ARTICLES

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

For the first time in Israel’s modern history, the nation is under direct missile attack from the Islamic regime itself. As Passover approaches, Jewish families once again face the reality of observing their most sacred season under the shadow of war.

This is not the first time Israelis have endured violence during Passover. The nation remembers the 1948 War of Independence, the 2002 Passover massacre in Netanya, and the war that began on October 7, 2023. Yet Passover in 2026 carries a different weight. This time, the threat extends across the entire country.

Missiles from Iran have struck Tel Aviv, the north and south, Judea and Samaria, and even areas near Jerusalem. The Festival of Freedom, which celebrates deliverance from slavery in Egypt, is now marked by Red Alert sirens that interrupt prayers and family gatherings at all hours.

Even so, Passover continues. For more than 3,300 years, Jewish communities have observed this sacred tradition through exile, persecution, and return to their homeland. Today, families adapt by holding Seders in safe rooms and bomb shelters. Their circumstances may change, but their faith remains constant.

The disruption extends beyond Jewish observance. This season brings together significant events for all three monotheistic faiths. Christians observe Palm Sunday and prepare for Easter. Muslims continue their regular prayers, especially on Fridays at the Temple Mount.

Israel’s Declaration of Independence affirms the nation’s commitment to protect freedom of religion and safeguard holy sites for all faiths. It declares that the state will ensure equality, protect religious expression, and preserve sacred places. These principles are not symbolic. They are practiced daily, even under extraordinary pressure.

This year, however, security concerns have forced difficult decisions. Due to ongoing missile threats, Israel’s Home Front Command restricted access to key areas of Jerusalem’s Old City, including the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Old City presents unique challenges. Its ancient structures were not built with modern safety requirements, and there are very few protected shelters. Narrow streets and crowded pathways make rapid evacuation difficult. Missile fragments have already landed near these sacred sites, highlighting the danger.

To prevent loss of life, authorities closed areas that could become mass casualty locations. For the first time in modern history, the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem was canceled. Worshippers were unable to gather as they have for centuries. Access to Muslim prayer sites was limited, and Jewish worship at the Western Wall was temporarily restricted.

These measures reflect a difficult but necessary priority. Protecting life must come first.

At the same time, the broader conflict continues to intensify. According to Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, more than 400 missiles have been launched toward Israel since the escalation began. Despite the scale of these attacks, civilian casualties have remained relatively low, a reality many describe as remarkable given the circumstances.

In the town of Arad, a missile struck between two apartment buildings. Residents expressed both shock and gratitude. One said that seeing the damage made it clear they should not have survived. Another described the outcome as a miracle, noting that no lives were lost despite the destruction.

A similar pattern occurred in Dimona, where another strike caused injuries but no fatalities. Authorities confirmed that there was no radiation leak from nearby facilities. In both locations, dozens were injured, yet the absence of greater loss of life stood out.

These experiences reflect a broader national reality. Israelis continue to endure, adapt, and persevere under constant threat. Their resilience is evident in both daily routines and moments of crisis.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel is shifting its security posture, taking initiative rather than waiting for attacks. He emphasized that Israel is determined to defend itself and to confront those who seek its destruction.

As Passover and Palm Sunday unfold under these conditions, faith and tradition take on deeper meaning. In homes, shelters, and quiet moments of prayer, people continue to hold on to hope.

Psalm 121 reminds us of a powerful truth: “Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”

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

Prayer Points:

• Pray for the success and safety of ongoing military operations protecting Israel.
• Pray for the safety of CBN Israel staff and all civilians living under threat.
• Pray for creative and meaningful ways for Jews and Christians to observe their sacred traditions during this time.
• Pray for a deepening of faith and spiritual strength for all who live in 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.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

On a frigid morning in a Nazi prisoner of war camp during World War II, two hundred Jewish American soldiers had their future rewritten by five simple words.

In the final months of the war, Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds and twelve hundred soldiers of the 106th Infantry Division had been captured during the Battle of the Bulge. They were imprisoned at Stalag IX A in Ziegenhain, Germany. On January 27, 1945, the Nazi commander ordered Edmonds, the senior noncommissioned officer, to identify the Jewish soldiers in the formation.

The commander believed that about two hundred Jewish American soldiers were present. Edmonds knew what that meant. Jews separated from Allied prisoners were often sent to slave labor camps or executed.

Standing rigidly in the cold with his men, Edmonds faced the Nazi officer. The officer pressed a Luger pistol to his forehead and demanded that the Jewish soldiers step forward.

Edmonds calmly replied with five resolute words.

“We are all Jews here.”

Those words saved the lives of two hundred soldiers. Today, the descendants of those men number more than twenty thousand people.

On March 2, my husband Paul and I witnessed President Donald J. Trump award Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds the Medal of Honor posthumously in the White House East Room. Pentagon police transported guests on three buses for two Medal of Honor events. The first ceremony took place at the White House.

