have created this viable drone capacity, so it is no surprise that other countries are interested in obtaining such technologies,” said Farzin Nadimi, a military analyst and associate fellow at the Washington Institute who specializes in Iran’s defense industry. “Iranian drones should be taken seriously as a weapon,” he said.

 PRAY: Pray that Iran’s continual sale of drones to people with bad intentions will be stopped and peace will reign in the region.

The Taliban and Russia Cozying up Over Oil Sales

While many in the West thought that sanctions against Russian goods, including oil, would bring Russia to the negotiating table with Ukraine, Russia has been able to remain afloat financially because of their relationships with less than desirable nations, first Iran and now Afghanistan. Taliban officials and Moscow are finalizing a deal that would allow the isolated rulers of Afghanistan to purchase much-needed fuel while helping prop up Russia's heavily sanctioned economy. A delegation of Taliban officials met in Moscow to negotiate a deal with their Russian counterparts to secure imports of wheat, gas and oil. The negotiations come as the Taliban seek to thaw the diplomatic freeze that followed their armed takeover of Afghanistan last year and as Russia sidesteps Western sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine. An unnamed source in Afghanistan's office of the Minister of Commerce and Industry told Reuters that the contracts are expected to be finalized soon.

 No government has formally recognized the Taliban's government after the hardline Islamist group seized power after the U.S. withdrew its presence last year. But Russia, China and other countries antagonistic toward the U.S. have kept their embassies open in Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul. Saddled with severe economic sanctions since the war began in February, Russia has also hosted talks with Taliban trade officials. Afghanistan already gets the majority of its food and oil from Russia and trade between the two amounts to $200 million annually, according to Afghanistan's TOLOnews. Russia already offers less expensive wheat and oil, the news outlet reported, citing the country's Chamber of Commerce and Investment.

 Oil exports have been a key economic lifeline for Russia. Despite the sanctions, Russia saw roughly $93 billion in revenue from fossil fuel exports during the first 100 days of its invasion of Ukraine. Demand for Russian energy was driven primarily by China and India. Additionally, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, France and Poland also helped keep demand for Russian energy high despite the sanctions.

 While Russia has not sold as much oil as previous years, because of the rising cost of oil globally over the summer, they have actually made greater revenue. "Import volumes fell modestly in May, around 15% compared with the time before the invasion, as many countries and firms shunned Russian supplies.” However, reduced demand and lower price for Russian oil cost the country about $200 million a day in May but rising demand globally for fossil fuels has meant Russia's average export prices remained 60 percent higher than last year. Thus, any thought that a lack of oil sales would force Putin to negotiate will definitely not come to pass, especially with the winter months coming to Western Europe and a greater need to oil to possible break oil sanctions.

 While trade deals between Russia and the Taliban may be near, other barriers may prevent the two from exchanging goods. Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban's acting minister of Commerce and Industry, told TOLOnews that most of the Afghan and Russian banks remain under sanctions, meaning a third country will facilitate the exchange of money. "Some of our technical teams are still in Russia and they want to work on the details, such as what kind of money transfers we may have," said Azizi. Even still, nothing good can come from Russia making deals with the Taliban.

 Biblical Connection: Russia getting more and more involved with the Middle East instead of the West makes complete sense from a biblical perspective. One day in the future, Russia will make an alliance with several Middle Eastern nations in an attempt to destroy Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). We can only expect Russia to continue to push towards the Middle East in the future.

 PRAY: Pray that God’s will, even in areas that we sometimes do not understand, will continue to be accomplished and His plans will push forward.

Western Response to War in Ukraine Pushing Russian-Iranian Relationship

It is no secret that Russia and Iran have formed a closer relationship over the previous decade. Russia has provided cover for Iran within the United Nations security council with their veto power and has been in Iran’s corner for much of the discussion of the nuclear deal between Iran and the West. Many believe that Russia wants to increase their influence in the region, as evidenced by their support in Syria, and see Iran as a potential ally, along with Turkey, in furthering their ambitions. 

 In a new development, Iran will start to supply aircraft parts and equipment to Russia and service Russian aircraft in a new agreement signed between the two countries. Western nations and their allies moved to isolate Moscow after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. While initially this looked like it may be effective since Russia trades significantly with the west, Russia looked to other rogue nations, including Iran, to help circumvent the sanctions and ride out the immediate economic impact. China and India purchased Russian energy in the run-up to the invasion, and China made some key trade deals with its northern neighbor. Iran has stepped in to sign an agreement that will provide Russia more flight options and airplane assistance in the near term, according to The Moscow Times, citing the Mehr agency.

