ARTICLES

After Syrian Slaughter, Christians Tap Social Media

Posted on March 13, 2025

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Just this week, minority civilian populations in Syria were targeted in another chaotic chapter of the civil unrest that’s been ongoing since 2011. Jihadist bulldozers have been carelessly scooping up dead people and filling mass graves with thousands of civilians, this time under new president Ahmad al-Sharaa, once known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani. Photos and videos of the mass murders of Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities—Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurds—are shocking. The Jew haters, exposed worldwide, slaughter any civilians, Jew or non-Jew. Their hate is an addiction without boundaries.

I prefer to call the new Syrian president by his former name, al-Julani. Last December, he and his group of Islamist militants, known as HTS, ousted former Syrian President Assad. That dreadful, decades-long tyrant fled to Moscow after leaving Syria in shambles.

Meanwhile, and frankly unbelievably, Hamas is accusing Israel of the Syrian massacres—while refusing to show the visual evidence that has been proudly disseminated by the al-Julani terrorists themselves. Arab-on-Arab carnage is irrelevant to Hamas and its ilk; after all, their habit is to use civilians as human shields.

On October 7, Hamas gleefully filmed its unspeakable cruelty—and Julani’s gangs are exalting their atrocities, too. A Sunni Muslim Syrian videoed himself and bragged about the slaughtering of 9,000 Alawites, the second-largest religious group in Syria. On March 9, multiple Syrian citizens on Telegram reported more than 10,000 murders. The death toll is sure to climb amid their ongoing, appalling reports.

Getting rid of Assad could have been a big win for Syria. Early on, al-Julani used all the right words in calling for the preservation of “national unity [and] civil peace.” He added, “God willing, we will be able to live together in this country.” Such words prompted a wave of hope to Syrians, but that hope has quickly evaporated.

Ill-informed leaders from Europe and the U.S. did not anticipate the violence, although al-Julani has earned terrorist credentials with ISIS and al-Qaeda. He cleverly changed his costume into a Western-style suit and tie—greeting leaders with a deceptive smile, handshakes, and lies. But that didn’t change his character.

In December, after Assad bolted, an unsuspecting President Joe Biden sent his top diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, to head up an American delegation to meet with al-Julani. Afterward, Leaf told reporters that al-Sharaa had “committed to renouncing terrorism.” The result: Biden canceled the 10-million-dollar bounty on al-Julani, who had long been recognized by the U.S. State Department as a terrorist.

Incredibly, it was another case of giving a huge reward to terrorists based merely on words, not proven actions. Following suit, French Foreign Minister Barrot and German Foreign Minister Baerbock then traveled to Damascus and pledged their help for a new beginning. Not surprisingly, the Hague Tribunal’s Karim Khan, the prosecutor who declared warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu, made it a point to go to Damascus to congratulate Julani.

In a February interview, al-Julani remarked to The Economist, “If democracy means that the people decide who will rule them and who represents them in the Parliament, then, yes, Syria is going in this direction.” Nevertheless, a remnant of Assad’s military began an armed fight against Julani’s military, which quickly deteriorated into a free-for-all slaughter of civilians in Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities.

Syria is a notable part of Israel’s history. Matthew 4:24 reminds us: Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

Last Saturday, alarmed about the lack of mainstream media coverage and already alert to the violence, Israeli Amir Tsarfati, president of Behold Israel, rightly called al-Julani “the new caliph of the al-Qaeda state.” In a Facebook Live post from his home in Israel, Tsarfati emphasized his reason for speaking out against the atrocities in Syria.

“On paper, these [Syrians] are my enemies, yes, but I cannot stay silent.” Tsarfati said that “armed military forces fighting another military force is one thing” and mentioned Israel’s massive military operation in December, which “destroyed Assad army’s capabilities.” However, Julani’s al-Qaeda—ISIS gangs—are not fighting soldiers. “They are butchering families, children, women, and elderly. If I don’t speak out and if you don’t speak out, the world will do nothing.” Tsarfati asked his 600,000-plus Telegram subscribers to re-post the Syrian atrocities everywhere on social media. His subscribers are mostly Christians across the world.

