ARTICLES

By Arlene Bridges Samuels 

President Trump declared on Monday that “the deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” While Islamist leaders may celebrate what they view as a diplomatic victory, Christians in Lebanon, Jews in northern Israel, and millions of ordinary Iranian citizens are not celebrating. They are bracing themselves.

On paper, the agreement may appear to reduce tensions. Yet many remain concerned that it could embolden a regime with nearly five decades of oppression, violence, and support for terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East. The same ideology that fuels Hamas and other Iranian-backed groups continues to threaten not only Israel, but also neighboring nations and vulnerable populations across the region.

For Israelis and Lebanese alike, relations between their countries remain fragile. Yet both face a common enemy. Hezbollah, whose name means “Party of God,” functions as Iran’s most powerful proxy in Lebanon. In many ways, Hezbollah has created an unofficial alliance of survival between Lebanese Christians and Israeli Jews, both of whom bear the consequences of its actions.

A useful analogy is the Russian matryoshka nesting doll. Each smaller figure fits inside a larger one. Hezbollah is the largest doll, dominating the structure. Hidden within are smaller, vulnerable communities, including Christians in southern Lebanon and Jewish civilians in northern Israel, who live under constant threat.

The treatment of civilians by Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces could hardly be more different.

Since the 1980s, Hezbollah has entrenched itself across southern Lebanon and in significant portions of Beirut and its suburbs. According to Open Doors World Watch List, approximately 1.9 million Christians live in Lebanon, representing nearly one-third of the country’s population. These include historic Maronite and Greek Orthodox communities, along with evangelical churches represented by the Supreme Council of Evangelicals.

Many Christian leaders speak candidly about the reality they face.

Maronite priest Father Nagib Al Amil describes Christians in southern Lebanon as “eternal hostages.” Catholic priest Father Charbel Eid speaks of the devastating consequences: “Our village is destroyed. Our people have lost everything. We are paying the price for a war we did not choose.”

Maronite priest Mazen Najjar, who works with Catholic humanitarian projects, states plainly, “Israel is not targeting our churches. The danger comes from those who fire rockets from our fields.”

In Beirut, Resurrection Church Pastor Assaad Bechara echoes a similar perspective, saying that many Christians do not view Israel as their enemy. Across denominational lines, Christian leaders increasingly agree that Hezbollah is devastating Lebanon, that ordinary Christians desire peace rather than war, and that the Church must continue speaking truth despite significant risks.

The story of Nabil, a resident of the Christian village of Qlayaa, illustrates these realities.

His family has lived there for generations. Known for their independence, villagers have repeatedly opposed Hezbollah’s attempts to operate within their community. On one occasion, Hezbollah fighters sought to establish a rocket-launching position on Christian-owned land. Nabil and several local men confronted them directly.

The fighters insisted they had the right to operate there “for the resistance.” After a tense confrontation, Hezbollah withdrew but relocated the launch site just beyond the village boundaries.

Soon afterward, rockets were fired toward Israel.

“The house shook like an earthquake,” Nabil recalled. His wife grabbed their children and rushed into the hallway as the launch blasts thundered nearby.

When Israel responded, the strikes targeted the launch positions without hitting village homes.

“They were careful,” Nabil said. “But the fear was real. Israel is not targeting Christian villages. The danger comes from those who hide among us.”

On the worst nights, Nabil rings the church bell, and villagers gather to pray for both spiritual and physical protection.

Stories like his are repeated across southern Lebanon. Many Christian families have quietly left their homes. Exact numbers are difficult to verify, but thousands are believed to have relocated due to the insecurity created by Hezbollah’s military activities.

Across the border, Israeli civilians face a parallel reality.

Since October 2023, more than 60,000 residents have been displaced from communities along Israel’s northern frontier. Towns such as Kiryat Shmona and Metula remain largely empty as families continue living elsewhere.

In recent months alone, Hezbollah has launched hundreds of rockets and numerous drones toward civilian areas.

