Israel Moves Into Rafah
The Associated Press wrote on May 7:
“Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city…
“The U.N. warned of a potential collapse of the flow of aid to Palestinians from the closure of Rafah and the other main crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom… The Israeli foray overnight came after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war…”
Rafah Not the End
Israel Today wrote on April 30:
“As signs of an imminent IDF operation in Rafah intensify, there is growing concern that Israel will unnecessarily exercise self-imposed restraint by acting with insufficient force, so as not to upset the Biden administration, the Egyptians, or the ICC prosecutor at The Hague. Meanwhile, Hamas is exploiting the prolonged waiting period and preparing well for the ground operation in this sector, which will undoubtedly pose complex operational challenges for the IDF…
“The Rafah operation will not complete the task of decisively defeating Hamas. Even after it is over, much more work, and a deeper impact, will be needed inside the territory before Hamas’s remaining capabilities are destroyed and a new reality emerges. This was also the case following ‘Operation Defensive Shield’ 22 years ago. It will not be quick and easy…”
Netanyahu To Be Blamed?
Newsmax wrote on April 30:
“Former President Donald Trump heaped criticism on Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the Israeli prime minister has been ‘rightfully criticized’ for Iranian-backed Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack.
“Trump said the attack, in which at least 1,200 Israeli civilians were massacred and about 250 others taken hostage, should never have happened and blamed Netanyahu for not seeing it coming… ‘They have the most sophisticated equipment. They had — everything was there to stop that. And a lot of people knew about it, you know, thousands and thousands of people knew about it, but Israel didn’t know about it, and I think he’s being blamed for that very strongly. And now you have the hostage situation.”…
“Trump was a staunch supporter of Israel during his presidency — he recognized Jerusalem as the nation’s capital, moving the U.S. embassy there; approved of Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights; and backed the historic Abraham Accords peace agreement between Israel and several Arab nations. But he said he had a bad experience with Netanyahu regarding the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani via a U.S. drone strike at an Iraqi airport in January 2020. ‘As you probably know by now, he dropped out just before the attack,’ Trump said. ‘And I said, “What’s that all about?’ Because that was going to be a joint [operation] and all of a sudden, we were told that Israel was not doing it. And I was not happy about that. That was something I never forgot. And it showed me something.”’”
Trump also reacted angrily when Netanyahu immediately congratulated Biden as the next President while Trump attempted to question the election result. It is untrue that Israel knew or could have known ahead of time exactly when and how an attack by Hamas would occur. It is therefore unfair to blame Netanyahu in this regard.
EU States to Recognize Palestinian Statehood
The Cradle wrote on April 29:
“The EU Foreign Policy Chief, Joseph Borrell, said on 29 April that several EU member states are anticipated to recognize Palestinian statehood by the end of May… including Ireland, Malta, Spain, and Slovenia…. Other EU states, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, have already recognized the state of Palestine.
“… Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat… wrote on social media that ‘Recognition of a Palestinian state following the October 7 massacre sends a message to Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist organizations that murderous terror attacks on Israelis will be reciprocated with political gestures to the Palestinians.’…
“Earlier this month, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Madrid would recognize Palestine by the end of July, adding that other western nations would follow suit without giving specifics… Israeli officials have made known their opposition to a two-state solution, with one claiming, ‘A two-state solution after what happened on October 7 is a reward to Hamas.’…
“The majority of UN member states, 140 to 53, recognize the state of Palestine…”
Biden Throws Israel Under the Bus
JNS wrote on April 28:
“Former U.S. senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum told JNS that U.S. President Joe Biden is willing to abandon Israel to secure victory in the 2024 presidential election. ‘To him, it’s all about winning elections, and he is willing to throw Israel under the bus,’ Santorum told JNS… in Budapest, Hungary on Friday. ‘The Biden administration has been anything but supportive of Israel. It has done the bare minimum to keep some sort of lid on the outrage that would come from America if it didn’t support Israel,’ he added.
“The U.S. State Department’s top Middle East diplomat Barbara Leaf reiterated on Wednesday that… the Biden administration has not given approval to an IDF military operation in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, where four of Hamas’s six remaining battalions are entrenched… Earlier this month, Biden called on Israel not to ‘move on Haifa,’ apparently confusing the northern Israeli city with Rafah…
“Biden ‘has not just attacked Israel, he also directly attacks… Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on national security issues when everybody else would be doing the exact same things’ in Netanyahu’s position, said Santorum. ‘President Biden is doing everything he can to pressure Israel into doing things that are not in their national security interests. He is doing everything he can to support Iran as being the power in the Middle East,’ he added.”
US Withholding Weapons From Israel
Breitbart wrote on May 7:
“The U.S. withheld certain bombs from Israel to prevent their use in an attack on Hamas battalions in the town of Rafah… The Biden administration opted to pause a shipment of some 3,500 bombs to Israel last week because of concerns the weapons could be used in Rafah… The decision to pause the shipment and consider slow-walking others is a major shift in policy for the Biden administration and the first known case of the U.S. denying its close ally military aid since the Israel-Hamas war began… Critics of Biden’s decision have argued that withholding weapons that Congress has already authorized, absent any finding of human rights violations by Israel, is unconstitutional and violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.”
The New York Post wrote on May 9:
“President Biden said Wednesday that ‘I’m not supplying the weapons’ if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moves forward with a full attack on the Hamas-controlled city of Rafah — before signaling he wants Israel to surrender the Gaza Strip’s transitional administration to Arab states…
“Biden [said] the arms denied to Israel could expand to artillery shells as well — before saying that he was in talks with five Arab leaders about [Arab nations] potentially occupying Gaza after Israel defeats Hamas, which could conflict with Jerusalem’s plans to administer the area… It’s unclear if any Arab states actually would want to administer Gaza, which was controlled by Egypt until the 1967 Six-Day War — though Cairo has since relinquished its claims.”
