Blogs-Israel - CBN Israel

Hatred Has Become Their God

Posted on June 5, 2025

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

The shocking May 21 murders of a soon-to-be-engaged Jewish couple is still reverberating among Jews, Christians, and people of good will. Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky—who had been on staff at the Israeli Embassy in D.C.—have been laid to rest: Sarah in Overland Park, Kansas, and Yaron in Jerusalem. On June 1, another terrorist, this time an illegal alien, threw homemade Molotov cocktails into the Jewish crowd at a peaceful pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado—setting some on fire. Twelve innocent people suffered injury, some critically.

The national Run for Their Lives rallies—peaceful run/walk events—spotlight the freeing of hostages from Hamas. However, the attacker shouted his cold-blooded message: “Palestine is free” and “End Zionists.” The violence took place on the eve of the Jewish festival Shavuot, which Christians call Pentecost.

Our unity with the Jewish community is more essential than ever amid today’s outbreaks of evil. Wherever possible, we must choose to oppose lies with truth. Gaining more education about the nature of radicalized minds is essential, especially if we have not directly encountered embedded evil. Yet, the rampant, outsized propaganda too easily reported by mainstream media is often overwhelming, making it easy to say, “What’s the use? I am only one person!”

The first step is choosing to obey God’s unbreakable biblical mandates about Jews, Israel’s indigenous people. The next is to realize that each of us is no longer just one person. We are uniting with millions of Christians and Jews—growing into a force to be reckoned with.

Although Nazi propaganda focused mostly on Europe, now—with the aggressive power of social media—the entire globe is infected with lies aimed at Jews and Christians. Now, lies travel at warp speed. And the vastness of such propaganda pounds lies into minds, thereby erasing facts.

In John 8:44, Jesus clearly described the origin of lies when confronting the Pharisees: “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning not holding to the truth, for there there is no truth in him. When he lies he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Last week, I listened to Chuck Holton’s expert explanation of lies based on Jesus’ words about the origin of lies. At this time in world history, we face the dangerous byproducts of around-the-clock indoctrination. Chuck has been a war correspondent with CBN News since 2003. He hosts The Hot Zone, offering authoritative analysis and perspective.

Chuck explored minds radicalized by intolerance—the intolerance of opposing views, embracing violence, and rejecting the existing social order. These are not mental illnesses. Those with mental illnesses do not choose to have a mental illness. Rather, they want to learn how to navigate their brain disease, choosing to live full lives and making a helpful difference for others.

He describes the perpetrators in the Middle East, Europe, and now in America as operating out of ideological possession. The word “ideological” or its root word, ideology, is defined as a set of beliefs/ideas, especially about politics, economics, or society. It is a blueprint for how to think and act. Extreme identification with a belief system can lead to fanaticism and a propensity to engage in acts of cruelty toward others.

Chuck Holton’s insights reveal a terror blueprint:

Ideological possession.
A cause becomes a god.
Reprograming the conscience.
Erasing empathy.
Mainstream media funneling lies.
Internet algorithms shaping identities.

Ideological possession displays a sprawling pattern of how societies have been drifting into lawlessness since October 7, 2023. This often leads to a sense of entitlement or an obligation to commit violence against innocent Jews and the Christians who stand with them.

“Violent ideology can happen,” notes Chuck, “when a cause becomes a god.”

His observation helps explain degrees of terrorism—from murderers to masked demonstrators on college campuses using violent words, slogans, and memes to dehumanize Jews. An ideology becomes more than a belief system; it becomes someone’s identity, not just an influence on their behavior. The words reprogram the person’s conscience to where anything, absolutely anything, can be rationalized. Perceived enemies are not people. They are obstacles, “faceless others.”

Bowing down to a dangerous ideology is what happened via the American murderer’s ideological possession when he shot two peace-loving strangers to death. “Free Palestine” took over as the killer’s god. As Chuck noted, Sarah and Yaron were “only symbols of his hatred toward Zionism. His concept made murder noble.”

Holton describes ideological possession as seductive, giving the radicalized mind a purpose and a sense of belonging. The process finally results in erasing empathy. As Chuck points out, “With no empathy, brutality becomes thinkable. Before pulling the trigger or raising the knife, a murderer must have convinced himself that the targets are not fully human.”

Dehumanization begins with words. Someone is not a person; they are a problem. Debating Jews is resisting Zionists. Israelis are occupiers and baby killers. Jesus was a Palestinian.

Memes, slogans, and hashtags aid and abet the disappearance of moral guardrails to the point where murder, assaults, and slander are not wrong. History is full of this phenomenon. In the Rwandan genocide, the Hutus called the Tutsis “cockroaches.” Nazis called Jews “rats.” Otherwise-normal people become capable of antisemitic acts.

