Hunter Biden Indicted… Sort Of…

The Associated Press wrote on December 8:

“Hunter Biden was indicted on nine tax charges in California as a special counsel investigation into the business dealings of President Joe Biden’s son intensifies against the backdrop of the 2024 election. The new charges filed Thursday — three felonies and six misdemeanors — are in addition to federal firearms charges in Delaware alleging Hunter Biden broke laws against drug users having guns in 2018. They come after the implosion of a plea deal over the summer that would have spared him jail time, putting the case on track to a possible trial as his father campaigns for reelection.

“Hunter Biden ‘spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills,’ special counsel David Weiss said in a statement. The charges are centered on at least $1.4 million in taxes Hunter Biden owed during between 2016 and 2019, a period where he has acknowledged struggling with addiction…

“If convicted, Hunter Biden, 53, could receive a maximum of 17 years in prison. The special counsel probe remains open, Weiss said… The charging documents filed in California, where he lives, detail spending on drugs, strippers, luxury hotels and exotic cars, ‘in short, everything but his taxes,’ prosecutor Leo Wise wrote…

“Hunter did eventually file his taxes in 2020, while facing a child support case in Arkansas, and the back taxes were paid by a ‘third party’…”

We wonder who that third party was. It is not to be expected that Hunter will spend one day in prison, and in any event, that his father would not pardon him. He said he would not, but Joe Biden has been known to lie repeatedly.

The DOJ’s and AG’s Cover-Up to Protect Joe Biden Continues

The New York Post published the following article by Attorney and Law Professor Jonathan Turley, on December 8:

“The 56-page indictment of Hunter Biden for tax evasion makes for racy reading, with the special counsel describing a four-year criminal pattern directed at maintaining Biden’s ‘extravagant lifestyle.’ That lifestyle included massive expenses for strippers, sex clubs, fast cars and other distractions.

“The steps taken by Hunter to evade taxes are impressive, but not nearly as impressive as the efforts of the Justice Department to evade any direct implications for his father, President Biden. In that sense, the indictment itself is a marvel of evasion.

“There are… glaring omissions in the indictment that tend to shield critical payments and conduct that implicate the president.  First, the special counsel only indicts tax evasion that occurred in recent years. That’s because the long ‘investigation’ into Hunter inexplicably allowed the statute of limitations to expire on the most controversial payments from Ukraine gas company Burisma. Recent testimony from IRS whistleblowers suggests that wasn’t an accident. Investigators were stonewalled, they claimed, and the Justice Department was previously moving to reject any charges against Hunter Biden. Exploring those earlier Ukrainian payments opens up questions about Hunter’s influence peddling and would have highlighted the conflict in his father’s extraordinary move to force the Ukrainians to fire a prosecutor investigating Burisma by holding back a billion dollars in aid for the country. There is still no explanation why special counsel David Weiss would allow the statute of limitations to run out.  But this recent indictment keeps the focus squarely on taxes not paid, not how the money was ‘earned’ in the first place…

“Also missing in the indictment is any charge against Hunter Biden as an unregistered foreign agent… The problem with charging Hunter with FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) is obvious. It opens up questions about the millions of dollars going to the Biden family from foreign sources, a topic that Attorney General Merrick Garland has spent years avoiding. In the second indictment, Weiss spends more time detailing the salacious use of this money rather than how and why it was given to the Bidens. He just matter-of-factly describes millions flowing through these accounts from China, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and other countries. By focusing on tax evasion alone, Weiss again avoids any direct reference to the focus of the influence-peddling used to raise these millions of dollars.

“Even without mentioning the president, the implications of the indictment are devastating for the narrative and denials of Joe Biden. The president has continued to maintain that he had no knowledge or interaction with these dealings. Those statements are clearly and knowingly false. The president also maintained that his son has ‘never done anything wrong’ and never accepted any money from China. That is also untrue, according to the Justice Department and Hunter himself.

“Yet Weiss continues to avoid any need to address the person who was the selling point of the influence peddling. It was the same person [Joe Biden] who repeatedly called in to dinners and meetings, repeatedly attended events, and held meetings and photo shots for these clients. Instead, Weiss indicts the failure to pay taxes on the proceeds of these dealings without addressing that underlying corruption. It is akin to arresting a bank robber for speeding away from the crime scene without mentioning the reason for his flight. In a scandal with dozens of references to the president and millions sent for influence and access, it took a steady hand for Weiss to avoid ever touching on President Biden’s role. It takes perfect aim not to avoid any contact… It is itself the very model of evasion.”

It’s clearly a coverup, which is supported by Democrats and the left-liberal mass media, falsely claiming that there is no evidence for Joe Biden’s misconduct. The evidence is overwhelming, which is being willfully ignored by those who want to protect Joe Biden.

Suspicious Timing

Newsmax wrote on December 8:

“Donald Trump Jr. panned the timing of the nine criminal charges brought against Hunter Biden on Thursday night, saying it was ‘planned’ in order to skirt Biden’s scheduled deposition next week… Biden is under subpoena to sit for a deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. ‘Mark my words this was planned and they’re going to use this as the excuse to not testify before Congress… he’ll end up with nothing or [a] slap on the wrist but it’ll make sure he evades the thousands of things (Oversight Committee) is looking at…’

“One former U.S. attorney predicted Biden will now plead the fifth. Brett Tollman agreed with Trump Jr., that the DOJ’s timing on this is transparent in its attempts to protect the Bidens. ‘They could have brought these charges much earlier,’ Tollman told Fox News. ‘They didn’t because they wanted to try to slip one past the American public. This is an effort to also protect Joe Biden…’”

If so, then this would be scandalous and incredibly corrupt.

Hunter Biden Defies Subpoena

Breitbart wrote on December 13:

“House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) initiated contempt of Congress proceedings against Hunter Biden after the president’s son failed to appear for a subpoenaed closed-door deposition Wednesday. If prosecuted and convicted for contempt of Congress, Hunter Biden’s punishment could be up to a $100,000 fine and imprisonment. ‘We will not provide special treatment because his last name is Biden,’ Comer and Jordan wrote. ‘As our committees were today prepared to depose Hunter Biden, he chose to make a public statement on Capitol Hill instead where he said his father, Joe Biden was not financially involved in his family’s business dealings.’

“‘Exactly how was Joe Biden involved?’ they questioned. ‘Evidence shows Joe Biden met with Hunter’s business associates and his name was at the center of the family business strategy.’ …

“House investigators opened a probe into the Biden family in November 2022. They revealed Joe Biden received money from James Biden and Hunter Biden. They also showed that nine additional Biden family members received payments from the family’s foreign business ventures, including two of the president’s grandchildren.”

The New York Post published the following article by Miranda Devine on December 10:

“It’s as if they live in a cave without access to modern communications. The reason the president has gone unmentioned after a five-year investigation into Hunter’s role in the family influence-peddling racket is that the DOJ, like most of the media, corruptly protected him…  Protecting Joe Biden is a longstanding whole-of-government enterprise…”

The conduct and the lies of Hunter Biden and of those Democrats who support him are beyond “shameless.” Note our new StandingWatch program, “Hunter Biden’s Indictment—the Coverup Continues.”

Impeachment Inquiry Against Joe Biden Approved

 Breitbart wrote on December 13:

“The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to formalize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden by a vote of 221 to 212. The formally adopted status will enable House investigators to enforce subpoenas and gather evidence about whether the president is compromised and ‘traded official acts for foreign dollars,’ according to House Speaker Mike Johnson…

“Republicans unanimously voted to adopt the resolution…  Democrats voted in a block to oppose the resolution’s adoption.

“The White House failed to provide investigators:

“Information about two loan agreements Joe Biden allegedly executed with James Biden for a total of $240,000. 99.98 percent of requested records from President Joe Biden, including alias emails. Documents about an alleged $5 million bribe Joe Biden accepted. Materials related to Joe Biden’s mishandling of classified documents.

“The vote was a test for House Republicans, who only hold a slight majority that will shrink further this month after Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) announced resignation. Rep. Bill Johnson (R-FL) is also expected to leave in the new year to take a university post. Speaker McCarthy opened an ‘impeachment inquiry’ into the president on September 12, but lawmakers did not vote to approve the measure until Wednesday…

“Recent polling shows Americans are highly skeptical of Hunter and Joe Biden:… A plurality of Americans are not confident about how the Justice Department handled the investigation into Hunter Biden… A majority of voters believe President Joe Biden committed a crime with Hunter Biden… 63 percent say Joe Biden violated FARA by assisting Hunter Biden in [the] Ukraine deal…”

The impeachment inquiry could lead to an impeachment process with the possible result that Biden could be found guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which can lead to his removal from office if convicted in a Senate trial. The possibility that this could happen with a Senate dominated by fact-defying Democrats is next to none. 

Trump Too?

The New York Post wrote on December 9:

“Megyn Kelly said that former President Trump had lost ‘multiple steps’ mentally and was no longer the same man he was in 2016. The podcast host and former Fox News anchor said the 77-year-old former president was starting to show his age — and it wasn’t pretty…. ‘He is confusing Joe Biden for [Barack] Obama … I know he’s now saying he intentionally did that — go back and look at the clips, it wasn’t intentional.’

“The reference about how somebody is going to get us into World War II, confusing countries, confusing cities where he is, and it’s happening more and more,’ she said… ‘if it’s between Trump and Biden, I don’t think there’s any question who’s more fit and more capable. But are we really going to pretend that Donald Trump is just as vibrant and mentally sharp as he was in ’16?’…

“Kelly and Trump have a long personal history dating to the 2016 presidential election…”

Controversial Case in Texas Involving Abortion

The Associated Press wrote on December 9:

“The Texas Supreme Court on Friday night put on hold a judge’s ruling that approved an abortion for a pregnant woman whose fetus has a fatal diagnosis, throwing into limbo an unprecedented challenge to one of the most restrictive bans in the U.S. The order by the all-Republican court came more than 30 hours after Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two from the Dallas area, received a temporary restraining order from a lower court judge that prevents Texas from enforcing the state’s ban in her case…

“Cox was 20 weeks pregnant this week when she filed what is believed to be the first lawsuit of its kind since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that overturned Roe v. Wade… Cox learned she was pregnant for a third time in August and was told weeks later that her baby was at a high risk for a condition known as trisomy 18, which has a very high likelihood of miscarriage or stillbirth and low survival rates, according to her lawsuit.

“Furthermore, doctors have told Cox that if the baby’s heartbeat were to stop, inducing labor would carry a risk of a uterine rupture because of her two prior cesareans sections, and that another C-section at full term would endanger her ability to carry another child.

“Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton…warned three hospitals in Houston that they could face legal consequences if they allowed Cox’s physician to provide the abortion…”

Austin American-Statesman reported on December 12:

“The Texas Supreme Court in a highly anticipated decision on Monday evening ruled that Kate Cox, a Dallas area mother carrying a fetus with a fatal condition, does not qualify for an abortion under state laws based on her doctor’s ‘good faith belief’ that she needs the procedure.

“‘The statute requires that judgment be a “reasonable medical” judgment, and Dr. (Damla) Karsan has not asserted that her “good faith belief” about Ms. Cox’s condition meets that standard,’ the opinion reads… Justices indicated they were not inclined to broaden the exception, stating doctors must adhere to a standard of ‘reasonable medical judgment’ rather than a “good faith belief” that a patient needs a life-saving abortion…

“Nancy Northrup, the president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing Cox in the suit, said Cox had no choice but to leave the state to get the procedure [and apparently did so on Monday.]”

Note that we are dealing to a large extent with probabilities and likelihoods, but not with certainties. In any event, the question is, can the killing of innocent human life ever be justified?

Scandalous Conduct of Colorado School Regarding Transgender Policy

Fox News wrote on December 9:

“The parents of an 11-year-old girl who was reportedly assigned to share a bed with a transgender student while on an overnight school trip are speaking out about the incident, saying they were not informed of the decision. Serena and Joe Wailes… are taking [action] against Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS)… after chaperones on the June trip allegedly told their daughter to ‘lie’ about the reason why she wanted to switch rooms… [She] was supposed to be assigned to a room with three girls. [Allegedly, the Wailes] were assured in multiple parent meetings leading up to the trip that male and female students would be staying not only in different hotel rooms but also on completely different floors…

“The Wailes’ daughter, who is identified as “D.W.” in the press release, said she found out one of the students she was assigned to share a room with, “K.E.M.,” was transgender – a biological male who identifies as a female… D.W. was understandably uncomfortable with the idea of sharing a bed with a male student, so she snuck into the bathroom and quietly called her father and then her mother… The chaperones asked D.W. if she could simply move to another bed rather than a new room, and while she was still uncomfortable, she agreed to try it for one night so that she could get some sleep. But the chaperones, consistent with district policy, told D.W. to lie about the reason and say she needed to switch beds to be closer to the air conditioner…”

Incredible.

Covid Hysteria on the Rise Again

Daily Express wrote on December 8:

“Masking up is recommended for those who are sick and want to take precautions… according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)… with Covid and pneumonia cases especially on the rise… The CDC’s mask wearing guidance… states: ‘People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a high-quality mask or respirator when indoors in public.’

“The CDC recommends that people take additional precautions to protect themselves against viruses, like getting the Covid vaccine, the flu vaccine and the RSV vaccine for those over the age of 60… other layers of protection include… wearing a mask.

“Masking recommendations eased up over the summer, but the CDC seems to be tightening guidance on mask wearing this winter as viruses spread.”

This hysteria seems to take hold of other countries as well; it could be and probably is a concentrated effort. In Germany, for example, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach recommended immediate vaccination against Covid and the flu at the same time, to get a Covid test, if in doubt, and to wear masks in buses and trains (Bild, December 12).

How More Insane Can It Get? Carbon Passports for Travelers

CNN published on November 27 an opinion piece with [at least] a disclaimer:

“Tourism is part of the problem [of “climate change”]… The negative impacts of tourism on the environment have become so severe that some are suggesting drastic changes to our travel habits are inevitable. In a report from 2023 that analyzed the future of sustainable travel, tour operator Intrepid Travel proposed that ‘carbon passports’ will soon become a reality if the tourism industry hopes to survive.

“The idea of a carbon passport centers on each traveler being assigned a yearly carbon allowance that they cannot exceed.. the idea of personal carbon allowances is not new. A similar concept (called ‘personal carbon trading’) was discussed by UK Parliament in 2008, before being shut down because of its perceived complexity and the possibility of public resistance…

“Some European countries are beginning to take measures to reduce air travel. As of April 1, 2023, passengers on short-haul flights and older aircraft in Belgium have been subject to increased taxes to encourage alternative forms of travel. Less than two months later, France banned short-haul domestic flights where the same trip can be made by train in two-and-a-half hours or less. Spain is expected to follow suit.

“A similar scheme could also be on the horizon for Germany… 70% of Germans would support such measures to fight climate change if alternative transport routes like trains or ships were available.

“It’s not just air travel that’s being criticized… Amsterdam’s council banned cruise ships from docking in the city center… [Venice banned] large cruise ships entering the city’s waters…”

Will this green woke nonsense ever end?

Poland Still in Uncertain Waters

Deutsche Welle reported on December 13:

“The new government of Polish Prime Minister-designate Donald Tusk won a vote of confidence on Tuesday. It comes a day after a majority of Polish MPs elected Tusk as the county’s new prime minister when the proposed conservative government of acting PM Mateusz Morawiecki failed to win lawmakers’ backing… He previously served as Poland’s prime minister from 2007 to 2014 before taking over as European Council president from 2014 to 2019.

“Speaking to lawmakers on Tuesday… Tusk expressed a vote of confidence in the European Union… Tusk has vowed to improve Warsaw’s relations with Brussels, which have been plagued by tensions during the past eight years… Tusk said he would go to Brussels this week and ‘bring back billions of euros,’ referring to the frozen funds [based on the condition that Poland changes its justice system.]. Still, laws to amend the justice system will need the assent of the president… Duda. If Duda vetoes the legislation, Tusk’s coalition doesn’t have the three-fifths majority in the lower house of parliament to override it.

“Duda will remain in office until the next presidential election, which is expected to take place sometime in 2025…

“Furthermore, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled on Monday that judicial reform legislation which Warsaw needed to pass in order to access the EU funds was unconstitutional.

“As Tusk promised close ties with the EU, he also underlined that he opposes any changes to EU treaties that are not in line with Polish interests… On Ukraine, Tusk said on Tuesday Warsaw will demand the full mobilization of the West to help the war-ravaged country… Tusk also stressed that Poland would remain a loyal ally of the United States.”

EU Grants Ukraine Membership Talks in Midst of War

Reuters wrote on December 14:

“European Union leaders made a historic decision on Thursday to open membership talks with Ukraine, bypassing objections from Hungary to give Kyiv a major political boost as its war against Russia’s invasion grinds on… The move came at a critical time for Ukraine, after its counter-offensive against Russian forces has failed to make major gains and with U.S. President Joe Biden so far unable to get a $60 billion aid package for Kyiv through the U.S. Congress.

“The EU took the decision in a highly unorthodox fashion: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who cultivates close ties with Moscow, agreed to leave the room while his peers from the EU’s 26 other members agreed the move…

“Orban stood by his objections to membership talks for Ukraine even after the decision was taken. ‘Hungary’s stance is clear, Ukraine is not prepared for us to start talks on EU membership,’ he said, calling the decision to start talks ‘irrational’ and ‘inappropriate.’… But membership talks will likely take years and will not start immediately.

“First, the EU will have to agree to a negotiating framework for the talks – which will require another unanimous decision. The leaders said they would take this step once Ukraine meets outstanding requirements on democracy and the rule of law…”

We don’t think it will happen. In any event, Ukraine and Russia will unite to fight Europe. 

Spain, Belgium, Ireland and Malta Gang On Israel

Newslite wrote on December 10:

“The president of Spain, Pedro Sánchez; and the prime ministers of Belgium, Alexander de Croo; Ireland, Leo Varadkar; and Malta, Robert Abela, have asked by letter to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, to demand an ‘urgent’ ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the protection of civilians residing there in the face of the ‘seriousness of the situation’ and the ‘possibility of the conflict escalating in the West Bank and throughout the region.’

“The letter comes after the UN Secretary General activated Article 99 of the United Nations Charter for the first time to request this humanitarian ceasefire. The four countries point out that since the conflict began, ‘the number of fatalities and the terrible humanitarian situation have reached alarming levels.’ However, the resolution presented to the UN Council was finally vetoed this Friday by the United States. [In addition, only the UK abstained.]

“The four leaders consider that, although the humanitarian pauses and hostage exchanges between Israel and Palestine are positive, the parties should be asked ‘urgently to declare a lasting humanitarian ceasefire that could lead to the end of hostilities’…

“The third of their requests to Michel is the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine… while concluding that this ‘is the time for the European Union to act’: ‘Our credibility is at stake.’”

Warmonger and antisemite Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey stated after the United States vetoed the UN ceasefire resolution for Gaza that peace with the USA is impossible.

Sanctions Against Israeli Settlers?

RTE wrote on December 11:

“European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said he would propose sanctions against Jewish settlers responsible for violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Ban… While much international attention has focused on the cross-border assault [by Hamas on October 7] and Israel’s subsequent war against Hamas in Gaza, European officials have also expressed increasing concern about rising violence against Palestinians in the West Bank…

“The situation in Gaza is ‘catastrophic, apocalyptic’, with destruction proportionally ‘even greater’ than that which Germany experienced in World War II… Borrell has said. Israel’s military response to Hamas’s 7 October attacks has resulted in ‘an incredible number of civilian casualties’, Mr Borrell said after chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

“He… condemned the Israeli government’s decision to approve 1,700 more housing units in Jerusalem, in what Brussels considers a violation of international law.”

Ireland stated it would be “very open” to imposing sanctions and travel bans on extremist settlers if there is no agreement at the EU level.

UN General Assembly Votes Overwhelmingly for Ceasefire

Aljazeera wrote on December 12:

“The 193-member United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in war-torn Gaza. Tuesday’s resolution passed with 153 countries voting in favour, 23 abstaining and 10 countries voting against, including Israel and the United States. While the resolution is non-binding [unlike a UN Security Council resolution which was vetoed by the US on Friday], it serves as an indicator of global opinion.”

The ten countries vetoing the resolution included Israel, the USA, Austria, Czechia, Liberia, Guatemala, and Paraguay, among others.

The 23 countries abstaining included, among others, Argentina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Panama, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Uruguay.

The 153 countries voting in favor included, notably, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Finland, France, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe.

The anti-Israeli front becomes more focused. Some joining it are somewhat surprising; others are clearly expected.

America Is Undermining the War Effort

Israel Today wrote on December 11

“… under American pressure, the Israeli war cabinet was forced to discuss an increase in fuel deliveries to the Gaza Strip, essentially supplying oxygen to Hamas terrorists fighting our soldiers through terror tunnels… a spokesperson for the State Department announced that the United States would oppose the creation of a buffer zone in the Gaza Strip, thus adding more constraints on Israel’s actions, particularly the options at its disposal when it comes to protecting towns near the border. There were also US statements that the duration of the war is not unlimited, along with pressure on Israel before the renewal of hostilities in southern Gaza to reduce the intensity of the fighting and increase humanitarian aid… the US has been imposing limitations that prevent Israel from achieving these goals without heavy losses.

“Moreover, the limitations imposed by the US will undoubtedly prolong the conflict, which is something Washington doesn’t want. The best way to ensure a quick and effective military operation with minimal risk to the uninvolved population is to temporarily relocate this population outside the combat zones. However, there are also objections to this.

“… Israel cannot compromise on achieving its goals while minimizing the burden on its fighters—regardless of how long it takes… Those who insist on getting answers from the Israeli government over what happens ‘the day after’ are doing so despite knowing full well that there are no good options in Gaza. If there were, they would have presumably been implemented during one of the many opportunities to do so over the years….”

Trump Wishes Happy Hanukkah

Israel 365 News wrote on December 11:

“Former  President Donald Trump released a video wishing the Jewish people a ‘happy Hanukkah’… ‘The miracle of Hanukkah began more than 2000 years ago when a proud band of Jewish patriots courageously stood up and reclaimed their freedom, their faith and their traditions from an oppressive tyrant. After that great victory the Jewish heroes prepared to rededicate the holy temple but found only enough oil to light the lamp for one night. Yet by the grace of the Almighty, the flames radiated for eight days and eight nights, ever since then the menorah has been a symbol of Jewish perseverance in the face of oppression, and of God’s hope, mercy and love in times of hardship,

“[T]his Hanukkah season, Jewish Americans and people all over the world are still reeling from the monstrous Hamas terror attacks on innocent men, women and children. To everyone touched by these barbaric atrocities we pray that God will bring you healing comfort and peace. We recommit ourselves to extinguishing the evil of anti-Semitism from the earth. We reaffirm the everlasting solidarity with the Jewish people, and we go forward confident with God’s help. In the end, light will overcome this horrible darkness once again. Happy Hanukkah and God bless you all.’”

Israel To Take Military Action If the USA Does Not

Israel Today wrote on December 10:

“Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels announced on Saturday night that they will target every Israel-bound ship in the Red Sea regardless of the vessel’s ownership… The United States has been consulting with Gulf allies about potential military action against the Houthis in response to their attacks…

“The talks are at a ‘preliminary stage’ as Washington and its partners still favor diplomacy over direct confrontation… On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration has asked Israel not to respond to Houthi attacks lest it spark a wider regional conflict. Israel’s Cannel reported on Saturday night that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nevertheless told US President Joe Biden that Jerusalem would take military action against the Houthis if the Americans did not act first.”

To ask Israel not to “respond” to mass murders by terrorists while Biden is engaging in some kind of “diplomacy” is beyond belief.

Highly Problematic Requirement of Declaration of Loyalty to Israel for German Naturalization

Deutsche Welle reported on December 8:

“Effective immediately, those applying for German citizenship in the east-central state of Saxony-Anhalt must declare their support for Israel’s right to exist. This ‘commitment’ is part of new language that state interior minister, Tamara Zieschang, informed relevant authorities about in a ministerial decree this week.

“Failing to do so would deny naturalization to foreigners who otherwise fulfill the necessary conditions… Under the new guidelines, applicants would have to sign a declaration that they ‘recognize Israel’s right to exist and condemn any efforts directed against the existence of the state of Israel.’ 

“A more thorough check of ‘antisemitic attitudes’ would also be part of the naturalization process.

“Naturalization law is made at the federal level, but it’s up to each of the 16 states to implement it. A similar Israel clause is currently under consideration in the Bundestag, the German parliament, which would then apply nationwide… While both the state-level decree and federal-level debate have been put forward by the center-right Chrisitan Democrats (CDU), it has met widespread approval from other parties, including those in power. However, the three-party government coalition has expressed skepticism over how much such a statement could really do to combat anti-Israel sentiment…”

Even apart from the question of the legality of such a requirement and the little chance of success to combat “home-grown” Antisemitism, this whole approach, even though “typically German,” appears quite preposterous and completely unbalanced and could very well backfire.

Increased EU Military Spending

Euronews wrote on November 30:

“Military spending in the European Union hit a record €240 billion in 2022 – up 6% on the previous year… This is the eighth consecutive year of growth in the bloc, with many states defending the need for a significant increase due to the Russian threat and Ukraine war.  Six out of 27 EU countries increased their military spending by more than 10% last year. Sweden saw a rise of more than 30%, as the country awaits NATO membership…

“Despite the increased spending, Europe’s defence industry cannot meet demand from Ukraine as it battles the Russian invasion.” 

Alarm Grows Over Weakened Militaries and Empty Arsenals in Europe

The Wall Street Journal wrote on December 11:

“The British military—the leading U.S. military ally and Europe’s biggest defense spender—has only around 150 deployable tanks and perhaps a dozen serviceable long-range artillery pieces. So bare was the cupboard that last year the British military considered sourcing multiple rocket launchers from museums to upgrade and donate to Ukraine, an idea that was dropped. 

“France, the next biggest spender, has fewer than 90 heavy artillery pieces, equivalent to what Russia loses roughly every month on the Ukraine battlefield. Denmark has no heavy artillery,…”

Germany Must Be Ready for “Defensive” War with Russia

Yahoo!News wrote on December 10:

“Germany may have to wage a defensive war against Russia in the future, German televisions news program Tagesschau reported on Dec. 9, citing Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) Inspector General Carsten Breuer… Asked whether the Bundeswehr would be able to cope with a possible Russian attack on NATO after the war in Ukraine, Breuer replied, ‘Yes. Period. We have no alternative. We can defend ourselves and we will defend ourselves.’

“However, he also admitted that the Bundeswehr is currently not well equipped for ‘national and allied defense’ because it has been focused on resolving international crises, adding that there are ‘structures that make quick and targeted decisions almost impossible.’

“Europe fears the United States might withdraw from NATO if U.S. Republican politician Donald Trump wins the 2024 U.S. presidential election, media reported on Dec. 9.

“Russia will attack NATO countries if it conquers Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Dec. 6. Russia is rebuilding its forces and capabilities and preparing for a potential confrontation with NATO, said Lieutenant General Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart, NATO Multinational Corps Commander on Dec. 5….”

According to the Bible, Germany will not only be ready for a defensive war, but it will launch a preemptive offensive war against Russia, which will be met with swift retaliation.

German Government Agrees on Budget

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 13:

“Germany’s ruling… coalition has managed to strike a political deal on the federal budget for 2024… The agreement comes after a court ruling threw government finances into disarray and exposed deep rifts between the three governing parties… It blew a big hole in public finances. For the 2024 budget, the government has had to find an additional €17 billion ($18.3 billion) to fill the hole…

“While the SPD and the Greens sound in favor of increasing taxes, the FDP has ruled out tax hikes and instead suggested welfare cuts. The SPD and the Greens are staunchly against any cuts to social benefits; they instead want to suspend the debt brake again for 2024 to allow for increased government borrowing. But the FDP opposes this move…

“[Chancellor Olaf] Scholz said the government will reinstate the debt brake in 2024… Scholz also stressed that the climate and transformation fund will remain a key instrument for the climate-friendly transformation of the German economy. But the fund will be cut by €12 billion for 2024, he said. Addressing the Bundestag on Wednesday, Scholz said: ‘We have agreed to prioritize spending without putting the social security of our country or its transformation at risk…’

“[Green Climate Minister Robert] Habeck said the ruling coalition agreed to end financial incentives to buy electric cars sooner than previously planned, without revealing the exact date for when they would expire. He also said that subsidies for the expansion of solar power will be cut…

“[FDP Finance Minister Christian] Lindner… noted that the government will slash climate-damaging subsidies to the tune of €3 billion… Scholz stressed Germany would have to react should the Ukraine conflict worsen next year. If the situation worsens, for instance, due to other supporters cutting back their aid to Ukraine or a further increase in threat levels faced by Germany and Europe, ‘we will have to react to this,’  he said.”

Especially the agreement to raise taxes might prove to be the final nail in the coalition’s coffin. According to Bild, this means that customers will have to pay more for gasoline, heating and domestic flights (due to a tax on kerosene fuel). Demands for new elections are getting louder.

Hiked Prices Far Above Costs Responsible For Inflation

The Guardian wrote on December 7:

“Profiteering has played a significant role in boosting inflation during 2022…  Analysis of the financial accounts of many of the UK’s biggest businesses found that profits far outpaced increases in costs, helping to push up inflation last year to levels not seen since the early 1980s… business profits rose by 30% among UK-listed firms, driven by just 11% of firms that made super-profits based on their ability to push through stellar price increases… Excessive profits were even larger in the US, where many important sections of the economy are dominated by a few powerful companies.  This surge in profits happened as wage increases largely failed to keep pace with inflation, and workers suffered their largest fall in disposable incomes since the second world war.

“Researchers said the energy companies ExxonMobil and Shell, mining firms Glencore and Rio Tinto, and food and commodities businesses Kraft Heinz, Archer-Daniels-Midland and Bunge all saw their profits far outpace inflation in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… After the analysis of 1,350 companies listed on the stock markets in the UK, US, Germany, Brazil and South Africa, the report said firms in the technology sector, telecommunications and the banking industry also pushed through significant price increases that raised their profit margins… Four food companies – the listed suppliers Archer-Daniels-Midland and Bunge, plus the privately owned Cargill and Dreyfus – control an estimated 70%–90% of the world grain market.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

War Resumes After Hamas Violates Ceasefire

Israel Today wrote on December 1:

“Shortly after 7 am Israel time, the Israeli army resumed its military offensive against the Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza. Hamas had until that time every morning to provide a list of at least 10 additional hostages it planned to release in order to buy one more day of ceasefire. It failed to provide a list by the specified time this morning… [Netanyahu said:] ‘The Government of Israel is committed to achieving the goals of the war: Releasing the hostages, eliminating Hamas, and ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to the residents of Israel.’…

“The Biden administration has stressed in recent days that it expects Israel to be ‘more careful’ to avoid civilian casualties in southern Gaza than it was in the north of the coastal enclave. The insinuation of the demand was seen by many Israelis as an insult, as though Israel had purposefully killed thousands of civilians in northern Gaza, or at best had coldly disregarded them.

“Israel goes to great lengths to avoid collateral damage in battle, much more so than American forces in recent Middle East wars, and this often comes at the cost of higher IDF casualties. That thousands of Gaza civilians are dying is entirely the fault of Hamas, which uses them as human shields. But Washington can’t complain to Hamas, so it instead blames Israel.”

Newsmax added on December 1:

“The United Nations said the fighting would worsen an extreme humanitarian emergency. ‘Hell on Earth has returned to Gaza,’ said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office in Geneva… Hamas accused Washington of giving a green light for an Israeli ‘war of genocide and ethnic cleansing.’”

Fear of Terrorist Attacks in the EU

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 5:

“European Union member states are facing a ‘huge risk of terrorist attacks’ over the holiday season due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said on Tuesday… Johansson referred to a Saturday’s knife attack in Paris, where one German tourist was killed and two people were injured. The attacker reportedly pledged allegiance to the so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS) and expressed anguish about Muslims dying, notably in the Palestinian territories…

“‘With the war between Israel and Hamas and the polarization it causes in our society, with the upcoming holiday season, there is a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union,’ Johansson said. ‘We saw [it happening] recently in Paris, unfortunately, we have seen it earlier as well,’ Johansson added.”

If such attacks were to happen in Europe, there is no telling what Europe might do.

Attack in the Red Sea on US Warship

The New York Post wrote on December 3:

“A US warship and multiple commercial vessels were attacked in the Red Sea on Sunday, the Pentagon said — a frightening development ratcheting up maritime tensions in the Middle East during the Israel-Hamas war. 

“The USS Carney — which previously shot down missiles and drones aimed at it as it escorted a commercial vessel through the war-torn region — was targeted along with at least two other commercial ships starting around 10 a.m. local time in an assault that lasted about five hours, the Pentagon and an unnamed US official said…

“Yemen’s Houthi rebels — who have proclaimed they would attack ships on the Red Sea  over Israeli’s ground incursion into Gaza — later acknowledged that they had targeted two Israeli commercial ships Sunday but did not mention the US Navy vessel.”

Did Israel Know About Hamas’ Attack Ahead of Time?

The New York Times wrote on November 30:

“Israeli officials obtained Hamas’ battle plan for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack more than a year before it happened, documents, emails and interviews show. But Israeli military and intelligence officials dismissed the plan as aspirational, considering it too difficult for Hamas to carry out.

“The approximately 40-page document, which Israeli authorities code-named ‘Jericho Wall,’ outlined, point by point, exactly the kind of devastating invasion that led to the deaths of about 1,200 people.

“The translated document, which was reviewed by The New York Times, did not set a date for the attack, but described a methodical assault designed to overwhelm the fortifications around the Gaza Strip, take over Israeli cities and storm key military bases, including a division headquarters.”

Gatewaypundit added on December 1:

“… As Channel 11 reported on Tuesday, in May 2023, the Gaza Division’s intelligence officer created a slide presentation… setting out in detail how Hamas intended to bring down the security fence and invade Israel at up to 60 separate points, invade the division’s bases and enter civilian communities to commit mass murder and seize hostages. In a follow-up report from August, the intelligence officer even explained that Hamas intended to carry out its plan either on Shabbat or on a holiday when only a small cadre of soldiers would be on duty. His work was dismissed as unrealistic and out of line with Hamas’s true intentions by senior intelligence officers at Tel Aviv headquarters…”

The Huffington Post wrote on December 3:

“The National Security Council claimed on Sunday that United States intelligence had no prior knowledge of a document detailing Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack plan, after a bombshell report recently revealed that Israeli authorities obtained such information a year ago… The report adds to the already existing public outrage in Israel over Netanyahu and his government’s failure to prevent the attack despite several warnings.”

Israel Determined to Kill Hamas Leaders All Over the World

The Wall Street Journal wrote on December 1:

“Israel’s intelligence services are preparing to kill Hamas leaders around the world when the nation’s war in the Gaza strip winds down, setting the stage for a yearslong campaign to hunt down militants responsible for the Oct. 7 massacres, Israeli officials said.