Turkey to Cut All Trade With Israel?
Express wrote on May 2:
“Turkey has announced that it will halt all trade with Israel as tensions worsen over the war in Gaza… Israel’s Foreign Minister Katz said that any attempts to block imports and exports would be breaking agreements, and labelled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He wrote on X: ‘This is how a dictator behaves, disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen, and ignoring international trade agreements.’…
“Turkey’s trade ministry said on social media: ‘This decision will remain in place until Israel declares a ceasefire immediately and allows adequate and uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.’”
No Two-State Solution
Israel365News reported on May 2:
“In a recent interview with Time magazine, former President Donald Trump said, ‘I’m not sure a two-state solution anymore is gonna work…There was a time when I thought two states could work. Now I think two states is going to be very, very tough.’ ‘We are grateful to President Trump for expressing the view of the pro-Israel community and coming out against the reckless pursuit of the two-state solution,’ said Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder of Israel365 and a member of the Keep God’s Land leadership committee. ‘Biden has repeatedly used October 7th as an excuse to pressure Israel into accepting a Palestinian terror state, when that would simply be a gross reward for terrorism.’…
“‘Trump is a true friend not only of the State of Israel but of truth and a sense of historical justice that the land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel. The statement of former president Trump corrects a historical injustice of American administrations that promoted the dangerous so-called “two-state solution”’, said Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council. “This statement is important, and I call on other leaders to join…’
“International attorney and Chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel Mark Zell said, ‘Many have questioned where President Trump stands now on Israel, the Palestinians and Judea & Samaria. I have consistently maintained that he is rock solid on these issues just as he was in the White House…’
“Many have speculated that a second Trump term would bring significant changes to America’s relationship with Israel, and recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.”
Israel’s Minimal “Retaliation”
Reuters reported on April 19:
“Israel launched a strike on Iranian soil on Friday… in the latest of the tit-for-tat exchanges between the regional arch foes whose long-running shadow war has broken into the open.
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed his country would respond after Iran fired drones and missiles at Israel on April 13. Tehran’s action, its first-ever strike on Israel, had been in retaliation for a suspected Israeli air strike on Tehran’s embassy compound in Damascus on April 1.”
The New York Post published on April 21 the following article by John Bolton, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, 2018-19, and US ambassador to the United Nations, 2005-06.
“With Israel facing overwhelming pressure from President Biden, its… retaliation against Iran was an exercise in minimalism… Biden muscled Israel’s war cabinet but bent his knee to our mutual adversaries in Iran, revealing by this unforced error crippling weakness in the White House.. Our global adversaries, especially Moscow and Beijing, must have marveled at Biden’s sophistry, which sadly rises to the level of Lenin’s scorn for “useful idiots.”…
“Israeli and US missile defenses were not as fully tested as first thought. Largely unnoticed, The Wall Street Journal and CBS reported that half of Iran’s 120 ballistic missiles failed, either at liftoff or before being shot down. If true, out of 320 Iranian projectiles, Israel’s missile defenses faced only around 60 ballistic missiles, plus 30 cruise missiles and 170 much-slower drones… if Iran launches more properly functioning missiles next time, we may not be so successful.”
Israel to Stop Iran and Its Proxies
The New York Post wrote on April 19:
“Post-Oct. 7, Jerusalem is intent on peeling back these threats and eliminating them. That includes destroying Hamas’ remaining four battalions in Rafah alongside their command-and-control leadership. [They] will not be deterred from completely destroying Hamas.
“Hezbollah is next… Netanyahu is determined to drive Hezbollah away from its northern border… Hamas and Hezbollah, however, are only heads of a hydra. Israel is also determined to destroy the Hydra itself — the IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps]…
“Yet Israel’s fights with Hamas, Hezbollah and the IRGC are not its most important fights vis-à-vis Iran. Khamenei’s rapidly expanding nuclear-weapons program remains Jerusalem’s overarching existential threat… At the moment, Tehran is only theoretically just days from a nuclear breakout, not weeks or months…
“Jerusalem’s biggest strategic challenge in first containing and then eliminating Iran as a regional and existential threat is the White House. President Biden and his national security team still believe they can negotiate with Tehran. Biden’s permissive environment and ever-present fears of escalation are thwarting Israel’s efforts to decisively win against Iran.
“Israel needs Biden to lean into winning this war against Khamenei… If not, ultimately, Israel will have no choice but to go it alone and militarily take out Iran’s nuclear program — if not Khamenei’s regime itself, as well.”
“Levites Tune Up For the Third Temple”
Israel 365 News wrote on April 26:
“A group of about two dozen Levites gathered in the Old City to practice their singing while wearing garments designed for use by the Temple musicians in the Third Temple… The Levites also blew silver trumpets that had been prepared for use in the Third Temple…’
“In the Bible, the tribe of Levi included Moses and Aaron. Kohanim (priests) are descendants of Aaron and his descendants became a subset of the tribe of Levi. The other members of the tribe were chosen by God to forfeit their portions of land in Israel and to serve in the Temple. The Levites performed various functions in the Temple including guarding and serving all the musical needs. ‘
“Jewish communities are scrupulous about perpetuating the status of the Levites, which is passed from father to son. Only Jewish men whose fathers were Levites are considered eligible…”
Blinken: Anti-Israel Protests Hallmark of American Democracy
Reuters and Die Algemeiner wrote on April 26:
“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that ongoing protests at US universities over Israel‘s war in Gaza are a hallmark of American democracy, but criticized what he called the ‘silence’ about Palestinian terrorist group Hamas…
“During the campus protests, which have spread across the US and picked up support in other countries, students and even some faculty have expressed support for Hamas, called for Israel’s destruction, and even threatened to target Jews on campus.”
What Blinken pretends not to understand is that these antisemitic demonstrations are in support of Hamas.