On Monday, Amir gave a report based on subscribers’ actions. “You responded to my plea two days ago. Now it is you who are responsible for the fact that not only are people talking about it, but the United Nations Security Council will convene!”

Straightaway Julani, “the caliph of the al-Qaeda state,” ordered his terrorists to stop the videos but not the massacres. Amir noted, “Because of your sharing, I began to receive messages from Alawites in Latakia, Syria. They found me on Instagram because it’s the only place you can send me direct messages without being exposed.” 

Christians grew quickly into a social media army of truth-tellers after Amir’s first report garnered over half-a-million views in less than two days! With violence going on everywhere, Amir urges us to keep the news circulating.

Israel’s i24NEWS reports an unprecedented request to Prime Minister Netanyahu from Syria’s Alawite sheiks: “Save us from the brutal regime. We will receive you with songs and flowers.” They also asked Israel’s media to “Shed light on the massacres.” Their plea recognized that “the entire world has been silent about our injustice, and we have only heard a voice from Israel condemning the crimes.”

Christians are killed alongside Alawites. The patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic Churches made their joint entreaty in a statement about Latakia, home to a small Christian community. “The Christian churches … call for an immediate end to these horrific acts, which stand in stark opposition to all human and moral values.” Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, challenged Europe to “make its voice heard loud and clear regarding the mass murder of Alawite and Christian civilians.” Israel still faces dangers with jihadists now in charge—for example, emptying prisons filled with Jew-haters.

After the new president’s takeover, the Israeli Air Force wisely began continued strikes on Assad’s remaining Syrian missile depots, air defenses, and chemical sites to fortify its buffer zone in Syria. The U.S. is also implementing dozens of strikes on Islamic State targets. Syria’s minorities will also benefit.

On his Telegram, YouTube, and Instagram platforms, Amir requests four actions that take half a minute to do: Subscribe, Like, Comment, and Share. I urge readers to share on social media to create worldwide attention for Syrian minorities. Nonetheless, our love and prayers for our spiritual homeland Israel demands that we apply the same four actions to spread the facts about Israel.

Remember, Amir “is not staying silent.” None of us should.

We welcome you to join our CBN Israel team directing our prayers toward Syria.

Prayer Points:

  • Pray for mainstream media to expose al-Julani’s true nature.
  • Pray for Syrian minorities living under another murderous regime.
  • Pray for Syrians worn out by civil war traumas under Assad.
  • Pray for Christians to increase successful advocacy for 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.

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Purim: The Story of Esther

Posted on March 13, 2025

By Julie Stahl

“Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all of King Ahasuerus’s provinces, both near and far. He ordered them to celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar every year because during those days the Jews got rid of their enemies. That was the month when their sorrow was turned into rejoicing and their mourning into a holiday. … For Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them. He cast the Pur (that is, the lot) to crush and destroy them. But when the matter was brought before the king, he commanded by letter that the evil plan Haman had devised against the Jews return on his own head and that he should be hanged with his sons on the gallows. For this reason these days are called Purim, from the word Pur” (Esther 9:20-22, 24-26 HCSB). 

Purim celebrates the Jewish people’s rescue from and victory over a wicked government minister who wanted to destroy them thousands of years ago as recorded in the book of Esther in the Bible. And although it’s the only book in the Bible where the name of God is not mentioned at all, His fingerprints are all over it! 

“The book of Esther is kind of about the end of the world—Jerusalem’s destroyed, there are no more prophets, God has stopped speaking to people, and you can’t see Him anywhere. The kingdom is gone, the armies are gone, the glory that was Jerusalem and Israel is gone, and the Jews are scattered throughout the Persian Empire,” says Yoram Hazony, author of God and Politics in Esther. 

Haman—an evil advisor to King Ahasueres (Xerxes) with a desire to wipe out the Jewish people—conspired to kill the entire Jewish population throughout the ancient Kingdom of Persia (modern-day Iran) on a single day. Since the King trusted Haman, he agreed. 