“With orders from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s top spy agencies are working on plans to hunt down Hamas leaders living in Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar… For years, countries such as Qatar, Lebanon, Iran, Russia and Turkey have provided Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, with a measure of protection…

“Targeted killings abroad can violate international law and run the risk of blowback from nations in which assassins operate without their permission. In practice, however, Israel and others have pursued targeted killings and weathered the repercussions…

“Perhaps no other nation has Israel’s experience in carrying out worldwide assassination campaigns. Since World War II, Israel has conducted more than 2,700 such operations…  Even before Israel was founded in 1948, Jewish militants killed European diplomats who were involved in the British administration of Mandatory Palestine. In the 1960s, Israeli spies used letter bombs to target former Nazi Germany scientists helping Egypt develop rockets…

“In 1997, Netanyahu, then serving his first term as prime minister, ordered Israeli spies to kill Meshaal, a Hamas founder who was then living in Jordan. The Israeli team entered Jordan posing as Canadian tourists and attacked Meshaal outside the Hamas political office in Amman. One Israeli assassin sprayed a toxin into Meshaal’s ear but he was captured along with another member of the team before they could escape. Meshaal fell into a coma, and Jordan threatened to terminate its peace treaty with Israel. Then-President Bill Clinton pressed Netanyahu to end the crisis by sending his Mossad chief to Amman with the antidote that saved Meshaal’s life. Israel then secured the freedom of its operatives in Jordan by agreeing to release Yassin, the Hamas spiritual leader, and 70 other Palestinian prisoners…

“It was the deadly Palestinian militant attack on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics that cemented the nation’s embrace of covert assassinations as a tool of government policy.  Palestinian gunmen with a group known as Black September took a group of Israeli athletes and coaches hostage in the Olympic Village, leading to a two-day standoff that ended with a failed rescue attempt by West German police. All 11 Israeli hostages were killed.  In response, then-Prime Minister Golda Meir ordered Israeli spies to hunt down and kill all Palestinian militants involved in the attack. The covert campaign was dubbed Operation Wrath of God and became the subject of an Oscar-nominated 2005 Steven Spielberg movie.

“Israeli assassins spent 20 years hunting those linked to the Munich attack. They killed Palestinians in France, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon. They used a remote-controlled bomb hidden inside a phone in France and used guns with silencers to kill targets in the streets of Rome… But Operation Wrath of God also led to one of Israel’s most embarrassing covert failures in 1973, when a team of Israeli operatives killed a Moroccan waiter in Norway who they had mistakenly identified as a Palestinian militant involved in the Munich attack. Six of the 15 Israeli operatives were arrested and five were sentenced to short prison terms for their roles in the killing.”

Israeli attacks in countries such as Turkey would create incredible hostility.

Repeating the Mistakes of the Past?

Israel Today wrote on November 30:

“The Biden administration is frantically looking for a way to stop Israel from fulfilling its vow to its citizens to defeat Hamas and eliminate it as a military and terrorist threat. America has a history of stopping Israel just short of actually defeating its enemies. In 1967 and 1973, Israel’s most famous full-scale wars came to a sudden halt when Washington insisted on a truce just as the IDF was preparing its final assault. The First Lebanon War in the early 1980s concluded with Israel being pressed to accept a deal whereby Yasser Arafat and his PLO could escape to fight another day.

“And the same formula is now being discussed in regards to Hamas. According to the Wall Street Journal,  the Biden administration wants Israel to consider a deal under which the Hamas leadership, along with thousands of Hamas gunmen and their families, will be allowed to leave Gaza to a third country… all of this ignores the lessons learned, or not learned, from the Lebanon War fiasco. After destroying Lebanon, Arafat and his men were allowed to leave and take shelter in Tunisia, from where they continued to conduct a global campaign of terror…

“Honestly, the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East at this point is the short-sighted incompetence of Western leaders.”

In a somewhat cryptic message,  “in a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [last Thursday], Blinken also reportedly said Israel may only have ‘weeks’ left to fight, rather than months” (JTA, dated December 1). Does this mean that America will again put pressure on Israel to stop fighting against Hamas? And not surpassingly, but quite expectedly, it seems that Europe might be blowing the same horn.

AA wrote on December 3:

“The EU’s foreign policy chief [Josep Borrell] on Saturday expressed ‘regret’ over the resumption of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, emphasizing Tel Aviv’s obligation to respect international humanitarian law and the laws of war, which he described as ‘not only a moral obligation but also a legal one.’”

“A Deeply Controversial White House Advisor”

The Huffington Post wrote on December 1:

“Four men in Washington shape America’s policy in the Middle East. Three are obvious: President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The fourth is less well-known, despite his huge sway over the other three ― and despite his determination to keep championing policies that many see as fueling bloodshed in Gaza and beyond.

“His name is Brett McGurk. He’s the White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, and he’s one of the most powerful people in U.S. national security… He controls whether global affairs experts within the government ― including more experienced staff at the Pentagon and the State Department ― can have any impact, and he decides which outside voices have access to White House decision-making conversations…

“It’s a stunning degree of authority for a 50-year-old operative with a deeply controversial career…  McGurk’s primary focus, a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, has come to dominate American diplomacy in the region… Saudi Arabia, the wealthy spiritual hub of the Muslim world, has long said it will only establish ties with Israel if a Palestinian state is established…

“A White House official told HuffPost that McGurk and the Biden administration prioritize Palestinian rights, including during talks about Saudi-Israel normalization… But skeptics fear McGurk’s focus on so-called Saudi-Israel ‘normalization’ will mean centering America’s Middle East strategy on a Saudi-Israel deal that lacks a settlement that satisfies Palestinians, sowing the seeds of future discord ― and that the deal would disregard U.S. values by, for instance, including huge arms sales and security commitments despite documented Saudi and Israeli misuse of American military assistance…”

Saudi Arabia will ultimately become one of Israel’s enemies.

Biden Keeps Denying the Obvious

Daily Mail wrote on December 6:

“President Joe Biden denied ‘interacting’ with Hunter Biden’s business partners and called allegations a ‘bunch of lies’ when asked about the Republican impeachment probe. He insisted there weren’t any communications with scandal-hit son’s associates, despite the GOP sharing evidence of at least 22 phone calls the then-vice president sat in on, dinners with Hunter’s associates at Washington, D.C., restaurants and participation in coffee meetings…

“He was asked about polling showing that nearly 70 percent of Americans think he did something unethical or illegal with family business interests and why he interacted with ‘so many’ of his son Hunter and brother James’ associates… Earlier this week, House Oversight chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) released bank records that Republicans say indicate he got at least three monthly payments [in the amount of $1,380 each] from a company owned by Hunter Biden that took in millions from China…

“The president has repeatedly denied being in business with his son, but former Hunter Biden business associates have testified he would briefly pop on conference calls or drop by meetings.”

Politicians lie. Joe Biden is no exception.

“Biden Can’t Stop Lying”

 The New York Post wrote on December 7:

“Three times on Wednesday, Joe Biden denied that he has interacted with his son Hunter and brother Jim’s business associates, when it is an undeniable, documented fact that he has interacted with them dozens of times… But Joe Biden can’t stop lying. The hole he has dug for himself is too deep.  The evidence already amassed by the three congressional committees working on the impeachment inquiry is overwhelming. It shows that when Joe Biden was vice president, he was intimately involved in the lucrative scheme his son and brother were running to extract millions of dollars from countries that were America’s adversaries or supplicants and in which he wielded enormous power as the point man for the Obama administration…

“But the cover-up of the Biden grift is even worse since it involves the corruption of institutions that are supposed to keep us safe: the FBI, DOJ and CIA. The only reason we know about the cover-up is because a handful of noble whistleblowers from those institutions have exposed the wrongdoing… But in the end, it will be up to the American people to cast judgment on Joe Biden’s lies.”

Most Russians Against Ukraine War Continuation?

Euronews wrote on December 2:

“Support for the Ukraine war in Russia has hit rock bottom, according to a recent poll. The independent pollster Chronicle found that the number of Russians who fully support the invasion has almost halved since February 2023.  Their survey revealed those who favour peace far outnumber pro-war voices, with more Russians supporting the departure of the country’s troops from Ukraine than not.”

However, Atlantic Council wrote on November 30:

“Despite some indications of war weariness, most Russians continue to support their country’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a comprehensive new report published this week. Based on polling and focus groups conducted by Russia’s only internationally recognized pollster, the Levada Center, and the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, the report found that the majority of Russians had ‘gotten used to’ living against the backdrop of a brutal armed conflict and had consolidated around the Kremlin…

“Debate has raged for the past twenty-one months over the true extent of Russian public support for the invasion of Ukraine. Many continue to question the validity of polls conducted in wartime Russia, with skeptics arguing that very few members of the public would be comfortable expressing anti-regime opinions to strangers. Indeed, given the draconian legislation adopted in Russia since February 2022 criminalizing criticism of the invasion, there is good reason to treat all research data coming out of the country with caution.

“While there are legitimate doubts over the credibility of polling data, the findings detailed in this new report and the Levada Center’s more regular monitoring both closely mirror the available anecdotal evidence, which indicates high levels of public acceptance for the ongoing invasion. Perhaps the most compelling evidence has come from personal interactions between Ukrainians and their Russian relatives. With family ties connecting millions on both sides of the border, there has been ample opportunity for Ukrainians to get a sense of how ordinary Russians feel about the war. This has led to countless painful conversations with Ukrainians frequently finding that people they have known all their lives now parrot Kremlin propaganda, blame Ukraine for the war, or deny core aspects of the invasion altogether.

“The almost complete absence of any meaningful anti-war activity in Russia is a further indication of public support, or at least acceptance, of the invasion. During the first weeks of hostilities, there were some attempts to hold anti-war rallies in a number of Russian cities, but these modest efforts soon ran out of steam. Some commentators have since argued that it is simply too dangerous to protest. However, wartime restrictions have not prevented Russians from freely voicing their opposition to various specific aspects of the invasion…

“The more than one million Russians who are believed to have fled the country following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine have also proven largely unwilling to voice their opposition to the war, despite not facing any of the restrictions in place inside Russia itself. While there are large Russian diasporas in multiple cities across Europe, there have been very few anti-war rallies since February 2022 or any other attempts by Russian citizens to protest against the invasion being carried out in their name…

“All this is very good news for Vladimir Putin. The Russian dictator had initially hoped to secure a rapid military victory in Ukraine, but he is now actively preparing his country for a long war. He has already moved much of the Russian economy onto a war footing, and seems to have succeeded in convincing the vast majority of his compatriots that they are engaged in a struggle with the West that is both existential and unavoidable. With his home front looking remarkably stable and no sign of any domestic challenges on the horizon, Putin can look ahead to 2024 with a degree of confidence.

“These latest indications of continued Russian public support for the war will further dampen any lingering hopes in Western capitals that internal opposition could yet derail the Russian invasion. The timing is particularly unfortunate, with talk of a battlefield stalemate in Ukraine already fueling doubts over the future of Western military aid. For now, Western leaders remain adamant that they will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. However, they are extremely unlikely to be aided by any kind of anti-war uprising inside Russia itself.”

Is Germany Trying to Reduce EU Funding for Ukraine?

Express wrote on December 2:

“Ukraine has been caught off-guard after it was revealed that Germany wants to cut the amount of money it gives to an EU fund for Kyiv’s war effort… European capitals were reportedly stunned by Olaf Scholz’s U-turn… Ukraine is also understood to be alarmed by the news, since Germany, the EU’s largest economy, contributes a quarter of the EPF’s total funds…

“The dramatic German reversal followed a recent shock constitutional court verdict that blew a €60billion (£51bn) hole in Berlin’s budget. The court ruled that Chancellor Scholz’s government had breached a debt brake, which places a limit on public spending…

“The news comes less than 24 hours after President Zelensky admitted that Ukraine’s counteroffensive against invading Russian forces did not achieve the success he had hoped for. The counteroffensive is widely viewed as having failed to quickly deliver the hoped-for gains, despite significant Western backing…”

Joe Biden Threatens Congress Over Ukraine

Daily Mail wrote on December 6:

“President Joe Biden on Wednesday warned that American troops could have to fight Russian forces if Congress prevents further aid being sent to Ukraine. He demanded that lawmakers approve his request for tens of billions in military and economic assistance…

“His administration is warning of dire consequences for Kyiv if lawmakers don’t act to keep support flowing and European allies are increasingly alarmed at the consequences for democracy in their backyard.”

US Nearly Out of Money to Help Ukraine

Deutsche Welle reported on December 5:

“The United States is running out of time and money to help Ukraine fight back against the Russian invasion unless Congress can approve a new spending package, the White House said on Monday. The Biden administration had asked Congress in October to approve a $106 billion (€98 billion) package to fund aid for Ukraine and Israel, as well as for border security, but it was voted down by the Republican-controlled House.

“In a letter to the speaker of the House of Representatives on Monday, President Joe Biden’s budget director Shalanda Young said time was running out to help Ukraine… ‘without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from US military stock’ she wrote… ‘Cutting off the flow of US weapons and equipment will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made, but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories.’…

“House Speaker Mike Johnson gave the letter a cool response. ‘The Biden administration has failed to substantively address any of my conference’s legitimate concerns about the lack of a clear strategy in Ukraine, a path to resolving the conflict, or a plan for adequately ensuring accountability for aid provided by American taxpayers,’ Johnson said in a statement on social media. He also said that any national security supplemental package ‘must begin with our own border.’”

Fox News added on December 5:

“NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a recent interview that the Western military alliance should ‘be prepared for bad news’ in the Ukraine war ahead of the winter months… without elaborating.” 

Is Zelensky an Autocrat to Create an Authoritarian State?

The New York Post wrote on December 5:

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is becoming an autocrat who is reshaping Ukraine into an authoritarian state no different than Russia, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has shockingly claimed. Klitschko, a former heavyweight boxing champion-turned-politician, took the unprecedented step of publicly attacking Zelensky, an ex-comedian and actor, so vehemently for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 21 months ago.

“While the pair have been political foes, such a blistering public condemnation was still shocking to many, given the country’s war crisis. ‘At some point we will no longer be any different from Russia, where everything depends on the whim of one man,’ Klitschko said in a new interview with the German news outlet Der Spiegel.

“Klitschko, who has served as the mayor of Kyiv since 2014, praised his fellow mayors and regional governors for thwarting Ukraine’s descent into authoritarianism… Klitschko… claimed that the president has become isolated…

“In a separate sit-down with the Swiss news site 20Minutes, Klitschko accused Zelensky of lying to the public about Ukraine’s progress in the bloody conflict. Klitschko, 52, argued that Zelensky’s popularity has been declining since the start of the war in February 2022, when he emerged onto the world stage as the symbol of Ukraine’s struggle for survival — and the mayor predicted that the president will eventually find himself out of power as payback for his ‘mistakes’…

“But despite his litany of grievances, the mayor stopped short of calling for Zelensky’s immediate ouster. ‘The president has an important function today, and we have to support him until the end of the war,’ Klitschko said. ‘But at the end of this war, every politician will pay for his successes or failures.’”

Eventually, Ukraine and Russia will unite. Then, Ukraine will not be any different from Russia.

Sky News added on December 4:

“Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ‘paying for mistakes he has made’ and the Ukrainian people are wondering why the country was not better prepared, Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, has said in interviews with various news outlets. Mr Klitschko said Ukrainians were losing trust in the wartime leader’s handling of the crisis… ‘There was too much information that didn’t match reality…’

“The former boxing champion also claimed the Ukrainian leader had authoritarian tendencies… ‘At some point we will no longer be any different from Russia, where everything depends on the whim of one man.’”

Ukraine Assassinates “Dissidents”

Breitbart reported on December 6:

“Ilya Kiva, who was a Member of Parliament in Ukraine until the war started and dissenting lawmakers were purged, was shot in the head in an assassination claimed by the Ukrainian intelligence service. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) confirmed they were responsible for the killing of a former Member of Parliament of the nation who was found dead in Moscow, Russia… The report from the Ukrainian state news outlet described Ilya Kiva as a ‘top traitor, collaborator and propagandist… criminal’ and stated he was ‘liquidated’ with ‘small arms’, or gunfire.

“The BBC reports a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence not only confirmed the state-sanctioned assassination but said more would follow…

“The former Presidential candidate had been a parliamentarian for the pro-Moscow ‘Opposition Platform — For Life’ party in Ukraine’s Parliament but was stripped of his seat in 2022 after he spoke out in favour of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Days after Kiva was kicked out of Parliament, his entire party— along with 11 other Ukrainian pro-Russia parties — was banned as part of the nation’s state of emergency martial law rules. Kiva fled Ukraine to Russia, and was convicted in absentia of high treason for his support of Russian military action.

“The killing came… amid a slew of other former Ukrainian opposition lawmakers — ‘traitors’ — apparently also eliminated. Kyiv claimed responsibility for the killing of another pro-Russian Ukrainian politician last month, with Mikhail Filiponenko of the Russian-occupied Luhansk region being killed by a car bomb…

“Another apparent car bomb killing took place just today, although in this case the Ukrainian state has not yet claimed responsibility. Oleg Popov, also a Ukrainian collaborating with the Russian occupation of Luhansk was killed after his car exploded, reports Le Monde. The New York Post states Popov had already survived one alleged assassination attempt last year and that sources claimed the SBU were responsible for his killing today, but that has not been confirmed.”

Is Ukraine copying the assassinations of dissidents for which Russia is famous?

Hungarian PM Demands Ukraine’s EU Membership Be Taken off Agenda

Sky News wrote on December 4:

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has demanded that Ukraine’s membership in the EU and billions of euros in funding meant for the country be taken off the agenda at a summit of the bloc’s leaders next week… Mr Orban insisted that a ‘strategic discussion’ is needed first about Ukraine’s European future and warned that forcing a decision could destroy EU unity…”

Ukraine will never become a member of the EU.

Europe Must Become a Superstate

The Telegraph wrote on December 1:

“The European Union should become a single megastate as it is not working in its current form, according to… Mario Draghi, who led the European Central Bank (ECB) and served as [Italy’s] prime minister during the pandemic… It made no sense, the former premier said, to have 27 separate national armed forces and 27 separate drug control agencies…

“Mr Draghi… has hopes of becoming the next president of the European Council, according to Italian media reports. ‘By expanding the European Union to 28 members [prior to Brexit] we made a colossal error: to think that it could work with the rules that were put in place when there were just 12 members,’ Mr Draghi said in a speech in Rome. For the EU to have a future in a multicentric world dominated by big powers such as the US and China, ‘it should become a state’, Mr Draghi said…

“The former prime minister compared the EU in its current state unfavourably with ancient Rome, lamenting that it had no common foreign policy or single army. He criticised the bloc for not being engaged enough in the Israel-Gaza crisis, saying ‘it needs to do more’… ‘The European market is too small,’ he said, adding that European companies often sell up or move to the US once they become successful.”

The comparison with ancient Rome is interesting; given the fact that the coming United States of Europe will be the tenth resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire.

The Record wrote on December 1:

“Charles Michel, the president of the European Council — the EU body that sets the bloc’s political direction — proposed on Thursday the creation of ‘a European cyber force … equipped with offensive capabilities’… Michel said: ‘I feel that the time has come to create a real union of defence, coupled with a true defence single market.’”

Up until now, Europe stated their forces should be used strictly for defensive purposes.

War in Europe?

Die Welt wrote on December 6:

“Because the West is hesitating, time is working for Vladimir Putin in Ukraine. And that’s just the beginning… with consequences for Germany that no one can imagine…

“Among those who are still interested in the Ukraine war, there are two camps: those who believe in a victory for Kiev. And those who dream of negotiations with Russia. But on the front, Ukraine is at a dead end. And Putin has no reason to negotiate because time is working for him: support for Kiev is dwindling in the USA, and the prospect of a new Trump presidency is becoming more real on the horizon.

“Putin, for his part, has staying power – and allies. The Emirates and Saudi Arabia are among six states that will soon join the Brics alliance – which so far includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The alliance is united by one goal in terms of power politics: to end the supremacy of the West. With its imperialist drive, Russia is only the tip of the spear, but has the tacit approval of many states as long as it does not disturb their circles.

“For Putin, the military problems in Ukraine were just a setback on a path that he is continuing undeterred. His goal remains the conquest of the entire Ukraine. Secret services assume that Russia would need six years after the war to arm itself for an attack on NATO territory. If NATO still exists.

“…while Putin is investing huge sums of money in his army, the Federal Republic’s enthusiasm for armaments has already dried up.

“Germany is risking what hardly anyone in this country can or wants to think at the moment: that war will come to our country one day not far away.” 

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “War Between Russia and Germany?”

“Germany, We Have a Problem”

The Daily Mail wrote on December 1:

“When 1.1 million migrants arrived in Germany in 2015, Bild Zeitung launched a ‘welcome’ campaign, echoing the sentiments of then-Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had unilaterally opened the country’s borders to Syrians fleeing civil war in their homeland…

“Which makes the new campaign by Germany’s favourite paper, known to everyone simply as Bild, quite extraordinary. Under the front-page headline ‘Germany, we have a problem!’, it has published a highly controversial 50-point manifesto telling migrants how to behave as the country experiences a national culture clash.

“’Our world is in chaos, and we are in the middle of it,’ says the paper. ‘Since the terrorist attack of Hamas on Israel on October 7, we are experiencing a new dimension of hatred, against our values, our democracy and against Germany. In our country, there are many who oppose our way of life. People who celebrate the murder of innocent civilians. Those who teach their children to hate others because they are “infidels” (non-believers), those who forbid women from wearing trousers; those who listen to radical preachers because they want a different society. Germany must say no!’

“Though Bild calls its manifesto a ‘sort of house rules’ for everyone living in Germany, it is clearly aimed at migrants. And its significance cannot be overstated. With its racy pictures and eye-grabbing headlines, Bild — which sells one million print copies a day — has a massive impact on the German people’s mindset.  Twenty regional editions serve every corner of the country and each month its website attracts 25 million visitors, almost a third of the nation’s adult population…

‘The move marked a sharp turning point for Germany and its increasingly uneasy relationship with mass migration. Since the beginning of 2015, three million asylum seekers and illegal arrivals have come with far-reaching economic consequences. This week, as Germany flirts with recession, the Federal Employment Agency announced that six out of ten welfare recipients are migrants who are fit and able to work. Many are aged between 16 and 25, and many are women who have been in the country for years…

“A report on Germany’s migrant population produced by Harvard University warns that, instead of adapting to the liberal way of life in their new host nation, many remain attached to the austere conservative Islamic customs of their countries of origin…

“At least 250,000 migrants have arrived in Germany this year. Some will be genuine asylum seekers but many are not. Berlin fears that Hamas terrorists fleeing Palestine and hoping to harm Europe are infiltrating the incomers. Police checks have been re-introduced at four German borders, but the flow continues. The atmosphere is growing tense. Berlin-based Iranian whistleblower Kazem Moussavi, who arrived as a refugee escaping Islamic persecution 30 years ago, has warned the German government for years that some mosques are fomenting hatred against Jews, Christians, women and the Western way of life…

“He may be right…  Many ordinary Germans, who feel their past generosity has been hurled back in their faces, think it is an important message to send out in these very uncertain times.”

Germans will not continue to tolerate this situation much longer; especially, since they do not see any action taken by their weak government.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Hamas Is Rejoicing

The Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal wrote on November 21:

“The deal again shows the moral gulf between the two sides. Hamas kidnapped Israeli children as young as nine months to use as hostages and spring its jihadists who have been arrested or convicted in a fair trial for their crimes. Israel takes military risks to save its citizens. Hamas risks Palestinian civilians to save itself.

“Even as Israelis rejoice for the women and children who will return home, they know Hamas is rejoicing too. Its war crimes have been rewarded. It will steal fuel from its own people to power its terror tunnels. Its shattered northern Gaza brigades will use the cease-fire to regroup, escape from weak positions and set more ambushes for Israeli troops. Israel’s leaders made this deal knowing that their soldiers will pay for it…

“Expect Hamas to drag out the cease-fire in hopes of making it permanent. Dribbling out 10 hostages a day, Hamas could stall for a few weeks. Or what if it claims after day two that Israel has broken the deal and hostage releases will continue only after Israel holds off for another few days? What if it pulls that trick over and over?

“The domestic and international picture will become more complicated for Israel. At home a nation united will be divided over how long to wait. Abroad, the pressure to continue the cease-fire indefinitely will grow, and Israel can expect harsher criticism when it resumes fighting. Israelis know all this, but they are willing to accept the costs to retrieve the captives.

“They are also unwavering in their determination to overthrow Hamas. The Israeli cabinet says fighting will resume immediately once the cease-fire is up…

“Much depends on the Biden Administration. Complaints from the Democratic left are no reason to let the Hamas jihadists who carried out the Oct. 7 massacre stay in power in Gaza. President Biden has said Hamas needs to be destroyed. If he means it, he will back Israel’s right to resume fighting and finish the job after hostages are released.”

The Biden Administration has made its position crystal clear. Note the next article.

No More American Support for Israel?

Israel Today wrote on November 22:

“The White House says it won’t support Israel’s plan to expand its operations into the south of the Gaza Strip unless it shows it will protect the Palestinian civilians there.

“In a Tuesday press call, US National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said the United States won’t support Israel ‘moving forward with operations in the south absent a clearly articulated plan for how they’re going to protect the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people’ there.”

The Bible says that finally, America—and Britain—will be against Israel. Frictions are already materializing at this point. See the next article.

Israel’s Dilemma Is America’s Fault

Israel Today wrote on November 24:

“As if Israelis weren’t traumatized enough by the depraved Hamas pogrom on Oct. 7, the hostage deal concluded this week cruelly deepened their agony… Israel is no longer in control of events. At a stroke, it has yielded control of the war to Gaza’s Hamas leader… As the former US National Security Advisor John Bolton declared: ‘… Hamas will take advantage of that to reposition or extricate some of its leaders, move the hostages around and otherwise prepare for the next stage of combat’…

“Hamas is an enemy of mankind that the world has never seen before… the deal makes an eventual victory for Hamas more likely. Having agreed to this ceasefire, Israel will find itself under increasing pressure from America and the West for additional and longer ceasefires ‘to get more of the hostages out.’

“Israel is in this terrible situation principally because of America. The fingerprints of the Iranian regime were all over the Oct. 7 pogrom. Iran is also behind the attacks on Israel currently being mounted from Syria and Lebanon. Yet it was the Obama and Biden administrations whose appeasement of Iran empowered it to fund, arm, train and direct proxy armies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and Syrian militias bent upon Israel’s destruction.

“It is the Biden administration that, five weeks after the Hamas pogrom, funneled a further $10 billion in sanctions relief into Tehran’s coffers. It is the Biden administration that forced Israel to make the deal with the hostages. It is the Biden administration that is now pressuring Israel not to continue its war in the south of Gaza where it intends to finish off Hamas… America has been leveraging its military support for Israel to force it to run the war in accordance with the Biden administration’s aims: to continue to appease Iran and to create a state of Palestine. Both those aims pose a mortal threat to Israel’s security and existence…

“Israel’s terrible dilemma over the hostages is reminiscent of the unspeakable choices forced upon the Jewish councils who administered the ghettos of Europe during the Holocaust, and whom the Nazis forced to provide lists of people to deport to the death camps or risk the murder of everyone in the ghetto…”

These are strong words.

They Lie About Everything

Newsmax wrote on November 24:

“Caroline Glick, who was a member of Israel’s negotiations team in the 1990s peace talks with then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, told Newsmax on Friday that the current talks with Hamas aren’t the same, as the situation now involves ‘sadistic terrorists’ who are holding almost 240 hostages, including babies and their parents. ‘The negotiations here are the sort of negotiations that a woman who’s being raped would have with a terrorist who’s holding a gun to the head of her child while she’s being raped,’ Glick said…

“Glick… added that when she was involved in the ‘so-called peace talks’ with Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization, ‘they lied to us about everything.’ ‘Every single one of the commitments they accepted on themselves in the framework of all of the peace treatments or agreements that we signed with them over a period of six or seven years, they didn’t abide by any of their obligations to Israel, so they were operating in bad faith but smiling at that time,’ she said. ‘Now things have deteriorated significantly… The minute that you start negotiating with terrorists you basically become their hostages.’

“And even with the cease-fire, Israel will need to return to the war as quickly as possible, said Glick. ‘These monsters simply cannot be allowed to continue to exist,’ she said. ‘The greatest fear here is that [with] the cease-fire that we have, we’re going to face massive and intense pressure from the Biden administration not to go back and finish the job that we started.’’

The New York Post Editorial Board wrote on November 24:

“Hamas’ first hostage release has confirmed some very telling facts about the terrorists: 1) They’re ruthless liars; 2) they’ll victimize anyone they can, and 3) they think they can get America to break with Israel.

“One of those released Friday was… a woman whom Palestinian Islamic Jihad (the No. 2 terror group based in Gaza) repeatedly announced days ago was killed by an Israeli airstrike. That is, PIJ reported her as dead for pure propaganda purposes — to make the world think the Israeli government was killing hostages…

“It’s no surprise that terrorists lie — but US and world media keep giving Hamas’ claims equal footing with anything Israel’s government says, even when it comes to such long-established and widely reported facts as the way Hamas had major terror bases around and even in the al-Shifa hospital…

“Hamas and PIJ see Biden administration support for Israel as soft: They want it to make Israel agree to a ‘permanent’ cease-fire, or at least to greatly extend this one so they can resupply as much as possible from all the humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza… If the cease-fire ends with Americans still held hostage, we guarantee the terrorists will soon claim the Israelis have killed one of them — and if that doesn’t work, they’ll kill an innocent themselves to produce the ‘proof.’”

Hamas is a terrorist group of murderers and liars.  Their lying has been seen throughout this recent struggle to support their evil cause. Satan is called a murderer and the father of lies (John 8:44). One does not negotiate with the Devil! And the Palestinians are by no means innocent. Note the next article.

Biden Sound Asleep

Israel Today wrote on November 23:

“One of the reasons why Palestinian leaders refuse to condemn Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre is because they know that many Palestinians support the atrocities committed by the Iran-backed Palestinian terrorist group… A public opinion poll published on Nov. 14 showed that 75% of Palestinians support Hamas’s murder spree, including rape and beheadings, as opposed to only 13% who disapprove…

“The poll also showed that 68% of the Palestinians in the West Bank said they ‘extremely support’ the butchering of Israelis, while another 14.8% said they ‘somewhat’ support it. In total, 87.7% of the Palestinians in the West Bank have a positive sentiment toward Hamas. Only 10.2% of the Palestinians living in the West Bank have a negative sentiment toward Hamas.

“Another, but less surprising, result of the poll is that 80% of Palestinians reject both the ‘one-state’ and ‘two-state’ solutions, and instead demand all the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea—in short, the entire State of Israel.

“The findings of the poll shatter the claim made by US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that Hamas is not representative of most Palestinians. Sadly, the results show, without doubt, that the Biden administration is completely clueless about the anti-Israel sentiment among a large majority of the Palestinians. That a majority of Palestinians want to replace Israel with an Iran-backed terror state also shows that the Biden administration and most European governments are engaging in extreme self-deception when they talk about the need to promote a ‘two-state solution.’…

“Hamas named its massacre ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,’ presumably in response to peaceful and routine visits by Jews to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, which are permitted, by mutual agreement, to open-air areas that are outside of the mosque. Hamas claimed that the name of the massacre came in response to supposed ‘Israeli violations in the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.’ There were, of course, no ‘violations’ by Jews…

“‘The [Israeli] enemy desecrated the Al-Aqsa Mosque and dared to visit prophet Mohammed’s place of worship,’ said Hamas arch-terrorist Mohammed Deif, one of the masterminds of the Oct. 7 massacre. Addressing Palestinians, he added: ‘Start marching now toward Palestine, and do not let borders or restrictions deprive you of the honor of jihad [holy war] and participating in the liberation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.’

“… the only solution most Palestinians are willing to accept is one that leads to the murder of all Jews and the destruction of Israel. It remains to be seen whether the latest Palestinian slaughter of Jews serves to awaken the Biden administration and the Europeans to this inconvenient, uncomfortable fact.”

Sadly, it won’t. And so, the Western propaganda that Palestinians want a two-state solution is nothing more than fake news and a hoax. They want the total destruction of Israel.

Kissinger Dead

 Deutsche Welle wrote on November 30:

 “Henry Kissinger… was born on May 27, 1923, the son of Louis, a Jewish high school teacher, and Paula Kissinger, in the Bavarian city of Fürth. In 1938, when Kissinger was 15, he emigrated to the United States with his parents to escape the persecution of Jews by the Nazis…

“After the construction of the Berlin Wall, Kissinger advised then-President John F. Kennedy against military retaliation. In 1968, President Richard Nixon named him national security adviser. Four years later, in 1973, Kissinger became secretary of state. Kissinger remained in that office after Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal…

“In 1973, Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor that was, in light of the US role in the Vietnam War, highly controversial…

“… he not only recognized China’s rise to becoming a great power early on and consequently helped engineer a new US relationship with the People’s Republic, he also identified the potential for peace that arose after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Furthermore, he played a supporting role as an adviser on German reunification.

“… Following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, and US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Kissinger warned of a rupture in the trans-Atlantic partnership… Kissinger has repeatedly made the case for a strong Europe. In 2012, during the eurozone crisis, he warned of the threat of Europe falling back into the old nation-state system…

“In one of his final public interviews, shortly after the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, he told Welt TV that Germany had let in too many immigrants, warning that the conflict could spark a regional conflagration….”

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Incredible Demands and Witch Hunt of the American People

Breitbart wrote on November 29:

“Special Counsel Jack Smith, in a search warrant sent to X, formerly Twitter, requested a vast swathe of information about the account of former President Donald J. Trump, as well as information on the millions of accounts that interacted with it — even those that liked a tweet by Trump in the timeframe of October 2020 to January 2021.

“The heavily redacted search warrant requests a list of all users who liked or retweeted posts from Trump between October 2020 and January 2021, including ‘all associated logs and metadata,’ which could cover location data. This extraordinarily expansive request would result in data on millions of American users being turned over to the DOJ.

“X/Twitter initially delayed complying with the request,…  resulting in a $350,000 fine levied against the company.

“The warrant also requests all IP addresses associated with Trump’s account, and a list of all devices used to log in to it. This means that any staffer or aide who logged into the account would have the information divulged to the special prosecutor.

“All information on Trump’s ‘connect’ and ‘notification’ tabs was requested, as well as all search history, blocks, mutes, and even drafted tweets.

“The warrant instructed X/Twitter not to notify Trump of the search order. The company attempted to overcome this in court, but failed…’

This is alarming and deeply upsetting. Such conduct by Smith and the court is worthy of a dictatorship such as Russia or China, but terribly unworthy of the USA. When will the American people wake up? Note the next article.

Daily Mail wrote on November 26:

“Donald Trump’s legal team filed a document Monday arguing the ex-president had a legitimate ‘good faith’ basis to question the results of the 2020 election results. The… filing also demanded government prosecutors to turn over communications between President Joe Biden and his family members with the Justice Department.

“Trump’s lawyers… claim in the filing that the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021 [did not result from] any directions from President Trump.’ The defense made 59 requests including the identification of ‘informants and other undercover operatives‘ involved in the January 6 Capitol attack as well as information regarding security measures carried out that day….”

They could have also asked for all communication between Special Prosecutor Jack Smith and the Justice Department, the Biden Administration, the courts and other prosecutors, based on the appearance of conspiracy and lack of objectivity, but such request would surely be denied based on confidentiality, privilege and privacy. So, what happened to the privacy of those Americans whom Jack Smith is trying to persecute with his outlandish search warrant directed at Twitter/X?

At the same time, Breitbart reported on November 30:

“In an order Thursday, the First Judicial Department of the Appellate Division for the Supreme Court of New York vacated an interim relief that blocked Justice Arthur Engoron’s initial gag on Trump, prohibiting him from making public statements about his law clerk, Allison Greenfield.“

The reputation of the judicial system is suffering more and more. Note the next article.

Soviet-Type Decision by NY State Supreme Court Appellate Division

LifeSiteNews wrote on November 24:

“The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division’s Fourth Judicial Department has reversed a lower court’s ruling against a regulation called Rule 2.13 allowing the government to involuntarily and indefinitely detain individuals for the purported sake of public health. ‘The language in the [regulation] makes it crystal clear that the DOH [Department of Health] can pull you from your home (and your life) and, with the force of police, hold you anywhere they deem appropriate, including “other residential or temporary housing,’” explained attorney Bobbie Anne Cox, who is representing Uniting NYS and state legislators. The regulation says ‘they don’t have to prove you are sick, they can hold you for however long they want, and there is no way for you to get out of lock up or lock down,’ unless a detained person obtains legal representation and sues.