Reverend Chris Edmonds, the son of Roddie Edmonds and our longtime friend, invited us to attend this historic moment with his family and a small group of guests. That day, three noncommissioned officers were honored for extraordinary valor.

The evening before the ceremony, the families and invited guests gathered at the designated hotel. Military hosts welcomed everyone with a reception that included live jazz music and a generous buffet. Conversations with Pentagon personnel added to the sense of anticipation for the following day.

On the morning of March 2, security checks began at the hotel and continued at the White House. A military chamber orchestra greeted guests with ceremonial music as uniformed escorts guided us into the East Room.

Each guest received a program embossed with the seal of the United States. Inside was the official citation:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has posthumously awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Master Sergeant Roderick W. Edmonds, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

When the families of the honorees entered the room, everyone rose to their feet. Military escorts led them slowly down the center aisle to seats in the front row. Tears filled my eyes as the significance of the moment settled over the room.

President Trump had spent time privately with each family before the ceremony began. When the orchestra played Hail to the Chief and the president walked down the aisle toward the podium, the room fell silent. Army Chief Chaplain William Green Jr. delivered a moving invocation and benediction.

I have known Chris Edmonds since 2014, when he began advocating for his father to receive the Medal of Honor. His journey to uncover his father’s story began years after his father’s death. In 2015, Israel’s Yad Vashem recognized Roddie Edmonds as Righteous Among the Nations for saving Jewish lives during the Holocaust. In 2019, Chris and Douglas Century published the book No Surrender, which recounts those extraordinary events.

Several members of the president’s cabinet attended the ceremony, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins. Senior military leaders, generals, and enlisted service members were also present.

After the ceremony, guests were welcomed into another room in the White House for a reception. Long banquet tables were set with elegant arrangements of roses and generous servings of food. The atmosphere reflected both celebration and reverence.

Chris later shared that while investigating his father’s past, he sensed what he describes as a clear call from the Lord Jesus. He believes God led him to uncover the truth about his father’s courage.

The following day another motorcade escorted guests to Conmy Hall at Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall in Arlington for the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes Induction Ceremony.

The program displayed the names of the three honorees:

• Master Sergeant Roderick W. Edmonds of World War II
• Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis of Operation Enduring Freedom
• Command Sergeant Major Terry P. Richardson of the Vietnam War

The ceremony included remarks from senior leaders, the presentation of photographs and citations, the unveiling of the Hall of Heroes plaque, and the playing of the Army Song.

As the families spoke, the audience alternated between laughter and tears. Hearing Chris recount his father’s actions reminded everyone that courage often begins with a single decision.

On the night before the roll call in the prison camp, Edmonds instructed his men to stand together the next morning when the Nazis demanded that Jewish soldiers step forward.

Chris often reminds audiences that his father’s faith shaped that decision. As he explains in his speeches, the men stood united on behalf of their Jewish brothers.

Over the years Chris and his wife Regina have formed lasting friendships with some of the Jewish soldiers and their families. One of the most significant moments in Chris’s journey came in March 2013 when he met Sergeant Lester J. Tanner of New York City. Tanner’s father had been one of the soldiers saved in that camp.

After hearing the story, Tanner told Chris, “Your father deserves the Medal of Honor.”

Chris believes God’s providence guided that encounter.

Today he hopes to establish a nonprofit organization that will preserve his father’s legacy and inspire future generations to demonstrate courage and moral clarity. He also hopes that a feature film and additional books will bring this story to a wider audience.

Chris encourages people to join what he calls Roddie’s Regiment by doing what is right for God and humanity regardless of the risk or the cost.

The courage of Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds reminds us that moral conviction can change history. Five simple words spoken in a prison camp saved two hundred lives and shaped generations to come.

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

Prayer Points:

• Pray for American and Israeli troops confronting threats from the Islamic regime.
• Pray for families whose loved ones have sacrificed their lives in service.
• Pray with gratitude for Medal of Honor families whose courage inspires future generations.
• Pray for wisdom and safety for President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu.

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 digital war is being waged against Israel. Iran, Hamas, and other hostile actors employ cyber espionage, phishing schemes, malware, and attacks on infrastructure as part of their campaign to undermine and delegitimize the Jewish state.

Social media has become both a battlefield and a tool in this struggle. While it can spread misinformation quickly, it can also serve as a powerful platform for truth. The challenge is separating fact from falsehood. In response, the Israel Antiquities Authority has launched an innovative project that uses the digital world to reveal undeniable evidence of Israel’s ancient roots.

Last September, the Israel Antiquities Authority introduced the Israel National Archaeological Database, a free online resource available to scholars, students, journalists, and the general public. The database opens a vast window into the past.

Visitors are welcomed with an invitation to “jump into the past with one click.” It is the largest archaeological database of its kind in the world. The scope of the collection is remarkable. It contains nearly 3.9 million records, almost one million artifacts, more than 1.2 million images, and over 15,000 three dimensional models of sites and discoveries. Approximately 2,000 researchers maintain and expand the database.

