ARTICLES

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Last Friday, twenty freed hostages sat down with families and friends for their first weekly Shabbat since terrorists kidnapped them and forced them into the tunnels of Gaza. Amid joy, tears, and shock, familiar customs and rituals gradually returned. Candle lighting, the reciting of ancient Hebrew prayers, and favorite dishes served with fresh ingredients filled the evening. Surreal conversations began to replace memories of darkness and deprivation as survivors struggled to recount their harrowing captivity.

Mainstream media would do well to pay close attention, as if they were sitting at those Shabbat tables or in a courtroom listening to witnesses whose testimony of evil is undeniable. For the past two years, mainstream outlets have launched a dangerous kind of journalism across cyberspace and its allied social media platforms.

I have named this phenomenon rogue reporting. The word “rogue” can have many meanings, but here it describes those who misuse their position or authority with destructive results. Rogue reporters chose to promote lies from Hamas, the aggressor, over facts from Israel, the victim. Their decisions helped spread a violent cancer of Jew hatred that has now metastasized across the world.

As more truths emerge from freed hostages and their families, will the media listen? Will they choose reliable sources such as the survivors themselves, Israeli leaders, and the IDF? Or will they continue to echo terrorist propaganda? Will they repair their platforms by returning to facts and integrity? Will they consult Christian media outlets that have long recognized the difference between good and evil?

This article touches on only a few stories among many. Will mainstream media share them widely and acknowledge the damage caused by giving credibility to terrorist lies?

Survivor stories are difficult to hear, but facts must rise above falsehoods. Each survivor endured unique cruelties, and nothing can erase their suffering and inhumane treatment, whether they were freed earlier or among the most recent group of twenty living hostages.

Rom Braslavski, a religious Jew, is piecing together two lost years. When he first saw his little brother, he did not recognize him, remembering him still as a boy. Among his many sorrows, Rom was devastated to have missed his brother’s bar mitzvah.

Like Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s cruelty defied comprehension. Rom survived in almost total isolation, sustained by the psalms he had memorized long before. At times, he was confined near the bodies of those who had perished. Chained inside a small cage for months, he endured agonizing pain in his hands and feet. When terrorists demanded that he convert to Islam in exchange for more food, Rom summoned the strength to refuse.

Upon arriving at the hospital after his release, he put on tefillin, small black leather boxes containing Scriptures, bound to his head and arm as a symbol of devotion to God. His family shared that he now prefers to be outside, looking at the sky. Supporters from around the world are sending him photographs of their own sky views as tokens of solidarity and hope.

Rom’s reliance on the psalms in such torment reminds us that Judaism formed the cradle of Christianity. The Old and New Testaments are one sacred book. God spoke through Jewish scribes who wrote and preserved the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament, and Jewish believers added twenty-seven books that became the New Testament. Rom’s faith amid suffering stands as a message for all believers. Without Judaism as God’s chosen foundation, Christianity would not exist. God’s unconditional love is a gift to both Christians and Jews who seek Him with repentant hearts through the Messiah, despite our human failures and flaws.

Another story that shocked Israel and its supporters involved Evyatar David. Hamas forced him to dig his own grave for a propaganda video after starving him nearly to death. So emaciated that his ribs and shoulders protruded, Evyatar’s image was used to pressure Israel. When the filming ended, the terrorists finally gave him food. A few days after his release, a photo showed Evyatar playing his guitar with friends as the sun set over the Mediterranean Sea. The twenty-four-year-old Israeli was once again surrounded by freedom, beauty, and music.

Many other accounts reveal both cruelty and courage. Elkana Bohbot was shackled in darkness for most of his captivity and lost all sense of time. His mother said that at one point, he asked his captors for a needle, thread, and scrap of fabric so he could sew a teddy bear for his young son Re’em. When Elkana arrived at Sheba Medical Center, he carried the handmade toy into a tearful family reunion.

Matan Angrest suffered psychological torment as his captors lied about his family and “treated” his severe hand injuries without anesthesia. Terrorists also deliberately starved hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, boasting about turning their captives into “poster children of skin and bones.”

Israeli digital creator Yael Levontin described Hamas’s inhumanity as “the horror that defied humanity.” She wrote, “Because the terrorists burned bodies, tore people apart, and left behind only ashes and bone, Israel had to do something it had never done before: summon archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority, experts in ancient civilizations, to help identify the murdered.” One archaeologist explained, “We can recognize bones that are thousands of years old by texture and shape. But this was different. Bone fused with metal, plastic, teeth, and ash. This is not science. It is agony.”

Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and their allies have descended into a hatred that thrives on crimes against humanity.