Internet algorithms shape identities and start to bleed into real life. No longer anonymous, terrorists are soldiers for the cause and the world they believe will notice them. They consider themselves heroic. Holton adds “that media should not say the name of murderers.” Relentless propaganda enabled by mainstream media overtakes minds that have abandoned biblical truths.

A glaring example from most mainstream media is an MSN article published about the Boulder attacks. In its last few lines it reads, “Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians … said Gaza health officials.” Gaza health officials? It is actually Hamas that mainstream media have consistently used as their source—and Hamas promotes nothing but lies and propaganda.

Mainstream media then becomes an accessory to ideological possession and every Jew-hating act.

Mike Huckabee, our U.S. Ambassador to Israel, released this statement: “We are demanding an immediate retraction of the lies and are appealing to all media sources to act with objective professionalism to cover actual events instead of being a partner of terrorism by blindly following Hamas news releases.” The Ambassador highlighted the “reckless and irresponsible reporting by major U.S. news outlets … contributing to the anti-Semitic climate that has resulted in the murder of two young people at an Israeli embassy in Washington last month and the attempted murder and terror attack on a group of pro-Israel demonstrators in Colorado on Sunday.”

Slogans like “From the River to the Sea,” “End Zionists,” and “Free Palestine” are genocidal shouts. Since October 7, 2023, radicalized minds have left Jewish children orphaned, entire families wiped out, and demonstrators assaulting Jewish students. Chuck observes, “In a culture which abandons a biblical worldview, anything can be justified. By choosing an individual truth, feelings outweigh facts.”

As evangelicals acknowledge Jesus’ words about the origin of lies and become more educated, it is is crucial that we accept Chuck Holton’s admonitions to “carry light into the darkest places, not just mourn the victims. Let us honor them by standing for truth and refusing to let the world go numb.”

John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the United States, was a great anti-slavery president and later a member of congress. He repeatedly pushed resolutions and legislation against slavery to a unresponsive Congress. Let us adopt his quote as we stand with the Jewish community: “Duty is ours; results are God’s.”

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to pray with us this week with an admonition from the Apostle John: If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth (1 John 1:6).

Prayer Points:

Pray that Christians increase their courage in troubling times.
Pray that Christians remain spiritually vigilant gaining strength in the Bible.
Pray that the Jewish community receives encouragement from Christians.
Pray for American Jews growing more fearful with antisemitic acts.

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. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.

Holocaust Survivor: Natalia’s Story

Posted on June 4, 2025

When she was just 13, Natalia had to flee her home in Ukraine to escape the Nazis. As World War II raged, this young Jewish girl survived by working in a factory that supported the war effort. She eventually returned home.

But years later, in 2022, she relived the same nightmare—as war broke out in Ukraine with Russia.

She recalled, “A rocket hit our neighborhood in the middle of the night. The explosion killed over 30 people in my community.” Terrified, this elderly woman sought refuge in Israel, making Aliyah to become an Israeli citizen.

Yet as a frail senior who arrived with nothing, Natalia has had other battles to fight. At age 95, she must use a wheelchair to go outside. Because of her handicap, she had to find another apartment with an elevator. And in addition to needing help getting enough to eat, she also lacked basic furniture. Alone in a different country, where could she get help?

Thankfully, friends like you came to her rescue through CBN Israel. Caring donors are there delivering nutritious food, and she says these visits from our team mean as much as the aid itself. Donors also provided her with a special bed and essential furniture, to make her apartment feel like home.

Natalia exclaimed, “Thank you so much for your generous help. I have been overjoyed to receive the regular provisions of food and groceries, and I am so grateful for the furniture… Your kindness means more than you know!”

Your gifts to CBN Israel can be a blessing to Holocaust survivors like Natalia, and to refugees, single moms, terror victims, and others struggling to survive in the Holy Land.

And you can make a tremendous difference for those in need by providing hot meals, safe housing, necessities, and financial assistance.

Please join us today in extending God’s love and compassion to the hurting in Israel!

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Biblical Israel: Temple Mount

Posted on June 3, 2025

By Marc Turnage

The Golden Dome of the Rock provides one of the most iconic and recognizable images of any city’s skyline within the world. The Islamic shrine completed in A.D. 692 by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik stands upon the platform of the Temple Mount, which was constructed during the first centuries B.C. and A.D. The Temple Mount refers to the platform and complex upon which stood the Temple constructed by Herod the Great. This was the Temple known to Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Peter, and Paul. It stood on the northern end of the eastern hill of Jerusalem, what the Bible calls Mount Zion.

