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by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The Republican-led US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution denouncing the slogan “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” as antisemitic, Israel National News (INN) reports. This slogan has been chanted frequently by anti-Israel protesters, especially following the genocidal massacre of Israeli civilians by the Hamas Palestinian jihadist group on Oct. 7. The slogan refers to the territory between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean, upon which lies the state of Israel. Jews have interpreted the slogan as the expression of a desire to see them removed from the region altogether. Introduced by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), Tuesday’s resolution passed in a 377 to 44 vote. Forty-three Democrats and one Republican voted against it, INN said. Those who opposed it included “Squad” Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, and House Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal. Born in Michigan to Palestinian parents, Rep. Tlaib has been condemned for using the slogan in public, INN notes. Facing backlash, Tlaib said in a statement: “From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate.” However, fellow Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz responded in a message to Tlaib: “This phrase means eradicating Israel and Jews. Period. Dressing it up in a new PR ploy won’t change that.” The post House Passes Resolution Condemning “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free” Slogan as Antisemitic appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – With US lawmakers divided on issues concerning military aid abroad, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday revealed a plan to advance aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan in separate bills, with a fourth bill that encompasses the Republican party’s national security concerns, NBC News reports. A top priority among GOP lawmakers is the security of the US southern border with Mexico. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. said in a statement he would withdraw support for Johnson’s plan if there is no border security provision to vote on. “Border security is the No. 1 issue in the country,” Donalds said. “And for this town to be totally focused on Ukraine while they continue to ignore our southern border is atrocious, and it’s a slap in the face of the American people.” At a press briefing he gave after a “fruitful and productive” GOP conference meeting on Monday evening, Johnson unveiled his plan explaining: “Every member ultimately will be able to vote their own conscience on all of these matters, and everyone have an opportunity to weigh in and bring the amendments that they think are suitable.” “We will follow the germaneness rules of the House of course and the regular rules with regard to amendments,” Johnson added. “But I think the final product will be something that everybody can take confidence in because they got to vote their district and vote their conscience,” he said. Johnson stated he plans to give lawmakers 72 hours to consider the proposed legislation before bringing the bills to the House floor for a vote. This means the House may not vote on the separate bills until Friday afternoon or evening, NBC News noted in its report. The post House Speaker Plans To Bring Separate Bills For Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan Aid This Week appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Known as a country where 50% of the population say they do not believe in God, France saw a record 12,135 baptisms this Easter, America Magazine reports. The French Bishops Conference said in a new report that 7,135 adults and more than 5,000 children aged 11-17 were baptized during Easter services this year. According to the Bishops Conference, this year saw an increase of 31% in the number of people baptized; the number of baptisms among those aged 18-25 years old, rose from 23% to 36% in the last year. “In today’s French society, 80% of young people have not received any religious education,” Father Vincent Breynaert, director of the National Youth and Vocations Service, said in the report. “They have very few preconceived ideas about the Church.” “What those asking for baptism have in common is that they had a spiritual experience and a personal encounter with Christ,” Breynaert added. The Conference report noted in particular that around 5% of newly baptized Christians came from Islamic backgrounds, America Magazine said. “It is very surprising to see the often totally unexpected path taken by those who ask to be baptized,” Bishop Olivier Leborgne of Arras, president of the Council for Catechesis and the Catechumenate, said in a statement. The post France Saw Record 12,000 People Baptized This Easter appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News JERUSALEM/BUDAPEST (Worthy News)— Hungary’s recently elected President, Tamás Sulyok, has urged his nation to “respectfully and honestly” remember the victims of the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, in which some 600,000 Hungarian Jews died. He spoke at the 80th anniversary of the tragedy, remembered in Hungary as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, at a time of concerns about antisemitism. Hungary, which was a close ally of Nazi Germany, should show “reflections on our past duties with an outlook on the present and the future,” he told Parliament on Tuesday. “Taking responsibility for the past, including my personal history, I pay tribute to all victims of the Holocaust,” the president said. Israeli President Isaac Herzog told participants at the ceremony in parliament that the crimes against Hungarian Jews stood out for having taken place so rapidly and with little resistance from the larger population. He said he was “grateful to Hungary” for taking responsibility for the “country’s collaboration” with the Nazis in the past and for participating in international Holocaust-related organizations. Tibor Navracsics, the public administration and regional development minister, said it was important to remember the victims of the Holocaust each year and work to make sure future generations could live in a better world. TRAVELING EXHIBITION At a commemoration in the town of Tapolca in western Hungary, Navracsics opened a traveling exhibition entitled Stories from a Family Album. He said that at the end of World War Two, states, including Hungary, had turned against their own citizens and taken their lives with “industrial cruelty.” In all localities in Europe, there was a duty to mourn and remember the victims of the Holocaust, he said. His sentiments were shared in Budapest, the capital, by Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony. He said the Holocaust is not the history of Jews only; “it happened to us, and we are largely responsible for it.” He stressed it was crucial to not “stay idle when we see further discrimination, stigmatization, and hate-mongering.” He said the history of Jews and non-Jewish Hungarians was “inseparable” and called for “taking on the necessary but trying task of reflection.” At the commemoration, held at Budapest’s Boráros Square, a monument was unveiled to pay tribute to victims of an infamous internment camp south of Budapest. While most Hungarian Jews perished in the war and many survivors left for Israel, the country still hosts one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe outside Russia of some 100,000 people. The post Hungary Commemorates 80th Anniversary of Holocaust As Pain Remains appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News ZAGREB (Worthy News) – Elections in Croatia were expected to decide whether the Balkan nation will move closer to Russia or remain on its pro-Western course. Wednesday’s ballot in Croatia, which belongs to both the European Union and NATO military alliance, pit the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) led by incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic against a coalition of centrist and left-wing parties informally led by populist President Zoran Milanovic and his Social Democratic Party (SDP). The country’s highest court said Milanovic’s abrupt decision to run for prime minister was “irreconcilable” with his constitutional role as head of state. However, he called the ruling a “coup” and decided to participate in the vote anyway. A lot is at stake in the race for Croatia’s 151-seat parliament, not just in the country itself but for Europe as it grapples with the instability from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, analysts said. If the HDZ stays in power, the country will maintain relative political stability and continue on the pro-Western course in supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia. A success for SDP could put it on track for victory in the European Parliament elections in June and the presidential election in December. It would shake the HDZ’s long dominance of politics and potentially open space for stronger pro-Russian influence in the country, akin to Hungary and Slovakia. MOSCOW WATCHING Moscow is expected to closely monitor the ballot as it seeks to extend its influence in the region. Milanovic has often voiced a pro-Russian stance during the war in Ukraine, opposing the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Croatia as well as sending weapons to Ukraine because, in his view, it only prolongs the war. That view is shared by populist governments in nearby nations, including fellow NATO and EU members Hungary and Slovakia, leading to tensions within the Western organizations. Milanovic called Plenkovic an “ordinary coward” for allegedly preventing him from directly participating in the election. “It will be game over for Plenkovic,” Milanovic said, calling on voters to turn out in great numbers “to get rid of Plenkovic and his cartel.” Yet that may be wishful thinking, suggested opinion polls that predicted a comfortable HDZ victory but without enough seats to rule alone. The HDZ has primarily held power since Croatia gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 in a bloody conflict. NEWEST MEMBER The Adriatic Sea nation became the newest member of the European Union in 2013 and joined Europe’s passport-free travel area and the eurozone last year. Yet the left-wing opposition was due to benefit from public discontent with Croatia’s high inflation and the general economic troubles