“The lower court had ruled in July 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and lacking due process, but the state appealed that ruling. The Appellate Division then ruled unanimously on November 17 that the plaintiffs lacked standing because they hadn’t been forcibly quarantined. ‘The court seems to insinuate that the only person with the right to sue is someone who has been forcibly locked in their home against their will, or ripped from their home, taken from their loved ones, and thrown into a quarantine detention center, facility, institution, camp, etc…The court insinuates that apparently only that person would be injured,’ explained Cox.

“‘The idea that the State Health Department will lawfully quarantine a New Yorker against their will sounds Soviet,’ reacted state Sen. Mark Walczyk. “The Judiciary has a role to play in checking the Executive and I’m deeply disappointed the Appellate Division missed the opportunity to draw the line at tyranny…”

America is becoming more and more a dangerous autocratic dictatorship. What is happening in left-wing democratic New York State might soon be seen in other US States.

Extraordinary Violence in Dublin

Le Monde wrote on November 22:

“Thursday night’s violence in the Irish capital – which erupted after three children were wounded in the stabbings – was of a level not seen in decades, according to police.  A night of torched vehicles and shop looting sparked in Dublin after a knife attack outside a school was of an ‘extraordinary’ level of violence unseen in decades, police said Friday, November 24. The violence started when a group broke through a police cordon Thursday in the area where three young children and a women who was caring for them were injured in a knife attack.

“Groups went on to torch busses and trams and loot shops in one of Dublin’s most famous thoroughfares, O’Connell Street. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris told a press conference in the Irish capital on Friday that multiple Irish police officers were injured in a running battle with the group that stormed the crime scene on Thursday night. Rumours on social media about the nationality of the assailant who police only described as a man in his fifties, helped fuel unrest following the attack…

“Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said that protesters who battled police and looted shops were motivated by ‘hate’ and brought ‘shame on Ireland’… ‘As a country, we need to reclaim Ireland. We need to take it away from the cowards who hide behind masks and tried to terrify us with their violence,’ said Varadkar…

“For his part, Harris blamed a ‘complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology’ for the disorder…  Ireland has been facing a chronic housing crisis, with the government estimating that there is a deficit of hundreds of thousands of homes for the general population. Widespread dissatisfaction has fed into a backlash against asylum seekers and refugees, and far-right figures have promoted anti-immigration sentiment at rallies and on social media with claims that ‘Ireland is full.’”

Breitbart had quite a different take on the situation. It wrote on November 25:

“Poor Irish people staged a riot in central Dublin following the stabbing of three children by a man described as a homeless migrant, yet the Irish establishment is portraying the Thursday-night anti-migration riots as merely ‘hate,’ ‘lunatic’ and ‘far-right.’

“The unprecedented riots come after years of growing community protests against the migration that is impoverishing Irish people with rising rents and flatlining wages. So far, none of the established Irish political parties have sought to curb or reduce the impact of migration on Ireland’s people… ‘that [riot was] an expression of the disconnect that has been festering amongst disadvantaged young men for a long time,’ reported an anti-establishment Irish news outlet, Grip.ie, which added: ‘But the media, like the government and the Opposition, were eager to change the conversation, and Dublin city centre being set on fire gave them perfect cover to do so. So the usual nonsense about the “far-right” started immediately, and the front pages are full of those photographs this morning.’

“The government offered a very different view… Ireland’s… prime minister Leo Varadkar… portrayed the government as the victim of the drama…In 2020, Vardakar defended the deadly and destructive Black Lives Matter looting and riots in the United States…

“The government is a coalition of establishment parties, all of which support mass migration that has pushed a huge number of Irish people into poverty. So the government’s dismissal of the rioters is expanding the political opportunity for anti-establishment parties…

“Conor McGregor, the very popular Irish martial arts fighter, slammed the establishment media and government for ignoring the migration-caused crime and poverty…”

As so often, Ireland’s failing government blames others for the country’s misery, rather than looking at themselves.

Germany’s Debacle

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 25:

“The rules are clear: The German state must make ends meet with the money it takes in. That’s what is written in the constitution. It’s called the Schuldenbremse, or debt brake. Only in exceptional circumstances can the debt brake be lifted, and the government take on new debt. From 2014 to 2019, the federal government was able to comply with these conditions as the budget was always balanced. But then came the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Bundestag suspended the debt brake several times, and the government was able to borrow billions.

“Finance Minister Christian Lindner’s goal was to put an end to this trend of suspending the debt brake and consolidate the budget. Now he feels compelled to suspend the debt brake retroactively for 2023 as well.

“Since the Federal Constitutional Court declared the financing of the Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF) to be unconstitutional, the government’s current budget planning has become inapplicable. The €60 billion ($66 billion) that the coalition of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, and neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) paid into this special fund after taking office in 2021 had been left over from the coronavirus pandemic and hadn’t been used. The judges ruled that setting aside emergency loans for the future and spending them in ways not approved by the Bundestag isn’t permissible. The decision caught the coalition off guard, and now there has been widespread confusion about how to react to it. Especially since the KTF isn’t the only special fund.

“The German armed forces have a special fund of €100 billion for example, though since this (is) backed by the constitution, it is presumably unaffected. [However, this is not undisputed. It was reported that this fund is affected, but the government later declared that it is not. The question is, in light of all the lies spread by the government, whom are we to believe?]

“The situation is different with the Economic Stabilization Fund (WSF), a crisis fund of up to €200 billion primarily designed to finance energy price controls. It was set up in 2022, and a large part of the money was earmarked for 2023 and 2024. [This fund is clearly affected and can basically not be used.]… Finance Minister and FDP leader Lindner has now imposed a budget freeze…

“But what happens then? The SPD, Greens, and FDP appear stumped. One reason for this is that the three parties have fundamentally different positions. The coalition is made up of two more left-leaning parties and one neoliberal party… the SPD and Greens refuse to budge on their climate and social policy goals, which come at a high cost…

“The debt brake is a thorn in the side of many in the SPD and Greens… in view of Germany’s miserable economic data…

“Is Germany once again the ‘sick man of Europe’? While the economy is growing in many other countries around the world, Germany hasn’t been able to get back on its feet and has even slipped into recession in 2023. Since the coronavirus pandemic, the German economy has recorded the lowest economic growth in the eurozone, with no rapid turnaround in sight.

“The country is struggling with high energy costs and a shortage of skilled workers. The railroads, roads and bridges are as dilapidated as are many the public buildings, especially schools and universities. Digital infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired…

“What happens in Germany is of international interest. If Europe’s largest economy reduces its investments and spending, it will be felt first by its European neighbors and then by the rest of the world… a reform of the [debt break] rule is only possible with two-thirds majority support in parliament, which currently doesn’t exist.

“The conservative opposition parties CDU and CSU have ruled out any changes… The FDP shares these policy positions. However, the CDU/CSU and FDP don’t have a majority in parliament….”

Of course, changing the debt brake rule would mean, Germany will go out borrowing money to no end, to be able to pursue its controversial climate change goal and other even more controversial green policies. How is that going to help the country?

The miserable state of affairs will change, and Germany will rise again, but NOT under the present divided government.

The Shift to the Right That Actually Isn’t One At All

Report 24 wrote on November 25:

“The recent landslide victory of Wilders’ PVV in the Netherlands is just another step in the changing face of European politics. Mass immigration, migrant riots, foreign crime and terrorism are just one of many reasons for the subjective ‘shift to the right’. Viewed objectively, given the center’s shift to the left, one would rather have to speak of a ‘readjustment‘…

“All it takes is actually a comparison of the current political positions of ‘centre parties’ such as the SPD, CDU/CSU and FDP in Germany or the SPÖ or ÖVP in Austria with those of 30, 40 or 50 years ago. Much of what is considered ‘right’ today was not so long ago a centrist position…

“… to put it simply, the normal worker or employee just wants to earn enough money to support his family, go on vacation and not have to worry in old age. Gender asterisks and political correctness? The majority don’t care about that because it doesn’t affect everyday life. But if contributions into the social systems due to mass immigration have to be increased, if there is no longer any increase in purchasing power and if there is a threat of poverty in old age, then people do care. And this whole shift to the left in politics has led in exactly this direction.

“Who would have thought, for example, at the end of the 1990s that the Union [CDU] would one day jump on the left-green bandwagon of climate fanatics, initiate a catastrophic ‘energy transition’ and make German industry dependent on the whims of nature when it comes to wind and sun? The current Ampel coalition is basically just continuing what was started under Angela Merkel. Just with a lot more vehemence and pressure. If, instead of traditional sex education and biology education, schools are shown drag queen porn shows, things won’t get any better.

“And then there are the effects of mass immigration from countries with completely different (sometimes archaic) cultures…

“However, the parties and politicians defamed as ‘right-wing populists’ by the left-liberal pseudo-mainstream are interested in such problems and grievances. What’s more, they are becoming a new ‘mainstream’ by increasingly receiving vote shares of a third or more in elections and surveys in more and more countries. For the establishment, this is a ‘shift to the right’, but in reality, this development is simply a natural correction to find a political balance. A one-sided political landscape with a left-liberal unity party consisting of several factions is no longer a democracy, but in fact a kind of dictatorship in which dissenting opinions are defamed.”

This “readjustment” and “natural correction” is attracting more and more voters.

The Pope’s Jewish Problem

Crux wrote on November 26:

“When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, the forecast among those invested in Jewish-Catholic dialogue generally was rosy. The new pope brought considerable background to the relationship, given that Argentina has the largest Jewish population in Latin America and the sixth largest outside Israel – indeed, the first kosher McDonalds outside Israel was located in a Buenos Aires shopping center…

“And yet, the fact of the matter is that Pope Francis long has had a Jewish problem, and it’s come to the fore anew amid the current war in Gaza. To some extent, the issue is political, having to do with the instinctive sympathy history’s first pope from the developing world feels for the Palestinian cause… There’s also a theological dimension to the angst Francis has generated in Jewish circles, including his frequently disparaging references to the ‘Pharisees… Moreover, there’s a perception that Francis’s campaign to build bridges with Islam sometimes comes at the expense of solidarity with Jews…

“These three sources of tension – the politics of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the theological approach to Judaism, and the inter-faith balancing act vis-à-vis Islam — are all coming to a head amid the current conflagration. The criticism of the pope’s response to the Gaza war started almost immediately…

“The rabbis wondered aloud what the point has been of decades of Jewish-Catholic dialogue when, in a time of need, what Jews get from the pope isn’t solidarity but ‘diplomatic acrobatics, balancing acts…’

“… it’s impossible to ignore the signs of growing tension. Recently an Italian Jew named Vittorio

Mascarini, who leads a Zionist organization in Italy, wrote in the Jewish News Syndicate: ‘If it continues to maintain its ambiguous position, the Holy See risks its entire relationship with Israel and world Jewry.’

“The war in Gaza has already taken an enormous toll. For Francis, who clearly aspires to be a peace-maker, it undoubtedly would be especially agonizing should his relationship with Jews and Judaism end up being among the casualties.”

In light of the foregoing,  the following article by Israel 365 News, dated November 26, is truly remarkable:

“On Wednesday, the Pope met with families of hostages taken by Hamas. He also met with Palestinians whose relatives were security prisoners in Israeli jails or were in Gaza. No media representatives were present at the meetings but members of the Palestinian delegation told the media that the pope had described Israel’s actions as ‘genocide’. The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, said he didn’t believe that Francis used that term… The Palestinian delegation insisted nonetheless that Pope Francis described Israel’s military incursion as ‘genocide.’

“After the meeting, the Pope made a speech in St. Peter’s Square  in which he said that he heard ‘how both sides suffer’ and how the war between Israel and Hamas has ‘transformed from war to terror.’…

“The American Jewish Committee tweeted gratitude for the pope’s meeting with families of the hostages and calling for their release, while also criticizing his other remarks and asking for clarification. ‘Hamas’ butchering and kidnapping of civilians is terrorism. Israel’s self-defense is not,’ the AJC wrote. ‘Vatican, please clarify.’”

The Pope’s “balancing act” shows, in effect, where he and the Vatican REALLY stand.

Francis Punishes Critical American Cardinal and Bishop

The Daily Mail wrote on November 29:

“Pope Francis has kicked conservative US Cardinal Raymond Burke out of his Vatican apartment and stripped him of his salary after he criticized the pontiff’s pro-LGBT stance… Burke… is the second American prelate to face punishment in what appears to be a new phase of Francis’ pontificate. This reform-minded period seems to have accelerated with the arrival in September of Francis’ hand-picked new doctrine czar, Argentine Cardinal Victor Fernández.

“Earlier this month, Francis forcibly removed the bishop of Tyler, Texas, Joseph Strickland, another conservative who had also become one of Francis’ critics.

“…  the two seemingly were at odds over COVID-19 vaccines. Francis had been a big proponent of the vaccines and had lashed out at vaccine skeptics, who included some conservative Catholics.”

Did Francis ever repent of and apologize for his inappropriate support of experimental Covid-19 vaccines?

Jesuit Priest: TrumpIs Antichrist, Vote For Biden

Breitbart wrote on November 29:

“In his piece [for the leftwing Religious News Service,]  titled ‘In a World Where Christ Is King, Authoritarian Leaders Can Only Be Antichrists,’ [Jesuit Thomas] Reese asserted that ‘anti-democratic leaders’ like Trump are promising to ‘deliver justice by any means necessary.’…  Reese made reference to the holiday [“the liturgical feast of Christ the King”] to contrast Christ’s kingdom with that of ‘antichrists’ like Donald Trump…

“In 2020, Father Reese stumped for Joe Biden, urging his fellow Catholics to join the ‘grassroots’ group ‘Catholics for Biden.’… Reese also attempted to convince Catholics that it is okay to vote for Catholic candidates who openly flout Church teaching on issues such as abortion… Reese acknowledged that most Catholic Democrats disregard the Church’s moral teaching and ‘agree with Biden that abortion should be legal,’ which removes any moral obstacle for supporting him.”

Did and does the pope know about this “Jesuit logic,” and did and does he endorse his fellow Jesuit’s viewpoint? The liberals in the Vatican and the Catholic Church are clearly winning… for now.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Javier Milei–New President of Tumultuous Argentina

The New York Post wrote on November 19:

“Argentina elected libertarian outsider Javier Milei as its new president on Sunday, rolling the dice on an outsider with radical views to fix an economy battered by triple-digit inflation, a looming recession and rising poverty…

“Milei’s challenges are enormous. He will have to deal with the empty coffers of the government and central bank, a creaking $44 billion debt program with the International Monetary Fund, inflation nearing 150% and a dizzying array of capital controls…

“… he faces a highly fragmented Congress, with no single bloc having a majority, meaning that he will need to get backing from other factions to push through legislation.”

The Daily Mail wrote on November 19:

“Milei – who is also a prominent economist and radio chat-show host – has spoken about his preference for threesomes, why he believes poor people should be free to sell their body parts, and how he enjoys communicating via telepathy with his dead dog for political advice.

“The far-Right libertarian is also an admirer of Donald Trump…  He prefers to call himself an anarcho-capitalist, which means he’d like to rip up as much government intervention in people’s lives as he can and leave it all to the free market… [His plan] includes getting rid of Argentina’s public health and education systems…

“Milei… has repeatedly taken aim… at Pope Francis, his compatriot, calling him… the ‘representative of the evil one on Earth’ in brutal social media posts…

“A recent biography by journalist Juan Luis González revealed Milei studies telepathy in his spare time and has a medium to ‘communicate’ with [his dog] Conan, who died in 2017, asking him for advice on political matters. Astonishingly, Milei hasn’t denied the claims…

“[He was raised] a Catholic and now said to be converting to Judaism…

“He wants to see Argentina ditch the peso and adopt the US dollar as its national currency… he believes his natural allies would be the US and Israel, saying: ‘I don’t want to have anything to do with the communists of Cuba, China and North Korea.’

“On the ever thorny question of the Falkland Islands, which Argentina unsuccessfully tried to grab from Britain in 1982 during the prime ministership of Margaret Thatcher, one of his icons, Milei proposes copying the UK’s transfer of Hong Kong to China in 1997…”

Fox News added on November 19:

“With war unfolding in Israel, Milei also proved popular with the nation’s large Jewish community, the largest in Latin America…”

More of Milei’s Controversial Ideas

LifeSiteNews wrote on November 20:

“Milei called the global agenda to push abortion a ‘bloodthirsty policy, in which some humans believe they should decide who should live and who should not…’

“The designated president of Argentina called the alarmist climate change narrative a ‘socialist lie’…

“While the eccentric politician called out modern ‘sexual education’ as a ‘post-Marxist program’ seeking to destroy the family, he also said that he is against ‘marriage as an institution’ regulated by the state and that people should be free to marry whoever they want, including people of the same sex….”

Milei—a “mixed bag” for sure. Many voters have said they were voting for him as the “lesser evil.”

Trump Congratulates Milei

Mediaite wrote on November 19:

“Former President Donald Trump along with a whole host of other online conservative influencers celebrated the victory of far-right outsider Javier Milei in Argentina’s presidential election…

“‘I am very proud of you. You will turn your Country around and truly Make Argentina Great Again,’ the president wrote to his followers.”

THAT will have to be seen…

Huge Victory of Geert Wilders in the Netherlands

The Associated Press wrote on November 23:

 “Anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders won a huge victory in Dutch elections…  in a stunning lurch to the far right… The result will send shockwaves through Europe, where far-right ideology is on the rise, and puts Wilders in line to lead talks to form the next governing coalition and possibly become the first far-right prime minister of the Netherlands…

 “Wilders’ election program included calls for a referendum on the Netherlands leaving the European Union… He says he wants no mosques or Islamic schools in the country, although he has been milder about Islam during this election campaign than in the past…

 “‘The Dutch will be No. 1 again,’ Wilders said. ‘The people must get their nation back.’ But Wilders, who has in the past been labeled a Dutch version of Donald Trump, first must form a coalition government before he can take the reins of power. That will be tough as mainstream parties are reluctant to join forces with him and his party, but the size of his victory strengthens his hand in any negotiations…

 “Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who… has similarly harsh stances on migration and EU institutions, was quick to congratulate Wilders. ‘The winds of change are here! Congratulations,’ Orban said…

 “The result is the latest in a series of elections that is altering the European political landscape. From Slovakia and Spain, to Germany and Poland, populist and hard-right parties triumphed in some EU member nations and faltered in others.”

 Barron’s added on November 23:

 “Wilders’s PVV may not be able to build a coalition to make him prime minister so he can join the other 26 EU members at their summits. And his hardline plans to expel immigrants would be unlikely to survive legal challenges in the Dutch or European courts. But Europe’s support for Ukraine, grand plans to fight climate change… could be endangered.

“European elections to be held in June will be a new test of Wilders’s popularity… The Netherlands is the seventh most populous EU country and its MEPs — along with right-wingers from countries like Poland, Italy, France and Hungary — could form a powerful group… The PVV… could join the National Rally (RN) of France’s Marine Le Pen and Germany’s AfD in the assembly’s Identity…”

The AfD was also quick in congratulating Wilders.

Deutsche Welle added on November 23:

“Wilders’ victory is expected to have far-reaching consequences in the Netherlandfs and Europe. The anti-EU politician has vowed to halt all immigration, slash Dutch payments to the union and block the entrance of any new members, including Ukraine… Italian far-right leader and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also congratulated Wilders. ‘Congratulations to our friend Geert Wilders… for this extraordinary electoral victory. A new Europe is possible.’…

 “From calling Moroccans ‘scum’ to holding competitions for cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, Wilders has built a career from his self-appointed mission to stop an ‘Islamic invasion’ of the West… he was convicted for insulting Moroccans — and death threats that have meant he has been under police protection since 2004.

 “Born in 1963 in southern Venlo, close to the German border, Wilders grew up in a Catholic family with his brother and two sisters. His mother was half-Indonesian, a fact Wilders rarely mentions…”

Newsmax added on November 23:

“Wilders… promised ‘zero immigration’ into the Netherlands by closing the borders and deporting illegal immigrants… He has… likened the Quran to Adolf Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’… A decade ago, a ‘Prime Minister Geert Wilders’ would have been unthinkable. But so would a ‘Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’ in Italy. Politics in modern Europe is genuinely unpredictable. And with traditional parties and politicians collapsing, the unthinkable happens with increasing frequency….”

Averting Government Shutdown For Now

The Associated Press wrote on November 17:

 “President Joe Biden signed a temporary spending bill a day before a potential government shutdown…

“The spending package keeps government funding at current levels for roughly two more months while a long-term package is negotiated. It splits the deadlines for passing full-year appropriations bills into two dates: Jan. 19 for some federal agencies and Feb. 2 for others, creating two dates when there will be a risk of a partial government shutdown. The two-step approach was championed by new House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, and was not favored by many in the Senate, though all but one Democrat and 10 Republicans supported it…

“The spending bill does not include the White House’s nearly $106 billion request for wartime aid for Israel and Ukraine. Nor does it provide humanitarian funding for Palestinians and other supplemental requests, including money for border security…”

This was more like a Pyrrhic victory. One wonders how long Johnson will remain the House speaker.

No Slam Dunk Cases Against Trump

On November 17, the New York Post published the following opinion by Jonathan Turley, attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School:

“Trump’s greatest threat of conviction remains in Florida, where he is facing federal charges related to his retention of classified documents. But the judge in that case seems inclined to delay it, perhaps even until after the election. And with reports that President Biden will not face charges in his own handling of classified documents, Trump has a political rallying cry that — correctly or not — he’s being treated differently.

“So that leaves the two cases surrounding the 2020 election.

“In Georgia, a slew of former lawyers are taking pleas with promises to testify if called. Some of their depositions have been leaked, much to the dismay of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. She has reason to be alarmed because some of the leaked interviews hit hard at the weakest link in her conspiracy case. For instance, Sidney Powell stated that Trump clearly believed that he had won the election when he was challenging the results in the courts and Congress. Powell pleaded to misdemeanors for a deal that avoids jail time and preserves her ability to resume the practice of law. She notably did not plead guilty to the sweeping racketeering charges brought by Willis to link Trump in an effort to subvert the election.

“I previously wrote that the Achilles heel of the racketeering case was Trump’s state of mind: ‘As a threshold matter, one problem is immediately evident. If Trump actually did (or does) believe that he did not lose the election, the indictment collapses.’ That’s exactly what Powell argues. Trump had ‘general instincts that something wasn’t right here’… That supplies a key defense for Trump: that he believed assurances from counsel that he had a case to make in challenging the election.

“Powell’s statement will also present challenges to special counsel Jack Smith, who has a parallel case in Washington, DC. While both prosecutors benefit from heavily favorable jury pools in staunchly Democratic strongholds, it requires only one holdout juror to result in a hung jury. Smith has admitted that Trump’s election claims were protected under the First Amendment but claims that, at some point, they became criminal lies. But Smith fails to explain when that line was clearly crossed — a dangerous ambiguity for free speech, particularly in the context of an election.

“Smith ignores past election challenges by Democrats that were made without factual or legal support, including the challenge in Congress to certify Trump’s victory in 2016 by figures like Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). The statement of Powell only magnifies those concerns over the lack of a clear line between political advocacy and criminal conduct in future cases…

“Trump has long been portrayed as a megalomaniac in the media who never apologizes or accepts failure. It is perfectly consistent that a man long described as having an inflated self-image would not accept that he is a loser. That long-held journalistic view is now a viable criminal defense….”

Also, the gag order by biased judge Arthur Engoron in the New York case against Trump and his attorneys was stayed by the Court of Appeal, allowing Trump to continue making statements against the biased clerk. His motion for a mistrial because of alleged misconduct by Engoron and his clerk was, of course, denied by Engoron, who was subsequently accused by Trump attorney Alina Habba of refusing to take responsibility.

The fact that Biden will apparently not be indicted for illegally retaining documents should convince everyone how weaponized and corrupt the Justice Department has become. Unlike Trump, Biden was not President when he retained the classified documents in his garage, in China Town and at other places, so he did not have any privilege or legal justification to retain those documents. The same is true, by the way, for Hillary Clinton. Why are they not being indicted? So, the illegal witch hunt against Trump by an authoritarian radical left-wing government and its corrupt agents continues.

Also, a Colorado district judge ruled that Donald Trump must be placed on the ballot in the 2024 presidential contest. Even though she ruled, quite ridiculously, that Trump did engage in insurrection on January 6, 2021, she also ruled that he was not an officer of the United States as defined by the Fourteenth Amendment, which is only limited to “Senator or Representative in Congress” and “elector of President and Vice President” but does not include the “President.”

As Breitbart explained on November 17:

“A federal court in New Hampshire recently dismissed a similar case… A Minnesota state court recently dismissed a lawsuit aiming to keep Trump off that state’s primary ballot. And a Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled that the Secretary of State must list Trump on the ballot as well. An appeal is likely. The Colorado case, or another similar case in another state, could likely land before the Supreme Court, which has never before ruled on the Civil War-era amendment.”

E-Bikes Set New York on Fire

The New York Post wrote on November 19:

“A powerful fire obliterated a Brooklyn brownstone. Three people from three generations of the West family, ages 33 to 81, perished.  As has become common over three years, the cause was a battery charging an e-scooter, blocking exits. 

“So far, 17 of this year’s 93 fire deaths are from such batteries. Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh calls it ‘devastating.’

“Twenty-seven New Yorkers have died in these fires since 2021, the year after the city legalized e-bikes and similar devices. (No one had ever died in such a fire before.) …  e-battery fire deaths exceed electrical fire deaths…

“The only way to prevent more deaths is for the FDNY to call for a ban on residential e-battery storage and charging, just as it bans home storage of gasoline and other flammable or hazardous materials…”

e-Bikes ARE dangerous.

Why Antisemitism in Christian Churches

Israel 365 News wrote on November 19:

“A deeply disturbing trend has been emerging in the last 6 weeks since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas. I am seeing antisemitism within the Conservative Christian camp in many arenas…  However, this form of antisemitism is not out-and-out Jew-hatred. It is much more subtle, and therefore, perhaps more dangerous…

“How can this be?

“I believe it goes back to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden… I believe it is because these newscasters over-focus on the DARK SIDE. They are plucking fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and eating mostly EVIL fruit…

“What is Replacement Theology?  In a nutshell, it is the false teaching that the church has replaced Israel, that the covenants God made with Israel and the Jewish people are null and void, and that those covenants now apply to the church. The ‘New Testament’ has replaced the ‘Old Testament’.   Nothing could be further from the truth!…

“The roots of Replacement Theology [go] back many centuries. One of those roots goes back to Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation… did you know that he wrote a book… called ‘On the Jews and their Lies’?  It was filled with hateful diatribes against the Jews. 

“… Did you know that, 400 years later, the Nazis revered Martin Luther, and his book was widely circulated and read? And did you know that ‘Kristallnacht’, the ‘Night of Broken Glass’, happened not on just any random day, but was chosen to happen on Nov 9-10, 1938, in honor of Martin Luther’s birthday? (his date of birth: Nov 10, 1483)

“His words were put into ACTION by the Nazis 400 years later. So one of the ROOTS of Replacement Theology gave us a very evil fruit! Kristallnacht is what kicked off the Holocaust. The Western civilized world was silent. The churches were silent…”

Antisemitism can be seen, not only in Arab nations, in pro-Hamas supporters demonstrating in the streets of London, Paris, Washington DC and Berlin, as well as on college campuses, and in liberal leftists who are funding the Pro-Hamas demonstrations in America—it can also be seen in “Christian” churches, which is truly disturbing.

Worldwide Volcanic Eruptions

Israel 365 News reported on November 17:

“… at least 19 volcanoes are currently erupting around the world… The eruptions are on several disperse continents and countries but particular focus is being directed towards Iceland where scientists warn that a recent week-long wave of over 1,200 earthquakes presages a period of prolonged and intense seismic unrest. The strongest quake measured 3.8 but the micro-quakes signalled activity below the surface.

“Scientists estimate that a layer of magma is about 500 meters below the surface and is working its way to the surface… But the real fear is that an eruption is part of a 1,000-year cycle of volcanic activity that will likely cause eruptions for centuries…

“The last volcano in Iceland to cause international mayhem was Eyjafjallajökull, which erupted in 2010. A huge ash cloud that rose five miles into the sky and grounded flights across Europe, forcing its airspace to shut down.

“The topic of ‘volcanoes’ became relevant to the conflict in Israel. On Saturday, Hezbollah claimed to have fired a Burkan 2-H missile at Israel bearing a 100 kilogram warhead. Burkan means ‘volcano’ in Arabic.”

The Devastating Impact of Nuclear War on the USA

Daily Mail wrote on November 17:

“About 300 million people in the United States would be put at risk of death from exposure to radioactive fallout in the four days following a nuclear attack, according to a new report that models the possible effects of such a grim event. 

“If the US is attacked with nuclear weapons, an adversary would most likely concentrate all fire on the country’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch facilities (silos). Any retaliatory attack from the US would come from these silos, located in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming — and taking them out would be an enemy’s first priority…

“Depending on weather conditions, 90 percent of the population of the lower 48 U.S states, as well as people living in Mexico’s northern states and the most populous regions of Canada, would be at risk of receiving lethal doses of radiation…

“The editors of Scientific American commissioned the special report because the US government is in the midst of a $1.5 trillion project to refresh its obsolete nuclear weapons, including the ones stored at these silos in the western states. Their message is unambiguous: ‘We should rethink this miserable folly rather than once again squandering our wealth while driving a new arms race.’”

Even though most feel that a nuclear attack might be launched on the USA by Russia or China, the truth is that it will be another, basically overlooked power which will destroy the USA in a nuclear war.

France’s Long-Range Ballistic Missile Test

Newsmax wrote on November 19:

“France has successfully test-fired an M51.3 long-range ballistic missile, boosting the credibility of France’s nuclear deterrence capabilities…

“The missile, which did not carry a nuclear weapon, was fired from the French army’s Biscarosse missile testing site in southwest France and landed in the North Atlantic, ‘hundreds of kilometers from any coastline’ the ministry said, without giving further detail…”

American Presidents’ Fascination with UFOs

Politico wrote on November 17:

“Early in Ronald Reagan’s second term, he asked his Soviet counterpart a seemingly off-the-wall question… Reagan turned to his Cold War enemy and said: ‘What would you do if the United States were suddenly attacked by someone from outer space? Would you help us?’ Gorbachev later recounted. ‘I said, “No doubt about it.” He said, “We too.”’…

“Reagan… had an encounter with a UFO while riding in a plane in the 1970s.

“Reagan, it turns out, wasn’t the only president who has had a more than passing interest in the possibility of extraterrestrial life. For the past half-century, almost every president has come to office pledging — publicly or privately — to get to the bottom of UFOs…

“Like his Oval Office predecessors, the former Arkansas governor [Bill Clinton] had expressed interest in aliens as soon as he had taken the oath of office…

“Jimmy Carter spotted his UFO while waiting for a Lion’s Club event to start on Jan. 6, 1969… As Carter campaigned in ’76 against Ford, he promised he would open up the nation’s UFO secrets… But, once in the Oval Office, Carter never followed up on his pledge. Whatever the government was hiding would stay hidden…

“Most recently, in 2021, former President Barack Obama spoke about the mystery — what the government by then called UAPs, unidentified anomalous phenomenon — telling late night host James Corden, ‘When I came into office, I was like ‘All right, is there the lab somewhere where we’re keeping the alien specimens and spaceship?’ And you know, they did a little bit of research and the answer was ‘no.’ But what is true — and I’m actually being serious here — is that there’s footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are. We can’t explain how they moved, their trajectory. They did not have an easily explainable pattern.’

“It was a remarkable statement and one that hinted at how long-standing — and real — the mystery of UFOs was, even to commanders in chief who, presumably, would have had access to answers if there were ones.”

It must be admitted that many reported UFO “sightings” and “encounters” can be explained naturally, or because of wild human imagination. But some of the reports might be very real, and if so, they would be based on Satanic and demonic deception.

More Trouble for the German Government

“Deutsche Welle wrote on November 21:

“A matter-of-fact announcement was issued by the Finance Ministry on Monday evening: With immediate effect, a spending freeze applies to almost the entire budget for 2023, it read. This drastic step was taken due to ‘the need to review the overall budgetary situation for the federal budget,’ read a statement from the ministry.

“The government is sending the message that it considers last week’s dramatic landmark ruling by Germany’s highest judges to have much more severe consequences than initially thought… [It] was a political bombshell for Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his federal government. It ruled that the government cannot reallocate €60 billion meant to fight the COVID-19 pandemic to instead address climate change.

“… Germany’s three-way coalition government is not marching in one direction… the government’s approval rating among voters has hit rock bottom. Fresh elections would therefore likely hurt all three parties. The SPD, Greens and FDP are desperately seeking a solution — one that’s nowhere in sight.”

Focus added on November 22:

“Next ‘Ampel’ [German coalition government] shock… 200 billion euro fund can no longer be used.

“After the budget ruling of the Constitutional Court, the Federal Ministry of Finance also blocked the Economic Stabilization Fund (WSF). Due to the Karlsruhe decision, the WSF credit authorizations ‘could no longer be used in 2023 according to the current legal situation’, it says…

“‘In order to avoid further burdens on the budget for this year and burdens for future financial years’, ‘all of the expenditures for 2023 which have not been spent already… are blocked with immediate effect,” it says… ‘Consent from the Federal Ministry of Finance’ is therefore required for any WSF expenditure that is still necessary.”

The spending freeze also included the German military.

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 23:

“German Finance Minister Christian Lindner plans to present a supplementary budget next week for the current year that lifts borrowing limits… A decision to suspend a so-called debt brake will allow the government to significantly increase new borrowing this year…”

As a consequence, one of the Coalition parties (the FDP) is going to ask their members in a formal poll as to how they feel about staying in or departing from the government.

Erdogan in Germany

Reuters wrote on November 17:

“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday suggested that Germany supported Israel in the Gaza war out of guilt over the Holocaust and drew a contrast with Turkey, which he said was able to speak without bias…. ‘Those who feel indebted to Israel cannot speak freely. We did not go through the Holocaust process, we don’t have such a situation, because our respect for humanity is different,’ the Turkish president said…

“Erdogan’s comment in Berlin went to the heart of Germany’s post-war identity, which is based on deep atonement for the Holocaust. Germany systematically killed 6 million Jews and 5 million other victims during World War Two. Modern Israel was founded in 1948 as a safe haven for Jews. [Chancelor] Scholz did not respond directly to Erdogan’s remarks but restated Germany’s commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself.

“… Erdogan’s trip was his first visit to Germany in four years. Erdogan, whose party faces key local elections next year, could benefit from Scholz’s backing for modernising Turkey’s customs union with the European Union and visa-free EU travel for Turks. Scholz, dealing with a court ruling that blew a 60-billion-euro hole in his budget, a coalition row over the economy and rising immigration, needs Ankara’s help in stemming migration to the EU…

“Scholz declined to respond to a question on whether he would approve the sale of the 40 Eurofighter warplanes that Turkey wants. His approval would be needed since Germany is a member of the British-French-Spanish consortium that makes them. Erdogan said he could go elsewhere if Scholz did not agree… Berlin would also like to see Turkey give its final approval to Sweden’s accession to the NATO military alliance. Though Erdogan has dropped his objections, the Turkish parliament has yet to ratify Sweden’s membership.”

Aljazeera added on November 17:

“The two countries have always been, as characterised by Scholz’s spokesman, ‘uncomfortable partners.’ Berlin has been a loud critic of Erdogan’s clampdown on domestic dissent… Despite their differences, economic cooperation between the two countries has continued, with bilateral trade reaching a record 51.6 billion euros ($56.2bn) in 2022.