Around 1000 B.C., David conquered the Jebusite city of Jerusalem and the stronghold of Zion, which sat on the eastern hill. He made this the capital of his united kingdom, Israel. When his son, Solomon, succeeded his father as king, he extended the city to the northern height of the eastern hill where he built his palace, administrative buildings, and the House of the God of Israel, the First Temple. This building remained situated on the height of the eastern hill until the Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed it in 586 B.C. The Babylonians carried the Judeans into exile. When they returned to the land around Jerusalem, they rebuilt the Temple, under Zerubbabel. This building underwent renovations and additions in the subsequent centuries; however, our knowledge of this is limited due to the absence of clear descriptions within ancient sources and a lack of archaeological excavation in the area of the Temple Mount.

In the eighteenth year of Herod the Great’s reign as king of Judea, he began a massive remodeling and reconstruction of the Temple area, which ultimately resulted in the construction of the Temple Mount. The construction, which continued into the first century A.D., after Herod’s death in 4 B.C., created a series of four retaining walls that supported the platform, which covered the high point of the eastern hill turning it into the largest enclosed sacred space within the Roman world. The main portion of construction took nine-and-a-half years. Herod apparently oversaw the building of the Temple building, which stood twice the height of the golden Dome of the Rock, and the remodeling of the sacred precincts, an area of five hundred cubits square, during his lifetime.

The heart of the Temple Mount was the Temple building and the surrounding sacred complex, which including the Court of the Women, the Court of the Israelites, the Chambers of Wood, Oil, Lepers, and Nazirites. Inside the Temple building was the Holy Place, which housed the golden lampstand (the menorah), the Table of Shewbread, and the altar of incense. Beyond the Holy Place was the Holies of Holies, which was entered only by the high priest once a year on the Day of Atonement.

The construction of the Temple Mount continued into the first century as the southern and northern portions of the platform expanded. The four retaining walls of the Temple Mount contained gates that offered access onto the Temple Mount platform. The northern retaining wall contained the Tadi Gate, which rabbinic sources claim was not used at all. The Shushan Gate stood on the eastern wall of the Temple Mount, of which portions seem to predate Herod, and it was lower than the other walls that surrounded the Temple Mount.

The present eastern gate, known as the Golden Gate (or in Arabic, the Mercy Gate) was built much later than the first century. It was sealed, like most of the gates onto the Temple Mount by the Crusader, Knights Templar, who made the Temple Mount their headquarters. The western retaining wall had four gates. Two were upper and two lower, and they alternated lower and upper. The northernmost gate opened onto a street that ran alongside the western retaining wall. Today it is known as Warren’s Gate (named after the British explorer, Charles Warren, who found the gate).

In the first century an arched bridge spanned from the western hill to the western wall of the Temple Mount. This bridge conveyed an aqueduct that provided water for the Temple worship. The bridge and the arched gateway that provided access onto the Temple Mount were identified by Charles Wilson in the nineteenth century and bear his name today. Today a portion of the western retaining wall serves as the prayer plaza of the Western Wall, a functioning synagogue, a site holy for Jews. In the women’s section of the Western Wall remains of a third gate can be seen. This gate, known as Barclay’s gate, after the American missionary, James Barclay, who discovered it, also provided access to the street that ran along the western wall.

The fourth and final gate also offered another elevated access onto the Temple Mount platform. It was supported by a large arch with steps that ascended the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount. The arch, which was the largest arch in the Roman world at the time of its construction, is known as Robinson’s Arch, bearing the name of the American Edward Robinson who identified the spring of the arch, which is all that remains. The southern entrances of the Temple Mount served the majority of Jewish pilgrims who came to Jerusalem for the festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Two large double gates stood at the top of stairs providing access up a ramp onto the Temple Mount platform. Pilgrims entered on the right of the two gates and exited through the left two gates unless they were in mourning. If they were in mourning, they went the opposite direction in order to receive comfort from their fellow worshipers.

The western and southern retaining walls were built in the first century A.D. Their construction enlarged the Temple Mount platform to the south, which created a large court outside of the sacred precincts. They also supported a large colonnaded structure that stood on the southern end of the Temple Mount known as the Royal Stoa.

Herod’s Temple and the surround complexes were destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. During the second and third centuries a pagan shrine stood on the Temple Mount. During the period of the Christian Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, a couple of churches stood on the Temple Mount. With the coming of Islam in the seventh century, the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque were constructed. These two buildings stand on top of the Temple Mount until today.

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

Weekly Devotional: First Fruits

Posted on June 2, 2025

“You are to count seven weeks, counting the weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. You are to celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the LORD your God with a freewill offering that you give in proportion to how the LORD your God has blessed you. Rejoice before Yahweh your God in the place where He chooses to have His name dwell—you, your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow among you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt; carefully follow these statutes” (Deuteronomy 16:9-12 HCSB).