 The agreement includes a pledge to increase flights between the two nations up to 35 per week – a significant boost when only about 19 countries or states provide direct flight access to Russia. Even those nations have advised that passengers face the risk of lawsuits in countries considered “friendly” with Russia. Western nations ordered the termination of Russian carrier contracts during the earliest phase of sanctions.

 The deal follows an agreement between Tehran and Moscow to supply Russian forces with drones so that the Kremlin can sustain its war offensive, which shifted from a broad attack and attempt to conquer the whole of Ukraine to focus only on the eastern Donbas region. Russia, which believed it would accomplish its goals in Ukraine quickly and easily, was not necessarily equipped to fight a drawn-out technological war and therefore needs significant investments. Iran has become known in recent years as a major player in the drove/UAV market. They have been using them in attacks themselves and also sell them along with training to other nations and terrorist groups.

 National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan disclosed that intelligence agencies had obtained information that indicated Tehran would supply Moscow with drones, as well as training the troops in their use. “Our information indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs, including weapons-capable UAVs on an expedited timeline,” Sullivan told reporters in the White House briefing room. It’s unclear whether Iran has delivered any of these UAVs to Russia already,” Sullivan said, “but this is just one example of how Russia is looking to countries like Iran for capabilities.” As long as Russia can continue to maintain their economy and supplies through these types of deals with non-Western powers, it is unlikely that Western sanctions alone will bring Russia to the negotiating table.

 Biblical Connection: Many see the Gog-Magog War in Ezekiel 38-39 as an alliance between Russia, Turkey, Iran and several other nations against the nation of Israel that will occur in the end days, either prior to the Rapture, during the Tribulation or at the end of the Millennial Kingdom. A Russian-Iranian relationship should not shock anyone familiar with Bible prophecy.

 PRAY: Pray that plans of those who seek to do evil throughout the globe will be thwarted and peace will prevail.

Israeli Persecution in the Media

When President Joe Biden visited Israel and Saudi Arabia, the eyes of the global mainstream media were trained on the citizens and leaders of the epicenter as they covered the Biden trip every step of the way. Yet an exclusive new poll commissioned by ALL ISRAEL NEWS reveals that Americans have a staggeringly low degree of trust in the mainstream media, and a significant degree of outright anger at journalists and their editors for how they cover events and trends affecting the Jewish state.

 What’s more, the survey reveals that a large number of Americans describe themselves as downright “angry” at the mainstream media and want to find a new source of news and analysis to help them understand what’s happening in Israel and why it should matter to them. Among American Evangelicals, the survey revealed far lower trust in the mainstream media than the general population. That said, the survey also found there is a noteworthy gap between how Evangelicals of different races view the media. The term “mainstream media” generally refers to well-known news gathering corporations and organizations in the U.S. and around the world operating in the print, broadcast, cable, and/or digital spaces. These include The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, and the major broadcast news networks, among others.

 Here is the specific question that were asked in the survey: When it comes to media coverage of Israel, which statement best reflects your view? The results show that only 30% of Americans age 18 and old who were surveyed say they trust the mainstream media’s coverage of Israel. Half of all Americans (49%) say they do not trust the mainstream media’s coverage of Israel or are downright angry about the media and looking for an alternative source of news and information about Israel. Of these, nearly a third of all Americans (31%) say they do not trust the media’s coverage of Israel because they find such coverage is too often “unfair, dishonest, and biased against Israel.” Nearly 1-in-5 Americans (18%) say that they are angry at the media and looking for a news service covering Israel that they can trust.

 Particularly significant is the fact that 18% of Americans are so turned off by the mainstream media’s dishonesty and bias against Israel that they are interested in finding a news service covering Israel that they can trust. That means 46 million Americans of all religions, races and regions wish they could find a credible, honest, trustworthy alternative source of news and analysis regarding Israel and the Middle East. When it comes specifically to born again Evangelical Christians, the numbers are even more striking. Only 25.6% of American Evangelicals say they trust the mainstream media’s coverage of Israel. Almost 6-in-10 Evangelicals (57.4%) say they do not trust the mainstream media’s coverage of Israel or are downright angry about the media and looking for an alternative source of news and information about Israel. Of these, 38.7% say they do not trust the media’s coverage of Israel because they find such coverage is too often “unfair, dishonest, and biased against Israel.”

 Biblical Connection: While antisemitism in the media comes as no real surprise, it is significant that Israel consistently is treated unfairly in both the media and the United Nations. This type of mindset will make it very easy for the Antichrist to persecute the Jewish people during the Tribulation period (Revelation 12-13), just like Hitler was able to use a similar mindset during the events of the Holocaust.