After reading many hostage stories, I am compelled to suggest this: rogue reporting should be recognized as a modern form of complicity, an accessory to crimes against truth and humanity. Will mainstream media turn away from their Nazi-like adherence to Hamas propaganda that has endangered Jews worldwide?

On October 7, 2023, the terrorists gleefully recorded their atrocities on body cameras. Now, we have the testimonies of survivors who lived through the horror. Their stories are not joyful, but they are essential. They must be heard.

As Christians, we must commit ourselves to truth. We are called to pass on verified facts, not propaganda. We have our own trustworthy Christian media sources such as CBN News, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, AllIsrael.com, The 700 Club Israel, The Watchman with Erick Stakelbeck and Yair Pinto, Boots on the Ground at TBN, and Amir Tsarfati at Behold Israel.

Proverbs 12:22 reminds us, “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.” May we be those truth-tellers who honor God by speaking facts, not falsehoods.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to join us in prayer and to share this message widely.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for the recovery and healing of all freed hostages.
• Pray for families still waiting to receive the bodies of their loved ones.
• Pray for wisdom for Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump.
• Pray for Christians to stand boldly for truth in every arena of life.

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

I confess, I am a woman who rarely cries. But October 13, 2025, was different for me. It was a historic day with modern Israel in their ancient land and every living hostage freed after two long years in Israel’s longest war. It was a moment to release my pent-up tears of joy as a Christian Zionist, an American, a columnist, author, and advocate for our irreplaceable ally Israel for 25 years. October 13, 2025, will endure in world history, engraved in the hearts of every Israeli and in those of us who recognize God’s sovereign hand in world affairs.

Although I was not on the ground in Israel, I was there in spirit and with rapt attention. Watch parties took place throughout the country, and 400,000 Israelis stood all night in and around Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, anxious that Hamas might cruelly change its mind at the last moment. Through media coverage, I witnessed the truth, beauty, and reality of prayers answered from millions of Christians standing united with the Jewish community around the world.

As vehicles carrying the freed hostages passed out of Gaza, members of the Israel Defense Forces lined the roads holding high the familiar blue and white flags of their nation. They stood both in celebration and in solemn remembrance of 915 fallen soldiers and thousands more who were injured while defending their homeland. Seven hundred twenty-eight days of captivity had come to an end through close collaboration between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, whose strategies advanced the President’s peace plan to its next stage.

After traveling by vehicle and then by helicopter, the freed hostages, viewed as precious cargo by the entire nation, were received at three hospitals specially prepared for their arrival. Crowds gathered, sang, and cheered as the hostages walked into freedom. At the same time, President Trump landed in Israel for a four-hour official visit before continuing to Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, to sign the peace declaration. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to attend, but he declined because it was Simchat Torah, “the joy of the Torah.” It was on Simchat Torah in 2023 that Hamas had viciously attacked Israel along the Gaza border.

When President Trump arrived at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed him warmly. President Trump first met with families of the kidnapped, the wounded, and those bereaved by the October 7 attacks. He listened with compassion in the Chagall State Hall, whose walls display Marc Chagall’s magnificent tapestries depicting the story of Israel, ancient and modern. The meeting reflected deep empathy in a setting that has rarely hosted such personal and emotional moments.

Later, President Trump stepped to the podium in the Knesset to a long and enthusiastic standing ovation. I found myself applauding along with the crowd as a trumpet fanfare sounded and cheers filled the chamber. He waved toward the balcony where his daughter Ivanka sat beside her husband Jared Kushner, one of the peace agreement’s key architects. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and other U.S. officials sat nearby.

Amir Ohana, Speaker of the Knesset, presided over the gathering, which was filled with applause and repeated standing ovations. In his remarks, Ohana described President Trump as “a giant of Jewish history, that Cyrus the Great would be the only parallel.” He added, “We do not need appeasers; we need more leaders who are brave. We need more Trumps.”

Introducing Prime Minister Netanyahu, Ohana praised him for “making the hard decisions.” Netanyahu responded by calling Trump “the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House. There is no match for Trump.” In his address, President Trump declared, “This is the historic dawn of a golden age in the Middle East. We are giving thanks to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

When the reunions of freed hostages with their families began circulating in the media, I cried again as I watched their embraces, shouts, and prayers of thanksgiving. Yet I also grieved for the families who lost loved ones in the Israel Defense Forces, for those who were severely injured, and for civilians murdered on October 7 or who died during captivity. Psalm 34:18 offers a profound way to pray for them and for all of Israel: “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Each of the twenty reunions, and all those that came before, stand as a testament to the endurance of Israel and the steadfast friendship of the United States under Donald J. Trump. Before Bar Kupershtein was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, his father, Tal, suffered a stroke that left him in a wheelchair. He held on to one goal: to stand and embrace his son when Bar came home. On October 13, 2025, Tal rose from his wheelchair and fulfilled that dream. The family of Segev Kalfon did not know he had survived until February, when another released hostage told them. Even then, they could not be certain until October 13. Their reunion erupted in tears, joy, and gratitude.