Moses outlined for the Israelites the ordinances of the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost). This festival commemorated the harvest seven weeks and one day (50 days, hence “Pentecost”) after the first Sabbath following the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

The festival was to be a celebration marked by a freewill offering—an offering “that you give in proportion to how the LORD your God has blessed you.”

The festivals and rituals that God gave to the Israelites served as reminders of His participation in their daily lives. Agriculture did not depend upon the farmer and his ingenuity or the luck of the weather; rather, God Himself blessed and provided for the daily needs of the people. The rituals and festivals functioned as reminders of God’s nearness and called upon the Israelites to give thanks, to rejoice.

The Israelites celebrated Pentecost not only within their families but also with their communities. Three groups of people are specifically identified as participating in the celebration of the festival: strangers, orphans, and widows. These three groups lacked a legal advocate within ancient Israel, which is why God often describes Himself, the just Judge, as the defender of these three groups.

In the midst of the celebration, God calls on the Israelites to remember those on the fringes of their society and to bring them into the festivities. The basis for this action is provided in Deuteronomy 24:18 HCSB: “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt.”

You were once an outcast, someone at the bottom of the social world, so remember and bring those at the bottom of your world into your celebration of the Lord’s blessing.

Do we see God’s care in every facet of our lives? Do we celebrate it and remind ourselves to rejoice at His provision? Do we share our blessings with those on the fringes of our own society? This was God’s expectation of the ancient Israelites when they celebrated Shavuot. He expects the same from us.

PRAYER

Father, thank You for Your daily provision in my life. As a sign of my thanksgiving, may I share Your blessings in my life with others. Amen.

Shavuot (Pentecost): The Festival of Weeks

Posted on June 1, 2025

By Julie Stahl

God commanded the Jewish people to come up to Jerusalem three times a year. One of those occasions is for Shavuot.

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed” (Deuteronomy 16:16).

And in Exodus 34:22 we read, “You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end.”

The New Testament records that Jews were gathered in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost.

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

What’s the connection between God giving the Law to Moses and pouring out His Holy Spirit? Both are celebrated on the biblical Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, known in the New Testament as Pentecost.

Fifty days (about seven weeks) after Passover, the Jewish people celebrate Shavuot (“weeks” in Hebrew), also known as the Feast or Festival of Weeks. In the same way, Christians celebrate Pentecost (“50 days” in Greek).

Many Jewish people stay up all night on Shavuot to study the Scriptures. Before dawn, those in Jerusalem head to the Western Wall on foot where they pray and bless God. The Ten Commandments are read, and in many communities, the book of Ruth is also read.

According to Jewish tradition, it was on Shavuot that God called Moses up to Mount Sinai and gave him the Law—the two tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written, as well as the entire Torah.

“There are so many beautiful parallels that take place for Shavuot,” said Boaz Michael, founder of First Fruits of Zion. “Imagine Mount Sinai with the mountains above it, the covenant given to the people of Israel. This reminds us of a chuppah (canopy) over a bride and a groom. It tells us that God is making a covenant with His bride, Israel. There’s a marriage that takes place.”

Michael told CBN News: “Shavuot is a celebration of the giving of the commandments, but more than that—we’ve been redeemed from Egypt. We’ve wandered through the wilderness. We’ve come to Mount Sinai, and we enter into an intimate relationship with God through the giving of His commandments and then the covenant that He gives to us, the Torah, at Mount Sinai.”

He further explained, “That links us to Acts 1:8, where tells His disciples to take His message to Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and to all the ends of the earth.”

Julie Stahl is a correspondent for CBN News in the Middle East. A Hebrew speaker, she has been covering news in Israel full-time for more than 20 years. Julie’s life as a journalist has been intertwined with CBN—first as a graduate student in Journalism at Regent University; then as a journalist with Middle East Television (METV) when it was owned by CBN from 1989-91; and now with the Middle East Bureau of CBN News in Jerusalem since 2009. She is also an integral part of CBN News’ award-winning show, Jerusalem Dateline, a weekly news program providing a biblical and prophetic perspective to what is happening in Israel and the Middle East.

Yaron and Sarah: Another Radicalized Murder of Jews

Posted on May 29, 2025

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

On May 21—a pleasant evening in Washington, D.C.—guests exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum hosted by the American Jewish Committee. Young staffers of Jewish organizations were chatting about the gathering and discussing plans for the next day, when shots suddenly rang out. Instantly Sarah Milgrim, an American Jew, and Yaron Lischinsky, a German-born Israeli citizen, collapsed to the pavement. Both were on the staff of the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Yaron had purchased Sarah’s engagement ring with plans to ask her to marry him on their trip to Jerusalem later that week. Their unhinged killer shot them both in the back, shouting “Free Palestine!” The young couple, beloved by all who knew them, would never celebrate their wedding day with family and friends.

