Russia Warns Europe and NATO

Newsweek wrote on January 27:

“Earlier this week, NATO launched a military exercise called ‘Steadfast Defender 2024.’ The operation will run through May and entail around 90,000 military personnel training in several European countries, including Poland, Russia’s neighbor. The goal of the exercise is to ‘test and refine NATO’s defense plans for reinforcing European defenses against a near-peer adversary,’ according to a statement from NATO.

“While Russia was not named in the announcement, NATO states in its 2022 Strategic Concept, a document that identifies security challenges facing the military bloc, ‘The Russian Federation poses the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security.’…

“During a briefing, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the operation ‘provocative in nature,’ Russian state media Tass reported on Friday… ‘This step is deliberately aimed at escalating things. It increases the risk of military incidents and could ultimately lead to tragic consequences for Europe.’ Zakharova said that Russia ‘has no plans to attack NATO countries,’ despite fears of escalating global conflict if Russia was to win its invasion of Ukraine…

“During her recent briefing, Zakharova said that ‘the chairman of its [NATO] military committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said that the alliance is preparing for a conflict with Russia. Similar comments have also been repeatedly heard from the leadership of NATO countries’…”

It was reported by Bild Online on January 29 that almost half of Germans are afraid of an attack by Russia, and almost 40% are building up supplies.

And Now… US Nuclear Weapons in the UK?

The Telegraph wrote on January 26:

“The United States is planning to station nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years… the US intends to place nuclear warheads three times the strength of the Hiroshima bomb at the air base… The disclosure comes in the wake of warnings that Nato countries need to ready their citizens for war with Russia… Boris Johnson on Friday night backed Sir Patrick’s call for a citizen army, as he pledged to sign up if the UK went to war with Russia…

“Russia has stated that the placement of US weapons in Britain would be viewed by Moscow as an ‘escalation’ and would be met with ‘compensating counter-measures’…

“The US currently has warheads stationed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, under a Nato nuclear-sharing arrangement….”

It is as if America is creating its own Frankenstein monster.

Nuclear Deterrent for Europe?

Express wrote on January 28:

“Calls by top eurocrat Manfred Weber for the European Union to be equipped with its own nuclear deterrent are ‘shocking and worrying’, Reform UK deputy leader Ben Habib has said…

“[He claimed] that any such development would in itself represent ‘a threat to world peace’… ‘The EU is going rogue. Not only does it want its own European army, it now wants nuclear weapons directly under its control.’”

Europe will obtain both.

American Fighter Jets for Turkey

Newsmax wrote on January 27:

“The Biden administration has approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey following the Turkish government’s ratification this week of Sweden’s membership in NATO…

“The State Department notified Congress of its approval of the $23 billion F-16 sale to Turkey, along with a companion $8.6 billion sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Greece, late Friday…

“NATO ally Turkey has long sought to upgrade its F-16 fleet and had made its ratification of Sweden’s membership contingent on the approval of the sale of the new planes. The Biden administration had supported the sale, but several lawmakers had expressed objections due to human rights concerns…

“Sweden’s formal accession to NATO now depends on Hungary, which is the last remaining NATO ally not to have approved its membership…”

To send F-16s to Turkey, which is being run by a ruthless dictator, is another bone-headed decision of the Biden Administration.

America’s Failure

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on January 26:

“The breaking news that Ansar Allah (Houthi) fighters have fired on the USS Carney in the Red Sea today (Friday, 26 Jan.) underscores the shocking failure of the Biden Administration, which initiated airstrikes on the Houthis this month with no plan for ‘victory’ beyond hoping that the mere presence of US warships would intimidate them into surrendering… it was the kind of doomed operation that, had cooler (i.e. non-political) Pentagon heads prevailed, would never in a million years have been launched. There was simply no possibility of success and 100 percent probability of failure…

“Yesterday, the US Navy attempted to escort two Maersk tankers – the Maersk Detroit and the Maersk Chesapeake – through the Red Sea loaded with weapons for Israel. This after nine rounds of US airstrikes on the Houthis. The US show of force backfired into an unprecedented… moment… It was a massive defeat for the notion of US military superiority…  today the Houthis again fired on US military ships in the Red Sea and have again scored a massive success…

“Even the most comatose US Members and Senators are starting to wake up to the fact that Joe Biden… is taking the country to war without any authorization. Attacks against Biden’s forces in Iraq, Syria, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean will escalate. And he is backed into a corner. What’s next?”

America is entering into more and more wars… without any realistic hope of success.

US Soldiers Killed in Jordan Drone Attack

Reuters reported on January 28:

“Three U.S. service members were killed and dozens may be wounded after an unmanned aerial drone attack on U.S. forces stationed in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, President Biden… said. Biden blamed Iran-backed groups for the attack, the first deadly strike against U.S. forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October and sent shock waves throughout the Middle East…

“The attack is a major escalation of the already tense situation in the Middle East…Since [October 7], U.S. forces have come under attack more than 150 times by Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria, causing at least 70 casualties prior to Sunday’s attack, most of them traumatic brain injuries…”

Axios wrote on January 28:

“President Biden is facing calls from congressional hawks to escalate attacks on Iran-linked targets, including within Iran itself… Heeding those calls would risk significantly expanding and drawing the U.S. further into an already growing regional conflict that has sprung up as a result of the Israel-Hamas war…

“Senate Minority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called for ‘serious, crippling costs’ to Iran, ‘not only on front-line terrorist proxies, but on their Iranian sponsors who wear American blood as a badge of honor.’

“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), said in a statement the attacks the U.S. has carried out on Iranian proxies outside Iran ‘will not deter Iranian aggression,’ calling to ‘strike targets of significance inside Iran.’ ‘The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East,’ said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). ‘Anything less will confirm Joe Biden as a coward unworthy of being commander-in-chief.’…

“Biden would likely face an outcry from many members of his own party if he retaliated to the degree some Republicans are advocating for.”

With all these meaningless talks, the momentum for action has already been lost. Now, Biden announced that some unspecified retaliation will occur in the future, but apparently not in Iran.

Southern Border Standoff

LifeSiteNews wrote on January 27:

“Former FBI executives have warned Congress that military-age men from ‘hostile’ nations and regions are invading the U.S. through the southern border, significantly elevating the risk of a terror attack [cautioning] that the threat ‘may be one of the most pernicious ever to menace the United States’…

“Until this ‘invasion’ is halted, the U.S. is ‘extraordinarily less safe and secure,’ the officials warned…

“A week after the letter was written, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared that the ‘failure of the Biden Administration’ to protect the country against invasion from across the southern border triggered Article I, § 10, Clause 3, which he said gives Texas the ‘constitutional authority to defend and protect itself.’  Abbott then pressed in securing the Texas southern border with razor-wire fencing, which had been previously cut down by federal border patrol agents.

“President Joe Biden yesterday expressed support for a border deal being negotiated in the U.S. Senate. The legislation would mandate the expulsion of illegal immigrants across the border if ‘migrant encounters’ surpass 5,000 a day. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has slammed the deal as a ‘farce’…”

Politico added on January 27:

“While many Senate Republicans are on board with the deal, it is far less popular among Trump-aligned House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson.”

Trump spoke out against the deal as well, saying “a bad border deal is far worse than no border deal.”

It’s a Mass Invasion

PBS wrote on January 25:

“Earlier this week, the Supreme Court said U.S. Border Patrol agents could remove razor wire that the state put in place along the Rio Grande River. The Homeland Security Department is demanding immediate access to a section of the border and being blocked with razor wire and fencing. But Texas Governor Greg Abbott is doubling down, blocking the agents from entering the area and saying Texas constitutional authority is… ‘the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary.’”

Newsmax wrote on January 27:

“North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told Newsmax on Saturday that the battle between the states and the federal government over whether to secure the southern border has turned into a ‘constitutional crisis.’ ‘As you know, this is a mass invasion,’ Burgum, a former candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, [said]. ‘This debate… is about national security, and it’s about public safety. And so, of course, we stand with [Texas] Gov. [Greg] Abbott, because the federal government is really abdicating its responsibility.’”

Newsmax wrote on January 28:

“Donald Trump… promised that he will support Texas in its battle to secure the border… ‘Instead of fighting border states, I will use every resource tool and authority of the U.S. president to defend the United States of America from this horrible invasion that is taking place right now,’ Trump said… Trump further thanked Abbott and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, as well as the state of Texas, ‘for rightly invoking the invasion clause of the U.S. Constitution. It’s an invasion.’”

A People’s Republic of Texas?

Business Insider wrote on January 28:

“A former Russian president and ally of Vladimir Putin taunted the Biden administration over the Texas border crisis and suggested a ‘destructive civil confrontation’ in the US could be coming. Dmitry Medvedev criticized ‘senile old man Biden’ for the high numbers of migrants trying to cross into the US at the southern border…

“Medvedev said that the possibility of establishing a ‘People’s Republic of Texas’ is getting ‘more and more real,’ days after Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene suggested a ‘national divorce’ between blue and red states over the issue of migration…

“The dispute has inflamed loose talk of civil war and resistance from conservative media and US politicians… Former President Donald Trump has made stoking concerns over immigration a central plank of his campaign for his second Republican nomination for president…”

Biden Administration vs. Texas

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on January 29:

“Texas Governor Greg Abbott… issued a statement declaring that ‘an invasion under Article I, Section 10, Clause 3’ of the US Constitution is underway and invoking ‘Texas’s constitutional authority to defend and protect itself.’

“Here Governor Abbott answers an important question I brought up back in my 1988 US Presidential run: at what point do open borders and mass illegal immigration into the US become an ‘invasion,’ which would grant governors the authority – and obligation – to take action?

“By some estimates, more than six million illegal immigrants have crossed into the United States during the three years of the Biden Administration. These illegals likely mostly come from Mexico and Central America, but the fact is we have no idea how many of them may be arriving from, for example, the Middle East or other war-torn areas of the world. Last month even the New York Times wrote of the disaster on the US border that, ‘thousands of migrants are arriving at the border every day, trekking from the farthest reaches of the globe, from Africa to Asia to South America, driven by relentless violence, desperation and poverty.’…

“… if the Biden Administration intends to use the Supreme Court ruling to take action against the Texas border barrier there are… ways of defending the border. Rep. Thomas Massie took to Twitter last week to recount a meeting he and a group of US House Members had with the late Justice Antonin Scalia. At the breakfast, Massie wrote, Justice Scalia told the group to quit complaining about Supreme Court rulings and start defunding rulings they oppose. As Massie explained in another Tweet, ‘Congress can render the 5-4 Supreme Court decision against Texas IRRELEVANT by simply refusing to fund Biden’s removal of border security measures.’ Nullification through the ‘power of the purse’ is an important tool given to Congress in the US Constitution and it could be easily exercised in this case…”

Great idea. However, will a weak and divided Congress be willing to do this?

Biden Lies and Lies…

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“For three years, Joe Biden and his repulsive Homeland Security chief, Alejandro Mayorkas, have encouraged the Third World to enter America illegally. At least 8 million have answered their siren song. Only now that the sheer numbers of illegal aliens causing mayhem and busting budgets in Democratic cities like New York have become an electoral liability has Biden had an epiphany.

“So he is doing what he does best: telling lies to weasel out of blame. Now he claims he needs Republicans in Congress to give him the ‘authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed…’

“But he already has the authority. He could shut down the border today. He has spent three years lying that the border is ‘secure’ and now he’s lying that he needs new laws to secure it… He signed 94 executive actions in his first 100 days to dismantle Donald Trump-era border protections. He could reinstate them with the stroke of a pen.

“But in the most astonishing act of political self-harm, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his merry band of never-Trumpers are giving Biden cover for his lies and setting their party up for Democrats to blame for the border disaster, as long as the billions keep flowing to Ukraine…

“Everyone knows what Biden has done. We see it in overwhelmed hospitals and schools, shattered budgets, crime and disorder and the sheer unfairness of illegal aliens living high on the hog in flashy Manhattan hotels while American veterans sleep on the street…”

Mitch McConnell has overstayed his position far too long.

Trump the “Sitting President”?

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“President Biden is being ridiculed for his latest blunder, appearing to call his predecessor, Donald Trump, the ‘sitting president.’ The gaffe-prone commander in chief’s blunder came during a speech in South Carolina on Saturday as he repeatedly called former President Trump a ‘loser.’… But online commentators soon said Biden was the real loser as he slipped up while discussing how ‘American consumers are facing real confidence in the economy we’re building. ‘Let me tell you who else is noticing that: Donald Trump,’ Biden said before he stumbled on his words. ‘Did you see what he recently said about … he wants to, he wants to see the economy crash this year? A sitting president,’ he said without correcting himself…

“His comment about the ‘sitting president’ was met with widespread ridicule… Trump backers reveled in Biden’s slip-up, which appeared to corroborate the Republican frontrunner’s… claims to have won the 2020 presidential election amid alleged voter fraud.”

Maybe Biden spoke inadvertently the Truth… for a change.

How Leftists Try to Defeat Trump

Breitbart wrote on January 26:

“A well-coordinated, well-funded, and high-powered network of leftist organizations… is behind the push to remove former President Donald Trump, the 2024 frontrunner for president from any party, from the ballot…

“But it’s much broader than that: For years, this network of leftists grew from a powerful vast left-wing conspiracy unmasked a decade ago into now being the dominating force on the left determined to stop Trump at all costs. What’s more, these leftists clearly control what top Democrats are saying, forcing their leaders to adopt their narrative. They even regularly openly brag about controlling what the sitting President of the United States says, taking credit for Democrat President Joe Biden’s dark reelection campaign messaging, where Biden has warned of ‘MAGA extremists’ on the rise…

“The level of influence and control that this leftist network has over elected officials is essentially unprecedented in world history. Everyone from the sitting president of the United States to top law enforcement officials at the federal, state, and local level to leading Democrats in Congress and in states around the country are using these leftists’ playbook and talking points, following them close to verbatim. Nothing remotely like it exists on the right in U.S. politics, and never before has there been such a sophisticated leftist structure in control of at least half of American discourse in a presidential election year…

“Some of the talking points or suggested actions from these leftist groups have shown up later – not just in the legal push to kick Trump off the ballot in several states,, but also seem to have formed at least part of the groundwork for the various indictments he faces, like one from Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation. But beyond simply preceding and fueling the indictments against Trump, these leftist groups have cheered them and organized activists to further politically weaponize them in a manner designed to hurt Trump and any Republicans who associate with him…

“George Soros, the left-wing billionaire, among many other luminaries on the radical left, had come together during the George W. Bush administration as an effort to resist Bush’s policies and push the Democrat agenda in Washington…”

That Soros and other lefties are supporting Biden and the Democrats and fighting Trump has not been a secret. However, the extent to which they are able and willing to go might be somewhat shocking.

America’s Covid Lab

The U.S. Sun wrote on January 29:

“Photos and footage obtained by watchdog White Coast Waste show scientists at the Rocky Mountain Lab sedating monkeys and pigs – and carrying out experiments with deadly viruses. White Coat Waste has described the lab as a ‘bioagent superlab’ that infects animals with highly contagious and deadly diseases – such as Ebola, Lassa fever, Nipah, and even the plague… Last year, White Coat Waste revealed that the lab was experimenting with SARS-like viruses just a year before the Covid outbreak as part of a collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

“The Wuhan lab has been at the centre of a storm over the origins of Covid – with many claiming the virus leaked from the facility during experiments on bat coronaviruses. Experiments with SARS-like viruses at the Rocky Mountain Lab have reportedly stopped – but experiments on deadly pathogens are still being carried out, White Coat Waste said. And some of the deadly diseases have the potential to spark a new pandemic.

“Experiments include injecting pigs with Ebola and injecting monkeys with Covid, White Coat Waste said. Researchers also studied how monkeys react to hemorrhagic fever – which causes bleeding and organ failure…”

The stupidity of man and especially of scientists is breathtaking.

US Money Not Going to Ukraine

Breitbart wrote on January 29:

“The $130 billion sent to Ukraine so far for its war against Russia is apparently not actually going to Ukraine…

“… a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Embassy told Breitbart that ‘funds authorized by American lawmakers to support Ukraine’s armament are not directly allocated to Ukraine’… The spokesperson explained that, instead, a ‘significant portion’ of the billions of dollars to Ukraine is ‘utilized in the United States for the construction of new weapons or to replenish those dispatched to Kyiv from U.S. reserves,’ adding that ‘an analysis’ (not specifically cited) found that ‘nearly 90 percent’ of aid granted by Congress ‘is benefiting American interests.’… ‘American interests’ in this context presumably means weapons manufacturers.

“The Associated Press reported Sunday that employees from a Ukrainian arms firm ‘conspired with defense ministry officials to embezzle almost $40 million’ allocated for weapons purchases. The news comes months after the New York Times reported on the sacking of Ukraine’s minister of defense due to ‘graft’ and ‘financial mismanagement’ in the department, amid an avalanche of cash coming from the United States to fund the beleaguered war effort, and as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asks for more. The Times report said some prepayments for weapons had ‘vanished’ in the bank accounts of weapons dealers, among ‘about $980 million in weapons contracts’ that ‘missed their delivery dates,’ in 2023…”

Again, this has been suspected all along. It is the weapon industry and the military which are profiting greatly from the Ukraine war.