But, unknown to the King, his beloved Queen Esther was Jewish. She and her cousin Mordechai exposed the plot and turned the tables. So the Jews were rescued and instead became victorious over their enemies. This is what we celebrate at Purim. 

Hazony says there’s a deep lesson here.

“We all like favor, we all like political favor; we love it when people love us and Esther does, too. She loves being queen,” says Hazony. “But the question is when it comes down to it and you need to do something to throw away that favor, throw away political favor in order to do the right thing, do you have it in you?” 

At the Western Wall and in synagogues in Israel and around the world, Megillat Esther, or the scroll of the Book of Esther, is read on Purim. But this reading is unlike any other. Parents and children dress up in costumes. At one time, this ritual was to imitate the biblical characters, but now it includes popular costumes, too. They cheer when the names of heroes Mordechai and Esther are read—and boo and use noise makers when the name of Haman, the villain of the story, is mentioned. 

According to Rabbi Welton, there are two possible reasons for the costumes: to symbolize how Esther concealed her identity until the last moment or how God was a “concealed force behind the salvation of the Jews.” 

Sending financial gifts to the poor and food gifts to others are traditions. Some Jews have a Purim feast. A special treat called hamentaschen (“Haman’s hat” in Yiddish) or oznei Haman (“Haman’s ears” in Hebrew) is a triangular cookie filled with dates, chocolate or nuts eaten at the holiday. 

In most Jewish communities, the holiday is celebrated on the 14th of Adar, but in walled cities or those that were at one time like Jerusalem, the holiday is celebrated a day later and known as Shushan Purim. 

Hazony summed up Purim like this: “The Persian Empire. One Jewish Woman. Guess Who Wins?” 

Holiday Greeting: Hag Purim Sameach! (“Happy Purim!”) 

Julie Stahl is a correspondent for CBN News in the Middle East. A Hebrew speaker, she has been covering news in Israel for more than 20 years. Julie’s life as a journalist has been intertwined with CBN—first as a graduate student in Journalism; then as a journalist with Middle East Television (METV) when it was owned by CBN from 1989-91; and now with CBN News’ Middle East Bureau in Jerusalem since 2009. She also plays an integral role in the weekly CBN News program, Jerusalem Dateline. 

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CBN Israel’s Resilience Center Helps Trauma Victims

Posted on March 12, 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! 

GIVE TODAY

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Biblical Israel: Sea of Galilee 

Posted on March 11, 2025

By Marc Turnage

The Sea of Galilee is the lowest freshwater lake on earth. It sits 600 feet below sea level. It is a lake, and not a sea; thus, the Evangelist Luke correctly describes it often as a lake (5:1; 8:22, 33). 

The Lake of Galilee sits in the Jordan River Valley, which is part of the Syro-African Rift Valley. The Jordan River flows through the lake from the north where its three headwaters converge south of the ancient site of Dan to form the Jordan River and flow south into the lake. The river continues out of the south end of the lake on its southward journey towards the Dead Sea. The modern exit of the Jordan River on the south end of the lake is not the ancient exit of the river; the modern exit was created for the dam used to regulate the flow of water out of the lake.

Hills surround the lake on its western, northern, and eastern sides. To its south, one finds the continuation of the Jordan River Valley. On its northwest and northeast corners sit two fertile valleys into which water runoff from the surrounding hills flow. The northwest valley is known as the Gennesar Valley, which the first century Jewish historian Josephus says was the name given to the lake by the locals (see Luke 5:1). The valley on the northeast side of the lake is the Bethsaida Valley, so called for the ancient site of Bethsaida, the home of Jesus’ disciples Peter, Philip, and Andrew, which was located in the valley along the shoreline of the lake. 

The Bethsaida Valley, while fertile, has three large water tributaries, including the Jordan River, flow through it, which made it more challenging for travel by foot. Two of these tributaries flow out of the Golan Heights feeding the water of the lake along with the Jordan River. Between the Gennesar Valley and Bethsaida Valley ninety-five percent of Jesus’ ministry recorded in the Gospels took place. He fed the 5,000 in the Bethsaida Valley (Luke 9:10). Within this area, one finds the villages of Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida, which Jesus cursed (Luke 10:13-16). 