Amid the joy sweeping through Israel, a shadow remains. Hamas delayed the release of twenty-eight bodies of hostages who had died in captivity. Their claims that they cannot locate all the bodies may be another cruel manipulation meant to prolong the pain. Only God knows the truth. May He show mercy in the months ahead. And may we as Christians fulfill our calling as true friends of Israel, our spiritual homeland, trusting in the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to join us in prayer for Israel amid both joy and sorrow.

Prayer Points:

• Pray with thanksgiving for the twenty freed hostages.
• Pray for families still grieving and waiting for the return of their loved ones’ remains.
• Pray for supernatural wisdom for President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu in Phase II of the peace plan.
• Pray for the families of the 915 IDF soldiers who gave their lives for their nation.
• Pray for the physical and emotional healing of injured IDF members.

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.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

A global phenomenon is unfolding, and once again God turns evil into good. Thousands of years ago, Joseph offered this perspective. Betrayed by his brothers and left to die, Joseph rose to prominence in Egypt as Pharaoh’s second-in-command. When he reunited with his brothers, he declared, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20).

The assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, magnifies today’s spiritual confrontation between good and evil. No one could have foreseen that one act of hatred would generate such an immense eruption of grief around the world. Charlie Kirk’s legacy is igniting a fresh movement of faith and courage in the minds and hearts of Christians and others alike. Executed for speaking truth, Charlie’s voice on earth has been silenced, yet untold millions are pledging their voices to carry forward his courageous love for Jesus, his devotion to America, and the Judeo-Christian principles he championed.

Within 48 hours of Charlie’s death, Turning Point USA received 37,000 inquiries about starting new chapters in high schools and colleges. The interest suggests exponential growth, continuing his mission “to lead the fight to save America.” Charlie helped mentor a new generation, demonstrating that truth must never be silenced, courage is contagious, and freedom must be defended at all costs.

Across the globe, countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Hungary, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and India have held vigils, lit candles, and sung hymns as vast crowds wept. The Polish Parliament paused to hold a moment of silence and prayer in his honor. 

President Donald Trump offered a heartfelt tribute: “No one understood or had the heart of the youth in the United States better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by all, especially me, and now he is no longer with us. Melania and my sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika and family. Charlie, we love you.” President Trump also announced that Charlie will receive a posthumous Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu honored him as well: “Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization. We lost an incredible human being. His boundless pride in America and his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact. Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk.”

Israelis, aware of Charlie’s unwavering stance against antisemitism, expressed deep admiration and sorrow. After traveling to Israel for the U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem in 2018, Charlie returned in 2019 and declared, “The greatest trip I ever took was to Israel and the second greatest trip I ever took was to Israel.” Charlie frequently defended Israel on college campuses and in speeches. “I am a defender of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people. When I went to Israel, I saw the Bible come to life. We, as Christians, must honor the Jews.” He and his wife, Erika, even adopted the tradition of Shabbat for their family as a meaningful expression of faith.

Speaking at more college campuses than any other Christian conservative, Charlie often addressed misconceptions about Israel. “I am confronted many times by young Christians who believe that Israel is an oppressive apartheid state that should not exist in its current form. I am here to communicate clearly that we must do a much better job of conveying the geopolitical significance of the state of Israel. The world is a better place because of the state of Israel.” Charlie also condemned antisemitism in vivid terms. “Antisemitism is literally a brain rot that stops your ability to think independently, and you start blaming everything on a very small group of people. That has no place in decent society.”

The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed deep sorrow and gratitude for his unwavering support, posting a tribute video and writing, “Our hearts are with his loved ones during this painful time. May they find comfort in knowing how deeply his support was felt.” One vigil on a Tel Aviv beach displayed candles and a large sign reading, “When truth is feared, free speech is killed,” echoing Charlie’s warning: “When people stop talking, that’s when you get violence.” Miriam Feirberg, the mayor of Netanya, announced that a main square will be named in Charlie’s honor.

Charlie Kirk’s passing leaves the example of a modern Christian martyr. We would do well to recall one of his earlier observations, which now defines this moment: “You actually see what’s going on, that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and darkness and spirits, that there is a spiritual war here.” Charlie explained that this was the only way to make sense of “what the country is doing to itself.”