Yael, a mother of three from Kiryat Shmona, says her children sleep in their shoes because they have only seconds to reach shelter when sirens sound. Her youngest child refuses to fall asleep unless the safe-room door remains open.

Eitan, a farmer in Margaliot, describes harvesting his orchard between rocket alerts. Drones fly so low overhead that he can hear their metallic whine. Several explosive drones have damaged irrigation systems and destroyed crops.

Like Nabil in Lebanon, Eitan refuses to abandon his land.

In another northern community, neighbors regularly check on Rivka, an eighty-nine-year-old Holocaust survivor. A rocket blast shattered her windows, but she refuses to leave.

“I survived Europe,” she says. “I will survive this.”

Seventeen-year-old Daniel from Metula says his school has effectively become a bomb shelter. Classes are conducted online. Sports fields sit empty. Social gatherings take place underground.

He insists he is not afraid. His mother says he now sleeps with the light on.

The Cohen family fled Shlomi with little more than pajamas and toothbrushes. Months later, they continue living in a hotel.

“We’re safe,” they say, “but we’re not home.”

Just a short distance away sits Alma al-Shaab, a Lebanese Christian-majority village facing similar dangers. Residents there report that Hezbollah launches rockets and drones from nearby areas, leaving local civilians to suffer the consequences.

“Hezbollah fires from our fields, and we pay the price,” one resident explained.

These stories reveal a two-sided humanitarian crisis.

Lebanese Christians face intimidation, economic collapse, displacement, and the constant threat of retaliation should they openly oppose Hezbollah. Israeli civilians endure rocket attacks, displacement, trauma, and ongoing uncertainty along the northern border.

The human cost is immense. More than one hundred Israeli soldiers have been killed in cross-border attacks and military operations connected to the conflict. Thousands of civilians have required medical treatment for injuries sustained during the war.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s grip on southern Lebanon continues to deepen the suffering of the very people it claims to defend.

The unfolding situation resembles a set of increasingly troubling nesting dolls. Each layer reveals another consequence of Iran’s regional strategy, another community caught in the crossfire, and another reminder that civilians often bear the heaviest burden of war.

World leaders would do well to remember the timeless truth: “Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent.”

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to join us in prayer as we reflect on Ephesians 6:12:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Prayer Points:

• Pray for Lebanese Christians as they endure pressure, uncertainty, and the threat of Hezbollah’s influence.
• Pray for Lebanese pastors and church leaders to have wisdom, courage, and discernment.
• Pray for displaced Israeli families struggling with trauma, uncertainty, and separation from their homes.
• Pray for families grieving loved ones who have died while defending their nation.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

The word “brotherhood” often reflects fellowship, loyalty, and shared purpose among men united by common goals, beliefs, or professions. In Christian communities, these can be constructive and welcome concepts. However, a dangerous version of brotherhood aimed at destructive goals has become deeply entrenched in the United States. It is the Muslim Brotherhood.

In a 1991 memorandum later uncovered during an FBI raid, the Muslim Brotherhood outlined its strategy to infiltrate America’s political, academic, and social institutions. One phrase from that document says it all: “The plan to take down democracy without firing a shot.” Keep that sentence in mind.

Since the Muslim Brotherhood’s arrival in the United States in the 1950s, its goals have expanded through schools, universities, chaotic demonstrations, media, and government institutions at the federal, state, and local levels. A 2025 study prepared for the Department of Homeland Security and Congress traced how the world’s oldest and most influential Islamist movement gained a foothold in the United States.

Congress is now actively considering legislation to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. Such a designation would criminalize material support, freeze assets, restrict visas and immigration, and increase federal scrutiny of affiliated organizations. The bipartisan bill introduced in 2025 is still moving through Congress, and President Trump has issued an executive order directing the U.S. Treasury and State Department to designate Muslim Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

A look at both history and current events should alert members of Congress and American citizens to the importance of understanding the Muslim Brotherhood and responding accordingly. Founded nearly one hundred years ago in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood has influenced the Middle East, Israel, Iran, Europe, and the United States. It was established in 1928 by religious scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna, who believed Muslim religion and culture were under threat.