South of the Gennesar Valley sits the modern city of Tiberias, which was built by Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, in the year 19-20 A.D. Antipas moved his administration from Sepphoris to Tiberias, which was where he resided during the ministries of Jesus and John the Baptist. 

The lake itself provided a fishing industry for the locals. The water off the Bethsaida Valley provided excellent fishing, especially for the local tilapia. People used the lake not only for fishing, but also for travel. Both Josephus and the Gospels indicate that people traveled around the lake by boat much more than they did by foot.

The Gospels record the sudden storms that occur on the lake. The topography of the surrounding hills and canyons create wind funnels across the lake, particularly the northern part of the lake. Storms on the Lake of Galilee are serious, especially the wind storms that blow in from the east off the Golan Heights down onto the lake. The easterly wind storms that hit the land of Israel are quite severe, and even in the present day, can cause damage to property and agriculture, even the loss of life. These easterly winds are known as sharkia, from the Arabic “shark” (east). They are most prevalent from October-May. They turn the lake’s waters into churning, violent swells, easily 10 to 12 feet high. 

The Lake of Galilee provides the setting for many of the stories in the Gospels, sayings and actions of Jesus. On its shores, He taught the people about the kingdom of Heaven and performed many miracles. 

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

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Weekly Devotional: Doing the Father’s Will

Posted on March 10, 2025

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first” (Matthew 21:28-31 NKJV). 

We’ve all heard the saying, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Jesus told this parable to underscore a very important fact: doing God’s will is what matters most. Jesus, His brother James, and even Paul placed a premium on obedience to God’s will. 

Too often within modern Christianity, we place importance on belief, by which we mean an inward psychological conviction. In fact, we often contrast faith against works, doing God’s will. This separation means that it will be harder for us to understand Jesus, because He placed preeminent importance on doing. 

He compared those who hear His word to a man who built his house on a rock. To a woman that called out a blessing for Him, He reminded her that the one who is truly blessed is the one who hears the words of God and keeps them. He told His disciples that if they loved Him, they would obey Him. In fact, Jesus says little about faith and a lot about doing, obeying. 

Within the Bible, faith would better be translated as faithfulness, steadfastness. Such a translation better captures the biblical meaning of the word, and it reflects the aspect of obedience inherent within the biblical idea of faith. It’s not so much about what we think, but what we do, that confesses our trust in God. 

It wasn’t the son who said but did not do, but the one who did the will of his father, that Jesus praises to His listeners. 

We come to know God through obeying Him. It’s not through ecstatic experience or special revelation that we come to know God. If you want to grow closer to God, obey His will. If you want to please Him, obey His will. If you want to remain steadfast, obey His will. This is how we know God. 

Today, pursue doing His will; be the son who did the will of his father.

PRAYER

Father, may we pursue doing Your will today in everything we say and do. May doing Your will be our supreme joy. Amen.

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Israel’s Biblical Heartland Gets a Big Boost from U.S. Christian Media

Posted on March 6, 2025

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

In an era of top-heavy propaganda funded by billions in dark money, we celebrated in a room packed with Christian media during a press conference at last week’s National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) convention. The press conference, which emphasized the importance of ancient and modern Israel, was steered by three organizations that announced a resolution planned for this, the largest NRB convention to date, with its record-breaking 5,800 Christian media professionals.

Why did we celebrate? Because, after the decades-long debate about the sovereignty of the biblical heartland (i.e., Judea and Samaria), this new resolution represented both scriptural and historical truth. Leaders in International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI), and the Israel Allies Foundation (IAF) each took part. IAF President Josh Reinstein, who moderated, announced a powerful petition: a resolution to President Donald J. Trump delivered on February 27.

