Search Results for: arlene bridges samuels

Thousands of words have been written about President Donald Trump’s exceptional policies toward Israel and the greater Middle East. His administration’s actions are pretty well known. Yet Israel—a nation familiar with constant hostility, relentless terror…

Readers, on January 12, just after I completed my column, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., with explosive new intelligence. He stated, “Al-Qaeda has a new home base: it is the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a result, Osama bin Laden’s wicked creation is poised to gain strength and capabilities.” CBN News will cover this new revelation in depth, but what I have written here will provide historical context for his remarks.

As we enter a new year, religious persecution will undoubtedly continue to impact millions across the globe, with such atrocities as Nigeria’s Christians being massacred, China’s Muslim Uighurs enslaved, and Jews murdered in their synagogues. For three years, an organization called Church in Need tracked Christian persecution in particular saying in their 2017 report, “Anti-Christian persecution is worse than at any time in history.”

Recent news out of Israel sounds grim. The nation has entered a third national lockdown, with strict regulations and hefty fines for infractions. Not surprisingly, tourists are nowhere to be found. On top

Each Christmas, we have the opportunity to rediscover the Gospel accounts that covey the most miraculous birth story ever recorded in history. After Mary and Joseph’s 80-mile trek from Nazareth, Mary gave birth to Jesus in the small town of Bethlehem. Located five-and-a-half miles south of Jerusalem, this town was the ancestral home of Joseph as well as the birthplace of King David.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels Although the eight days of Hanukkah festivities are ending, seasonal miracles are continuing to spread light across the Middle East. When Israeli children play dreidel games, the Hebrew phrase, “A great miracle happened here” is ever-present. Each dreidel (spinning top) is stamped with Hebrew letters that stand for “A great miracle happened here” (in Hebrew, Nes Gadol Haya Sham).  It signifies the outnumbered Maccabees’ stunning victory over King Antiochus IV’s tyranny in 164 B.C., followed by the Festival of Dedication or Lights. The Hebrew name Maccabees, meaning “hammer,” can describe reshaping or forging something new. Unlike the heroic Maccabees’ ancient war against pagan oppression—fought to preserve their people and their religious freedom—today’s eight-day tradition of Hanukkah gift-giving is forging the wide-ranging gift of peace. Today, the great miracle happening in the Middle East began under the visionary leadership of President Donald Trump. On August 13, 2020, he announced the momentous Abraham Accords, a peace agreement designed to forge normal relations between Israel and Arab nations.  The name of the agreement honors Abraham, the recognized patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. On September 15, President Trump hosted a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, with leaders from Israel, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain signing the first historic accord. Since then, Sudan and Morocco have also committed to the Abraham Accords, with more nations expected to join in. A modern miracle, indeed. The opening paragraph of the Abraham Accords declaration states, “We, the undersigned, recognize the importance of maintaining and strengthening peace in the Middle East and around the world based on mutual understanding and coexistence, as well as respect for human dignity and freedom, including religious freedom.” Since August, the miracles are manifesting themselves in the key phrases of the declaration already extending into Hanukkah 2020.  One sign of the rapidly growing ties between Israel and UAE is the construction of a 12-foot public menorah at Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.  Hanukkah lights have filled the skies each night as celebrants enjoy food and parties. Another positive sign: 28 commercial and 10 cargo flights scheduled weekly between the two nations. These flights are a significant indication that the UAE has abandoned its Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) policies—which amounted to longstanding economic warfare against Israel. By joining the Abraham Accords, Arab nations indicate they are no longer economically boycotting Israel.  In October, UAE officials and Prime Minister Netanyahu held a signing ceremony at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport where Netanyahu announced, “We are exempting our nationals from visas and this will offer a huge boost to business, tourism, and people-to-people contacts.  The mutual trade and exchange of goods, services, technology, and knowledge will benefit immeasurably not only our two countries but the Middle East as a whole.”  Both nations have set up direct telephone services. Intelligence and security discussions began quickly between Mossad’s Director Yossi Cohen and Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, the UAE’s National Security Advisor. At a recent Israel-Dubai conference in UAE, Emirates Economy Minister Abdullah ben Tuk Al-Ameri remarked, “I am sure the agreement is a turning point for […]

The imposing 15-foot-high bronze menorah that stands like a sentinel outside Israel’s Knesset Building has long been a tourist favorite. A photo op in front of this extraordinary candelabrum offers a lasting memory for groups or lone visitors who pose before

Former President Barack Obama has penned a 728-page memoir, A Promised Land, that was released on November 17 and has already amassed record-breaking sales in its first week: 1.7 million copies. Lauded for its eloquent use of language, the book nonetheless has engendered criticism regarding Israel—and I’d like to add my voice to the critics.

When Mike Pompeo stepped onto the soil of the Binyamin region in Israel’s biblical heartland last week, the importance of that event generated a dramatic course correction. Pompeo’s visit was a diplomatic earthquake, the first time a U.S. Secretary of State had visited Judea and Samaria. The eruption that ensued comes after a bitter, decades-long tug-of-war over Palestinian claims and Israel’s rightful

Most Americans are unaware that the nation of Iran has the United States in its crosshairs. They’re oblivious to the chilling truth that this trigger-happy Middle Eastern country considers us the “Great Satan” and wishes us harm. Israel, however, is all too aware of this ongoing threat. They are forced to be hyper-vigilant, based on an exceptionally unpleasant history with Iran. In the 41 years since the 1979 Iranian