Gaslighting: A Deceptive Psychological Tool Taking Aim at Jews Today

Posted on August 28, 2025

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.

Hope Reaches Israelis Under Fire

Posted on June 18, 2025

In recent days, Iran launched direct ballistic missile attacks against Israel—an alarming escalation that has shaken the nation. For families across the country, the threat of war isn’t just on the horizon—it’s at their doorstep.

When sirens sound, mothers clutch their children and rush to bomb shelters. Elderly Holocaust survivors huddle in fear, and entire communities brace for what may come next.

But thanks to friends like you, they’re not facing this crisis alone. Thanks to the compassion and generosity of our donors, CBN Israel is delivering emergency food and supply boxes packed with the essentials Israelis need to survive in bomb shelters.

Each box includes:

Shelf-stable food and “combat rations” to last for several days
Battery-powered radios and chargers to stay informed during blackouts
Comfort items for babies and children during long hours in bomb shelters

Because of the caring support of friends like you, we have already distributed thousands of aid packages to those hit hardest by the war—including terror victims, displaced families, and the most vulnerable.

Together, we can show Israelis that they are not forgotten. That someone cares. That God’s love is still shining—even in the darkest times. As threats continue to mount, your ongoing support is more vital than ever. You can help provide food, shelter, and hope to those who need it most.

Thank you for standing with Israel when it matters most.

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CBN Israel’s Resilience Center Helps Trauma Victims

Posted on August 27, 2025

Just as Israelis were finally emerging from the trauma of COVID, they were suddenly thrust into the horrors of the October 7 terrorist attacks—and the war with Hamas and Hezbollah. Since then, the nation has been running on adrenaline, with families still in shock and survival mode.

And with the war winding down, most Israelis will face complex emotional, psychological, and financial challenges in adjusting to a “new normal.”

Thanks to caring donors, CBN Israel is addressing the nation’s need for healing by opening a “resilience center.” Manager Yonathan Ameida, who is also a clinical psychologist and pastor, observed, “Many resilience centers exist around the country. But we understood that after the war, the need for these was going to skyrocket.”

The CBN Israel Resilience Center will serve as a hub that matches patients’ needs to a pool of counseling professionals, including psychologists for both adults and children, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, social workers, and financial and parenting coaches.

While the government does provide therapy for direct victims, often the victims’ family members, such as the families of hostages, are outside the loop. The Resilience Center can fill that gap for them, by reaching people who are not eligible for government therapy programs.

And since the war began, donors have already created trauma recovery groups through CBN Israel, and offered courses and private counseling. The Resilience Center will be doing that same work, but on a much larger scale, as well as offering support for the therapists themselves.

Plus, Almeida plans to assist the faith community, saying the war brought up spiritual questions for everyone about why this happened—even many believers, whose faith has been shaken.

He sums up the center’s mission, saying, “People can begin to think coherently again….We are here to help them find an explanation that will give them peace, and give them new tools.”

And your gift to CBN Israel can offer compassionate relief to hurting Israelis in other ways, including hot meals, shelter, and basic essentials.

Please help us bring healing to those in crisis!

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Weekly Devotional: Far from the Promise

Posted on June 16, 2025

“David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him” (1 Samuel 22:1 NKJV).

David found himself for a period of his life having to flee from Saul. Saul pursued him wherever he went. David felt so pressed that he even had to seek refuge with Achish, the Philistine king of Gath (Goliath’s hometown). As you can imagine, the Philistines mistrusted David and did not welcome him warmly. So, David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam.

Adullam sits on the border between the Philistine territory of Gath and the tribal territory of Judah (David’s tribe). It overlooks the Elah Valley where David defeated the Philistine champion, Goliath.

So, David flees from Saul, unaccepted even by Saul’s enemies, and finds himself in the cave at Adullam overlooking the site of his greatest victory.