“Germany is home to the largest Turkish diaspora abroad. A majority of the Turkish community of three million are supporters of Erdogan.”

The Local wrote on November 17, prior to Erdogan’s arrival in Germany:

“The daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said Germany offered the ‘ideal stage’ for Erdogan to position himself as a voice for the ‘global south’. ‘As the loudest critic of Israel, he is underlining his demand for leadership of the Islamic world,’ said the daily…

“Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said Erdogan did not deserve to be trusted. ‘Anyone who not only denies Israel’s right to exist but also actively fights against it should not a be a partner for German politicians,’ he told newspaper group RND.”

“Israel’s End Is Near”

Israel Today wrote on November 19, prior to his arrival in Germany:

“Turkish President… Erdogan told his country’s parliament on Wednesday that Israel would soon be destroyed. ‘Right now, I am openly saying with clear conscience that Israel is a terrorist state,’ said Erdoğan.

“While this comment was widely reported, his subsequent remarks went largely unnoticed. ‘Hey Israel: You have an atomic bomb, a nuclear bomb. And you are making threats with this. We know this. And your end is near,’ said Erdoğan. ‘You can have as many nuclear bombs as you want, but you’re on your way out,’ he added.

“Turkish lawmakers responded to the message with a thunderous standing ovation.”

Israel will NOT be totally destroyed, but it will receive a “wound”—a military defeat—prior to the Great Tribulation, and it will be occupied during the Great Tribulation by a foreign power. Turkey will have a terrible part in this.

Erdogan Sharply Attacks the Federal Government After His Visit to Germany

Focus wrote on November 19:

“As soon as he returned to Turkey, the ruler [Erdogan] attacked the federal government harshly. According to ‘Bild’, the Turkish president accused the federal government in a speech of being involved in a ‘crusader-imperialist structure’.

“‘Unfortunately, I discovered that during my visit last night,’ the Turkish president was quoted as saying by the tabloid newspaper. ‘I saw that with President [Frank-Walter Steinmeier] and with the other one too’—the ‘other one’ was a reference to Chancellor [Olaf] Scholz.”

This love-hate relationship between Germany and Turkey does not prevent economic and military cooperation.

“Deal” Between Israel and Hamas

Deutsche Welel wrote on November 22:

“Israel and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to a four-day pause in fighting in Gaza to allow the release of 50 hostages held in the strip in exchange for 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel… Hamas said hundreds of humanitarian, medical and fuel aid trucks would be allowed to enter Gaza during the temporary truce… ‘The number of those released will be increased in later stages of implementing the agreement,’ the Foreign Ministry in Qatar [which “mediated” the deal] wrote on X, formerly Twitter…

“The agreement came amid mounting pressure from the hostages’ families and the international

community… ‘The government of Israel is obligated to return home all of the hostages,’ Netanyahu’s office wrote on X… Netanyahu… said the war in the Gaza Strip would continue after the pause until his government has achieved all its goals, including the elimination of Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the European Union, the United States, and others…

“Israel said it would extend the four-day pause by an additional day for every ten hostages released by Hamas. Israel’s Justice Ministry published a list of 300 names of Palestinian prisoners who could be freed. The list represents twice the number of people initially slated for release — 150 Palestinian women and children.

“Meanwhile, Hamas said the truce would not halt their broader fight. ‘As we announce the striking of a truce agreement, we affirm that our fingers remain on the trigger, and our victorious fighters will remain on the look-out to defend our people and defeat the occupation,’ it said.”

Daily Mail added on November 22:

“Among those released are operatives of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah and the Popular Front and some were tried in military courts and some in civilian courts. Half will be released in the first stage with the second depending on how the ceasefire and exchange of hostages goes.”

It is clear that as of now, with this deal, Hamas has won and Israel has lost. As one observer commented: Hamas is getting all what they want.

Newsmax wrote on November 22:

“Not only has President Joe Biden’s watch seen two wars erupt, in Ukraine and Gaza, but  pro-Hamas leftists have forced Israel to negotiate with terrorists, former Trump administration Ambassador Ric Grenell told Newsmax Wednesday… America under past presidents would hunt the terrorists down and eradicate them, Grenell lamented… Biden’s administration is ‘pressuring Israel to cut deals,’ and even unfair ones, Grenell continued… ‘Israel had to go into its prisons to find 150 people who were convicted of crimes, brutal crimes in some instances, to exchange for 50 innocent people — 50 of the 200,’ Grenell said…

“Negotiating with terrorists is never a winning strategy and only further ups ‘the ante’ for hostages, including for a Biden administration that was forced to release $6 billion to Iran before Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack… ‘This is outrageous, and it’s going to make us less safe.’”

Sadly, Grenell is absolutely correct.

Ukraine’s Membership in the EU—“Light Years Away”

The Associated Press wrote on November 19:

“Hungary’s prime minister said Saturday that Ukraine is ‘light years away’ from joining the European Union…

“Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he and his government would ‘resist’ talks scheduled for mid-December on whether to formally invite Ukraine to start membership negotiations. Admitting a new country requires unanimous approval from all existing member countries, giving Orbán a powerful veto… Orbán said… that standing in the way of Ukraine joining the EU would be one of his government’s top priorities in the coming months…

“Orbán… has argued that negotiations should not begin with a country that is at war…”

Ukraine will not become part of the EU. Rather, Ukraine will be united with Russia.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

What Did Major Media Know About Hamas’s Attack, and Did Photojournalists Collude With Hamas?

Israel 365 News wrote on November 10:

“Ethical questions are now being raised about  Gaza-based freelance photojournalists from major media who were embedded with the Hamas terrorists on October 7, documenting their horrific deeds. One media watchdog asked whether the photojournalists and their employers had foreknowledge of the attacks… Honest Reporting reviewed the images of the attack published by AP, CNN, The New York Times and Reuters…

“CNN said in response that it ‘decided to suspend all ties with Hassan Eslaiah’… a freelance photojournalist who has worked with a number of international and Israeli outlets…

“After Honest Reporting’s shocking article, a spokeswoman for the Associated Press quoted by the Daily Wire denied any advance knowledge of the attack… The New York Times made a similar denial…

“The Israeli government took the Honest Reporting revelations seriously. A statement by the Prime Minister’s office read: ‘Gaza-based photojournalists employed by the world’s leading news agencies who captured images of the Hamas massacre on October 7 in Gaza-border communities, and who appear to have had foreknowledge of the planned attack were accomplices in crimes against humanity; their actions were contrary to professional ethics.’

“Government minister Benny Gantz, a member of the cabinet and chairman of the National Unity party, came out strongly against the journalists. ‘Journalists found to have known about the massacre, and still chose to stand as idle bystanders while children were slaughtered – are no different than terrorists and should be treated as such,’ Gantz tweeted.

“Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi sent a letter to the four news outlets calling for an investigation into the photographers’ possible ‘collusion with the terrorist organization Hamas-ISIS.’…”

Simple denials from those news agencies won’t do. If it should be confirmed that those journalists knew about and participated, in one way or another, in Hamas’ murderous attack on October 7, that would be a scandal of unbelievable proportions.

On November 10, Newsmax published an article of The Associated Press, saying the following in their “defense”:

“Several of the world’s biggest news organizations — CNN, The New York Times, The Associated Press and Reuters — issued statements Thursday denying they knew about the attack ahead of time… The Times said the accusation that anyone at the newspaper had advance knowledge of the attacks or accompanied Hamas was ‘untrue and outrageous,’ and put journalists in Israel and Gaza at risk. Rushing into danger in conflict zones already puts freelance photojournalists at risk, the newspaper said…

“Both AP and CNN said Thursday that they would no longer work with Eslaiah, one of the freelance photographers. HonestReporting posted a photo of Eslaiah being kissed by Hamas leader Yehia Sinwar.”

However, such denials may not do the trick.

Senator Cotton Wants Answers

Newsmax reported on November 10:

“‘Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wants answers from news organizations that used firsthand images and information from Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel shortly after the massacre began.

“Cotton on Thursday sent letters to Attorney General Merrick Garland and to executives of CNN, the AP, Reuters, and the Times. Cotton demanded that Garland open an investigation into the outlets, and the news organizations were asked to provide answers as to their involvement with Hamas. ‘If your employees, as part of their work, participated in terrorist activities or if your organization or employees provided material support (including any funding) to Hamas, the leadership of your organization may also face criminal penalties under federal law,’ Cotton wrote to the news organizations. 

“The Times on Friday responded to Cotton, saying that his letter ‘exacerbates’ the ‘spread of disinformation and incendiary rhetoric’ around journalists covering the war. ‘You are merely parroting disinformation harvested from the internet based on a website that has conceded it had no evidence for its claims,’ Times Vice President and Deputy General Counsel David McGraw wrote in a letter to Cotton.  McGraw added that ‘[n]o employee of The Times was embedded with Hamas, or had advance knowledge of the attack, or played any role in the savage massacre of that day.’

“Cotton then responded to McGraw’s letter: ‘Falsehoods circulated on the internet are not “reports,'” Cotton, repeating McGraw’s line, posted on X. ‘ The NYTimes just described its own “newsroom.” What you don’t say is that your freelance photographers—pictured riding with the Hamas terrorists on 10/7—had no advance knowledge. Is that also your claim?’ Cotton added.”

“This Is How the Terrorist Photographer Used Propaganda”

Bild Online wrote on November 11:

“He is a friend of a terrorist leader. He has posted videos explaining how to kill Israelis – with a battering ram or a shot in the head. And he has photographed for the world’s major agencies: the Palestinian photographer Hassan Eslaiah from the Gaza Strip.

“His images were the first the world saw after learning that Hamas had launched a large-scale attack on Israel and started a war. The photos were distributed by major news agencies and TV channels. They were also shown by BILD. Trusting that the major Western news agencies adhere to their standards and that they know whose photos they are distributing. That they can vouch for them – as far as this is possible in war zones.

“Now the world knows: They were Hamas propaganda images. Photographers like Hassan Eslaiah were at the forefront and apparently knew in advance about the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas, in which 1,200 people were ultimately massacred and violated and around 240 were kidnapped.

“One thing is clear: the photos are NOT fake. But they misrepresent the situation. They are not reporter photos or news photos. Hassan Eslaiah and all the photographers who spread the October 7 Hamas propaganda like him have deceived the world. Eslaiah created mass murder without bodies. His pictures only show what they are supposed to show: heroic perpetrators. They leave out what doesn’t fit into the picture: the victims. The brutality, the carnage. The pain. He photographed past all of this. Something like that can only be done consciously. Only on purpose.

“Every news agency that distributed the photos of him UNCHECKED was complicit…

“Hassan Eslaiah managed to photograph the carnage – without even one of the 1,400 corpses appearing in his photos from the kibbutz. Only one photo shows a dead person lying in front of the entrance gate… Hassan Eslaiah provided clean images – his streets were also strangely empty. He must have done one thing above all else: looked away intensely…

“In Israel, Hassan Eslaiah only photographed the perpetrators – as heroes. He didn’t photograph suffering. No victims. He was the man who was trusted by so many industry giants – the New York Times even defended him after the scandal!… He acts differently in Gaza. From there too, Eslaiah only delivered Hamas propaganda – WITH the suffering of the Palestinians.

“In view of the photos from Israel, the question must be asked: What can one actually believe about what one sees in the Gaza photos by photographers like Hassan Eslaiah? In addition, the man also worked as a stringer for CNN and the New York Times – i.e. as an informant, as a journalistic source on site. After the scandal, the question arises: Which images from Gaza can we still believe?”

A more alarming question is: What can we believe at all from “reports” published by CNN, The New York Times, and other left-wing mass media outlets?

Dershowitz Takes On Obama

Fox Business News wrote on November 10:

“Expressing outrage over former President Barack Obama’s call for an end to Israeli ‘occupation,’ Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz expanded on why he’s never talking to the Democratic president again. ‘I think he always had a deep hatred of Israel in his heart. He hid it very well… He’s never been supportive of Israel. And finally, his true feelings have come out now that he’s no longer president and doesn’t have to be elected… He has contributed enormously to the problem because he is respected among young people. And if he says the occupation is unbearable and that anything can be done to stop it, he is encouraging people to engage in their antisemitic, anti-Israel and anti-American attitudes. He should be ashamed of himself. He should apologize, but he won’t.’

“Dershowitz’s commentary comes after he claimed Thursday that any relationship with Obama is ‘over’ following the 44th president’s onstage statements about the Israel-Hamas war… The Harvard professor on Friday accused Obama of lying ‘through his teeth’ about what the former president called an ‘unbearable’ occupation of Gaza. ‘To compare those disputed claims with the rapes, beheadings, burnings, kidnappings, it’s just obscene and despicable,’ Dershowitz said. ‘And what it does is it lends support to those students basically, who are saying, ‘Well, what Hamas really did was not so bad… It was in response to the occupation…  If Hamas is not stopped in its tracks from doing the terrorist acts, they will bring them to the United States.’”

Respect for Dershowitz who exposes Obama for what he really is and believes.

A Colossal Joke…

Breitbart wrote on November 12:

“… the Biden administration’s official position went from pro-Israel to functionally pro-Hamas in a matter of days… This is all appalling, if not entirely unexpected… as usual, there is method to his madness… Biden knows shifting to focus to Islamophobia at this particular moment has little potential to succeed, at least in the traditional sense. So, he resorted to yet another tried and true tactic: offload his toughest battles to… Kamala Harris. Biden has also tasked Harris with the broken border and Artificial Intelligence…

“This is clearly sabotage. Harris cannot win on these issues… Effectually, he is keeping Harris in her place so that she’ll never surpass him politically… While Biden assigned her another impossible mission (solving Islamophobia), her husband, longtime entertainment lawyer Doug Emhoff, was absurdly tasked with the leading efforts to confront antisemitism…

“It’s all a colossal joke…”

Massive Support for Israel?

JTA wrote on November 14:

“Organizers of a pro-Israel rally at the National Mall in Washington on Tuesday claimed that 290,000 people showed up for the event, making it one of the largest gatherings of Jews in U.S. history at a time when an ongoing war in Gaza has sharply divided public opinion around the world. An additional 250,000 people watched the event through a live stream, organizers added…

“In more than three hours of speeches on Tuesday, a range of politicians, actors, musicians, activists and U.S. college students presented a strong front in support of Israel and spoke about the rise of antisemitism around the world since Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7 and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza. Many speakers also demanded the safe release of the more than 200 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza.

“… subtle differences in messaging… emerged from the prominent Democrats and Republicans who spoke, and also between the Biden administration and Israel.

“Mike Johnson, the newly installed Republican speaker of the House, said the United States would reject widespread calls for a ceasefire. ‘The calls for a ceasefire are outrageous,’ he said to loud cheers. Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both New York Democrats, did not mention a ceasefire. The Biden administration… differs with Israel on the degree to which there should be pauses in fighting to bring humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

“Biden is under intense pressure from a number of congressional progressives as well as some staffers in the State Department and elsewhere to force Israel to declare a ceasefire.

“… It was not clear why Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, was unable to attend…

“An array of Jewish organizations across the political spectrum attended the event. The inclusion of some of the more right-wing speakers, including Johnson and Pastor John Hagee — the head of the influential Christians United for Israel group who is an opponent of LGBTQ rights — caused controversy before the rally…

“But several speakers, including liberal CNN analyst Van Jones, called for the protection of Palestinian lives while emphasizing Israel’s right to defend itself… Dr. Rochelle Ford, the president of Dillard University in New Orleans, a historically Black university, said it was time to ‘stand with Israel, and to stand with the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas’ cruel rule in Gaza.’”

It has been emphasized that at this point, a two-state solution would be an impossibility. And so, anti-Semitism and anger towards Israel will continue.

Judge Engoron’s Bias and Bizarre Behavior

Fox News wrote on November 10::

“The No. 3 House Republican leader is wading into the dramatic New York civil trial of former President Donald Trump, accusing the judge involved of exhibiting ‘bias’ and ‘bizarre behavior’ in the courtroom. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., filed an ethics complaint against Judge Arthur Engoron on Friday morning in a letter to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

“‘I write today to express my serious concerns about the inappropriate bias and judicial intemperance shown by Judge Arthur F. Engoron in New York’s lawsuit against President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization,’ Stefanik said in her letter. ‘This judge’s bizarre behavior has no place in our judicial system, where Judge Engoron is not honoring the defendant’s rights to due process and a fair trial,’ the letter continued. ‘These serious concerns are exacerbated by the fact that the defendant is the leading candidate for President of the United States, and it appears the judicial system is being politicized to affect the outcome of the campaign,’ Stefanik wrote…

“‘Judge Engoron has gone on to gag and fine President Trump for merely criticizing Judge Engoron’s law clerk, which is core political speech protected by the First Amendment,’ Stefanik said. ‘If anyone in America must have the constitutional right to speak out against the judge, his staff, the witnesses, or the process, it’s a defendant going through a process he believes is politicized and weaponized against him… Judge Engoron’s bizarre and biased behavior is making New York’s judicial system a laughingstock.’”

Engoron’s unethical conduct and bias should be obvious to any objective observer. Whether the complaint will be successful in liberal New York ruled by Democrats is a different matter.

“Are the Feds Targeting (New York’s Mayor) Eric Adams Because He Criticized Joe Biden?”

The New York Post wrote on November 10:

“Seizing Mayor Adam’s phones and tablet on the street in public is the latest sign the feds aren’t simply investigating him: They’re out to inflict maximum embarrassment in a political vendetta, presumably in retribution for the noise he’s made about President Biden’s disastrous border policies.

“The mayor is easy to find, 24/7/365: What reason to ambush him publicly… except to humiliate him? And why else make sure his No. 1 press enemy, The New York Times, gets the story first?

“Mind you, this follows the opening raid in this investigation — which stormed the home of his top fund-raiser while Adams was in the air en route to Washington to press Biden on his failure to help the city bear the multibillion-dollar cost of caring for the illegal migrants the (president) is waving into the country.

“That one leaked to the Times first, too. And sources told The Post that timing was also intentional; the feds denied it — but of course they would…

“The mayor won’t appreciate us making this point, but this resembles the multiple prosecutions of ex-President Donald Trump: Even where Trump has crossed lines (e.g., in holding on to classified documents), the feds’ zealousness is all out of proportion in his case vs. other notorious violators of the same statutes, such as Hillary Clinton and Biden himself.

“Weaponizing the FBI and Justice Department for political purposes is a major threat to democracy, no matter the victim. Congress needs to start asking tough questions about the Adams case.”

What we are seeing in this country is not only a threat to democracy… it has reached the point, in many instances, of the conduct of an autocratic dictatorial banana republic.

Don’t Dismiss Kennedy

CNN wrote on November 12:

“There are few things you can be more certain of in life than a Democrat or a Republican winning a US presidential election. We don’t usually do third parties or independents in this country. Chances are Democrat Joe Biden or Republican Donald Trump will be elected a year from now.

“But it would be foolish to dismiss what the current polls are telling us: Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is polling higher than any independent or third-party candidate in a generation. He, along with other non-major-party candidates, has a real chance to affect the outcome of the 2024 election…

“Take a look at a recent [poll]: Kennedy hit 22% among registered voters… We don’t know where Kennedy will end up, obviously; however, his numbers in the swing states should be turning heads… Kennedy was in the high teens to upward of 25%…”

It does not appear that Kennedy would become President, but his influence on election results could be dramatic. It is also far from certain that Biden will ultimately be the Democratic nominee.

Trump: “Genie Is Out of the Box”

The Huffington Post wrote on November 10:

“Former President Donald Trump said that he would be justified in telling federal prosecutors to go after his political rivals if he wins the White House next year, suggesting it would simply be payback for Democrats doing the same to him. ‘What they’ve done is they’ve released the genie out of the box,’ Trump said in an interview…

“In response to a Univision question about his claims that the Justice Department and FBI had been ‘weaponized’ and whether he would do the same if put back in the Oval Office, Trump said: ‘It’s not unique but it’s unique for the United States. Yeah, if they do this — and they’ve already done it — but if they want to follow through on this, yeah, it could certainly happen in reverse.’…

“The Univision interview is not the first time Trump has said or hinted that he would try to use his official powers for revenge if he once again wins the White House… ‘I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution,’ he said at the Conservative Political Action Conference in March…

“Trump has already started thinking about individuals he would like to see investigated or prosecuted if he wins another term, and… his associates are looking at potentially invoking the Insurrection Act on his first day in office, which would give him broad emergency powers. Among the targets on Trump’s list, according to the [Washington] Post, are former White House chief of staff John Kelly and former Attorney General William Barr, as well as retired Army Gen. Mark Milley, the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

There would be many more targets, if it came to that.

Trump’s Alleged Immigration Plans

DNYUZ wrote on November 11:

“Former President Donald J. Trump is planning an extreme expansion of his first-term crackdown on immigration if he returns to power in 2025…

“Mr. Trump wants to revive his first-term border policies, including banning entry by people from certain Muslim-majority nations and reimposing a Covid 19-era policy of refusing asylum claims — though this time he would base that refusal on assertions that migrants carry other infectious diseases like tuberculosis.

“He plans to scour the country for unauthorized immigrants and deport people by the millions per year… Mr. Trump wants to build huge camps to detain people while their cases are processed and they await deportation flights…

“In a public reference to his plans, Mr. Trump told a crowd in Iowa in September: ‘Following the Eisenhower model, we will carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.’ The reference was to a 1954 campaign to round up and expel Mexican immigrants…

“In a second Trump presidency, the visas of foreign students who participated in anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian protests would be canceled. U.S. consular officials abroad will be directed to expand ideological screening of visa applicants to block people the Trump administration considers to have undesirable attitudes…

“Similarly, numerous people who have been allowed to live in the country temporarily for humanitarian reasons would also lose that status and be kicked out, including tens of thousands of the Afghans who were evacuated amid the 2021 Taliban takeover and allowed to enter the United States. Afghans holding special visas granted to people who helped U.S. forces would be revetted to see if they really did…

“Mr. Trump would try to end birthright citizenship for babies born in the United States to undocumented parents — by proclaiming that policy to be the new position of the government and by ordering agencies to cease issuing citizenship-affirming documents like Social Security cards and passports to them…

“In interviews with The New York Times, several Trump advisers gave the most expansive and detailed description yet of Mr. Trump’s immigration agenda in a potential second term. In particular, Mr. Trump’s campaign referred questions for this article to Stephen Miller, an architect of Mr. Trump’s first-term immigration policies who remains close to him and is expected to serve in a senior role in a second administration… ‘Trump will unleash the vast arsenal of federal powers to implement the most spectacular migration crackdown,’ Mr. Miller said…

“Mr. Miller said Mr. Trump would try again to end DACA. [DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is an Obama-era program that shields from deportation and grants work permits to people who were brought unlawfully to the United States as children.] And the 5-4 majority of the Supreme Court that blocked the last attempt no longer exists: A few months after the DACA ruling, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died and Mr. Trump replaced her with a sixth conservative, Justice Amy Coney Barrett…

“Mr. Miller said Mr. Trump would invoke Title 42, citing ‘severe strains of the flu, tuberculosis, scabies, other respiratory illnesses like R.S.V. and so on, or just a general issue of mass migration being a public health threat and conveying a variety of communicable diseases.’…

“… the Trump team plans to build ‘vast holding facilities that would function as staging centers’ for migrants waiting to be flown to other countries, Mr. Miller said. Such an undertaking would be fast-tracked…  the new camps would likely be built ‘on open land in Texas near the border’… ‘Bottom line,’ he said, ‘President Trump will do whatever it takes.’”

The Daily Mail added on November 12:

“It has been revealed that Trump would expand his first-term immigration crackdown… if he is re-elected in 2024…

“To aid US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in sweeping roundups of undocumented people, Trump would reassign federal agents and deputize local police and National Guard troops volunteered by Republican-run states…

“To underwrite the massive operation if Congress refused, Trump would redirect Pentagon funds as he did with his border wall in his first term… ‘We’ll stop the invasion on our southern border and begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,‘ Trump said on Saturday…”

If all of this is true, then Trump’s immigration plans are cause for great concern. That right-wing radical Stephen Miller is one of his major immigration advisors, as he had been before, does not help the situation at all. Miller also pleaded in the past for the end of chain immigration (children applying for US residency for their parents). He has been described as an “immigration hypocrite” by his uncle, stating that Stephen Miller supports policies that would have condemned his own Jewish family to death if they had been enacted a century ago. Miller’s maternal uncle, David Glosser, described how Miller’s great-great-grandfather Wolf-Leib Glosser fled the Belarusian shtetl of Antopol, arriving in the United States in 1903, “with $8 to his name.” “I have watched with dismay and increasing horror as my nephew, who is an educated man and well aware of his heritage, has become the architect of immigration policies that repudiate the very foundation of our family’s life in this country,” Glosser said in 2018. (Compare for example “The Times of Israel,” dated August 13, 2018.)

Germany’s Failed Asylum Policy

Focus wrote on November 12:

“The heated situation in the Middle East conflict is reflected in the Berlin facilities of the Arche children’s and youth welfare organization… Arche spokesman Wolfgang Büscher has experienced the hatred of Muslim young people first-hand over the past few days…

“‘First we cut the throats of the Jews, then the gays and finally the Christians! ‘ This is what young people said on site, writes the Bild newspaper. Büscher confirms threats of this kind…

“The radicalization has been evident for years. But the integration problems with Muslim children and young people in the aid facility have apparently not yet become as clear as they have been since the Hamas attack… Across Germany, the Arche looks every day after up to 7,000 children and young people from socially disadvantaged families in more than 30 facilities. The adolescents receive free lunch, help with homework and more. Between 60 and 70 percent of older people are of Arab origin. In Hellersdorf, where more than 12,000 young people are looked after, around half are Muslim.

“Most of the Muslims living in East Berlin have come to Berlin since the major refugee movement from Syria in 2015, says Büscher. The integration there has apparently borne little fruit… Instead of distributing the refugees throughout the city, they would be concentrated in hot spots. Criminal clans and religious extremists tried to reach these children and young people…

“The schools’ concerns about the charged atmosphere among parts of the student body are immense…”

Germany is slowly becoming aware of its disastrous immigration and integration policy, basically instituted by Angela Merkel.

More Trouble for Germany’s Government

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 15:

“Germany’s highest court has ruled that the government’s 2021 reallocation of unused coronavirus pandemic credit is unconstitutional. The government’s climate action budget is now €60 billion short [money which will have to be found elsewhere.]

“In December 2021, the German coalition government agreed on an unusual budgetary maneuver that saw €60 billion ($64 billion) of untapped credit secured to help combat the effects of the pandemic reallocated to its so-called climate and transformation fund…

“A total of 197 conservative opposition lawmakers argued that the move effectively gave the government fiscal room to maneuver to which it wasn’t constitutionally entitled. They said this could set a precedent for Germany’s financing of future crises… Germany’s Federal Audit Office also described the budget maneuver as ‘constitutionally dubious,’ saying that the government did not provide adequate justification for the ‘misappropriation’ of money intended to combat the pandemic…

“The constitutional court agreed with those arguments…”

Shakeup in Britain… Cameron Back, Braverman Sacked

The Associated Press wrote on November 13:

“Former British Prime Minister David Cameron made a shock return to high office on Monday, becoming foreign secretary in a major shakeup of the Conservative government… Cameron, who led the U.K. government between 2010 and 2016, was appointed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a Cabinet shuffle in which he sacked [Home Secretary Suella] Braverman… who drew anger for accusing police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protesters. She was replaced by James Cleverly, who had been foreign secretary.

“Cameron’s appointment came as a surprise to seasoned politics-watchers. It’s rare for a non-lawmaker to take a senior government post, and it has been decades since a former prime minister held a Cabinet job… Cameron’s appointment brings back to government a leader brought down by Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. Cameron called the 2016 EU membership referendum, confident the country would vote to stay in the bloc. He resigned the day after voters opted to leave.

“Sunak was a strong backer of the winning ‘leave’ side in the referendum. Cameron’s return, and Braverman’s sacking, are likely to infuriate the Conservative Party’s right wing and inflame tensions in the party…  Prominent right-wing lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg said sacking Braverman was ‘a mistake, because Suella understood what the British voter thought and was trying to do something about it.’… In a highly unusual attack on the police last week, Braverman said London’s police force was ignoring lawbreaking by ‘pro-Palestinian mobs.’ She described demonstrators calling for a cease-fire in Gaza as ‘hate marchers.’… Last week Braverman wrote an article for the Times of London in which she said police ‘play favorites when it comes to protesters’ and acted more leniently toward pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Black Lives Matter supporters than toward right-wing protesters or soccer hooligans. The article was not approved in advance by the prime minister’s office, as would usually be the case.

“…Braverman, a 43-year-old lawyer, has become a leader of the party’s populist wing by advocating ever-tougher curbs on migration… Last month she called migration a ‘hurricane’ that would bring ‘millions more immigrants to these shores, uncontrolled and unmanageable.’…

“Critics say Braverman has been building her profile to position herself for a party leadership contest that could come if the Conservatives lose power in an election expected next year. The bold changes are an attempt by Sunak to reset his faltering government. The Conservatives have been in power for 13 years, but opinion polls for months have put them 15 to 20 points behind the opposition Labour Party amid a stagnating economy, persistently high inflation, an overstretched health care system and a wave of public sector strikes…”

The Daily Mail added on November 13:

“Rishi Sunak is facing a revolt by the Tory right… after David Cameron made a shock comeback to the Cabinet…. [It is]  a decision that sent an earthquake through Westminster,.. Just weeks ago Lord Cameron condemned Mr Sunak’s decision to downgrade the HS2 rail project. Incredulous Tory MPs, who deeply deeply distrust the peer after he headed the Remain campaign before quitting in the wake of the 2016 referendum, also slammed him for fostering closer relations with China as premier…

“Worryingly for the PM, a snap YouGov poll has found that just 24 per cent of Brits think the return of Lord Cameron is a good idea, compared to 38 per cent who fear it is a bad one… The stunning move triggered turmoil on Conservative WhatsApp groups…”

Military Conscription in Europe

Euro Weekly News wrote on November 10:

“With a war in Ukraine, the potential for more Middle Eastern countries to become embroiled in the latest Israel-Palestine fighting, a potential reigniting of conflict in Kosovo and an ever-growing threat from Russia and China, it looks like a European rethink on military conscription may be on the cards.

“Since the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall and a shift to the liberal centre ground in European politics, many countries abandoned military conscription as an unnecessary and expensive measure. Out of the 29 European countries that are members of NATO, including Turkey, only six have kept up compulsory military service since 1993.

“Europe’s focus shifted away from defence in general, with the EU’s combined spending on defence between 1999 and 2021 increasing by only 20 per cent, in comparison to a 66 per cent increase by the US, a jaw-dropping 292 per cent increase by Russia and a truly staggering 592 per cent increase by China. Given those comparisons, it looks like the EU has taken its eye off the ball and become somewhat complacent that the long-term situation of peace and stability was rather more permanent than it’s proved to be. 

“Looking at the countries with military conscription, one notable thing that stands out is their proximity to Russia. Finland, which of course suffered an invasion by Russia during the 1939 Winter War, has one of the highest rates of conscription in the world. Every year, around 27,000 conscripts are trained with 80 per cent of Finnish male citizens completing the service which can range between nine months and a year for unarmed service and six, nine months or a year for armed service. Penalties for evading military service in Finland are harsh with a penalty of 173 days in prison with no parole, minus any served days. 

“Other Russian neighbours, Ukraine and Lithuania, reinstated compulsory military service after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. In the Ukraine, military service is compulsory for men aged 18 to 26 and in Lithuania for men aged 18 to 25.  Latvia is reinstating compulsory military service from 2024 with all men aged 18 to 27 being required to undergo 11 months of service and in Estonia there’s compulsory military or governmental service for men aged between 18-27 for eight to 11 months.

“In the Nordic area, Norway brought back conscription in 2016 with all 18-year-olds in Norway of both genders having to present themselves for military service… Sweden started partial conscription in 2018 for both genders…

“Other European countries with conscription include Switzerland, where every male has to serve at least 245 days in the armed forces, Greece (12 months for men between 19 and 45), Austria (six months for men over the age of 18) and Denmark where every male over the age of 18 is subject to being called upon on the basis of a draw…

“Germany suspended military service in 2011, but it can be reintroduced if the Bundestag determines there is a need for defence.  Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, has led increasing calls to introduce compulsory military service again, saying ‘Abolishing it was a mistake and could demonstrate the importance of these institutions for the functioning of our society.’…

“Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, has opined on compulsory military service several times, believing that ‘a year of teaching the rules, good manners and duties would make good citizens.’…

“The UK ended conscription in 1960 and there has been no official discussion on reintroduction…

“Portugal has voluntary service for 18-30-year-olds who wish to participate and technically conscription is possible if there aren’t sufficient volunteers, however, there has been no discussion in the country on changing that position.

“Spain abolished conscription in 2001, retaining the right to mobilise citizens aged between 19-25 years in the event of a national emergency. However, like the UK and Portugal, does not appear to be considering any reinstating of conscription…”

Military conscription in all of Europe is coming, and this is really bad news for freedom-loving and peace-loving people.

Ukraine’s Dilemma

Spiegel International wrote on November 10:

“Weeks after the terrorist attack in Israel pulled the world’s attention away from Kyiv’s plight, the situation in Ukraine is bleak… There has been little progress on the front, and only a massive increase in Western military aid could help. But it doesn’t appear that such aid will be forthcoming, particularly with a new war in the Middle East taking much of the West’s attention away from Ukraine. Indeed, it is even possible the United States will start reducing its support, and the European Union wouldn’t likely be able to make up for that shortfall…

“For Ukraine, the end to U.S. aid would be no less than a disaster. After around 600 days of war, the Ukrainian army is suffering from huge shortages. At the very top of Kyiv’s list of priorities are weapons for air defense… The German government is… the largest provider of military aid to Kyiv after the U.S. But that aid won’t be enough to deliver a win for Ukraine in the war. As German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has emphasized repeatedly, it may not even be enough to ensure that Ukraine doesn’t lose..

“Although the EU has pledged by far the largest sums of money to Ukraine, amounting to around 77 billion euros by the end of July, when it comes to purely military assistance, the U.S. is indispensable. Washington has already supplied Ukraine with around 42 billion euros worth of armaments, more than all EU member states combined. The EU, so far, has committed around 25 billion euros in military aid, with most of it coming from Germany.

“All experts agree that it would be impossible for the Europeans to compensate for the loss of U.S. military aid to Ukraine… Politicians and military officials don’t believe that Germany is in a position to expand its military aid to Ukraine. They say there’s nothing left to give from the German armed forces’ sparse stocks. Germany’s defense industry needs to produce faster…

“But what happens if the budget situation in Germany deteriorates – or Donald Trump becomes president again in the U.S.? Nobody in Berlin is particularly eager to speculate on such questions these days.

“At the EU level, no significant increase in spending for Ukraine is in sight…

“War weariness is also spreading within the EU, a development that Zelenskyy himself recently lamented in an interview. ‘The scariest thing is that part of the world got used to the war in Ukraine,’ the Ukrainian president told Time magazine. ‘Exhaustion with the war rolls along like a wave. You see it in the United States, in Europe.’

“… skepticism is particularly widespread in Germany. Nowhere were the responses to Ukraine more negative than in the country… But Ukraine skeptics in Germany don’t need to worry too much about Ukraine joining the EU anytime soon. That’s a long way off – as was shown in Brussels this week – if it ever takes place at all…  To become an EU member state, a country must have stable institutions that safeguard democracy and rule of law. It must have a functioning economy, also in order to be able to withstand the competitive pressure within the EU internal market…

“The dispute over money could also act as a brake…  if Ukraine became a member of the EU today, it would receive a net 18 to 19 billion euros from the EU budget each year. By comparison: Poland, which is by far the largest net recipient of EU funds in absolute terms, received just under 12 billion euros net in 2022… Ukraine would be entitled to around 85 billion euros in agricultural funds alone from the EU’s seven-year financial framework.