Beyond its academic value, this digital treasure trove provides an important tool for anyone seeking to counter misinformation about Israel. The database allows users to quickly locate photographs, descriptions, and documentation that demonstrate the deep historical connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel. In an era when false claims circulate rapidly online, verifiable archaeological evidence offers a powerful response.

Free public access makes the database especially valuable. For years, Palestinian groups have removed artifacts from archaeological sites in attempts to erase or distort Jewish history. In some cases, international institutions have even adopted narratives that diminish Jewish ties to sacred locations. At the urging of the Palestinian Authority, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization renamed the Temple Mount and the Western Wall using only Arabic terminology.

In addition, hundreds of truckloads of soil containing ancient artifacts were removed from beneath the Temple Mount without proper archaeological supervision. Such actions threaten the preservation of priceless historical evidence. The Israel National Archaeological Database, along with enhanced protections for archaeological sites, helps safeguard the historical record and ensures that discoveries are properly documented.

Archaeology provides physical evidence of Israel’s ancient past. Each artifact uncovered from the soil tells a story about the people who lived there thousands of years ago. These discoveries confirm that the land of Israel has been the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people for millennia.

Since Israel’s rebirth as a modern state in 1948, archaeological research has expanded dramatically. New discoveries are made almost every year. By studying and sharing these findings, individuals can help counter misinformation and provide reliable historical context in a world often clouded by anti-Israel narratives.

Alby Malka, head of the Technologies Division at the Israel Antiquities Authority, explains the rigorous standards behind the process. “By Israeli law, every archaeological find that is uncovered must be reported, documented, and deposited in the National Archives.” Each item is carefully cataloged, labeled, photographed, and preserved. The result is a vast collection of ancient scrolls, coins, pottery, jewelry, and architectural remains that illuminate Israel’s past.

Malka describes the database as “a tool of paramount importance for scientific research, for preserving the country’s heritage, and for deepening public knowledge.” The project represents a major step forward that places Israel at the forefront of global archaeological research.

Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, emphasizes the broader significance of the effort. “This database reflects the great wealth of archaeological research carried out here, since this land has been a crossroads of human history.” He adds that the authority views itself as the guardian of the heritage of every culture and faith that has lived in the region. Preserving that legacy is both a moral responsibility and a legal mandate.

Many of the artifacts in the database provide direct testimony to the ancient Jewish presence in the land. Sometimes discoveries occur in unexpected ways. Children walking along a trail may find a two-thousand-year-old coin engraved with a menorah. At other times, construction projects reveal remarkable finds.

One such discovery occurred in 2009 near the Sea of Galilee. During construction work on Migdal Beach, workers uncovered the remains of a synagogue from the Second Temple period. Archaeologists called to the site discovered a carved limestone block with a beautifully engraved menorah. The artifact, now known as the Magdala Stone, is considered one of the most important archaeological discoveries in modern Israel. Scholars believe the artist who carved the menorah may have personally seen the golden menorah that once stood in the Temple in Jerusalem. Today, Magdala has become one of the most visited archaeological and spiritual sites in the region.

Another remarkable discovery emerged in Jerusalem in 2004. Workers repairing a street uncovered an opening that revealed an ancient stone roadway beneath the modern city. Excavations revealed the Pilgrim Road, a first century street built of massive limestone slabs. The road stretches approximately 1,760 feet and measures about twenty-six feet wide. It connects the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount.

After more than a decade of careful excavation and preservation, the Pilgrim Road opened to visitors in early 2026. In ancient times, Jewish pilgrims walked this road three times each year during the biblical festivals of Passover, Weeks, and Tabernacles. As they ascended toward the Temple, they sang the Psalms of Ascents found in Psalms 120 through 134. Today, visitors walking this path experience a tangible connection with the faith and history that shaped the land.

Archaeology continues to uncover the physical record of Israel’s past. Each discovery strengthens our understanding of the ancient world and confirms the deep historical roots of the Jewish people in their homeland.

The Israel National Archaeological Database now makes these discoveries accessible to anyone with an internet connection. In a digital age filled with misinformation, this remarkable resource provides a powerful reminder that history is not merely written in books. In Israel, it is literally written in stone.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to join us in prayer during this important season.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for the success of the new archaeological database as it informs the world about Israel’s historical record.
• Pray that journalists and media outlets will seek and report accurate information.
• Pray for protection of archaeological sites from theft and destruction.
• Pray for volunteers and researchers who participate in archaeological excavations throughout 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.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Global Jew hatred is rising at an alarming rate, yet the everyday realities that reveal the heart of Israeli society are often ignored.

For thousands of years, the Jewish story was intertwined with exile, persecution, and survival. Since the rebirth of the modern Jewish state in 1948, however, Israel has written a new chapter marked by innovation, resilience, and shared civic life. These successes are not achieved by Jews alone, but by a vibrant mosaic of citizens that includes Arabs, Christians, Druze, Bedouins, Ethiopians, and many others. The facts that follow are often overlooked, and that omission is itself an injustice.