Majority of Young Americans in Support of Hamas
The Algemeiner wrote on April 19:
“A greater proportion of young Americans [18-29] sympathize with the Palestinian people and government than with the Israeli people and government, while almost one in five sympathize with Hamas and a growing number want the US to end or reduce its alliance with the Jewish State, according to a new poll…. while 52 percent of young people sympathize with Israelis, 56 percent sympathize with the Palestinian people…
“… a majority of young people [18-25] have said they believe Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack was justified on the basis of legitimate grievance. Another poll found 51 percent said that Israel should be ‘ended’ as a country and ‘given to Hamas and the Palestinians.’”
Violent Student Protests
Newsmax wrote on May 1:
“What does Joe Biden have to say about the rowdy student protests against Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza that have rocked American college campuses in recent weeks? Almost nothing. The president has so far avoided the contentious subject as it is likely to complicate his reelection campaign.
“The 81-year-old Democrat, who will face Republican Donald Trump in November’s presidential election, has publicly addressed the demonstrations only once and briefly, even as students have clashed with police and several hundred people have been arrested at universities across the country…
“Biden’s reluctance to weigh in on the biggest and most prolonged unrest to rock U.S. campuses since the Vietnam war protests of the 1960s and ’70s has not gone unnoticed by Trump. ‘There’s a big fever in our country, and he’s not talking,’ the 77-year-old tycoon said Wednesday during a campaign rally.
“Trump urged college presidents to ‘remove the encampments immediately, vanquish the radicals and take back our campuses.’ As for the demonstrators at Columbia University, he called them ‘raging lunatics and Hamas sympathizers.’”
Subsequently, the New York Post wrote on May 2:
“President Biden broke 10 days of silence about pro-terror anarchy on college campuses Thursday, saying the US is not a ‘lawless country’ and ‘order must prevail’ while acknowledging the right to peaceful demonstrations — and rejecting calls to bring out the National Guard. Biden, 81, spoke for three-and-a-half minutes in the White House Roosevelt Room after taking sustained criticism for or his lack of public comments as chaos raged across the country…
“The president has a long-held aversion to protests… but has tried to avoid antagonizing anti-Israel activists as polls show the conflict risking his re-election prospects in battleground states such as Michigan.”
It’s all about votes and election!!!! Meanwhile, antisemitic and at times violent protests and demonstrations continue throughout the USA, and also in Europe. Subsequently, Biden gave another speech on May 7, condemning antisemitism and violence. However, his actions against Israel do not support the contents of his speech.
Antisemitism in America Just Like in Germany in the 1930s
Breitbart wrote on April 24:
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video Wednesday blasting antisemitism on American college campuses, saying the atmosphere had become like Germany in the 1930s, and calling on leaders to do more to fight it.
“Netanyahu was responding to a wave of radical anti-Israel and antisemitic protests at Columbia University and other college campuses… In a two-minute address in English, Netanyahu — who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the campuses engulfed by radical protests today — warned about the historic precedents for today’s protests. ‘Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities,’ Netanyahu said. ‘They call for the annihilation of Israel. They attack Jewish students. They attack Jewish faculty. This is reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s.’
“He called the responses of several university presidents ‘shameful,’ adding that ‘more has to be done.’…
“Funding for the protests is reportedly coming from a variety of radical sources — including, according to the UK Daily Mail, Democratic Party mega-donor George Soros. The Wall Street Journal also reported this week that the protests fit a strategy promoted by Hamas and other Iran-backed groups to undermine western support for Israeli security…”
Foreign Aid Package and Johnson’s Betrayal
Breitbart wrote on April 20:
“Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) delivered President Joe Biden a $61 billion gift on Saturday afternoon, reversing his months-long pledge to never advance foreign aid without first securing America’s border….
“Johnson, once again, violated the Hastert Rule. Only 101 Republicans voted with Johnson, while 112 — a clear majority — opposed.”
Under the Hastert rule, the speaker is not to allow a floor vote on a bill unless a majority of the majority party supports the bill. Dennis Hastert explicitly adopted the majority of the majority rule after becoming Speaker of the House.
Clarifications on the Foreign Aid Package for Ukraine and Israel
Newsmax wrote on April 22:
“[Regarding the adopted and signed] $95 billion… aid package for Ukraine ($60.84 billion), Israel ($26 billion) and the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan ($8.12 billion)…, “80% of the Ukrainian funding will go to the replenishment of American weapons and stocks and our facilities and our operations,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Saturday.”
What hypocrisy!
Verhofstadt’s Attack on Conservative Americans
Breitbart wrote on April 21:
“One of the most ardent supporters of the war in Ukraine, former Belgian Prime Minister and current member of the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt beamed: ‘America is back where it should be: Supporting Freedom.’ [He] added: “But I will for my life never forget that in the Republican group – the party of Reagan – a majority of 112 traitors voted against!”
“Verhofstadt… has increasingly used bombastic rhetoric against American conservatives during the Ukraine war… [he called] for an EU travel ban to be imposed on American journalist Tucker Carlson for having the temerity to interview Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. Verhofstadt also called for the EU to impose sanctions on Carlson for supposedly being a “propagandist for the Russian regime”.
Dangerous men like Verhofstadt are on the rise in Europe.
Worldwide Military Spending Soars to Record High
Deutsche Welle wrote on April 22:
“The global defense budget saw its largest yearly increase in 14 years in 2023, according to the think tank SIPRI. Russia’s war in Ukraine, the China-Taiwan crisis and other global conflicts played a significant role… top spenders such as the United States, China and Russia [were] ratcheting up their military budgets.