“… the biggest obstacle to Ukraine’s accession must first be removed: the war with Russia. It is unclear how an end to that war will be defined. When the Russians are completely expelled from Ukraine’s territory? If there’s a peace treaty? Or will it suffice if the weapons have been silent long enough?

“These issues are also explosive for the EU because it has a mutual assistance clause similar to NATO’s: In the event of an armed attack on a member state, ‘the other Member States shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power,’ Article 42 of the Treaty on the European Union states says. Unlike the NATO defense alliance, though, the EU’s promise of support is toothless, given that it is not backed by military power.

“‘Ukraine’s accession to NATO should happen in parallel to its accession to the EU,’ demands German Green Party politician Hofreiter. But to a degree even greater than for EU membership, it is only conceivable that Ukraine could join NATO once the war with Russia has ended. And who knows what will be left of Ukraine by then?”

Ukraine will become part of Russia again, no matter what the USA, Europe or Ukraine may want…

Replacing Zelensky?

Asia Times wrote on November 11:

“There is a growing consensus that the West (meaning the United States with the help of the UK) wants to replace Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky… Either Zelensky will be forced to call a Presidential election, scheduled for next March, and then be replaced, or, if he resists, he will be replaced anyway in a Maidan-style upheaval.

“The US has pushed changes in Ukraine’s leadership before, and the current State Department undersecretary [Nuland]… was behind the earlier operation. A 2014 phone call between Nuland and the then-US ambassador to Kiev [Pyatt]…  was intercepted and the content of the call was leaked to the press. The call is interesting because Nuland and Pyatt were selecting an ‘acceptable’ presidential candidate for Ukraine, and they enlisted then-Vice President Joe Biden to help. Note that along with Biden, Jake Sullivan, then and now Biden’s national security advisor, was also enlisted in selecting Ukraine’s next President…

“Washington has let it be known through controlled leaks that its carefully orchestrated plan for Ukraine’s counter-offensive was not followed by Zelensky…

“Zelensky has a second problem, which… has damaged his relationship with [America and Britain]. That problem is the growing perception that Ukraine is losing the war… In Washington’s view the best thing to do is to negotiate a deal with the Russians… If there are no negotiations, inevitably Ukraine will fail militarily… However, Zelensky is against any negotiation with Russia and is demanding that all Russian forces leave Ukraine and that Russian ‘war criminals’ be brought to trial…

“Zelensky… is not going to volunteer to quit, so the problem of how to get him to step aside is unresolved. Even more daunting, holding presidential elections in March may be too late to save Ukraine.”

Whether these reported concerns and alleged attempts to replace Zelensky are true will have to be seen.

Transgender People To Be Included in Catholic Church’s Practices

Glad.org wrote on November 9:

“The Vatican has announced sweeping new policies welcoming transgender people in the church’s sacramental life, further reflecting Pope Francis’ pastoral focus on LGBTQ people.

“In October, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández signed a statement, with the approval of Pope Francis, affirming that transgender people can be baptized, become official godparents, and act as a witness for weddings in the Catholic faith. “

AFP added on November 11:

“LGBTQ rights campaigners welcomed a Vatican statement that transgender people can be baptised as a step towards a more inclusive Catholic Church, but denounced caveats that provide cover to those who object.

“In a document published on Wednesday, the powerful Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, one of the main departments that manages the affairs of the Holy See, said transgender believers can be baptised if it would not cause scandal or confusion. The document, written in response to questions from a Brazilian bishop and approved by Pope Francis, also raised no objections to baptism for the children of same-sex couples, either adopted or born through surrogacy. In reality, such baptisms already occur in different dioceses around the world…

“The Vatican statement said that transgender believers ‘can receive baptism, under the same conditions of other faithful, if there is no situation in which there is a risk of generating public scandal or uncertainty among the faithful’…

“‘It is definitely a step towards a more inclusive church and a reminder that transgender Catholics are not only people but Catholics too,’ US Jesuit priest James Martin, a well-known advocate for LGBTQ believers, told AFP… Martin… said that ‘there is, of course, a risk that some dioceses and parishes will continue to exclude them.’ But he said it was ‘difficult to see’ what the ‘scandal’ might be that precludes a baptism, adding: ‘Frankly, the bigger scandal would be to continue to exclude them from the life of the church.’”

The Catholic Church, under Pope Francis, is drifting more and more into absolutely ungodly behavior.

China’s Unconscionable Experiments

Science Alert wrote on November 10:

“Scientists in China have announced the birth of a primate like no other, with eyes that shined green and fingertips that glowed yellow – and those were just the observable features. Beneath the skin and deep within its genes, this creature was apparently even more remarkable.

“The lab-born male monkey was the product of an unprecedented experiment, which used the pluripotent stem cells of two genetically distinct fertilized eggs from the same monkey species to create one living and breathing long-tailed macaque…  It survived for just ten days, which means the ongoing health of chimeric monkeys is still a problem to be solved.

“In a media conference, the lead author of the paper, geneticist Jing Cao from CAS, said that this was a basic scientific advance because it proves for the first time that rich non-human primate chimeras are possible.

“The field of chimeric animal research isn’t without a spectrum of ethical concerns…”

Man wants to play God. The outcome will be disastrous for all involved.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

“From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free!”

Israel Today wrote on November 5:

“Tens of thousands took to the streets in many major European cities and the USA over the weekend to show their solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. From their point of view, Israel alone is responsible for all evil. Israel massacres the people of Gaza, they say, but not a word about the actual massacre in Israel. ‘ From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free”– shouted people in the streets…

“In London, according to police reports, around 30,000 people demonstrated in Trafalgar Square. In the French capital Paris, police estimated the number of demonstrators at 20,000, but other sources said there were more. Of course, Palestinian flags and signs reading ‘Free Palestine’ could be seen everywhere. The state of Israel should be boycotted immediately, some Arab demonstrators said, while others held up signs reading ‘Israel is a terrorist state.’

“In Germany, pro-Palestinian demonstrations also took place yesterday in Düsseldorf and Berlin. According to police information, there were around 17,000 people on the streets in Düsseldorf and an estimated 10,000 in Berlin. Thousands of people also protested in Milan yesterday against Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip.

“In Washington, thousands have called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. In front of the White House, they accused US President Joe Biden of genocide: ‘Biden, Biden, you can’t hide, you have approved genocide.’ People in Montreal, Canada, also called for the ‘liberation’ of Palestine. A few days earlier, a large demonstration took place in Istanbul. The Turkish ‘Sultan’ Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a Muslim, but not an Arab. Nevertheless, he tries to be more Arab than the Arabs. He stands up for the Palestinians like no other Arab leader in the Middle East…

“Anyone who believes that Muslims as a collective will gradually integrate or adapt to Western or Christian culture in Europe is mistaken… Do people in Europe, in this case Christians, believe that Muslims will be merciful to Christians? No. For Muslims, the Christian West is the stronghold of the Crusaders, and they slaughtered the Muslims in the Holy Land a thousand years ago. Muslims don’t forget this. According to the Koran, Jews and Christians are ‘infidels’ and therefore arch enemies of Islam. Furthermore, Muslims are obliged to reconquer Islamic lands once they were under Islamic rule… Parts of Europe were… under Muslim rule throughout history…

“‘From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free’ must be a warning to Europe and America. For years, radical Muslims in Europe have been talking about liberating Europe from the hands of Christians…”

Tlaib Censured

The New York Post wrote on November 7:

“The House of Representatives voted Tuesday night to censure Rep. Rahida Tlaib for defending Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack against Israel as ‘resistance’ and calling for the destruction of the Jewish state. Tlaib (D-Mich.) is the 26th member of Congress to be censured by the House in the legislative body’s history… Twenty-two Democrats voted with 212 Republicans to censure Tlaib, and four Republicans voted with 184 Democrats against the resolution. 

“The resolution mentions Tlaib’s Nov. 3 video post on X, which included the first portion of the phrase ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’ a call for the eradication of Israel.

“The resolution notes Tlaib’s ‘false narratives’ around the Oct. 7 attack, in which jihadists slaughtered 1,400 civilians in Israel — including at least 33 American citizens. The censure further cites lies that Tlaib spread about the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital bombing on Oct. 17, which she claimed had been perpetrated by the Israeli military — despite President Biden and the US intelligence community assessing with ‘high confidence’ that it was caused by [Hamas]…”

As the Hill explained on November 7, “A vote to censure another member of Congress does not hold any other power beyond a public condemning of that member’s behavior. It does not expel a member from Congress or deny the rights or privileges of that member within Congress.”

Please read our Q&A in this issue, titled, “Does the Bible reveal anything about the immediate future of the State of Israel?” Also, note below one article about the dreadful actions committed by Islamists in Germany and a call to action.  

Obama’s “Wisdom”

Israel 365 News wrote on November 5:

“[In an] interview… the former president said… that ‘what Hamas did was horrific, and there is no justification for it. And what is also true is that the occupation, and what’s happening to Palestinians, is unbearable.’… He added that ‘nobody’s hands are clean’ and that ‘all of us are complicit to some degree.’

“According to Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, it is Obama that is complicit. When Israel faces ‘a barbaric attack from Hamas, Obama blames Israel,’ said Brooks. ‘It is Barack Obama who is complicit in the death and suffering over the last month in Israel and in Gaza. His policies and those of President Joe Biden put billions of dollars into Iranian coffers, money used to fund and train Hamas and other terrorist groups whose stated goals are the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of Jews,’ he continued…

“According to Israeli philosopher Yoram Hazony, it was Obama’s ‘complexity’ theory that led directly to the current situation in the Middle East… ‘He created this hell with his own hands,’ wrote Hazony. ‘Obama’s theory of the “complexity” of the Middle East—from which he concluded that Iran needs to be strengthened so it can “balance’ Israel,” led directly to the current crisis,’ he continued.

“Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, called the former president the ‘Israel-hater-in-chief’…”

Obama’s and Biden’s failed politics have truly contributed to the current disaster in Gaza.

Turkey Breaks With Israel

AFP wrote on November 4:

“Turkey said Saturday it was recalling its ambassador to Israel and breaking off contacts with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in protest at the bloodshed in Gaza… [Ankara’s] tone hardened against both Israel and its Western supporters — particularly the United States… ‘Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off,’ Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying.

“Israel had earlier withdrawn all diplomats from Turkey and other regional countries as a security precaution. The Israeli foreign ministry said last weekend it was “re-evaluating” relations with Ankara because of Turkey’s increasingly heated rhetoric about the Israel-Hamas war…”

According to the Bible, Turkey will become one of Israel’s arch-enemies.

Leave Lebanon

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“The US Embassy in Lebanon is urging Americans to evacuate the country due to increasing danger of the Israel-Hamas conflict spilling over. ‘The State Department recommends that U.S. citizens in Lebanon leave now, while commercial flights remain available, due to the unpredictable security situation,’ the embassy said in a security alert…

“‘There is no guarantee the U.S. government will evacuate private U.S. citizens and their family members in a crisis situation,’ it added.”

It is only a matter of time before the terrorist organization Hezbollah will become more actively involved in the war against Israel. Note the next articles.

Hezbollah Threatens Israel and the USA

The Associated Press wrote on November 3:

“Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday that his powerful militia is already engaged in unprecedented fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border and threatened a further escalation…

“Hezbollah is prepared for all options, he declared, ‘and we can resort to them at any time.’ The fighting would ‘not be limited’ to the scale seen so far, he added. In recent weeks, Hezbollah has fired rockets across the border daily, mainly hitting military targets in northern Israel, but it has a substantial arsenal capable of hitting anywhere in Israel and thousands of battle-hardened fighters…”

The Times of Israel added on November 3:

“Hassan Nasrallah says Hezbollah is not intimidated by American threats and by US forces deployed to the region. ‘Since the outbreak of the war, the US has threatened to bomb us in Lebanon from its military ships in the Mediterranean. We are prepared for whatever scenario,’ he says. ‘If an all-out war breaks out, you Americans will pay with your ships, your aircrafts and your soldiers,’ he threatens.

“‘Remember your defeats in Lebanon and Iraq, and your humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan. Those who defeated you in Lebanon in the 1980s are still alive and their children and grandchildren are ready to face you,’ he claims. ‘Your fleet in the Mediterranean do not scare us… We are ready to face the fleet you threaten us with,’ Nasrallah says… ‘I tell Israel: Do not go any further. Many civilians have already died. I promise you: A civilian for a civilian.’”

Sadly, Biden’s humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan has emboldened America’s enemies as never before.

The Source of Antisemitism in the USA

Breitbart wrote on November 2:

“Breitbart Editor-in-Chief… Alex Marlow said… ‘The Jew hatred that is pervasive on the web shows you that anti-Semitism is alive and well. Contrary to what people say it is not really coming from the far-right in America. I mean it is there certainly but I’m saying that is not where the movement is taking place. The secular left is a huge part of it, the Arab world is a part of it. But most immortally for this conversation is the enablers of those people. And one of the top enablers is Joe Biden.’

“He continued, ‘He is the guy who wanted to revive the Iran nuclear deal. He has funded the funders of terrorism. He has fake experts at the Pentagon who are compromised by Iran… His Afghanistan withdrawal left the terrorists all these weapons which they could either use or sell. He has snubbed our allies in Israel, Saudi Arabia. The List goes on.’

“Marlow added, ‘This is all deeply deeply political… If Donald Trump was president none of this would be happening…’”

Antisemitism on American Campuses

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“Two New York Jewish college students detailed the fear they have felt with the rise of antisemitic sentiments on campus…  While many in the international community were initially horrified by the events [on October 7], soon after, many teachers and students in American schools nationwide started expressing support for Hamas and antagonizing Jewish students. ‘Being a Jew at NYU right now is scary,’ Ingber said. ‘We are seeing an uptick in anti-Israel protests that are turning antisemitic. There are signs that read “globalize the Intifada” which is a historical call for the extermination of Jews and call for violence against Jews.’

“Ingber went on to say that Jewish people are hearing chants of ‘gas the Jews’ and ‘Hitler was right,’ leaving students horrified…

“”We are seeing a constant… justification of Hamas’ brutal terror attack at NYU..  when it comes to Jews the world is silent.’

“… a group [at Barnard College which is partnered with Columbia University] called Students for Justice in Palestine had agreed to host a speaker who ‘praised the second Intifada, something where there were suicide bombers who came into Israel, and they’re allowing this man to preach to our students on our campus? It’s disgusting… We are analyzing the relationships we have made with our peers that are silent as calls for our death and our global extermination are running rampant across all college campuses and not just college campuses, in a lot of other major cities,’ she said…”

One cannot but be appalled with “peers” who cowardly keep quiet in the face of such atrocities.

Germany, Do Something!

Bild Online wrote on November 4:

“Thousands of Islamists march through downtown Essen with their flags, demonstrating their power and shouting their slogans. They are only marginally calling for ‘Free Palestine’; they are concerned with something bigger: the establishment of a global caliphate, a strictly religious empire, like the terrorist militia ‘Islamic State’ achieved in Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2019.

“The Hamas war has revealed what liberal Muslims… have been warning about for years: There are tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of radicals living in Germany who not only reject our free society, but want to overthrow it. But instead of listening to warnings, they were at best ignored, at worst denigrated as racist. Now we see the result of looking away for so long…

“The caliphate, which is openly called for on posters in Essen, would be hell on earth for EVERYONE who lives in it, especially for those who are classified as ‘infidels’ by the Islamists… For secular Muslims who fled to the West  from countries ruled by a radical Islamists. these images must be the ultimate nightmare. They know what this ideology has done in their countries of origin…

“If you park incorrectly in Germany, you can be sure that you will be cited after 30 minutes at the latest [often even after 5 minutes, or even less]. When young people hugged each other in the park during the corona pandemic, they were mercilessly pursued by police officers, almost killing them with their police cars. But when the ‘Islamic State’ almost literally marches in Essen, practically nothing happens. The police should actually be at the door of EVERY one of the 3,000 participants, checking their residence status, initiating searches and criminal proceedings, checking and arranging deportations. Use the entire arsenal of the rule of law that these radicals want to abolish.

“There have been many strong speeches in the past three weeks. Now… you should judge them by their deeds. Finally do something.”

Russia Says That Israel Has No Right to Defend Itself

Israel365News wrote on November 2:

“Israel does not have the right to defend itself, Russia’s representative to the United Nations said on Wednesday… Last week, Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Hamas…

“A Russian resolution was also rejected that denounced Hamas but also condemned ‘indiscriminate attacks’ on civilians in Gaza…”

Russia’s past persecution of the Jews is well-known.

Hamas Will Repeat October 7 Terror Attack

Breitbart wrote on November 1:

“A senior political official in the Palestinian Hamas terror organization told Lebanese television last week that the group intends to repeat its October 7 terror attack until Israel is annihilated… Hamas political official Ghazi Hamad says that attacks on Israeli civilians are justified; that the cost in terms of Palestinian ‘martyrs’ is worth the ultimate goal of ending Israel; and that Hamas will continue to mount such attacks…

“Ghazi Hamad of the Hamas political bureau said in an October 24, 2023 show on LBC TV (Lebanon) that Hamas is prepared to repeat the October 7 ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ Operation time and again until Israel is annihilated. He added that Palestinians are willing to pay the price and that they are ‘proud to sacrifice martyrs.’ Hamad said that Palestinians are the victims of the occupation, therefore no one should blame them for the events of October 7 or anything else, adding: ‘Everything we do is justified… We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do this again and again. The Al-Aqsa Flood is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth, because we have the determination, the resolve, and the capabilities to fight…’

“Ghazi claimed that Hamas did not intend to harm civilians, but said ‘complications’ caused Hamas to murder civilians, including 260 people at a music festival.”

No Cease-Fire

The New York Post wrote on November 3:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that his country would not consider halting its war on Hamas, rejecting Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s call for ‘humanitarian pauses’ to allow civilians out of the Gaza Strip. Israel ‘refuses a temporary cease-fire that doesn’t include a return of our hostages,’ Netanyahu told reporters, referring to the more than 200 people taken captive by terrorists during their Oct. 7 attack that killed more than 1,400 Israelis — including at least 33 Americans.

“The prime minister spoke after a meeting with Blinken, during which America’s top diplomat urged Netanyahu to stop the conflict to minimize Palestinian civilian deaths as Israel pursues Hamas jihadists hiding among the population in Gaza… Netanyahu said his country would continue hitting the Gaza Strip with ‘all of its power.’

“IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told The Post Friday that a ‘pause’ is currently ‘not on the table.’ ‘We’re fighting. We’re in the first stages of a war against an enemy that has proven that we cannot allow that enemy to continue to exist at the end of this war…’

“In addition to the temporary pauses, the US has been pushing Israel to allow humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza. Blinken said officials ‘identified mechanisms to enable fuel to reach hospitals and other needs in southern Gaza Strip’ during their meeting… Netanyahu said in a statement that ‘Israel won’t allow entry of fuel to Gaza and objects to transfer of money to Gaza’ despite Blinken’s report. ‘Israel raised appropriate concern we share about Hamas hoarding fuel in northern Gaza,’ Blinken said of the discussion.”

Subsequently, Blinken flip-flopped and declared that there must not be a cease-fire. Then, the Biden Administration flip-flopped again and stated that there should be a temporary pause…

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 11:

“Israel will begin daily four-hour pauses in northern Gaza to allow people to flee fighting in the territory, the White House said… Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his position that there would be no cease-fire talks until the militant Islamist group Hamas releases the more than 200 people it is holding hostage… 

“US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that the first humanitarian pause would be announced Thursday and that the Israelis had committed to announcing each four-hour window at least three hours in advance.”

Trump: No One From Gaza!

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“Former President Trump said people who want to abolish Israel shouldn’t be allowed to enter America. Trump made the comments during the Florida Freedom Summit on Saturday, where other 2024 GOP presidential contenders also spoke, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy.

“‘If you hate America, if you want to abolish Israel, if you sympathize with jihadists, and then you don’t want your country to do well, you don’t want your country to be successful, you’re just not going to get in, you’re not getting in, you’re not coming into our country,’ Tump said…

‘”On day one, I will restore the Trump travel on entering from having people that like to blow up our shopping centers and kill our people and do lots of bad things. Entry from plagued countries. We will not allow people to come in and will implement strong ideological screening for all immigrants,’ Trump said…

“Trump’s comments come after he promised to deport immigrants who are publicly supporting Hamas during an Iowa campaign speech Oct. 16. ‘We aren’t bringing in anyone from Gaza,’ Trump also said at the event.”

“Returning Temple Vessels From Italy?”

Israel365News wrote on November 3:

“Recently, shortly after the Jewish High Holidays, a compelling article was written… about a leading Italian member of parliament who had a Zoom meeting with Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu.  The Italian MP stated that Italy is in fact prepared to return the lost Temple vessels to Israel and that the time is now to do so. The reaction here in Israel has been overwhelming.  Could this be true?…  Is this real or fake news?…

“The answer is that there’s a little of both, i.e., some genuine news, and some fake news. 

“… we must first understand that the Vatican Church and the government of Italy are two very distinct entities… Pope Francis, along with the Secretariat of State… are the main decision-makers on this case.  The Italian government can exert a limited amount of pressure by way of the press, but that’s about it.

“The good news in this scenario is that the official Vatican position currently is that they neither confirm nor deny possessing any Herodian Temple objects like the golden Menorah, sacred tables, altars, priestly garments, and the like… Another development worth mentioning is that incidents have been reported that concern high-ranking Vatican officials who were willing to reveal the location of these holy vessels to religious Jews before going on pension or resigning from their posts…

“What was written in the article indeed is the opinion of this particular Italian politician; however, he isn’t the first to state that Rome has possession of Jerusalem’s Temple vessels and would like to see them returning, ultimately, to Israel. He also said that they are in their cellars and that nothing is being done with them now at any rate. Of course, he doesn’t have concrete, academic proof of this, but it is something he believes and wants…”

If true, this would be remarkable in connection with the building of the Third Temple AND the man of sin taking possession of the same.

Pope Francis’s New Theology

LifeSiteNews wrote on November 3:

“Pope Francis has issued new priorities and statutes for the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Theology, stating that a newly focused theology is needed, based on a popular ‘common sense’ that is ‘often not corresponding to the Christian face of God.’…

“Yet the papal document presents what appears to be an essentially anti-Catholic concept of theology, tasking theologians with engaging in dialogue with various cultures and religions rather than drawing on the timeless, and unchanging truths of the Catholic faith… [This was of course written by a Catholic and does not reflect our opinion on this matter.]

“Francis… argued that theology would necessarily move away from a path of presenting and teaching truths, ‘into a culture of dialogue and encounter between different traditions and different knowledge, between different Christian denominations and different religions, openly confronting everyone, believers and non-believers alike.’… But in order to practice the new theological style, wrote Francis, theologians would have to prioritize ‘common’ ideas found amongst people, even though such ideas reject the Catholic concept of God.”

Gag-Order for Trump’s Attorneys

Newsmax wrote on November 3:

“… attorney and Donald Trump legal spokeswoman Alina Habba… was the subject of an expanded gag order issued by New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron on Friday, prohibiting Habba and Trump’s legal team from commenting about the judge’s staff, namely his clerk, Allison Greenfield… Trump’s legal team has complained about eye rolls of Greenfield and her apparent ‘co-judging’ — handing the judge 30 to 40 notes in one day, Trump’s team noted. So, Engoron shut down Trump and his entire legal team, including Habba [who said:]

“‘Judicial ethics and judicial codes structure these items very, very clearly about bias, about the belief of bias, about impropriety, and it’s very important for the public to have faith in the judicial system… That’s why these things are in place. That’s why there are numerous rules in place to oversee and keep regulations on court systems. We are in a banana republic.

“‘We are in a situation right now, where [New York Attorney General] Letitia James is allowed to freely go out and rip whoever she wants to talk about before she even becomes the AG, before she has any knowledge of anything in the organization, to call them criminals, to call them frauds,’ Habba said. ‘But then, when she comes in, she can go out and talk… about… Donald Trump Jr…. and the Trump family and the president, a leading political candidate, [and can] say whatever she wants, and there is no gag order on her… That is what you do in communist countries when you want to silence your political opponents, and that is the current situation that we are dealing with…’”

A similar gag-order was imposed on Trump by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in the Washington case, barring Trump from making public statements targeting prosecutors, court staff and potential witnesses in the case accusing him of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. The Court of Appeals put the gag-order temporarily on hold.

It appears that both judges are extremely biased and, based on decency and fairness, they should have recused themselves.

New York’s Witch-Hunt Against Trump

Fox News wrote on November 6:

“The former president and 2024 Republican presidential front-runner took the stand Monday morning in the non-jury civil trial stemming from [New York Attorney General Letitia] James’ lawsuit against him, his family and his businesses. James [a Democrat] alleged Trump defrauded banks and inflated the value of his assets. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly said his assets were actually undervalued. Trump has repeatedly said his financial statements had disclaimers, requesting that the numbers be evaluated by the banks…

“James filed the lawsuit against Trump ‘under a consumer protection statute that denies the right to a jury,’ a Trump spokesperson told Fox News Digital [This is correct, even though in New York,  a jury consisting of mostly Democrats, not much would have changed, according to Trump attorney Alina Habba.]  … During Trump’s unprecedented testimony Monday, New York Judge Arthur Engoron [a Democrat] tried to cut him off from providing lengthy answers to state lawyers’ questioning, and he even said, ‘I don’t want to hear everything he has to say.’..

“The judge, in September, ruled that Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud while building his real estate empire by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.

[Judge Engoron made the ruling via summary judgment. Summary judgment can only be granted if no material facts are in dispute. In this case, entering summary judgment in light of the hotly disputed value of Trump’s property is ludicrous and must be overturned on appeal by fair-minded judges. But since the judge—incorrectly —prejudged the case, the current trial only deals with the “damages”—there are none—and the penalty the judge wants to impose on Trump and the co-defendants, thereby trying to give this hoax the resemblance of some legitimacy.]

“‘He ruled against me without knowing anything about me,’ Trump said on the stand… Trump went on to slam Engoron for undercutting the value of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida — a property that Engoron valued at $18 million [This is in fact a laughable misevaluation, as confirmed by realtors and other experts in the area. According to The Associated Press, dated October 9, a sale of 1 billion dollars or more would be possible. It shows, however, the judge’s incredible bias.]. ‘$18 million, he said. And I’m a fraud for not valuing the property? How do you call a man a fraud when you have a property 50 to 100 times more?’ Trump said. ‘You believed the political hack back there [James] and that’s unfortunate.’ [He then proceeded to call Engoron a fraud.]

“Trump attorney Alina Habba on Monday also slammed Engoron and James… ‘I don’t care who you are, you have a right to hire a lawyer who can put objections on the record,’ Habba said outside the court during a break… ‘But I was told to sit down today. I was yelled at, and I’ve had a judge who is unhinged, slamming [the] table,’ Habba continued. ‘Let me be very clear. I don’t tolerate that in my life. I’m not going to tolerate it. And you know what? You shouldn’t either, because not every American citizen gets a camera and a microphone.’

“Habba went on to blast James [a black woman], saying she ‘taunted’ Trump before she ‘came into office, before you saw one record, one statement of financial condition — you taunted him… You said his administration was too male and too pale,’ Habba said. ‘Those are her words.’ [And they are deeply offensive and racist, but they reflect James’ true colors.]

“Meanwhile, Trump was asked questions about terms of loan agreements and handed documents about specific loans. ‘This loan was paid off in full, with no default, no victims…’”

Also, Trump pointed out that the banks were more than happy to grant him the loans, knowing themselves the value of his property. They were most certainly no victims or “defrauded” in any way.

The Daily Mail reported  on November 6:

“The lawyer [Alina Habba] added: ‘I’m seeing such a demise of (the) American judicial system and democracy. The judge doesn’t like when President Trump explains what actually happened because it’s not good for his narrative.’ She said the judge ‘clearly has an issue’ and ‘if you’ve seen his behavior with me, his behavior with the president today, he has a clear issue with facts that are not good for the case. He (the judge) is clearly enraged, his face is red, he is – he came in hot, and he doesn’t know how to handle him (Trump).’

“Habba spoke moments after Trump delivered another series of blistering attacks on James and the judge in very combative testimony. The furious 77-year-old singled out James, who is sitting in the front row of the court, and accused her of being a ‘political hack’ who brought the case against him to help her failed bid to become New York governor…”

Habba’s powerful comments were right on. The inappropriate and cheering “reporting” of left-wing outlets, such as CNN, MSNBC and ABC, was filled with propaganda. On the other hand, the coverage of Fox News and also of Newsmax was quite good and accurate, from all the evidence available to us.

Real Clear Politics wrote on November 6:

“George Washington University law professor and FOX News contributor Jonathan Turley on Monday weighed in on former President Donald Trump’s New York civil fraud trial and described the legal theory behind the case as throwing matches at a tinder box. ‘This crosses the line from law to entertainment. It should be concerning for people because it does appear that this is a case uniquely created for Trump under a law that hasn’t been used in this same way against others…

“‘It’s very disturbing when [New York Attorney General Letitia] James was running for office,’ Turley said. ‘I wrote a column saying where are the New York attorneys who are saying hey, this is not our bar, this is not what we stand for? You don’t run for office on a trophy defendant. You don’t run for office promising a thrill kill. That’s what was happening here. She’s really fulfilled the worst expectations for some of us… she’s going for total annihilation. She is asking to take this iconic figure and effectively ban him from business in New York and the question is why? The answer is because that’s what she promised to do. To seek his utter destruction if she can…

“‘Part of the problem is the underlying law which doesn’t require any victim. It doesn’t require anyone to lose money. The banks were not complaining. They apparently made money. But that doesn’t matter….’”

New York’s Kangaroo Court

The New York Post wrote on November 7:

“The case itself is the scandal.  It’s a strange allegation of fraud where there is no victim… The charges are based on the assertion that Trump and his family inflated the value of their properties for insurance and loan purposes.  As one real estate lawyer told me, if that’s a crime, two-thirds of New York developers belong in jail…

“Bringing the case after her [James’] public attacks and threats represents a clear abuse of office that state courts should have blocked. It’s an abuse she reinforces with her unusual and unprofessional appearances in the courtroom and her mini press conferences at the end of the day…

“From the start, the case has reinforced a suspicion that it is rigged. Beyond James’ conflict of interest, it features a bizarre process where there is no jury and the judge [Engoron]] quickly ruled that Trump and the other defendants were guilty, creating the impression of verdict first, trial second.  The same judge now presides over the penalty phase, and also gets to decide the punishment, which could be dramatic.”

The typical hallmarks of a “banana republic.”

This law is clearly unconstitutional and must be stricken. For James and Engoron to even apply this ancient and totally neglected law (for good reasons) is a major problem all by itself, showing their true motives. Habba is correct: The legal system in the USA, as well as virtually all the other “systems” and agencies, including the FBI and the Justice Department, are in demise and reflect a banana republic and dictatorship, but not a democracy.

It is clear that Trump will lose this case in New York. Not because he should, but because the judge wants him to, and he had made up his mind, it seems, when he “took” the case (which he should never have done, given his blatant bias against Trump.)

Trump calls all of this “election interference,” and it is also interesting that at the same time, Biden is losing badly to Trump in critical swing states. But surely, this is pure coincidence??? While this kangaroo court is going on, Trump’s poll numbers are rising.

Newsmax, dated November 7, referred to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index and explained that Trump’s fortune has grown by 500 million dollars to 3.1 billion dollars since leaving office in 2021. His fortune could be higher as it does not take into consideration his brand on the values, as well as other reasonable factors, concluding that his fortune could amount to 4.5 billion dollars for 2021 or far more.

Ukraine Is Losing

AFP wrote on November 4:

“In eastern Ukraine, where another gruelling winter is descending — along with it a likely freeze in major frontline movements — one Ukrainian soldier had a grim assessment of the conflict. The 35-year-old fighting near the war-battered town of Bakhmut went further than comments from Ukraine’s most senior military official, who conceded this week that the war with Russia had reached a stalemate. ‘I’ve been saying that for some time now already. Step by step we’re losing the war,’ the serviceman… told AFP. ‘The longer this static war continues, the worse it is for us,’ he said in a phone interview.

“The frontline between the Ukrainian army and Russian forces occupying the east and south of the country has barely moved since last November, despite repeated Russian strikes and a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Ukraine’s General Valery Zaluzhny surprised observers of the invasion this week with an unusually candid assessment that the warring parties had reached a deadlock along the sprawling front… The comments poured cold water on the highly-touted counteroffensive that Ukraine launched this summer after stockpiling Western weapons and training new recruits.”

EU and USA Broach Topic of Peace Negotiations With Ukraine

NBC News wrote on November 3:

“U.S. and European officials have begun quietly talking to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the war, according to one current senior U.S. official and one former senior U.S. official familiar with the discussions.

“The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal, the officials said. Some of the talks, which officials described as delicate, took place last month…  The discussions are an acknowledgment of the dynamics militarily on the ground in Ukraine and politically in the U.S. and Europe, officials said.

“They began amid concerns among U.S. and European officials that the war has reached a stalemate and about the ability to continue providing aid to Ukraine, officials said. Biden administration officials also are worried that Ukraine is running out of forces, while Russia has a seemingly endless supply, officials said. Ukraine is also struggling with recruiting and has recently seen public protests about some of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s open-ended conscription requirements.

“And there is unease in the U.S. government with how much less public attention the war in Ukraine has garnered since the Israel-Hamas war began nearly a month ago, the officials said. Officials fear that shift could make securing additional aid for Kyiv more difficult… Officials also have privately said Ukraine likely only has until the end of the year or shortly thereafter before more urgent discussions about peace negotiations should begin. U.S. officials have shared their views on such a timeline with European allies, officials said…

“The Biden administration does not have any indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate with Ukraine, two U.S. officials said. Western officials say Putin still believes he can ‘wait out the West,’ or keep fighting until the U.S. and its allies lose domestic support for funding Ukraine or the struggle to supply Kyiv with weapons and ammunition becomes too costly, officials said…”

“A Quarter of Americans Now Say Covid-19 Shots Are Unsafe”

The Daily Mail wrote on November 3:

“Americans are growing more skeptical about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines… millions… have changed their minds in recent months and no longer see them as safe… two politicians are building vaccine skepticism into their 2024 campaign platforms — Robert F. Kennedy Jr, an independent, and Ron De Santis, Florida’s Republican Governor.

“… the share of Americans who see Covid-19 vaccines as unsafe has jumped from 18 percent in August last year to 24 percent last month. Meanwhile, the share of people who linked autism in children to the growing use of vaccines has risen from 10 percent in April 2021 to 16 percent last month… Nearly a quarter of respondents — 24 percent — said they knew someone personally who died from side effects of a Covid-19 shot… millions of Americans also say they would be keen to join a class-action lawsuit against Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, and other manufacturers over the side effects of shots…

“Kennedy… has long campaigned against vaccines, among other offbeat theories. Earlier this year, he said in a podcast that ‘there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective,’ and told FOX News that shots can cause autism.

“The DeSantis administration last month urged Floridians under the age of 65 from against getting the updated Covid-19 shots… The Governor said Covid-19 vaccines had been rolled out without proper studies and that federal officials were wrong about their risks and benefits….”

Covid Authoritarians Without Apology

Zero Hedge wrote on October 30:

“We hear many covid authoritarians talk about forgiveness but very few of them actually apologize for their behavior… within months of covid becoming active in the US, the data was already available showing that the virus was not a legitimate threat. So the claim that their information was ‘the best they had at the time’ does not hold water. There was more than enough evidence to warrant opposition to unconstitutional policies (frankly, even if covid had been more deadly it doesn’t justify violations of the Bill of Rights). Millions of Americans tried to explain the truth to those panicking over covid, and they chose not to listen, calling us ‘selfish conspiracy theorists.’ 