Israel has sometimes been called a messy miracle. Like any nation, it is imperfect, yet it remains remarkably dynamic and good. With a population of approximately 7.4 million Jews and just over 2 million Arab citizens, tiny Israel demonstrates an outsized model of shared humanity. In a climate of distorted reporting, it is worth examining the reality on the ground.

Israeli Arab citizens are not outsiders. They are integral participants in the nation’s social, economic, and political life. In the north, the city of Haifa is frequently described as a model of shared society. With roughly 237,000 residents, Haifa is one of Israel’s most beautiful and industrious cities. It is home to the country’s largest and busiest seaport, serving as Israel’s primary gateway for international trade. Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Druze live in the same neighborhoods and work in the same professions.

At the University of Haifa, Arab students comprise about 40 percent of the student body, and 70 percent of those Arab students are women. Rambam Medical Center, the largest hospital in northern Israel, employs more than 6,000 staff members, including Jewish and Arab doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who serve patients together. During times of war, this cooperation becomes even more visible, as medical teams treat wounded soldiers and civilians side by side without regard to ethnicity or religion.

Modern Nazareth, located in the hills of the Lower Galilee, is Israel’s largest Arab majority city and is often called the Arab capital of Israel. Muslim Arabs, Christian Arabs, and a small Jewish community live and work together there. Muslim Arabs are prominent in commerce and municipal leadership. Christian Arabs administer many of Nazareth’s schools and social service institutions. Christian Arab students frequently achieve some of the highest academic results in the country.

Nazareth Baptist School, attended by both Christian and Muslim students, graduates young men and women who go on to become leaders in medicine, business, and education. Among Nazareth’s notable residents is Dr. Reverend Saleem Shalash, founder and pastor of Home of Jesus the King Church. For decades he has led humanitarian efforts that serve not only church members but also Jewish and Muslim neighbors. He often says, “Peace is not a concept. It is a person, and His name is Yeshua.”

The Israel Defense Forces also reflect this shared citizenship. For Jewish men and women, military service is mandatory after high school. For Arab citizens, service is voluntary. Nevertheless, thousands of Christian Arabs, Bedouin Muslims, and Druze choose to serve. Many rise to senior and elite positions.

Lieutenant Colonel Ihab Shlayan, a Greek Orthodox officer from Nazareth, became the IDF’s first Christian officer at that rank in a sensitive security role. Lieutenant Colonel Nader Eyada, a Bedouin Muslim battalion commander, spoke clearly after the October 7 Hamas atrocities: “Islam does not approve raping women, killing the elderly, and kidnapping children. Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews are fighting shoulder to shoulder, and we will eliminate Hamas and protect our home, the State of Israel.” His words remind the world that terrorism does not define Islam and that Israeli Arabs are full partners in defending their country.

The Druze community represents another powerful example of shared destiny. Druze citizens, who practice a distinct monotheistic faith, requested formal alliance with Israel in 1956. Their partnership is often described as a blood covenant because Druze soldiers have served and fallen in every major conflict in Israel’s history. Today, Druze men are required to serve in the IDF, making them the only major non-Jewish community with mandatory service. Their loyalty and sacrifice are deeply respected throughout Israeli society.

Israel’s story is complex and often misunderstood. Yet within its complexity stands a clear truth. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and others build hospitals together, serve in the military together, study in universities together, and innovate together. Shared humanity is not a slogan in Israel. It is lived reality.

In a world fractured by division, Israel offers a model of imperfect but determined unity. Its foundation is not sameness but shared purpose. As Pastor Priscilla Shirer has said, “Unity does not mean sameness. It means oneness of purpose.” That spirit reflects the biblical exhortation in Ephesians 4:3 to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to join us in prayer and to share these often-neglected facts about a nation whose diversity is one of its greatest strengths.

Prayer Points:

• Pray that others will recognize and learn from Israel’s example of unity with shared purpose.
• Pray for strength and safety for every Israeli citizen.
• Pray for evangelicals to understand the urgency of sharing accurate information about Israel.
• Pray for IDF soldiers serving in ongoing conditions of war.

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 word Zion (Hebrew Tzion, pronounced tzee-YOHN) appears more than one hundred and fifty times in the Bible. It is used for fortress, monument, the City of David, the City of God, and Jerusalem itself. Across the centuries, Zion has carried deep spiritual meaning, representing God’s promises and His enduring covenant with the Jewish people.

Zionism is simply the belief that the Jewish people have the right to self-determination in their historic homeland, the right of Israel to exist. Yet those who reject that truth have spent decades trying to distort the term, turning “Zionist” into a word of scorn. The irony is that the Jewish people’s four-thousand-year journey, culminating in their modern rebirth in 1948, is one of history’s greatest miracles. Still, Israel must remain vigilant to preserve its security, survival, and identity amid a rising tide of anti-God, anti-Bible, and anti-Jewish hatred.