The resolution, signed by more than 200 Christian leaders, includes approval from pastors, authors, media, and ministry influencers representing some 60 million American evangelicals. The resolution gained momentum in early February after President Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House for a series of meetings between the two allies. In their discussions, President Trump indicated that he would make a statement in the coming weeks about Judea and Samaria, a region that is mostly described by the secular term West Bank.

Consider the history behind this moment. For decades, the topic of Judea and Samaria has bounced like a ping-pong ball between Jews, Arabs, European countries, Palestinians, the United Nations, and the United States. It has been a never-ending dispute about sovereignty. Simply put, Palestinians consider this region as their territory, calling it Palestine. The more than 500,000 Jews who populate the Israeli heartland consider it biblical Judea and Samaria, as outlined in Holy Scripture. The current signed document rests on the sacred, biblical deed God bequeathed to the Jewish people 3,000 years ago. This resolution not only affirms the inalienable rights of Jews to Judea and Samaria, it also emphasizes that the 200-plus signers “reject all efforts—both from the United States and the international community—to pressure the Jewish people to relinquish their ancestral homeland in Judea and Samaria.”

I am including the Resolution’s text to serve as an educational document to help all Evangelicals speak the facts about God’s geographic and intentional plans for His indigenous people, the Jews, to occupy the land God deeded to them through Abraham. God Himself declared Judea and Samaria as the Jews’ biblical heartland. His deed will not diminish nor be changed by any controversy.

Here is the text: “Reaffirming the Jewish People’s Right to the Biblical Heartland.”

  • Whereas the Jewish people have an enduring historical and biblical connection to Judea and Samaria, also known as the Biblical Heartland;
  • Whereas archaeological discoveries and physical evidence continuously reaffirm the Jewish people’s historic presence in this region;
  • Whereas Judea and Samaria contain some of the most significant biblical sites, including Beit El, Hebron, Shiloh, Beit She’an, Bethlehem, Shechem, Jericho, and many others;
  • Whereas key biblical figures such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, King David, King Solomon, the prophets, and in the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles, lived, owned land, fought battles, taught, judged, and traveled extensively throughout Judea and Samaria, shaping the region’s character and history;
  • Whereas despite modern propaganda claiming the contrary, Jesus was born a Jewish man in the Jewish city of Beit Lechem (Bethlehem), home of His ancestor King David, and traveled, preached, and ministered in the Roman occupied Jewish Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria;
  • Whereas, despite centuries of forced exile leading to the Jewish Diaspora, a continuous Jewish presence remained in the Land of Israel, including the Biblical Heartland;
  • Whereas, even during 2,000 years of exile, the Jewish people maintained an unbroken connection to their heritage through language, religion, and culture and shared a collective yearning to return to the land; and
  • Whereas the modern Jewish presence and sovereignty over Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria has brought tangible blessings to the land, as foretold in Scripture, improving the standard of living, safeguarding religious freedoms and sites, preserving the region’s history, and enhancing the lives of all its inhabitants,
  • Therefore, be it resolved that the undersigned signatories reaffirm the Jewish people’s inalienable right to the Biblical Heartland of Israel and reject all efforts—both from the United States and the international community—to pressure the Jewish people to relinquish their ancestral homeland in Judea and Samaria.

As a significant world history marker, this resolution is timely. Purim, the annual Feast of Esther, is celebrated next week on March 13 and 14. Two hundred American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI) are following in the footsteps of Jewish Queen Esther and her kinsman Mordecai appealing to King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) who ruled over a wide swath of 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. Esther’s appeal saved the lives of Jews across all provinces under Ahasuerus’ rule. In approving the resolution, President Trump, the leader of the free world, changes the conversation about Jewish history—recognizing the biblical principle that God established when He made Jews the permanent caretakers of His Holy Land.

Two observations from the press conference are worth remembering. First, Dr. Susan Michael, CEO of ICEJ US, noted, “The October 7 attacks in Israel served as a stark reminder of the failure of the two-state solution. It is not a solution. It is an illusion. Gaza was essentially a Palestinian state and look at what it produced.”