 PRAY: Pray these antisemitic tendencies will continue to be called out and the media will treat Israel in a fairer manner.

Morocco Opening New Embassy in Israel

After a year of waiting, Israel announced the new opening of a Moroccan embassy in the country as confirmed by Yair Lapid, head of Israeli diplomacy. No exact details have yet been given as to when this new phase of good diplomatic relations will officially begin, but it will be available from this summer onwards. Lapid did say that Nasser Bourita, the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister, is expected to pay an official visit to the Hebrew state to welcome the embassy in September. Thus, the relationship between the two peoples, which is constantly developing, is again being consolidated.

The opening of the embassy has been on the table for a year now. Moreover, this coincided with the Kingdom’s decision to transform its liaison offices into official embassies. These changes corresponded with Yair Lapid’s visit to the Alawi kingdom in the summer of last year. This trip was a historic moment in Moroccan-Israeli relations, marking a turning point in ties between the two nations. “Following our visit to Morocco, we have decided, together with the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, to raise the level of diplomatic relations with the Kingdom and transform the two Liaison Offices into two Embassies,” Lapid said on his visit to the country.

The head of Israeli diplomacy stayed in Morocco for two days, where he took it upon himself to accentuate relations between the two sides. In addition to the announcement of the opening, Lapid also inaugurated the Israeli diplomatic mission in Rabat and was responsible first-hand for signing several cooperation agreements. This move is very groundbreaking, as Morocco is roughly 99% Muslim. Many foreign policy experts think that as more and more predominately Muslim nations continue to create international relationships with Israel, it will open the door for other nations to create these relationships as well. However, some do caution that if Israel continues to make new friends in the Middle East and Northern Africa, Iran could feel threatened to quicken their plans for any attack on Israel.

Although the opening of the embassy comes later than expected, the two countries began working on the next steps to establish the embassy last year. In October 2021, Israel announced that Morocco already had an ambassador on its territory. David Govrin accepted his new position as ambassador after moving from being the director of the Israel Liaison Office in Rabat.

The Abraham Accords pushed to establish relations between the two countries. The two countries jointly signed the normalization and restoration of their relations after years of tension and no contact. This new treaty, orchestrated under the administration of former US President Donald Trump, has allowed the Hebrew state to improve ties with some Arab nations and has developed new ties and forms of cooperation between all parties involved. Since that time, the two countries have not stopped establishing agreements and treaties in key sectors of their economies. These have been determining factors that have shown that Morocco and Israel have left the past behind and see a joint future of peace and stability.

In early July, there was hope in Israel that Saudi Arabia was warming to relations when they agreed to open their airspace to Israelite travel planes. However, Saudi Arabia’s decision to grant Israeli airlines the right to fly through its airspace is not a step in the direction of normalization, the country’s deputy ambassador to the UN Mohammed Al-Ateeq said. “The decision to allow the use of our airspace to all airlines is in line with our international obligations,” Ateeq told the UN Security Council on during its monthly meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “This step will not be a prelude to other steps,” he said.

Biblical Connections: Genesis 12:3 states, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

PRAY: Pray that more nations will continue to open relations with Israel and they will be able to create allies in their region.

China’s Rapid Expansion a Problem for the West?

House Republicans are warning that China’s “rapid expansion and militarization” of the Indo-Pacific is a “significant threat” to the United States and allies around the globe, while the Biden administration maintains it has made its concerns “clear” about Beijing’s “shadowy, unspecified deals” in the region. Republican Rep. Lance Gooden led Republican colleagues Nancy Mace, Ken Buck, Lisa McClain and Louie Gohmert in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. It warned that if China is “left unchecked,” the U.S. and allies “will be unprepared and unable to respond to China’s presence in the region…China’s rapid expansion and militarization of the Indo-Pacific region is a significant threat to the United States and our allies across the globe.” They noted that, in recent years, China “has used coercion and intimidation to demand policy changes, assert illegal maritime claims, and threaten countries that work with the United States or our allies.

One example Gooden gave was Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visiting several Indo-Pacific countries in recent weeks to “expand China’s military presence in the region” — specifically the Solomon Islands, which recently signed a security agreement with China allowing the PRC to “send military personnel and Chinese warships to utilize their ports for ‘logistical replenishment…This agreement establishes a concerning precedent and could begin a domino effect destabilizing the entire region,” Gooden wrote. Gooden and Republicans demanded Blinken “undertake all necessary measures to strengthen existing and foster new relationships in the strategic Indo-Pacific region to counter China’s growing influence.”