A hopeful and living example of Zionism can be found at Ariel University, located in Israel’s biblical heartland. The institution embodies the true meaning of Zionism: faith, innovation, and opportunity rooted in ancient history. It stands as proof that Zionism uplifts not only the Jewish people but also humanity.

Recently, I spoke with Maya Berretta, Ariel University’s resource development manager, about this remarkable campus. What began as a small college in 1982 has grown into a thriving university with more than 17,000 students and nearly 500 faculty members. “Ariel is a proudly Zionist university,” she said. “But it is not exclusive. Ten percent of our students are Arab or Druze. We are really a kaleidoscope of Israeli society—religious and secular Jews, new immigrants, and native-born Israelis—studying and working together in an apolitical atmosphere.”

Ariel University also welcomes students from around the world who value academic excellence and mutual respect while appreciating Israel’s identity as the world’s only Jewish state. Every classroom displays the Israeli flag, and at each event Israel’s national anthem, Hatikvah (“The Hope”), is played. Written by Naftali Herz Imber in 1877 and set to music a year later by Shmuel Cohen, Hatikvah expresses the heartbeat of the Jewish people, their hope to return to their homeland, fulfilled on May 14, 1948.

Walking through Ariel’s campus reveals students of every background studying side by side. Women in hijabs, women in traditional headscarves, and others in baseball caps gather to study and share meals together. The atmosphere of harmony illustrates that Zionism at its best unites rather than divides.

The university’s impact reaches far beyond education. It operates the nation’s most comprehensive program for high-functioning students on the autism spectrum. Following recent conflicts, it opened a rehabilitation center for injured soldiers and civilians. A new medical center—the only one in Samaria—is nearing completion and will address Israel’s critical shortage of doctors while offering emergency services and training for future physicians.

Maya explained that “Israel needs more civil engineers because our population is growing and much of our infrastructure is aging.” Ariel now has the largest civil engineering school in Israel. The university’s twenty research centers explore everything from brain science and archaeology to cybersecurity and defense technology. One research team has even identified more than one hundred new grape varietals unique to Israel, making it possible to recreate wines that might have been enjoyed in the days of King David.

Ariel’s engineering programs also collaborate with defense companies to develop technologies that help protect Israel from its enemies. The university recently launched an online master’s program in English focused on communications, advocacy, and combating antisemitism, drawing students from around the world.

Despite relentless hostility toward Zionism, Judea and Samaria remain the beating heart of the Jewish homeland. The region holds more than 150 communities and is home to over half a million Jews. It is the soul of Israel and the setting for countless biblical events. Cities such as Shiloh, Ariel, Hebron, and Jerusalem still stand where prophets, kings, and figures like Samuel, David, Solomon, Isaiah, and Jesus once walked.

Zionism is not an ideology of exclusion but of connection. Its spirit has fostered international partnerships, including those between American mayors and Israeli cities. Hundreds of mayors have joined initiatives such as Mayors United Against Antisemitism or have signed sister city agreements with Israeli municipalities. Among them is Rusty Paul, mayor of Sandy Springs, Georgia, whose city is paired with a cluster of eleven communities in Samaria.

“We felt that connecting with Israel’s periphery communities would be most fruitful,” Mayor Paul explained. “Our city has a significant Jewish population, and this partnership honors our shared values.” He described visiting Israel several times and said, “I am always impressed by how Israel advances its economy while preserving its connections to the three monotheistic faiths. Israel has not only survived but thrived in one of the world’s most hostile environments. For millennia, the Jewish people have faced persecution yet maintained their identity, traditions, and values. What is not to admire?”

The Jewish people have cultivated life in deserts and built innovation from hardship. Their motivation to improve, heal, and bless others reflects their covenant with God. Zionism, at its core, is not about politics. It is about restoration, faith, and divine promise.

That promise was beautifully reflected at the grand opening of the Pilgrim Road in the City of David on September 20, 2025, where vocalist Hila Ben David sang Hatikvah: [watch here]. The road she stood upon was once walked by pilgrims ascending to the Second Temple—perhaps even by Jesus and His disciples. The song and the setting together proclaim that God keeps His covenant promises and that hope never dies.

Lyrics of Hatikvah (The Hope):

As long as in the heart within,
The Jewish soul yearns,
And toward the eastern edges, onward,
An eye gazes toward Zion.
Our hope is not yet lost,
The hope that is two-thousand years old,
To be a free nation in our land,
The Land of Zion, Jerusalem.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to join us in prayer for the land and people of Israel, whose faith and perseverance continue to inspire the world.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for Ariel University’s students and faculty to be protected and successful.
• Pray for the biblical heartland of Israel and for the small businesses that sustain its communities.
• Pray for Christians to share truthful, informed stories about Israel’s biblical and modern realities.
• Pray for the soldiers and civilians who are receiving physical and emotional healing at Ariel University’s rehabilitation center.