Netanyahu: We Will Do It Alone!

The New York Times wrote on January 28:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is ready to ‘do it alone’ when it comes to the war in Gaza, as President Biden is accused of sending mixed messages on the US stance over the conflict… ‘Too many countries and too many leaders have been asleep too long. We have to act to assure that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, and I certainly intend to do so.’

“The prime minister characterized the bloody war against the Palestinian terror group Hamas as just one fight in a much broader struggle for the future of global domination — with Iran on one side and the Western world on the other.’

“…Iran is the primary backer of Hamas, the extremist Muslim group which violently attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,200 civilians and sparking the war which has waged between Gaza and the Jewish state since. Besides Hamas, Iran backs numerous extremist and terror groups in the Middle East known as the Axis of Resistance, which effectively serve as proxy forces in a wider campaign to annihilate Israel, expel western influence from the region and reshape the geopolitical map with Iran at its center.

“Other prominent terror groups doing Iran’s bidding include the Houthis in Yemen — who have disrupted global trade and drawn strikes from US forces by raiding merchant ships in the Red Sea — and Hezbollah along the Israeli border in Lebanon, which has been on the brink of opening a second front in the Gaza war for months…

“Biden officials have reportedly considered slowing down or halting weapons deliveries to Israel to try to pressure the nation into scaling back its offensive in Gaza…”

UN Agency Harbored Terrorists

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“The United Nations aid agency staffers accused of taking part in Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel included some who provided rocket-propelled grenades — as well as others who actively killed and kidnapped Israelis, according to a damning dossier of intel given to the US. At least 10 of the 12 fired last week by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) were active members of Hamas, while another was affiliated with the Islamic Jihad… In total, Israeli officials say a dozen employees from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency actively took part in the terrorist attack — prompting the aid agency to announce on Friday that it fired nine of the staffers who were still alive, as an investigation continues. Two others have since died, according to the agency.

“The US immediately cut funding to the agency in the wake of the allegations, the State Department said — marking a significant reversal from the Biden administration’s strong support for UNRWA… Other nations including Canada, Italy, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Finland have since announced they were pausing any additional aid to the agency… But Hamas has slammed Israeli ‘threats’ against UNRWA, urging the UN and other international groups not to ‘cave into the threats of blackmail.’ The Palestinian Authority is also urging countries to reverse their suspension of funds…”

Austria on Monday joined 14 other countries in suspending funding for UNRWA over the accusations. In addition to the countries mentioned above, they include Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Netherlands, Scotland and Switzerland.

Trudeau’s Evil Schemes

The New York Post wrote on January 29:

“Justin Trudeau… turned the federal government’s power on the COVID-mandate-protesting truckers… in 2022, jailing them, seizing their rigs and even shutting down their bank accounts (‘debanking,’ as it’s known) — though that last came to a swift end when enough Canadians withdrew their money to threaten a bank run.

“We were told the truckers were ‘right-wing extremists,’ probably racist and possibly agents for the dreaded MAGA cabal… This… mostly went to show just how afraid the West’s leadership has become of a populist revolt…

“Last week, Federal Court Judge Richard Mosley found that the Canadian government overstepped legal bounds in going after the truckers, writing, ‘I conclude that there was no national emergency justifying the invocation of the Emergencies Act and the decision to do so was therefore unreasonable.’.. Recent independent journalism has demonstrated this ‘unreasonable’ decision wasn’t simply an honest mistake. It was the product of a deliberate campaign of deception and denigration the government organized with help from its media allies…

“Here in the United States we’ve seen a similar phenomenon. And European governments have been rolling out a similar script to deal with those who complain about unrestricted immigration and farmers’ protests against ‘green’ policies designed to shut them down. Apparently anyone who challenges the insider crowd’s power is the next Hitler… 

“As journalist Elizabeth Nickson writes, ‘If Canada were a state, it would be poorer than West Virginia or Mississippi, despite being the second-largest country, with abundant natural resources, in the world, blessed with a highly educated populace…’”

These are the fruits of dictatorial rule; the “green” policy; and a spineless and corrupt mass media.  

The EU’s “Gendered Language” Guidelines… Utter Nonsense

The Daily Mail wrote on January 29:

“The EU has called for ‘gendered language’… A 61-page document advises policymakers, legislators and the media to revise the order of common phrases such as ‘King and Queen’ or ‘brother and sister‘ in which the male comes first. 

“It suggests to ‘try swapping the order of these phrases sometimes’. [Rather than saying King and Queen, we ought to say Queen and King. The same for brother and sister.]

“Tory MP Nick Fletcher has called the guidelines ‘nonsense‘ and argued that the EU had ‘far more serious issues’ that it should be concerned about. The famous Star Trek line, ‘To boldly go where no man has gone before’, is noted in the bundle as an example for which ‘women may be subject to invisibility or omission’. 

“Former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe [said]: ‘It’s ridiculous.’ Nigel Mills, Conservative MP for Amber Valley, [said]: ‘This is utter madness. It’s an attack on the English language.’

“Even though Britain officially left the EU in January 2020, English is still its official language. 

Other “gendered language” alternatives were:

“No man’s land” to be changed to “unclaimed territory.” “Best man for the job” should be changed to “best candidate for the job.” “Repairman” should be changed to “repairer” or “technician.”

It is only a matter of time until silly EU politicians will also fool around with the Bible and recommend a “gender-neutral language” in this regard as well; replacing God the Father and the Man Jesus Christ with some blasphemous alternatives.

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.

October 7 Attack Because of Red Heifer?

WND wrote on January 18:

“While political experts worldwide pontificate on the war in Gaza, most have overlooked Hamas’ explicitly stated reason for its Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, revealed on Day 100 of the war. Incredibly, according to the terror group’s military spokesman, it has to do with attempting to prevent the ‘ceremony of the Red Heifer’ – a mysterious event of great meaning to both Jews and Christians…

“‘We look back 100 days to remember the educated, the complicit, and the incapacitated among the world powers governed by the law of the jungle, reminding them of an aggression that reached its peak against our path (Al-Quds) and Al-Aqsa, with the start of its actual temporal and spatial division, and the ‘bringing of red cows’ as an application of a detestable religious myth designed for aggression against the feelings of an entire nation in the heart of its Arab identity, and the path of its prophet (the Night Journey) and Ascension to heaven.’

“The ‘red cows’ referred to by the Hamas leader were five red female calves brought to Israel in September 2022 by Boneh Israel, an organization that connects Christian lovers of Israel to the Holy Land, working under the auspices of the Temple Institute, an organization in Israel focusing on establishing the Third Temple…

“After the announcement of the arrival of the cows last year, Hamas reacted almost immediately, warning that the potential Jewish ritual posed a threat to Al Aqsa… According to Jewish tradition, there have been nine red heifers since the mitzvah was given at Mount Sinai and the tenth red heifer will be used in the era of the Messiah…  According to Jewish tradition, there will be only 10 red heifers in human history, with the 10th heifer ushering in the Messianic era…”

The Bible does not say anything about a tenth red heifer; nor, that it is necessary for the building of the Third Temple or the coming of the Messiah. Still, many Messianic Christians and Jews believe that it is.

Netanyahu Contradicts Biden

The Algemeiner wrote on January 20:

“U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday night that a two-state solution is possible with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite what the Israeli leader said publicly in recent days. The Israeli leader later issued a statement underscoring his opposition to a Palestinian state…

“In regards to Biden’s comments on Netanyahu being open to a two-station solution, and how that might look like, the U.S. President said ‘there are a number of types of two-state solutions.’…

“Netanyahu’s office issued a statement clarifying the leader’s stance. ‘In his conversation last night with President Biden, Prime Minister Netanyahu repeated his consistent position for years, which he also expressed at a press conference the day before: after the elimination of Hamas, Israel must remain in full security control of the Gaza Strip to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel, and this conflicts with the demand for Palestinian sovereignty.’’

Is Biden just making these things up?

Watch Yemen and the Houthis

EricMargolis.com published the following article on January 19:

“The first time I went to remote Yemen, this wild, mountainous nation was just creeping into the 7th Century AD. That was 45 years ago…  The ruler back in the day was a despot known to his less than loving subjects as ‘Ahmed the Devil.’ He liked to nail subjects who displeased him to the palace door.

“One of Yemen’s frequent civil wars was raging around the walled, medieval capital between royalists and Shia tribesmen. At dusk a ram’s horn would be blown and the city gates barred… Hardly anyone in Washington knows anything about Yemen except that it’s the southern tip of the remote Arabian Peninsula at the southern end of the Red Sea…

“American ‘experts’ scoff at the Houthis as mountain primitives… The US and Britain have been bombing Houthi tribesmen for seven years. This has only made them angrier. We also dismissed Afghanistan’s ‘backwards’ mountain warrior Pathans (Pashtuns) and look what happened – they whipped us.

“President Joe Biden, who never served in the military, should keep this in mind…”

America is about to create another Afghanistan or Vietnam for itself. Note the next article.

Biden’s Illegal and Unconstitutional Conduct

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano wrote on January 18 in the Ron Paul Institute:

“Last week, Biden used the U.S. Navy to attack militias in Yemen. He did so after learning that the militias had attacked non-American ships carrying goods and fuel destined for Israel… Yet, the questions arise: Can the president fight any war he wishes? Can Congress fund any war it chooses? Are there constitutional and legal requirements that must first be met before war is waged? Can the United States legally attack a country that is a member of the United Nations?

“These questions should be front and center in a debate over the U.S. involvement in the Middle East, Yemen, Africa, Ukraine, Iraq, Syria and wherever else U.S. troops are involved in hostilities. There has been no great debate. The media are mouthing what the CIA is telling them, and only a few websites and podcasts… are challenging the government’s reckless, immoral, illegal and unconstitutional wars.

“All power in the federal government comes from the Constitution and from no other source. Congress, however, has managed to extend its reach beyond the confines of the Constitution by giving money to the president and then looking the other way when he spends it. Congress cannot legally declare war on Gaza or Yemen or Russia, since there are no militarily grounded reasons for doing so. None of these countries poses a threat to American national security, and the U.S. has no treaty that triggers American military support to any ally implicated by those countries. But Congress spends money on wars nevertheless.

“Under the Constitution, only Congress can declare war on a nation or group. The last time it did so was to initiate American involvement in World War II. But Congress has given away limited authority to presidents and permitted them to fight undeclared wars. Examples of this are the unconstitutional War Powers Resolution of 1973 and President George W. Bush’s disastrous and criminal invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Congress has not only not declared war on Yemen; it has not authorized the use of American military forces against it. Yet, Biden has inherited a blank check in the form of the Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001. That unconstitutional legislation cedes Congress’ war-making powers to the president for the purpose of attacking any person or group involved in the 9/11 attacks. The 9/11 attacks? They were 22 years ago! They were, but all presidents since the younger Bush have claimed authority under this law to kill whomever they pleased in the Middle East.

“In Ukraine, Congress has only authorized weapons and cash to be sent to Ukraine, but Biden has sent troops as well. The U.S. involvement in Vietnam began the same way: no declaration of war, no authorization for the use of military force, yet a gradual buildup of American troops as advisers and instructors, and then a congressionally supported land war that saw half a million American troops deployed, 10% of whom came home in body bags.

“… The War Powers Resolution, which requires presidential notification to Congress of the use of American military force, is unconstitutional because it consists of Congress giving away one of its core functions — declaring war. The Supreme Court has characterized delegating away core constitutional functions as violative of the Constitution’s separation of powers. Stated differently, Congress cannot allow the president to do its job…

“The various treaties to which the U.S. is a party limit its war-making to that which is defensive, proportional and reasonable. So, if a foreign power is about to strike — like on 9/11, while the government slept — the president can strike first in order to protect the U.S. Beyond repelling an actual attack, the basis for war must be real, the adversary’s anti-U.S. military behavior must be grave, the objective of war must be clear and attainable, and the means must be proportionate to the threat.

“Have Russia or Yemen threatened the U.S.? No. What grave acts have they committed against the U.S.? None. What is Biden’s objective? His vision of [the] American empire. Does the Congress uphold the Constitution? Does the president? The answers are obvious…”

The acts by Congress and the President seem to be clearly unconstitutional.

Controversial Decision by the US Supreme Court

The Associated Press wrote on January 21:

“A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed Border Patrol agents to cut razor wire that Texas installed on the U.S.-Mexico border, while a lawsuit over the wire continues. The justices, by a 5-4 vote, granted an emergency appeal from the Biden administration, which has been in an escalating standoff at the border with Texas and had objected to an appellate ruling in favor of the state… Abbott also has authorized installing floating barriers in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass and allowed troopers to arrest and jail thousands of migrants on trespassing charges. The administration also is challenging those actions in federal court.

“A federal appeals court last month forced federal agents to stop cutting the concertina wire. Large numbers of migrants have crossed at Eagle Pass in recent months. In court papers, the administration said… that, in any case, federal immigration law trumps Texas’ own efforts to stem the flow of migrants into the country.

“Texas officials have argued that federal agents cut the wire to help groups crossing illegally through the river before taking them in for processing.

“Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor sided with the administration. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas voted with Texas. No one provided any explanation for their vote.”

This is not the first time that Roberts, who has proven to be somewhat unpredictable, sided with the liberal wing of the US Supreme Court, and against the conservative wing. The consequence is, of course, that more and more migrants are entering the USA illegally.

Newsmax wrote on January 23:

“Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily let border patrol agents remove razor wire fencing that Texas officials placed along parts of [the] state’s border with Mexico, is vowing ‘this is not over.’

“Abbott made his comments… after justices granted a request by President Joe Biden’s administration to pause a lower court’s ruling that temporarily blocked federal agents from disturbing the fencing while litigation over the issue proceeds…

“Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton… wrote: ‘The Supreme Court’s temporary order allows Biden to continue his illegal effort to aid the foreign invasion of America. The destruction of Texas’s border barriers will not help enforce the law or keep American citizens safe. This fight is not over, and I look forward to defending our state’s sovereignty.’”

Arbitrary Prohibitions

On January 22, 2024, Professor Laurence M. Vance wrote the following in the Ron Paul Institute:

“Forty-six states now allow the sale of raw milk, that is, unpasteurized milk, for human consumption… Only the states of Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, and Rhode Island prohibit the sale or distribution of raw milk. The states of Idaho, Iowa, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming all relaxed raw dairy prohibitions in 2023.

“We are still far from food freedom in the United States: the right of any person to grow, raise, produce, buy, sell, share, and eat the foods they choose in the way they choose. But at least things are moving in the right direction. Proponents of raw milk maintain that pasteurization harms the nutritional value of milk, and that raw milk not only tastes better but prevents allergies, protects against skin conditions, and reduces the risk of asthma. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…, drinking raw milk can lead to serious illness…

“States have laws that restrict the sale of raw milk because of its supposedly adverse health consequences. And yet, any adult can go into any liquor store in any state and purchase as many bottles of liquor that he wants to and drink as much alcohol each day as he chooses until he is falling-down drunk as a skunk or passes out.

“The medical use of marijuana, beginning with California in 1996, has now been legalized in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and the other U.S. territories of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands…  We are still far from marijuana freedom in the United States, that is, the right of any person to buy, sell, grow, process, transport, advertise, use, or possess marijuana but at least things are moving in the right direction. Proponents of marijuana tout its effectiveness in treating nausea, loss of appetite, inflammation, chronic pain, seizures, spasms, depression, insomnia, and anxiety.

“However, according to the CDC: Marijuana use directly affects the brain, specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision-making, coordination, emotion, and reaction time…

“States have laws that restrict the sale and use of marijuana because of its supposedly adverse health consequences. But any adult can go into a convenience store in any state and purchase as many packs of cigarettes that he wants to and smoke as many of those cigarettes each day as he chooses until he smokes like a chimney. Yet, drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes are much more dangerous and deadly than drinking raw milk and smoking marijuana.

“According to the CDC: Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States… More than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died prematurely from cigarette smoking than have died in all the wars fought by the United States…

“And also according to the CDC: Excessive drinking both in the form of heavy drinking or binge drinking, is associated with numerous health problems…

“The fact that it is raw milk and marijuana that the state governments restrict or prohibit… shows just how arbitrary and nonsensical these restrictions and prohibitions are…”

The real reason why some products are prohibited while others are not, has to do with the incredible and unhealthy influence of lobbyists, such as the medical and tobacco industry, among others.

The World Needs Trump?

Boris Johnson wrote the following article in the Daily Mail on January 19:

“The results from the Iowa Republican caucus have exploded like thunder in every high-minded meeting place… In the editorial conferences of fine old U.S. and UK publications, the leader writers are having hysterics… No! they are saying. Not him — not that man again!… Following his sweeping victory in Iowa, Donald Trump is now the ­overwhelming favourite to be the Republican nominee, and ahead in the polls to take the presidency…

“According to The Economist: ‘Donald Trump poses the biggest threat to the world in 2024.’… If you look at the facts, you can actually make a case… that a Trump presidency could be just what the world needs… The more ­frenzied the effort to cancel him, the stronger he becomes. The more bitterly his enemies wage lawfare against him, the more unstoppable he seems to be…

“And so yes, of course, given some of the views that are glibly ascribed to Donald Trump on this subject, I have been ­pondering deeply what a Trump victory might mean for the war [in Ukraine].. What can we deduce from the record? Well, ask yourself first: which American president was the first to stand up for Ukraine, after Putin’s invasion of 2014? Was it the great liberal ­internationalist Barack Obama? No… He did nothing to push Putin out of Ukraine, either from ­Crimea or the Donbas. Nor did the French, nor did the ­Germans, and nor, frankly, did the UK government of the day which decided — mystifyingly — to wash its hands of the ­matter and entrust the fate of the Ukrainians to the morally bankrupt ‘Normandy Format’.