Of special note, a pastor at Washington’s Church of the Ascension and Saint Agnes where Sharon and Yaron were regular attendees wrote about the couple. “Drawn to Christ, their spiritual journeys of faith led them to our parish, where they had been faithfully participating for several months, beautiful lights in our midst. In their hunger to know and to belong, they even attended our Newcomers Series.”

Sarah was active at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah—her hometown synagogue in Overland Park, Kansas. A letter released by the synagogue read in part, “We mourn the loss of Sarah Milgrim, a proud member of our congregation, a devoted Zionist, and a radiant presence in every space she entered. She stood for something larger than herself, and she paid the ultimate price for it.” Her father, Robert Milgrim, described Sarah as a “wonderful girl who was as close to perfect as any human could be.” She graduated from the University of Kansas and earned her master’s degree in international affairs from American University.

In Israel, Yaron’s family attended Jerusalem’s King of Kings congregation where the family was described as “precious friends and believers, strong in the Lord, and lovers of Israel.” Yaron identified as a Jewish believer and attended Hebrew University. He and his four siblings all served in the Israel Defense Forces. The rector of Christ Church in Jerusalem’s Old City noted that Yaron “frequently visited his church and enjoyed the Anglican liturgy.”

Amid the shock of losing this beautiful couple, let us pray from Psalm 34:18 for their families and friends, for Israel, and for their embassies worldwide. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

A closer look at the radicalized murderer reveals a well-educated killer who graduated from University of Illinois Chicago and held professional jobs. However, his angry posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) showed the depth of his Jew hatred. With no criminal record, he is now charged with two counts of first-degree murder. This 31-year-old Chicagoan, Elias Rodriguez, flew into Washington from O’Hare International Airport, where he declared his gun in his checked baggage. He was armed to kill, not caring whom he murdered as long as they were Jews.

Rodriguez was clearly determined to see these shocking premeditated murders through. When Sarah began crawling away, he reloaded his gun. She managed to sit up, whereupon the domestic terrorist fired multiple volleys into the 26-year-old’s body. Yaron lay close by, dead at age 31. Yaron was a researcher in the embassy’s political department and Sarah organized U.S. missions to Israel.

The Islamic Regime’s Supreme Leader Khamenei quickly praised the killer’s attack on Sarah and Yaron, who had both been highly regarded for their dedication to Israel and peace as Israeli Embassy staff. Khamenei gave the domestic terrorist a new name: founder of the “Washington Basij.” (Basij is the title of Iran’s brutal militia.) Now a vile replica of terrorist cruelty, the American Hamas is an official member of the Islamist Regime.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rightly explained, “There is an undeniable link between inflammatory words and murderous actions.” That the attacker eliminated two formal representatives of Israel adds up to “a significant assault on Israel’s diplomatic standing.” The multiple federal charges include the murder of foreign officials.

Witness Katie Kalisher noted that just before his arrest, Rodriguez pulled out a keffiyeh headdress confessing, “I did it. I did this for Gaza. Free Palestine!”

In the intro to Ariel Kahan’s powerful article in Israel Hayom on how anti-Israel propaganda can kill, we read: “Elias Rodriguez’s transformation from content writer to terrorist represents the tragic endpoint of a global disinformation campaign that has radicalized minds and normalized violence against Jewish targets, occurring in America’s capital while President Donald Trump wages an unprecedented fight against rising antisemitism.”

Mainstream media organizations worldwide are adopting Nazi media strategies that used their power to radicalize Germans with hatred. Indeed, toxic rhetoric produces violence in radicalized minds. Knowing Islam’s term about deception is key. Terrorist regimes use the word taqiyya, which means using lies to “gain the upper hand over an enemy.” When media interact with terrorist governments, be aware. Lies are a huge asset for their propaganda as well as any “agreements.” Mainstream media would do well to apply the term taqiyya to its Gazan news sources. The heartbreaking murders of innocents like Sarah, Yaron, and so many other Jews is enabled by sources that stir up violence using gullible media.

Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda mastermind said: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic, and/or military consequences of the lie.” He goes on to say: “Truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” His conclusion? That it “becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent.” Does this sound familiar today?

The New Nazis—Gazan and others—represent the Goebbels of today, lapping up mainstream media propaganda that are potent sources for radicalizing smart, educated people with hatred against Jews worldwide.

Here is the evil of Hitler himself: “Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise.” His chilling description of propaganda explains what is happening in the United States and in worldwide demonstrations glorifying Hamas.

In response to the murders of Sarah and Yaron, The Jewish Federations of North America and 42 other Jewish organizations sent an appeal to the U.S. government for heightened security measures. Their statement reads in part, “The tragic murders of these two innocent young Israeli embassy employees …  are the direct consequence of rising antisemitic incitement in places such as college campuses, city council meetings, and social media that has normalized hate and emboldened those who wish to do harm.”