“But the greatest trespasses were among those analysts and ‘influencers’ who used covid as an opportunity for political gain, knowing that there was information that debunked government and media spin. The worst people are those that have no intention of making amends because they plan to try again. People who do wrong and refuse to give a legitimate apology are the kinds of people that are likely to commit similar offenses in the future… 

“There were calls to fine the unvaccinated, imprison people who question the vaccine, put the unvaccinated on home lockdown and even take away their children. In some states, like New York, there was active legislation put forward to create detention facilities for people that did not comply (covid camps). That is some serious Stalinist behavior and we are still waiting for it to be addressed and for certain political leaders to be punished…

“The covid event was really a litmus test for authoritarian tendencies in the US. At least half the public failed that test miserably… It is important to make a note of how the individuals around us behave when they think it’s safe to be evil, and we must remember who they are…”

In addition, the horrible and unconstitutional governmental measures inflicted upon innocent people must not be forgotten… lest they are allowed to be repeated.

What Killed the Dinosaurs?

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“A new study looking into what might have killed off dinosaurs determined that it is likely the ancient species were done in by a mighty cloud of dust… According to the study, scientists researching the sediment layers of the Tanis paleontology site, a heavily studied region of North Dakota that has preserved evidence of the asteroid impact thought to have killed off dinosaurs, discovered new insight into the catastrophic impact. In a Washington Post report that described the aftermath of the impact as an ‘apocalyptic dust plume,’ planetary scientist Cem Berk Senel explained that the impact of the asteroid led to a chain of events that ultimately caused the demise of dinosaurs… ‘It could result in a chain reaction of extinction to all species in the food chain.’

“Scientists have long attempted to model the aftermath of the asteroid impact  in the Gulf of Mexico…, with most agreeing that the impact triggered the mass extinction of nearly three-quarters of all species living on Earth at the time. Some researchers have theorized that the asteroid impact kicked up a giant cloud that starved plants of sunlight, led to large global wildfires and resulted in sulfur aerosols being released into the atmosphere.

“However, questions remained about just how long the sun was blocked and how a prolonged period of darkness caused apocalyptic damage… Pairing a computer simulation with an analysis of sediment layers of the North Dakota site, researchers discovered that the fine dust grains that became part of the dust plume could have persisted in the atmosphere for over a decade. The researchers argued that those particles, which were about the same size as microscopic bacteria, would have made a larger contribution to blocking sunlight than soot particles or sulfur aerosols. ‘The duration of darkness is really important, because if, in fact, photosynthesis was shut down, and that drove extinctions, it has to be dark for a fairly substantial length of time,’ David Kring, a planetary scientist who was not involved in the study, told the Washington Post….”

This would fit with the biblical account that the earth became void and empty, “and darkness was on the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2).

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Israel Expands Ground Operation in Gaza

The Associated Press wrote on October 27:

“Israel on Saturday expanded its ground operation in Gaza with infantry and armored vehicles backed by massive strikes from the air and sea, including the bombing of Hamas tunnels — a key target in its campaign to crush the territory’s ruling group after its bloody incursion in Israel three weeks ago.

“The bombardment, described by Gaza residents as the most intense of the war, also knocked out most communications in Gaza…

“The Palestinian death toll in Gaza on Saturday rose to just over 7,700 people since Oct. 7, with 377 deaths reported since late Friday, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. A majority of those killed have been women and minors, the ministry said…

“Israel says its strikes target Hamas fighters and infrastructure and that the militants operate from among civilians, putting them in danger…

“The intensified air and ground campaign also raised new concerns about dozens of hostages dragged into Gaza on Oct. 7. On Saturday, hundreds of relatives of hostages gathered in a square in downtown Tel Aviv, demanding to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallat. Some in the group demanded that Israel push for the release of all hostages before proceeding with the campaign against Hamas…

“The overall number of deaths in Gaza and Israel far exceeds the combined toll of all four previous Israel-Hamas wars, estimated at around 4,000…

“The conflict has threatened to ignite a wider war across the region. Arab nations — including U.S. allies and ones that have reached peace deals or normalized ties with Israel — have raised increasing alarm over a potential ground invasion, likely to bring even higher casualties amid urban fighting.”

Whether these maneuvers mark the official start of an invasion is unclear and may pose a question.

“Netanyahu seemed to confirm that himself: ‘This is our second war of independence,’ he declared Saturday evening. ‘We are only at the beginning’” (Deutsche Welle, dated October 29).

Widespread Support in Gaza for Hamas

Israel Today wrote on October 26:

“Despite claims now being made that the majority of Gaza’s population desires peace and is being held captive by Hamas, data and evidence collected over the past two decades consistently demonstrates the opposite. Hamas enjoys widespread support among Gaza’s civilian population, which voted Hamas into power and would likely do so again. This support finds expression not only in public opinion polls, but in active participation in Hamas attacks.

“In the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, the last to be held in the Gaza Strip as well, Hamas won 76 of 132 seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council. Of the 24 seats assigned to the Gaza Strip, Hamas won 15 (62%). Following Fatah’s refusal to recognize the results of these elections, Hamas violently took control of the Strip in 2007, and no general elections have been held in Gaza since. However, public opinion polls conducted in recent years indicate the Gazan public’s continued support of Hamas. According to an average of polls conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) during 2022, approximately 60% of the Strip’s residents on average supported the ‘armed struggle’ (i.e. terrorist attacks) against Israel, compared to approximately 40%-50% of West Bank residents. In March 2023, support for armed struggle among Gaza residents rose to 68%… In a June 2023 PCPSR poll… support for armed struggle was at 64%.

“In this poll, 38% of the Strip’s residents felt that the rise of armed Islamic movements such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and their armed struggle against Israel, were the best thing to have happened to the Palestinian people in the last 75 years… Local journalists in Gaza have described widespread public support for the massacres committed by Hamas [on October 7]… All  available evidence indicates that approximately 60% of the Gaza Strip’s population supports Hamas and its armed struggle against Israel…

“This leads to the conclusion that claims regarding the existence of a clear ideological or political demarcation between the majority of Gaza’s residents and Hamas are entirely unfounded. None of the above is intended to conflate uninvolved Gazan civilians with Hamas terrorists, whether or not those civilians support Hamas, in the context of Israel’s ongoing war against the terror group. International law makes a clear distinction between uninvolved civilians and those taking part in military activities. However, both with regard to decisions related to the military campaign, and to post-war arrangements in the Gaza Strip, it is important to present an accurate picture regarding the widespread support in Gaza for Hamas.”

Erdogan’s Outrageous Claims and Threats

Politics Today wrote on October 28:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, addressing a massive pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul on Saturday, October 28, denounced Israel’s role in the ongoing bombardment in Gaza. He stated that Turkey would introduce Israel to the world as a war criminal.

“The ‘Great Palestine Meeting,’ organized by Turkey’s governing Justice and Development (AK) Party, saw hundreds of thousands gather at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport to protest Israel’s continuous bombardment of the Gaza Strip and advocate for a ceasefire.

“Erdoğan emphasized that the Western world has been instrumental in legitimizing the massacre in Gaza…  Erdoğan reiterated that Hamas is not a terrorist organization and that Israel’s main grievance lies with the West, which he accuses of being the real instigator behind the devastation in Gaza.

“President Erdoğan said: ‘We are on the side of the oppressed’ and rebuked Israel. During his speech, which caused an outcry among the public, Erdoğan said: ‘From now on, we will continue on our path with the motto that we may suddenly knock on your door one night.’”

In other words, he is threatening with military intervention in the Middle East and in Gaza, and with an attack on individual Jews. According to Bild Online, dated October 29, he also accused Western countries of creating a “crusade” atmosphere against Muslims, a new war between “cross and crescent moon.”

These threats should not be taken lightly. Erdogan is a ruthless dictator, filled with rage and hatred for the state of Israel and the Jewish people. As Turkey is part of NATO, NATO members admit now that Erdogan’s comments pose a serious problem for NATO.

Spain Condemns Israel

Yeni Safak wrote on October 28:

“Spain’s acting Social Rights Minister Ione Belarra on Saturday issued a passionate appeal to the EU countries, calling on them to respond to the recent escalation of attacks by Israel in the northern region of Gaza and other areas.

“‘After this hellish night in Gaza, I have a very simple but very important message for European leaders. Do not make us complicit in genocide. Act. Not in our name,’ she said in a video message on X… She further underscored that many Europeans are growing increasingly concerned about the situation and are asking: ‘Is no one going to do anything about what’s happening in Gaza?’

“Belarra put forward several concrete measures that she believes the European nations should take. She called for cutting diplomatic ties with Israel, imposing economic sanctions as a deterrent against those responsible for the ongoing violence, and advocating for the prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes against humanity.”

Spain’s persecution and horrible murders of Jews in the past are well known. With unqualified comments and irresponsible demands and antisemitic lies by governmental officials, Spain should be VERY careful not to give the impression of wanting to repeat past atrocities.

“Germany, We Have a Problem!”

Bild Online wrote on October 29:

“Our world is in chaos, and we are right in the middle of it. Since the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, we are experiencing a new dimension of hatred in our country – against our values, democracy, and against Germany.

“The recent days reveal what has been simmering and boiling in our society for a long time: In our country, there are many people who oppose our way of life. People who celebrate the murder of innocent civilians. Those who teach their children to hate others, because they are ‘infidels’…  We must not accept this! This cannot continue!… Germany must now say NO!…  Because: Never again is now!…  Never again anti-Semitism in Germany, never again tyranny and racism. All of this applies to all people who live in this country….”

Then, Bild published a “manifesto” with 50 points, describing what is expected from those who live in Germany. Sadly, many of these points are outright ludicrous.

Violence Breaks Out in London

Express wrote on October 28:

“Pro-Palestinian protests have descended into violence as activists marching in support of the state’s civilian population ahead of an anticipated Israeli ground invasion take to UK streets… Police expected about 100,000 people to join the demonstration in London organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, with other rallies organised elsewhere in the UK – including in Manchester and Glasgow…

“Senior police have warned that Iranian agents are deliberately stoking Gaza protests ahead of today’s demonstrations, with The Times reporting that counterterrorism officers have privately said that Tehran is trying to heighten tensions at rallies. The publication said the officers ‘have warned of increased hostile-state activity in Britain’ which is ‘directly linked to the Iranian regime’.”

Only those who are willfully blind and deaf may deny the FACT that Iran is behind Hamas’ vicious attacks and terrorist activities.

The Horrors of War

The Sun wrote on October 28:

“Where I live in North West London, you see a lot of heartbreaking posters put up on walls, showing kidnapped Israeli children.  And you see the same posters torn down, ripped up and lying in the gutter. It is profoundly shocking — all of it. The smiling faces of those lost children. Recalling the sadistic brutality of the terrorists who kidnapped them. And, most shocking of all, the tragic fact that in tolerant, diverse, civilized London,  there are plenty of people who tear those posters down and laugh as they are doing it. Or snarl with unhinged rage…

“I can’t comprehend how someone can tear down a poster of a kidnapped child…  Do they think the kidnappings did not really happen? Is it all just wicked Israeli propaganda? Or are they in denial? Is it that they just can’t face the sickening reality of the crimes of Hamas?  

“The only human response is to feel pity for children stolen from their homes by Hamas, just as anyone who has anything resembling a heart feels pity for the Palestinian children who are currently having their names written on their ­bodies by their parents, so that they can be identified if they are blown to bits by a bomb. As the tanks roll in, we do well to remember that there are no guilty children in a war.

“There are no children — Israeli or ­Palestinian — who deserve what they get…

“The mind struggles to comprehend the world we are living in… Nobody ever murdered, raped and ­kidnapped their way to freedom.

“Palestinian-born Queen Rania of Jordan told CNN: ‘I just want to emphasise that this conflict did not begin on October 7, although it has been portrayed as that. This is a problem that far precedes Hamas and will continue after Hamas.’

“Yes, this conflict goes back through 75 years of war and conflict since the formation of Israel in 1948 and two peoples claiming the same land as their home. And it goes back beyond 1948 to the gas chambers of the Holocaust, and ­further back still to the pogroms of ­Eastern Europe, and all the way back to the Jewish diaspora in the Bible.

“Queen Rania is right. The conflict won’t end when Hamas is destroyed…  This conflict did not begin on October 7 and it is impossible to see how it will end within our lifetimes. Because when there are fools who can laugh as they rip down posters of kidnapped children, how can there ever be peace?”

This conflict will ONLY end when Jesus Christ returns to bring peace to the world. Hopefully in our lifetimes.

Worldwide Antisemitism

CNN wrote on October 31:

“The Hamas attacks – a pogrom against Jews that killed 1,400, mostly civilians – have initiated a sequence of events that have left Jewish people around the world feeling threatened… In the United States there is a climate of growing fear.

“Jewish day schools have canceled classes. Synagogues have been locked. Social media has pulsated with hatred against Jews, leaving a community that can never escape its historic trauma yet again wondering where and when it can ever be safe.

“… The idea that Jewish Americans studying at Cornell University could so fear for their lives on their Ivy League campus in rural New York that they couldn’t even eat together in 2023 seems almost impossible to believe. Yet it’s the case after death threats were posted online…

“The frightening online threats at Cornell, which are just part of the spate of antisemitism exacerbated by the fallout of the Gaza war, has many Jews wondering if their safety can be guaranteed in the United States — let alone in Israel where the attacks shattered illusion of security for the Jewish people. Pro-Palestinian protests at some universities have crossed over the line into antisemitism and prompted Republicans and some Democrats to warn campuses are in the grip of far-left radicalism.

“Elsewhere, in one of many other incidents, a Beverly Hills home of a Holocaust survivor was daubed with antisemitic graffiti… There have also been multiple cases of antisemitism in Europe, which was often criticized by US officials in years past for doing too little… In one of the most shocking scenes, a crowd of people stormed an airport in Russia’s mostly Muslim region of Dagestan, where a flight from Israel arrived on Sunday, chanting, ‘There is no place for child-killers in Dagestan.’ These are scenes with chilling echoes of the 1940s…

“Nearly a century after the rise of Nazism and the beginning of the Holocaust, which killed at least 6 million European Jews, descendants of the dead are yet again being threatened because of who they are, their history and how they worship… antisemitism could grow more pervasive in the coming weeks.”

Especially the situation at Cornell University, displaying utter incompetence of the police and the attempts of the left-wing media and university officials to downplay or even deny the real dangers for Jewish students, shows to what extent this country has sunk into the abyss of irresponsibility and helplessness.

The West—Incapable of Helping the Jews?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on October 30:

“The disturbing fact of the past month is that Jews are under attack not only in Israel and not only by Hamas. The weeks since the barbaric Oct. 7 Hamas invasion of Israel have witnessed physical assaults on Jews the world over, including in the U.S. and Europe. This most modern of pogroms—global, televised, politicized—demonstrates exactly what is at stake as Israel ramps up its defensive war against Hamas in Gaza.  The Islamist group and its Western enablers are pursuing or justifying a genocidal war against Jews, not merely a territorial dispute with Israel…

“Germany has witnessed a spate of anti-Semitic incidents, including an attack with Molotov cocktails against a synagogue in Berlin on Oct. 18. Some Jews found Stars of David painted on their homes, an echo of the Nazi persecution. German politicians have been forceful in their denunciations, but apparently not forceful enough in their policing.

“Two Jewish schools in London closed for a period over safety concerns, and some British Jews  no longer feel safe wearing visible symbols of their faith. They’re probably right to worry the state can’t protect them. Tens of thousands of protesters in London over three successive weekends called for ‘jihad’ and chanted ‘from the river to the sea,’ a demand for the erasure of Israel and by extension its citizens. A crowd in Sydney, Australia, chanted ‘gas the Jews’ after the Hamas attack.

“Americans like to believe such things couldn’t happen in the U.S. They have…

“Yet many Western intellectuals—and a growing number of politicians—[have] seen what Hamas has done to innocent Israeli civilians, and what pro-Hamas protesters have said and done in Western streets. They’d nonetheless forgive any violence by Hamas or Hezbollah against Jews as anticolonial defiance. This is why… it’s inexcusable for any Western politician now to demand a cease-fire in Gaza. No leader who is demonstrably incapable of protecting Jews in his or her own country should try to prevent Israel from defending itself…

“This global war on Jews also clarifies what is at stake for Western societies in this fight. The West spent the decades after the civilizational catastrophe of the Holocaust vowing never again to allow itself to slide into such barbarism. What we see now in the attacks on Jews is how that slide began.

“Before there was a Chancellor Hitler in 1933, there were roving bands of Brownshirts inflicting political and anti-Semitic violence on the streets of Germany. They too often went unchecked by police, prosecutors and politicians who didn’t understand the menace, sympathized with the offenders, or merely felt overwhelmed by the scale of the danger. Hitler gained power in part because the German state no longer could maintain its monopoly on violence in defense of democratic values.

“… one lesson is the same and is crystal-clear: A Western society that can’t or won’t muster the will to defend its Jewish neighbors and fellow citizens won’t be able to defend itself.”

America’s downfall IS irreversible.

“Europe Will Be Next”

JNS wrote on October 31:

“Israel is at the forefront of a global clash of civilizations, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Tuesday. ‘Hamas, Al Qaeda and Islamic State are all together in wishing to ban us all from the face of the earth,’ he told a group of European Jewish leaders. ‘It starts with Israel, it starts with the Jews. It will never end there. Europe will be next. And that is why we are fighting a battle on behalf of the entire world.

“Herzog expressed serious concern about the significant rise in antisemitism in Europe and around the world in recent weeks. ‘This is a message that must be heard loud and clear,’ he said. ‘When [anti-Israel protesters] say “from the river to the sea,” they mean without any Jews… When they demonstrate on campuses against Israel—they mean without Jews. When they criticize Israel fighting to defend its people, and fighting against the most brutal attack that humanity has seen in last generation—they mean no Jews,’ he added.”

Herzog is absolutely right. And the anti-Semitic hatred will not be limited to fighting the Jews, but it will be directed at anyone who believes and practices religious concepts which they would classify as “Jewish.” Famously, Martin Luther, in his hatred for the Jews, wrote a pamphlet, entitled: “Against the Jews and All Those Who Keep the Sabbath” or the “Sabbatarians.”

Russia Threatens Europe

Reuters wrote on October 29:

“Russia will confiscate assets belonging to European Union states it deems unfriendly if the bloc ‘steals’ frozen Russian funds in a drive to fund Ukraine, an ally of President Vladimir Putin said on October 29.

“Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on October 27 that the EU executive was working on a proposal to pool some of the profits derived from frozen Russian state assets to help Ukraine and its postwar reconstruction. Vyacheslav Volodin, the State Duma chairman, said Moscow would retaliate in a way that would be more costly to the bloc if the EU moved against Russian assets.”

Corruption in Ukraine

Breitbart wrote on October 31:

“A top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly admitted that corruption is so rampant in the wartorn former Soviet state that officials are ‘stealing like there’s no tomorrow’.

“Speaking anonymously to Time magazine, what is alleged to be a top presidential advisor to Zelensky said that the Ukrainian government’s efforts to stamp out corruption have proved fruitless, given that they were implemented too late to have any impact…

“The issue of corruption in Ukraine, which has been ranked by Transparency International as the most corrupt European country except Russia, is becoming a major issue in Washington D.C. as President Biden continues to push for more American taxpayer dollars to be sent to the former Soviet state…”

Another piece of evidence to show that Ukraine will NOT win the war against Russia.

Utter Destruction in Mexico

Daily Mail wrote on October 27:

“Aerial footage has emerged showing the devastation Hurricane Otis caused in Acapulco after the storm ripped through the city. At least 27 people have died after 165 mile per hour winds caused power outages, widespread flooding and debris across the area. Desperate residents have turned to looting supermarkets left in disarray with pictures showing locals taking bottled water and food from ransacked shelves while others have packed their belongings into plastic bags in hope of finding safe shelter. 

“Due to the severe winds that Otis brought with it, it is now on record as the strongest landfalling Eastern Pacific tropical cyclone. The disastrous weather front was centered about 55 miles south-southeast of Acapulco, and its ruinous effects were also moving north-northwest at 9 mph. 

“Otis turned from mild to monster in record time, and scientists were struggling to figure out how and why they didn´t see it coming…

“Many of the once-sleek beachfront hotels in Acapulco looked like toothless, shattered hulks a day after the Category 5 storm blew out hundreds – and possibly thousands – of windows. While some 10,000 military troops were deployed to the area, they lacked the tools to clean tons of mud and fallen trees from the streets.

“Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador toured an area of the city on Thursday and said that Otis toppled every power-line pole in the region… Hundreds of trucks from the government electricity company arrived in Acapulco early Wednesday, but seemed at a loss as to how to restore power…

“Acapulco is at the foot of steep mountains – where luxury homes and slums alike cover the hillsides with views of the Pacific Ocean. Once drawing Hollywood stars for its nightlife, sport fishing and cliff diving shows, the port has in recent years fallen victim to competing organized crime groups that have sunk the city into violence… Otis was a stronger hurricane than Pauline, which hit Acapulco in 1997, destroying swaths of the city and killing more than 300 people.

This example serves as a reminder how quickly and unexpectedly terrible disasters can strike.

Is Trump Losing It?

Media TV wrote on October 28:

“Former President Donald Trump raged at Judge Arthur Engoron over his demand that former First Daughter Ivanka Trump testify in the fraud trial currently unfolding in New York.

“Trump has appeared frequently during his trial in the fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James and presided over by Judge Engoron… His last appearance culminated with Trump stunning his Secret Service detail by abruptly storming out of court after repeated legal smackdowns by Judge Arthur Engoron that included a $10,000.00 fine for violating his gag order again.

“But despite threats of further punishment, Trump completely lost it on social media Saturday morning over Judge Engoron’s decision that Ivanka must testify in person, which she is appealing. On his Truth Social platform, Trump raged at Engoron and repeated other attacks about the trial:

“‘My daughter, Ivanka, was released from this Fake Letitia James case by the Court of Appeals, but this Trump Hating, Unhinged Judge, who ruled me guilty before this Witch Hunt Trial even started, couldn’t care less about the fact that he was overturned. I also won on Appeal on Statute of Limitations, but he refuses to accept their decision. I truly believe he is CRAZY, but certainly, at a minimum, CRAZED in his hatred of me. This case should have never started, but now must be dismissed. Financial Statements were LOW, NOT HIGH, had a 100% Disclaimer Clause, Banks were fully paid, ‘on time, on schedule,’ with never even a minor default, there was NO VICTIM, EXCEPT ME. Any other Judge in the Country would have thrown this case out on day one. He’s an out of control ‘Nut Job,’ who fined me $10,000 over a ridiculous Gag Order so that the publicity for the day would take over from the fact that Racist James and the Judge’s Star Witness admitted LYING TO CONGRESS on the stand – CASE OVER!”

The prosecution’s “Star Witness” was of course disgraced, disbarred and convicted felon, former Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen. Trump is most certainly correct with his assessment that Judge Engoron is biased and should have recused himself. But his verbal and unhinged attacks on him could backfire. It has also been commented on social media that Trump looks “worn out.”

On the other hand, Trump is clearly the Republican frontrunner, with no one even coming close, and several candidates dropping out of the race, like Mike Pence, Perry Johnson and Larry Elder did last week. (While Johnson and Elder endorsed Trump, Pence did not). Others who have no chance of winning, such as Chris Christie, will undoubtedly drop out soon.

Trump: I Will Restore the Travel Ban

Newsmax wrote on October 29:

“Amid Israel’s war on Hamas and an uptick of antisemitic hate against Jews, former President Donald Trump vowed to bring [back] the travel ban of those from countries markedly in support of terrorist-designated organizations…

“The controversial travel ban policy that was legally challenged and upheld in the courts during the early days of the Trump administration in 2017 will return, Trump vowed.”

Even though reasonable on the face of it, the travel ban was clearly overbroad and abused in the past, and it would certainly be abused again in the future.

Is Biden’s Fate Sealed?

Axios wrote on October 29:

“On the foreign policy front, President Biden’s re-election bid is playing out similarly to that of the last Democratic president who failed to win a second term: Jimmy Carter… Three destabilizing overseas crises have taken place during Biden’s presidency: The chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and now, the prospect of a regional war in the Middle East.

“The chaos across the globe is leading many Americans to conclude that we’re facing a moment of historic danger…  That sense of fear and dread…  is very bad news for any president running for re-election…

“There are some striking similarities to the political challenges Biden is facing and the headwinds faced by former President Carter, who was dragged down by twin foreign policy crises heading into his re-election.

“Carter’s demise was fueled by the 1979 Iranian Revolution that ousted the pro-American shah for an Islamic fundamentalist regime still in power today. The Iranian regime’s holding of dozens of American hostages dominated the headlines — and drained Carter’s political capital — through his re-election campaign.

“In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, prompting the Carter White House to take a harder line with the Soviets. But that newfound toughness did little to change American perception that the world was adrift.

“Once again, a Democratic president is facing wars fueled by Iran (led by Hamas and Hezbollah, its proxies in the Middle East) and Russia. Once again, American hostages are being held — and the U.S. looks like it’s struggling to deter its enemies. Like Carter, Biden faces softening support from a key part of the Democratic coalition: young, progressive voters…

“The demand for global leadership against hostile powers… is running up against a growing isolationism and dismissiveness of America’s role as a guarantor of global security — within both parties…”

Interesting parallels.

“Safely” Communicating with the Dead?

Life Site News wrote on October 27:

“The New York Post published on Wednesday an article titled ‘How to use a Ouija board — your guide to communing with the dead safely this Halloween,’ raising concerns that dangerous contact with preternatural forces could be encouraged. While Ouija boards are purportedly designed to communicate with the dead, exorcists have warned that using them opens the door to communication with evil spirits.

“Kyle Clement… explained… how Ouija board use can open the door to diabolical influence and even possession…

“Reda Wigle noted that over 68% of Americans believe the boards ‘possess supernatural abilities,’ with a third of respondents saying they would never attempt to play. A quarter of those who have played say they would avoid doing so in the future…

“The response to the New York Post article has been overwhelmingly negative, with many commenters warning that the use of Ouija boards is dangerous and some advising that there is ‘no safe way’ to play with it.

“Ouija boards are considered a form of ‘divination,’ something explicitly forbidden in Scripture…”

Fox News added on October 30:

“Attempting occult practices, such as purportedly trying to contact the dead via an Ouija board, are a way to open oneself up to demonic activity inadvertently, said Reehil [a Catholic priest]. ‘Demons lie and impersonate dead people,’ said Reehil. ‘When asking a board for information about a deceased person, or a life decision, they are all too happy to embed themselves into your life. Using an Ouija board is inviting a demon into your life, whether the person has that intention or not.’

“The Ouija board was first developed in the late 19th century as a parlor game; these were formerly called ‘talking boards.’ At the time, séances and other spiritual practices were quite popular activities. The board consists of an alphabet, the words ‘yes,’ “no,’ ‘goodbye,’ and the numbers zero through nine. To operate the board, a person places their hands on a ‘planchette,’ which spirits purportedly move to spell out answers to questions. 

“In 1890, a Baltimore spiritualist and medium named Helen Peters asked the talking board what she should call it, said the website for the Talking Board Historical Society. The board responded ‘O-U-I-J-A,’ which it said meant ‘good luck.’ The Ouija board was patented the following year. Legend regarding the Ouija board’s patent says that Peters accompanied attorney Elijah Bond to the patent office, where the two were instructed by the patent officer to prove that the board worked by spelling out his name, said Smithsonian Magazine. Peters reportedly asked spirits for assistance, and then spelled out the patent officer’s name.”

This practice is foolish and VERY dangerous. So are active participations in Halloween activities.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Hamas and the Palestinians

The Algemeiner wrote on October 20:

“The typically staid US House Foreign Affairs Committee erupted on Thursday over the claim that Palestinians generally support the Hamas terrorist organization, which controls the Gaza Strip next to Israel. Speaking during a markup hearing on a bill scrutinizing Palestinian textbooks, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the top Democrat on the committee, exploded at Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) for saying that ‘Hamas is the Palestinians.’…

“Mast had repeatedly said that Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of 1,400 people in Israel and kidnapping of some 200 hostages required a re-examination of how much popular support Hamas has among the Palestinians.”

Of course, Mast is right. The Palestinians voted for Hamas. Meeks is wrong. And so is Joe Biden. Note the next article.

Most Palestinians Support Hamas

Israel Today wrote on October 20:

“US President Joe Biden… has been at the forefront of a campaign by Western leaders and media to convince everyone that Hamas doesn’t represent the Palestinian public in general. Biden and others try to paint a picture of Hamas as an isolated, fringe movement that stands in opposition to the more ‘peaceful’ leanings of the majority of Palestinians. It surely isn’t based on surveys of the Palestinian public, or on what the Palestinian masses taking to the streets are chanting…

“On Friday morning, the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas… published an official government document urging mosques under its jurisdiction to offer sermons that effectively call for the destruction of the Jews… But if Abbas and his regime were hoping to score points by echoing Hamas, survey data shows they failed. The Palestinian public would still prefer to be ruled by Hamas.

“… if elections were held today, Hamas would win… It is true that Hamas does not represent every Palestinian. We personally know some Palestinian Arabs who are disgusted by Hamas, and who blame the terror group, not Israel, for all their troubles. But the sad fact is that they are the minority. Hamas is popular and powerful because the Palestinian public made it that way. The Islamist group could never have grown to what it is now without being planted in fertile soil.”

Biden should stick to the Truth for once.

Muslim Rage

Reuters wrote on October 20:

“Protesters from Jakarta to Tunis on Friday demanded an end to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza after nearly two weeks of intense air and artillery strikes…  While some Western governments have voiced support for Israel’s military campaign, many Muslim states have called for an immediate ceasefire, with many of their people… expressing solidarity with Palestinians…

“In Jordan, which made peace with Israel in 1994, but where much of the population has Palestinian heritage, more than 6,000 protesters marched in the centre of the capital while thousands more rallied near the Israeli embassy. Protesters voiced support for Hamas, urging it to attack Israel with rocket strikes and suicide bombings, and addressing the Palestinian group with the chant: ‘We are your army.’

“Thousands of demonstrators also gathered in each of Turkey and Egypt, two other countries that have long had full diplomatic relations with Israel…

“Israel’s biggest regional foe Iran, and allied groups around the region, also held state-sanctioned protests. In Iraq, Shi’ite militias backed by Tehran mobilised hundreds of supporters in Baghdad…”

Demonstrations and riots are not limited to the Arab world. Note the next article.

Pro-Palestine Demonstrations in Germany

Bild Online wrote on October 21:

“Pro-Palestine demonstrations have been announced again in major cities for Saturday. The security forces are on alert because there have been repeated outbreaks of violence and anti-Semitic slogans in the last few days… Around 7,000 people gathered at Düsseldorf Central Station at 2 p.m. who wanted to march across Königsallee towards the state parliament. Hundreds of police are on site and also have reinforcements from Bavaria.

“Incredible: One of the speakers openly threatened the CDU mayor Dr. Stephan Keller (53). He should change his course, otherwise the demonstrators would come every Saturday – their children would already make up 30 percent of the students in Düsseldorf. Apparently they were referring to children of Muslim parents… A hate sign read: ‘Israel is committing genocide..’ [The sign also said: ‘Extinguish the families, their mothers and children. These animals are no longer allowed to live.’…

“A woman in a leather jacket shouted into the microphone: ‘Mass murderer Israel! Women murderer Israel! Child murderer Israel!’ On her T-shirt the outline of the State of Israel and the Palestinian territories are pictured – but the entire area bears the Palestinian colors. A clear sign that she wants to wipe out the state of Israel and wipe it off the map.”

Pro-Palestinian Rally in London

Breitbart wrote on October 21:

“An estimated 100,000 people joined a pro-Palestinian rally in London on Saturday, including supporters of radical Islam and far-left groups such as Antifa and various socialist organisations… protesters carried signs including some depicting both British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Hitler moustaches.

“.. people at the rally [did] carry signs in support of radical Islamic jihad and calling for the ‘Muslim armies’ of the world to enter the fight against Israel.”

Many more pro-Hamas demonstrations occurred in the Western world.

Erdogan: “Hamas Are Liberators”

AFP wrote on October 25:

“‘We had a project to go to Israel, but it was cancelled, we will not go,’ Erdogan told ruling party lawmakers in parliament, adding that he viewed Hamas as ‘liberators’ fighting for their own land. Ankara’s relations with Israel froze over an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship carrying aid into Gaza, which killed 10 civilians in 2010.

“Erdogan met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a United Nations summit in New York last month, marking an improvement in relations that began with a decision last year to reappoint ambassadors.

“The Turkish leader did not say when he had intended to visit Israel… ‘Of course, we had good intentions, but (Netanyahu) abused them,’ Erdogan said. ‘If he had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but now, unfortunately, this will not happen either.’”

Erdogan is showing his true colors once again. He is and always has been an extreme hater of Israel. The relationship between the two countries will continue to deteriorate.

Israel Will “Cut Off the Head of the Snake”

The Daily Mail wrote on October 21:

“Israel last night vowed to cut off ‘the head of the snake’ and launch a military attack against Iran if Tehran-backed terror group Hezbollah joins the war…. Nir Barkat, Israel’s Minister of Economy, warned that Iran’s Ayatollahs will be ‘wiped off the face of the earth’ should Hezbollah, their proxy terror group in Lebanon, attack Israel…

“… fears are growing that Israel could be forced to fight on two fronts, with Hezbollah and the Israel Defence Forces last week repeatedly trading fire across Israel’s northern border with Lebanon…

“In a direct threat to deter Tehran from intervening further, Mr Barkat warned that not only would Israel ‘eliminate Hezbollah’, if it believes the terror group is opening up a ‘northern front’, but ‘we will actually target Iran.’

In a sense, Hezbollah has already joined the war.

Israel Clashes With UN

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 24:

“Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign, accusing him of ‘expressing an understanding’ for the ‘terrorism and murder’ of Hamas’ October 7 attacks.

“In comments to the United Nations Security Council earlier Tuesday, Guterres decried ‘clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza.’ He said Palestinians had been subjected to decades of occupation, before adding: ‘It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.’

“Erdan took to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and said Guterres’ comments meant he was ‘not fit to lead the UN.’ The UN chief’s remarks also angered Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who pointed his finger at Guterres and raised his voice to recount graphic accounts of civilians, including young children, who were murdered on October 7. ‘Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live?’ Cohen said.

“Cohen canceled a planned meeting with Guterres after the clash. ‘I will not meet with the UN Secretary-General. After October 7th there is no room for a balanced approach. Hamas must be wiped off the face of the Earth,’ wrote Cohen on social media.”

The ineffective UN with its left-wing leaders is an embarrassment to the world. Subsequently, Guterres claimed that he had been misinterpreted, but what he said was very clear.

Where We Stand

Judge Andrew Napolitano wrote on October 19:

“The U.S. has been Israel’s best and most faithful friend since Israel’s creation… Foreign aid is nowhere authorized in the Constitution… former Rep. Dr. Ron Paul, has argued eloquently…  that Russia has won the war in Ukraine…

“We have a president who cannot put two sentences together, much less credibly negotiate with foreign heads of state for peace. We have a Congress beholden to the intelligence community and the military-industrial complex. We have one big government party in Washington. It is pro-warfare, pro-deep state… History shows indisputably that when all else fails, governments bring us to war.”

Much of what Napolitano wrote in his article, we cannot agree with, but the above-quoted sections appear to be accurate.

American Leadership?