After World War I, Britain had gained strong colonial influence in Egypt, and in 1924 the Ottoman Empire was abolished. For four hundred years, that caliphate had exercised authority over vast territories, including Islam’s holiest cities of Mecca and Medina, while also claiming Jerusalem.

Al-Banna’s solution was to unite religion and state under Sharia, Islamic law, with the slogan, “Islam is the solution.” What began inconspicuously under one man has expanded into a global Islamist movement. Its quieter underbelly in the United States began under the cover of cultural and student organizations.

Understanding current facts about the Muslim Brotherhood helps Americans protect their homeland and stand wisely with Israel, our great ally.

In a recent podcast, Jonathan Feldstein, CEO of Genesis 123 Foundation, interviewed Emily Nielson Winkler, an expert on the Muslim Brotherhood. An Israeli American, Emily is CEO of VALOP, which stands for Vulnerability, Analysis, and Operations, a network of intelligence services working to expose and dismantle terrorist organizations. Her organization investigates how Islamist alliances organize, fund, recruit, and embed themselves inside Western systems. With exceptional intelligence and research skills, VALOP works to restore stability to communities damaged by radicalization and violence.

Emily’s insights were both authoritative and invaluable. She explained that the Muslim Brotherhood’s first major foothold in the United States was the Muslim Students Association, founded in 1963 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Brotherhood intentionally focused on college students, as it continues to do today, to recruit educated activists and shape political discourse.

She also emphasized that the Muslim Brotherhood is not a local or regional group. It is a large global entity that poses a global threat. It does not respect national borders, and sovereign nations are irrelevant to its mission. The Brotherhood is primarily a network of highly educated scholars, numbering in the hundreds of thousands worldwide, who believe the fall of the Ottoman Empire must be reversed.

Emily reminded listeners that several prominent Arab nations have designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization or severely restricted it. Egypt has expelled or outlawed the movement multiple times. Jordan has moved to seize Muslim Brotherhood assets. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have strictly outlawed the Brotherhood. One of Winkler’s most striking observations is that the Muslim Brotherhood has become one of the Middle East’s biggest exports into Western nations. Expelled or restricted in many Arab countries, its members often relocate to the West.

Emily also clarified an essential distinction between Muslims and Islamists. Muslims are followers of the religion of Islam. Islamists, by contrast, follow a political ideology that seeks to replace existing governments with Islamist rule. Although Iran’s Islamic Regime is not organizationally part of the Muslim Brotherhood, it is an important example of a regime that seeks to impose Sharia wherever possible and destroy those who stand in its way.

Emily described Jews as the canary in the coal mine, warning that rising antisemitism often signals the early stages of broader societal takeover. “Once Jews have left, there’s nothing standing between the Muslim Brotherhood and you,” she warned.

Ephesians 5:11 is instructive here: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

VALOP describes the Brotherhood’s tactics in the United States and other Western nations as six steps of escalation: educational indoctrination, organized mobilization, legalized harassment, criminal activity, terrorism, and finally societal capture.

Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, is not alone in facing the consequences of Islamist ideology. Several Arab states are also under threat. Muslim Brotherhood ideology has destabilized the region for decades. Hamas is directly tied to the Brotherhood’s Palestinian branch. Hezbollah is an Iran backed Shia militia in Lebanon. The Houthis are funded, armed, and trained by Iran. The Islamic Regime’s 1979 revolution was shaped in part by Islamist ideology, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps cooperates with Brotherhood linked groups such as Hamas in strategic alliances.

How can everyday citizens respond? Emily suggests that Americans begin by asking questions of local and state leaders. Is the Muslim Brotherhood present in my community? Are local institutions receiving funds or influence from organizations connected to Islamist networks? Are schools, universities, or civic groups being used for indoctrination or recruitment?

Florida and Texas have already issued state level actions designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist threat. Although these do not carry the same weight as a federal designation, states can block Brotherhood connected individuals or entities from receiving state contracts, funds, or partnerships. Such actions can also trigger further legal and political scrutiny.

