ARTICLES

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

The acronym BDS, meaning Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, has become a symbol of destruction for Israel and the global Jewish community. While the movement claims to advocate for Palestinian rights through economic, academic, and cultural boycotts, it is in reality a modern form of antisemitism. Its ideological roots are connected to the same hatred that once drove Nazi and Muslim Brotherhood extremists, and its influence continues to grow.

The BDS movement will not dissolve on its own. Hatred of this kind tends to intensify and spread. After decades of anti-Israel slander, BDS has succeeded in orchestrating a vast international disinformation campaign that mirrors the propaganda strategies of the Nazi era. Scripture, both Old and New Testament, reaffirms God’s enduring love and purpose for His Jewish people. Yet in these deeply troubling times, believers must be vigilant, responding with prayer, truth, and action for the land that gave us both our Scriptures and our Savior.

BDS was cofounded in 2005 by Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti, who united 146 Palestinian organizations under a shared resistance banner. Born in Qatar in 1964 to Palestinian parents, Barghouti grew up in Egypt, studied at Columbia University, married an Arab-Israeli citizen, and later attended Tel Aviv University. Highly educated and articulate, he has been embraced by many in academic and political circles, including some Christians and Jews who fail to recognize the movement’s underlying hostility toward Israel’s existence.

Following Hamas’s massacre of Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, BDS experienced a surge in global support. Millions joined or endorsed its rhetoric, echoing chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” This seemingly poetic slogan is, in fact, a call for Israel’s annihilation, since the river is the Jordan and the sea is the Mediterranean, encompassing all of Israel’s land.

New forms of BDS activism appear constantly, spreading like toxic weeds through social media, academia, and the arts. One of the latest examples is the “No Music for Genocide” campaign, a boycott movement among musicians protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza. Hundreds of artists have signed on, amplifying a message that isolates Israel culturally and psychologically.

Attorney Lana Melman, CEO of Liberate Art and author of Artists Under Fire: The BDS War Against Celebrities, Jews, and Israel, has described the “No Music for Genocide” initiative as a deliberate psychological weapon designed to make Israelis feel isolated and abandoned. She points out that such efforts are largely symbolic. “It doesn’t cost the signatories much since tiny Israel makes up only 0.12 percent of the world’s population.”

Melman also referenced the Trump administration’s peace plan, welcomed by Israel and several Arab nations, observing that true concern for Palestinians would involve urging Hamas to embrace peace rather than perpetuating violence. “I’m not holding my breath,” she adds.

The world saw BDS’s moral bankruptcy clearly after October 7, when Palestinian terrorists recorded their own barbaric acts against Israeli civilians. Despite overwhelming evidence of these atrocities, nations such as France, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom have rushed to recognize a Palestinian state, ignoring both the motives of the murderers and the chaos their actions are fueling at home.

During Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, a terrorist attack in Manchester, England, left two Jewish worshippers dead and four injured. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the act as “vile” and expressed solidarity with Britain’s Jewish community. The attacker, a 35-year-old Syrian named Jihad al-Shamie, had been granted British citizenship as a child yet turned that gift into a weapon of hate.

As darkness gathers on the horizon, it can be tempting to despair. But believers are called to stand firm, guided by the eternal truth of Scripture. Zechariah 12:3 warns us of a day when “all the nations of the earth are gathered against” Jerusalem, yet God promises that those who try to move His immovable rock “will injure themselves.”

Corrie ten Boom, the Dutch Christian who sheltered Jews from the Nazis and endured concentration camps herself, offered a profound reminder: “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.” We too must remain steadfast, trusting that God’s light is ahead and His purposes unshakable.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to stand with us in prayer and to share this message as a voice for truth and faith in support of Israel, our spiritual homeland.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for President Trump’s wisdom as he advances his 20-point peace proposal.
• Pray for the total release, alive and deceased, of all hostages.
• Pray for evangelicals worldwide to boldly share truth whenever possible.
• Pray for discernment to recognize truth and resist media deception.

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.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

The ancient Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, concludes this evening, October 2, 2025 (5786), after 25 hours of fasting, prayer, rest, and remembrance on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Both secular and religious Jews, about 17 million people across the globe, have united in diverse practices on every continent, from bustling cities to quiet villages.

In Israel, the ancestral Jewish homeland, daily life comes to a complete halt as more than 7 million Jewish citizens devote themselves to forgiveness and renewal. Streets normally filled with cars become safe havens for children riding bicycles. Families gather in synagogues to recite liturgies that have echoed through the centuries. Among the rituals are Avinu Malkeinu (“Our Father, Our King”), a heartfelt prayer of repentance recited during the Ten High Holy Days; Al Chet, a collective confession of sins; and Kol Nidre, a solemn declaration nullifying rash or unintentional vows from the previous year.