“Military spending is up in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Oceania and North and South America. It’s the first time since 2009 that annual spending has increased in all geographical regions… Countries across Europe spent another year fearing security threats from Russia. Poland increased its military spending the most of all European countries, by 75% from 2022, to $31.6 billion in total…
“It’s likely… military expenditures in 2024 will once again find an increase in spending…
“[Niklas Schörnig, a political scientist at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt] said he had a pessimistic outlook… He said he also hoped the United States and China could negotiate to keep the regional conflict with Taiwan under control. Even if they could, he said, ‘this current geopolitical situation is like a powder keg…’”
A powder keg ready to explode…
Poland Ready For Nuclear Weapons
Politico wrote on April 22:
“Polish President Andrzej Duda said Poland is ‘ready’ to host nuclear weapons on its territory if NATO decides to reinforce its eastern flank… ‘If our allies decide to deploy nuclear weapons as part of nuclear sharing on our territory as well, in order to strengthen the security of NATO’s eastern flank, we are ready for it,’ he added…”
Arming EU with Nuclear Weapons
Breitbart wrote on April 28:
“President Emmanuel Macron has been accused of undermining French sovereignty and military deterrence after the head of state ‘opened the debate’ about creating a common European defence armed with nuclear weapons.
“In an interview published on Saturday evening with the Ebra group of regional French newspapers, Mr Macron said per Le Figaro: ‘I am in favour of opening this debate which must include anti-missile defence, the firing of long-range weapons, nuclear weapons for those who have them or who have American nuclear weapons on their soil.’ ‘Let’s put everything on the table and look at what truly protects us in a credible way,’ he continued, but maintained that France would keep ‘its specificity but is ready to contribute more to the defence of European soil’.
“‘Being credible also means having long-range missiles that would deter the Russians. And there is nuclear weapons: French doctrine is that we can use them when our vital interests are threatened. I have already said that there is a European dimension to these vital interests,’ the president said…
“… while the French leader was initially a proponent of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow and appeared to be hesitant to broaden the conflict, he has since recast himself as one of the leading hawks in Europe, similarly calling for a ‘debate’ about sending NATO troops into Ukraine.”
Even though the mass media may portray it differently, Macron has many supporters in other European countries. And then there is Trump. Note the next article.
If Trump Is Elected
The Friday Times wrote on May 1:
“In the European Parliament elections, Macron asserts that far-right parties espouse a pacifist stance, whereas globalists are perceived to be driving the world towards war….
“The potential for a right-wing victory in the European parliamentary elections has prompted concern among the US and UK governments. They are uncertain about the nature of the European policy that will emerge, particularly in Germany and France… Germany… has decided to renew its army at this point and has increased its war budget. This is because Germany has the greatest industrial, financial and economic power in the EU.
“Germany’s decision to meet with the President of Turkey during this critical period suggests that it views Turkey as the closest ‘neighbour’ to Germany in terms of Europe’s prosperity and reliability. Turkey’s military capabilities and the development of military technology, its underground energy resources and energy grid, and most importantly, its strategic location between Europe and Asia, make it a country of significant geopolitical importance. And so a meeting was held between the President of Germany and the President of Turkey…
“Should Trump prevail in the forthcoming US presidential election, he will inevitably instruct Germany and Europe to curtail economic relations with China… Europe is understandably concerned about the potential implications of a Trump presidency. Upon assuming power in the United States, Donald Trump will find that Europe, particularly Germany, will be placed in a quandary between China and the United States…. the European Parliament, the US elections, and Trump’s rhetoric of ‘making America great again’ will all contribute to the emergence of a predominantly economic-oriented struggle that will have far-reaching implications…
“It can be reasonably presumed that preparations for war are underway. One can observe that intelligence and espionage activities have increased on all sides. It is to be expected that economic disputes will intensify…”
Europe’s Populist Parties on the Rise
The Sun wrote on April 30:
“Just look at the latest election forecasts across Europe. While centre-left, green, and liberal centrist parties look set to suffer significant if not major losses, an assortment of national populist and ultra-conservative parties look set for major gains.
“In France, Marine Le Pern’s lead in the polls is growing… In Italy, Giorgia Meloni’s party is still dominant, as is Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party in Hungary. In Germany, the Alternative for Germany is still in second place [even though there was a perhaps temporary decrease in popularity] while Belgium’s Flemish Interest also looks set for major gains.
“In Austria and the Netherlands, the Freedom parties are likewise topping the polls while in Sweden the Sweden Democrats, which just launched its election campaign with the slogan ‘My Europe Builds Walls’, a reference to the ongoing refugee crisis, is effectively already the kingmaker in Swedish politics.
“Contrary to all those columnists and commentators who routinely like to dismiss populism as a refuge for pensioners, it’s actually now drawing considerable support from the young. In Germany, for example, a… new study of some 2,000 young people, aged between 14 and 29, found that 22 percent of them plan to vote for the national populist Alternative for Germany, compared to only nine percent two years ago… In France, for example, at the most recent presidential election, the under-35s were more likely than the over-35s to vote for Marine Le Pen, who is also targeting disillusionment with the country’s disastrous experiment with mass immigration.
“Like their parents and grandparents, many younger voters are profoundly worried about what mass immigration, the ongoing refugee crisis, and the spread of radical Islamism mean for the future of their liberal societies, including their hard-won rights for women and same-sex couples. In fact, another recent study found that populist parties are now winning much higher levels of support among LGBT people than they did in the 2000s, many of whom are also deeply concerned about how, if at all, their crucial rights will be maintained if radical Islamism continues to assert itself across Europe…
“… in America, Donald Trump is making major inroads among Latino, Hispanic, and African American voters who are utterly fed-up with the woke left and how Joe Biden has completely lost control of their southern border. While Trump is still leading Biden in six of the seven battleground states that will decide the election in November, many minority voters have watched in horror as elites demand utterly ludicrous policies like ‘defunding the police’, or going soft on crime and drug addiction in major cities, all the while knowing it won’t be them who have to suffer the consequences of these decisions…
“And as Europe’s rapidly approaching elections will almost certainly reveal, until elites pull their heads out of the sand by both acknowledging and addressing these concerns, the populist wave that’s now engulfing the old parties and politicians will only continue to get bigger and bigger.”