in most EU member states. Smaller parties on the right and the left were expected to be critical to the HDZ and SDP in their quest for power. Plenkovic, like Milanovic, a former career diplomat, accused his rival of being irresponsible and of “pushing Croatia and the Croatian people into the ‘Russian World.’” Plenkovic said Milanovic should not hold any public office, describing him as a “political waste that brought only negativity.” It was now up to voters to see who was right. The post Croatia’s Parliamentary Elections Could Move Nation Closer To Russia Or West appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News WASHINGTON/THE HAGUE (Worthy News) – The United States and European allies have pledged more sanctions against Iran, but differences remain on whether to designate the country’s feared Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is a front-runner to become the next general secretary of the NATO military alliance, told parliament he wants the IRGC to be on Europe’s terrorist list. “However, disagreements remain” within the European Union on this issue, he said in a debate watched by Worthy News. At the same time, the EU and the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden want Israel to limit its response to Iran’s attack, which saw Tehran firing hundreds of drones and missiles toward Israel over the weekend. There are Western concerns that Israel’s retaliation could lead to a regional war, as Arab nations are already condemning Israel’s strikes against Hamas in Gaza. “Further significant escalation will only deepen instability in the region,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call Tuesday evening. “This is a moment for calm heads to prevail.” Yet U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made clear that these worries won’t stop Washington from hitting Iran with new sanctions over its unprecedented attack on Israel. Yellen said these actions could seek to reduce Iran’s capacity to export oil. “I fully expect that we will take additional sanctions action against Iran in the coming days,” Yellen told reporters in Washington. EXPORT OIL “Clearly, Iran is continuing to export some oil. There may be more that we could do.” A senior Treasury official told reporters the department was working to enlist the aid of China, Group of Seven (G7) partners, and other major global suppliers to erode Iran’s ability to continue to export oil. The U.S. also seeks to prevent the export of microelectronics Tehran needed for the drones it used to attack Israel and was selling to Russia, Worthy News learned. Yet despite the rhetoric, some analysts said the Biden administration was unlikely to seek to sharpen sanctions on Iran’s oil exports due to worries about a significant spike in oil prices and angering top buyer China. Yellen countered that the U.S. would work with allies and pass sanctions in the coming days to keep disrupting Iran’s “malign and destabilizing activity.” “We don’t preview our sanctions tools. But in discussions I’ve had, all options to disrupt terrorist financing of Iran continue to be on the table,” Yellen stressed. Similar sentiments were expressed in Europe, where the European Union’s foreign police chief said the European Union would prepare to expand its sanctions on Iran in response to Tehran’s attack on Israel. EMERGENCY MEETING The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, confirmed their plans Tuesday after an emergency video conference of the bloc’s foreign ministers. Borrell said several EU members proposed expanding a sanctions regime that seeks to curb the supply of Iranian drones to Russia to include the provision of missiles and cover deliveries to Iranian proxies in the Middle East. Germany, France, and several other EU members have publicly backed such a proposal. Borrell said he supported the proposal and diplomats would work on it in the coming days so ministers could discuss it again at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday. However, Borrell reiterated the EU’s position that the corps could only be designated as a terrorist organization if a national authority in the EU found that the group had been involved in terrorist activity. Nevertheless, a bipartisan letter with more than 130 members of the U.S. Congress urged the EU to designate Iran’s IRGC as a terrorist organization. “Iran remains a leading state sponsor of terror. For decades, the IRGC has freely and openly carried out plots targeting citizens in countries across the EU,” said the letter seen by Worthy News. “A recent study by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point showed that in the last five years, Iran has instigated at least 33 plots to surveil, abduct, or assassinate citizens in Europe,” the Members wrote. The letter was initiated by U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Manning, the Vice Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Tom Kean Jr., Chair of the Europe Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Congressman Bill Keating, the Ranking Member of the Europe Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The post US, EU Discuss Sanctioning Iran While Warning Israel appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News WARSAW (Worthy News) – The Polish parliament is to debate overturning what critics view as Europe’s most restrictive abortion regulations despite thousands of protesters saying it could violate the rights of the unborn. Currently, the procedure is permitted only if the life or health of the mother is at risk or in cases of rape or incest. Extending abortion rights was a significant election pledge by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, but it took four months since his center-left coalition came to power before liberalizing the termination of pregnancy was on the agenda of the Sejm, the lower house of parliament. His Left alliance wants abortion to be permitted up to the 12th week of pregnancy and to be paid for by the state. It also demands abortion to be decriminalized by deleting Section 152 of the Criminal Code, which provides for prison sentences of up to three years for abortion assistance. Previously, a woman’s next of kin were often at risk for prosecution: parents or husbands who had, for example, procured money for the abortion. The conservative coalition Third Way proposed the old compromise of 1993, which allowed abortion even in the case of fetal abnormalities. It was later removed by the Constitutional Tribunal in 2020 at the suggestion of the then ruling national-conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS). The plan also includes a referendum on how far liberalization should go. With much at stake in the traditional Catholic country, a further debate on the abortion rights legislation introduced by the New Left was delayed by parliamentary speaker Szymon Holownia. POSTPONING DEBATE He postponed the debate, which was supposed to take place after the first round of local elections on April 7, to the week after the second and final round, on April 21. Commentators said he feared that a dispute within the coalition could hurt the election result. Yet news of the new debate has worried tens of thousands of people who said they wanted to express their “support for the lives of unborn children.” Poland’s “National March for Life” on Sunday was backed by the influential Polish Bishops’ Conference. Held under the motto “Long Live Poland,” the gathering of an estimated 50,000 people in Warsaw, the capital, was aimed at pressuring parliament to reconsider the bills to legalize abortion. “Our march is an affirmation of life, an affirmation of the family, an affirmation of all the basic rights of every human being,” said the March’s spokeswoman, Lidia Sankowska-Grabczuk. She called the government’s plans to liberalize abortion a “revolution that is moving like a battering ram, which wants to limit the rights of parents and the rights of people to life.” She said thousands were “also marching in a strong sign of defiance to contain the demographic collapse” in Europe. Back in Parliament, the initial introduction of the new abortion legislation led to tensions. “Old men in suits will no longer decide what women must do with their bodies,” shouted Anna Maria Zukowska, a member of parliament for the co-governing The Left alliance, at the presentation of the bill on Friday. “No more hell for women!” ‘WOMEN DYING’ Critics say in recent years, “several women have died” because doctors refused to perform an abortion or have done so too late for fear of criminal prosecution. Opponents of abortion say the government should encourage women to keep their babies in a safe environment. Conservative lawmaker Dariusz Matecki entered the chamber recently with a banner depicting a 10-week-old fetus and played sounds meant to represent the heartbeat of the unborn child. Far-right politician Roman Fritz accused the “abortion lobby” of having adopted the ideas of Germany’s Nazi-era leader Adolf Hitler. You are the “avant-garde of the civilization of death,” he said, addressing the governing Left. Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming parliamentary debate, critics say that Polish women seeking abortion will likely still have to travel to the Czech Republic, Germany, or the Netherlands. Analysts expect conservative President Andrzej Duda to veto softening abortion legislation and say the coalition lacks the necessary three-fifths majority to overrule the head of state. Commentators say a “liberal abortion law” can only come into force after Duda leaves office in mid-2025 when a more pro-abortion candidate, such as Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, may be elected as his successor. The post Poland To Debate Liberalizing Abortion Despite Massive ‘March for Life’ appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has formulated a plan to counter-strike Iran and its proxies. However, the timing of this action remains undecided due to the complexity of the preparations involved, the Jerusalem Post reported. The decision underscores Israel’s leadership’s serious intent to retaliate, but efforts are being made to temper the response to avoid a wider regional war. During a visit to the Arrow air defense battery of Battalion 136, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi suggested that an attack was not imminent. He stated, “We are enabling a home front policy to at least give citizens this Passover week to live almost like normal because we completely trust you and your readiness.” This indicates a temporary period of normalcy for citizens during the holiday week, reflecting confidence in the military’s preparedness. While many military analysts have speculated on various strategies for a potential counterstrike, Israel’s exact plans remain unclear. Possible strategies include extensive operations such as targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, more moderate actions like striking drone or ballistic missile sites linked to Iran’s recent aggressions, and more limited approaches such as assassinating key individuals or targeting IRGC officials and their allies abroad. These tactics might also be combined with a significant cyber attack to enhance their overall impact. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant expressed pride in the Israeli Air Force’s dominance over Middle Eastern skies, stating, “The Iranians failed in their attack, and they will fail to deter Israel. The skies of the Middle East are wide open for the [Israeli] air force. Every enemy that threatens us will be struck wherever they are.” However, he also disclosed that the attack on Israel on Sunday morning was more severe than initially reported, involving more than 500 aerial threats from Iran and its proxies. Previously, officials had estimated the number of aerial threats to be between 300-350, including about 120 ballistic missiles, 170 drones, and 30 cruise missiles. Additionally, Gallant disclosed that Hezbollah launched rocket attacks, with militia groups from Yemen, Syria, and Iraq also participating. Military analysts are considering the likelihood of a significant cyber attack by Israel, given that the IDF has annoucned a drill in the northern region. This exercise was aimed at assessing the coordination between its cyber and technology units and the Northern Command operational units. This exercise underscores the possibility of Israel responding to Iran through cyber operations, and such actions could potentially provoke further counter-strikes by Tehran and its main ally, Hezbollah. During the exercise, combat forces and cyber and technology units were deployed throughout the northern fronts to simulate readiness for an all-out hybrid digital and kinetic war. The post Counter-Strike on Iran Determined by IDF, But Not Timing appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, avoid the mines! John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. In a documentary mini-series called "Against All Odds," a remarkable story is told about an Israeli platoon who found themselves in the midst of a minefield along the Syrian border during the Yom Kippur War. When the platoon realized they were in a minefield they pulled out their bayonets and started to dig out mines and disarm them. Suddenly, a fierce wind began to blow, removing the sand from the minefield. Each and every mine was exposed and the soldiers ventured through the minefield unscathed. If you found yourself in the midst of a minefield but had someone with you that knew where every mine was and could guide you through, then you'd be sure to stay as close to him as possible! My friend, life is a minefield; and the enemy has planted mines all across your path -- the mines of temptation! You have Someone with you who knows where they are and how to guide you around them. But how closely are you walking with Him? God's word and His Spirit equip us thoroughly for life and godliness. Obedience to His word and abiding in His Spirit we can avoid every deadly trap of the enemy and even if He calls us to martyrdom, we can go joyfully in His power. Friend, but in the meantime, let's not ignore the presence and counsel of our Heavenly Guide. It's too easy to become distracted by fears, entertainments, and even real responsibilities. But all these can pull us away from Him....so that we suddenly find our foot on a mine about to explode under us. The discipline of practicing His presence was never more important than it is now in these last of the last days. The Bible warns that "because iniquity abounds, the love of many shall wax cold!" Let us stay awake, fully conscious of our Helper's presence. Led of His Spirit we will dodge every one of our enemy’s mines, and navigate both ourselves and others to safety, bearing fruit all along the way! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Dallas, TX) (Baltimore, Maryland) Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. Be sure to check it out! Editor's Note: We are planning our summer Tour so if you would like us to minister at your congregation, home fellowship, or Israel focused event, be sure to let us know ASAP. You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information. Around the World US, EU Discuss Sanctioning Iran While Warning Israel The United States and European allies have pledged more sanctions against Iran, but differences remain on whether to designate the country’s feared Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. Poland To Debate Liberalizing Abortion Despite Massive ‘March for Life’ The Polish parliament is to debate overturning what critics view as Europe’s most restrictive abortion regulations despite thousands of protesters saying it could violate the rights of the unborn. Lebanon: Senior Christian Politician Murdered Pascal Sleiman, a well-known senior figure in Lebanon’s Christian Lebanese Forces (CLF) party was abducted and shot dead in the country’s Byblos area last week. The news has caused outrage in Lebanon’s Christian community. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Counter-Strike on Iran Determined by IDF, But Not Timing The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has formulated a plan to counter-strike Iran and its proxies. However, the timing of this action remains undecided due to the complexity of the preparations involved, the Jerusalem Post reported. IDF Kills Senior Hezbollah Commander After Drones From Lebanon Explode in Galilee Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday killed a senior Hezbollah field commander after two attack drones launched from Lebanon entered Israel and slightly injured three Israelis when they exploded in the Galilee region, Ynet News reports. Inside the United States Over 600,000 Illegal Immigrants Being Tracked by DHS With Criminal Records The Department of Homeland Security is monitoring 617,000 illegal immigrants, according to testimony that will be presented before a Congressional Hearing on Tuesday. Report: Biden Has Taken Over 200 Actions Against US Oil President Joe Biden and his administration have taken over 200 actions against the U.S. oil and natural gas industry as energy prices have gone up, according to a new report. SCOTUS Rules Idaho Can Ban Sex-Change Treatments For Children The US Supreme Court ruled Monday that Idaho can criminalize the provision of sex-change treatments to minors, Reuters reports. The Court was divided in its ruling, with the three Democratic-appointed justices dissenting. USA: Anti-Israel Protesters Block Golden Gate Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge For Hours Anti-Israel protesters in the US caused major disruption across the country when they blocked major highways as well as the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Monday, the Telegraph reports. The protesters claimed to be acting as part of a global “economic blockade” to “free Palestine.” Christian News ‘Australia Church Attack Was Terrorism’; Bishop, Priest Among Injured Australian police say Monday's stabbing attack at a Sydney church in which a bishop, priest, and churchgoers were injured during mass was a "terrorist act." Nigeria: 91 “Chibok Girls” Still Missing After 2014 Abduction by Boko Haram, #BringBackOurGirls On the 10th anniversary of the abduction by Boko Haram Islamic terrorists of 276 mostly Christian school girls in Chibok village, in northeastern Nigeria, 91 of the abductees remain missing, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The Department of Homeland Security is monitoring 617,000 illegal immigrants, according to testimony that will be presented before a Congressional Hearing on Tuesday. Sheriff Waybourn is set to testify before the National Security, Border, and Foreign Affairs subcommittee, overseen by Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI). The hearing, titled “How the Border Crisis Impacts Public Safety,” will open with remarks from Mr. Grothman, who will address the influx of illegal immigrants that has expanded the caseload at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to Mr. Grothman, the agency is now monitoring over 6 million illegal immigrants, with approximately 617,000 of these individuals either having criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. “These offenders, [many of which] are gang members and outlaws, have left nothing untouched,” the sheriff is expected to say, according to prepared remarks obtained by The Washington Times. “While I do not necessarily think these aliens have a higher crime rate, just the fact that these people are illegal in our country and committed crimes is the impact.” The witnesses will testify before the committee about the surge of fentanyl and other illegal drugs crossing the border, which has led to a concerning increase in overdoses, especially in juveniles. “Having served as a DEA agent in Miami during the mid and late 80s, I thought I had seen the worst of the drug problem. I was wrong,” Sheriff Mike Chapman of Virginia will state as he presents evidence of a disturbing increase in juvenile drug overdoses as 11 students at a single high school experienced overdoses within six weeks last year. The hearing takes place just hours before the House is expected to forward two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate. Concurrently, Mr. Mayorkas is scheduled to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Over 7.2 million illegal immigrants have entered the United States under President Joe Biden’s administration, according to statistics provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This figure exceeds the population totals of 36 individual states within the country. The post Over 600,000 Illegal Immigrants Being Tracked by DHS With Criminal Records appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – President Joe Biden and his administration have taken over 200 actions against the U.S. oil and natural gas industry as energy prices have gone up, according to a new report. “President Biden and Democrats have a plan for American energy: make it harder to produce and more expensive to purchase,” the