Will the millions of flames ignited by his death continue to burn like the memory of September 11, 2001? Let us memorize Jude 1:3, which urges us to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” We must run this spiritual race as if it were an Olympic event. Jesus handed His baton to Charlie. Will a new generation rise to grasp it and honor Jesus as Charlie did? Let us pray and act with purpose, no matter our age.

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to join us in prayer and to share what you have learned here.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for Charlie’s wife, Erika, their 3-year-old daughter, and their baby son.
• Pray for Turning Point staff as they grieve, yet with purpose go forward.
• Pray for awakenings among those who are making hateful comments.
• Pray for believers to stay aware of spiritual warfare yet enhance their reliance on the Holy Spirit’s strength and Scriptures.

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

Consider this extraordinary fact: Despite the plight of Palestinian Gazans, no Arab or Muslim country has offered to resettle them, even though 52 percent of these war-stricken people want to leave voluntarily, with some hoping to return at a later date. In a recent interview, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu generated controversy over Egypt’s Rafah Border Crossing, a flashpoint following the Hamas-instigated war of 2023. Egypt is one of several Arab nations refusing to help.

Heated exchanges erupted after the popular Telegram channel Abu Ali Express interviewed Prime Minister Netanyahu on September 5. Netanyahu accused Egypt of “imprisoning against their will residents in Gaza who want to leave a war zone.” His criticism was pointed. For years the Rafah Crossing, the southernmost passage between Gaza and Egypt, was an active route for smuggled goods. Netanyahu said he was willing to allow Gazans to leave through Rafah but explained that they “would then be blocked by Egypt.”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reacted with “utmost condemnation,” declaring, “Displacement is not an option and we will not allow it to happen.” He claimed there was “no legal or moral or ethical ground to evict people from their homeland.” Abdelatty then accused Israel of “committing genocide,” a false claim perpetuated by Hamas propaganda and embraced by millions. Meanwhile, for nearly two years, Egypt has known that thousands of semitrucks carrying tons of food were allowed into Gaza, though at times Egypt blocked their passage. Distribution of food aid has been obstructed by both Hamas and the United Nations. Hamas steals food at gunpoint, while UN agencies responsible for distribution often abandon the cargo, leaving it to spoil in the sun.

Hamas operates without conscience, fostering violence and chaos against its own population as well as against Jews and others who oppose its extremist agenda. Palestinians are used as human shields, and Hamas prevents much of the population from receiving international food aid worth billions of dollars. Why such waste? It serves Hamas’s propaganda. They starve Palestinians, then blame Israel. This is one of their most destructive strategies. The reality is that the Israel Defense Forces are the only military in the world that warns civilians before attacks. Yet these warnings give Hamas time to prepare ambushes, costing IDF soldiers more lives. Humanitarian aid intended for civilians is instead stolen by Hamas, which then resells it at enormous profit to the very people it is meant to help.

The warrior King David wrote in Psalm 34:14, “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” The regimes that hate Jews do not embrace peace. Israel has pursued peace countless times, yet to no avail. Today Israel fights for peace not only for itself but for the free world.

The 1979 peace agreement between Egypt and Israel still influences regional policy. Yet little criticism is directed at Egypt’s Rafah Crossing, as the media routinely blame Israel instead. Gaza shares borders only with Israel and Egypt. Both countries closed their crossings in 2006 and 2007. Egypt’s fortified wall along the Gaza border is not new, but in February 2024 satellite images revealed that Egypt quietly began strengthening it. A massive 16-foot-high wall, reinforced with steel and concrete and extending 18 feet underground to block tunnels, was built around its eight-square-mile buffer zone. The wall is also equipped with electronic sensors.

Egypt’s refusal to resettle Palestinians stems largely from national security concerns. Hamas, founded in 1987 as an offshoot of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, has long threatened the region with violence. Egypt, the United States, and the European Union classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. Yet when Israel points to the same facts, the mainstream media and the United Nations often ignore or distort the truth about the world’s only Jewish homeland.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has supported Egypt’s refusal, warning that resettling Gazans in Egypt would be “catastrophic” for both parties. Egypt also fears that Gazans would remain permanently. While the UN calls resettlement catastrophic, it continues to promote the two-state solution, which would be catastrophic for Israel. Recent violence illustrates the reality: two Palestinian terrorists from the West Bank murdered six Israelis at a bus stop near Jerusalem. For Israel, the two-state solution is no longer a viable option.