France to Send Troops Into Ukraine?
The Sun wrote on May 2:
“FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has declared he will send his countries brave troops to Ukraine if Putin breaks through the frontline. If French troops are deployed to Ukraine it could be the biggest sign of Nato resistance so far… Macron made the… declaration during an interview where he said sending across troops would become a ‘legitimate’ course of action should Kyiv ask for any help. He made it clear that if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ever made a request for back-up then he would feel obliged to help…
“If France was to send their troops into Ukraine’s backyard then it could cause major issues within Nato. The French would prove to be the first set of troops with Nato links to step up to Putin’s war machine and go head-to-head with the Russian army… The reason why it could cause a potential major issue is as Article 5 in Nato’s handbook states that all members are obliged to defend each other if there is an attack. Russia[ns] are thought to be well aware that if they attack and kill French troops then it could draw in UK, German and even US troops into the battle.”
German Conservatives Vote For Compulsory Military Service
Barron’s wrote on May 7:
“The German conservatives on Tuesday voted in favour of restoring compulsory military service as the country aims to revive its army in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The CDU-CSU alliance, currently Germany’s largest opposition party, approved a motion tabled by its youth wing at a party conference calling for a temporary return to conscription.
“The conservatives have already pledged to introduce a year of compulsory community service for young people, which could be completed in the army or by working in civil society. But the youth wing argued this would take too long to introduce and put forward a period of compulsory service for a limited number of people…”
All would be evaluated, and some of those would be drafted. Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius seems to support a similar concept.
Lawsuit Against Trump “Stinks to High Heaven”
Newsmax wrote on April 23:
“Former Arkansas Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee told Newsmax on Tuesday that former President Donald Trump’s ongoing criminal trial in New York City is a ploy by Democrats ‘to attack a political opponent using the gears of government.’… ‘Trump has the uncanny ability to control the news cycle, no matter what else is going on,’ Huckabee said. ‘Joe Biden can barely mumble his way through a response to a question if he takes them at all, and he usually takes them from pre-arranged reporters.’…
“Huckabee went on to say that ‘a lot of people’ watching Trump’s criminal trial over alleged attempts to hide payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, are unconvinced of the former president’s guilt. He implied that the ongoing legal cases against Trump might actually win him support from voters. ‘I think a lot of people are watching this trial in New York and they’re saying, “Let me see if I get this right. Hillary Clinton clearly was involved in trying to rig the 2016 election by the phony Steele dossier that resulted in the complete fabrication of a story called the Russia hoax, and somehow that was fine. She never got really accused or charged with anything,”’ Huckabee said.
“He continued, ‘Donald Trump is sitting in a New York courtroom for a charge that doesn’t even fit in New York and already had run the statute of limitations. They had to make up a legal strategy in order for this to even go to trial and I think people are saying this is a clear attempt by the current administration to attack a political opponent using the gears of government, and it stinks to high heaven.’”
Breitbart wrote on April 22:
“Fox News legal analyst Jonathan Turley said Monday on Fox News Channel’s ‘America Reports’ that former President Donald Trump’s New York trial for allegedly falsifying business records is an ‘embarrassment.’
“Turley said, ‘… The fact that we are actually talking about this case being presented in a New York court room leaves me in utter disbelief… You had this misdemeanor under state law that had run out… They zapped it back into life by alleging that there was a campaign finance violations under the federal laws that doesn’t exist…’”
A Sham Trial That Shames America
The New York Post published on April 16 the following commentary by Piers Morgan:
“There are many reasons to criticize Donald Trump… But one thing you can’t say about Trump is that he’s a bad father… So, I can only imagine how both he and his youngest son, now 18, must have felt when the judge in Trump’s unprecedented criminal trial suggested yesterday that he could be jailed if he tries to skip a day in court, even if it’s to be at Barron’s graduation from Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach on May 17…
“In the annals of American presidential history, has there ever been a cheaper, more demeaning, and utterly pointless attempt to shame and humiliate one of the only 46 men to be President of the United States?
“This whole Stormy Daniels saga is so pathetic… You can have a moral disapproval about it… but the idea that it has now led to a criminal trial where Trump faces up to 10 years in prison is ridiculous. It’s patently obvious that Manhattan’s DA, Alvin L. Bragg, has been driven by political malice… And there’s such a stinking hypocrisy about the way Democrats have tried to destroy Trump for alleged sexual peccadillos. Bill Clinton had sex with an intern in the Oval Office when he was a sitting president and paid $850,000 to settle a case with Paula Jones, who accused him of harassing and assaulting her while he was Arkansas governor.
“Yet I don’t remember Clinton enduring any criminal trial. However, I do remember him attending his daughter Chelsea’s graduation from Sidwell Friends High School in 1997, embracing her off stage after she received her diploma, and then making an emotional speech to all the students speaking of his great pride.
“It’s outrageous that Donald and Barron Trump should be deprived of the same shared experience. Should the moment come next month when Judge Merchan bans him from attending, Trump should ignore him and go to the graduation. If Merchan then tries to jail him for doing what any loving father in America would do in the same situation, Trump will win the election by a landslide.”
Compromised Judge Dismisses Proper Motion For Mistrial in Trump/Stormy Daniels Case
Professor Jonathan Turley wrote on May 8 in the New York Post:
“Judge Juan Merchan… allowed the prosecutors to get into the details of the affair [between Trump and Stormy Daniels] despite the immateriality of the evidence to any criminal theory… The value of the testimony was entirely sensational and gratuitous, yet Merchan was fine with humiliating Trump… The most maddening moment for the defense came at the lunch break when Merchan stated, ‘I agree that it would have been better if some of these things had been left unsaid.’