Uniting organizations is important, but grassroots efforts are equally important from Christians, Jews, and everyone of goodwill. We must take a stand even if our sphere of influence is small. One call to a senator. One comment to a radio talk show. One email fact to a group of friends. A request to your church to pray for Israel. It adds up. We must buckle up with God’s belt of truth against demonic forces invading minds worldwide.

We cannot bring Sarah and Yaron back. However, let us advocate for Israel and the Jewish people in honor of their lives.

Our CBN Israel team welcomes your prayers with us and for so many in the Jewish community who are traumatized again.

Prayer Points:

Pray that Christians will wake up to wisely oppose lies against Israel.
Pray for the Milgrim and Lischinsky families in the U.S. and Israel
Pray for the demonic voices of Jew haters to cease and desist.
Pray for mainstem media to abandon their dangerous “news” sources.

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. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.

Single Mom: Amira’s Story

Posted on May 28, 2025

Life was hard and lonely for Amira, a Palestinian Christian. Being a divorced single mother, she lived near Bethlehem with her young son Ramzi. And the weak Palestinian economy only added to her worries about survival, as she worked two or three jobs to support her family.

“In the West Bank, we don’t have a law that protects single moms, or social security that I can get some assistance from,” she explained. So, she has been on her own, trying to make ends meet, and caring for her son—including cooking, and helping with homework—without a break. She was exhausted, saying, “It was like 24-7. I don’t have a Sunday, a Monday, a Saturday…”

Even worse, Ramzi suffered from a debilitating eye condition. He struggled with reading, headaches, and low self-esteem, and the kids bullied him at school. And now, he needed urgent eye surgery. With all these challenges, Amira was desperate. But friends like you were there for her and her son.

Through CBN Israel, compassionate donors provided Ramzi’s life-changing operation. And when our staff discovered Amira had been sleeping on a mattress on the floor, they brought her the basic furniture and appliances she couldn’t afford—along with nutritious food. Thankfully, Ramzi’s successful procedure has made his confidence soar—and Amira found a better job!

She is thrilled, saying, “Ramzi’s eyes are amazing. I’m so grateful and thankful!” And your gifts to CBN Israel can deliver relief and joy to others in need. You can be there with groceries, housing, essentials, medical aid, and more.

And your support can bring hope to those who feel abandoned—to elderly Holocaust survivors, war victims, and new immigrant families.

Please help us reach out to those in crisis!

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Biblical Israel: Second Temple Model

Posted on May 27, 2025

By Marc Turnage

The large, scale model of Jerusalem in A.D. 66 offers one of the main attractions at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Hans Kroch, the owner of the Holy Land Hotel in Jerusalem, commissioned Professor Michael Avi-Yonah and his students to create the model in honor of Kroch’s son who died in the War of Independence in 1948. Avi-Yonah provided topographical and archaeological detail and architectural design.

For many years, the model resided at the Holy Land Hotel. Today the model is housed at the Israel Museum. When Avi-Yonah and his students began the project, the Old City of Jerusalem as well as the City of David—the area of biblical Jerusalem—lay in East Jerusalem, which was controlled by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

From 1948 to 1967, the city of Jerusalem was divided between West and East Jerusalem. West Jerusalem belonged to the State of Israel, while East Jerusalem belonged to the Kingdom of Jordan. East Jerusalem contained the area of biblical Jerusalem, which meant that during the period under Jordanian control little archaeological work and activity was conducted; thus, much of the archaeological information that came to light in the latter part of the twentieth century remained unknown when Professor Avi-Yonah built the model.

This raises the obvious question: how could he have built such an accurate model of Jerusalem in A.D. 66 without the assistance of archaeological discovery? The answer lies in the rich descriptions of Jerusalem provided by the first century Jewish historian Josephus. Josephus wrote his works for a non-Jewish, Roman audience that had never been to Jerusalem. He provided such a detailed description of the city that using what they knew about the Roman world and the land of Israel in the first century, Professor Avi-Yonah and his students were able to produce this model, which contains a great deal of accuracy. While there are some mistakes within the model, it offers a testament to Josephus and his value as our greatest source on ancient Judaism and the land of Israel in the first century.

Visitors to the model will notice three primary features. First, Jerusalem in the first century covered much more area than the modern Old City of Jerusalem (which has nothing to do with biblical Jerusalem).