When David defeated Goliath, he found himself at the top. He defeated Goliath, saved Israel, defended the honor of God and Israel, and was taken into Saul’s court. Also, he had been secretly anointed the future king by Samuel. Things looked promising.

You have to wonder whether David thought his path from his victory in the Elah Valley to the throne was going to be a smooth, straight shot. To a certain extent, when he stood over the body of Goliath, cutting his head off with Goliath’s sword, the Philistine army fleeing with the Israelites in pursuit, he stood very close to God’s promise to him of the kingship, there in the Elah Valley.

When he found himself in the cave of Adullam, overlooking the same valley, the location of his greatest triumph, he was the furthest from God’s promise than he had ever been.

Every morning when he woke up, he looked over the scene of his greatest victory, and you wonder whether he found himself despairing of God’s promise. “Has God really said?” “Because I certainly don’t see the path from where I am today to what he promised me.” “Me, a king?” “I’m running for my life and living in a cave, hardly the house of a king.”

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you feel an overwhelming sense of despair? The vision that God gave you for your life seems like a million miles away, and God Himself seems even further away. You remember your victories, those moments when you felt triumph that God was right with you. But now all of that seems like a dream, and you find yourself in despair.

The cave of Adullam was not the end of David’s story. Nor will your times of despair be the end of your story. God is faithful. Rarely does He bring us straight from the victory field to the throne. Rather, He leads us on a winding journey where we learn to trust Him and His promises, even when He and they seem far away.

God is at work; therefore, we will not despair forever.

PRAYER

Father, wherever we find ourselves, please lead us in Your ways and to Your promises. We choose to trust You. Amen.

Posted on August 26, 2025

Lessons from the Jordan

Posted on August 26, 2025

By Stephen Faircloth

The land of Israel is marked by one of the most dramatic geographical features on earth—the Rift Valley. Carved by shifting tectonic plates, this great scar runs through the land as part of the Syro-African Rift, the longest fracture line on the planet. In Israel, this valley is best known as the Jordan River Valley, for the river that winds its way through its depths.

The Jordan begins south of Mount Hermon, where three streams join together to form its headwaters. From there, the river flows through the fertile Huleh Valley, pours into the Sea of Galilee, and then continues its southward journey. Over just sixty-five miles of descent, the Jordan drops more than 1,900 feet before emptying into the Dead Sea. Along the way, it twists and meanders nearly two hundred miles, shaping both the land and the biblical story.

The river plays a central role in Scripture. Israel crossed the Jordan at flood stage to enter the Promised Land, a moment of faith and fulfillment (Joshua 3-4). Elijah and Elisha crossed its waters on the prophet’s final day before being taken into heaven, and Elisha later parted the waters again with Elijah’s mantle (2 Kings 2).

Naaman the Syrian dipped seven times in the Jordan and was healed of his disease (2 Kings 5:14). Centuries later, John the Baptist carried out his ministry in the region of the Jordan, calling Israel to repentance and baptizing Jesus in its waters.

The Jordan often served as a boundary, marking transitions between wilderness and promise, between old life and new. For the Israelites, crossing the river meant leaving behind the wandering years and stepping into God’s inheritance. For Naaman, it was obedience in humility that led to cleansing. For Jesus, the waters marked the beginning of His public ministry and the Father’s declaration, “You are My beloved Son.”

Today, pilgrims still gather along the Jordan to remember and to renew. The river’s winding course reminds us that God often leads us on unexpected paths, yet always toward His purposes. The waters of the Jordan invite us to trust Him at the thresholds of our own lives.

The Jordan River serves as one of the central geographic boundaries and features that plays so prominently in so many biblical stories.

What “Jordan” lies before you today? Is God calling you to step into something new, to trust Him in transition, or to let Him cleanse what you cannot heal on your own?

