ARTICLES

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer Points:

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

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer Points:

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

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.