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

As President Donald J. Trump builds a coalition to confront Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and protect American bases across the Middle East, the world again stands at a crossroads. Brigadier General Amir Avivi, founder of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum, has warned that war with Iran is imminent. He outlines three possible scenarios for such a conflict, including a joint U.S.-Israeli operation. Israel has already urged Iranian civilians to evacuate military areas.

In this climate, the United States has launched a massive military buildup—an uneasy backdrop to International Holocaust Remembrance Day, observed on January 27.

In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly designated January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It marks the date in 1945 when Soviet forces liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. The soldiers were hardened veterans of war, yet even they were horrified by what they found: unburied corpses stacked like refuse, nearly seven thousand skeletal survivors, and a death toll that would exceed one million Jewish men, women, and children. Those who survived did so through starvation, disease, forced labor, and the grotesque medical experiments of the Nazi regime.

Eighty-one years later, the world witnesses echoes of that same evil. In Iran, the Islamic Regime has turned its nation into a death camp for its own people. Citizens protesting for freedom face bullets, imprisonment, and torture.

Since mass protests began on December 28, the United Nations has largely ignored the Iranian regime’s atrocities. Many observers have compared its cruelty to Nazi methods: mass killings, overflowing prisons, and systemic torture. Even as the world prepares each year to commemorate the Holocaust, the U.N. fails to act when confronted with contemporary barbarism.

Each year the U.N. chooses a theme for its remembrance ceremony. The 2023 theme was “Home and Belonging.” Yet only nine months later, Hamas—funded and armed by Iran—carried out the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. This year’s theme, “Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights,” rings hollow. The irony is painful, as dignity and human rights are trampled daily under the boots of Iran’s Islamic dictatorship.

Some reports estimate that the regime’s massacres in early January killed as many as thirty thousand civilians. If confirmed, this would rank among the deadliest single episodes of state violence in modern history. The horror is intensified by the regime’s methods: executions designed for maximum fear, victims shot in the eyes, and bodies discarded in warehouses. Like the Nazis who forced Jewish violinists to play as their families entered the gas chambers, the Islamic Regime isolates and murders its victims in silence, cutting off the internet to hide its crimes.

Despite its stated commitment to human rights, the United Nations continues to exhibit an alarming bias. In 2023 alone, out of twenty-one resolutions condemning nations, fourteen targeted Israel. Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, has rightly called this “an absurd obsession.” As he observed, “The purpose of the lopsided condemnations is to demonize the Jewish state.”

The U.N.’s inaction regarding Iran’s atrocities reinforces this hypocrisy. For weeks, it ignored the killings, arrests, and torture of civilians until public outrage forced it to respond. Neuer commented that the international campaign “shamed the U.N. into action.”

Historically, Jews and Persians share a remarkable connection. When King Cyrus the Great ruled the Persian Empire, he freed the Jewish people from Babylonian captivity and permitted them to return to Jerusalem. His decree, recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.”

Today, both Jews and Iranians suffer under the same oppressive force—the Islamic Regime. It funds terror abroad while brutalizing its citizens at home. Its Revolutionary Guard Corps acts as both army and executioner, crushing dissent and enforcing loyalty through fear.

Iranian-born Christian activist Marziyeh Amirizadeh, now an American citizen, experienced this cruelty firsthand during her nine months in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. She explains that “most Iranians support Israel and do not share their government’s anti-Israel view.” Many Iranians, she says, see Israel as an ally against their mutual enemy: the Islamic regime itself.

Similarly, Iranian-born journalist Mahyar Tousi, now a British citizen, has become one of the most reliable sources of information about Iran. His online program, Tousi TV, is among the most-watched news channels in the United Kingdom. His reporting exposes the regime’s brutality while amplifying the voices of those still fighting for freedom.

The parallels between the Holocaust and Iran’s current oppression are deeply sobering. Once again, innocent lives are being destroyed while the world hesitates to intervene. Once again, evil is being called good, and good is being called evil.

For Christians and Jews alike, Holocaust Remembrance Day is not only a day of mourning but also a call to vigilance. The atrocities of the past demand that we confront the evils of the present with courage and clarity. Silence and indifference only embolden tyranny.

The Hebrew word shalom means far more than peace. It signifies wholeness, harmony, and well-being—spiritual, communal, and personal. Let us pray for shalom for Jews in Israel, for Iranians under persecution, and for both peoples who share a bond of faith and history older than any modern regime.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to join us in prayer during this critical time in world history.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu to act with wisdom and effectiveness in supporting Iranian freedom.
• Pray for the protection of U.S. and Israeli forces as they defend against Iranian aggression.
• Pray for Israelis involved in covert operations inside Iran, that they remain safe and successful.
• Pray for the thousands of Iranians who live in anguish, not knowing whether their friends and loved ones are dead or alive.