Egypt’s refusal is echoed by Jordan, Turkey, and Qatar. Although Algeria and Kuwait support Hamas politically, they too have offered no resettlement. The United Arab Emirates has shown compassion by building a city for medical treatment and offering temporary sanctuary for injured Gazans, but it firmly rejects permanent resettlement. Why do Arab nations refuse? History provides the answer. Under Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian Liberation Organization was expelled from Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Tunisia for spreading chaos and terror. The same patterns continue today under Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

The reality is clear. Any attempt by Arab nations, or by Israel, to resettle Palestinians invites the risk of instability and disaster.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6) and to share these truths with family, friends, and churches.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for the IDF as they carry out Operation Gideon’s Chariots II in Gaza City.
• Pray for the families of hostages, whether their loved ones are alive or dead.
• Pray for increased unity between Christians and Jews, and for prayer to lead to action.
• Pray for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his cabinet to make wise decisions during Rosh Hashanah, September 22-24.

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

After a recent U.S. State Department decision, much of the world has reacted with outrage, vehemently opposing what is in reality a prudent and long-overdue American policy. The cause of the uproar? The Department of State (DOS) has revoked visas for Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 PA officials, preventing them from attending the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York City, scheduled for September 9 to 23.

The DOS statement affirmed: “It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) and PA (Palestinian Authority) accountable for failing to honor their commitments and for undermining prospects for peace.” It further emphasized that only groups that “consistently repudiate terrorism, including the October 7 massacre, and end incitement to terrorism in education” can be regarded as credible partners for peace.

There is historical precedent for such a move. The United States has denied visas to foreign leaders before. In 1988, for instance, PLO chairman Yasser Arafat was denied entry, prompting the UN General Assembly to relocate its session to Switzerland.

So, what lies behind this September decision? Mahmoud Abbas, now 89, was elected Palestinian Authority president in 2009. Since then, he has refused to hold new elections or meet face to face with any Israeli prime minister for peace talks, a stalemate that has lasted 16 years. The pattern of destructive choices traces back eight decades to when the United Nations passed one of its most consequential resolutions: Resolution 181.

Although adopted in a secular context, Resolution 181 aligned with Israel’s biblical promises. On November 29, 1947, the UN voted to partition British-ruled Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab.

The Arab world immediately rejected the proposal, refusing to accept any arrangement that recognized a Jewish state. On May 14, 1948, as Israel declared independence, Arab nations launched a war against the fledgling and ill-equipped state. Against all odds, Israel prevailed.

The Jewish people, in contrast, accepted the imperfect yet promising partition plan. Through decades of labor and determination, they transformed deserts into fertile lands, pioneered life-saving innovations, and built a thriving nation. Today, at 77 years old, Israel stands as a free, prosperous, and innovative state.

Meanwhile, decades of Palestinian refusal have layered conflict upon conflict, an unbroken legacy of rejectionism.

This year, the United Nations’ General Assembly convenes under the theme: “Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.” The stated aim: “To address complex global challenges, build consensus, and forge partnerships for a more equitable and sustainable future.”

Yet the UN’s track record tells a different story. Its disproportionate criticism of Israel, coupled with endless slanderous resolutions, has undermined true progress. Instead of directing more energy toward the world’s worst human rights abusers, the UN has persistently targeted one of its most democratic and innovative member states.

UN Watch, a non-profit watchdog that holds the UN accountable to its founding principles, provides a sobering perspective. Reviewing the UN Human Rights Council’s record from 2006 through 2024, UN Watch notes that the body passed 108 resolutions against Israel, compared to 45 against Syria, 15 against Iran, 10 against Russia, and only 4 against Venezuela. The imbalance is staggering. Very simply, the UN does not hold dictatorships to the same standard it imposes on Israel.

The popularization of the term “Palestinians” can be traced largely to Yasser Arafat, the Egyptian-born founder of the PLO and the architect of modern terrorism. He mentored Mahmoud Abbas, embedding in him the same strategy of weaponizing victimhood.

Arafat promoted the identity of a “Palestinian people” beginning in the late 1960s, using it as a tool to delegitimize Israel. Western leaders, too often naïve, elevated him, and later Abbas, as supposed freedom fighters. But Arafat’s true goal was always the destruction of Israel. Today, Abbas and other Palestinian leaders continue policies that perpetuate refugee status, incite hatred, and even promote genocide.