“It was Donald Trump who gave the Ukrainians those Javelin anti-tank weapons which — together with the UK NLAW missiles and other weapons — were so valuable to the Ukrainians in the battle for Kyiv; and it was at least partly thanks to that bold decision by Trump that the Ukrainians were able to stun the world and send Putin’s armies scuttling from the Ukrainian capital. So, whatever they now say about President Trump, I ­cannot believe that he will want to go down in history as the president who abandoned a country that he has already signally helped to keep free…

“Trump will certainly demand that the Europeans pay more for their own defence — but then that is long-standing U.S. (and indeed UK) policy…

“Can you really say that the world feels safer now than it did when Trump was president? Everywhere, you see the malevolence of Iran, and of hostile actors backed by Iran. We see Putin raining Iranian missiles and drones on Ukrainian civilians. We have seen Hamas — trained and funded by Iran — launch the biggest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust. Now, we see the Houthis using ­Iranian missiles to disrupt global shipping.

“I ask you, in all seriousness — do you think any of this would now be happening if Donald Trump had been president for the past four years? It was Trump who suddenly ­staggered the world, at the beginning of 2020, by violently liquidating Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The diplomatic world had conniptions. But we didn’t hear much from Iran, for the rest of the Trump presidency, did we?

“Or take Syria, where Bashar al-Assad — another client of Iran — ­poisoned his own people in 2013 with illegal chemical weapons. What did America do, under Barack Obama? Nothing. And what did Trump do, when Assad did it again, and used ­poison gas against his own people in 2018? With UK support, Trump hit him so hard, and destroyed so many of his planes, that Assad never used chemical weapons again.

“You could certainly argue, on this evidence, that what the world needs now is a U.S. leader whose willingness to use force and sheer unpredictability is a major ­deterrent to the enemies of the West. If so, that leader is Trump.

“You could argue that, after the nightmare of Covid, and the ­expansion of the state across the West, the world now needs a U.S. president who is an enthusiastic exponent of free markets and ­capitalism. If so, that’s Trump.

“You could argue that among the many things Brexit Britain should be doing is a proper free trade deal with a U.S. president who is ­actually interested in the subject. If so, Trump is your man…”

In his typical chameleon-like fashion, Boris Johnson criticized Trump on other issues and also heaped praise on Biden and the good work he has allegedly done since becoming President. What is concerning now that Trump, too, is making more and more mistakes in his speeches, like Biden is famous for. Trump several times recently confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi, blaming Haley for security issues on January 6, 2021.

In addition, “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was worried by the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House, branding Trump’s claim that he could stop Ukraine’s war with Russia in 24 hours as ‘very dangerous’… and appeared to be apprehensive that Trump’s idea of a negotiated solution might involve Ukraine making major concessions to Russia” (Newsmax, dated January 20).

Tucker Carlson a Contender for VP?

Breitbart wrote on January 18:

“Donald Trump Jr. said Thursday… that former Fox News host Tucker Carlson was ‘certainly’ a contender to be picked as his father’s vice presidential running mate… Trump said, ‘… I’d love to see a Tucker Carlson… I mean they’re very friendly, I think they agree on virtually all of these things. They certainly agree on stopping the never-ending wars. And so, I would love to see that happen. That would certainly be a contender.’”

Donald Trump said that Nikki Haley will not be VP.

DeSantis Drops Out

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 21:

“Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspends his presidential campaign, endorsing Donald Trump in the GOP race. His departure narrows the field, with Nikki Haley now the sole GOP challenger to Trump… Two other Republican rivals to Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, also both dropped out of contention and endorsed the former president earlier in the week.”

Trump Takes New Hampshire

Breitbart wrote on January 23:

“Nikki Haley relied heavily on the support of Independents and Democrats in the New Hampshire primary yet still lost by wide margins. Of Haley voters in the Granite State, CNN said,  ‘about 7 in 10 said they were registered as undeclared prior to Tuesday.’… New Hampshire’s loose requirements allow for voters to cross over, while future Republican caucuses and primaries will consist overwhelmingly of registered Republicans.

“Trump crushed Haley in the New Hampshire primary by double digits [With 91% of the expected Republican vote in, Trump led Haley with 54.8% support to her 43.2%]… The Associated Press called the New Hampshire results within three minutes… Trump’s path to the nomination seems all but inevitable after his crushing victory.”

Politico reported on January 21:

“Trump’s back-to-back wins in Iowa and New Hampshire make him the only non-incumbent Republican candidate in modern political history to win the first two nominating contests [since both states began leading the election calendar in 1976].”

Even though she lost against Trump in Iowa and New Hampshire, Haley declared that she will continue with her candidacy.

The Associated Press wrote on January 23:

“Haley’s path to becoming the GOP standard-bearer is narrowing quickly. She won’t compete in a contest that awards delegates until South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary, bypassing the Feb. 8 Nevada caucuses that are widely seen as favoring Trump. As South Carolina’s former governor, Haley is hoping a strong showing there could propel her into the March 5 Super Tuesday contests. But in a deeply conservative state where Trump is exceedingly popular, those ambitions may be tough to realize and a home-state loss could prove politically devastating.”

It’s a Long Road to November

The Daily Mail wrote on January 24:

“The biggest unknown in the 2024 election has little to do with primaries, or debates, or election night concession speeches. Keep your eyes on the courtrooms. The timing matters for when Trump stands trial in Washington D.C. in the special counsel’s January 6th case, where he faces four serious criminal indictments for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election…

“Exit polls in both Iowa and New Hampshire show a significant cohort of voters — even some Republicans — say they would find Trump ‘unfit’ for the presidency should he be convicted of a crime. What happens in that jury room, may have more impact on Trump’s ability to win than any TV ad or strategy that any nominee can conjure.

“At least for now, the Republican primary contest appears to be decided, but it’s a long road to November, especially when it begins on January 24.”

Still, it appears that every time Trump is accused of something in the courts, his approval rates go up. And if he was convicted of any crime, it depends on how plausible and convincing that conviction would be.

Schwarzenegger Detained in Germany

Breitbart wrote on January 18:

“Action star and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was left furious after being detained for more than three hours at a German airport [in Munich, Bavaria] Wednesday after officials accused him of tax evasion for not declaring a $21,000 watch he was [wearing and] preparing to auction off for charity [in Austria]… It was reported that Schwarzenegger was friendly and cooperative at first, but as the inefficiency and incompetence of the customs officials worsened with every minute, the movie star began getting frustrated.

“The paper [Bild Online] added that officials demanded the action star pay a fee for the potential taxes on the watch, but when the agent tried to use a credit card reader in the office, he couldn’t get it to work. Then they demanded he accompany them to a local bank to withdraw the money for them in cash. But the bank was closed and his debit card had a limit on it that would not let him take out the amount the customs cops wanted. After that, officials took him back to the airport where another official then transported him to yet another bank — one that was open — and he was able to withdraw the amount they were demanding. Thomas Meister, a German government customs agent, told the media that the state is initiating ‘criminal tax proceedings’…

“Schwarzenegger, though, is less than amused at the whole incident… the actor said German officials never asked for any forms to be filled out for the watch ahead of being detained… it was an incompetent shakedown, a total comedy of errors that would make a very funny cop movie… The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative will properly report it, as all of Arnold’s nonprofits do… His charity auctions raise millions of dollars every year for after-school programs for kids all over the United States and environmental work around the world…

“The spokesman then took a shot at German officials, saying, ‘We hope Germany spends as much energy turning around their economy as they do asking for tax payments for people’s property they bring into the country, and we hope next time they don’t make him pay taxes on his suits.’”

Politico commented on January 19:

“As if we needed any more evidence for the shabby treatment of Austrians at the hands of Germans…This week’s abomination involves none other than… Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was detained at Munich airport enroute to Kitzbühel for allegedly failing to declare a luxury watch in his luggage. Arnie agreed to pay the duties and penalties — to the tune of about 10,000 euros, but in typical German fashion, the border police wanted at least part of the payment in cash!”

The watch was later auctioned off in Austria for 270,000 euros. According to Schwarzenegger and Bild, the customs officers asked him totally inappropriate and unrelated questions, such as, how many children does he have, what is the name of his partner, how much money does he have in the bank, what is the value of his assets, etc.  Schwarzenegger said later: “This is the problem which shows Germany’s sickness. One does not see the forest because of the many trees.” Germany is becoming a laughing stock all over the world.

Germany Commits National Suicide

LifeSiteNews wrote on January 19:

“[The farmers’] protests are not about diesel subsidies, as the mainstream media have reported… the protests are the result of widespread discontent with the direction of Germany under the current coalition. They are symptomatic of a growing spirit of resistance, born of exasperation with years of globalist policies… This is a systemic pushback against the entire globalist agenda.

“It is a pushback which enjoys vast popular support, with one recent poll showing 81 percent of the public sympathetic to the farmers. Despite this, repeated attempts have been made to frame the protests as ‘far right’ and ‘extremist.’… The attempt to marginalize and isolate a vast movement of rebellion against this deeply unpopular government is understandable. After all, it has recently refused to rule out criminalizing the… opposition party which stands for the farmers. With recent polling showing its support at 23 percent, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) says it sees the protest as one result of the years of  ‘wrong policies’ from Germany’s coalition government…

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been reluctant to appear in public as his government faces national rail strikes and a deepening economic crisis. Whilst Scholz restricted himself to a video appearance – in which he repeated the ‘extremist’ slur, the German Finance Minister Christian Lindner told farmers ‘there is no more money’ for them.  The question asked by one AfD politician was simple: where has all the money gone? 

“The German Vice Chancellor Habeck replied, ‘The answer lies in the fact we have decided to support Ukraine.’… The financial cost of supporting Ukraine with cash, tanks and other weapons is but one dimension of the catastrophe caused by a government whose policies amount to national suicide.  

“The Green/Red/Yellow ‘traffic light’ government of Scholz and Habeck borrowed heavily to finance lockdowns – leaving a massive hole in the German budget. They borrowed 65 billion euros in ‘emergency funding,’ which allowed them to bypass German laws against adding massive debt to any budget.  But they did not spend the money on the… covid ‘emergency’… They used the funds to implement the WEF-backed Sustainable Development Goals promoted by the United Nations. This move was ruled unlawful by the highest German court in November 2023, seeing Habeck’s own budget struck down as ‘unconstitutional’ – and leading to further crisis. 

“These green initiatives included shutting down all of Germany’s nuclear power plants and other cheap generators, funding windmill projects and other ‘sustainable development goals.’ This in turn led to higher energy costs, and pressure on industry, damaging the economy and driving inflation – a situation which worsened with sanctions on Russia and the sabotage of their strategic gas supply through the destruction of the Nordstream pipelines. A criminal act, long desired by U.S. President Joe Biden and Under-Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, the destruction of Germany’s gas pipelines to Russia was first suggested by current Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 1987. 

“In failing to press for any meaningful investigation, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been complicit in the terrorist sabotage of the prosperity of his own nation. ‘If Russia invades – there will no longer be a NordStream – we will put an end to it,’ said Biden, speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Feb 7, 2022…

“With the framing of the most popular movement in Germany to emerge in years as a threat to democracy, and attempts to criminalize an opposition party with soaring support, the witch hunt in Germany is one led by the government against its own people. This desperate regime is resorting to propaganda, media blackout and perhaps even lawfare to maintain its tenuous grip on power.  Looking at the numbers, it seems to be failing. The people are winning in Germany. They are with the farmers’ movement and against the policies of national suicide which the globalist government has pushed for years…”

What a terrible description of a failing and incompetent government!

Germany Must Become “War-Ready”

Breitbart wrote on January 20:

“Germany’s defence minister… Boris Pistorius… said that while there was a Russian threat in Europe that hadn’t been seen for decades, ‘At the moment I don’t think a Russian attack is likely.’… [He] said they expected a ‘a period of five to eight years in which this could be possible’, saying it was understandable that a country like Sweden had made more alarmist noises of late, because their geography — much closer to the Russian border — puts them ‘in an even more serious situation’.

“This week, alleged German military planning documents were reported as leaked in Europe’s largest newspaper. They prognosticated an alarming escalation of violence in Europe including a renewed Russian assault on Ukrainian capital Kyiv. In the papers, Moscow was also predicted to provoke fabricated border clashes with European states, and finally stage an invasion of NATO member state Poland…

“In terms of what he believes must be done, the politician… said it was time to ‘wake up society’ and make Germany ‘war-ready’ [‘kriegstüchtig’]…  The interview, after all, comes amid a flurry of predictions of either impending of medium-term war with Russia, ranging from Russian aggression in Europe in three years from Poland [and] possible world war on four fronts in five years from the United Kingdom…”

Russia commented too, saying that World War III will begin in the Middle East.

Germany Fudges the Math on NATO and Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 20, 2024:

“In the federal budget for 2024, the government will barely reach NATO’s spending target… NATO countries have committed themselves to spending 2% of their budgets on their armed forces each year… Chancellor Scholz promised his partners in Europe and the US that Germany would meet this target in the future.

“The German army was promised an additional… $108 billion… to modernize. This special fund, a separate budget approved by the German parliament, the Bundestag, was established primarily to purchase modern war equipment. However, it has emerged that aid for Ukraine is now also coming from this budget. Germany plans to spend a total of €8 billion on weapons for Ukraine starting this year… Ukraine can hardly deploy any of the Leopard 2 tanks supplied by Germany because of high maintenance requirements…

“Christian Mölling from the German Council on Foreign Relations told DW…  in the worst-case scenario, NATO has just five years to build its forces enough to deter Russia from attacking NATO territory, especially the Baltic states…”

And there will be wars and rumors of wars…

AfD’s Political Agenda

The Telegraph wrote on January 22:

“Britain was ‘dead right’ to leave the European Union and Germany should hold its own ‘Dexit’ vote, the leader of the… AfD… has said. Alice Weidel… said she would push for a referendum on EU membership if her party came to power. Ms Weidel said the vote would be held if an AfD government could not secure reforms to curb overreach by the ‘unelected’ European Commission… Winning such a referendum… would be a tall order, with 90 per cent of people in favour of continued membership. A recent poll found that less than half (45 per cent) of AfD members would vote for Dexit…

“Ms Weidel admitted that the AfD would not be able to take power in Berlin before 2029 but said a future role in government was ‘inevitable’. She predicted that the CDU, the centre-Right party of former chancellor Angela Merkel, would be the first to break the ‘firewall’ of establishment forces and ally with the AfD… The AfD is pro-Russian and is accused of being soft on Vladimir Putin. Ms Weidel said the 1.1 million Ukrainian refugees in Germany should not have been allowed to draw benefits. ‘It’s clear that when the war ends, all Ukrainians will have to go home. They will be needed anyway to help rebuild their country,’ she said… Despite the recent scandal, it has remained popular, thanks in part to Mr Scholz’s failures on the economy.”

Germany will not leave the EU. However, other comments made by Weidel might not be that far off.

Over a Million Leftist Activists “Demonstrate” in Germany Against the AfD

Breitbart wrote on January 22:

“More than a million leftist activists took to the streets of Germany in protest over the weekend amid growing calls to ban the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as it surges in the polls.

“In a welcome distraction for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government — which has become deeply unpopular over economic stagnation, mass migration and most recently a farmer uprising against its globalist agenda — the legacy media, political elites and activist networks have rallied around a common target, the AfD.

“According to organizers, over 1.4 million people took to the streets in protest against the populist Alternative for Germany party over the weekend, under the banner of slogans such as: ‘Against Fascism, Populism and the Right’ and ‘Demo against the right – not an inch from fascism’…

“The protests were urged on by Chancellor Scholz in an apparent attempt to change the narrative from his struggling coalition government…

“The mass protests across the country against the AfD came in response to a report published by the taxpayer-subsidized and Soros-funded non-profit Correctiv… In the report, the left-wing research centre claimed that a November conference in Potsdam was attended by members of the AfD, alongside members of the centrist Cristian Democratic Union (CDU) as well as political activists, including Austrian identitarian activist Martin Sellner, whom Correctiv describes as a ‘neo-Nazi’. The Correctiv report… that Sellner laid out a ‘masterplan’ to enact ‘deportations of people from Germany based on a set of racist criteria, regardless of whether or not they have German citizenship.’ The report went on to draw comparisons between the meeting in Potsdam to the infamous Wannsee Conference in 1942 in which senior leaders of Adolph Hitler’s Nazi regime laid out plans for the extermination of millions of Jews in the Holocaust.