Stephen Faircloth is the President of CBN Israel, an initiative dedicated to sharing the true story of the Jewish nation and inspiring a global community of Christians to stand with Israel and support her people in need. Our vision is to reshape the global conversation about Israel by fostering understanding, hope, and healing between Jews and Christians around the world. For more than 50 years, the Christian Broadcasting Network has supported Israel. By joining CBN Israel, you become part of this enduring legacy, transforming lives today and strengthening Christian support for Israel for generations to come.

Biblical Israel: Mount of Olives

Posted on June 10, 2025

By Marc Turnage

The Mount of Olives is a north-south ridge that sits on the eastern watershed of the hills around Jerusalem. To its east, the land slopes drastically down towards the Jordan River Valley and the area around Jericho, towards the Dead Sea.

The steep fall-off of the topography east of the Mount of Olives, together with the weather patterns coming from the west off the Mediterranean Sea, which causes the rain to fall along the heights of the hill country, means that the land to the east of the Mount of Olives sits in the rain shadow, with little vegetation. This wilderness provided refuge for those seeking concealment from the authorities. When David fled Jerusalem from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13-23), he went over the Mount of Olives into this wilderness seeking refuge.

The Mount of Olives in antiquity never belonged inside the city of Jerusalem. It always sat as its eastern boundary separated from the city of Jerusalem by the Kidron Valley. The Mount of Olives also served as Jerusalem’s cemetery beginning in the Chalcolithic period (Stone Age). Tombs from the time of the Judean monarchy (Old Testament), as well as the first century (New Testament) have been discovered on the Mount of Olives. At the foot of the mountain sit three monumentally decorated tombs from the first centuries B.C. and A.D., one of which is the misnamed Tomb of Absalom.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on His “Triumphal Entry” (Luke 19:28-29), He approached the city from the Mount of Olives. Pilgrims to Jerusalem today can walk down the Mount of Olives on the “Palm Sunday” processional route, but this would not have been the path Jesus took, as it led through a first century cemetery, which would have rendered Him ritually impure prohibiting Him from entering the Temple. Most likely His route would have taken Him over one the saddles of the ridge on either its northern or southern part.

The prophet Zechariah proclaimed that at the end of the age, when God’s kingdom is revealed in all the world, that He will stand on the Mount of Olives, which will split east to west, opening a chasm that will cause the mountain to move to the north and south (Zechariah 14:4). The Mount of Olives is not only connected to Jerusalem’s history in both the Old and New Testaments; it is also directly linked to its future.

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

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

Posted on August 25, 2025

Weekly Devotional: Trusting God for Today

Posted on August 25, 2025

When the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, God provided for their daily needs in a miraculous way. He told Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day” (Exodus 16:4).

The manna came with a test. They could only gather enough for one day, except on the sixth day when they collected a double portion so they could rest on the Sabbath. God was teaching His people to depend on Him one day at a time.

Years later, before Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses reminded them of what those years in the wilderness had taught: “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

The hardships of the wilderness revealed Israel’s need for obedience and trust, yet God faithfully provided. His gifts were never excessive, never lacking, but always exactly enough for each day.

Our world often celebrates the “self-made” person. We pride ourselves on independence, self-sufficiency, and planning for every contingency. But Scripture reminds us that life is not sustained by our own hands. God is the giver of every breath and the provider of our daily bread.

If we let it, the constant pressure of our busy lives can crowd God out. Anxiety about tomorrow convinces us that everything depends on us. The lesson of the manna speaks across the centuries: God is your source. He provides for today. He is the sustainer of life. Our part is simple—trust Him and follow His instructions.

Do you only turn to God when you are desperate, or do you recognize Him as your daily provider? Each morning, we are invited to remember: He gives us what we need, and He calls us to walk in obedience.

Where do you feel the pull to rely on yourself instead of trusting God? How can you remind yourself each day that He is your true source of life and provision?

PRAYER

Father, thank You for being the giver of life and the provider of daily bread. Help me to trust You with today’s needs and to walk in obedience to Your Word. Teach me to rest in Your faithfulness. Amen.

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Posted on August 23, 2025

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