The State Department’s decision becomes clearer when considering the PA’s destructive policies. The PLO and PA have consistently undermined peace while glorifying violence. Three examples illustrate this:

1. “Pay-for-Slay” Rewards for Murder – When a Palestinian kills an Israeli or even an American, the Abbas regime rewards the terrorist’s family with generous stipends, sometimes amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 2016, U.S. veteran Taylor Force was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist while visiting Tel Aviv with his Vanderbilt MBA study group. This prompted bipartisan passage of the Taylor Force Act in 2018, which sought to cut U.S. aid to the PA until it ended such payouts. Yet corruption prevails. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies reported that after Abbas supposedly reduced these payments in February 2025, Israel released 316 terrorists during a ceasefire, while Hamas released 33 hostages. The terrorists walked free as millionaires, receiving a staggering 142 million dollars in PA funds.
2. Elevating Terrorists as Role Models – The PA and PLO routinely glorify terrorists as “martyrs.” Streets, schools, and public squares bear their names. In Ramallah, “Martyr Dalal Mughrabi Square” honors the woman who led the murder of 37 Israelis, including 12 children. In 2015, Nablus unveiled a monument shaped like Israel to honor Naif Abu Sharakh, a commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.
3. Indoctrinating Children Through Education – The Palestinian education system is steeped in incitement. Palestinian Media Watch has documented countless examples. On National Reading Day, for instance, schoolgirls read Hanadi in the Restaurant of Horror, a book glorifying a female suicide bomber who murdered 21 Israelis in Haifa. Despite international outcry, these materials remain entrenched in PA schools.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman captured the moment well on X: “Only the United States under President Trump has come to Israel’s aid during this 7-front war. The UN has aided and abetted Hamas, as has the International Red Cross. Western Europe and Canada have abandoned Israel. Only a few true friends remain.”

The battle is not merely political, it is spiritual. As Deuteronomy 14:2 declares: “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.” God chose Israel not for its merit but as a vessel of His redemptive plan, culminating in the arrival of our Jewish Savior. This truth binds faithful Christians and Jews as those who are truly “Better Together.”

We invite you to join our CBN Israel team in prayer, and in sharing truth to counter the lies spread against Israel at the United Nations.

Prayer Points:

• Pray with thanks to God for His unchanging promises to Israel and to us.
• Pray for U.S. Secretary of State Rubio as he leads with wisdom and resolve.
• Pray for continued success for UN Watch in holding the UN accountable.
• Pray for UN delegates to make just and wise decisions regarding Israel.
• Pray for deeper unity between Jews and Christians to stand firm together.

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 

Recently, the topic of gaslighting has been gaining enormous interest worldwide. In fact, in 2022 the Merriam-Webster Dictionary chose gaslighting as its Word of the Year—based on an increase of 1,740 percent over internet searches the year before. That increase reflected widespread concern about wild conspiracy theories, “fake news,” and rampant misinformation being disseminated.

The term comes from the 1944 suspense film Gaslight, in which a man uses diabolical techniques to convince his wife that she’s going mad. And, after Hamas’s horrific invasion on October 7, 2023, instances of gaslighting have continued to explode across social media accessible worldwide—lies reaching approximately 5.24 billion people, or nearly 64 percent of the global population.

Interestingly, the Gaslight film was released during Hitler’s reign of terror. Hitler’s appointed media architect, Joseph Goebbels, controlled all the media that existed at the time—radio, newspapers, and film. Goebbels’ official title, German Reich Minister of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment, was not obscure; the word “propaganda” proclaimed his purpose. Nevertheless, Germans did not grasp reality—or the fact that Goebbels had gradually manipulated them with lies about Germany’s and Europe’s Jewish population. 

Hitler coined the phrase “the big lie” during his 1924 imprisonment, while writing Mein Kampf. He described the big lie as “so colossal” that no one would believe that someone “could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.” And indeed, Hitler and Goebbels—with too few brave exceptions—deceived the public. As experts in gaslighting the German population, they watched their lies eventually shape the culture into allowing or denying the Holocaust (Shoah).

Too many in our modern world are imitating most Germans 80 and 90 years ago—people who readily swallowed Goebbels’ dangerous lies against Jews. As a case in point: For nearly two years, Hamas media has successfully manipulated facts about the events of October 7. The world’s mainstream media cooperates in this travesty by disseminating Hamas-created “facts.” 

They do no research, nor do they question Gazan press releases—and so the staged photos of emaciated children from other countries play on public emotions rather than credible facts. Those emotions transition into irrational rage against Jews and Israel worldwide. Moreover, millions of minds packed with Jew-hatred choose not to question the fact that they are ingesting so-called “news” promoted by the evildoers themselves. Gaslighting reverses accusations against the perpetrators and blames the victims instead. The Nazi demonic spirit is overactive today. 