“This assertion that deportations of German citizens were discussed at the November meeting has been disputed by several participants of the meeting, including former AfD parliamentarian Roland Hartwig, who now serves as the personal advisor to the co-leader of the party Alice Weidel. Hartwig maintained that the Correctiv report was ‘complete nonsense’, stating that Sellner did not call for the mass deportations of German citizens and that ‘if he had done so, I would have protested because it would have been unconstitutional.’ The party has also noted that the meeting at the hotel in Potsdam was a private conference that was not organised or endorsed by the AfD.

“A member of the centrist CDU party of former Chancellor Angela Merkel who also attended the event, Ulrich Vosgerau, also denied the veracity of the Correctiv claims, saying: ‘At least in my presence no one said anything like that.’ ‘What was actually discussed was the question of how to deport criminal aliens or rejected asylum seekers more quickly…’

“There has also been no suggestion from the AfD leadership of adopting a programme of deporting German citizens. Rather the party openly rejects any distinctions along racial lines…

“Ultimately the truth of what was said is unclear… Nevertheless, the report has spurred on calls for the AfD to be banned to supposedly protect democracy as the party has surged to around 23 per cent in the polls…

“Earlier this month, the leader of Scholz’s Social Democrat Party (SPD) in the German Bundestag parliament, Saskia Esken argued that a ban on the AfD should be considered given that the party is ‘clearly anti-democratic.’ Last year, the government-funded German Institute for Human Rights (DIMR) claimed that banning the AfD would be justified on the basis that the party is opposed to the ‘free democratic basic order’.

“The calls for the party to be banned come ahead of regional elections in the German states of Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia later this year, all of which are expected to see the AfD make significant gains and potentially even take control of local government posts. The AfD is also expected to be a big player in the upcoming EU Parliament elections in June.”

The German mass media from the left, the right and the middle, has overwhelmingly depicted the mass demonstrations of Germans as a healthy sign that Germany won’t tolerate Naziism anymore, and a justified outcry against the AfD. As the article above shows, none of that is really clear at all.

The Making of the European Empire: Loss of Freedom, Security, and Self

The European Conservative wrote on January 20:

“The European Parliament recently approved an amendment to the EU treaties that would be the next step in abolishing the member states’ veto in the EU Council and increase the powers of supranational institutions. Such a reform is a decades-old federalist dream… The idea has a long history…

“The current proposals are the most concrete manifestation yet of this anti-democratic trend… The abolition of the veto in the European Council would essentially make each member state cease to be a self-governing country and become an administrative unit...

“Germany and France see the EU as a projection of their own power. Their leading position within the EU gives them extra clout at the table. It is no coincidence that both countries are overwhelmingly in favour of greater centralisation—the more deeply integrated the EU is, the more influence they have within the EU and, through it, in the world. The amendments adopted by the European Parliament make it very clear that the relative influence of the smaller countries would drastically decrease while the relative power of the largest countries would increase…

“After all, if we understand (and we do) that a federal EU would be an EU of decisions dictated by Germany and France, what do the rest of us hope to gain from it? What do German and French influences mean in practice?

“In domestic politics, it means more and more leftist ideology, woke thinking, and aggressive culture wars. At present, it is only the veto and similar such brakes that are preventing us from being mandated to declare the homosexual family, abortion, gender reassignment, and limitless migration to be alienated human rights, guaranteed, and enforced at an EU level. Particularly on the issue of border protection, the dominance of the German approach would be disastrous for both Southern and Central European countries. It is even disastrous for Finland, which is also suffering from Russian hybrid attacks and has closed its border to the surprising waves of African migrants hailing from beyond the Arctic Circle…

“In foreign policy, domination by Germany and France means being pragmatic with Russia and cautious with the United States. Many in Western Europe would love that. In Central Europe, it sounds like a recipe for disaster…”

Germany will end up leading the EU and especially a group of 10 core nations. And this will be indeed disastrous for Germany, Europe and the entire world.

Brits Unwilling to Fight?

The Sun wrote on January 24:

“A WAR hero [Ben McBean] who lost an arm and leg in Afghanistan says Brits would have to be dragged kicking and screaming if called up to fight Russia… [He] says poor pay, conditions and shoddy veteran care give Brits absolutely no incentive to sign up… ‘The way the country is being run, and then people being skint and underpaid, there’s not a lot of incentive to want to fight for this country…’

“Sir Patrick – due to step down from his role in June… called for a ‘shift’ in the mindset of regular Brits to get mentally prepared that war with Russia could happen… [He also pleaded for ‘mobilization.’]

“Rishi Sunak today ruled out conscription and insisted military service will remain voluntary. A spokesman for the PM added: ‘… The British military has a proud tradition of being a voluntary force. There are no plans to change that.’”

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.

Trump’s Historic Win in Iowa

The Daily Mail wrote on January 16:

“Donald Trump’s runaway victory in the Iowa caucuses means the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination has pretty much ended on the day it began. The scale of Trump’s triumph is historic. Just about everything went right for him. Whether it’s right for America and the rest of the world is another matter.

“After Iowa, America seems condemned to a re-run of the Trump-Biden contest of 2020, a repeat a majority of Americans have made clear they do not want but seem powerless to stop. For America’s allies, the increased prospect of a Trump presidency brings nothing but dread, even among conservatives-minded governments. For its enemies, the risk is that opportunities for them to sow mischief will abound.

“Trump won 51 per cent of the vote, a record-breaking 30 points ahead of his nearest rival and more than his two main challengers combined. Until Tuesday, Bob Dole had held the record in a contested Republican Iowa caucus with a 13-point victory margin in 1988. Trump smashed that. He also won 98 of Iowa’s 99 counties, with the only hold out, Johnson County, home of the University of Iowa, going for Nikki Haley by… one vote…

“He swept all before him, winning not just a majority of evangelicals in rural areas and small towns but with clear leads even among more moderate suburban Republicans… Of course, Iowa is hardly representative of America and some will claim you can read too much into Tuesday’s result. But it is representative — largely white, rural, small town, evangelical, blue collar, not college educated — of the Republican Party base on which Trump has such a grip and which will deliver him the nomination… The icing on his Iowa cake was Vivek Ramaswamy’s decision to pull out of the race and back him…

“President Zelensky in Kyiv must be wondering what progress he can make against Russia in Ukraine before a Trump presidency 2.0 threatens to undermine his war effort. The chancelleries of Europe woke up Wednesday morning to the harsh reality that the potential next president of the United States could bring the whole edifice of NATO crumbling down at a time when Europe needs the American-led alliance more than ever. America’s allies in the Middle East and Asia are contemplating new years of confusion and uncertainty…

“Of course, winning the Republican nomination is not the same as winning the White House. But the most recent ABC News poll gives President Biden a record 58 per cent disapproval rating… as things currently stand, Trump must surely be regarded as favourite to win…

“For America it threatens a return to division, chaos, even violence. For if Trump does not abide by the country’s democratic rules why should his opponents? As America is forced to face up to the new challenges of the 21st century and a world which suddenly looks a lot more dangerous than it did even a decade ago, the last thing it needs is a geriatric contest between two of yesterday’s men.

“America’s great strength has always been its ability to renew itself, to pass the baton on to new generations and new thinking… That cannot happen in 2024 if the choice is Trump or Biden. For the rest of the world dependent on American protection, the prospects are just as scary. Trump and his supporters have every reason to celebrate this week. The rest of us have just as many reasons to be fearful.”

The Daily Mail added on January 16:

“The historic landslide came despite Arctic temperatures and the Hawkeye State being battered by blizzards that were expected to decimate turnout. It gives Trump a massive boost as he seeks to win the Republican presidential nomination and return to the White House in what would be the most remarkable political comeback in U.S. history.”

Especially Europe, Ukraine and, to an extent, Israel are in panic regarding the prospects of a return of Trump. Netanyahu said he would not allow Trump to end the Gaza war in the way that he has proposed.

Political Uproar in Germany

Life Site News wrote on January 12:

“Amidst a growing sense of national crisis Germany’s vice chancellor [Robert Habeck] has refused to rule out the criminalization of the main opposition party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD)… Habeck’s comments were reported in German newspaper Handelsblatt, which also noted ‘there are supporters of an AfD ban in almost all democratic parties.’ All but one of these parties lag far behind the AfD, which is now the second most popular in Germany… This increase is explained in part by a decade of mass immigration, which has seen figures of up to three million immigrants arrive in Germany in one year. With support at 23 percent – 10 percent higher than Habeck’s Greens – the AfD has now eclipsed all the parties of government in the polls. The increase of their ‘influence’ is an established fact. What is also obvious is the reasons behind their rise – the chaos created by the policies of the German government, and by Habeck himself…

“Habeck’s decision to cut support to German farmers has triggered a wave of national protests [which] have been characterized as ‘far right,’ in a routine description of any organized opposition… The pressure on Habeck and his government is compounded by a growing economic catastrophe in which he and his party are implicated. The man whose management of the state was ruled unconstitutional is hoping to create a case to criminalize a party for the ‘anti-constitutional’ action – of having popular policies…

“It is Habeck’s party who have presented an alternative Germany… Pro-mass immigration, pro-abortion and strongly supportive of so-called ‘LGBTQ rights,’ their entire political platform aims at the total destruction of the German way of life. 

“The reasons for the move to criminalize popular political movements is obvious: the establishment has no solutions for the problems it has created. Both in the U.S. and in Europe, it is resorting to the desperate measure of lawfare to make any alternative to itself illegal.

“The AfD in Germany is anti-war. It proposes to halt mass migration, restart sensible energy policies, and abandon the Net Zero program destroying the economy…  These policies are popular with people generally, as is evidenced by Trump’s commanding lead and the growing support for the AfD in Germany. Both nations have seen narratives of extremism crafted to characterize opposition to the globalist schemes of forever war and the collapse of industrial society as the enemies of democracy…”

A slightly different report was published by the Associated Press on January 11:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday sharply condemned alleged plans by members of far-right groups who supposedly met recently at a mansion outside Berlin to devise a plot to deport millions of immigrants, even those with German citizenship, if the groups take power. The alleged plan, which was published in an article by the investigative journalists’ group Correctiv on Wednesday, has led to an uproar in the country because it echoes the Nazis´ ideology of deporting all people who are not ethnically German…

“According to the report by Correctiv, members of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, and the extremist Identarian Movement participated in the meeting in November…  Deportation of German citizens is not possible under to the constitution, which can only be changed by a two-thirds majority in the lower and upper houses of parliament.”

The AfD denied having any such plans, as described in the above-stated article. Reuters reported on January 10:

“[The AfD] said on Wednesday it had no plans to pursue deportation of ‘unassimilated’ immigrants with passports if it wins power, after investigative portal Correctiv said that was aired at a meeting… Roland Hartwig, personal assistant to AfD leader Alice Weidel, and Ulrich Siegmund, party leader in Saxony Anhalt state, met neo-Nazi influencers and wealthy businessmen late last year in a hotel near Berlin. At the meeting, Martin Sellner, an Austrian leader of the far-right Identitarian Movement, had proposed a project of ‘remigration’, whereby some immigrants could be forced to leave Germany – even if they had citizenship…

“The AfD confirmed that Hartwig was present at the meeting but said that the reported proposals were not party policy… ‘The AfD won’t change its position on immigration policy because of a single opinion at a non-AfD meeting,’ the party told Reuters. Sellner confirmed he was at the meeting but denied proposing anything illegal…

“Alexander von Bismarck, a descendent of Germany’s 19th century founding chancellor, was also named by Correctiv as a participant…”

Protests Continue

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 15:

“German farmers converged on Berlin on Monday for demonstrations that filled the streets around the city’s famous Brandenburg Gate… The protests drew some 10,000 farmers, with some 5,000 tractors and trucks, along with others from across Germany… Monday’s rally is the culmination of protests that have lasted for more than a week… German lorry drivers and freight forwarders are also supporting the demonstrations.”

Pistorius to Replace Scholz?

Focus wrote on January 9:

“Boris Pistorius [Germany’s defense minister] is the most popular politician in the country, much more popular than the Chancellor. This emerges from various surveys. According to the latest Insa survey, almost two thirds of Germans would like Pistorius to replace his SPD party colleague Olaf Scholz as Chancellor.

“The wild debate about Scholz’s twilight of the chancellor was triggered by the Italian daily newspaper ‘La Repubblica’. The renowned newspaper reported that the Chancellor was about to be replaced – by Pistorius. The sensational article is about speculation surrounding… suspected Russian spy and ex-company boss Jan Marsalek… In the subsequent survey commissioned by ‘Bild am Sonntag’, 64.3 percent of those surveyed were in favor of Pistorius as chancellor… Even among SPD supporters, more respondents are for than against such a change of chancellor (47.9 to 47.1 percent)…

“In any case, it would not be the first time that an incumbent Chancellor in Germany is replaced by another from the same party during a legislative period. Konrad Adenauer (CDU) resigned in October 1963 and was replaced by Ludwig Wilhelm Erhard (CDU). In 1974 Willy Brandt (SPD) also resigned. Helmut Schmidt (SPD) took over the office of Federal Chancellor…. The Italian daily newspaper’s theory is also somewhat reminiscent of the Guillaume [spy] affair, which toppled Chancellor Willy Brandt. Like Brandt, Olaf Scholz would have to resign as chancellor to make way for Pistorius.”

Focus added on January 12:

“Scholz is lonelier than ever, surrounded by a dwindling following and internal party intrigues. What was still satire two years ago is now on its way to becoming reality. The words ‘resignation’ or ‘overthrow of the chancellor’ are already making the rounds, at least in the mild version… They say the time is now for personnel renewal and a new beginning. That sounds less brutal, but in the language of party politicians, it means the same thing.”

Stranger things have happened.

France’s New Prime Minister

The Washington Post wrote on January 12:

“This week, France became the world’s most important country with an openly gay head of government. The French didn’t want to talk about it. French media trumpeted the fact that Gabriel Attal is the country’s youngest-ever prime minister; at age 34, his youth and hypersonic ascent as President Emmanuel Macron’s protégé are no doubt remarkable.

“Yet most news coverage in France mentioned the fact of Attal’s sexual orientation only in passing, or omitted it altogether, until some journalists noticed it had made headlines elsewhere, especially in the United States. That stirred some belated commentary, including a headline… ‘The prime minister is gay, but not too much.’…”

Iran Behind Houthi Attacks

Newsmax wrote on January 11:

“Secretary of State Antony Blinken has admitted that Iran was behind the ‘biggest attack’ by Yemen-based Houthi rebels targeting U.S. interests in the Red Sea… Blinken said the attacks, using unmanned aerial vehicles, were aided by Iran with ‘technology, equipment, intelligence, information, and they are having a real-life impact on people’… “

Newsmax added on January 17:

“The recent series of Houthi rebel attacks on ships in the Red Sea is the most unprecedented assault on merchant shipping since World War II and the Battle of the North Atlantic.”

Further Escalation

Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on January 17:

“The US military carried out new strikes in Yemen on Tuesday against anti-ship ballistic missiles in a Houthi-controlled part of the country as a missile struck a Greek-owned vessel in the Red Sea. Disruptions to Red Sea shipping caused by Houthi attacks will push up prices of consumer goods in Europe in particular… The Iran-allied Houthi militia has threatened to expand its attacks to include US ships in response to American and British strikes on its sites in Yemen…

“British oil major Shell has suspended all shipments through the Red Sea indefinitely after the US and UK strikes triggered fears of further escalation, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Shell declined to comment…

“European diplomats said member states of the European Union had given initial backing to creation of a naval mission by Feb. 19 at the latest to help protect ships. The existing US-led coalition meant to safeguard commercial traffic in the Red Sea is weak because regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have not taken part, Yemen’s vice president said on Tuesday…

“Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister underlined the link between Houthi attacks on commercial ships to the war in Gaza. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the kingdom’s priority is finding a path to de-escalation through a ceasefire in Gaza.”

America’s Unconstitutional War on Yemen

Ron Paul wrote on January 15 in his weekly column:

“Late last week President Biden started a new US war on the tiny country of Yemen. US warships and fighter jets launched more than a hundred missiles at the country in a massive escalation that the Administration bizarrely claimed would ‘de-escalate’ tensions in the Red Sea. Taking the US to war without a Congressional declaration of war is a grave crime against the Constitution. Not only did Biden show no interest in coming to Congress for a war declaration, he didn’t even ask for authorization. Together with Washington’s reliable junior partner in war, the UK, Biden attacked Yemen. It seems the US Administration consulted more with the UK government than with the US Congress on the attacks.

“But that’s not really the worst part. Far from taking action against this illegal move by an out-of-control president, Congress as a body couldn’t even see fit to criticize the Administration. On the contrary, Congressional leadership in both bodies actually applauded President Biden for brazenly violating US law!…

“To their credit, several Members of Biden’s own party joined with a handful of Republican colleagues to denounce a US president taking the country to war without the authority to do so…

“The Framers of the Constitution gave war-making power to Congress because they understood that leaving such power in the hands of one person was a recipe for disaster. The role of the president is to make the case for a war declaration. Congress deliberates and either authorizes or refuses the proposed action.

“Washington has obviously not learned the lessons of Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and all the other failed US interventions over the past 20 years. Why do we keep losing wars? Because we do not go into wars according to the US Constitution. This war will be no different.