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

To much of the world, Iran is known primarily as the leading state sponsor of terrorism. Yet that reputation reflects only the actions of its ruling Islamic regime, not the character, faith, or history of its people. For months, citizens have risen courageously against this violent and repressive government, protesting decades of corruption, brutality, and economic despair. Their cries for freedom are echoing across the globe, even as their rulers respond with bloodshed.

The regime’s crackdown has been ruthless. Civilians are deliberately shot in the eyes by snipers. Thousands have been beaten, arrested, or disappeared. Unidentified bodies are stored in warehouses with no regard for the dignity of life. Reports estimate the civilian death toll at twenty thousand or more, though the true number is impossible to confirm due to the ongoing internet blackout.

Meanwhile, the same regime that murders its own people also funds terror abroad. On October 7, 2023, Hamas—one of Iran’s proxies—launched its barbaric assault on Israel. Within hours, anti-Israel demonstrations erupted around the world, as if choreographed. Yet few voices have risen to condemn Iran’s mass killings of its own citizens.

Gordon Robertson, President of The Christian Broadcasting Network, voiced his dismay: “I was expecting mass support, unified pressure by the Western powers for the ayatollah to step down.” Instead, the world has largely looked away.

Outside of Christian news networks such as CBN and a few other faithful outlets, global media has been almost silent. The bravery of ordinary Iranians fighting for freedom has received only minimal coverage. Meanwhile, many of the loudest voices that condemn Israel have fallen quiet. Amir Tsarfati, founder of Behold Israel, posted a striking observation on his Telegram channel, listing activists who often denounce Israel yet have ignored Iran’s slaughter: Greta Thunberg, the United Nations, Francesca Albanese (the UN rapporteur for Palestinians), and journalist Mehdi Hasan. Tsarfati’s words ring true: “No Jews, no news.”

The Islamic regime’s dictatorship continues to embody the warning of Isaiah 5:20: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” Evil has reversed moral vision. The ayatollahs and their followers glorify violence as virtue and deceit as truth. Yet the Bible assures us that God’s judgment against such moral inversion is certain.

If President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or Iran’s exiled leader Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi find a path to support the Iranian people, the outcome will not depend on human strategy alone. Isaiah 14:24 reminds us that “The Lord Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen.’” God’s sovereign plan will prevail.

The people of Israel and Iran now face a common enemy: the same tyrannical brand of Shia Islam that oppresses both. The Islamic regime has brought death and destruction to both nations and beyond. Yet history and prophecy remind us that the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus will triumph. It is vital that Christians pray fervently for both peoples, seeking ways to alleviate suffering and encourage freedom.

Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the late shah, has become a symbol of hope for a new Iran. Speaking at a video press conference on January 16, he outlined his vision, which he calls the Cyrus Accords—named after Cyrus the Great, the Persian king who freed the Jews from Babylonian captivity. Pahlavi recalled his visit to Israel in April 2023, explaining, “I went to Israel to show that we are the descendants of Cyrus the Great, who freed the Jews and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem. That is the real Iran. Not the terror, not the chants, not the executions.”

Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran was on the path to modernization. The Pahlavi monarchy had established greater rights for women, strengthened education, and opened Iran to the international community. When the revolution deposed the shah, the nation traded progress for oppression. Forty-seven years later, the Islamic Republic has left a trail of suffering and spiritual darkness.

Pahlavi’s vision for a free Iran includes restoring peace, ending nuclear ambitions, and normalizing relations with the United States and Israel. He declared, “Support for terrorist groups will cease immediately. A free Iran will work with regional and global partners to confront terrorism, organized crime, and extremist Islamism.” His dream echoes the prayers of millions who long for their nation to rise from the ashes of tyranny.

February 11 will mark forty-seven years since the Islamic regime seized power. In those decades, Iran’s rulers have waged terror across continents, funding proxy wars, assassinations, and attacks through Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. They spend an estimated sixteen billion dollars annually to spread chaos. Their goals remain the same: the destruction of Israel, hatred of the United States, and global domination.

Yet Iran’s people are not the same as their rulers. They are Persians, not Arabs, and they speak Farsi, not Arabic. Their heritage is ancient and luminous, known for poetry, architecture, learning, music, and hospitality. Iran’s true soul longs for joy and dignity, not death and tyranny.

Let us pray that God restores the beauty of Persian culture, freed from oppression and fear.

Isaiah’s words remain a divine warning to every generation. Evil may disguise itself as good for a season, but it cannot prevail forever. Truth, light, and freedom belong to God, and He will restore them in His time.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to join us in prayer this week for the people of Iran who face unimaginable suffering and oppression.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for strength and endurance for Iranians who are grieving and exhausted.
• Pray for freedom and justice to take root swiftly across the nation.
• Pray for wisdom and unity for President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.
• Pray for more nations to speak boldly in defense of the Iranian people and to support their struggle for liberty.