This broader context helps explain Israel’s daily reality. For Americans and citizens of other Western nations, Israel serves as an early warning signal. The Brotherhood’s long-term strategy seeks to reshape free societies from within. Ignoring that reality is dangerous. Heeding it is a matter of national vigilance and moral clarity.

Begin by asking questions in your town and state.

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to join us in prayer this week.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for Christians to question local and state officials about the Muslim Brotherhood.
• Pray for awareness and vigilance among citizens regarding Islamist movements.
• Pray for cooperative wisdom for President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu.
• Pray for the IDF as its soldiers bravely protect their small nation.

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI). Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection. Her devotionals and articles also appear on her Substack, The Eclectic Evangelical. She serves on the Advisory Board of NewPersia.org and on the advisory committee of RootAndBranchIsrael.com. Having traveled to Israel regularly since 1990, Arlene participates in Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits alongside members of Christian media from around the world. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. In May 2026, The White Rose Society honored Arlene as a non-Jewish individual who stands with the Jewish people.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Although antisemitism has reached alarming levels around the world, Judeo-Christian alliances continue to grow in strength and purpose. On the eve of the anniversary of the 1967 Six-Day War, we remember how the Israel Defense Forces reunified ancient Jerusalem and restored the city as Israel’s capital. For the first time since the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in A.D. 70, the Jewish people regained sovereign control of the Old City and restored free access to their holiest site, the Western Wall.

That victory became a modern foundation stone for Jewish civilization. As an IDF chaplain sounded the shofar, Israeli paratroopers stood before the Western Wall overcome with emotion, reverently touching the ancient stones. In the years that followed, new opportunities for friendship and cooperation between Christians and Jews emerged. Christian pilgrims from around the world began visiting the Western Wall freely, knowing they were walking where Jesus Himself once walked in Jerusalem.

The term Judeo-Christian first emerged during the 1930s and 1940s through theologians such as Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Tillich. It gained prominence as a response to rising fascism and antisemitism. In 1952, President Dwight D. Eisenhower further popularized the phrase shortly before his inauguration when he declared, “Our form of government has no sense unless it is founded in a deeply felt religious faith. With us, of course, it is the Judeo-Christian concept.”

Today, that concept remains highly relevant. The question is how it has evolved in response to the barbarity of October 7, 2023, and the unprecedented rise in antisemitism that followed.

One answer was visible last Sunday during the annual Israel Day on Fifth Avenue parade in New York City, which drew its largest turnout since 2014. Under the themes “Proud Americans, Proud Zionists” and “Am Yisrael Chai, United in Strength,” more than 50,000 participants marched while tens of thousands lined Fifth Avenue.

American and Israeli flags waved side by side as marchers sang, danced, and celebrated peacefully. Their banners proclaimed messages such as “Light Will Overcome Darkness,” “Jews and Christians Stand Together,” “Protect Jewish Students,” and “Never Again Is Now.”

These messages reflected enduring principles of freedom, moral responsibility, and human dignity. They stood in sharp contrast to the anti-Israel rhetoric that has become increasingly common in recent years, including slogans such as “Hamas, We Love You,” “Globalize the Intifada,” and “Gas the Jews.” The contrast could not have been clearer.

Thanks to extensive security efforts, New York police prevented anti-Israel demonstrators from disrupting the parade or harming participants. Among the many organizations represented was Eagles’ Wings, a prominent Christian Zionist ministry that has participated for years.

Bishop Robert Stearns summarized the spirit of the day: “At a time when antisemitism is rising around the world, we are proud to stand with moral clarity. Hatred will never have the final word. To our Jewish brothers and sisters: You are not alone.”

Stearns noted that Eagles’ Wings brought its largest Christian delegation ever. In many ways, the gathering illustrated how Eisenhower’s Judeo-Christian concept continues to mature into a broader defense of Judeo-Christian civilization.