Reuters wrote on October 19:

“President Joe Biden launched a new mission on Thursday to convince Americans they should spend billions more on supporting Israel and Ukraine in their wars… ‘American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us, America, safe,’ said Biden…”

Once upon a time perhaps, but most certainly not now under the current Administration.

Biden’s Catastrophic Oval Office Address

Breitbart wrote on October 19:

“Joe Biden gave a rare Oval Office address Thursday night that began with a clear condemnation of Hamas terror, but quickly shifted focus to cynical politicking and narrative setting, even while Americans are still being held hostage.

“Joe Biden has harmed Israel in numerous ways over his presidency and vice presidency while simultaneously enabling terrorists and their funders. He is also clearly perceived as a weak target by our adversaries around the world; so, the longer the media is focused on Israel, Jews, Hamas rockets, decapitated babies, and American hostages, the worse Joe is going to look. His political instincts told him to try to switch gears.

“He did that in his speech tonight. It was not only clumsy, it was offensive… The world thought the speech would be about Israel. And he did talk about Israel. But the speech was really about Ukraine.

“He tried to connect Israel and Ukraine in order to suggest to Americans that if you support Israel’s war for its own survival, you must also support limitless taxpayer resources being sent to Ukraine…

“Israel is not Ukraine. Israel is a much closer ally. It is a democracy, and has been for far longer than Ukraine… If Israel is wiped off the map—the stated objective of those who are at war against it right now—then the Holy Land will be in jeopardy… Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and Israel is not…

“Joe Biden and his cabinet are in league with the military-industrial complex, none more so than his Secretary of State, Antony Blinken… Joe [Biden] scolded Americans for Islamophobia from two decades ago, despite the fact that radical Muslims targeted Jews for torture, rape, and murder just this month… Joe Biden rarely misses an opportunity to divide so long as he believes it advances his political position.”

Most conservative newscasters rejected the speech and Biden’s approach; especially, as he did not condemn Iran for its role in the atrocities committed by Hamas.

Biden Requests $106 Billion

Thomson/Reuters reported on October 20:

“The White House on Friday asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. border security, but offered no strategy for securing the money from Congress…

“By grouping Israel funding with Ukraine, border security, refugee assistance, measures to counter China, and other hotly debated priorities, Biden is hoping he has created a must-pass national security spending bill that can win support in a chaotic House of Representatives… Some Republican lawmakers have grown skeptical of the need to fund Ukraine’s war with Russia, and have threatened to halt government altogether to put an end to debt-fueled fiscal spending…

“… the largest share of funding, $61.4 billion, would be for Ukraine. The request includes billions to replenish the country’s military equipment, providing economy and security aid and support for refugees in the United States.”

This package will never pass Congress.

Biden Is Played by Iran, Hamas and Qatar

The New York Post wrote on October 20:

“Despite telling the world Hamas is evil, President Joe Biden is pursuing policies of appeasement toward the terrorist group’s two largest patrons and, in so doing, undermining American and Israeli deterrence… While Biden Thursday night promised the American people we would hold Iran accountable for its sponsorship of Hamas, the mullahs in Tehran do not today perceive any credible threat of coercion from the United States.

“Quite the opposite, in fact. The Biden administration entered an unacknowledged nuclear arrangement with Iran over the summer, offering upwards of $50 billion for Tehran to delay production of weapons-grade uranium. That agreement still holds, with billions of dollars available for Iran’s use in Iraq-, Oman- and Qatar-based bank accounts — and billions more generated through oil exports to China.

“Indeed, the same day Biden visited Israel this week, he allowed the United Nations missile embargo on Iran to expire… Tehran rightly perceives American weakness and fear of escalation — which is one way to guarantee Iranian escalation…

“For the last few days, Iran’s proxies in Iraq and Syria have attacked US forces without any American military retaliation… Hezbollah escalated its attacks on Israel this week with daily anti-tank missiles and rocket launches.

“The other delaying factor in Israel launching further operations to destroy Hamas is America’s undermining role in empowering Hamas and its Qatari sponsors to run the table on a hostage negotiation. Never mind Qatar was the broker of the last US hostage deal, which netted Iran $6 billion for five people… Right now, Hamas wants to buy time — and it’s using its hostages to prematurely end Israel’s military response…

“With Qatar finally facing calls to designate it a state sponsor of terrorism, Hamas unexpectedly released two American hostages Friday — and thanked Qatar for its efforts to win their release… Rather than allow Hamas to leverage America, America should leverage Qatar: threatening tough economic sanctions if all hostages are not released within 48 hours… If America doesn’t get tough with Iran and Qatar, Hamas will survive, and Iran will emerge more dangerous and emboldened than ever…”

America is most certainly NOT the leader of the Free World. America is not even being led right now by its “leadership.”

Biden’s Three Wars

Ron Paul wrote on October 23 in an article published by the Ron Paul Institute:

“President Joe Biden announced last week that the United States would be funding – and possibly fighting – three wars in three different parts of the world at the same time. It is an ambitious foreign policy for a president who doesn’t even seem to be able to express a coherent thought without the help of a teleprompter. Nearly every word of Biden’s speech was untrue, including the preposterous suggestion that ‘American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us, America, safe.’

“… The world is literally falling apart in front of us as Biden claims we are the only thing holding it together!…

“Recent polls show that most Americans disagree with Biden… the majority of Americans oppose sending weapons to Israel…

“As Biden demands another $105 billion to fund the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Taiwan… [he] may have miscalculated the level of support he will get for being a ‘World-War-Three-time president.’”

Unprecedented Debacle of the House Republicans

The Associated Press wrote on October 20:

“Republicans dropped Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday as their nominee for House speaker, making the decision during a closed-door session after the Donald Trump ally failed badly on a third ballot for the gavel… In the 17 days since Kevin McCarthy was removed in a rebellion by right-wing hard-liners, no other Republican has been able to muster enough votes to replace him, sparking one of the worst institutional crises Washington has seen in decades…

“The House is now ending its third work week without a leader. That means it cannot act on a $106 billion national-security package unveiled by Biden on Friday that would bolster U.S. border security and send billions to support the war campaigns of Israel and Ukraine. Republicans control the House by a narrow 221-212 majority and can afford few defections on party-line votes. Aside from McCarthy and Jordan, Republicans have also rejected their No. 2, Steve Scalise, who won the nomination last week but dropped out after he was unable to consolidate support…

“Republicans have already considered and rejected a backup option that would allow the House take up pressing matters, like Biden’s aid package or funding for the U.S. government that is due to expire on Nov. 17. That plan would give more authority to Republican Representative Patrick McHenry, who is filling the speaker’s chair on a temporary basis… Republicans opted not to pursue it on Thursday…

“Jordan’s failure has deepened bitter divisions within the Republican Party, extending a weeks-long paralysis of Congress at a time of heightened international tension and with a government shutdown looming in less than a month… Republicans have no realistic or workable plan to unite the fractured GOP majority, elect a new speaker, and return to the work of Congress that has been languishing since hard-liners ousted Kevin McCarthy at the start of the month… The House Republican majority appears to have no idea how to end the political turmoil and get back to work.”

We are reminded of this prophecy in Isaiah 3:6-7. But then, a last minute “rescue” operation took place… sort of.

Johnson Elected Speaker of the House

CNN wrote on October 25:

“Rep. Mike Johnson secured the speaker’s gavel without losing any GOP votes Wednesday after weeks of party infighting left the House in chaos. The Louisiana lawmaker has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and was a key congressional figure in the failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election…. There were 220 votes for Johnson and 209 votes for Democrat Hakeem Jeffries…

“House Republicans faced intensifying pressure to elect a new speaker after former speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted more than three weeks ago. The House has remained effectively frozen since then — a dire situation as Congress faces a November funding deadline and as crisis unfolds abroad in Ukraine and with Israel’s war against Hamas.”

Breitbart added on October 25:

“Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) is a strong advocate of the House’s impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden for his involvement in the Biden family business.”

It appears that Johnson was selected by the GOP because of desperation, not “conviction,” if that word can even be used for the House Republicans at this point. We will see whether Johnson will retain the support of the Republicans when he gets to work amongst a host of many contentious issues.

The Russian-Ukraine War… No End in Sight

The Associated Press wrote on October 20:

“Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke by phone with U.S. President Joe Biden about Washington’s future support for Kyiv, and Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a military base near the Ukrainian border, as the warring countries laid plans for the winter and next year’s combat operations. Almost 20 months of war have sapped both sides’ military resources. The fighting is likely to settle into positional and attritional warfare during the approaching wintry weather, analysts say, with little change along the more than 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line…

“With uncertainty over the scale of Kyiv’s future Western aid, and after Ukraine’s five-month counteroffensive sapped Russian reserves but apparently only dented Russian front-line defences, the two sides are scrambling to replenish their stockpiles for 2024.

“Ukraine has been expending ammunition at a rate of more than 200,000 rounds per month, according to Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London. ‘Sufficient ammunition to sustain this rate of fire is not going to be forthcoming as NATO stockpiles deplete, and production rates for ammunition remain too low to meet this level of demand,’ Watling wrote in an assessment published late Thursday.

“Meanwhile, Russian production ‘has turned a corner,’ he said. Moscow’s domestic ammunition production is growing quickly, at more than 100 long-range missiles a month compared with 40 a month a year ago, for example, according to Watling. Also, Russia is reported to be receiving supplies from Iran, North Korea and other countries….”

Russia will win this war, or in some way, Russia and Ukraine will unite. It is only a matter of time.

EU Army Debuts

European Conservative wrote on October 24:

“EU militarisation stepped up a notch as European troops completed what is likely just the first of many live exercises as one joint EU fighting unit off the coast of Cadiz in southern Spain.

“For the first time, European militaries operated under a single flag to conduct a joint drill using actual troops and equipment. A total of 2,800 military personnel from 19 member states simulated the initial phase of a ‘stabilisation operation,’ involving land, air, sea, and cyber components…

“The joint exercises are also seen as the dress rehearsal for the debut of EU Rapid Deployment Units later this year. These will consist of 5,000-person commando units, and Brussels elites hope that they will be able to respond to the emergence of sudden crises… Eurofederalists see the creation of a single EU army as essential to ensuring the bloc’s geopolitical voice is heard on the world stage.

“Political critics from the left and the right have long warned that the emergence of an EU army would severely undermine the power of individual member states and electorates to set their own foreign policy. However, these concerns have been largely swept aside as the bloc seeks to militarise in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis.”

The long-awaited EU Army is moving forward.

What If Trump Becomes Next President…

The American Prospect wrote on October 25:

“Donald Trump… been laying out an agenda for a potential second term… [According to Rolling Stones,] Trump is planning to tear up NATO, in form if not in fact. ‘Trump, the sources say, has continued to express an openness to pulling the U.S. out of NATO altogether.’ Apparently, he might consider not doing so if other members agree to sharply increase their military spending, and re-evaluate ‘the bedrock principle that an attack on one member is tantamount to an attack on all.’…

“… most European NATO members do not spend the required 2 percent of GDP on defense. That is true, and it is also true that the U.S. has provided far and away the bulk of NATO’s military power over its life… If Trump yanks the NATO rug out from under the EU, European nations will have no choice but to carry out a full-scale rearmament program… with massive production of tanks, ships, planes, artillery, rockets, and so on. Without the security blanket of American protection, German dithering over the Bundeswehr will end. Poland is likely to go for a nuclear weapons program; it has already suggested hosting U.S. nukes. Theoretically, France or the U.K. could provide a nuclear guarantee, but having been burned once, Poles may conclude that it is best to have a domestic arsenal. And they might not be the only ones.

“All this may come too late to save Ukraine, which currently depends heavily on American aid that Trump has already argued should be cut off. Should Putin defeat the Ukrainian military, the result will almost certainly be a grinding insurgency and shattering regional refugee crisis that will only escalate the urgency of European rearmament…

“In sum, a second Trump term would be a complete disaster for peace and security around the world. He would… create another major military alliance bloc, armed to the teeth. This bloc would be rightly enraged by American betrayal, and potentially end up as outright hostile…”

Indeed, a hostile military EU power bloc will emerge.

Jens Spahn on Immigration

The Daily Mail wrote on October 24:

“… former German health minister Jens Spahn demanded that ‘anyone who is rescued in the Mediterranean must be returned to the North African coast.’ The deputy chairman of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) went on to say that the closure of EU borders ‘will happen’…

“Mr Spahn said: ‘The key question is not repatriation, but limiting irregular migration. ‘If we talk about illegal migration, logically the number should be zero, because it’s illegal.’… he said that if necessary the EU must ‘use physical violence to stop irregular migration movements’.”

Trump Allies Cave In

Newsmax wrote on October 20:

“Kenneth Chesebro, who served as a campaign legal adviser for former President Donald Trump, has accepted an offer to plead guilty as jury selection was under way in connection with the Fulton County, Georgia, election interference case. Chesebro was charged along with Trump and more than a dozen co-defendants for attempting to delay the transfer of power after the 2020 election, and agreed on Friday to plead guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit filing false documents… He had originally faced seven felony counts in the case.

“Chesebro’s plea means he will serve five years in prison, pay $5,000 in restitution to the state, and serve 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to write a letter of apology to the citizens of Georgia and to testify truthfully as the other cases move along.

“His plea comes one day after attorney Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor charges in connection with an election data breach in Coffee County, and after Atlanta bail bondsman Scott Hall reached a plea deal in the same incident. Chesebro and Powell both sought speedy trials, with Chesebro described by the prosecution in the case as playing a major role in a plan for Republican electors being organized in support of Trump.

“He had drafted memos suggesting the General Assembly or Congress could declare Trump as having won the 2020 election in Georgia, using voting fraud as a reason. Before the deal, Chesebro was unsuccessful in a bid to have the memos excluded as trial evidence. He and Powell were to have been tried in the same proceedings.”

These coerced cowardly acts of “self-preservation” were predictable, but they could cause great harm to Trump.

Another Trump Attorney Flips

CNBC wrote on October 24:

“Jenna Ellis, the right-wing attorney who worked on the Trump 2020 presidential campaign, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a criminal charge in the Georgia election interference case… The slew of recent plea deals in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ racketeering case signals a growing threat to Trump, who is fighting criminal charges in four separate cases as he runs for president in 2024.

“Ellis, 38, pleaded guilty in Fulton County Superior Court to one count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. The charge related to false claims of voter fraud that were made to members of the Georgia Senate at a hearing in early December 2020.

“In a tearful statement before Judge Scott McAfee, Ellis expressed regret for her actions in the wake of Trump’s loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election… she said… I failed to do my due diligence.’ Instead, she said she relied on information that was provided to her by other lawyers ‘with many more years of experience.’…

“Ellis will avoid prison time as part of her plea agreement. She was sentenced to five years of probation and must pay $5,000 in restitution, in addition to completing 100 hours of community service and penning an apology letter to the people of Georgia. She must also testify truthfully at all hearings or trials involving other co-defendants in the case, including Trump… The three others who have already pleaded guilty — Powell, ex-Trump campaign attorney Kenneth Chesebro and bail bondsman Scott Hall — also agreed to provide truthful testimony in their co-defendants’ cases…”

The pressure of the prosecution on Ellis to make a plea deal is obvious. Also, it was reported that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was granted immunity to testify under oath against Trump in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s January 6 case. All of this smells very bad.

Gag Orders Against Trump Suppress Free Speech

The Ron Paul Institute published the following article by Professor Jonathan Turley on October 21:

“The imposition of a gag order on former President Donald Trump was overwhelmingly applauded by pundits and press alike. Journalists described the order from US District Judge Tanya Chutkan as ‘narrow’ and ‘limited.’…

“However, this order should concern everyone who values freedom of speech. While the odds may favor Chutkan on appeal, this order should be overturned as overbroad and dangerous.

“For years, many of us have criticized Trump for his personal attacks on judges and opponents alike. Undeterred, Trump has continued such inflammatory attacks on ‘deranged’ Special Counsel Jack Smith and the ‘biased, Trump-hating Judge Chutkan.’ Smith has pushed aggressively for a gag order, even though one of the major issues in Trump’s campaign is whether the Biden Administration has weaponized the criminal justice system against him and other Republicans…

“The First Amendment was written in the aftermath of such abuses, including the infamous prosecution of publisher John Peter Zenger 290 years ago in 1733. Some polls show that a majority now believe the Trump prosecutions are ‘politically motivated.’ Tens of millions oppose the prosecutions, and this will be the single most-discussed issue of the campaign. Yet, one candidate would be both the subject of this national debate and a gag order barring full participation in it.

“Chutkan steadfastly refused to recognize that either this case or this defendant are far from typical. Her order bars Trump from making statements against Smith, his staff, court personnel, and potential witnesses. That last category could include one of Trump’s opponents in the presidential election, former Vice President Mike Pence… Chutkan… has imposed a vaguely worded court order that could turn campaign speeches into criminal contempt…

“Smith has long adopted extreme legal positions that ignore constitutional values. This includes his prosecution of the former governor of Virginia, Robert McDonnell (R), which was reversed in a unanimous 8-0 decision by the Supreme Court in 2016…

“The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit… stressed that any such limits on free speech should be treated as ‘presumptively void and may be upheld only on the basis of a clear showing that an exercise of First Amendment rights will interfere with the rights of the parties to a fair trial.’…”

This gag order by biased judge Chutkan is in addition to the gag order imposed by Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron and the imposition of a fine of $5,000.00 for its alleged intentional violation with the obviously biased judge’s warning that future violations will subject Trump to “far more severe sanctions” — including imprisonment.

Partisan Judge Does It Again

The Associated Press wrote on October 25:

“The judge in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial fined the former president $10,000 on Wednesday, saying Trump violated a limited gag order barring personal attacks on court staffers. The fine came after Trump was called to the witness stand to explain his comment outside the courtroom about ‘a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside’ the [“partisan”] judge in the case, Judge Arthur Engoron’… Trump and his lawyers said his comment Wednesday was about witness Michael Cohen, not the clerk.”

The biased judge stated he does not find Trump’s testimony credible, fined him with another $10,000.00 [in addition to the $5,000.00 previously imposed] and said, “Don’t do it again or it will be worse.” This is such a travesty of justice! The whole trial is a joke.

As Newsmax explained on October 25, “Before the trial began on Oct. 2, Engoron found that Trump fraudulently inflated his net worth and ordered the dissolution of companies that control crown jewels of his real estate portfolio, including Trump Tower in Manhattan. That ruling is on hold while Trump appeals.

“The trial largely concerns damages. James is seeking at least $250 million in fines, a permanent ban against Trump and his sons Donald Jr and Eric from running businesses in New York and a five-year commercial real estate ban against Trump and the Trump Organization.”

Biden Free to “Contact” Social Media Platforms

The New York Times wrote on October 20:

“The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Biden administration officials to continue to contact social media platforms to combat what the officials say is misinformation, pausing a sweeping ruling from a federal appeals court that had severely limited such interactions.

“The justices also agreed to hear the administration’s appeal in the case, setting the stage for a major test of the role of the First Amendment in the internet era — one that will require the court to consider when government efforts to limit the spread of misinformation amount to censorship of constitutionally protected speech.

“Three justices dissented from the court’s decision to lift the restrictions on administration officials while the case moves forward. ‘Government censorship of private speech is antithetical to our democratic form of government, and therefore today’s decision is highly disturbing,’ Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch.

“Justice Alito criticized the majority for acting ‘without undertaking a full review of the record and without any explanation’ and allowing the administration to continue its interactions until the court finally rules, ‘an event that may not occur until late in the spring of next year.’…

“The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled last month that officials from the White House, the surgeon general’s office, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the F.B.I. had most likely violated the First Amendment in their bid to persuade companies to remove posts about the coronavirus pandemic, claims of election fraud and Hunter Biden’s laptop computer….”

And so, for now, Biden can continue threatening social media platforms in an attempt to censor opinions contrary to his agenda.

Sebastian Kurz on Trial

Politico wrote on October 18:

“Former Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz, his political and personal future hanging in the balance, appeared in a courtroom here on Wednesday for the opening of what could be the first of multiple trials that will determine whether he was a corrupt manipulator as chancellor, as prosecutors allege, or the victim of overzealous state attorneys and political rivals intent on undermining him.

“The Austrian’s fairytale rise from unknown youth leader into an international political star and chancellor at just 30 ended abruptly in October of 2021, when he was forced to resign amid accusations of corruption…

“Kurz faces criminal charges for allegedly giving false testimony to a parliamentary committee. Prosecutors also suspect him of misusing public funds to pay for doctored public opinion polls, though he has yet to be indicted in that case. The trial that began Wednesday concerns the false testimony accusation. Kurz denies any wrongdoing on both fronts…

“Kurz’s lawyers offered a spirited rebuttal of the prosecutors’ claims in court on Wednesday, dismissing them as ‘fake,’ insisting there was ‘no evidence’ against Kurz and suggesting that [prosecutor] Adamovic had manipulated witness testimony (he denied the claim).

“The latter accusation prompted the presiding judge to enquire whether the defense was accusing the prosecution of malpractice, to which Kurz’s counsel responded he would leave it up to the court to make that determination.

“The most dramatic turn in the trial came near the end of the day, when Kurz’s former deputy Glatz-Kremsner suddenly agreed to settle her case by acknowledging ‘mistakes’ and paying a fine of about €100,000…

“A conviction would complicate Kurz’s new career, which he told the court was as an ‘entrepreneur.’ It would also likely dash any lingering hopes he may have for a future in politics. Since his resignation as chancellor, he has worked as a consultant for Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel and started a cybersecurity firm in Israel…”

AFP wrote on October 20:

“Austria’s former chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a court Friday he was the victim of a selective prosecution and an opposition out to ‘destroy him’, defending himself against accusations of having given false testimony… Kurz accused prosecutors of having misinterpreted his answers to the 2020 inquiry, and of having submitted selected pieces of evidence to paint a skewed picture…

“It is the first time in more than 30 years that a former chancellor has stood trial…”

The parallels with the witch-hunt against Trump are all too obvious.

The Dangerous Gender Ideology

The Daily Mail wrote on October 21:

“A former Tavistock Trust doctor [Dr. Az Hakeem] has said Britain could become a nation of chemically castrated children if trans and gender theory is allowed to fester unchallenged… he told MailOnline society is in an ‘awful situation’ when it comes to trans people – and it’s even worse for those who realise they want to revert to their original sex… He said 26 per cent of his patients… regretted transitioning…

“’The culture is one where people don’t challenge someone who says they are a different sex. Increasingly organisations are going on with this narrative that people are born in the wrong body. No one is born in the wrong body.’”

Of course not. It is unbelievable that many believe this nonsense.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Hamas Is Iran’s Proxy

Life Mint wrote on October 9:

“Iran helped Hamas plot the rocket attack on Israel and approved of the assault during a meeting in Beirut last week, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal… The report also stated that the officers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard have worked with Hamas to plan the deadly attack since August. It is pertinent to note that Hamas is the Shiite militant group that holds control in Gaza, while Hezbollah is a political faction backed by Iran in Lebanon…”

Times of Israel wrote on October 8:

“Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad tells the BBC that Iran gave its support to the Palestinian terror group to launch its surprise multi-front attack on Israel on Saturday…

“Tehran is a key backer of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.”

Hezbollah is also actively involved in bombing Israel. There can be no doubt that Iran is behind all of these terrorist attacks. The slaughter and kidnapping of thousands of Jews are the direct consequence of Biden’s recent ill-advised “deal” with Iran regarding the exchange of prisoners.

Breitbart reported on October 14 that “Israel Defense Forces killed Ali Qadi, the Hamas commander behind the Palestinian terror group’s attack on Israel, which left at least 1,300 dead and more than 3,000 wounded.”

Israel’s Deadly Wound?

Breitbart wrote on October 10:

“Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the brutal Hamas terrorist attack on Saturday as an ‘irreparable defeat’ for Israel. He blamed the Israelis for bringing rape and murder upon themselves… ‘It is unlikely that the usurping regime will be able to use the help of the West to repair the deep impacts that this incident has left on its ruling structures,’ Khamenei claimed…

“Khamenei praised the Hamas terrorists as ‘mujahideen,’ or holy warriors, and railed against the ‘brutal measures’ taken by Israel against the ‘oppressed Palestinian nation.’… He threatened the Israelis with even worse consequences if they retaliate against the terrorists he supports… Khamenei hastened to claim that Tehran wholeheartedly approves of the slaughter in Israel, but played no role in planning or executing it…

“Khamenei told the Iranian cadets that all Muslims should be prepared to take up arms and fight alongside the Palestinians…”

It is the declared goal of Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and other Arab nations to totally destroy and obliterate the state of Israel. Psalm 83 and Hosea 5:13 come to mind.

An Evil Not Even Created by the Devil?

Breitbart reported on October 13:

“Eli Cohen, Israel’s foreign minister, said on Monday evening in a press conference that Hamas’ actions constitute ‘an evil that’s not created even by the devil.’”

Satan is terribly underestimated.

Unprecedented For 50 Years: Israel Declares Total War!

Breitbart wrote on October 8:

“Israel formally declared war on Saturday evening for the first time in 50 years…

“The last official ‘war’ was the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when Israel was taken by surprise in an attack by Egypt and Syria. Though Israel has fought several conflicts since then, many of which are popularly referred to as ‘wars,’ the country has not officially declared war in half a century.

“The Prime Minister’s office also announced that it was cutting off ‘electricity, fuel, and goods’ to Gaza…

“The Palestinian terror attack happened on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the final day of the annual High Holy Day cycle [the Last Great Day].”

“Iran has already declared ‘victory’…”

Humanitarian Aid for Gaza?

Bloomberg reported on October 18:

“Biden said Israel’s war cabinet had agreed ‘to the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza’ and that trucks would begin carrying aid from Egypt across the border.

“The US president also announced $100 million in aid for both Gaza and the West Bank and said there would be checks to ensure that aid went to civilians in need and not to Hamas…”

It is doubtful that Hamas will stand idly by if and when humanitarian aid is delivered to the people of Gaza.

Israel’s 9/11

Israel 365 News wrote on October 8:

“What we are experiencing now is unthinkable, unimaginable. The horror, the evil, the pain. It is more than we can bear. Parents and children are slaughtered. Elderly people and their nurses, are slaughtered. Teenagers at an outdoor party, slaughtered. 

“For those who are far away, who may not grasp the enormity of this horror – this is Israel’s 9/11… Israel is in crisis, in a way many of us have never experienced in our lifetimes…

“It is only a matter of time before President Biden and the US government begins pressuring Israel to stop its retaliation against Hamas terrorists. Sickeningly, the European Union has already done so, even as Hamas terrorists hold… of Israeli citizens hostages…”

“Biden’s Empty Words for Israel”

Israel 365 News reported on October 13:

“‘We will continue to stand united, supporting the people of Israel who are suffering unspeakable losses, in opposing the hatred and violence of terrorism.’ These words were part of a ten-minute address delivered by US President Joe Biden in response to the war in Israel…  Those Israelis who are basking in the glow of Joe Biden, lover of Israel, should pay attention to what he did not say in his short address. 

“Biden did not mention Iran, Israel’s primary enemy. While he called out Hamas for its goal of murdering Jews and wiping Israel off the map, he said nothing of the parent company, Iran, which holds to the identical ideology and aims. Iran, of course, is the primary financial backer of Hamas. The Iranian regime not only praised the Hamas atrocities, it has tacitly admitted its awareness and involvement in the planning of the attacks…

“So, as Israelis are filled with warm fuzzies over Biden’s commitment to ‘stand united supporting the people of Israel’ against terrorism, the correct response is simple: As a result of its immoral and criminal policies, the Biden administration has Israeli blood on its hands.”

Breitbart added on October 15:

“Sunday, during an interview on CBS’s ‘60 Minutes,’ President Joe Biden voiced his opposition to Israeli occupation of Gaza in the wake of the Hamas terror attack on Israel.”

Biden’s trip to Israel proved to be a colossal failure as he was only able to meet with Netanyahu, while Arab leaders [including from Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority] whom he was supposed to see canceled all personal meetings with him.

Hamas the Same as or Worse Than ISIS

Fox News wrote on October 8:

“… jubilant Hamas terrorists uploaded to social media brutal video clips of their work: bodies of civilians lying dead in pools of blood at city bus stops, elderly people hauled away on motorbikes, and women and children hustled into jeeps and trucks as fighters battered and spat and screamed ‘God is great’ at their bewildered captives. 

“The terrifying videos, which also included groups of young Israeli and foreign partygoers tied up and taken into Gaza, were eerily reminiscent of images shared by the extremist Islamist group ISIS, which tried to establish an Islamic caliphate in northern Syria and Iraq several years ago.”

Europe Guilty

Washington Examiner wrote on October 9:

“European leaders have contributed to Hamas terrorism by providing aid to the Palestinians, an Israeli diplomatic official said. ‘The European Union was financing textbooks of the Palestinian authorities that were full of antisemitism and incitement for violence and terrorism against Jews,’ Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat told reporters Monday. ‘Those textbooks are the root of the Palestinian terror against Israelis. Young people are being taught, educated, to hate Jews and to murder Jews.’…

“‘To my mind, not since the Holocaust have so many Jews been killed on one day,’ Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Monday. ‘And not since the Holocaust have we witnessed scenes of Jewish women and children, grandparents, even Holocaust survivors, being herded into trucks and taken into captivity.’

“The carnage on Saturday shocked Western leaders and spurred Germany and Australia to announce a suspension of international aid to the Palestinians…

“EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi declared on social media that ‘all payments [are] immediately suspended,’ but the wider commission tempered that claim in a more formal statement announcing ‘an urgent review of the EU’s assistance for Palestine’ in light of the attack.”

Europe’s stance against Israel is manifesting itself over and over again.

Netanyahu Responsible?

Newsweek wrote on October 9:

“Benjamin Netanyahu ‘bears responsibility’ for the deadliest raid into Israeli territory in 50 years, newspaper Haaretz has said.

“The left-leaning publication blamed intelligence failures and the Israeli prime minister’s policy towards Palestinians …

“The op-ed said that the prime minister had ‘completely failed to identify the dangers he was consciously leading Israel into’ when he established a government of ‘annexation and dispossession’…

“The paper said that Netanyahu’s foreign policy ‘openly ignored the existence and rights of Palestinians’…

“The newspaper said that after winning in the last election, his ‘fully-right government’ had taken steps to annex the West Bank and to carry out ethnic cleansing in parts of the Oslo-defined Area C, including the Hebron Hills and the Jordan Valley.’

“The piece criticized Netanyahu for a ‘massive expansion’ of settlements and increasing the Jewish presence on [the] Temple Mount near the Al Aqsa Mosque, as well as a peace deal with Saudi Arabia ‘in which the Palestinians get nothing.’”

The accusations against Netanyahu and blaming him for the terrorist attacks are ridiculous. A misfired rocket by a Hamas faction, hitting a hospital in Gaza and causing the death of more than 500 civilians, was also originally blamed falsely on Israel. The irresponsible reporting triggered all kinds of anti-Israeli and anti-American protests and riots all over the world.

The Coming Destruction of Al Aqsa

Life Site News wrote on October 13:

“The mosque on the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is the third holiest site in Islam. No non-Muslim is permitted to pray there.

“On October 4, the mosque was occupied by around 1,000 Israeli settlers. Screaming ‘death to the Arabs,’ this crowd appeared not only to intentionally enrage Muslims worldwide, but also to restate the intention of the ruling government faction to destroy the mosque and rebuild the temple in its place…

“Ben-Gvir… is committed to rebuilding the Third Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. To do this, the Al-Aqsa Mosque must be destroyed and replaced with it.

“A ceremony must be held before the temple is built, with the mount scattered with the ashes of a red heifer. In September 2022, Netanyahu’s government celebrated the purchase and arrival in Israel of three red heifers…”

“Israeli settlers are behind the move to rebuild the temple, which Muslims know will mean the obliteration of their third holiest shrine. The scattering of these ashes will ‘purify’ the mount, encouraging many more religious Jews to enter the site.”

It Could Also Happen in the USA

Newsmax wrote on October 8:

“Franklin Graham told Newsmax Sunday that events similar to what’s transpiring in Israel could happen in the United States…

“The United States recently reported, 232,972 southwest border encounters for the month of August. A number of reports from the past year say that a deluge of military-age men, not just from Latin America but from China and other parts of the world, are filing in.”

The FBI seems to agree with Graham.

Trump and the 14^th Amendment

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on October 6:

“In the developing world the party in power does away with its opponents one of three ways: a bullet to the head, throwing them in jail or kicking them off the ballot… America, Leader of the Free World, is already at work on two of the three.

“With it becoming ever-clearer that nothing in the courts is likely to stop Trump… attention has turned to the third dirty solution, driving him off the ballot in as many states as possible to enable a Joe Biden walk-on win. The vehicle for this is supposedly the 14th Amendment, Section Three.

“Section Three was ratified in 1868 following the Civil War as a way to keep former Confederate officials out of government. It reads in whole ‘No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.’ (emphasis added).

“The obvious ploy is to claim Trump engaged in some sort of insurrection on January 6 and with that making him ineligible to be president, his name should be automatically (self-enacting) removed from all ballots…

“The problems with the 14th Amendment strategy begin with the question of whether the prohibition still exists. Written in 1868 to affect Confederate officials, the Article was overturned by Congress on behalf of several individuals. They could do the same for Trump…

“Also left undefined is the standard of proof for ‘insurrection.’ As a crime, insurrection has its legal definition. Trump, however, is not charged with insurrection (or sedition or rebellion) in any of the cases he now faces. The 14th Amendment in its Section One also provides for due process… [That is, it cannot be an automatic disqualification].”

The Biden Administration and the Left will stop at nothing to get rid of Trump.

The FBI’s Attack on Trump Supporters

Newsweek wrote on October 4:

“The federal government believes that the threat of violence and major civil disturbances around the 2024 U.S. presidential election is so great that it has quietly created a new category of extremists that it seeks to track and counter: Donald Trump’s army of MAGA followers.

“The challenge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the primary federal agency charged with law enforcement, is to pursue and prevent what it calls domestic terrorism without direct reference to political parties or affiliations—even though the vast majority of its current ‘anti-government’ investigations are of Trump supporters…”

What another incredible and unconstitutional left-wing extreme position the weaponized FBI is willing to take in support of the Biden Administration!

Trump: God Gave Me to You

Newsmax wrote on October 7:

“As Israel is reeling from deadly Hamas attacks springing it into a war in the Middle East and as Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on, former President Donald Trump is warning President Joe Biden has the world spiraling toward World War III. ‘We are closer to World War III than we’ve ever been, and I’m the only one that will prevent World War III,’ Trump told his campaign rally Saturday night in Cedar Rapids, Iowa… ‘That won’t be a war with army tanks going back and forth, too,’ Trump continued. ‘That will be a war with weaponry the likes of which this world has never seen before. I know it. I know it better than anybody.’

“A Trump supporter shouted that the world needs God, and Trump responded quickly. ‘You’ll need God,’ true,’ Trump said in a brief exchange…He said, ‘God gave me to you.’”

Trump should be very careful with his references to God. Note the next article.

Jesus Christ on Trump’s Side?

The Daily Mail wrote on October 3:

“Former President Donald Trump shared a strange court sketch on social media that showed him at his Manhattan fraud case with a person who looked like Jesus Christ sitting next him...

“Dom Lucre, a pro-Trump political commentator with over 700,000 followers on Twitter, captioned the image: ‘This is the most accurate court sketch of all time. Because nobody could have made it this far alone.’

“Trump shared the image to his Truth Social platform without any further caption…”

One needs to understand biblical prophecy to realize what is really going on in America and the rest of the world.

Trump—the Anointed One

The Los Angeles Times wrote on October 12:

“The two-day church revival held in August just outside Las Vegas featured nearly 70 speakers who preached that vaccines are poisonous and will bring about the end of the world, that a cabal of global leaders is engaged in child sex trafficking and that the 2020 election was stolen.