Also, the city had two principal foci. On its western edge, at the highest point of the city, stood the palace of Herod the Great. The largest of Herod’s palaces, his palace in Jerusalem played host to the wisemen (Matthew 2) and Jesus when he stood before Pilate. On the northern end of palace stood three towers, which Herod named Mariamme, Phasael, and Hippicus. On the eastern side of the city stood the Temple and the enclosure that surrounded it, which made the Temple Mount the largest sacred enclosure within the Roman world in the first century. The Temple provided the economic and religious center of the city.

Jerusalem in the first century produced nothing; it did not sit on a major trade route. It dealt in religion. Jewish and non-Jewish pilgrims (see Acts 2) streamed into the city from all over the known world three times a year: Passover, Pentecost, and Sukkot. Pilgrims approached the Temple from the south. On top of the Temple Mount today stands the golden Dome of the Rock. To gain perspective, Herod’s Temple, the Temple that Jesus, Peter, and Paul knew, was twice the height of the Dome of the Rock. Looking at the model, visitors gain some perspective of its awesome grandeur.

The third feature of the city is its walls. In the model, people see three different wall lines. The wall that comes from the south-eastern part of the Temple Mount surrounding the southern and western sides of the city, which turns east and connects at the western wall of the Temple Mount, Josephus calls the first wall. A large wall includes the northern neighborhoods; this is Josephus’ third wall, which was built after the time of Jesus. Inside the third wall, visitors to the model see a second wall. The first and second walls contained the Jerusalem that Jesus knew, which was twice the size of the modern Old City.

One of the biggest challenges for guides of Jerusalem is helping their groups understand the city’s history and many layers. The model of Jerusalem at the Israel Museum offers an excellent visual, as well as a monument to the city at its height in the first century.

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

Weekly Devotional: Go Into the Wilderness

Posted on May 26, 2025

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”

So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place (1 Kings 19:4-9 NKJV).

The dry and arid wilderness south of Beersheva where Elijah traveled is harsh and inhospitable.

God takes people into the wilderness in the Bible. It serves as His classroom. Yet, often before they encounter Him in the wilderness, they find themselves overcome with the despair of their situation.

The wilderness functioned as a place of self-confrontation. Elijah came face-to-face with himself in the wilderness. How? Because in the wilderness, one meets silence. It brings you into contact with yourself. Sometimes we have to confront ourselves before we can encounter God.

Have you noticed that our world tends to fill our lives with constant noise and busyness? God often had to lead the prophet outside of civilization to quiet the noise; then the prophet could hear Him.

We actually do not need much in life. We often think we do, but when we lose our health, source of support, and/or shelter, we realize what really matters. The desert reduces one to the bare essentials. It returns us to soft, malleable clay that God can shape.

There are no self-made people in the desert. Elijah had just called fire down from heaven. He ran to Jezreel before the chariot of Ahab thinking that he would have a warm reception. Instead, Jezebel threatened to kill him, so he ran to the desert.

He needed to be reminded that a self-made person does not exist in the desert. The angel of the Lord provided His nourishment. A person who has spent time in the desert realizes how small and powerless they truly are.

The desert can also remove our sharp edges. Once we confront ourselves, we can finally hear God—and return to allowing Him to teach and shape us. We can learn the lessons He desires to impart to us. But we have to be willing to go into the wilderness.

PRAYER

Father, no one likes the hardship of the wilderness, but that’s where You often teach and shape us. May we learn what You want to impart to us. May we hear Your voice and grow into the servants that You have called us to be. Amen.

Israeli Singer Resists Terror with Hope at Eurovision Song Contest

Posted on May 22, 2025

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

If you are a fan of American Idol, you may also be a fan of the Eurovision Song Contest that’s been held for the last 69 years throughout Europe. Last Saturday—in a venue in Basel, Switzerland—Israelis at home and in the Israeli delegation joyously celebrated Yuval Raphael’s second-place win. The 24-year-old’s voice electrified listeners with her enthralling song “New Day Will Rise,” written by Israeli songwriter Keren Peles.

Yuval speaks three languages, and the lyrics, mostly in English, also include Hebrew and French. She observes, “The song represents the healing that we all need and the optimism for the days ahead.”

The chorus reflects the enduring hopes amid tragedy and trauma that Israel continues to display, especially since October 7, 2023:

“New day will rise

Life will go on

Everyone cries

Don’t cry alone

Darkness will fade

All the pain will go by

But we will stay.”

Yuval had the backing of her nation after she won Israel’s “The Next Star for Eurovision” in January 2025. But the respect and admiration she enjoyed from Israelis was far deeper than fame. She is a survivor of the October 7 Hamas massacre at the Nova Festival near Re’im on the Gaza border.

When Yuval stepped onto the dazzling stage at the Eurovision Finale on May 17, she sang not as someone who had stepped out of a bullet-ridden deathtrap. She sang as a survivor—and for Israel, her beloved homeland.