“He then denied a motion for a mistrial [based] on the testimony and blamed the defense for not objecting more. That, of course, ignores the standing objection of the defense to Daniels even appearing, and specific objections to the broad scope allowed by the court… Merchan said that he is considering a limiting instruction for the jury to ignore aspects of the testimony… The court was told that this would happen, it happened, and now the court wants to ask the jury to pretend that it did not happen. Merchan knows that there is no way for the jury to unhear the testimony. More importantly, the prosecution knew that from the outset…
“You have a judge who should have recused himself given his daughter’s major role as a Democratic activist and fundraiser. You have a gag order that is allowing a New York Supreme Court justice to regulate what the leading candidate for the presidency may say in an election on the weaponization of the legal system. You have a lead prosecutor, Matthew Colangelo, who not only left the Biden Justice Department to revive this case, but once worked for the Democratic National Committee. You have a case based on two dead misdemeanors shocked back into life by a still mysterious theory of an undefined crime….”
You have an attempt by desperate Democrats to use the “Justice System” to secure a win for Biden and to stop Trump from becoming the next President.
Trump Held in Contempt
cbs news wrote on April 30:
“The judge… held him in contempt of court on Tuesday for violating a gag order that limits what he can say about those involved in the [New York] case, and warned him that he could be jailed if he violates the order again.
“Judge Juan Merchan said Trump violated the order nine times in recent weeks in posts on Trump’s Truth Social platform and campaign website, many of which targeted Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, key witnesses in the case. Merchan fined Trump $9,000, or $1,000 for each violation, and ordered him to delete the posts. All nine posts were taken down by Tuesday afternoon.
“The judge announced the ruling from the bench… He wrote that Trump ‘violated the Order by making social media posts about known witnesses pertaining to their participation in this criminal proceeding and by making public statements about jurors in this criminal proceeding.’
“Merchan wrote that New York law doesn’t allow him to impose a fine higher than $1,000 per violation, which ‘unfortunately will not achieve the desired result in those instances where the [defendant] can easily afford such a fine.’ He said a higher fine might be appropriate in those cases, but since he does not have that discretion, the court ‘must therefore consider whether in some instances, jail may be a necessary punishment.’
“He concluded with a warning to Trump: ‘Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment.’
“[The gag order] barred Trump from commenting on likely witnesses, potential jurors, court staff, lawyers for the prosecution and others connected to the case. The judge later expanded that order to cover his own family members…”
Many legal experts state that gag orders are unconstitutional. This is especially true for the gag order at hand. They also feel that the judge is compromised and biased and should recuse himself. They also feel that imprisonment may lead to mass protests or even civil unrest. Subsequently, Trump was held in contempt again for violating the judge’s ridiculous gag order, ordered to pay another $1,000 fine and threatened with jail for up to 30 days. Trump’s response: “The constitution is more important than jail.”
The Pervasive Hypocrisy of the Federal Government
The New York Post wrote on April 24:
“Hypocrisy is Washington, DC’s lifeblood, so it was a nice change when DC Judge Ana Reyes lambasted the Justice Department for instructing two lawyers in its Tax Division to disregard a congressional subpoena in the Hunter Biden investigation, all while it has been zealously prosecuting Trump officials for the very same offense…
“It’s about time someone in authority called out the hypocrisy and egregious double standard permeating every corner of the federal government, and if even a Biden-appointed judge like Reyes can see the problem, you know we’ve reached a tipping point.”
Immunity For the President?
Professor Turley wrote on April 25 in the New York Post:
“There are cliffs on both sides of this case. If the court were to embrace special counsel Jack Smith’s arguments [in the retention of documents case], a president would have no immunity from criminal charges, even for official acts taken in his presidency.
“It would leave a president without protection from endless charges from politically motivated prosecutors. If the court were to embrace Trump counsel’s arguments, a president would have complete immunity. It would leave a president largely unaccountable under the criminal code for any criminal acts… No immunity or complete immunity each holds obvious dangers.”
Breitbart wrote on April 25:
“A majority of Supreme Court justices sympathized with Donald Trump’s attorneys’ arguments that a president does enjoy some level of immunity that endures past the term of office. The court heard oral arguments regarding if Trump is immune from prosecution on charges of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as Special Counsel Jack Smith claims… Smith’s prosecution in D.C. has been on hold until the Supreme Court weighs in, likely in late June…
“There is no indication that a majority of justices would agree some kind of immunity exists that would summarily end the current prosecution. But if there is some type of standard to determine immunity, the usual practice would be to strike the lower court’s opinion and send it back down to the lower court with the test – a remand that undoubtedly would be a victory for Trump’s legal team.
“In further good news for Trump, even the three liberal justices seemed open to there being some level of presidential immunity that endures past the term of office. It is possible those justices concur in part with a decision to implement an immunity test while dissenting in part.”
Depending on what course the Supreme Court takes, a final decision could be delayed in Smith’s document retention case until after the election.
Trial Delayed in Document Case
The New York Post wrote on May 7:
“A federal judge in South Florida scrapped a planned May 20 trial start date in former President Donald Trump’s classified document case — a move that will likely push proceedings back until after the Nov. 5 election… Should Trump succeed in delaying the remainder of his trials until after the election and win back the presidency, he will have the authority to instruct the Justice Department to call off Smith’s prosecutions, an unprecedented intervention by a commander in chief in his own defense.”
Trump’s Take
Newsmax wrote on April 25:
“Former President Donald Trump told Newsmax on Thursday that he had a ‘very good session’ before the Supreme Court during his hearing for presidential immunity.
“Even if he wasn’t allowed to be there. Trump was occupied by his ‘disgraceful’ criminal trial in New York and not allowed to be in Washington, D.C. Trump said… ‘You need presidential immunity to do the right thing. And sometimes you may do the wrong thing. I mean, that’s possible, too… Ideally, you’re going to do all the right things, that includes going to war and ending wars and sometimes starting wars, and you know you have to make very tough decisions as president… But you can’t be criminally tried if you make a mistake…’”
So, true Christians are willing to vote for a president who will have to make decisions to start wars???