“Through it all was an apocalyptic drumbeat that the country will be destroyed if Trump doesn’t become president again. God wants him to win in 2024, speakers proclaimed to their audience, and as Christians they have been called upon to ensure he does.

“‘We know the one in charge up above, and I can tell you that I believe that he has his hand now on Donald Trump, that no weapon formed against him shall prosper,’ Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, told the crowd. ‘God is a part of this race. I’m telling you guys this. I feel it deep down inside.’…

“Over the last year, the tour has become increasingly focused on reelecting Trump. In North Las Vegas, several speakers referred to him as the ‘rightful president.’ Self-described prophets spoke of Trump as God’s ‘anointed one’…”

While President, Trump called himself the “anointed one.” If God really wants Trump to win, then He surely does not need the votes of Christians.

A Contingent Presidential Election?

The Hill wrote on October 11:

“One thing I worry about is a contingent presidential election. That situation arises when no candidate gets a majority of electoral votes (270 of 538). Should this situation arise, Congress gets to pick the next president and vice president.

“Yes, you read correctly, the 535 folks whom 80 percent of Americans dislike make these momentous decisions.”

Judge Engoron’s Ridiculous Decision Against Trump

The New York Post wrote on September 27:

“A New York judge’s Tuesday ruling valuing Donald Trump’s sprawling, headline-making Florida estate at $18 million has left industry experts perplexed. In his verdict, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron delivered a bombshell ruling that the former president committed fraud by inflating the value of his wealth with details including the monetary value associated with Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.

“This decision, which came down without a jury, has sent shockwaves through political — and real estate — circles, especially that $18 million base value for the property. One prominent Palm Beach real estate broker, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Post, ‘It’s utterly delusional to think that property is only worth $18 million.’ The insider added, ‘If that property were on the market today, I would list it at around $300 million, minimum … at least. He also has the separate golf course minutes away.’…

“Forbes had appraised the property which is made up of 128 rooms, at approximately $160 million in 2018 following extensive renovations and its exclusive Palm Beach location on Billionaires’ Row. The property includes a 20,000-square-foot ballroom, five clay tennis courts and a sprawling waterfront pool. And in the five years since, Palm Beach properties have only increased in value…”

Engoron’s false and illegal decision via summary judgment without trial is so ridiculous that his objectivity must be questioned and his bias is clearly manifest. As a Democrat, he had called Trump last year “just a bad guy” when rebuking a lawyer who suggested that Trump was being unfairly singled out for investigation—which is undoubtedly correct.

RFK to Run as Independent

Breitbart wrote on October 9:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Monday he will run as an independent instead of challenging President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination…

“‘We declare independence from the cynical elites who betray our hope and who amplify our divisions. And finally, we declare independence from the two political parties,’ he added.”

RFK Warns the USA

Breitbart wrote on September 28:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned on Thursday that the ‘next step of Ukraine War escalation’ is stationing United States military advisers on the ground… He posted on X: ‘…Have they forgotten how we got embroiled in Vietnam?’”

Support for Ukraine Wanes

Reuters wrote on October 5:

“Support is falling among Americans of both major political parties for supplying Ukraine with weapons…

“The two-day poll… showed only 41% of respondents agreed with a statement that Washington ‘should provide weapons to Ukraine,’ compared to 35% who disagreed and the rest unsure.

“Support for U.S. weapon shipments is down from May, when a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 46% of Americans backed sending arms, while 29% were opposed and the rest unsure…

“Washington has provided $44 billion to supply Kyiv with dozens of tanks, thousands of rockets and millions of rounds of ammunition…

“Some Republicans, particularly those with the closest ties to former President Donald Trump… oppose the aid. It was left out of a stopgap funding bill Congress passed on Saturday to keep the government open, although the White House and some congressional leaders pledged to vote separately on a package for Kyiv.

“House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ouster on Tuesday added to the uncertainty, with some of his potential successors skeptical about the value to U.S. taxpayers of assisting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government…

“Some 52% of Democrats backed arming Ukraine in the most recent poll, down from 61% in May… Some 34% of Democrats in the poll agreed with a statement that Ukraine’s problems ‘are none of our business and we should not interfere,’ compared to 56% of Republicans.”

Change in Poland

The Associated Press wrote on October 17:

“The opposition leader who won Poland’s parliamentary election, Donald Tusk, appealed to the nation’s president Tuesday for ‘energetic and fast decisions’ so that a new government could be formed quickly. Three opposition parties that vowed to restore democratic standards in Poland together won over 54% of the votes in the nation’s weekend parliamentary elections, putting them in a position to take power…

“Poland’s constitution now requires President Andrzej Duda to assess the new political alignment of forces and to appoint a new prime minister who is tasked with forming a government that will need parliament’s approval, all within a set timeframe…

“Law and Justice, which governed the country for eight turbulent years, won slightly over 35% of the votes, making it the single party with the most votes. But the party and its leader Jarosław Kaczyński lost their majority in parliament and appeared to have no way to hold onto power…

“The election result was a huge victory for Tusk, the head of the largest opposition group, Civic Coalition. He appeared likely to return to his past role as Polish prime minister, a job he held from 2007-14. He also served as European Council president, a top job in the EU, from 2014-19.”

We feel that Poland would be one of the prophesied ten nations or groups of nations in Europe.

Newsom Vetoes Condom Bill

The New York Post wrote on October 8:

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Sunday that would require all public high schools in the Golden State to make free condoms available to students. The Democrat said he decided to return Senate Bill 541 without his signature because the economically stressed state — with more than 4,000 public schools — doesn’t have the funding for such an extensive program…

“Newsom said he believed in the bill’s merits but the financial toll made him unable to pen his signature.”

Newsom made the right decision for the wrong reasons.

Newsom Vetoes Gender Identity Law

Fox News wrote on September 23:

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, vetoed a bill late Friday night that would have required judges in child custody cases to consider whether a parent has affirmed their child’s gender identity…The bill was passed earlier this month by the state assembly, and was sent to the governor’s desk for his signature. But Newsom said in a statement released Friday night that he cannot sign the legislation. 

“The governor said he appreciates the ‘passion and values’ that led Democrat Assemblywoman Lori Wilson to introduce the bill and that he shares a ‘deep commitment to advancing the rights of transgender Californians, an effort that has guided my decisions through many decades in public office…

“‘That said, I urge caution when the Executive and Legislative branches of state government attempt to dictate… legal standards for the Judicial branch to apply,’ Newsom wrote. ‘Other-minded elected officials, in California and other states, could very well use this strategy to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities.’”

Another correct decision, but again, for basically the wrong reasons.

Coronavirus Vaccine Mandate Ends… For Now

Breitbart wrote on September 27:

“The Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest district in the nation, officially ended its coronavirus vaccine mandate for employees on Tuesday after endless controversy and a string of lawsuits.

“Wearing a mask at the vote to end the mandate, district president Jackie Goldberg said she voted ‘reluctantly yes’ and the mandate had finally been lifted…

“According to Fox 11, in a lawsuit earlier this year, ‘more than 20 current and former school Police Department members alleged that science shows that being vaccinated against COVID-19 does not prevent someone from acquiring the virus and that the district disregarded religious beliefs and enforced its vaccination policy to the detriment of the plaintiffs.’

“People on social media lamented how long it took for the requirement to end…”

And they might try to enforce it again!!!

No New Panic!

Bild Online wrote on September 22:

“Suddenly Corona is on everyone’s lips again. The first mask wearers appear and they test themselves for the virus. You don’t say: ‘I have a cold’ or ‘I have the flu’, no, you want to know exactly and report without being asked: ‘I have Corona.’…

“Health Minister Lauterbach (SPD) has recognized the trend and is taking center stage. He calls the journalists together and says with an important air: ‘We don’t need any contact restrictions.’ There is ‘broad immunity’.

“At the same time, he advises people aged 60 and over and risk groups to be vaccinated. The corona vaccination has led to serious side effects in some cases. He doesn’t mention that, the government hasn’t made any effort to come to terms with it…

“Now people are asking for a test and a mask again. This is as deep as trauma. We should free ourselves from that. Corona is now like other viruses: unpleasant, but not dangerous (except for the very old and sick). So please don’t panic again.”

But left-wing governments, papers and outlets DO panic… or they appear to do so in an effort to help Big Pharma make again a lot of money from untested and questionable vaccinations and booster shots.

Pope Francis’ Latest Attack on Climate Change Deniers

LifeSiteNews wrote on October 4:

“Pope Francis has published his second document on the topic of ‘climate change,’ condemning ‘human-induced climate changes’ and calling for ‘obligatory’ measures across the globe to address the issue…

“The Pope’s text… contains several strong statements… decrying those who oppose measures intended to lessen ‘human-induced climate changes.’… ‘It is no longer possible to doubt the human… origin of climate change,’ wrote the Pontiff. 

“He claimed that the human effect upon the planet was undeniable...”

As the Pope is wrong on so many issues, chances are he is wrong on this one too.

The Mysterious Alaska Triangle

Daily Star wrote on September 23:

“Sightings of UFOs, ghosts and ‘aggressive’ Bigfoot-type creatures have been reported in the so-called Alaska triangle – but the area is also known for a remarkable number of unexplained disappearances…

“In fact, the History Channel says there are more unsolved missing persons cases in the region than anywhere else on Earth… Since 1970, over 20,000 unexplained disappearances have been recorded in the sparsely-populated patch of land between Anchorage and Juneau in the south to Utqiagvik on the northern coast. Considering the rugged area’s low population, that figure comes out at well over twice the national average for the US. The disappearances have been blamed on everything from UFO abductions, a flesh-eating Bigfoot-type creature called the Wendigo, and magnetic anomalies that interfere with hikers’ compasses.

“Experienced rescue workers sent out to investigate the state’s numerous missing-person incidents have reported hearing phantom sounds, and becoming disorientated and light-headed due to some unknown feature of the desolate Alaskan wilderness...

“But with so many of those people missing, never to be seen again, it’s undeniable that there is a mystery to be solved in the Alaska Triangle.”

Please read our free booklets, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World” and “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man.”

The Bundeswehr’s Mistake

Bild Online wrote on September 26:

“Last year the Bundeswehr ordered digital radios for thousands of Bundeswehr tanks and vehicles. Costs: more than a billion euros! Now it turns out that they obviously cannot be installed easily. They don’t fit…

“On Monday, the Ministry of Defense informed the Bundestag that ‘the technical complexity of installation’ had been underestimated. The result: delays of around a year!”

Germany’s “Leading Role”

ntv wrote on September 27:

“Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has assured NATO allies in the Baltics of Germany’s military reliability in deterring Russia. ‘Germany takes responsibility. And Germany is taking on a leadership role,’ said the SPD politician at the security conference in the Estonian capital Tallinn.

“At the same time, Pistorius assured Ukraine of long-term support in defending itself against the Russian attackers. ‘We will stand by them as long as it takes,’ he said.”

And so, more and more innocent people will die in this ongoing war…

Raid Against Neo-Nazi “Sect”

Bild Online wrote on September 27:

“Nationwide raid against neo-Nazis of the so-called ‘Artgemeinschaft’. At 6 a.m., several hundred special units simultaneously stormed objects in the twelve federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. 26 apartments of 29 club members were searched.

“Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (53, SPD): ‘With the “Artgemeinschaft” we are banning a cult-like, deeply racist and anti-Semitic association. This is another hard blow against right-wing extremism and against the intellectual arsonists who continue to spread Nazi ideologies today.’

“According to the minister, the ban on the group, which is said to have around 150 members, has been prepared for a year by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution…

“Nancy Faeser continues: ‘The “Artgemeinschaft” actively communicated an ideology that was largely based on National Socialism. Above all, through the manipulative, indoctrinating upbringing of their children and the distribution of corresponding literature, the “Artgemeinschaft” acted differently, but no less dangerously, than the neo-Nazi “Hammerskins”, which we banned last week.’

“In Essen, the practice and apartment of doctor Gerhard H. are in the sights of state security investigators… According to the investigators, the doctor and his sons have access to weapons, and sometimes they even pose with guns on the Internet. According to the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb), the ‘Artgemeinschaft’ is ‘a cult-like, religious-ethnic, anti-Christian and right-wing extremist organization’…”

It should be noted that no violence was committed by the group. Nancy Faeser is deeply unpopular. It is obvious that in using highly controversial and arguably illegal methods, she had hoped to gain in popularity. But it backfired.

Faeser’s Further Decline

ntv wrote on October 8:

“In view of the SPD’s worst performance in a state election in Hesse in the history of the state association, top candidate Faeser spoke of a ‘disappointing result’. As the top candidate, she had a ‘special role,’ said Faeser.”

In other words, she totally failed. Many ask for her long-overdue resignation. Today, the “Ample” coalition would not gain a majority. Neither would the CDU or the AfD. What a nightmarish scenario. 

Germany’s Politics Outrageous

Bild Online wrote on October 15:

“How could we be so blind, so oblivious to history, so naive? These images are a historic slap in the face for the federal government: Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader and therefore responsible for the terrorist massacre in Israel, meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Qatar in a good mood. One has to assume that the Iranian minister congratulated the terrorist leader for the slaughter of babies, children and the elderly in kibbutz villages and at the music festival in Israel…

“Germany is very close to Qatar, which is luxuriously hosting the Hamas leader while he slaughters Jews. Is it any wonder that no one takes the West seriously? They first bought our economy, then our politics and finally sports and society, and we didn’t want to notice. Now we even buy our energy in countries that welcome terrorist leaders who slaughtered Jews. It is humiliating, shameful, outrageous, what we have all allowed to happen.”

Germany Complicit

Die Welt wrote on October 11:

“The images of people cheering in Germany after Hamas’ major attack on Israel hurt former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The 100-year-old fled Nazi Germany as a teenager and is demanding the federal government’s unrestricted support for Israel… ‘in extreme cases also militarily’…

“He also sees the cause in Germany’s asylum policy: ‘It was a serious mistake to let in so many people of completely different cultures, religions and beliefs…’

“As US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger helped end the Yom Kippur War through tireless travel diplomacy 50 years ago, when Israel had already been unexpectedly attacked by Arab neighbors. The now 100-year-old does not believe that a further escalation of the current war with Hamas is out of the question, nor is an Israeli attack on Iran, which supports the terrorist organization.

“Israel gave back to the Palestinians their land with the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, but did not get peace in return. ‘You can no longer make concessions to people who have shown by their actions that there will be no peace. There has to be a punishment,’ emphasized Kissinger.”

Germany’s Huge Problem

Bild Online wrote on October 12:

“In Germany, people, apparently from the migrant milieu, are openly celebrating the barbaric terrorist acts in Israel, even saying on TV cameras that they approve of the Hamas attacks…

“Ethnologist Susanne Schröter (66, director of the Global Islam Research Center at the Goethe- University of Frankfurt) to BILD: ‘We have a huge problem. We have allowed hundreds of thousands of people with an anti-Semitic world view into Germany who grew up with this inhumane ideology in their countries of origin…

“Another big problem that Schröter sees: ‘Imported anti-Semitism has long been trivialized and relativized in Germany. Left-wing circles have promoted it – right into our universities – through their portrayal of Israel as an alleged ‘apartheid state’ and their talk of ‘settler colonialism’. This… repeats a disastrous alliance between forces in Germany and the Middle East. ‘During the Nazi era, Palestinian Islamists collaborated with the Nazis.’”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Germany Ready for Change?

The Telegraph wrote on September 10:

“[Scholz] said his country was afflicted by a ‘blight’ of timidity and risk aversion that only an ‘act of national strength’ can heal… the country has been brought down to earth by a gloomy economic reality… ‘The government’s story that green investments will bring a big boom is clearly misleading,’ Ifo head Clemens Fuest told The Telegraph. Climate policies such as a decision to phase out gas heating that was passed… by the German parliament on Friday are ‘of course raising costs and slowing down production’ in the crisis-hit building sector, he added…

“Berlin estimates that it needs to build some 8,600 miles of extra power lines to transport electricity from its new renewable wind and solar sources. But so far, less than 1,200 miles of the new lines have been completed…

“The picture of economic doom and gloom is playing into the hands of the far-Right Alternative for Germany party, which has been surging in polling in recent months. The pro-Russian party says it would tackle high energy prices – one of the core issues facing German industry – by repairing the sabotaged Nord Stream pipelines and buying gas from the Kremlin again. The price they are willing to pay is an end to military support to Ukraine.

“A recent poll from Saxony, one of three states in the former communist east that is going to the polls next year, found that all three parties in Mr Scholz’s coalition may struggle to win even the five per cent necessary to make it into the state legislature. Meanwhile, the AfD is set to win the most seats with 35 per cent of the vote while the CDU would come in second with 29 per cent….”

IF Germany was willing to change, it would have to start at the very top. But the question is, what kind of change? Note the next article. 

Persecution in Germany Continuing

The Ron Paul Institute published on September 12 the following article by C.J. Hopkins (an American author living in Germany. We reported on this development in our Current Events in our Update #1083, dated September 1, 2023):

“So, the Berlin State Prosecutor has launched another criminal investigation of me. Apparently, I’m being charged with reporting on the original investigation of me that the Berlin State Prosecutor launched in June…

“What happened is, the prosecutor visited my blog and read a column I published in July…  which included screenshots of the alleged ‘hate-crime’ Tweets that the original criminal investigation is based on, and that resulted in the Order of Punishment that the Berlin District Court handed down two weeks ago. So, the prosecutor opened a new criminal investigation and sent my attorney an official notice explaining the gravity of the additional charges… I am officially accused of ‘relativizing’ or ‘minimizing’ the crimes of the Nazis … by republishing the two Tweets that I originally tweeted…

“You would have to be a certified moron to believe they ‘minimized,’ or ‘relativized,’ or in any way made light of the crimes of the Nazis. You and I are not certified morons. Neither is the Berlin State Prosecutor. Neither is the District Court of Berlin… They are a blatant pretext to crackdown on dissent… [As was pointed out before in our above-mentioned Update, the allegations against Hopkins of minimizing the crimes of the Nazis are indeed preposterous and laughable.]

“I’m not at all enjoying my introduction to the so-called ‘German legal system.’ It is taking up my time. It is making me angry. It is upsetting my wife, which I do not appreciate. It is costing me a lot of money… The goal of… prosecutions like mine (and those of many other dissidents currently) is (a) to punish us for speaking out against ‘New Normal’ totalitarianism by making our lives as miserable as possible, (b) to make examples of us to discourage others from speaking out, and (c) to intimidate us into shutting… up… They may cloak themselves in the mantle of the law, but their modus operandi is brute force… their message is simple: ‘either do what we say, or we will hurt you.’..

“Never, ever, give in to a bully. The second you do, that bully owns you. What the bully wants, more than whatever he is demanding, more than anything else in the world, is your fear. The bully interprets your fear as respect, because the bully doesn’t understand respect. The bully craves your fear, and your obedience, because they reify the bully’s ‘authority.’ They enable the bully to feel powerful and important. The bully needs to feel ‘powerful’ and ‘important’ because the bully feels weak and unimportant, and afraid…

“Michael Ballweg, the founder and lead organizer of the ‘Querdenken’ movement… just spent nine months in jail. The German authorities have seized his assets, and frozen all his funds, so he is homeless, and bankrupt, and they are prosecuting him for attempted fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion, or, in other words, for launching a protest movement… The most absurd aspect of Michael’s case is the German authorities’ ‘theory of his crimes.’ According to this theory, Michael’s devious scheme was to commit serious fraud by … basically, launching a nationwide protest movement that was certain to get a ton of media attention and incur the wrath of the German authorities…”

These developments in Germany are indeed deeply disturbing. They are reminiscent of persecutions in Germany’s recent past. Hopkins’s comments on a bully are quite insightful. 

Ukraine’s Costly War

On September 9, FPMag wrote the following:

“‘Supporting the USA proxy war in Ukraine is not a necessity. Ending this war is a necessity,’ exclaimed Alona Adamovich, humanitarian team lead providing women’s shelters in the Ukraine war zone…

“Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told Tucker Carlson the way ahead is ‘peace’. The only way to achieve that, PM Orbán said, is ‘call back Trump’…

“All the while, some 40,000 NATO troops are present at Russia’s borders and the Pentagon has called up 8,500 U.S. troops to prepare for ‘shipping out’ to join others… as a plan for 50,000 more is in the works…

“‘All this undeniably proves that Washington, contrary to White House and Pentagon claims, is directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine,’ the RF defence ministry has repeatedly said in the past…

“‘Half a million people have died in Ukraine in the last year,’ said Irish MEP Claire Daly at a EU Parliamentary session with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, while Kiev resorts to conscripting disabled people into the army having lost 400,000 to 500,000 military personnel.”

And the way to peace they do not know…

Many “Able” Men Flee Ukraine

European Conservative wrote on September 9:

“Neither the Austrian, nor the Czech government is willing to bow to Ukraine’s demands and extradite Ukrainian men who have fled the war-torn country…

“David Arakhamia, parliamentary faction leader of Ukraine’s governing party, Servant of the People, said last week that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies should demand the extradition of men of military age who had illegally left Ukraine to escape mobilisation. With the war against Russia costing thousands of lives, the Ukrainian leadership is stepping up its efforts to recruit soldiers… But there are more and more reports of men fleeing the country to avoid military service. 

“President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a general mobilisation after Russia’s invasion in February of last year, and military reservists between the ages of 18 and 60 are eligible for conscription. The number of Ukrainian men who have successfully avoided mobilisation and sought refuge abroad could be in the tens of thousands… What Eurostat’s statistics do tell us is that 17.7% of the 4 million Ukrainians who have been granted temporary protection in the EU since the start of the war are men aged 18-64…

“… there are around 14,000 Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 54 who have been registered as refugees in Austria… 80,000 Ukrainian men of military age may have entered Poland since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the German Interior Ministry has registered more than 200,000 men in the same age group since the start of the war…”

This demand to extradite Ukrainian men seems to be in violation of international law. 

NATO Admits Its Responsibility for the Ukraine War

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on September 11:

“During a speech at the EU Parliament’s foreign affairs committee on Thursday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg clearly and repeatedly acknowledged that Putin made the decision to invade Ukraine because of fears of NATO expansionism… It would have been so very, very easy to prevent this horrific war…”

Formal Impeachment Inquiry Into Joe Biden

The New York Post wrote on September 12:

“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday that Republicans plan to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Biden’s alleged involvement while vice president in his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings. ‘House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden’s conduct. Taken together, these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption,’ McCarthy (R-Calif.) said at the Capitol…”

Fox News added on September 12:

“The speaker said House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., will lead the inquiry in coordination with House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio… ‘Through our investigations, we have found that President Biden did lie to the American people about his own knowledge of his family’s foreign business dealings. Eyewitnesses have testified that the president joined on multiple phone calls and had multiple interactions, dinners resulted in cars and millions of dollars into his sons and his son’s business partners,’ McCarthy said.

“‘We know that bank records show that nearly $20 million in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates through various Shell companies. The Treasury Department alone has more than 150 transactions involving the Biden family. Another business associates that were flagged as suspicious activity by U.S. banks. Even a trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family. Biden used his official office to coordinate with Hunter Biden’s business partners about Hunter’s role in Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company,’ he continued. 

“‘Finally, despite these serious allegations, it appears that the president’s family has been offered special treatment by Biden’s own administration. Treatment that not otherwise would have received if they were not related to the president,’ McCarthy said. ‘These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they want further investigation by the House of Representatives.’”

The concept, propagated by some, that there is no evidence of wrongdoing by Joe Biden is laughable, in light of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Whether McCarthy will garner enough votes for an impeachment inquiry or an impeachment is a different question. 

At the same time, Hunter Biden was indicted on Thursday on three firearm charges, carrying prison terms (even though it is unlikely that the President’s son, if convicted, will be imprisoned.). He was not charged (so far) with FARA or tax violations. It was pointed out that the indictments are the only alleged criminal violations which do not directly implicate Joe Biden.

The US-Iran Deal 

The Associated Press wrote on September 11, 2023:

“The Biden administration has cleared the way for the release of five American citizens detained in Iran by issuing a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of U.S. sanctions. In addition, as part of the deal, the administration has agreed to release five Iranian citizens held in the United States… Congress was not informed of the waiver decision until Monday…

“The outlines of the deal had been previously announced and the waiver was expected. But the notification marked the first time the administration said it was releasing five Iranian prisoners as part of the deal. The prisoners have not been named. The waiver drew criticism of President Joe Biden from Republicans and others who say the deal will boost the Iranian economy at a time when Iran poses a growing threat to U.S. troops and Mideast allies.”

The Biden Administration announced that the money will only be used by Iran for “humanitarian” purposes. This has been flatly contradicted by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who said that the money will be used “wherever we need it,” continuing, “This money belongs to the Iranian people, the Iranian government, so the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide what to do with this money’ (compare Newsmax, dated September 12). 

Besides everything else, the timing is just awful. So is the timing for the next “announcement”:

White House Praises Saudi Arabia

Daily Dot wrote on September 11:

“The White House is facing backlash online after praising Saudi Arabia on the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks… In a tweet on Monday, National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson applauded the foreign regime after it committed tens of billions of dollars towards the Partnership for Global Infrastructure (PGI). The initiative, spearheaded by President Joe Biden, seeks to spur economic growth in low- and middle-income countries with investments in infrastructure.

“But users on X were quick to label the tweet as out-of-touch given the day’s date. ‘Posting on 9/11 and 20 minutes after the first tower fell,’ one user wrote. ‘Just incredible timing.’

“Saudi Arabia has long been accused of helping to fund and assist the 9/11 terror attacks. Of the 19 Al Qaeda members involved in hijacking the four commercial airliners that day, 15 were citizens of Saudi Arabia…

“‘Great tweet for 9/11,’ wrote Chuck Ross, a journalist for the Washington Free Beacon. The tweet comes just three days after Bloomberg reported on allegations from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) that Biden’s Deputy Assistant Brett McGurk was actively working against the interests of the families of 9/11 victims in order to curry favor with Saudi Arabia. The victims’ families for years have attempted to convince Congress to strengthen a law aimed at allowing U.S. citizens to sue foreign governments that funded or aided terrorist attacks…”

More Biden Fairy Tales

Fox News reported on September 11:

“President Biden claimed Monday, without evidence, that he stood at Ground Zero in New York City viewing the damage from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks just one day later, despite records showing he was in Washington, D.C. that day… and gave a speech on the floor of the Senate. Records show the Senate met in the morning, and a classified briefing was held for all senators that afternoon at 2:00 p.m. ET…

“Records also show Biden participated in a joint resolution vote condemning the terrorist attacks later that afternoon. Biden was the Democratic manager of the resolution… Biden also contradicted his own claim in his autobiography detailing his actions after the attacks. Biden said in the book that he ‘headed back to the Capitol’ on September 12, and made no mention of visiting Ground Zero that day.”

It looks like, Joe Biden has a very difficult time to tell the truth. 

Biden Violated Free Speech

Breitbart wrote on September 8:

“A federal appeals court ruled that the Biden administration likely violated Americans’ First Amendment rights when it worked to censor speech during the COVID-19 pandemic… the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals said the White House, surgeon general, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Federal Bureau of Investigation improperly commandeered speech…

“The decision modifies a lower court preliminary injunction which prohibited a wide-ranging group of government officials from coercing social media platforms to take down or limit posts on their websites. While agreeing with much of the lower court’s premises, the new order limits the scope of the restrictions imposed to the groups it found culpable — the White House, surgeon general, CDC, and FBI…”

That the Biden Administration exerted undue pressure on social media outlets to suppress politically inconvenient opinions is without any doubt. That those social media outlets bowed to such pressure is shameful. 

Guilty of Sedition?

The Future of Freedom Foundation wrote on September 6:

“This week, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., sentenced Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, to 22 years in jail for the crime of ‘sedition’ arising out of the January 6 protests at the Capitol. It wasn’t the first time that the judge, Timothy Kelly, meted out a high jail sentence for the sedition offense. Last week, he handed out an 18-year sentence to Ethan Nordean, one of Tarrio’s co-defendants. Last May, another D.C. federal judge, Amit P. Mehta, sentenced leader of the Oath Keepers militia, Stewart Rhodes, to 18 years for the federal crime of ‘sedition.’

“Those high jail sentences… are so ridiculous… The federal crime of ‘sedition’ is akin to the local crime of ‘disorderly conduct.’ It is designed to give federal authorities the ability to severely punish people who have committed no real crime to justify severe punishment…

“How did Kelly arrive at 22 years for Tarrio when the law expressly limits sentences to 20 years? He used some sort of enhancement provision relating to terrorism law, even though Tarrio was convicted of ‘sedition,’ not “’terrorism.’…

“The notion that the January 6 protests were an attempt to overthrow the U.S. government is laughable to the extreme. After all, everyone knows about AR-15s and other assault rifles. Everyone also knows about regular mass killings in the United States. If people are going to attempt a violent overthrow of the federal government, they are going to go into the Capitol with AR-15s or other assault rifles. They are immediately going to start shooting and killing people and taking hostages… They are not going to settle for smashing a few doors and windows, forcing their way past security police, or damaging some desks.

“In fact, it is ironic that the only person who was killed on January 6 was an unarmed protestor. That was Ashli Babbitt, who was shot dead by a Capitol policeman who got scared during the protest. Notwithstanding the fact that he shot an unarmed woman in cold blood, that cop got away scot-free, unlike Tarrio and Nordean, who didn’t kill anyone…

“There is no doubt that on January 6, people were filled with passionate emotions… There is also no doubt that given the heightened emotions, such protests oftentimes get out of hand. That certainly is what happened in the January 6 protests. But to jump from that to the notion that the protestors were attempting to overthrow the U.S. government is so patently ridiculous that it defies credulity…

“It’s one thing to charge January 6 protestors who got out of control with such crimes as trespass, assault, or destruction of government propriety. It’s quite another thing to punish them for sedition…”

The conviction and the length of incarceration are unworthy examples of a country which claims to be “brave and free.” 

The Magic Bullet

The Independent wrote on September 10:

“A former Secret Service agent who was metres away from John F Kennedy when the former president was assassinated in Dallas in 1963 has spoken out to cast fresh doubt on the official findings.

“Paul Landis, 88, who had been assigned to protect first lady Jackie Kennedy, challenged the Warren Commission’s findings that a ‘magic bullet’ had struck and exited the president before hitting then-Texas governor John Connally Jr.

“Mr Landis told the New York Times he recalled hearing several shots ring out in Dealy Plaza as he walked just behind the president’s limousine, and saw the president slump forward after being struck in the head… Investigators claimed [the bullet] passed through Kennedy’s throat, and then somehow hit the former governor’s right shoulder before causing wounds to his back, chest, wrist and thigh.

“It became known as the ‘single bullet’ or ‘magic bullet’ theory, and was relied on by the Warren Commission as evidence that Lee Harvey Oswald had carried out the assassination alone….”

The “magic bullet” theory is so ridiculous. The idea that Oswald acted alone has been dismissed for a long time by many experts as absolutely unbelievable. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on September 11 during a Fox News interview that he is convinced that his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, was not killed by just one person, acting alone, and that the concept that his father, Robert F. Kennedy, was killed by just one person must likewise be dismissed. Kennedy stated that the CIA was probably behind both murders. 

Covid Hysteria and New Elections

Newsmax wrote on September 9:

“Former President Donald Trump warned ‘COVID hysteria’ is coming back because ‘there’s an election coming up,’ and Republicans have to step in to stop the tyranny…

“Trump has long believed Democrats ‘used COVID to cheat’ on the 2020 presidential election, including having key battleground states impose mass mail-in ballotingwithout constitutionally required authorization from state legislatures…”

Trump definitely has a point. The connection should be obvious.

“Never Again!”

Brownstone wrote on September 11:

“In a recent piece for the Washington Post, Ramesh Ponnuru wrote that ‘the public is not going to accept restrictive coronavirus mitigation measures again, regardless of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other public health authorities say.’…

“If there’s an upside to the lockdowns that never, ever made sense… it’s that government has forfeited a great deal of the little credibility it had…

“Much worse than the [arrogant] conceit [of lockdowns] were the lockdowns themselves, that to varying degrees blinded the very people who very much needed to see clearly. Precisely because the arrival of the coronavirus brought with it unknowns, a country with sane leadership would have turned the unknowns into knowns by getting out of the way.”

People say a lot these days that they will never comply again. But the “sheep instinct” of most may paint a very different picture.

Oil Prices Climb

LifeSiteNews wrote on September 9:

“Oil prices shot passed $90/bbl Wednesday after Saudi Arabia and then Russia announced a continuance of production cuts through the end of this year. The BRICS alliance is going to deliver some pain to the Western alliance… 

“Gasoline, energy products, petroleum products, home heating oil, groceries, everything will cost more as the geopolitical battle continues; but we are supposed to pretend we are unaware of the global political dynamic…

“Saudi Arabia said it would extend the voluntary cut of 1 million b/d of for another 3 months, from October until the end of December, well beyond the expectation of just 1 more month…  Russian deputy PM Novak said Russia would also extend its reduction of oil exports until the end of the year, reducing its oil output by 300kb/d in voluntary cuts until December 2023.”

Crazy California Child’s Gender Bill

Breitbart wrote on September 8:

“The California legislature approved a bill this week that would punish parents who do not ‘affirm’ their child’s gender identity… If Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signs the bill, it would require custody judges to consider a parent’s ‘affirmation’ of their child’s gender, as judges consider the ‘health, safety, and welfare of the child’ when making decisions.

“Threatening the standard of ‘health, safety, and welfare’ of a child under the California Family Code can carry penalties under the California Penal Code—prompting parents, activists, and lawmakers to speculate that AB 957 could result in parents being charged with child abuse or neglect for not participating in a child’s transgenderism. 

“In a hearing about the bill, California Sen. Scott Wilk (R) said the bill would force parents to leave the state.  ‘In recent years, we have put government bureaucrats between parents, children, and doctors when it comes to medical care—and now we have this where if a parent does not support the ideology of the government, [children] are going to be taken away from the home,’ Wilk said, adding, ‘if you love your children, you need to flee California.’”

God sees California’s ungodly policies. 

Climate Change Findings Distorted

Fox News wrote on September 9:

“A California scientist admitted that he ‘left out the full truth’ about climate change, blaming it primarily on human causes, to get his study published in a prestigious science journal. [He admitted] that he distorted the findings of his studies to appeal to the editors at Nature and Science magazines, which are prestigious online science journals. 

“‘And the editors of these journals have made it abundantly clear, both by what they publish and what they reject, that they want climate papers that support certain preapproved narratives—even when those narratives come at the expense of broader knowledge for society,’ Brown wrote in The Free Press.”

Joe Biden said in Vietnam during a “confused, bizarre and rambling” press conference, that those who question man-made global warming, are “lying dog-faced pony soldiers,” quoting from a John Wayne movie.

Devastating Earthquake in Morocco

CNN reported on September 10:

“The [6.8] quake, the strongest to hit Morocco in more than 120 years, killed more than [in excess of 2,900] people. Many others remain missing… The difficult access to the vast earthquake-hit area has hampered aid delivery efforts. While emergency camps have been set up in some places, people in other inaccessible areas have been left to fend for themselves…

“Many are exhausted and heartbroken, and emotions are running high… With each passing hour, the chances of anyone being pulled out of the rubble alive are disappearing.”

Devastating Floods in Libya

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 12:

“At least 2,300 people have died in an eastern Libyan city alone [Derna] after a powerful storm caused devastating floods in the area over the weekend… The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) earlier Tuesday reported that around 10,000 people were missing…

“Libya is divided between rival administrations in the west and east… The chaos and split in governance in the oil-rich nation has long left cities with crumbling and inadequate structures.”

It has now been reported that the death toll hit 11,300 and could reach 20,000.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.