Another example of this growing alliance appeared through the participation of the newly formed Judeo-Christian Zionist Congress. Established in February 2026, the organization includes Jewish, Christian, and Arab leaders committed to strengthening the Judeo-Christian foundations of Western civilization and advocating for Israel as the world’s only Jewish state.

The evidence continues to mount that, since October 7, 2023, the world has been confronted with a civilizational choice. This is more than a political disagreement or cultural dispute. It is a contest between the moral foundations of Judeo-Christian civilization and the jihadist ideology advanced by the Islamic Regime and its proxies.

For Christians, the response should be clear. We must renew our commitment to the biblical values that shaped Western civilization and continue to provide a foundation for truth, freedom, justice, and human dignity.

Meanwhile, another remarkable development recently took place in Jerusalem. Christian leaders from thirty-eight nations gathered for the tenth Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast, bringing together spiritual, political, and cultural leaders from around the world. During the event, Shomron Regional Council leader Yossi Dagan bestowed honorary citizenship in Judea and Samaria upon the assembled Christian Zionist leaders.

Orthodox Rabbi Tuly Weis, founder of Israel365, welcomed the gesture. Through his work building bridges between Jews and Christians, Weis emphasized that both the leadership and residents of Judea and Samaria recognize and deeply value Christian support for Israel and its biblical heartland.

Recognition of Judeo-Christian civilization is also spreading internationally. The Portugal-based International Observatory of Human Rights recently made history by honoring Jews, Christians, and Jerusalem for their contributions to modern civilization.

Its president, Dr. Luis Andrade, observed: “Judeo-Christian civilization reminds us that Jerusalem, Israel’s capital and the spiritual homeland of Jews and Christians worldwide, remains a shared cultural and religious foundation linking both the West and Eurasia.”

At its core, Judeo-Christian civilization represents the historical, cultural, and moral framework that emerges from the Old and New Testaments. The biblical principles of justice, compassion, human dignity, personal responsibility, and the rule of law have profoundly shaped the Western world.

As antisemitism rises and moral confusion spreads, now is not the time for silence. Let us recommit ourselves to the biblical foundations that have sustained freedom for generations and continue to serve as a beacon of hope for the future.

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to join us in prayer this week.

Prayer Points:

• Pray with gratitude for the growing partnerships between Christians and Jews.
• Pray for wisdom, effectiveness, and continued growth for organizations advancing Judeo-Christian civilization.
• Pray that Christians will increasingly combine prayer with action in support of Israel and the Jewish people.
• Pray for the safety of Israelis in northern Israel as Hezbollah continues its attacks from Lebanon.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Israel’s Knesset has spent the past two years advancing legislation that could reshape the modern debate over sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. The proposed Heritage Authority bill has reignited international tensions, drawing criticism from many of Israel’s detractors and even from some allies. Though the legislation is not yet finalized, the Knesset continues moving steadily toward formal approval.

A May 12 Knesset press release outlined the bill following its first reading, after which it advanced for further review and debate. The legislation would place responsibility for antiquities, archaeology, and heritage sites in Judea and Samaria directly under Israeli oversight. It also proposes establishing a Judea and Samaria Heritage Authority, a civilian agency tasked with excavation, preservation, land acquisition, enforcement, and the protection of archaeological evidence.

To understand why this legislation matters so deeply to Israelis, it is important to revisit the historical background.

The modern dispute stretches back nearly eight decades. In 1947, Jewish leaders accepted the United Nations Partition Plan, Resolution 181, which proposed dividing the land into Jewish and Arab states. Arab leaders rejected the proposal outright. On May 14, 1948, only hours after David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel’s independence, surrounding Arab nations launched war against the newborn Jewish state.

Ironically, the United Nations plan had already allocated much of the biblical heartland’s fertile agricultural land and key water resources to the proposed Arab state. Yet even that was not enough to satisfy Arab leadership. As war unfolded, the geographical terminology itself began changing. Judea and Samaria, the historic biblical heartland west of the Jordan River, increasingly became known internationally as the “West Bank.” Over time, this terminology hardened into a diplomatic framework that often ignores Israel’s historical and legal claims to the land.