Second, ICEJ Senior Vice President David Parsons briefed us on the legalities of Israel’s claims with a reminder that the international community recognized Israel’s right to its biblical heartland at the 1917 Balfour Declaration, the 1920 San Remo Conference, and the 1922 League of Nations mandate. He clarified that, although some opponents call it an annexation of Judea and Samaria, “As a legal principle, you cannot annex something that you already own.”

In 2018, ACLI sent a resolution to President Trump to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem. His signature guaranteed a successful move, although world leaders wrongly predicted chaos. While awaiting President Trump’s imprimatur on the validity of Judea and Samaria rightly under Israeli sovereignty, harsh disapproval, threats, and added violence will likely ensue. But the existential truth will be elevated, and God’s original blueprints will be honored.

Trump’s signature on the 2025 ACLI resolution would nevertheless be a biblically important moment for the United States of America. Awaiting his signing, let us recall Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” Prayers and repentance are necessary for curses to fade away due to past governmental decisions—and yes, that includes Christian betrayals or apathy against Israel, our spiritual homeland.

The press conference announcing the well-crafted resolution drew an outbreak of resounding applause and jubilation. Its significance is close to the hearts and minds of those of us in Christian media who will soldier on with renewed strength and hope!

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to pray with us this week:

  • Pray that the nations of the world will condemn antisemitism in all its toxic forms.
  • Pray for Christians throughout the world to stand firm in their support of Israel.
  • Pray for President Donald Trump, his administration, and the 119th U.S. Congress.
  • Pray for Christian media like CBN to gain even more influence worldwide.
  • Pray for the global mainstream media to report the unbiased truth about Israel and the Middle East.

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.

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Posted on August 5, 2025

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Biblical Israel: Dan Spring 

Posted on March 4, 2025

By Marc Turnage

The land of Israel did not merely provide the stage upon which biblical events too place, its flora, fauna, climate, and geology provide the images, metaphors, and vocabulary that biblical writers used frequently to communicate their message whether in narrative, poetry, or prophecy.

There are places within Israel today where one can stand within the geography used by the biblical writers and feel and hear, within the setting, the message they sought to communicate. The Dan Spring is one of those places. 

The spring acquires its name from the biblical site of Dan, the northernmost city within biblical Israel. Located at the base of the foothills of Mount Hermon, it provides the largest of the three springs whose tributaries come together south of the site of Dan to form the Jordan River.

The Dan Spring produces roughly 240 million cubic meters per year. With such a large amount of water coming from the spring, especially in the winter and spring of the year when the rains and snowmelt add to it, the sound of the Dan tributary roars as it flows towards the meeting point to form the Jordan.

The psalmists use this setting and the sound created by the waters in a couple places. Psalm 29 proclaims: “The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, “Glory!” The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!” (29:2-9; emphasis added).

The highlighted bold type shows the psalmist’s use of the waters of the Dan spring to describe the voice and glory of the Lord. How do we know he meant the Dan Spring? Because of the geographic detail provided, which is italicized. These locations—Lebanon, Sirion, and Kadesh—surround the northern area of Israel and the Dan Spring.

When the psalmist listened to the raging waters of the spring and its tributary, he found himself moved to comparison with the voice and glory of the Lord. He communicated his message through the physical setting of the Dan Spring and the surrounding countryside.

In Psalm 42, we find another use of the Dan Spring for the psalmist’s poetry: “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? … My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me” (42:1-7; emphasis added).

The psalmist begins by likening his desire for God to a deer craving the streams of water from springs, like the Dan. Although lush with vegetation, the summer heat and humidity of the region of the Dan Spring is difficult for animals and humans. He finds himself in the region of the Dan Spring (the italicized portions) and feels overwhelmed with the roar of the gushing spring. 

Traveling to the land of Israel is more than visiting sites. It should transform how we read and interact with the physical reality of the land of the Bible.

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

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Mount Carmel: Where God Answered

Posted on August 5, 2025

By Stephen Faircloth

High above the Mediterranean coastline, the limestone ridge of Mount Carmel stretches like a natural stage, connecting the highlands of Samaria to the eastern sea. Fertile and green, it receives generous rainfall most of the year and has long symbolized agricultural abundance in the Bible.