Reviewing the film Gaslight helps us understand various strategies. A psychological thriller, Gaslight featured superstars Ingrid Bergman (Paula) and Charles Boyer (Gregory) as newlyweds. Gregory’s romantic pursuit of Paula concealed his real plan. Gregory had murdered her famous opera-singer aunt years before. His marriage to Paula, the now-wealthy niece living in a Victorian London home that she inherited from her aunt, enabled him to continue his search for her aunt’s hidden jewels. He manipulated his unsuspecting wife into questioning her own sanity by creating peculiar happenings in their home. His elaborate strategies began in simple ways, such as when the home’s gaslights dimmed and then brightened repeatedly, thus the film’s name. 

Whenever Paula noticed odd events, Gregory convincingly charmed her into thinking she was imagining things—time after time. Gregory escalated by adding bullying to his deception. In her presence, with a smile, he placed small objects in her purse like his mother’s “alleged” brooch. He later removed it and then accused Paula of losing it. The deceptions climaxed dramatically when a perceptive detective reopened the Scotland Yard cold case. He investigated Gregory, discovered his crime, and arrested him. Paula was not losing her mind. She had been gaslighted. 

Countries and broad swaths of people are also targets deceived about Jews and Israel. Globally—in streets, on campuses, and at various events—psychological methods designed to manipulate facts are rampant. The method takes various forms—whether outright lying, blaming Israel for starting the Hamas war, or denying the October 7, 2023, massacre and atrocities despite massive evidence. Even when confronted with proof, gaslighters will deny their actions outright. Those wielding power, whether in mainstream media, Hamas terrorists, institutions like the United Nations, or politicians, can use their power for good or evil. Back in the eighth century B.C., the prophet Isaiah described our prevalent strategic chaos in Chapter 5, verse 20: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness. 

One example of gaslighting is denying reality when proof exists. Nowhere is this better explained than after Hamas terrorists used their body cams to record their own brutality on October 7, 2023—footage that later came to light. Israel’s Government Press Office and the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson’s unit invited over 100 members of international media—among them French, British, American, Australian, Indian, and Argentinian—to view the horrific Hamas recordings. The graphic footage was so sickening, some viewers left quickly because they found the brutal footage to be nauseating. Yet what was the outcome of that presentation? Where are those irrefutable facts now? In a dustbin of denial and neglect. 

Blaming Israel for Hamas evil is isolating Jews anywhere possible—questioning the credentials of supportive Jewish and Christian Israel advocates, as well as our perceptions. Another example of such gaslighting lies in the frequent photos from reliable sources that show tons of food for Gazans sitting inside Gaza, not distributed by the United Nations, which was tasked with delivering it. Accusing Israel of preventing food delivery? That’s gaslighting again, this time from the UN.

Psychologists deem gaslighting to be a learned trait. The hatred exhibited by the Islamic Regime, as well as by its surrogates like Hamas and among the Palestinian Authority, is a destructive lesson in brainwashing a population with loathing, which is then used to gaslight a naïve world. 

Clear-eyed individuals and certain nations are generally not vulnerable to gaslighting, but vigilance is essential. Bible-believing Evangelicals who view God’s covenants with Jews and Israel as eternal, embrace God’s biblical truths and trust His redemptive plan when it comes to Israel. Although not a perfect nation or a perfect people, Israel is the nation God chose to birth the Christian faith in the cradle of Judaism. After all, God is the original Zionist. 

Ingrid Bergman won an Academy Award for her performance in Gaslight. Her scene where Paula fully comprehended Gregory’s murder of her aunt and his ongoing deception was brilliant. In the end, filmmakers exposed Gregory’s convoluted schemes. 

After reading more about gaslighting, I encourage you to ask yourselves questions about the source of news you are reading. If it is the Gazan Health Ministry or Al Jazeera, the Qatar TV network, dismiss it. Remember that mainstream media’s sources are highly questionable. 

Consult reliable media based on facts, such as CBN Israel, CBN News, Jerusalem Dateline, Allisrael.com, The Watchman on TBN, and International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. I hope that all who have fallen under the spell of gaslighting will imitate Ingrid Bergman when she woke up to deception.

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to join us in prayer and to share this article with anyone you believe may have been a victim of gaslighting—or who might benefit from its insights.

Prayer Points 

• Pray for more Evangelicals to share reliable news about our spiritual homeland, Israel.
• Pray for the Israel Defense Forces in their current operations in Gaza City.
• Pray for 60,000 reservists deployed to Gaza to free hostages and bring Gideon’s Chariots II to a successful conclusion.

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 early connections, relationships, and responsibilities between the United States and Israel go deep, in a grand story mostly forgotten. That story starts in 1772—before we became a country—when a Polish-Jewish immigrant to the American colonies became a hero. At the request of General George Washington, Haym Salomon, a successful merchant, helped establish America during the Revolutionary War.