“The Houthis in Yemen withstood years of attacks from the Saudis using the latest US weaponry and came out on top…

“So we are left with the strange and sad spectacle of Congress asleep at the wheel as a Defense Secretary launches military strikes from his hospital bed in the service of a president clearly not in his prime. All this in pursuit of a policy that makes no sense and is leading us closer to a major war in the Middle East that will only harm, not serve, the US national interest.”

Paul’s legal analysis seems to be correct.

Russia Will Never Recognize Ukraine

Newsmax wrote on January 17:

“Russia will never recognize Ukraine as an ‘independent state’… even if a diplomatic solution is reached to end the war, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said in a social media post… ‘No matter who stands at the helm of the cancerous growth called Ukraine, it will not make their rule legitimate, nor will it make the “country” legally viable. Therefore, the likelihood of a new fight will persist indefinitely.’

“The statement led a source close to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to say that ‘the Putin regime doesn’t recognize Ukraine’s right to exist’… ‘The existence of Ukraine is mortally dangerous for Ukrainians, and I don’t mean only the current state…’ Medvedev further referred to Ukraine as an ‘artificial country’ and that Russia will never consider it a legitimate nation.”

Russia and Ukraine will unite.

No Palestinian State After October 7

Israel Today wrote on January 12:

‘While there are many lessons to be learned from the October 7, 2023 Hamas invasion of southern Israel, chief among them is that a Palestinian state must never be established in the Land of Israel. That was the conclusion of the ‘Nation, Land & Sovereignty’ conference held in Jerusalem on Thursday…

“According to a poll presented at the conference, 74% of Israelis now oppose the creation of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria…”

Lying Fauci

The New York Post wrote on January 11:

“In recent years, we, the public, have lost faith in institution after institution. Often with very good reason. We’ve seen a multi-tiered justice system. We’ve seen the politicization of every government agency. And we’ve had profound doubts cast — by Democrats and Republicans alike — on the security of the voting system… Research shows that public faith in scientists has fallen off the cliff since the pandemic… And no one is more responsible for that than Dr. Anthony Fauci.

“This week he appeared before a closed House select subcommittee on the coronavirus… His performance was by turns superior, shameless and suspicious… in February 2020, Fauci prompted the drafting of a paper to debunk the lab leak conspiracy theory… anyone suggesting the virus might have come from the laboratory was pushing a ‘conspiracy theory.’… [Fauci] claimed before members of Congress that he in fact never rejected the lab leak theory. That is a bald-faced lie. And unfortunately for him, there are dozens of interviews from that time in which he did exactly that. He said on every available platform that the evidence ‘strongly’ suggested the virus’s ‘natural occurrence.’

“… this week, giving testimony, flanked by his four lawyers (two personal, two government), Fauci is reported to have said ‘I don’t recall’ hundreds of times. He might as well not have been there, considering the number of things he just doesn’t remember. Or claims not to remember. But… what Fauci did remember and commented on this week is damning.

“Questioned by the subcommittee about the 6-foot rule — that we were all ordered to live by — Fauci had one of the most bizarre answers of the whole hearing… Fauci said that the 6-feet-of-distance rule ‘sort of just appeared.’ Without any scientific input.

“Which is nice to know. After all, it wasn’t like it was something that put the public to any kind of trouble. It wasn’t like all those signs on every shop window and every floor actually had any impact on our lives. Or on the people who were kept from seeing loved ones and stood at a distance from them, unable to get nearer than 6 feet…

“It was the same on issue after issue. Back at the height of the virus, Fauci was one of the people advocating for stronger and stricter mandates to push people into having the vaccine. Now he acknowledges that this policy actually caused a huge increase in suspicion of vaccines among the American public. And not just the COVID vaccines, but all vaccines. If we see the spread of old and unfamiliar diseases in the coming years, we will be able to thank this expert in disease control…

“So yes, there is a problem with faith in institutions. And faith in science… It is the direct result of the actions of Dr. Anthony Fauci and ‘evidence’ of the kind he rolled out again this week.”

But Fauci was not the only one responsible for the chaos and harm caused by scientific “experts” and mindless politicians regarding their “analysis” of Covid.

War – a Crime Against Humanity

Reuters wrote on January 14:

‘Pope Francis said on Sunday war was ‘a crime against humanity’… In the prayer, he urged people not to forget those suffering due to the “cruelty of war” in several parts of the world… ‘Let us pray that those who have power over these conflicts reflect on the fact that war is not the way to resolve them, as it sows death among civilians and destroys cities and infrastructure,’ the pope said.”

Francis is right.

Pope Francis and Communism

Life Site News wrote on January 11:

“Hosting a Marxist-Christian dialogue group at the Vatican on Wednesday, Pope Francis urged them to ‘be open, in dialogue, to new ways,’ while avoiding reiterating the Church’s consistent condemnation of Marxism… In his address, the pope urged the Marxist and Christian attendees to ‘never lose the ability to dream.’… the pope did not mention Christ, Christianity, or the Church’s condemnation of Communism and Marxism at all.

“Catholic teaching against Communism is very clear… Pope Pius XI warned the entire Church about ‘the impious and iniquitous character of Communism.’ Describing Socialism as slightly less violent, Pius XI firmly prohibited any attempts to marry Socialism and Catholicism… ‘Socialism… cannot be reconciled with the teachings of the Catholic Church because its concept of society itself is utterly foreign to Christian truth… Communism is intrinsically wrong, and no one who would save Christian civilization may collaborate with it in any undertaking whatsoever…’

“Pius’ words merely built on the constant teaching of his predecessors. Pius IX’s 1846 encyclical Qui pluribus described Communism as ‘a doctrine most opposed to the very natural law,’ which would usher in ‘complete destruction of everyone’s laws, government, property, and even of human society itself.’ Pope Leo XIII’s 1878 encyclical Quod Apostolici Muneris condemned Socialism as a ‘deadly plague that is creeping into the very fibres of human society and leading it on to the verge of destruction…

“In recent years, Francis has increasingly aligned himself with globalist entities such as the U.N…, the International Monetary Fund; the COP climate agenda; and the World Economic Forum.”

The rift in the Catholic Church caused by Francis and his liberal supporters will have wide-ranging consequences.

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.

US Supreme Court Will Decide

Breitbart wrote on January 5:

“The Supreme Court will hear arguments on former President Donald Trump’s appeal of a Colorado Supreme Court decision to strike him from the ballot, a monumental case with implications for similar ballot access challenges in states across the country that could determine the presidential election. The court will hear oral arguments on February 8, 2024, an expedited schedule that demonstrates the significance of resolving the case quickly…

“The [Colorado] Court… determined that ‘clear and convincing evidence’ proved ‘that President Trump engaged in insurrection’ despite Trump having never been convicted of that or any other crime or even been charged in court with the crime of insurrection…

“While Trump has received favorable outcomes in multiple states — including Colorado before its Supreme Court partially reversed that ruling — the Maine secretary of state also removed Trump from the ballot. The Supreme Court has never ruled definitively on the meaning of Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court’s decision on the Colorado case could be the final word in Maine as well as other states.”

It is widely expected that the Supreme Court will overturn the Colorado and Maine decisions, as being in violation of the Constitution. Some hope that the decision will be unanimous, but that may not be clear. Note the next article.

Trump Warns

Newsmax wrote on January 6:

“Former President Donald Trump is warning there will be ‘big trouble’ for the United States if the Supreme Court doesn’t treat him fairly and rule that he’s eligible for the 2024 presidential primary ballots. ‘I just hope we get fair treatment,’ Trump said during a rally in Sioux City, Iowa, Friday…

“‘Because if we don’t, our country’s in big, big trouble. Does everybody understand what I’m saying?’…  ‘They’re saying, “Oh, Trump owns the Supreme Court; he owns it… He put on three judges… If they rule in his favor, it will be horrible for them. And we’ll protest at their houses.’ ‘But such pressure is pushing ‘people to do the wrong thing,’ Trump added.”

Biden vs. Trump

The New York Post wrote on January 5:

“Speaking near Washington’s 1777-1778 winter encampment at Valley Forge outside Philadelphia, Biden went scorched earth on both the likely Republican nominee [Trump] and his allies in Congress, claiming the latter group ‘abandoned democracy’ after ‘we nearly lost America’ during the Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021…

“Backed by a cheering audience, Biden tore into Trump repeatedly during the roughly half-hour speech — accusing his predecessor of intentionally using the violence of the Capitol riot as a tactic to remain in power and even likening his rival — not for the first time — to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler…

“Trump fired back, telling Fox News Digital that ‘because of his gross incompetence, Joe Biden is a true threat to democracy’…

“Biden enters this election year with approval ratings that rival the lowest of any modern president [Jimmy Carter] with Americans giving a collective thumbs-down to his handling of the economy, immigration, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. As of Friday, [Biden] trailed Trump by 2.2% in the popular vote…

“No evidence has emerged that Trump had advance knowledge of plans for violence by some of his supporters during the congressional count of the Electoral College results. In other comments Friday, Biden said Trump could bring the US into an era of dictatorship…”

It is interesting that the Biden administration has been pursuing politics which constitute a threat to democracy and which have brought the USA into an era of dictatorship.

German Farmers Stage Nationwide Blockade

dw.com wrote on January 8:

“German farmers are angered by the government’s plans to slash agricultural subsidies. Blockades have disrupted road traffic across the country, posing a nightmare for commuters.” More than 500 tractors and trucks were parked at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate protesting in the heart of the government quarter in Berlin.”

German Farmers Confront Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck

The European Conservative wrote on January 5:

“A crowd of about 150 angry farmers were awaiting the arrival of a ferry carrying Germany’s Economic Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck on his return from vacation on Thursday evening at the port of Schlüttsiel in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.  While the farmers demanded to speak to Habeck about the left-liberal government’s tax burdens on the farming community, the minister’s bodyguards advised him to stay on the ferry for security reasons. Habeck himself was willing to let three farmers onto the boat to discuss their grievances, but the protesters demanded that the minister speak to them all outside… There were scenes of scuffles as some of the farmers tried to stop the ferry—with Habeck and his entourage onboard—from leaving. All other passengers were allowed ashore…

“Farmers have been outraged since the government announced plans to abolish subsidies on agricultural diesel and introduce new taxes on farm vehicles. The plans are part of budget cuts and new taxes that will put an even larger burden on households already grappling with the cost-of-living crisis. Thousands of farmers took to the streets of Berlin and other regional centres on December 18th, and are planning more protests…

“Conservative publication Tichys Einblick assessed the situation by saying: ‘Robert Habeck himself can afford a holiday, while the country, along with many citizens, is collapsing like never before since the Second World War. Companies are going bankrupt in droves, freight forwarders can no longer pay drastically increased tolls, ever-increasing electricity and energy costs as well as more and more taxes on CO2. Many are on the verge of extinction or are already extinct, freezing because heating costs are rising exorbitantly.’

“On Thursday, January 4th, the government backtracked somewhat, and decided it would not end the farmers’ tax break on agricultural diesel immediately, but will reduce the subsidy by 40% this year, 30% in 2025, and will end it from 2026. Also, the abolition of preferential treatment in vehicle tax for forestry and agriculture is no longer planned. However, the German Farmers’ Association (DBV) is still not pleased. Its president, Joachim Rukwied said: ‘This can only be a first step. Our position remains unchanged: both proposals for cuts must be taken off the table. This is clearly also about the future viability of our industry and the question of whether domestic food production is still desirable at all.’

“Elsewhere, Rukwied criticised the behaviour of the farmers who demonstrated against Habeck. ‘Personal attacks, insults, threats, coercion or violence are not acceptable,’ he said. Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) called  participants in the protest ‘fanatics’ and ‘radicals,’ and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) tweeted: ‘Where words are replaced by rabble, and arguments by violence, a democratic boundary has been crossed.’

“Politicians from the governing social democrats and the liberal FDP, as well as opposition centre-right CDU denounced Thursday night’s protests. Right-wing opposition AfD’s co-leader Alice Weidel accused the Economy Minister of escaping instead of seeking dialogue. Habeck himself acknowledged on Friday that the mood of the country ‘worries me.’

“The minister has every right to be worried, as the budget cuts, the attack on farmers and the government’s green agenda is causing ever-growing concern among the population. According to the latest opinion polls, the governing parties are in their worst position since they came into power two years ago. In that time, the social democrats have dropped from 26% to 12%, the Greens from 15% to 10.5%, the liberal FDP from 11.5% to 4.5%, meaning the latter would not be able to enter parliament. Meanwhile, the centre-right CDU/CSU alliance has gained in the polls by 10 percentage points, and stands at 34% overall, while the stigmatised AfD now enjoys the backing of 24.5% of the electorate.”

Germans are looking for an alternative. The next article bears that out, even though many feel that that “alternative” will only be short-lived.

False Outrage

Report 24 wrote on January 5:

“The reports of the media read as if an attack had been carried out on the economics minister… The mainstream acts in a horrified way… But what is the real conclusion…? There were no arrests… The spokesman for the Flensburg Police Department stated… that they were refraining from talking about violence. The narrative of the radical farmers is crumbling…

“In any case, the population’s sympathy for the minister [Habeck] is noticeably limited on social networks… it is the Ampel government that is dragging democracy into the mud by openly acting against the will of the citizens… Banning opposition in Germany in the form of the AfD shows that the anti-democrats are among the old parties – and not with the farmers, who, in contrast to the politicians currently in power, work in the service of the population.

“The Schlüttsiel example also shows the federal government clearly what they think of the back and forth of their decisions, their communication and their staff: what is shame for one person is anger for another. And this anger is now everywhere…

“Politicians know very well that they have caused and fomented this anger themselves. In recent months and years, those in government have consistently decided not to act for the benefit of their citizens – and they have hereby betrayed their own people. What was to be expected?… Anyone who continues to ignore the situation in which not only the farmers but also the citizens find themselves and instead covers up for political failure is part of the problem. What’s more, it contributes to escalation.”

Germany’s Former Spy Boss (CDU) to Found New Party

The European Conservative wrote on January 5:

“Hans-Georg Maaßen, Germany’s former domestic intelligence chief has announced his intention to break away from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to establish a new political party..  The new party… will be based on the ‘classic positions of the Union parties’ [CDU and CSU]. He added that, if successfully established, the party could run in this year’s elections in the eastern German states of Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg.

“… the Alternative for Germany (AfD) commands the support of 37%, 36%, and 32% of the population in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, respectively… even though nearly half of the German population supports the AfD’s participation in government, all parties with a parliamentary presence have ruled out the possibility of forming a government with it. This could potentially change if Maaßen’s party were to run and garner a considerable number of seats.

“Maaßen stated that he would work with all parties that are ‘ready for a change in policy in Germany,’ leaving the door open for future cooperation with the AfD… The former spy boss didn’t hesitate to level sharp criticism against CDU party leader Friedrich Merz for wanting to continue what he described as the ‘left-wing course’ taken by former Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Maaßen wrote: ‘…  Merkel’s policies have caused significant damage to Germany in all political areas. The recent statement by the General Secretary of the CDU that Merkel had ‘governed the country well’ confirms the impression that the Merz CDU has not understood the catastrophic situation Germany is in and that it is not prepared to deal with the situation for this. The German people have to deal with Merkel’s catastrophic policies.’…”

Germans are also worried about Russia; hence their desire to reinstate compulsory military service, as the next article shows.

Majority of Germans For Compulsory Military Service

Breitbart wrote on January 5:

“More than half of Germans of all ages… want to restore compulsory military service, a survey [by Die Welt] released Thursday reveals, as war on the European continent between Russia and Ukraine drags on into another year… It shows 52 percent of respondents are in favor of armed service while 32 percent are against it…

“Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) suggested conscription based on the ‘Swedish model.’… Men and women are recruited on an equal basis, one of the only countries in the world to do so… Today, the Bundeswehr is a professional army made up of volunteers — but the volunteers are no longer coming. A recent report found there were some 27,000 positions in the Bundeswehr left vacant in 2022, out of a total of 164,000.”

The Civil War Was Not About Slavery

The Ron Paul Institute published on January 4 the following article by Judge Andrew P. Napolitano:

“When Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley answered a question last week in which she stated that the American Civil War was fought over ‘government,’ ‘rights’ and ‘freedoms,’ she was correct. Yet, like most politicians, when she realized that the popular answer should have been ‘slavery,’ she modified her answer. She should have stood her ground…

“… when it comes to the interrelationship between slavery and the American Civil War, most Americans have their history backward. Because it is nearly always written by the winners, history nearly always makes the winners look good. The American Civil War is no exception… No less an authority on the reasons for the war than Abraham Lincoln acknowledged many times during his presidency that the war was fought to preserve the union, not to eradicate slavery…

“In government schools, we all learned that Lincoln freed the slaves. He didn’t. They were freed by the 13th Amendment, which was ratified in December 1865, eight months after the war ended and Lincoln’s death.

“What about the Emancipation Proclamation? In government schools, we all learned that by that document, the slaves were set free. They weren’t. The Proclamation did not have the force of law on civilians, as it was a military order issued to troops by Lincoln in his capacity as commander in chief so as to enable the Union Army to conscript slaves into the Army against their will — from one form of slavery to another. Moreover, the Proclamation expressly prohibited the Army from interfering with slavery — and thus preserving it — in the five border states; fully one-third of the Confederacy.