But Carmel is remembered not just for its beauty. It is remembered for a decisive moment when God’s people were called to choose.

“If the Lord is God, follow Him. But if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).

Elijah the prophet stood on this very ridge and called for a confrontation. The people of Israel had turned away from God during the reign of King Ahab. In their fear of drought and desire for prosperity, they sought help from Baal, the Canaanite storm god, hoping he would bring the rain.

The fertility, precipitation, and location of Mount Carmel play a key role in the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Agriculture in the land of Israel proved difficult in the ancient world. The people depended solely upon God for rain to water their fields and crops due to the topography of the land (see Deuteronomy 8; 11:10-20).

Mount Carmel was a fitting battleground. It was not only a high place often associated with pagan worship, but it also sat near the Phoenician region where Baal worship was born. The land itself, lush and well-watered, seemed to testify to Baal’s influence. But God was about to set the record straight.

The drought had not been an accident. According to God’s covenant in Deuteronomy, Israel’s disobedience would result in the heavens being shut. Their spiritual dryness was reflected in the parched ground beneath them.

Elijah proposed a simple test. The god who answered with fire would prove himself to be the true God. Baal’s prophets called on him all day, but there was only silence. Then Elijah called on the Lord, and fire fell from Heaven. The sacrifice was consumed completely. The people fell face down and cried out, “The Lord, He is God.”

Shortly after, the skies broke open and the rain returned.

This moment on Mount Carmel was not just about power. It was about loyalty. The setting, the drought, the silence from Baal, and the fire from Heaven all pointed to one truth. Only God is worthy of trust and worship.

Are there areas in your life where you are looking to something other than God for security or provision? Elijah’s question remains for each of us. If the Lord is God, will we follow Him?

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.

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Evil on Display in Gaza and Lebanon

Posted on February 27, 2025

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza sank even deeper into the depths of their demonic deeds last Thursday by exhibiting the unthinkable on their stage of horror. Four coffins sat in front of a large backdrop picturing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire salivating blood. A photo over his chest showed Oded Lifshitz, an 83-year-old man; Shiri Bibas, 32; and her two young sons, 4-year-old Ariel and 9-month-old Kfir. The poster’s headline read: “The War Criminal Netanyahu and his Nazi Army Killed them with Missiles from Zionist Warplanes.”

That headline has been flashed around the world by news outlets, horrified at the savage, inhumane treatment these innocent civilians were subjected to by their Hamas abductors—and at the way the perpetrators attempted to blame Israel for atrocities that Hamas committed. Not only was the global response quick and scathing, but Argentina announced two days of mourning for the boys who, like their parents, were dual Israeli-Argentinean citizens. In fact, that country is considering renaming “Palestine Street” to “Bibas Family Street.”

The real war criminals handed over the four coffins—deliberately locked—to the IDF with no keys provided. After the IDF had reverently transported the precious remains to Israel’s Abu Kabir Forensic Institute for identification, the woman in the coffin (labeled with Shiri’s head shot) proved to be someone other than Shiri Bibas. The monsters had purposely sent a coffin containing an unknown Palestinian woman—a move that threatened to derail the already fragile ceasefire agreement with the enraged Israelis. Hamas, like the Nazis, are experts in deliberately prolonging psychological warfare. They released Shiri’s body a day later.

When the forensic findings were made public, the professional scientists—who had previously examined every kind of injury—expressed profound shock. They said they had never seen any bodies so thoroughly mutilated.

The forensics revealed that mother and children were murdered in November 2023 in Gaza shortly after being kidnapped. Their captors first choked to death Shiri, Ariel and Kfir with their bare hands, then broke every bone in the captives’ bodies, and desecrated those precious bodies with knives.

Hearing the details from Behold Israel President Amir Tsarfati on his Telegram channel, I sat shocked just listening to it. My husband Paul prayed with faith that while this depth of evil is beyond comprehension, God is sovereign, and His Holy Spirit is our source of comfort and counsel. Psalm 147: 3-5. “He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.” 