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 week ago in Queens, New York, anti-Zionist protesters gathered outside a synagogue where a Jewish school was in session. Their chant pierced the air: “Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here.” The words may have sounded rhythmic, but their message was deadly. Behind the rhyme was a call for violence, glorifying the massacre carried out by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023.

These voices of hate are not isolated. They are accompanied by actions. In Jackson, Mississippi, the historic Beth Israel synagogue was set ablaze, one of twenty-one synagogues around the world targeted or burned since October 7. The hateful words of the past have reignited into literal fires.

The language of hatred did not end in 1945 when the Nazi regime fell. It has simply evolved, adopting new slogans, new technology, and new disguises. The same vocabulary that once fueled genocide now echoes again in chants, graffiti, and social media posts.

When Hamas orchestrated the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, the world’s reaction revealed how easily old hatreds can reawaken. The phrase “Never Again,” once a sacred vow after World War II, is being challenged by those who seek to make it happen again.

How could the Nazis have engineered the industrialized murder of six million Jews? How could they have convinced more than sixty-five million Germans to follow such evil? Understanding their methods provides insight into today’s dangerous rhetoric.

Before World War II, Jews made up less than one percent of Germany’s population. Yet their contributions to science, medicine, literature, and the arts were extraordinary. They were fully integrated citizens who spoke the same language and shared the same culture. Twenty-four percent of Germany’s Nobel Prize winners were Jewish. Despite this, Hitler considered Jews an inferior race that had to be eradicated.

The groundwork for genocide began early. In 1920, the National Socialist German Workers’ Party adopted a 25-point platform that formally segregated Jews from “Aryan” society. Hitler’s election as chancellor in 1933 unleashed the machinery of propaganda and persecution that would culminate in the Holocaust. The same spirit of deception and moral corruption that poisoned Germany now poisons parts of our world once again.

Hitler’s propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, perfected the weaponization of words. His job title, “Minister of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment,” masked the regime’s true goal: replacing truth with lies. Propaganda began not with violence, but with ideas, slogans, and symbols. Public book burnings became early rituals of purification, conducted by university students and soldiers who cast thousands of works by Jewish and “un-German” authors into the flames.

Goebbels’ lies spread through every available medium—radio, newspapers, magazines, and film. In a world without television or the internet, there was no competing voice. Repetition and manipulation slowly desensitized the German public. Neighbors turned against neighbors, convinced that Jews were parasites, subhumans, and enemies of the state. The Nazis used bureaucratic language to disguise atrocities, replacing “murder” with “final solution” and “deportation” with “relocation.” By the time the Holocaust began, consciences were dulled, and moral clarity had vanished.

The parallel with today is sobering. The demonization of Jews is once again normalized. Protests that glorify terror are defended as “free speech.” Terms like “Zionist,” “colonizer,” and “occupier” are used as modern euphemisms for “Jew.” The phrases “globalize the intifada” and “resistance by any means” are shouted on college campuses and city streets. The internet amplifies this rhetoric faster than Goebbels could have imagined, spreading lies to millions within seconds.

After Hamas’s massacre on October 7, these ready-made slogans appeared almost immediately. Posters, chants, and scripts materialized in coordinated demonstrations across the world. Like the Nazis’ propaganda machine, today’s movements rely on repetition, manipulation, and intimidation. The result is the same: fear, division, and moral confusion.

It is worth remembering that the Nazis’ rise from ideology to power took only fourteen years, from their 1920 manifesto to Hitler’s 1933 election. Evil grows quickly when words are left unchallenged.

In today’s climate, a new “dictionary of rage” has emerged. Phrases once meant to promote justice are distorted into calls for violence. “Resistance” becomes justification for murder. “Liberation” becomes a banner for antisemitism. “Social justice” is twisted into a weapon that excludes Jews and silences truth.

This rhetoric is not confined to the Middle East. It has infected Western universities, newsrooms, and social media platforms. It fuels arson attacks, vandalism, and assaults on Jewish students. It also targets Christians and conservatives who refuse to surrender to the shifting language of hate.

Words shape reality. Proverbs 12:18 warns us, “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” The challenge before us is to resist this verbal violence with truth, courage, and faith.

History teaches that silence in the face of evil is complicity. Today, the faithful are called to use words that honor God, speak truth with wisdom, and defend what is right without hysteria or hate. Each of us bears responsibility to restrain reckless speech and to train our hearts toward integrity and courage.

When words become weapons, silence becomes surrender. The moral clarity of the faithful must overcome the noise of rage.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to join us in prayer this week, remembering that God remains sovereign and truth remains undefeated.

Prayer Points:

• Pray fervently for the Iranian people as thousands continue to be massacred, injured, or imprisoned.
• Pray that free nations will send aid and support to those risking their lives for liberty in Iran.
• Pray that people of goodwill will speak boldly on behalf of the oppressed in Venezuela and Iran.
• Pray that mainstream media will report truthfully and widely about events in Iran.

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.