German Fake Trial Begins
Deutsche Welle wrote on April 28:
“The first of three trials linked to a far-right coup plot begins in Germany on Monday, with the defendants accused of preparing to commit high treason and belonging to a terrorist organization. All the suspects… were allegedly plotting to overthrow the German government… Some 25 people were arrested and are now in detention awaiting the upcoming trials…
“The alleged military arm of this group is to face court in Stuttgart on April 29. The nine defendants are represented by 22 lawyers, while more than 300 witnesses have been named, including 270 police officers… The alleged ringleader of the ‘Reichsbürger’ group facing charges is Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, a 72-year-old estate agent from Frankfurt and descendant of an aristocratic family. He was allegedly earmarked for the role of provisional head of a German state by his supporters. His group is accused of planning to storm the German parliament and detaining prominent politicians…
“Reuss’ supporters allegedly fantasized about deploying German army helicopters, flown by soldiers that back their cause. They are even accused of planning a violent takeover of the arms business Heckler & Koch, based in Oberndorf am Neckar, the Bundeswehr’s main supplier of small arms…
“The federal prosecutor’s office says the group was planning a violent coup d’etat and aiming to negotiate a new treaty with the World War Two allies, particularly Russia… Rulings in all three trials linked to the alleged coup attempt of Prince Reuss and his co-conspirators are not expected before 2025.”
Many feel that these trials are conducted to distract from the miserable and incompetent performance of the German government and especially Germany’s unpopular federal minister of the interior, Nancy Faeser. These “trials” and the underlying accusations, which would have to be established by the EVIDENCE, will be similar to the show trials conducted against Trump. In other words, a sham and a farce.
Biden’s Insane Capital Gains Tax Proposals
Newsmax wrote on April 24:
“In his 2025 budget proposal, Biden outlined plans to elevate the top marginal rate on long-term capital gains and qualified dividends to 44.6%. This rate, if enacted, would surpass any seen in over a century… Moreover, the combined federal-state rate could exceed 50% in several states when factoring in state capital gains taxes. For instance, California residents would potentially face a 59% rate, while those in New Jersey, Oregon, Minnesota, and New York could confront rates ranging from 53.4% to 55.3%.
“… capital gains taxes, particularly when not indexed to inflation, impose a form of double taxation and disproportionately affect certain demographics. Small business owners, for example, may find themselves grappling with inflated tax liabilities on gains that are partly attributable to inflation rather than real profit… China, for instance, maintains a capital gains tax rate of 20%, significantly lower than Biden’s proposed rate…
“The history of the capital gains tax underscores the magnitude of Biden’s proposal. Initially introduced in 1922 at a rate of 12.5%, the tax has evolved over the decades but has never approached the proposed levels. Additionally, Biden’s plan includes measures to address tax implications upon inheritance, potentially adding further complexity to the tax code. The proposal to eliminate a stepped-up basis upon the transfer of assets upon death could result in a mandatory capital gains tax event, affecting families’ financial planning and estate management… When someone dies, and the asset transfers to an heir, that transfer itself will be a taxable event, and the estate is required to pay taxes on the gains as if they sold the asset…”
When Christ returns, these insane tax laws will end once and for all.
Trump’s Bible Blasphemous
ChurchLeaders wrote on April 24:
“Pastor Loran… Livingston… argued the fundamental practices of reading the Bible and praying directly affect a believer’s mindset and interaction with the world—including in the area of politics. ‘Some of you bring politics into the church. You think politics is spiritual stuff,’ Livingston said. ‘Don’t be talking to me about my spiritual responsibility to vote. I don’t have a spiritual responsibility to vote. I have a civic privilege… you say, ‘Wow, there’s a Bible out now that includes the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Isn’t that wonderful?’… Livingston replied, ‘No. No, it’s disgusting. It’s blasphemous. It’s a ploy.’
“Recently, former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump began promoting the ‘God Bless the USA Bible.’ The King James Version of the Bible includes copies of the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and Pledge of Allegiance. Lee Greenwood’s handwritten chorus of ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’ is also included. ‘The gospel is not an American gospel,’ Livingston argued…
“Livingston was appalled that anyone would endorse and purchase such a Bible that prints texts containing the words ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’ alongside Scripture, which states, ‘of him, by him, through him, and from him… ‘If you glory in that kind of mess, political mess, you do not know what the Word of God says,’ shouted Livingston.”
Politics and religion are a dangerous and poisonous mix.
Drag Queen’s Performance Wrong on Every Level
The New York Post wrote on April 25:
“Video of a drag queen in Massachusetts leading a group of young kids to chant ‘Free Palestine’ has sparked fierce backlash… The encounter, which unfolded at a ‘Queer Storytime for Palestine’ event organized by the Valley Families for Palestine group in Amherst last week, had gone viral by Thursday as outrage mounted…
“Furious critics were quick to point out the hypocrisy of a drag queen touting the phrase given the harsh treatment of LGBTQ people in Gaza… ‘Often times members of the LGBTQ+ community seek refuge in Israel as their lives are endangered and their families excommunicate them. Were these children taught these points?’… ‘If people can’t see that drag queens teaching kids to chant “Free Palestine” is wrong on every level, then they seriously are part of the problem,’ British TV host and politician Nigel Farage raged…
“The organizers of the event had earlier shared a slew of photos on an Instagram account of the young children and their parents watching and smiling as the drag queen performed for them… The group also boasted of the ‘important lessons’ the kids learned during the storytime event….”
LGBT Champions in Scottish Schools
Mail On Line wrote on April 18:
“Scottish primary schools have appointed children as ‘LGBT champions’ and are being encouraged to ask children as young as four if they are gay, lesbian or transgender… A Scottish government spokesman said: ‘We are committed to doing everything we can to make Scotland the best place to grow up for LGBTQI+ young people. This includes funding LGBT Youth Scotland to deliver a range of projects, such as the LGBT Charter programme.’”