“In government schools, we learned that Lincoln was anti-slavery. He wasn’t. In the earliest days of his presidency, he championed the Corwin Amendment — the Republican Congress’s original 13th Amendment — which Congress passed and sent on to the states. Had its ratification not been interrupted by the war, it would have enshrined slavery in the Constitution. The same Congress that moved to abolish slavery as soon as the war ended had moved to protect it before the war started; this is history bent and rewritten by the victors.

“The initial verbal and military salvos in the war were over whether the states — covetous of tariff revenues seized by the feds — could voluntarily leave the union and resume collecting tariffs; hardly a novel concept at the time, but in a government school, you probably never heard this…”

As so often, history is distorted to serve certain political agendas. That the Civil War was NOT about slavery should be known and realized by all Americans… sadly, it is not.

More Money For Ukraine?

On January 2, Ron Paul wrote the following in his weekly column:

“In the closing days of 2023, the Biden Administration once again announced a large military aid package for Ukraine, this time a ‘mere’ quarter of a billion dollars. Without a new authorization of funds from Congress, it is said to be the last bit of money left over from the more than $100 billion already authorized by Congress for the proxy war with Russia through Ukraine.

“President Biden’s request for an additional $100 billion to spread around Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan was rejected by a Congress eager for its winter break, and with each passing day it looks like it’s going to be harder to push it through. Poll after poll show that Americans are increasingly opposed to more of their money being spent on the neocon’s lost-cause war to overthrow Putin in Russia. For example, a recent Fox News poll revealed that more than 60 percent of Republican voters do not want any more money sent to Ukraine. As we enter an election year, it’s probably safe to predict that Republican candidates will be wary of crossing the wishes of the clear majority of voters…

“Last month Secretary of State Antony Blinken inadvertently revealed what exactly all the spending for war is about when he stated that as much as 90 percent of the aid for Ukraine is actually spent in the United States. The money is used ‘to the benefit of American business, local communities, and strengthening the US defense industrial base,’ he said in an interview. In other words, the money ‘for Ukraine’ is actually a massive welfare program for well-connected military contractors back home.”

Amazing!

Time Is Running Out

The Times of Israel wrote on January 5:

“Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says time is running out on diplomatic efforts to end tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, indicating that Israel will soon be left with no choice but to launch a major military offensive against the terror group in Lebanon.”

EU on Ukraine and Israel

On January 3, the official website of the EU published the following article by Josep Borrell, Vice President of the EU:

“Two deadly wars are unfolding on our borders and dominating the European agenda: the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the war that has recently flared up again in the Middle East…

“Hamas is opposed to the very existence of the State of Israel. But the current Israeli government is also opposed, and for a long time, to the two-state solution. Benyamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister, promised to his fellow citizens that with him a Palestinian state would never see the light of day, despite the entire international community being in favour of it. This community therefore has a problem with Benyamin Netanyahu’s policy..,.

“But let’s return to Europe and ask ourselves a fundamental question: what is our capacity to act collectively in the face of these conflicts? We are not a state, and not even a federation of states. Our foreign and security policy is still being defined unanimously, which means that the opposition of only one State is sufficient to make us unable to act… If one can impose a veto, the others are obliged to haggle over the return to consensus. Often this haggling is very costly, and above all it wastes a lot of time. We react far too slowly to events, and we often pay dearly for it…

“In the case of Ukraine, unanimity was fortunately achieved quickly… However, this came at a high cost. Inflation rose and the economy held back… Will this unity last? What are we going to do if the Americans reduce their support for Ukraine once they have elected a new president, or perhaps even before then?… we need to act faster and more decisively to support Ukraine, because Russia represents a major strategic threat to the European Union…

“We are the biggest supplier of aid to the Palestinians, and in particular the biggest funder of the Palestinian Authority… Regarding Israel, we are the country’s leading trading partner… This means that we would have the means to influence both players in the conflict, should we choose to do so. However, so far we have not exercised this influence… Europe should be much more involved in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Until now, we have relied too heavily on the United States in the search for a solution to this conflict that directly affects us…”

Needed… A European Army

Reuters wrote on January 7:

“The European Union should form its own combined army that could play a role in peacekeeping and preventing conflict, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said…

“‘In a world with powerful players like the United States, China, India, Russia – with crises from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific – Italian, German, French or Slovenian citizens can only be protected by something that already exists, namely the European Union,’ he added… Tajani also said the 27-nation EU should streamline its leadership and have a single presidency, rather than the current structure of a European Council president and a European Commission president.”

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.

2023—a Year of Political Chaos

The New York Post wrote on December 30:

“The best thing about 2023 is that it’s ending, meaning we can finally say good riddance to one of the strangest years in American politics. Both parties contributed, but Democrats were extra strange. Many of them say they hate Donald Trump, but have a weird way of showing it. Often it seems like they’re doing everything under the sun to elect him. 

“After the 2020 election and the overheated aftermath, Dems could have chosen to govern in a center-left way that would have largely united the nation and isolated Trump and his grievances. Instead, they let the far left set the domestic agenda, ruined the economy, threw open the border and pursued a history-shattering prosecution of the former president. The result may be that Trump gets his party’s nomination and wins the White House largely because his opponents tried to put him in jail! 

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did her part with the dopey idea that two Trump-hating Republicans, Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, would give a bipartisan sheen to her Jan. 6 inquisition. President Biden fell sway to the same delusion, publicly spitting out MAGA, MAGA, MAGA as a curse and privately pushing his bitter attorney general, Merrick Garland  to charge the former president with crimes. Garland did as he was told, even as he dutifully tried to kill the strong case against the president’s son, Hunter Biden… Prosecutors inside and outside of Washington accepted the invitation and hit Trump with four separate indictments, a total of 91 criminal counts, most of them silly or suspect…

“The overreach also features a New York civil case where authorities aim to take away Trump’s businesses and bankrupt him. It’s a financial case without a victim, but has an overtly partisan state attorney general who, along with a judge… concocted a show trial that would gladden the hearts of authoritarians everywhere… The Dems’ latest efforts — to block Trump from appearing on state ballots — is a testament to their determination and resourcefulness. It also smacks of desperation, as they suddenly realize their prosecutions backfired. Now afraid he’ll win, they’re trying to prevent him from playing…

“In addition to Biden’s rampant failures, his age and in-your-face family corruption, many Republican and independent voters view the prosecutions as persecutions and are raising their hands for Trump in response. Those converted voters are why Trump has risen like Lazarus and racked up such large leads for the GOP nomination. His national lead in polls is a remarkable 50 points… Contrast that with the start of the year, when Trump’s total GOP support was about 35%…

“The fact that Biden is even running again adds another twist to 2024, with a majority of Dems saying they want someone else. Then again, most voters also say they don’t want a Biden-Trump rematch, but all signs point to exactly that…”

Add to this the Republican infighting regarding the Speaker of the House, and you can see the absolute chaos in American politics.

An Attack on the Constitution, Not Trump

Daily Mail wrote on December 29:

“Donald Trump’s campaign has unleashed a furious attack against Maine’s top election official after she banned him from running for the Oval Office in the state, with both Republican and Democrat rivals backing the former president. 

Maine’s secretary of state Shenna Bellows last night ordered that Trump would not be allowed to appear on the ballot in the 2024 election. 

“Her decision made Maine the second state to make a concerted effort to stop the former president from running for high office. Both Colorado and Maine found that Trump had participated in an insurrection, and so was ineligible to hold office, under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. But Michigan on Wednesday found the opposite, and California on Thursday night sided with Michigan, ruling that Trump could remain on the ballot. [NBC News reported in this regard: ‘In California, Trump was included Thursday on the list of candidates for the state’s March 5 primary. Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democrat, who has faced pressure from the state’s lieutenant governor to ‘explore every legal option’ to remove Trump from the ballot, said last week that the question involved ‘complex legal issues’ that under state law the courts should decide.” [Newsom had also stated that he was against removing Trump from the California ballot.]

“Bellows, a Democrat, [said] that while she knew her decision was historic, she stood by it, though she chose to suspend the decision until the Supreme Court decides to rule on the matter…. ‘The Maine Secretary of State is… a virulent leftist and a hyper-partisan Biden-supporting Democrat who has decided to interfere in the presidential election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden,’ Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said.  ‘We are witnessing, in real-time, the attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter,’ he added…

“Florida governor Ron DeSantis said on Fox News shortly after the Maine decision was announced: ‘It opens up Pandora’s box. Can you have a Republican secretary of state disqualify Biden from the ballot.’ Vivek Ramaswamy, another presidential rival, said: ‘This is what an actual threat to democracy looks like. The system is hellbent on taking this man out, the Constitution be damned.’ “Nikki Haley’s campaign, meanwhile, said: ‘… It should be up to voters to decide who gets elected.’

“But Democrats were also vocal in their criticism of Maine’s decision to ban Trump from the ballot. Jared Golden, a congressman from Maine, said in a statement: ‘… we are a nation of laws, therefore until he is actually found guilty of the crime of insurrection, he should be allowed on the ballot.’…

“Jena Griswold, Colorado’s secretary of state, announced on Thursday that Trump will for the time being remain on the ballot, which goes to print on January 5 – unless the Supreme Court affirms the lower court’s ruling or otherwise declines to take on the appeal…”

Fox News added on December 30:

“Former top Obama adviser David Axelrod warned Friday that a court decision removing former President Donald Trump from the primary ballot ‘would rip the country apart.’”

In other words, he is prognosticating civil war.

The Unqualified Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows

The New York Post wrote on December 30:

“The Maine Democrat who moved to boot former President Donald Trump from the state’s Republican primary ballot visited the White House twice in the past year — meeting President Joe Biden during one jaunt — and reportedly once referred to the Electoral College as a ‘relic of white supremacy…. On March 22, she attended a Women’s History Month event and took a photo with a smiling Biden, putting his left hand on her shoulder and clutching one of her hands with his right…

“She boasted it was an ‘honor’ meeting Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other ‘female leaders’ at the gathering in a press release put out by her office… Bellows also visited the White House June 6, to meet with Justin Vail, a special assistant to Biden...”

Breitbart added on December 29:

“Bellows, who previously worked as Executive Director of the Maine Chapter of the ACLU but is not an attorney and did not attend law school, made the legal conclusion in her ruling that ‘the declaration on [Trump’s] candidate consent form is false because he is not qualified to hold the office of the President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment.’

“The secretary of state, a Democrat whose social media is littered with photos of President Joe Biden, justified her ruling based on Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment’s ‘Insurrection Clause.’ The statute has never been used to disqualify a president from the ballot and has generally been understood not to apply to the office of the president… “

This is not an attack on Trump… it is an attack on democracy and the Constitution. Maine’s Secretary of State Shenna Bellows rendered a “judgment” based on YouTube videos, newspaper articles and some other dubious sources. The four partisan Colorado judges and Bellows should be ashamed of themselves. They are a disgrace to the USA.

Biden’s Military Leadership to Be Court-Martialed?

 The Daily Mail wrote on January 1:

“Over 200 active duty and retired service members are vowing to hold the Biden administration accountable for ‘trampling’ on their rights by enforcing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The mandate enacted in August 2021 led to the forced firing of over 8,000 service members who refused the shot on religious or medical grounds.

“On New Year’s Day, over 200 service members declared that they will do ‘everything’ in their power to get accountability since not a single leader has resigned or been held to account despite the rollback of the vaccine mandate last year… They are threatening to even force Biden’s top leaders to be brought out of retirement so they can be court-martialed and held to account… In the open letter, they explicitly name now-retired and still serving top commanders that they are demanding accountability from.  Those include the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley who exited the military in October and Gen. James McConville who served as the 40th chief of staff of the Army until 2023.”

The one who should really be held accountable is Biden.

Decisions Against Trump Un-American

Breitbart wrote on January 3:

 “…  independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, Jr. criticized the decisionmakers in Colorado and Maine for removing former President Donald Trump from their presidential primary ballots… ‘I’m not a fan of President Trump, that’s why I’m running against him… the American people want to see a fair fight. They want debates, they want real democracy. They want to be able to choose their candidate, their president, not have a court choose it…

“I’ve read the decision and it makes no sense to me that you can deprive an American citizen of this right. We’re unprecedent [sic] without ever charging him with much less convicting him of insurrection… that seems to violate due process and it makes us look like a banana republic… I think it turns Trump into a kind of… a mythological figure. I think it’s very, very short-sighted and it’s just wrong, it’s un-American.’”

Kennedy is a lawyer as well.

What if Biden Were to Drop Out?

Daily Mail wrote on December 29:

“What happens if 81-year-old Joe Biden… drop[s] out of the 2024 election race?… Democrats [one in five] say they would like to see Biden’s [deeply unpopular] vice president, Kamala Harris, or [as the next favorite] former first lady Michelle Obama take up the mantle… Other potential headline names, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom or Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, are further down the Democratic field…

“The question is not entirely academic. Biden is already the oldest president in history and shows clear signs of slowing down… Biden has seen his support fall within his own party and among women.”

How anyone can like to see “deeply unpopular” and totally incompetent Kamala Harris “take up the mantle” is beyond belief.

Are You Living in an Anti-Free Speech State?

Professor Jonathan Turkey wrote the following on December 29, which was published by the Ron Paul Institute:

“For years, we have discussed the alarming shift in the Democratic party on free speech… Now, a filing in the Supreme Court supporting censorship efforts by the Biden Administration has supplied a handy list of the anti-free speech states for citizens. The 5th Circuit previously ruled in Missouri v. Biden that administration officials ‘likely violated’ the First Amendment and issued a preliminary injunction banning the government from communicating with social media companies to limit speech.

“Not surprisingly, the state of California is leading the effort to get the Supreme Court to reverse a decision enjoining the government from censorship efforts. California has long sought to impose speech limits on doctors, businesses, and citizens to silence opposing viewpoints. However,  23 Democrat-led states joined this ignoble effort in signing on to the brief of California Attorney General Rob Bonta… So here is the list to see if you are residing in an anti-free speech state [this is in addition to California, of course]:

“Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, District of Columbia.”

Let it be noted that these states favor a dictatorial and autocratic form of government.

Free Healthcare for Illegal Aliens

Fox Business wrote on December 30:

“California is ushering in 2024 with free healthcare for more than 700,000 migrants living illegally in the Golden State as the state is faced with a looming $68 billion deficit… the Medi-Cal expansion to include all illegal immigrants is expected to cost $2.6 billion annually. The added cost comes as California is faced with a major budget crisis due to a ‘severe revenue decline.’

“…  the state’s budget deficit has grown exponentially in just a few months’ time, up more than $54 billion from just $14.3 billion in June. The growing budget deficit comes as residents and businesses have fled the predominately Democrat-run state… economic factors like the cost of living and the housing market have also contributed to people moving out of California, and so has remote work.”

This is one way of bankrupting a state.

Iran Responsible for Oct. 7 Attack

Israel 365 News wrote on December 28:

“The Oct. 7 massacre in southwestern Israel was a response to the 2020 killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani by the United States, Tehran claimed on Wednesday. ‘The Al-Aqsa Flood was one of the acts of revenge for the assassination of General Soleimani by the U.S. and the Zionists,’ IRGC spokesman Brig. Gen. Ramezan Sharif told Iran’s state-run ISNA news agency, using Hamas’s name for the Oct. 7 cross-border attacks. ‘Certainly, these acts of revenge will continue in different times and places,’ stated Sharif, vowing to also avenge Razi Mousavi, the Iranian major general killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Syria earlier this week…

“In a statement responding to Sharif’s remarks, Hamas denied the IRGC’s claim, insisting that the Oct. 7 massacre was a response to alleged Israeli ‘crimes’ at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. ‘We have repeatedly confirmed the motives and reasons for Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, and foremost are the dangers that threaten Al-Aqsa mosque,’ stated the Iranian-backed terror group…

“Iran supports Hamas by supplying it with funding, intelligence, weapons and technological knowledge, and the Biden administration has described the Islamic Republic as being ‘complicit’ in the Oct. 7 attacks…

“On Tuesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had tripled its enrichment of uranium to 60%…  Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi warned in September that Jerusalem will have no choice but to act if Iran enriches uranium above 60%.

“Also on Tuesday, IRGC-affiliated media outlets published a video animation depicting the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu… The video ended with the text, ‘Brought to you by the friends of Haman,’ in an apparent reference to the genocidal Jew-hating villain from the biblical book of Esther.”

Finally, Iran admitted direct involvement and responsibility for the October 7 attack, even though lying and deceiving Hamas was quick to state their own version, in an obvious attempt to shield the murderous regime of Iran. But that Iran was behind the attack was clear from the very onset. That Iran identifies itself as the murderer Haman is telling.

Hezbollah Promises Revenge

JTA wrote on January 3:

 “Hassan Nasrallah blamed Israel for the assassination of a senior Hamas leader who was under Hezbollah protection in Beirut and said the Lebanese terror group would retaliate… Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the blast, which also took down six others, including two other Hamas leaders.

 “But it is widely believed to have carried out the strike, and a backbench lawmaker belonging to the governing Likud Party, Danny Danon, said Israel was responsible… Al-Arouri was an architect of the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion of Israel, which launched the current war. Nasrallah praised Hamas for the massacre.”