Biblically, however, the Jewish connection to the land stretches back thousands of years. Modern Israel is not merely a seventy-eight-year-old state. Its history, culture, and spiritual identity trace back more than 3,400 years to God’s covenant with Abraham recorded in Genesis 12.

The Bible itself stands apart among ancient texts for its remarkable preservation, historical continuity, and global influence. Written over approximately fifteen centuries by forty authors across three continents and in three languages, Scripture presents a unified narrative regarding the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

Exodus 19:5 records God’s declaration: “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.”

Jeremiah 31:35-36 further emphasizes God’s enduring covenant with Israel: “This is what the LORD says, He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night … the LORD Almighty is His name: ‘Only if these decrees vanish from My sight, declares the Lord, will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.’”

Beyond biblical conviction, Israeli leaders also point to urgent operational concerns behind the Heritage Authority legislation.

The Israel Antiquities Authority and international archaeological organizations have documented widespread antiquities theft, site destruction, black market smuggling, and organized looting networks operating throughout Judea and Samaria. Ancient Jewish burial caves, Byzantine churches, Roman fortresses, and biblical sites have suffered irreversible damage.

The Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit warns that archaeological layers preserving thousands of years of history are being destroyed at an unprecedented rate. For Christians as well as Jews, this loss is significant. These sites offer tangible connections to biblical history and to the land where the events of Scripture unfolded.

The proposed legislation seeks to strengthen Israel’s ability to preserve and protect those historical treasures.

International reaction, however, has been swift and critical. The European Union continues to describe Judea and Samaria as “occupied Palestinian territory,” labels Jewish communities there as “settlements,” and insists such communities violate international law. European officials have demanded that Israel reverse course.

Yet the Heritage Authority bill continues advancing through Israel’s legislative process. Alongside it, another major development emerged in 2025 when the Knesset approved a preliminary reading extending Israeli sovereignty to Ma’ale Adumim, one of the largest Jewish cities in Judea and Samaria with approximately 40,000 residents. Many Israelis consider it a suburb of Jerusalem.

For supporters of Israel, these developments are about far more than politics. They represent questions of identity, heritage, historical truth, and biblical conviction.

As global tensions intensify and the debate surrounding Israel grows increasingly polarized, believers are challenged to stand with courage, wisdom, and conviction. In a confused and often hostile world, truth still matters.

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to join us in prayer this week.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for wisdom and determination among Knesset leaders as they continue deliberations on the Heritage Authority bill.
• Pray that the Knesset’s diverse members, including Jews, Arabs, and Druze, will seek decisions that protect Israel’s history and future.
• Pray for the safety and security of Jewish communities throughout Judea and Samaria amid growing threats and tensions.

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI). Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection. Her devotionals and articles also appear on her Substack, The Eclectic Evangelical. She serves on the Advisory Board of NewPersia.org and on the advisory committee of RootAndBranchIsrael.com. Having traveled to Israel regularly since 1990, Arlene participates in Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits alongside members of Christian media from around the world. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. In May 2026, The White Rose Society honored Arlene as a non-Jewish individual who stands with the Jewish people.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Shavuot is one of Judaism’s three major pilgrimage festivals, along with Passover and Sukkot, when the Israelites were commanded to journey to Jerusalem. This year, the two-day celebration begins at sundown on May 21 in Israel and in synagogues around the world.

The word Shavuot means “weeks.” The festival arrives after a seven-week countdown that begins at Passover and culminates fifty days later with the Feast of Weeks, a joyful harvest celebration that also commemorates God giving the Torah and the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai more than three thousand years ago. The counting of days creates a sense of expectation and spiritual preparation. Christians know this same season as Pentecost, which falls on May 24 this year.

Acts 2 records that approximately fifteen hundred years after the giving of the Torah, another historic event unfolded in Jerusalem during Shavuot. Fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit descended in the Upper Room as Jewish worshippers from many nations filled the city for the festival. What began at Sinai with the written law expanded into a spiritual harvest as the Gospel began spreading outward from Jerusalem to the nations.