Gooden pointed to the U.S. treaty with the Republic of Kiribati, which has been in place since 1979, and prohibits Kiribati from “making facilities for military purposes available to third parties except with the agreement of the United States…Despite this treaty, the PRC has previously had a military operation under the guise of a space tracking station on Kiribati’s South Tarawa Island,” they wrote. “Due to China’s growing influence in the region, there are concerns that this facility may reopen in direct violation of our agreement with the Republic of Kiribati.” 

A State Department spokesperson stated that the department “appreciate(s) the bicameral and bipartisan support from Congress for deeper engagement in the Indo-Pacific…As we have said before, we must match action with our policies,” the spokesperson told Fox News. “The president has urged Congress to pass the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which would authorize over $3.25 billion in diplomatic and foreign assistance resources for the Indo-Pacific.” The State Department spokesperson said the Biden administration envisions an Indo-Pacific that is “open, connected, prosperous, resilient and secure — and we are ready to work together with each nation to achieve it.”

The Biden administration is continuing to broaden engagement in the region, the spokesperson said, referring to President Biden’s recent trip to Japan and Blinken’s trip to the Pacific Islands. “As we have said, each nation will make its own sovereign decisions,” the spokesperson told Fox News. “We, along with allies and partners, including those in the region, have made our concerns clear about China’s shadowy, unspecified deals with little regional consultation.” The administration welcomes “contributions by the PRC to regional development, so long as it adheres to high standards, including in areas such as transparency, the rule of law, sustainable financing and respect for the autonomy of development aid recipients.”

Biblical Connection: While China is not necessarily named in the Bible, the fact that they represent a secular society that continually persecutes Christians should warn believers of the types of governments and political movements that will occur during the Tribulation, where Christianity will be outlawed and massive persecution and martyrdoms will occur (Revelation 6:9-11). 

PRAY: Pray that China’s continual push to expand and persecute will be stopped and religious freedom will be restored in the region.

Britain Continues Attack on Traditional Christian Beliefs of Gender

A London-based employment tribunal has ruled that the British Equality Act protects Christians’ beliefs that do not affirm transgenderism, but they cannot express those beliefs in the workplace. The Employment Appeal Tribunal in London delivered the judgment in a case concerning a Christian doctor whose work contract was terminated over his refusal to refer to a man as a woman.

 In July 2018, Dr. David Mackereth, an A&E doctor with 30 years of experience, was forced out of his job in the Department of Work and Pensions. He subsequently took his case to the tribunal which ruled that biblical beliefs on gender are “incompatible with human dignity” and not “worthy of respect in a democratic society.” The doctor then sought to challenge that ruling.  At first read, this judgment sounded very favorable. It means that the belief that God created humans as male and female and not transgender is a protected belief under both the Equality Act and the Human Rights Act, said the British charity Christian Concern, whose legal arm, the Christian Legal Centre, represented the Christian doctor. “Furthermore, it means that more narrow beliefs flowing from that core belief, such as that affirming a transgendered person in their gender identity belief is harmful, are also protected. The right not to believe in transgenderism is also protected,” Christian Concern added.

 However, the appeals tribunal also affirmed that “while the belief, or lack of belief, in transgenderism was protected, its manifestation in the workplace was qualified.” Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, called the judgment “confusing and muddled…The way in which the judge has driven a wedge between holding a belief and manifesting it means these basic Christian beliefs are protected on paper but not in practice,” Williams said. “The freedom to hold a belief, but not be able to express it, is no freedom at all,” he added.

 Mackereth said during proceedings that he was asked in a conversation by his line manager: “If you have a man 6 foot tall with a beard who says he wants to be addressed as ‘she’ and ‘Mrs,’ would you do that?” And Mackereth replied that in good conscience, he could not. His contract was subsequently terminated.

 Mackereth said he was grateful to the court for at least “recognizing that a belief that we are made by God, both male and female ‘in His image’ is not incompatible with human dignity.” However, he also said he will be taking the case to a higher court. Mackereth said everyone in the NHS should be able to say “publicly without fear that a person cannot change sex, but instead we are being forced to accept a massive change to our concept of the medical reality of sex, with no scientific basis for that change.” He continued: “As Christians, we are not trying to be unkind to people in any way. As Christians we are called to love all people with Christian love. But we cannot love people truly when we live and disseminate a lie. If we are to tell patients that they need to ‘follow the science’, then we must not tell them that they can change sex.”

 Biblical Connections: Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 that, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” We are clearly seeing a change in Western culture in which Christianity is tolerated only as long as it does not offend someone else. The moment someone becomes offended, religious freedom is placated.

 PRAY: Pray that this drive in Western culture toward ungodliness would stop and Christian principles and truth would be put back into the public square.