Houthis Defiant and the West Is Too Weak

BBC wrote on January 4:

“The US, UK and 10 other states have warned rebels in Yemen they will face consequences if they continue to attack commercial shipping in the Red Sea… However the Houthis have responded with defiance, vowing to continue targeting vessels they consider linked to Israel… The Bab al-Mandab strait is a critical waterway through which almost 15% of global trade passes. If attacks continue, the fear is that fuel prices will rise and supply chains will be damaged.

“Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have declared support for Hamas in the war it launched against Israel in October. Since November, the rebels have attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea more than 20 times using missiles, drones, fast boats and helicopters… US and British warships in the region have intercepted some missiles but they have resisted attacking targets in Yemen itself. That may be about to change.”

The Daily Mail wrote on January 1:

“… if the Americans think they can smash the Houthis easily, they are deluded. The truth is that this conflict has a sinister resonance to the humiliating 1956 Suez Crisis… The U.S. is now fighting proxy wars on two fronts: the Gaza Strip and Ukraine. Even the Pentagon’s vast budget of some $824 billion can’t arm Kyiv and Israel, let alone fight a new Middle Eastern war, and keep an eye on China, too….

 “… it’s unlikely that a fleet of 19 ships can achieve much success in the region.. the allied Red Sea fleet and threats of air strikes are not a quick fix… the need to use them is a graphic illustration of the West’s overall weakness… the U.S., with all its power and might, is seen as unable to overwhelm a feeble militia like the Houthis… Britain’s role in international affairs had slipped away… As the new year dawns, my fear is we may be witnessing — in real time — the collapse of American power which has sheltered us for all our lives.”

The demise of America’s and Britain’s influence and power is aptly described.

“Death to America and Israel”

Breitbart wrote on January 3:

“Crowds of people in Kerman, Iran, gathered on Wednesday night chanting, ‘death to America’ and ‘death to Israel,’ multiple outlets reported, in response to a bombing there earlier on Wednesday believed to have taken at least 95 lives.

“Wednesday marked the fourth anniversary of a drone strike eliminating Major General Qasem Soleimani — the Iranian regime’s most respected terrorist leader… Former President Donald Trump ordered the airstrike against Soleimani… Thousands convened in Kerman, Soleimani’s hometown, on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of his ‘martyrdom,’ an annual tradition promoted by the Iranian Islamist regime.”

In the meantime, ISIS claimed responsibility.

“No Innocent Civilians in Gaza”

The Times of Israel wrote on December 29 about the account of freed hostage Mia Schem. Her report is too horrible to repeat here; suffice to say that according to her testimony, the Hamas terrorists acted like brutal inhumane murderers and vicious animals. It is also worthwhile to emphasize that according to Schem, “there are no innocent civilians in Gaza”:

“Released hostage Mia Schem, 21, described going through ‘hell’ while in the Gaza Strip in a pair of televised interviews that both aired on Friday evening. Schem was shot in the arm and taken hostage from the Supernova music festival on October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst into southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and dragging around 240 into Gaza. Some 360 partygoers were killed during the assault on the music festival, and another 36 were taken hostage. She was released on November 30 after 54 days in captivity, reuniting with her family and loved ones, and undergoing extensive surgery and rehabilitation on her wounded arm. Her family said she has since developed epilepsy, from the trauma and the lack of sleep during her eight weeks as a hostage in Gaza.

“Schem spoke in depth for the first time about the experience to both Channel 12 and 13 news, recounting the moments she was taken hostage, the suffering and mental torture she endured in captivity, and the experience of coming back home.

“‘It’s important to me to reveal the real situation about the people who live in Gaza, who they really are, and what I went through there,’ she told Channel 13 news. ‘I experienced hell. Everyone there are terrorists… there are no innocent civilians, not one,’ she said. ‘[Innocent civilians] don’t exist.’”

Same-Sex Couples Eligible to Adopt Children, in Violation of the Written Law

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 28:

“Israel’s High Court of Justice unanimously ruled on Thursday that same-sex couples are eligible to adopt children. The verdict was reached by three presiding justices following a petition, which argued that Section 3 of the Adoption Law must be interpreted so LGBT couples would be eligible to adopt within the scope of the existing law. Section 3 states that ‘there will be no adoption but by a man and his wife together.’

“”This is a historic, groundbreaking victory which gives a shred of light and hope in these difficult times, Ran Shalhavi, director-general of the Aguda – Israel’s LGBT Task Force said following the verdict’s publication. ‘For years, we have been battling to be seen as equals when it comes to raising families in Israel, as governments over the years discriminated and incited against us because of who we are. The Supreme Court again proves its worth in protecting our rights,’ Shalhavi added.”

How could the clear language of the law be “reinterpreted” to allow something which is clearly against the wording of the law? Are we surprised that God is angry with Israel?

Supreme Court Rules Against Netanyahu

CBS News wrote on January 1:

“Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday struck down a key component of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul, delivering a landmark decision that threatens to reopen the fissures in Israeli society that preceded the country’s ongoing war against Hamas… Monday’s court decision could reignite those tensions, even while the country remains at war. Justice Minister Yariv Levin… lambasted the court’s decision, saying it demonstrated ‘the opposite of the spirit of unity required these days for the success of our soldiers on the front.’…

“Netanyahu and his allies announced their sweeping overhaul plan shortly after taking office a year ago. It calls for curbing the power of the judges, including by limiting the Supreme Court’s ability to review parliamentary decisions and changing the way judges are appointed.

“Supporters said the changes aim to strengthen democracy by circumscribing the authority of unelected judges and turning over more powers to elected officials. But opponents see the overhaul as a power grab by Netanyahu…”

Israel is fighting within and without.

Ukraine Faces Growing Calls from US to Cede Land to Russia

Newsweek wrote on December 30:

“[Republican] Ohio Senator J.D. Vance said it was preposterous to think that the Ukrainian military was going to force Russian troops back to the border crossed during the invasion in February 2022. Vance told CNN’s State of the Union: ‘What’s in America’s best interest is to accept Ukraine is going to have to cede some territory to the Russians and we need to bring this war to a close.’

“… A Republican-controlled House has not approved Biden’s funding request of $106 billion, which includes $61 billion in additional aid for Ukraine… ‘What we’re saying to the president, and really to the entire world, is you need to articulate what the ambition is; what is $61 billion going to accomplish that $100 billion hasn’t?’ Vance said…

“Vance isn’t alone in his party… Part of the frustration for conservatives is the lack of movement in the war. That is, significant numbers in aid has been sent to Ukraine, but it remains unlikely that it will become victorious against Putin’s forces and push them out.”

In addition, it is totally unclear where all that money sent to Ukraine has ended up.

Propaganda Campaign

Report 24 wrote on December 27:

“In recent weeks, reports and comments have been a common thread running through the mainstream media. This shows that there is a propaganda campaign underway.

“The war in Ukraine is as good as lost; it has been the case since day one. Nevertheless, many hundreds of thousands of people had to die completely senselessly… All of these people did not die to defend their homeland, but to secure the billions from George Soros and others… But it wasn’t just the Ukrainians who were harmed…

“The European economy lost trillions; price increases, inflation and countless company closures were the result – but we have only seen the beginning…

“Of course, it is not about preventing a war [in Europe], but it is about rearmament…”

Germany Contemplating Conscription and Compulsory Military Service

Deutsche Welle reported on December 29:

“Since taking office at the beginning of 2023, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has been thinking about ways to make the Bundeswehr more attractive as a career…

“Even conscription, something Germany ended in 2011, is also up for debate. ‘There were reasons at the time to suspend compulsory military service. In retrospect, however, it was a mistake,’ Pistorius told newspaper Die Welt earlier in December. He also cited the case of Sweden, where compulsory military service was suspended and then reintroduced…

“When Pistorius floated his ideas about conscription in December, he faced a barrage of criticism, including from within his own center-left… [SPD] Party… Criticism also came from the neoliberal… FDP,  the smallest member in the three-way coalition that makes up the federal government…

“But there has been support from the conservative opposition. Johann Wadephul, deputy leader of the center-right… CDU  and… CSU… told DW: ‘… we are in favor of general compulsory service, i.e. service in the Bundeswehr, but also in other emergency services… Now is the time for young people to be asked what they can do for our country and for our society,’ added Wadephul….”

The frightening thing too is that Pistorius is viewed as the most popular politician in Germany.

EU’s Tough Challenges in 2024

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 1:

 “The 27 member states of the European Union have repeatedly promised to help Ukraine for as long as it needs to defend itself against Russia… but the question now is whether they will continue to stand by Ukraine in 2024. Recent weeks have seen a lot of discussion of war fatigue and waning solidarity in Brussels. EU member states are finding it difficult to unanimously sign off on the financial aid that the European Union has promised. The current approach, that it’s up to Ukraine to decide whether to negotiate with Moscow, may be called into question in the coming year

“…having a war-ravaged Ukraine integrate into the European Union could have enormous costs for the existing member states. Even Ukraine’s closest backers, Poland and the Baltic EU member states, seem to be getting cold feet…

“… the potential return of firebrand Republican Donald Trump to the White House would be a headache for the European Union and for many NATO members. The EU could lose the United States as its closest ally in trade, supporting Ukraine and deterring Russia. The German American Chamber of Commerce worries that a reelected Trump would impose punitive tariffs on trade with EU members. In return, the European Union would have to increase customs duties and taxes…

“In June, voters EU-wide will head to the polls to elect the European Parliament… The center-right European People’s Party is expected to once again come out as the largest group in the parliament. The far right is also expected to do well… the biggest issue for voters is their individual economic situation and standard of living. Ukraine, migration and EU enlargement all come much further down the list when it comes to voters making their choice…”

Get Out of the House?

The Washington Examiner wrote on December 30, 2023:

“Two-thirds of working mothers in the United Kingdom would work fewer hours if they could afford to… So, how does the major center-left party in the U.K. address this situation? By funding government-run day-cares for every single baby in the kingdom…

“While working mothers mostly want to mother more and work less, that’s not what the political class wants them to do. They want those women out of the home as soon as possible and back in the paid economy. This isn’t unique to the U.K….

“If the Labour Party wants to spend billions of pounds Sterling giving women what they want, they would instead just create a new monthly child allowance — and build more family-friendly housing.”

 Note our new Q&A series on the family.

Coldest January in Sweden

The Associated Press wrote on January 5:

“Europe experienced stark weather contrasts on Wednesday, with extreme cold and snowstorms disrupting transportation and closing schools in Scandinavia while strong winds and heavy rain in western Europe caused flooding…

“Temperatures fell below minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Nordic region for a second day in a row Wednesday. In… Swedish Lapland, the mercury dropped to minus 43.6 C (minus 46.5 F), the lowest January temperature recorded in Sweden in 25 years…”

So much for global WARMING…

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.

Not Under American Command

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on December 23:

“Australia is the latest country to reject a request from the United States to send warships to the Red Sea under the command of the Pentagon’s Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect commercial vessels along the critical maritime trade route from Iran-backed Houthi…Reuters said about twenty countries have signed up for the Pentagon’s new operation. However, several countries, including Australia, Spain, Italy, and France, have rejected the Pentagon’s request to participate in the operation. 

“Spain’s Defence Ministry said it would only participate in NATO-led missions or European-coordinated operations – not ones commanded by the Pentagon… Italy’s Defence Ministry voiced similar concerns…

“The fact that seven major shipping companies… have halted sails through the Red Sea shows their lack of confidence in the US protecting the critical waterway.”

Nation World News wrote on December 26:

“France, the Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark have also refused to send their warships against Houthi. One European country after another is refusing to cooperate in ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian, led by America. America is becoming isolated against the Houthis… Many NATO allies do not want to join the Red Sea Task Force. America… itself said that the US did not have enough warships to field against the Houthis… the US does not want to deploy its ships in the Red Sea… America fears that if its ships are attacked, a direct war will start with the Houthis; hence, America is also not sending its ships to Operation Prosperity Guardian. America’s coalition efforts to stop Houthi have proved useless, and in a way, it can be said that Houthi now has control over important waterways like the Red Sea…

“If war breaks out in the Red Sea, America will be trapped in a petroleum crisis… America has said that Iran is also involved in this conspiracy… American intelligence agencies have said that without real-time location and guidance, ships cannot be attacked and Iran itself is giving this guidance to Houthi.”

What another debacle for the USA!

Michigan Supreme Court Allows Trump to Stay on the Ballot

 Breitbart wrote on December 27:

 “Former President Donald Trump will remain on the ballot in Michigan after the Michigan Supreme Court rejected an appeal rooted in the Constitution’s ‘Insurrection Clause,’ although on procedural grounds…. It upheld the unanimous ruling of Michigan’s Court of Appeals, where a three-judge panel held that the argument… was not ripe (meaning that ruling on it would be premature). 

“However, the Michigan Supreme Court did not delve into whether or not it believed Trump engaged in insurrection as rooted in Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment…. In other words, the legal challenges are still not over.”

Russia Bars Challenger of Putin

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 23:

“Former TV journalist Yekaterina Duntsova has been barred from running in March’s presidential election because of ‘mistakes’ in her application for registration as a candidate, Russian television reported… Duntsova, 40, would have been a challenger to President… Putin, and was planning to run on a platform of ending the war in Ukraine and freeing political prisoners.

“With most Russian opposition figures either behind bars, like high-profile rival Alexei Navalny or outside the country, Putin seems almost certain to win a fifth term as head of state in March, cementing a decades-long grip on power… Had Duntsova’s application been accepted, under Russian election law she would still have to have obtained 300,000 signatures in support of her candidacy, from all across Russia by January 31.”

Surely, the methods employed by Russia to silence a political challenger and the methods employed by the Biden Administration to silence Trump are merely coincidental.

How Corrupt Russia Mistreats and Persecutes Dictator Putin’s Opponents

Newsmax wrote on December 25:

“Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has been tracked down to a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle… about 1,900 km (1200 miles) north east of Moscow… Navalny’s allies, who had been preparing for his expected transfer to a ‘special regime’ colony, the harshest grade in Russia’s prison system, said he has not been seen by his lawyers since Dec. 6 and raised the alarm about his fate…

“Navalny’s new home, known as ‘the Polar Wolf’ colony, is considered to be one of the toughest prisons in Russia. Most prisoners there have been convicted of grave crimes. Winters are harsh – and temperatures are due to drop to around minus 28 Celsius there over the next week… the prison was founded in the 1960s as part of what was once the GULAG system of forced Soviet labor camps… Lawyer Zhdanov said supporters of Navalny had sent 618 requests for information about his location and suggested that the Russian authorities wanted to isolate Navalny ahead of the March presidential election.

“Navalny… says he has been imprisoned because he is viewed as a threat by the Russian political elite. As a prisoner, he is unable to run in the election. He denies all the charges he has been convicted of and casts Russia’s judicial system as deeply corrupt…

“Navalny, now 47, earned admiration from Russia’s disparate opposition for voluntarily returning to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had been treated for what Western laboratory tests showed was an attempt to poison him with a nerve agent. Navalny says he was poisoned in Siberia in August 2020…”

Russia is a corrupt dictatorship, and Putin a dictator and war criminal who systematically orders the murder or the incarceration of his opponents. Satan is clearly at work here.

Poland Silencing Governmental Opponents

The Guardian wrote on December 20:

“The new Polish government has gutted the top management of public television, making good on a campaign promise to reform a broadcaster that functioned as a mouthpiece of its rightwing populist predecessor, but also prompting criticism of their methods from some quarters.

“The government led by prime minister, Donald Tusk, was sworn into office last Wednesday…  On [the following] Tuesday, the new parliament adopted a resolution calling for the restoration of ‘impartiality and reliability of the public media’. After the resolution, the new culture minister, Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, announced that the chairs and boards of state television, news and radio had all been removed.

“The vote prompted PiS lawmakers [from the Law and Justice Party, previously in power] to stage a protest outside the headquarters of TVP, the state broadcaster.

“… some questioned the legality of the moves, and cautioned that by acting in such a swift way, the Tusk government risked simply creating its own politicised public television network to replace the old one.

“The debate around public television shows how Tusk will have difficult choices to make as he attempts to enact a radical reform programme. PiS are still a vocal, large opposition voice in parliament, and the party ally Andrzej Duda remains president until 2025 and has veto powers. This leaves the government with a choice of either scaling down or delaying its ambitions, or finding creative legal ways to enact them.”

1930s All Over Again?

Express wrote on December 8:

“Recent developments in the Russo-Ukraine war have had a somewhat sobering effect on Ukraine’s short to mid-term prospects. Their counteroffensive of which so much was perhaps unfairly, expected has proved to be a bit of a damp squib, and the frontlines have barely shifted over the past few months… It’s pretty clear that the Russians are not going to pack it in and go home, and it’s equally clear that the Ukrainians are finding it hard going in their attempts to break the enemy’s lines…

“We also know that North Korea has been shipping ammunition in large quantities and in the required calibres from the east. We also suspect that China has been doing the same, despite their public denials. And then there’s Iran, which has supplied Russia with its Shahed-136/-131 one-way-attack drones (OWA/UAVs) and allowed the Russians to set up manufacturing lines at home to make more.

“… it does seem that the world is now dividing into two defined camps. On the one hand there is the USA and its NATO allies, plus Israel in the Middle East and its Indo-Pacific allies including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines among others.