In the months after October 7, the singer faced post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor’s guilt. In an Israel Hayom interview, she nevertheless made her future clear. “I decided I wasn’t going to live my life with PTSD. I wanted to turn my pain into something meaningful.” That is what Yuval did by advocating for survivors of the Nova massacre. She traveled to the United States and Europe with a weighty goal. “People need to know what happened. They need to hear it from someone who was there.”

Representing Israel in the Eurovision competition gave Yuval a worldwide stage—with “New Day Will Rise,” her interviews, and the merciless outrage from protesters, both before and during the weeks of rehearsal and the May 17 finale.

Reading part of her story below, you will understand that the anti-Israel, anti-Jew protestors are not done with their diabolic behavior, even at a famous music competition. Thousands screamed their hatred for Israel outside the venue. During Yuval’s performance, three British pro-Palestinian activists tried to storm the stage before being arrested by alert Swiss police. Despite plentiful applause, some booing broke out. Far worse, the event organizers had to evacuate the Israeli delegation to keep them safe.

Yuval knew she would face ongoing hostilities after the October 7 massacres. “But that’s exactly why I have to go,” she said. “I want to stand on that stage, wrapped in the Israeli flag, and make sure the world hears our story.”

Here is that story. When Hamas invaded the Nova festival and turned unbridled joy into waves of terror, Yuval’s harrowing experience was amplified by gunfire, screams, and death. She and her friends found refuge in a small roadside bomb shelter, where more than 40 had run for their lives.

But Hamas terrorists discovered the frightened group inside the shelter. As they began firing, Yuval called her father, Zvika Raphael, to tell him “I am alive.” Their conversation became part of a defining recording of the massacre.

Yuval whispered, “Dad, there are dead people on top of me. Please, send the police.” Zvika wisely replied, “Play dead. Do not move. If they think you’re dead, they’ll leave you alone.”

Yuval quickly passed her father’s advice on to the huddled group. “Every single time that we hear them coming, we have to play dead.” The terrorists came back many times, shooting anyone who moved and throwing grenades inside. Even after she was hit by shrapnel herself, she remained still and quiet.

Seven hours passed before security forces finally reached the roadside shelter. Yuval later described that she was “pinned under corpses and soaked in blood. I kept saying to myself, ‘Don’t breathe. Don’t move. Stay dead.’” Only 11 of the people in that shelter survived. After the rescue, Yuval kept “looking at the sky and could not believe I was alive.”

Some may wonder why Yuval and Israelis were thrilled with her second place win at Eurovision. Many factors were at play. For example, in the powerful ballad “New Day Will Rise,” the public voted the song into first place with 297 points, but in the jury vote she received only 14th place. The lyrics and meaning of the song permeated the public response. Hopefully, enemies will finally see the light.

In recent interviews, she emphasized that the “real victory’” will be won when the hostages are home. Yuval hopes that she gave Israelis a “moment of peace amid the madness of war and to make them proud,” adding that she will “be grateful for our nation every day of my life.”

Austria’s singer JJ won first place at Eurovision, and Yuval noted his “incredible vocals.” She said, “I’m very proud of him. He deserves it.”

Yuval Raphael may have been Eurovision’s second-place winner, but she won first place in the hearts of Israelis and the voting public for her passionate, flawless rendition of “New Day Will Rise.”

The singer’s inspiring outlook is indicative of a winner who has suffered trauma, then turned it into a testimony to bring hope to others. She feels she has “won at life!”

At the end of her performance, Yuval shouted, “Thank you Europe! Am Yisrael Chai.” We echo the same for our Israeli and Jewish friends worldwide:

Am Yisrael Chai, the People of Israel Live!

We welcome you to join our CBN Israel team to pray for Israel. In 1 Chronicles 13:8, we’re reminded that David and all Israel were celebrating in God’s presence with all their might, with songs, with lyres, harps, tambourines, symbols and trumpets.

Prayer Points:

Pray that creative displays of music, art, and film will inspire more support for Israel.
Pray that “New Day Will Rise” will top music charts worldwide.
Pray for IDF members as they conduct Operation Gideon’s Chariot in Gaza.
Pray that the hostages—whether alive or dead—will be found and brought back home.

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. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.

Blog

Hatred Has Become Their God

Holocaust Survivor: Natalia’s Story

Biblical Israel: Temple Mount

Weekly Devotional: First Fruits

Shavuot (Pentecost): The Festival of Weeks

Yaron and Sarah: Another Radicalized Murder of Jews

Single Mom: Amira’s Story

Biblical Israel: Second Temple Model

Weekly Devotional: Go Into the Wilderness

Israeli Singer Resists Terror with Hope at Eurovision Song Contest

Hatred Has Become Their God

Holocaust Survivor: Natalia’s Story

Biblical Israel: Temple Mount

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