For Christians, repentance is not limited to a single 24-hour period. It is a daily lifestyle grounded in relationship with Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. Yet the Day of Atonement foreshadowed His coming, when He willingly became the ultimate scapegoat for humanity’s sins and wrongdoing. The modern word “scapegoat” refers to someone unfairly blamed for the wrongs of others, but in the context of Yom Kippur its origins reach back to the Exodus.

When Moses descended Mount Sinai carrying the Ten Commandments, he discovered the Israelites worshiping a golden calf. Their disobedience prompted God to establish Yom Kippur as a means of repentance and forgiveness. From then on, scapegoats became central to the rituals of atonement, offering a vivid reminder to both Jews and Christians of humanity’s natural inclination toward sin. Leviticus 16:10 describes how two identical goats were chosen.

One, designated “for the Lord,” was sacrificed for the sins of the people, its blood sprinkled on the Mercy Seat inside the Tabernacle. The other, designated “for Azazel,” became the scapegoat. The High Priest placed his hands on the goat’s head, confessed the sins of the entire community, and symbolically transferred those sins to the animal. The goat was then driven into the wilderness, often over a cliff, to ensure it never returned.

This ancient act pointed forward to Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the role of both goats. He shed His blood for atonement and removed sins far from us. Psalm 103:12 captures this promise: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” God’s majesty shines through these Old Testament festivals, which reveal a seamless story culminating in Christ. The study of both Testaments together illuminates the depth of His plan for redemption.

Two thousand years later, scapegoating continues in another form. It erupted 725 days ago, when Hamas launched its brutal massacres and unleashed an avalanche of propaganda. Within hours of the October 7, 2023, invasion, much of the world aligned with Hamas’s campaign of lies against Israel and Jews everywhere. Mainstream media amplified those lies, becoming accomplices rather than truth-tellers. They did not commit the murders, yet by uncritically repeating Hamas’s narratives they fueled more violence and antisemitism. Next Tuesday, October 7, marks the somber second anniversary of this attempted modern-day Holocaust.

Hostages remain in Gaza, some alive and others murdered. Food aid sits unused while Hamas manipulates civilians as pawns. Just last month, Hamas executed 20 Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel. Videos surface of them looting aid trucks, beating civilians, and shooting at international relief teams. Their cruelty is not hidden; it is celebrated.

Israel, meanwhile, makes unprecedented efforts to protect civilians, even evacuating more than 7,000 Palestinians for medical care. Yet the world relentlessly blames Israel for everything. Hamas exploits Israel’s warnings to civilians, urging people to stay put so they can become human shields. Of course, no nation is without fault, but Israel and the Jewish people have become the world’s scapegoats in a new wave of hatred that seeks their destruction. The chilling chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” echoes the age-old desire to wipe them off the map.

History’s darkest strategies, once employed by the Nazis, now reappear as a thick black cloud over the world. Will the United Nations, global leaders, and international media outlets repent of their complicity? Even some Christians, Jews, and Muslims deny or ignore the reality that Hamas proudly uses hostages and civilians as shields.

For Christians especially, this is not only a geopolitical conflict but a spiritual one, waged both in the heavenlies and on earth against the God of Israel, the Author of the Bible. Scapegoating Israel is ultimately a rejection of the truth God entrusted to the Jewish people, including the birth of the Messiah through a Jewish virgin.

Psalm 103:12 reminds us of the mercy we receive through Christ.

On this Yom Kippur, we invite you to join CBN Israel in sharing truth, standing against scapegoating, and lifting prayers for Israel.

Prayer Points:

• Praise God for atoning for our sins through Jesus.
• Pray for Israelis as they face the painful two-year anniversary of October 7, 2023.
• Pray for the members of the IDF risking their lives in Gaza City.
• Pray for the families of the 913 IDF soldiers, sailors, and airmen who died defending their nation during Operation Swords of Iron.

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.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Am Israel Chai! The people of Israel live against all odds. With this week’s arrival of Rosh Hashanah, the “Head of the Year,” the nation of Israel is celebrating its 5786th year. Since the attacks of October 7, 2023, this ancient declaration has taken on deeper meaning. It has become a cry of defiance, resilience, and solidarity.

Not speaking as a prophet but as an observer, it is clear that a convergence of global events is unfolding. These events are marked by both hope and hate.

Hopes are reflected in the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, also known as “the birthday of the world,” which rabbinic tradition identifies as the day God created Adam and Eve. Prior to the holiday’s arrival on September 22, fifty thousand people gathered at the Western Wall for Selichot, prayers of forgiveness recited as spiritual preparation for the High Holy Days. Voices lifted petitions for the return of hostages, both living and deceased, and for the protection of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers engaged in the ongoing fight against the hatred of Hamas.