Institute for Energy Research states in a new report. “Since Mr. Biden took office, his administration and its allies have taken over 200 actions deliberately designed to make it harder to produce energy here in America.” The analysis highlights actions Biden took on his first day in office, listing them chronologically through March of this year. The first act was canceling the Keystone XL pipeline, issuing a moratorium on all oil and natural gas leasing activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and revoking Trump administration executive orders that decreased regulations in order to expand domestic production. Within a week of being in office, Biden issued additional moratoriums on new oil and gas leases on public lands or in offshore waters and imposed new regulations related to permitting and leasing practices, which were tied up in the courts for years. It was not until last month that a federal court upheld the first oil and natural gas lease sale on federal lands. Last December, the Fifth Circuit also ruled that Gulf lease sales must go forward. Other actions ahead of the midterm elections include threatening to tax the oil and natural gas industry, blaming them for profiteering. Roughly six months before the general election, his administration has proposed $110 billion tax hikes on oil, natural gas and coal. In response, U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., led a coalition of 24 senators expressing “grave concern” about his “continued hostility towards American energy production.” IER published the report after the latest action taken to increase the cost of U.S. oil production and cancel plans to restock the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The SPR has been depleted to roughly half of what it was when he first took office. “President Biden had the chance to top up the SPR when prices were still low during the pandemic, but anti-oil-and-gas ideologues within the administration couldn’t bear to do anything that would help out producers when demand was low,” Kathleen Sgamma, president of Western Energy Alliance, told The Center Square. He then drained it “for political reasons and it’s long overdue to fill the SPR back up. Like many other politically driven decisions from this administration that distort energy markets, the government will have to spend more taxpayer money than if it had rational energy policies.” Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association, told The Center Square that the Biden administration withdrawing approximately 250 million barrels from the SPR “was another dangerous example of putting politics over national security. The fact that some will believe the decision to cancel contracts to refill the SPR is due to a newly discovered fiscal consciousness is both nonsensical and alarming. Poorly conceived, albeit intentional energy policy results in higher costs for consumers, global emissions, and inflation, while putting our economy and energy security at risk.” Daniel Turner, Founder and Executive Director for Power The Future, said instead of using American-produced oil to refill the SPR, Biden was “embracing insanity by putting the green agenda ahead of our families and our national security. Only in Joe Biden’s head does it make sense to lower costs by raising fees.” In light of Iran’s recent attacks against Israel, he said, “the world and our allies need a strong America that is fully utilizing our energy strength. Instead, the only things Joe Biden wants to strengthen is Iranian oil and Washington’s tax revenue.” As the Biden administration imposes more fees on American oil producers, Iran’s oil exports reached $35 billion within the last 12 months, according to Iranian Labour News Agency. “Despite the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Tehran in 2018, Chinese purchases of Iranian oil have allowed the country to maintain a positive trade balance,” Reuters reported. “Without oil exports, Iran would have registered a $16.8 billion trade deficit.” U.S. House Republicans last month passed several bills and resolutions to strengthen the U.S. oil and natural gas industry, The Center Square reported. Only a handful of Democrats, largely from Texas, supported them. Texas leads the U.S. in oil and natural gas production, having broken records in the last few years, The Center Square has reported. Because the majority of oil and natural gas is produced on private land and a bipartisan group of Texas elected officials and regulatory agencies are supportive of the industry, Texas has been able to achieve what most states have not. those in the Texas energy industry argue that, without their ingenuity and technological advancement, the U.S. would not be as energy independent as it is and prices would be higher. When the Russian-Ukrainian crisis hit, it was Texas LNG exports that provided a “lifeline” to European countries, a TIPRO analysis found. “With so much uncertainty in the world, the need for reliable, responsibly produced energy from a stable trading partner has never been more crucial,” Texas Oil & Gas Association President Todd Staples said. “Texas is that trade partner. Our producers, pipelines, refineries, and exporters answer the call to alleviate the global energy crisis, made worse by war.” He also argues that Texas’ production records “are not guaranteed. We cannot take for granted that this industry can continue to rewrite its record book in the face of federal policies blatantly designed to undermine progress. Delayed permits, canceled pipeline projects, closed and delayed federal leasing programs and incoherent regulations hurt American consumers and stifle our ability to deliver energy freedom and security around the world.” Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Report: Biden Has Taken Over 200 Actions Against US Oil appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday killed a senior Hezbollah field commander after two attack drones launched from Lebanon entered Israel and slightly injured three Israelis when they exploded in the Galilee region, Ynet News reports. Backed by Iran, Hezbollah has fired rockets into northern Israel continually since Hamas triggered the ongoing war in Gaza by its Oct. 7 genocidal attack on Jewish civilians in southern Israel. The two drones launched by Hezbollah infiltrated Israel on Tuesday at noon, and exploded in the Beit Hillel area of the Galilee, Ynet said. Then, just before 3.30pm, sirens in Western Galilee and Beit Hallel warned of five rocket launches from Lebanon, Ynet said. In response, the Israeli Air Force aircraft targeted and killed Ismail Yusaf Baz, the commander of Hezbollah’s coastal sector, in the area of Ain Ebel in Lebanon, Ynet said. Ismail had been involved in planning rocket and anti-tank missile launches toward Israel from the coastal area of Lebanon. He has also organized terror attacks against Israel. Tuesday’s incidents came a day after four IDF soldiers were injured just inside the Lebanese border from an explosion that Hezbollah claimed was a bomb they placed there. The post IDF Kills Senior Hezbollah Commander After Drones From Lebanon Explode in Galilee appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The US Supreme Court ruled Monday that Idaho can criminalize the provision of sex-change treatments to minors, Reuters reports. The Court was divided in its ruling, with the three Democratic-appointed justices dissenting. The case arose after Idaho’s Republican-controlled Legislature passed the Vulnerable Child Protection Act, prohibiting treatments including puberty blockers, hormones and mastectomies that are “inconsistent with the child’s biological sex.” The Act provides that those who violate the law can face up to 10 years in prison. The Act was due to come into effect on Jan. 1 but was blocked by US District Judge Lynn Winmill who determined the legislation violates the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment which guarantees equal protection under the law, Reuters reports. The District court issued an injunction preventing the implementation of the Act after two transgender girls aged 15 and 16 respectively, and their parents, sued the state claiming the law is unconstitutional as it discriminates based on transgender status and sex. Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador appealed to the US Supreme court after the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals refused to lift the District court’s injunction.The Supreme Court’s ruling allows Idaho to prohibit sex change treatments for all minors in the state, except the plaintiffs, Reuters said. “The state has a duty to protect and support all children, and that’s why I’m proud to defend Idaho’s law that ensures children are not subjected to these life-altering drugs and procedures,” Labrador said in a statement after Monday’s ruling. The post SCOTUS Rules Idaho Can Ban Sex-Change Treatments For Children appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Anti-Israel protesters in the US caused major disruption across the country when they blocked major highways as well as the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Monday, the Telegraph reports. The protesters claimed to be acting as part of a global “economic blockade” to “free Palestine.” Israel and the Jewish people worldwide have experienced an outpouring of hostility and antisemitism following the Hamas’ massacre of Oct. 7 which triggered Israel’s ongoing war against the Palestinian jihadist terror group in Gaza. Mass demonstrations against Israel have been held in major cities around the globe since the massacre which left 1,200 mostly civilian Israelis dead and around 240 kidnapped in addition to many wounded. On Monday, protesters in the San Francisco Bay Area held up all traffic, including pedestrian and bicycle movement when they chained themselves to 55-gallon drums filled with cement across Interstate 880 in Oakland for some five hours, the Telegraph reports. The Golden Gate Bridge was shut down in both directions. California Highway Patrol arrested 28 people. Across the country in New York City, protesters marched into Brooklyn and blocked Manhattan-bound traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, the Telegraph reports. The bridge remained blocked until 5pm. Numerous people were arrested. The bridge was fully reopened by 5 pm. In another instance, protesters in Chicago blocked lanes on Interstate 190 leading into O’Hare International Airport at 7 am, the Telegraph said. The post USA: Anti-Israel Protesters