The handwriting is clearly on the wall. Scotland, beware!
Biden Blesses Abortion
Israel 365 News wrote on April 28:
“President Joe Biden was on the stage in Tampa when Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, the state’s former Democratic gubernatorial nominee, went on a rant, slamming an upcoming law restricting abortion to within six weeks of gestation. The president seemed to bless her comments by crossing himself in a Catholic gesture of devotion… Biden went on to ‘blame’ former President Trump, pledging to install abortion as a ‘constitutional right’…
“Rep. Alex Mooney (R-West Virginia), a Roman Catholic… tweeted, ‘Life beginning at conception is not only a religious belief, but a scientific fact.’ ‘Biden’s use of the Sign of the Cross in support of abortion is a disgusting insult toward… Catholics whom he claims as his own,’ President of CatholicVote Brian Burch said…”
Arizona Abortion Law Repealed
The Associated Press wrote on May 1:
“The Arizona Legislature approved a repeal of a long-dormant ban on nearly all abortions Wednesday, sending the bill to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who is expected to sign it [which she did subsequently.]
“Two Republicans joined with Democrats in the Senate on the 16-14 vote in favor of repealing a Civil War-era ban on abortions that the state’s highest court recently allowed to take effect. The ban on all abortions — which provides no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, and only allows for procedures done to save a patient’s life — would still be active until the fall.
“Hobbs said in a statement that she looks forward to quickly signing the repeal, with a ceremony scheduled for Thursday. ‘Arizona women should not have to live in a state where politicians make decisions that should be between a woman and her doctor,’ Hobbs said. ‘While this repeal is essential for protecting women’s lives, it is just the beginning of our fight to protect reproductive healthcare.’”
What about the right and the LIFE of the unborn child?
Abortion and Election
Newsmax wrote on May 1:
“Treading into a topic Democrats use as an election weapon against conservatives, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump warned pro-life conservatives seeking to restrict abortion. ‘Remember this as a politician: You have to have heart, you have to have what your heart determines, and you have to fight for what’s in your heart, and what’s the right thing to do, but remember, you also have to get elected,’ Trump told his Wednesday rally from the Freeland, Michigan, airport tarmac in a speech that aired live…
“Abortion restrictions should not be decided by the unelected Supreme Court, Trump said… Conservative states can be more restrictive and liberal states can be more permissive, but ultimately late-term abortions cannot be allowed under a Supreme Court precedent, Trump said.”
Trump’s stance is unsupportable. When Christ rules this world, crazy elections and desperate attempts to get votes, while willing to compromise, will be a thing of the past. Thank God for that.
“Closing 50 Years of Battle”
The Associated Press wrote on May 6:
“It took just a few days for United Methodist delegates to remove a half-century’s worth of denominational bans on gay clergy and same-sex marriages… The reversals can be seen as marking the end of a half-century of epic battles and schisms over LGBTQ involvement — not only in the United Methodist Church but in U.S. mainline Protestant denominations overall… The nation’s largest Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Lutheran denominations have all now removed barriers to LGBTQ participation in the pulpit and at the altar. But this comes amid long-term declines in membership and influence…
“The United Methodist Church was the last of the major U.S. mainline groups to liberalize its policies on sexuality in part because of its large presence in rural, small-town and Southern areas, where a more conservative sexual ethos prevails…”
New Bill Threatens Christian Faith
Lee Fang wrote on May 2:
“The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to advance a bill that would empower the federal government to crack down on student protests by defining antisemitism in a way that includes certain criticism of Israel. Sponsored by Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, the bill’s passage reflects a broader national trend…
“All of these laws — federal and state — require government entities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism… the IHRA definition counts ‘the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis’ as antisemitism… some conservative Christian voices who believe that Jewish contemporaries of Jesus played an integral role in his crucifixion have expressed fear that the IHRA definition could be used to restrict authentic expressions of the Christian faith…
“Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., called the Lawler legislation a ‘ridiculous hate speech bill’ that would empower a new Department of Education speech police. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said the bill ‘could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews.’ Former Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., tweeted that the bill is ‘flagrantly unconstitutional under the First Amendment.’ Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., a Jewish lawmaker who represents a district that includes the Columbia University campus, said the bill ‘threatens to chill constitutionally protected speech.’…
“The Lawler bill is now headed to the Senate [for a hot debate]… Several pro-Israel groups support the legislation…”
The Gateway Pundit wrote on May 1:
“Rep. Matt Gaetz also criticized the bill, stating that it disregards the Constitution and the common understanding of words. ‘This evening, I will vote AGAINST the ridiculous hate speech bill called the ‘Antisemitism Awareness Act.’ Antisemitism is wrong, but this legislation is written without regard for the Constitution, common sense, or even the common understanding of the meaning of words,’ Gaetz wrote. ‘The Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of this bill! The bill says the definition of antisemitism includes ‘contemporary examples of antisemitism’ identified by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). One of those examples includes: ‘…claims of Jews killing Jesus…’ The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this…’”
LifeSiteNews added on May 3:
“…the legislation that was rushed through without the normal procedure of allowing debate and amendments… Twenty-one Republicans opposed the bill… Seventy Democrats also opposed the bill…
“[Daily Wire commentator Ben] Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew and Harvard University law school grad, said the bill is ‘obviously unconstitutionally vague,’ on his show Thursday. He also said the New Testament clearly said the Jews did hand over Jesus to Pontius Pilate to be killed… Other conservatives pointed out the bill could punish Biblical beliefs. ‘Did the House of Representatives just make parts of the Bible illegal,’ Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk wrote on X Wednesday night. ‘Yes. The New Testament,’ Tucker Carlson replied….”
Please view our recent sermon from April 23, 2024, titled, “Who Killed Jesus Christ?”
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.