The year 5786 opened with celebration. Rosh Hashanah, which began at sundown on September 22 and concluded after nightfall on September 24, was observed with the sounding of the shofar on both mornings of the holiday and the traditional dipping of apples in honey to symbolize a sweet year ahead.

Events of hatred converged at the same time. One example is found in the continued hostility of the United Nations toward Israel. The U.N. Security Council deliberately scheduled its first briefing on the Hamas-instigated war to coincide with Rosh Hashanah. The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which includes Iran, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, and Algeria, pressed for this timing, knowing that many Israeli officials would be unable to attend.

Once again, the eighty-year-old United Nations, originally created to foster peace and cooperation after World War II, has strayed far from the noble intentions set forth in its founding documents. According to the Charter’s preamble, its mission is to prevent war, uphold human rights, and advance justice and cooperation among nations. In reality, it has failed to achieve these aims.

The U.N.’s refusal to acknowledge the obvious fact that Hamas launched the war on October 7, 2023, explains Israel’s emphatic rejection of last week’s vote for a Palestinian state. Although the vote called for a peaceful settlement for Gazan Palestinians, none of the 142 nations supporting it expressed willingness to resettle them. Under the Trump administration, the United States continued to oppose a two-state solution in Israel.

On September 21, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that leaders recognizing a Palestinian state after the October 7 massacre “are granting an enormous prize to terror.” He added, “It will not happen.” He also reminded the world that Israel has “doubled Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria.”

Despite the persistent animosity of the U.N. General Assembly, numerous sources of hope reveal the resilience of the Jewish people. Several developments in Israel’s military realm, both technological and human, are remarkable.

One breakthrough is Israel’s Iron Beam, a high-powered laser weapon that intercepts and destroys rockets, mortars, aircraft, and UAVs. Scheduled for deployment by the end of 2025, the Iron Beam will make Israel the first nation in the world to employ laser interception for air defense. This unprecedented technological achievement will join Israel’s existing systems, including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow. The Iron Beam will bear the name “Ohr Eitan” (Eitan’s Light), in memory of Captain Eitan Oster, a heroic officer killed in southern Lebanon. Captain Oster’s father was one of the system’s chief developers. Another striking advantage of the Iron Beam is cost: while a single Iron Dome interceptor missile costs around $100,000, the new laser system neutralizes threats for only a few shekels per use.

Amir Baram of the Ministry of Defense emphasized the innovation’s global importance: “For the first time in history, we have the ability to fight with beams of light.”

Another source of hope is the IDF’s Lone Soldiers program. Over the past two years, more than 5,000 young men and women from over 60 nations have left their homes and families to defend the world’s only Jewish homeland. After October 7, their hearts were stirred to fly to Israel and put on the uniform of the IDF. They now serve alongside native-born Lone Soldiers, young Israelis who were orphaned or estranged from their families. What unites them all is an uncommon sense of purpose and a willingness to sacrifice for something greater than themselves.

A further convergence of hope was seen in the September 21 Memorial Gathering for Charlie Kirk. Though he did not wear an IDF uniform, Charlie believed that God had called him to lead a generation of students to love God and the United States. He was also a steadfast advocate for Israel and the Judeo-Christian faith.

After his second visit to Israel in 2019, he was interviewed by Israeli broadcaster Yishai Fleisher, international spokesperson for the Jewish community of Hebron. Charlie drew a sharp distinction between the IDF’s moral restraint and Hamas’s cruelty. He admitted that although he had considered himself pro-Israel before visiting, Western media had influenced his perspective until he saw Israel for himself. He observed that Israel’s disengagement from Gaza in 2005, when Jewish residents were forcibly removed from their homes, was “the biggest mistake Israel ever made.” His most piercing question was simple yet profound: “How can anyone occupy their own land?”

Though Charlie’s voice is missed, his legacy continues. Millions have been inspired to pursue righteous activism. His memorial service broke records, with Turning Point USA estimating over 100 million views, and the numbers are still rising. The proclamation of the Good News of Jesus’ sacrificial love reverberated worldwide, carried by leaders in ministry and politics.

Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow and now CEO of Turning Point USA, spoke words of forgiveness that reflected the heart of Christ. “That young man… I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it’s what Charlie would do. I forgive the man who killed my husband.”

The CBN Israel team invites you to join us in prayer and to be a bold voice for truth!

Prayer Points:

• Pray for a safe Israel during their High Holy Days.
• Pray for IDF members on the ground in Gaza City during their daunting operation.
• Pray for Erika Kirk, her children, and Turning Point USA.
• Pray for the IDF to locate hostages, whether living or deceased.
• Pray for a total victory over Hamas.

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.