Believers, we must continually embrace this verse so that we can remain strong. God has graciously invited us to serve as His emissaries in a world covered with darkness and desperate for the Light. Evil is on exhibit from the Islamic Regime and its willing proxies of hate. We must frequently pray Psalm 147:3-5 for our Israeli friends and remain alert and active on behalf of Israel. Leaning into our Lord, we must truly grasp as best we can the level of Israel’s national traumas. Christians must rise up amid hateful lawlessness counting on Jesus, our Jewish Redeemer, Whom we can trust in any crisis.

Switching to another exhibit of evil at a funeral: On February 23 in Beirut, Lebanon, a stadium crowded with tens of thousands of Hezbollah and Iranian supporters cried and worshipped their dead leader, Hassan Nasrallah, while chanting “Death to Israel!” They had called Nasrallah their “victorious hero.” Israel eliminated him in Beirut, hiding in a deep underground location on September 27, 2023. The citizens of tiny Israel are in truth the “victorious heroes”—who often miraculously decimate huge swaths of Hezbollah’s terror operations.

During the funeral, IDF fighter jets flew low over the stadium several times as a direct reminder of Israel’s vastly superior military strength. Teeming thousands of terrorists roared “Death to Israel.” Keep in mind, Israel could have dropped bombs into the stadium. Instead, the flyover exemplified the IDF’s military policy not to harm civilians—even at great danger to themselves.

Israel is not only defending its ancestral homeland from an onslaught of warmongers but stands  on the front lines of freedom for the world. These defensive measures will continue until Hezbollah is stopped from enacting the Islamic Regime’s plans against every “infidel”—be they Jewish, Christian, Israeli, from the U.S. and from other free nations.

Backtracking to a quote, the day before the release of the Bibas/Lifshitz murdered hostages, an Al-Mujahideen Brigade terrorist announced: “The bodies of the Bibas family members who were kidnapped by our people on 7.10 will be handed over. We guarded them properly according to Islamic religious customs.” The masked terrorist then claimed, “They were killed in an Israeli attack along with those who guarded them. We held the bodies throughout the war.” Once again, we see that the fanatics’ shameless propaganda has no end.

In an unexpected turnabout, Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, deviated from his and the UN’s habitual anti-Israel stance when he declared, “Under international law, any handover of the remains of deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families.”

However, antisemitic hatred is still celebrated here in the U.S. by those chanting against Israel and glorifying terrorists holding Hamas flags and by other hateful propaganda celebrations. Ahmed Abu Daamus, also known as Abu Iyad, runs a popular Telegram channel with more than 800,000 followers. Iyad is an Arab lawyer in East Jerusalem. Israel arrested and placed him on administrative detention early in the war for “severe incitement” against that nation. Now released, he feeds propaganda to his fans. He mocked the return of the hostage coffins and shows a well-known video that his audience clearly loves. It features Palestinians dancing among coffins in happiness.

By now, I am hopeful that the anti-Jewish world clearly understands the nature of the Islamic Regime and its terror proxies. Lying is a malicious art form that the Islamic Regime has perfected—especially lying to those they consider to be infidels: non-Muslims. So: be wise. Be informed.

On her Substack, “Blacklisted,” gifted journalist Eve Barlow summed up the Bibas murders eloquently. “We held onto hope for Shiri, Ariel and Kfir. But our hope was just the toy of the Palestinians. There was no hope for them, because they were murdered long ago. They were murdered by savages. Yarden [husband and father] was kept alive, and starved in captivity to add salt into the wounds of an entire people. The Palestinians played with our hope. because that is what evil does.”

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to pray Psalm 147:3-5 with us.

Prayer Points:

  • Pray for Israel—and U.S. leaders—to make the wisest decisions possible.
  • Pray for the ever-deepening traumas Israel is facing nationally.
  • Pray for more Christians to wake up to a profound reality of evil and get engaged under God’s direction.
  • Pray for all of us at the National Religious Broadcaster media convention to increase our messages from God’s heart to the world.

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.

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