The timing is deeply significant. Jewish pilgrims from across the ancient world traveled to Jerusalem for Passover and often remained through the fifty-day count leading to Shavuot, also called Bikkurim, or First Fruits. First century historian Josephus estimated that millions filled Jerusalem during these festival seasons. Acts 2:9-11 lists many of the places represented among the worshippers, including regions that correspond to modern nations such as Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Turkey, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Crete.

Whether people personally witnessed the events described in Acts or heard reports spreading rapidly through Jerusalem, the impact was extraordinary. Pilgrims eventually returned home carrying news of what had happened. In this way, the Gospel spread geographically through Jewish worshippers who became witnesses. The earliest believers, including the disciples and the Apostle Paul, were Jewish followers of Jesus. The Good News was born in the Holy Land and then opened outward to the Gentile world.

For thousands of years, Jewish festivals have tied generations together through remembrance, worship, and endurance. No matter where Jews lived or what hardships surrounded them, Shabbat and the biblical festivals remained central to Jewish identity.

That determination was vividly displayed again in 1948 during Israel’s War of Independence.

Only weeks after David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the modern State of Israel on May 14, 1948, five Arab armies invaded the newborn nation. The Jewish population had barely emerged from the horrors of the Holocaust. Jerusalem faced severe food shortages. Weapons were scarce. Bombings and battles threatened civilians daily.

Yet even amid war, Israelis chose to keep Shavuot.

That year, Shavuot fell on June 12 and became the first major biblical festival celebrated once again in a restored Jewish homeland. The circumstances were overwhelming. The Israel Defense Forces had only just been formed. Electricity was intermittent. Food was rationed. Enemies surrounded the country.

Many wondered whether anyone would survive long enough to celebrate.

Still, communities across Israel refused to abandon the festival.

One kibbutz, Ein Harod, explained its decision simply: “It felt impossible to abandon this holiday. It is so deeply woven into our lives.”

Moshe Erem, a fighter from Kibbutz Beit Alfa near the Syrian border, wrote in his diary, “After night patrol, we danced the hora at dawn. The Syrians shelled the valley, but we danced anyway. This is our answer.”

At Kibbutz Yifat near Nazareth, children carried baskets to fathers and brothers guarding the perimeter. Some baskets held bread or eggs. One six-year-old girl quietly explained, “We brought fruit and bullets.”

David Ben-Gurion wrote in his diary, “Shavuot. The Cabinet met. We must ensure that the people celebrate, even as war rages.”

Golda Meir later reflected, “We had no milk or cheese, but we read the book of Ruth, a story of loyalty, like our soldiers’.”

In Letters from Jerusalem 1947-1948, underground fighter Zippy Porath described the arrival of desperately needed supplies during the siege: “A small convoy of jeeps bearing blessed arms, ammunition, and food came via the hills.” She added, “They’ve broken the siege and lifted our morale high.”

These moments reveal something profound about Israel’s history. Jewish festivals are not merely rituals or traditions. They are declarations of survival, identity, faith, and hope.

Today, wars and threats against Israel continue. Jewish communities worldwide still face rising hatred and violence. Yet Israel continues to observe Shabbat and celebrate the biblical festivals with determination and joy.

Christians may not fully understand God’s prophetic timetable, but Scripture reminds us of His enduring covenant. Zechariah 2:8 declares, “For whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye.” In Hebrew thought, the phrase refers to the pupil of the eye, the most sensitive and fiercely protected part of the body. The image reflects God’s vigilant care over His people.

As Shavuot approaches, let us honor God by standing with Israel in meaningful ways and by recognizing the extraordinary endurance of the Jewish people across generations.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to pray with us this week.

Prayer Points:

• Pray with gratitude for Israel’s endurance and resilience through every generation.
• Pray that Shavuot 2026 will be filled with encouragement, protection, and miracles for Israel.
• Pray for wisdom for President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu as they make critical decisions.
• Pray for the safety and freedom of the Iranian people who continue to suffer under oppression.