Although Salomon’s efforts were mostly unsung at the time, a commemorative stamp issued more than 200 years later, in 1975, described him as “responsible for raising most of the money needed to finance the American Revolution and later to save the new nation from collapse.” Despite a surge of antisemitism demonstrated by yelled insults, aggressive social media posts, and hostile actions, the ties that bind Israel and the United States together remain robust and mutually beneficial. As patriots—Salomon, a Jew, and Washington, a Gentile—the two men set the stage for the United States and Israel with a strong underlying bond of Judeo-Christian values.

Today, how is our relationship with Israel beneficial for the United States and vice versa? Let’s begin with the U.S. economy. The numerous deep connections between Israel and the U.S. are packed with trade benefits, including partnerships that support over 255,000 American jobs. Israel has contracts with over 1,000 companies in 48 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

The 1985 Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Israel was the United States’ first FTA and created a bonanza for both countries. In 2024, for example, goods and services traded rose to an estimated $55 billion. Keep in mind that Israel is called the “innovation nation” for a reason. Although the goods and services into the U.S. from Israel are too numerous to name, they include electrical, optical, photo, and technical devices, as well as electronic equipment, precious stones, medical instruments, and pharmaceuticals.

Here’s a little-known fact that is part of our annual congressionally approved security assistance to Israel: Both Democratic and Republican administrations have approved Israel’s aid. Despite repeated and heated disagreements in both the House and Senate, the final outcome rests on the benefits that this security aid adds to the safety of the United States.

Such security aid is often challenged—but it is essential to America. Since Israel gained modern independence in 1948, its enemies have forced the world’s ancestral homeland onto the front lines of freedom—fighting their enemies, which are also our enemies, when the Islamic Regime established its oppressive dictatorship in 1979. The Regime, the purveyor of international terror, views Israel as the “Little Satan” and the United States of America as the “Great Satan.”

For the U.S., Israel is the only democracy we can count on in an explosive region with their shared intelligence and counter-terrorism cooperation. The necessary weaponry manufactured in the U.S. not only directly creates over 20,000 American jobs, but Israel spends 75 percent of that security assistance within the U.S.—purchasing weapons and military equipment exclusively from American companies.

The U.S. State Department lists various military exercises with Israel, such as Juniper Oak and Juniper Falcon, plus joint research and weapons development. Bilateral defense cooperation agreements from 1952 onward reflect strong cooperation, which is necessary in a progressively perilous world.

Our strategic relationship with Israel also reaches into other sectors. Israel is a world leader in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and works with the United States to help prevent and treat PTSD in American troops. It is essential to know that Israel’s policy is to defend itself by itself—with no U.S. soldiers fighting on the ground in Israel.

If you are on a tour flying non-stop from New York to Tel Aviv about 6,000 miles away, it may seem surprising to learn that more than 2,500 U.S. businesses are in Israel. It is likely not on your itinerary but driving by Israeli locations and seeing huge logos affixed on buildings for Intel, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Apple, and others is an amazing example of Jerusalem’s ancient walls contrasted with modern U.S. corporations. Seeing these familiar names is a reminder that the mobile phones we hold in our hands depended on key Israeli components and advancements, even the ones used by Jew haters who have no idea that Israel had everything to do with this invention.

Collaboration with Israel isn’t limited to federal laws and initiatives. Individual states have enacted mutually beneficial agreements with Israel through organizations including the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD), established in 1977. BIRD provides grants to small businesses involved with software, instrumentation, communications, medical devices, and semiconductors.

Daniel 2:21 states that God “changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” God’s sovereignty is unchanging. Nevertheless, we must do our part to follow Moses and Esther, biblical role models for political advocacy. Moses’ persistent appeals to the Pharoah freed the Jews after 400 years. Esther’s brave request to King Ahasuerus saved the Jews from Haman’s murderous goal.

Two much-slandered organizations are key to providing ongoing U.S. congressional security aid, which is mutually beneficial for the United States and Israel. Two American organizations—the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Christians United for Israel (CUFI)—represent millions of Christian and Jewish activists who contact and educate members of the U.S. Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, to vote for Israel’s security aid favorable in multiple mutual benefits to both nations. Yes, it is “politics,” yet for a high calling.

Our times demand our attention and our activism politically, for the land God calls His own and for His chosen people whom He has not and will not abandon. 

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to join us in prayer this week and to share “wisdom and knowledge” with others.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for more U.S. citizens to interact with Congress in the footsteps of Moses and Esther.
• Pray for wise decisions in our government benefiting the U.S.-Israel relationship.
• Pray for AIPAC and CUFI for their successes in educating U.S. Congress members about our ally Israel.

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.