Block Golden Gate Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge For Hours appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Pascal Sleiman, a well-known senior figure in Lebanon’s Christian Lebanese Forces (CLF) party was abducted and shot dead in the country’s Byblos area last week. The news has caused outrage in Lebanon’s Christian community. An IT expert who worked for Byblos Bank, Sleiman was an outspoken opponent of the Hezbollah Shia Islamic terror organization which controls much of Lebanon. Sleiman went missing after being ambushed by several assailants while driving from a condolence visit in Byblos on April 7. His body was found in Syria by Syrian soldiers on April 9. While four Syrian nationals were arrested for killing Sleiman, a number of experts believe Hezbollah ordered the killing as an example to Lebanon’s Christian community to cease resisting them and to join them in their war against Israel. Soon after news broke of Sleiman’s death, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah attacked Lebanese Christians in a broadcast statement, saying: “[The Christians] are not people of truth, nor are they people of truth, nor are they people of justice and they do not care about the national interest, civil peace, or anything. They are people of strife and seek civil war.” In a statement to CBN News, Sarit Zehavi of the Alma Research and Education Center said: “The basic goal of Hezbollah is to distribute the Islamic revolution and to take over Lebanon and to establish an Islamic state in Lebanon. War in Israel serves this goal.” However, amid rising tensions between Syrian refugees and local Lebanese, Lebanon’s security forces claimed a gang of Syrian refugees had killed Sleiman during an effort to steal his car. Soon after the killing, Lebanon’s Interior Minister called for an end to the presence of Syrians in the country. The post Lebanon: Senior Christian Politician Murdered appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (Worthy News) – Australian police say Monday’s stabbing attack at a Sydney church in which a bishop, priest, and churchgoers were injured during mass was a “terrorist act.” A 16-year-old boy was detained following the violence at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church, in which Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and Priest Isaac Royel were wounded. Both were expected to survive. In addition, at least four people suffered “non-life-threatening” injuries, police said, adding that the alleged attacker was also hurt in the clash at the Assyrian Church congregation. Australian media reported that the teen who allegedly stabbed the church leaders and individual believers had his fingers cut off. Chris Minns, the prime minister of Australia’s New South Wales state, confirmed the information but did not clarify whether the teen severed his fingers or if it was done to him. “The information we have is that it happened in the commission of the crime, not to him,” he added. The troubles began during a mass that was broadcast live online. It showed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel giving a service when he was approached by an attacker at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in the Sydney suburb of Wakeley. MULTIPLE TIMES STABBED He was approached and allegedly stabbed multiple times just after 7 pm on Monday. The 16-year-old also attacked the priest and others. The attack at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church sparked massive outrage, witnesses said. By the time police arrived, they were forced to bunker inside the building to protect the arrested teenager. In audio obtained by Australia’s 9News television program, a responding paramedic could be heard calling for more backup to contain the crowd. “I currently need more police to attend,” the paramedic told the operator. “The roads are blocked with hundreds of people.” Officials later said that the crowd – hundreds of people reportedly seeking revenge – violently clashed with police, who were guarding the church where the attacker was being treated. Two officers were reportedly injured, one with a broken jaw after he was hit with a brick and fence palings, and 10 police cars destroyed. The violence left paramedics fearing for their safety and “holed up” inside the church for more than three hours, witnesses said. ‘DISTURBING ATTACK’ Soon after the stabbing, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened an emergency meeting of national security agencies, calling the attack “disturbing.” “We’re a peace-loving nation… There’s no place for violent extremism.” Trying to quell further violence, he urged that people “not take the law into their own hands.” Speaking to the media on Tuesday morning, New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the bishop and priest were undergoing surgery and were “lucky to be alive.” Authorities, who declined to release the religion of the alleged attacker, admitted later that he was known to police. He had been released “on a good behavior bond” after being caught with a knife at a train station last November, Worthy News learned. Minns also confirmed reports the teenager had been found with a knife at school as early as 2020. Police said they believe staging the attack during a live-streamed service was intended to be “intimidating not only [to] the parishioners in attendance, but those parishioners who were watching online.” FACING PERSECUTION Monday’s attack likely reminded many believers in the area of the difficulties they had faced for their faith in Christ, Worthy News established. The Wakeley neighborhood where the attack occurred is a hub for Sydney’s small Christian Assyrian community, many of whom fled persecution and war in Iraq and Syria. Monday’s violence followed turbulence within the Assyrian Church. The injured bishop was suspended for disobeying canons and forming a breakaway church. In 2021, he became a vocal opponent of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, describing lockdowns in Australia as “slavery” and arguing that vaccines were futile. However, Bishop Emmanuel is one of the “kindest, [most] authentic, genuine human beings,” local legislator Dai Le said in published remarks. The violence came as Sydney was still reeling from Saturday’s deadly stabbings at a shopping mall. A man stabbed six people to death at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction in the city’s eastern suburbs before he was fatally shot, police said. Eight people, including a 9-month-old baby, were injured in the attack in Australia’s most populous city, officials confirmed. The 40-year-old suspect was known to police but not believed to have held terrorist views, police said. Six of the victims — five women and a man — and the suspect died. The post ‘Australia Church Attack Was Terrorism’; Bishop, Priest Among Injured appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – On the 10th anniversary of the abduction by Boko Haram Islamic terrorists of 276 mostly Christian school girls in Chibok village, in northeastern Nigeria, 91 of the abductees remain missing, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Sparking nationwide and global outrage, on April 14, 2014, Boko Haram jihadists stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the village of Chibok, Borno state, and kidnapped the school girls who were teenagers at the time. Fifty-seven of the girls managed to escape soon after the abduction, and negotiations led to the gradual release of 128 girls by 2022, ICC reports. However, with 91 of the “ Chibok girls” still missing, the viral hashtag #BringBackOurGirls remains pertinent. “Official updates on the government’s efforts to free the remaining women have all but stopped,” ICC noted in its report. “Many of these women were forced to marry their abductors and have children of their own while living in Boko Haram’s camps in the Sambisa Forest.” In the years since the Boko Haram attack on the Chibok school, Nigeria has come to lead the world for the number of abductions and murders of Christians at the hands of Islamic terrorists. “Though news of the Chibok kidnappings galvanized support for the Christian girls on social media, similar mass kidnappings occurring today in Nigeria barely make a blip,” ICC noted. Nigeria ranks six on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. “Christians in Nigeria, particularly in the Muslim-majority north, continue to live under immense pressure and to be terrorized with devastating impunity by Islamic militants…Violence by Islamic extremist groups such as Fulani militants, Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State in West African Province) increased during the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari, putting Nigeria at the epicenter of targeted violence against the church,” the Open Doors international Christian advocacy reports in a current website statement. The post Nigeria: 91 “Chibok Girls” Still Missing After 2014 Abduction by Boko Haram, #BringBackOurGirls appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – Former President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson have raised the alarm about non-citizens voting in U.S. elections, citing the border crisis. They did so after Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week that his policies were impacting U.S. elections and after Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, reintroduced a bill to require proof of citizenship to vote. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas took issue with his concern saying it was “nothing short of preposterous.” Johnson said House Republicans were also introducing a bill to require proof of citizenship to vote ahead of the November election and Trump demanded that the U.S. border be immediately closed. At a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said, “I would like to demand that our border be closed because we have millions of people coming into our country. Millions and millions of people are pouring in at levels that nobody’s reporting … including terrorists.” He reiterated a claim he made in Texas nearly three years ago that Central and South American countries were opening their prisons and violent criminals were illegally entering the country. “They come from jails and prisons,” he said. “They come from mental institutions and insane asylums. They come from all over the world, not just South America. … Venezuela announced that their crime is down 67% because of the fact that they’ve taken the gang members … and they’ve deposited them very nicely into the United States of America. … It’s happening with countries all over Africa, Asia, South America, all over the world.” He also said President Joe Biden “should close the border immediately. He needs no legislation … He doesn’t need anybody. He can do it. I did it without any legislation. I had the best border we’ve had in ever recorded history,” citing policies he implemented like Remain in Mexico and ending the Obama-era catch and release policy. “I just demand as a citizen, I demand the border has to be closed,” he continued. “Our country cannot take it. No country could take it. It’s not sustainable by any country.” Both Trump and Johnson raised concerns about noncitizens illegally entering the country and then voting in U.S. elections. “Election integrity is tied to border,” Johnson said. “Why is that? You need to understand something really important about federal law since 1993. The National Voter Registration Act, we call it the Motor Voter law, allows people to sign up to vote when they get a driver’s license. If an individual only asserts or simply states that they are a citizen, they don’t have to prove it. They can register that person to vote in a federal election.” He also said states are “currently prohibited from asking someone to prove they’re a citizen. The federal voter registration form just has a check box, and if you do that, you’re good. … We think that’s a serious problem. “It seems like common sense. I’m sure all of us would agree. We only want U.S. citizens to vote in U.S. elections, but there are some Democrats who don’t want to do that … because they want to turn these people into voters. Because there is such a great number of illegal foreign nationals getting driver’s licenses and going on welfare, he said, “There’s so many millions of illegals in the country that if only one out of a hundred voted, they would cast potentially hundreds of thousands of votes in the election that could turn an election.” He said noncitizens voting could turn congressional races and impact the presidential election. House Republicans “will do everything within our power to ensure that we do have free and fair elections in this country. If we don’t have that in a constitutional republic, we have nothing. It’s the basis of who we are as a nation, and we owe that to the American people.” He described election integrity measures the House would pass that incorporate provisions of bills filed by Rep. Roy. They include the Save Act, which amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in U.S. elections. Another bill requires DHS and the Social Security Administration to provide information to state election officials to verify citizenship status and requires states to remove noncitizens from official lists of eligible voters. A recent Rasmussen Reports poll found that 82% of U.S. voters surveyed said illegal foreign nationals should not be allowed to vote in the U.S. elections; 78% said it was important to prevent them from voting in U.S. elections. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Trump, Johnson: ‘Election Integrity Is Tied To Border Security’ appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – The ability of the Israeli military and its allies to shoot down 99 percent of hundreds of drones and missiles fired by Iran toward Israel was the culmination of years of U.S.-backed efforts in the region, officials said Monday. After several false starts and minimal progress, there was progress towards breaking down political and technical barriers that thwarted military cooperation between Israel and the Sunni Arab governments. But with Iran seen as threatening stability in the region, the effort gained momentum after the 2020 Abraham Accords brokered by the then President Donald J. Trump’s administration. The Accords established formal ties between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, forming the basis for broader regional cooperation. And instead of a Middle East version of the NATO alliance, the U.S. focused on less formal regionwide air-defense cooperation to blunt Tehran’s growing arsenal of drones and missiles, The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported Monday. Once Iran used those weapons in a highly anticipated strike against Israel, the Jewish nation and its allies were prepared to act. As hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles winged across the Middle East Saturday night and early Sunday local time, a defensive line of radars, jet fighters, warships, and air-defense batteries from Israel, the U.S., and a half dozen other countries were ready to intervene. INTERCEPTING DRONES Israeli and U.S. forces intercepted most of the Iranian drones and missiles. But they could do so in part because Arab countries quietly passed along intelligence about Tehran’s attack plans, opened their airspace to warplanes, shared radar tracking information, or, in some cases, supplied their forces to help, officials said. After further talks with the U.S., the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia agreed privately to share intelligence. At the same time, Jordan said it would allow the use of its airspace by the U.S. and other countries’ warplanes and use its aircraft to assist in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones, the officials said. Two days before the attack, Iranian officials briefed counterparts from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries on the outlines and timing of their plan for the large-scale strikes on Israel so that those countries could safeguard airspace, The Wall Street Journal reported. The information was apparently passed along to the U.S., giving Washington and Israel crucial advance warning. With an Iranian attack all but certain, the White House then ordered the Pentagon to reposition aircraft and missile-defense resources to the region and took the lead in coordinating defensive measures between Israel and Arab governments, according to a senior Israeli official. “The challenge was to bring all those countries around Israel” at a time when Israel is isolated in the region, the official said. “It was a diplomatic issue.” YEARS OF PLANNING Despite years of planning, the U.S.-led effort to help Israel in the days and hours before the Iranian attack still had reportedly overcome numerous obstacles. Chief among them were fears by Gulf countries at being seen as coming to Israel’s aid at a time when the war in Gaza badly strains relations. Much of the cooperation Saturday night that led to the shooting down of the Iranian-directed barrage needed to be forged on the fly, officials suggested. Many details about the role played by Saudi Arabia and other key Arab governments are being closely held. Yet it helped that the Pentagon shifted Israel from its European Command to Central Command, which includes the rest of the Middle East, in recent years, according to experts. The move enabled greater military cooperation with Arab governments under U.S. auspices. “Israel’s move into Centcom was a game changer,” making it easier to share intelligence and provide early warning across countries, said Dana Stroul, who until December was the most senior civilian official at the Pentagon with responsibility for the Middle East. On Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported that as early as in March 2022, Marine General Frank McKenzie, then the top U.S. commander in the region, convened a secret meeting of top military officials from Israel and Arab countries to explore how they could coordinate against Iran’s growing missile and drone capabilities. The talks, held at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, marked the first time that such a range of ranking Israeli and Arab officers met under U.S. military auspices to discuss countering Iran. “The Abraham Accords made the Middle East look different…because we could do things not just under the surface but above it,” a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying. Israel joining Central Command enabled even more technical cooperation with Arab governments, creating new security realities that have proven to be crucial as Israel fought for its very existence on Saturday. The post Israel’s Success Against Iran Attack Was Years In Making appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, are you shining? Matthew 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. It was a stormy night in Birmingham, England, and Hudson Taylor was to speak at a meeting at the Severn Street schoolroom. His hostess assured him that nobody would attend on such a stormy night, but Taylor insisted on going. "I must go even if there is no one but the doorkeeper." Less than a dozen people showed up, but the meeting was marked with unusual spiritual power. Half of those present either became missionaries or gave their children as missionaries; and the rest were faithful supporters of the China Inland Mission for years to come. Hudson Taylor was going to be faithful to speak even if it was to only one person. Today, God may be calling you to speak to that one person. D.L. Moody once said: “God has called us to shine, just as much as Daniel was sent into Babylon to shine. Let no one say that he cannot shine because he has not so much influence as some others may have. What God wants you to do is to use the influence you have. Daniel probably did not have much influence down in Babylon at first, but God soon gave him more because he was faithful and used what he had." Friend, God is looking for those who are willing to be faithful! He wants to use us in ways we could never or would never have imagined – but in order for that to transpire, we need to be faithful in the little things, and we need to be available when He calls! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Dallas, TX) (Baltimore, Maryland) Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. Be sure to check it out! Editor's Note: We are planning our summer Tour so if you would like us to minister at your congregation, home fellowship, or Israel focused event, be sure to let us know ASAP. You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information. Around the World Biden’s Easing of Iran Sanctions in Focus After Missile Strike on Israel President Joe Biden is taking heat from Republicans for easing sanctions on Iran, including giving the terrorist-sponsoring nation access to billions of dollars in previously frozen assets, before it launched a massive drone attack on U.S. ally Israel. Azerbaijan Rejects Armenia’s Hatred Case At World Court (Worthy News Radio) Azerbaijan on Monday in the Netherlands urged the top United Nations court to throw out a case filed by Armenia linked to the long-running dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Lawyers argued that judges do not have jurisdiction over the trial. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Israel’s Success Against Iran Attack Was Years In Making The ability of the Israeli military and its allies to shoot down 99 percent of hundreds of drones and missiles fired by Iran toward Israel was the culmination of years of U.S.-backed efforts in the region, officials said Monday. Israel’s War Cabinet Weighs Severe But Measured Responses to Iran Attack to Avoid Regional War Israeli officials aim to retaliate against Tehran for its unprecedented drone and missile attack while carefully avoiding further escalation, maintaining alliances crucial in repelling the attack, and staying focused on their military objectives in Gaza, according to The Wall Street Journal. US and Western officials expect Israel's response could come swiftly, potentially as early as today. Inside the United States Trump, Johnson: ‘Election Integrity Is Tied To Border Security’ Former President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson have raised the alarm about non-citizens voting in U.S. elections, citing the border crisis. New Study Shows Puberty Blockers May Cause Infertility/Testicular Abnormalities In Boys A new study by researchers at the US-based Mayo Clinic shows that trans-identifying boys who are prescribed puberty blockers may suffer long-term infertility and atrophied testicles, the Christian Post reports. Feds, Scientists Take Fire For Allegedly Hiding COVID Origins Truth A Republican-led Congressional committee says a scientist and top advisor to Anthony Fauci used his personal email to hide evidence related to the origins of COVID-19. Christian News Uganda: Evangelist Slaughtered, Christian Mother And Child Violently Attacked In two separate attacks by Muslim extremists in Uganda last month, an evangelist was murdered and a mother and her child were burned with boiling water, Morning Star News reports. Christianity is legal in Uganda, but believers have come under continually increasing violent attack by Islamists. India: Hindu Extremists Drive 50 Christian Farmers Off Their Land The International Christian Concern (ICC) aid and advocacy organization reported last week that its staff recently witnessed an attack on Christians in Chhattisgarh state in which Hindu extremists drove a community of 50 farmers and their families off their land. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – A new study by researchers at the US-based Mayo Clinic shows that trans-identifying boys who are prescribed puberty blockers may suffer long-term infertility and atrophied testicles, the Christian Post reports. Titled “Puberty Blocker and Aging Impact on Testicular Cell States and Function,” the study was published in March. The study’s findings have not yet been peer reviewed. The study analyzed testicular tissue samples from 87 boys under the age of 18, the Christian Post reports. Nine of the patients identified as girls and had been prescribed puberty blockers. Two of the nine boys were found to have “abnormalities” in their testicles. According to the researchers, these abnormalities represent “unprecedented histological evidence revealing detrimental pediatric testicular sex gland responses to [puberty blockers].” “At the tissue level, we report mild-to-severe sex gland atrophy in [puberty blocker] treated children,” the researchers wrote.The abnormalities raised “a potential concern regarding the complete ‘reversibility’ and reproductive fitness of [spermatogonial stem cells],” the researchers noted. The researchers emphasized that the currently available clinical data worldwide is insufficient to provide a clear understanding of the risks of prescribing puberty blockers to children, the Christian Post said. The study authors assessed their research is “significant” in light of the recent and ongoing spike in transgender treatments “despite limited data on the long-term consequences of [puberty blocker] exposure on testicular reproductive health.” The post New Study Shows Puberty Blockers May Cause Infertility/Testicular Abnormalities In Boys appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Israeli officials aim to retaliate against Tehran for its unprecedented drone and missile attack while carefully avoiding further escalation, maintaining alliances crucial in repelling the attack, and staying focused on their military objectives in Gaza, according to The Wall Street Journal. US and Western officials expect Israel’s response could come swiftly, potentially as early as today. Israel’s Channel 12 reports that the war cabinet discussed several “painful” but measured retaliatory options against Iran that won’t ignite a regional conflict. Additionally, they are seeking a response to Iran’s recent missile and drone attack that will not be obstructed by the US, according to the network. Two days after an Iranian missile and drone attack hit the Nevatim Airbase, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited the base. He met with members of the 140th (“Golden Eagle”) Squadron, praising their role in countering the attack. “Iran wanted to damage the strategic capabilities of the State of Israel – this is something that did not happen in the past. We were prepared in the ‘Iron Shield’ operation. This preparation also saw Iran meet our air superiority, which you expressed very well,” he stated. “We are looking ahead and considering our steps. The launching of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and drones into Israeli territory will be met with a response,” Halevi stated. Israeli security analysts outline a variety of non-escalatory retaliatory measures against Iran that won’t overly burden Israel’s forces, already deployed across Gaza, the northern border, and in Judea and Samaria. Among the options are cyberattacks and targeted strikes on crucial Iranian infrastructure, such as oil facilities. Israel, known for its covert operations against Iranian nuclear interests, might consider more overt actions or targeting Iranian proxies, according to analysts. However, significant attacks on Iran’s well-protected nuclear sites are seen as unlikely without U.S. support. Former Israeli ambassador and historian Michael Oren noted, “It’s when we move from defense to counter-offense, we hemorrhage American support.” Sima Shine, from the Institute for National Security Studies, told the Wall Street Journal that while precise strikes on military targets are more feasible, they are unlikely in the near term without backing from Washington. Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, announced on state-run television that Iran will retaliate against any future Israeli attacks on its interests from Iranian territory. “We have decided to create a new equation: from now on, if the Zionist regime attacks our interests, assets, figures, and citizens anywhere, we will reciprocally attack from the origin of Iran,” Salami declared, signaling an increase in tensions between the two nations. President Biden has called for Israel to exercise restraint in responding to Iran’s attack, advocating for a united diplomatic effort among allies to prevent the conflict from escalating into a broader Middle Eastern war that could involve the U.S. “Together with our partners, we defeated that attack,” Biden stated during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani on Monday, emphasizing the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security, a cease-fire, the return of hostages, and containing the conflict. The UK, France, and Germany have advised Israel against retaliating after Iran’s significant attack, warning that military action could escalate into a full-scale regional war. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron spoke to the BBC, acknowledging Israel’s right to respond to the attack involving around 350 drones and missiles but stressed that Israel needs to “think with its head as well as its heart, to be smart as well as tough.” French President Emmanuel Macron has also urged Israel to adopt a policy of isolation rather than retaliation following Iran’s attack. Speaking to French media, Macron described the Middle East situation as “very unstable” and emphasized France’s commitment to Israel’s protection. “We will do everything to avoid a conflagration,” he stated on BFMTV, noting that he was scheduled to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Monday and was in contact with other regional countries. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, speaking at a news conference in Paris alongside her French and British counterparts, emphasized the need for diplomacy following Israel’s defensive success. “Now we must prevent an escalation in the region,” Baerbock stated, revealing she had warned Iran’s foreign minister against further escalation during a discussion on Sunday. Israel’s military reported that its air defenses successfully intercepted 99 percent of over 300 Iranian drones and missiles aimed at the country on Sunday. In support, the U.S., France, and the U.K. intercepted drones directed at Israel the previous night. Additionally, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, despite not officially recognizing Israel, agreed to share intelligence privately. Jordan, which has advocated for a cease-fire in Gaza, permitted the use of its airspace for U.S. and allied warplanes and deployed its aircraft to help intercept the attacks, according to Saudi and Egyptian officials. The post Israel’s War Cabinet Weighs Severe But Measured Responses to Iran Attack to Avoid Regional War appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Casey Harper | The Center Square (Worthy News) – A Republican-led Congressional committee says a scientist and top advisor to Anthony Fauci used his personal email to hide evidence related to the origins of COVID-19. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, sent a letter to the National Emerging Infectious Disease Institute asking for more information about these communications. “The Select Subcommittee is now aware of potential further attempts by Dr. [David] Morens to subvert public transparency,” the letter said. “Specifically, the Select Subcommittee has been made aware of alleged communications between Dr. Morens and you regarding EcoHealth Alliance. “These communications included emails from Dr. [David] Morens’ personal Gmail account to you and Dr. Peter Daszak of EcoHealth,” the letter adds. Critics say the use of a personal email account allowed Morens to avoid having his emails obtained by official records requests. At least some of the email exchanges, handed over by a whistleblower, were with Dr. Peter Daszak, who leads EcoHealth, the controversial research group accused of having a role in the creation of COVID-19. The federal government has denied the claim that partially taxpayer-funded EcoHealth had a role in COVID’s origin. EcoHealth is a U.S. nonprofit research company that used taxpayer-funded grants to carry out coronavirus research. Federal records show that EcoHealth was conducting coronavirus research involving bats in China when the pandemic broke out. As The Center Square previously reported, a federal grant database reports that the same group has received millions in taxpayer funds from the federal government over the past decade to research coronaviruses that originate in animals and in some cases can transfer to humans. A highly disputed part of the inquiry is whether EcoHealth Alliance’s research involved making coronaviruses more dangerous to humans. As lawmakers have dug into the issue, they have raised more questions. “In today’s letter to Dr. Keusch and Boston University, Chairman Wenstrup is requesting the production of any documents and communication related to correspondence with Dr. Morens, Dr. Daszak, and other individuals and entities with knowledge of and access to COVID-19 origins material,” Wenstrup’s office said. “This letter continues our investigation into the potential cover-up of COVID-19 origins information by America’s public health authorities.” EcoHealth released a statement after initial reports of these emails rebuffing many of the claims and releasing what it says are the original emails in question in a news release. “These reports do not show the full text of the emails in question, but allege that they are part of a cover up, or represent inappropriate communications,” the group said in a statement. “Contrary to the news reports, they show clearly that EcoHealth Alliance was appropriately communicating with senior staff at the NIH, or who formerly worked at NIH, to try to identify ways to reinstate a grant that had been terminated unexpectedly and arbitrarily, then suspended with onerous conditions. The grant was subsequently reinstated by NIH, and EcoHealth Alliance is currently working under this grant to conduct critical scientific research to prevent future pandemics.” U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., in particular has been outpoken on this issue, stating that more than a dozen federal agencies were aware that federally funded research was being done on coronaviruses in China to make them more dangerous. “Newly obtained documents confirm yet again Fauci lied about COVID. Fauci’s NIH lab was a partner with Wuhan on a proposal to engineer a highly transmissible coronavirus in 2018,” Paul wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “But he wasn’t alone, 15 government agencies knew about it and said nothing. Americans deserve answers.” Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Feds, Scientists Take Fire For Allegedly Hiding COVID Origins Truth appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Dan McCaleb | The Center Square (Worthy News) – President Joe Biden is taking heat from Republicans for easing sanctions on Iran, including giving the terrorist-sponsoring nation access to billions of dollars in previously frozen assets, before it launched a massive drone attack on U.S. ally Israel. Iran fired more than 300 drone and other missiles into Israel during the early morning hours Sunday (Israel time) in response to Israel’s strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1. Israel said 99% of the missiles were intercepted and damage from the attack was limited, with no fatalities, but the escalation is drawing wider concern of a potentially heightened conflict in the Middle East. Republican members of Congress in part blamed the Biden administration’s easing of sanctions against Iran for the attack. “Iran has encircled Israel and has been attacking our Israeli allies from almost every front for months,” U.S. Sen Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a statement. “They have launched attacks from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the West Bank, Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon, and of course the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Now they have escalated by launching attacks directly from Iranian territory.” Cruz continued, “These attacks are enabled and financed by deliberate policy choices made by Joe Biden and Biden officials, who have allowed roughly $100 billion to flow to Iran since 2021. Americans and Israelis have been made catastrophically more vulnerable by these policies.” Biden eased the sanctions, which gave Iran access to billions of dollars in assets that previously had been frozen, in an attempt to get the country to follow the terms of a nuclear deal struck under former President Barrack Obama. U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., also blamed Iran’s missile attack in part on the Biden administration. “Biden’s weakness has given billions to Iran to launch attacks on U.S. soldiers and now Israel. All their military capability should be destroyed and severe economic sanctions put back in place,” Steube said, according to Florida Politics. “The Iranians were broke when Trump left office and now they are enriched, empowered and emboldened.” In a statement, Biden condemned the attacks and said the U.S. will do its part to support Israel. “At my directions, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week,” Biden said. “Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.” Israel promised retaliation, but Biden said the U.S. would not assist Israel in any counteroffensive. Instead, Biden said he “will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.” Former President Donald Trump said on social media late Saturday that Iran would never had attacked Israel if he were still president. “The weakness that we’ve shown is unbelievable,” Trump said on Truth Social. “It would not have happened if we were in office.” Israel has been engaged in a war with Hamas in Gaza after the Iranian-backed terrorist organization killed more than 1,100 people and took hundreds of hostages in an Oct. 7 sneak attack. After Israel invaded Gaza, antisemitic incidents increased throughout the U.S. by 360%, according to preliminary data published by the Anti-Defamation League. The war is in its seventh month, with more than 33,000 Palestinians dead. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Biden’s Easing of Iran Sanctions in Focus After Missile Strike on Israel appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Dan McCaleb | The Center Square (Worthy News) – President Joe Biden is taking heat from Republicans for easing sanctions on Iran, including giving the terrorist-sponsoring nation access to billions of dollars in previously frozen assets, before it launched a massive drone attack on U.S. ally Israel. Iran fired more than 300 drone and other missiles into Israel during the early morning hours Sunday (Israel time) in response to Israel’s strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1. Israel said 99% of the missiles were intercepted and damage from the attack was limited, with no fatalities, but the escalation is drawing wider concern of a potentially heightened conflict in the Middle East. Republican members of Congress in part blamed the Biden administration’s easing of sanctions against Iran for the attack. “Iran has encircled Israel and has been attacking our Israeli allies from almost every front for months,” U.S. Sen Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a statement. “They have launched attacks from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the West Bank, Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon, and of course the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Now they have escalated by launching attacks directly from Iranian territory.” Cruz continued, “These attacks are enabled and financed by deliberate policy choices made by Joe Biden and Biden officials, who have allowed roughly $100 billion to flow to Iran since 2021. Americans and Israelis have been made catastrophically more vulnerable by these policies.” Biden eased the sanctions, which gave Iran access to billions of dollars in assets that previously had been frozen, in an attempt to get the country to follow the terms of a nuclear deal struck under former President Barrack Obama. U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., also blamed Iran’s missile attack in part on the Biden administration. “Biden’s weakness has given billions to Iran to launch attacks on U.S. soldiers and now Israel. All their military capability should be destroyed and severe economic sanctions put back in place,” Steube said, according to Florida Politics. “The Iranians were broke when Trump left office and now they are enriched, empowered and emboldened.” In a statement, Biden condemned the attacks and said the U.S. will do its part to support Israel. “At my directions, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week,” Biden said. “Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.” Israel promised retaliation, but Biden said the U.S. would not assist Israel in any counteroffensive. Instead, Biden said he “will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.” Former President Donald Trump said on social media late Saturday that Iran would never had attacked Israel if he were still president. “The weakness that we’ve shown is unbelievable,” Trump said on Truth Social. “It would not have happened if we were in office.” Israel has been engaged in a war with Hamas in Gaza after the Iranian-backed terrorist organization killed more than 1,100 people and took hundreds of hostages in an Oct. 7 sneak attack. After Israel invaded Gaza, antisemitic incidents increased throughout the U.S. by 360%, according to preliminary data published by the Anti-Defamation League. The war is in its seventh month, with more than 33,000 Palestinians dead. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Biden’s Easing of Iran Sanctions in Focus After Missile Strike on Israel appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article