“On the other side there is Russia, Iran, North Korea, and very probably China, a new ‘Axis of Evil’ if you like. Plus in South America there is Russia’s new best friend Venezuela under the de facto dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro threatening to annex part of neighbouring Guyana, in addition to the loose cannon that is Argentina under… Javier Milei…

“All of which combined appears to be scarily reminiscent of Europe in the 1930s, with the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany and of Italy and Mussolini, added to the recently established fascist regime of Franco in Spain. And Japan was rattling her sabre in the Pacific and threatening the dominance of the USA.

“Could we be witnessing in plain sight the gearing up for another world conflict?… it can happen by default as well as by design.

“None of which is particularly helpful for Zelensky and Ukraine. Nobody wants to say it, but the Ukrainians are quite clearly fighting NATO’s proxy war against the clear and present danger that is a resurgent Russia under Putin. If Ukraine succumbs to the Russian onslaught, where next? Poland? The Baltic states? If that were to happen then NATO would become directly engaged via Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and the resulting war would be terrible to behold…”

Biggest Crash in Our Lifetime in 2024?

The Daily Mail wrote on December 24:

“… economist… Harry Dent claims the effects of the crash will ‘be obvious’ by May and will slow the economy for over a decade. He told Fox Digital: ‘If I’m right, it is going to be the biggest crash of our lifetime, most of it happening in 2024’… He added: ‘When this asset bubble bursts and the price of everything, especially housing, comes back down to reality, imagine, not only can you buy the house you want at half-off… you can buy twice as nice a house here for the same mortgage you were going to get before…’

“Market bubbles are characterized by a rapid rise in stock prices, before a sharp fall and Dent says that sky-high prices are going to plummet next year… People will be hurt ‘the most’ by the real estate crash, which he says will drop housing prices back to 2012 prices. He said: ‘That’s a 50% crash for the average house, which went down 34% in the last crash, more than the Great Depression, more than any time in history…’”

Germany “Must” Arm Itself!

Bild Online pushed the following on December 23:

“After Defense Minister Boris Pistorius…, more and more politicians and experts are demanding that Germany must prepare for an attack, for example from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin…. The head of the Munich Security Conference Christoph Heusgen… is therefore calling for military spending to be doubled…

“More should be said and taught about the Bundeswehr and war at schools and universities. Teacher President Stefan Düll… wants, among other things, visits by youth officers to schools. He also calls for consideration of whether curricula need to be sharpened ‘with regard to threats, geostrategy and defense preparedness.’”

Indoctrination and invitation to become cannon fodder for our innocent children in schools! What else is new? But it is taking on increasingly dangerous forms.

Erdogan vs. Netanyahu

 The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 27:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is worse than Adolf Hitler. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan charged as he likened the IDF’s military campaign to oust Hamas from Gaza to the World War II Holocaust….  ‘All sorts of support comes from the United States. And what did they do with all this support? They killed more than 20,000 Gazans,’ he said.

“Netanyahu shot back, ‘Erdogan, who is committing genocide against the Kurds and who holds the world record for imprisoning journalists who oppose his regime, is the last person who can preach morality to us.’ ‘The IDF, which is the most moral army in the world, is fighting to eliminate the most abhorrent and brutal terrorist organization in the world, Hamas-ISIS, which has committed crimes against humanity, and which Erdogan has praised and whose leaders he hosts,’ Netanyahu stated.”

Conscription for Ukraine?

Bild Online wrote on December 23rd:

“Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians living abroad should be mobilized for military service in the fight against Putin’s invading army! The Ukrainian parliament is currently working on a corresponding draft law… There are currently around 700,000 Ukrainians subject to military service living in the EU states. Since the start of the war, around 180,000 Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 have fled to Germany alone and are still staying here… The bill is scheduled to be put to the vote in January…

“Already this week, the new Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umjerow … said that next year he wanted to recruit Ukrainians living in Germany between the ages of 25 and 60 into military service at home. Estonia has already stated that it will locate and extradite Ukrainians in the country who are subject to military service…

“Umjewor’s announcement also sparked a discussion in Germany. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann explained… ‘It will not be the case that we are now forcing people into conscription or military service against their will.’ It is good that the war refugees have been accepted. CDU defense expert Roderich Kiesewetter… demanded… that the citizen’s allowance of Ukrainian men who are subject to military service should be reduced. And further: If the men didn’t want to go to the front, they could be deployed in homeland security. That could be clarified in a government agreement.”

Kiesewetter’s statements are simply outrageous. And Ukraine’s planned methods are absolutely condemnable.

German War Tax for Ukraine?

Breitbart wrote on December 25:

“The struggling German population should be forced to pay a Ukraine tax to continue funding the war against Russia, a top economic advisor to the government has argued.

“Monika Schnitzer, the chairwoman of the German Council of Economic Experts, an advisory body to the government known locally as the ‘five sages’ of the economy, declared this week that a special tax to send money to Ukraine should be added to the already hefty income tax levied against the population… The recommendation to introduce a Ukraine tax comes as the public already labours under one of the highest tax rates in the West… The German economy has been deeply impacted by the war in Ukraine…”

How crazy can it get?

More Corruption in Ukraine

Die Welt wrote on December 23:

“A high-ranking Defense Ministry official has been arrested in Ukraine for allegedly embezzling 36 million euros. The money was actually intended for grenades…

“In recent months, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has been rocked by several corruption scandals. At the beginning of August, Zelensky had already fired all heads of the regional offices responsible for recruiting. He denounced a system that enabled conscripts to be smuggled out of the country.”

One has to wonder where all the money goes which is being sent to Ukraine.

Catholic Bishops Disagree With Pope Francis—Permanent Split Coming?

Fox News wrote on December 23:

“Following the Vatican’s publication of Fiducia Supplicans — a document outlining when individuals in same-sex or otherwise ‘irregular’ couples can be blessed — the worldwide Catholic Church has seen battle lines forming around its application. While early disputations came from African prelates in countries such as Nigeria, Zambia, Cameroon, and Malawi, now Eastern European leaders [from Poland and Ukraine] have joined in dissent.”

African News and the Associated Press reported on December 24:

“In an extraordinary pushback against Pope Francis, some Catholic bishops in Africa, Poland and elsewhere say they will not implement the new Vatican policy allowing blessings for same-sex couples… The reactions show how polarizing the issue remains… Some of the strongest responses came from bishops in Africa, home to 265 million Catholics, or nearly a quarter of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics. Many of those Catholics live and their churches operate in societies where homosexuality is condemned and outlawed.

“Out of the continent’s 54 countries, 31 have laws criminalizing homosexuality, more than any other continent,..

“The Polish bishops conference — among the most conservative in Europe and a reference point beyond the continent given its ties to St. John Paul II — said it has no plans to give blessings to same-sex couples. Marriage, the conference asserted, remains only the union between a man and a woman, and sexual acts outside of that are ‘always an offense against God’s will’…”

Newsmax added on December 22:

“The former head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office called Pope Francis’ recent approval allowing priests to bless same-sex couples blasphemous…. ‘The difficulty of blessing a union or couple is especially evident in the case of homosexuality,’ Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, who led the Vatican’s doctrinal office from 2012 to 2017, wrote in an essay published Thursday by The Pillar. ‘For in the Bible, a blessing has to do with the order that God has created and that he has declared to be good.’…

“Some Catholic leaders… are warning that the pope’s declaration may create a permanent split in the church, pointing to stark disagreements over the issue in the Anglican Communion. Conservative Anglican churches, which include some in Africa where nearly half of the world’s estimated 100 million Anglicans worship, have broken with sister churches that back liberal teaching and views on homosexuality. This includes the Episcopal Church in the United States.

“Further, a dozen leading Anglican archbishops, mainly from the global South, called to break with the Church of England after it decided to allow blessings of gay relationships.’

On the other hand, President Biden and some bishops in Germany welcomed the Pope’s decision to bless homosexual couples.

Francis Speaks Out Against the Weapon Industry

The New York Post wrote on December 25:

“Pope Francis on Monday used his annual Christmas address to push for Mideast peace while blasting weapons makers and their ‘instruments of death’ for helping to fuel such conflicts… Hitting out at the weapons industry, Francis argued that it is fueling conflicts around the globe. The pope called on people to pay more attention to the amount of their tax dollars going to weaponry…. ‘And how can we even speak of peace when arms production, sales and trade are on the rise?’

“Francis went on to say that today’s wars… are simply being used to try out new weapons or use up old stockpiles.”

He also attacked abortion, calling it a massacre and murder.  He is correct on both counts.

UFOs—It’s All Demonic

LifeSiteNews wrote on December 22:

“The popular conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson recently shared his belief that the non-human beings the U.S. government has reportedly encountered are ‘not aliens’ but are ‘spiritual’ in nature… Carlson went on to affirm his belief in both good and evil non-human spiritual beings, although he did not label them outright…

“His interpretation accords with that of Catholic philosopher Daniel O’Connor, who shared with LifeSiteNews last year his thoughts on the ‘diabolical’ nature of reports of UFOs, aliens, and abductions. O’Connor also weighed in on former president Barack Obama’s ‘hope’ that ‘the knowledge that there were aliens out there would solidify people’s sense that what we have in common is really more important,’ and his speculation that ‘new religions would pop up’ in the aftermath of the discovery.

“O’Connor believes Obama would not have talked about the possibility of alien life without ‘permission’ from his ‘handlers,’ and that his statement aligns ‘perfectly’ with what the public is being prepared for. O’Connor told LifeSiteNews editor-in-chief John-Henry Westen that the public is gradually being acclimated to the idea of aliens, like the proverbial frog slowly boiled in a pot of water, so that we may eventually be presented with a ‘new gospel’ from ‘the heavens’ to replace Christ’s Gospel.

“Regarding reports of UFO encounters or alien ‘abductions,’ O’Connor believes ‘it’s all demonic.’” 

See our Q&A on this topic. https://www.eternalgod.org/ufos-aliens-angels-or-demons/

Christians Who Do Not Celebrate Christmas

Israel 365 News wrote on December 24:

“…there are a growing number of ministries that have broken with the holiday… Breaking with Christmas was described as returning Christianity to its roots. The two main reasons cited for separating from Christmas were the holiday’s pagan origins and the lack of any Biblical source. Pastor Mark Biltz stopped celebrating Christmas 20 years ago, and he points to the Book of Jeremiah to explain how the Bible views the pagan origins of Christmas. [Jeremiah 10:2] describes a pagan holiday, complete with a decorated tree, that is unacceptable to the prophet. This pagan holiday eventually transformed into Christmas… When Emperor Constantine made Christianity the dominant religion of the Roman Empire, he incorporated many pagan customs, including Saturnalia, in order to accommodate the majority pagan populace… [It] was an ancient custom that the Catholic Church decided would be a great way to get pagans to accept their teachings…

“Separating from Christmas was described by many as part of a larger spiritual process, in some cases deriving from a desire to reconcile with Jewish roots and return to a Biblical understanding of the religion… Pieter and Anneke Leeuwestein from Holland stopped celebrating Christmas but found that despite living in a rural area outside of Amsterdam, they were not alone. ‘In my part of the country there are hundreds of people who do not celebrate Christmas or Easter anymore,’ Anneke said. ‘It wasn’t difficult. After so many years of walking in sin, it felt like coming home’…”

You Must Buy a Christmas Tree?

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 21:

”Friedrich Merz leader of Germany’s conservative opposition CDU on Thursday returned to the contentious topic of defining the country’s ‘Leitkultur’ – which could be translated as ‘guiding’ or ‘leading’ or ‘mainstream’ or even ‘dominant’ culture in English–by suggesting that the purchase of a Christmas tree was an integral part thereof.

“Speaking with the Funke Media Group, the outspoken politician said, ‘When we talk about Leitkultur, about our way of life, then, for me, this includes buying a Christmas tree before Christmas… It is part of our Western Christian-influenced identity,’ he continued, adding that it has been so for generations and as such influences today’s children, who will continue it into the future…

[The term ‘Leitkultur’] can often be ambiguous, for instance, whether the term lists examples of established German culture that migrants ought to accept and respect, or actually adopt themselves… Some critics of the concept saw a direct parallel to the concept of ‘Germanization’ propagated by the Nazis…

“Less than two weeks ago, the CDU released a blueprint for its vision of Germany’s future. Among the policy points the paper highlighted was one entitled, ‘The Courage to Embrace Leitkultur: Only those who acknowledge our dominant culture can integrate and become German citizens.’…

“One retired former German Cabinet minister, Ruprecht Polenz, interpreted Merz’s comments as an implicit demand for people to buy Christmas trees…”

It would be hard to believe that Merz’s comments were merely coincidental. Rather, his words appear to be intentional to set a dangerous precedence.

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’s Rockets Endanger Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque

Breitbart wrote on December 15:

“The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas fired rockets toward Jerusalem on Friday evening, as both Jews and Muslims were participating in prayers, endangering the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wall, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The rockets were intercepted and disabled by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system…

‘Though this is not the first time rockets have targeted Jerusalem, it is thought that Hamas avoids targeting the city because of the danger that it will damage one of the Islamic holy sites — though it is likely it would blame Israel, anyway, if it happened to do so.”

Inasmuch as a temple will be built on the Temple Mount, prior to Christ’s return, where the first and the second temples stood, an “accidental” rocket destroying the Dome of the Rock and/or the Al Aqsa mosque could easily pave the way for the erection of the prophesied Third Temple.

Israel Under Pressure

The Associated Press wrote on December 15:

‘The Israeli military on Friday mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages during its ground operation in the Gaza Strip… The army’s chief spokesman… said Israeli troops found the hostages and erroneously identified them as a threat. He said it was not clear if they had escaped their captors or been abandoned…

“The offensive, triggered by the unprecedented Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, has flattened much of northern Gaza and driven 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes. Displaced people have squeezed into shelters mainly in the south in a spiraling humanitarian crisis…

“The U.S. has said it eventually wants to see the West Bank and Gaza under a unified Palestinian government as a precursor to a Palestinian state — an idea soundly rejected by Netanyahu, who leads a right-wing government that is opposed to Palestinian statehood…”

Breitbart wrote on December 16:

“The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed Saturday after an inquiry that the three hostages who were mistakenly killed on Friday were shirtless, waving white flags, and calling in Hebrew, and were shot by soldiers who thought they were being lured into a trap. The hostages had emerged at 10:00 a.m. One of the soldiers who saw them shouted ‘Terrorists!’ upon seeing them. The soldiers opened fire — against protocol, which forbid firing on someone with a white flag. They killed two, and wounded the third, who ran into a building and continued shouting for help in Hebrew. A battalion commander ordered them to stop firing, but they kept on shooting, killing him…

“In addition, soldiers had found graffiti earlier in the week on a building that read “SOS – three hostages” in Hebrew. They believed the building to be booby-trapped, as many other buildings have been…

“The soldiers who fired on the hostages are reported to be receiving psychological counseling, according to the Times of Israel. A ‘darkness’ had fallen on the nation in the wake of the tragedy, according to Israel’s Army Radio, as the nation mourned the deaths of the hostages — and wondered what might have been, had the soldiers arrested them rather than shooting toward them.

“Had the hostages been rescued, Israel would have won a major psychological victory in the war. Support for military efforts to free the hostages would have risen, and Israel would have been more confident in resisting pressure from the U.S. to stop the war. Now, the confidence of the nation in a military approach to freeing the hostages has been damaged, and there is intense pressure — internal and, no doubt, external — to resume negotiations with Hamas via Qatar, despite the risk to the overall military mission.

“The Times of Israel notes that political differences, suppressed during the war so far, have burst into the open again, with many blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the tragedy, though there is no connection between any policy and the event…

“But political commentator Caroline Glick observed there was a very real risk that the tragic deaths of the hostages could derail the entire effort, as happened twenty-five years ago when the deaths of four soldiers in Lebanon triggered a protest movement…

“The incident illustrates the success of Hamas’s tactics of psychological warfare — both on the troops in the field, and on Israeli leaders. Fake ‘hostages’ leading to deadly booby traps and ambushes conditioned IDF soldiers to fire at real hostages. That will, in turn, make it more difficult for soldiers to fire on actual terrorists in future. Moreover, Hamas has succeeded in dividing Israeli society once again, and likely increasing external pressure from the U.S. to stop the war, possibly sparing the terrorist group.

“In the interim, the suffering continues: the Hostages and Families Forum announced Saturday that another Israeli hostage, Inbar Haiman, 27, was found to have been murdered by Hamas in captivity. The circumstances of her death were not released…’

The accidental killing of hostages is most certainly not helping Israel’s cause. The horrific scenes of utterly devastated and destroyed buildings and the horrible suffering of large portions of the Gaza population does not score in Israel’s favor either.

Newsweek wrote on December 18:

“Israel has edged closer to an all-out war with the Lebanese Hezbollah movement amid a worsening round of hostilities playing out as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is already engaged in its most intensive conflict to date in the Gaza Strip, an IDF official has said.”

Turning Into All-Out Disaster?

The New York Post wrote on December 16:

“Over the many years they have been in the public eye, Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu were never friends and rarely allies…Then suddenly, terrorism brought them together in something of a shotgun wedding… The president’s initial support for the Jewish state was firm, but it put him in a bind with major elements of the Democratic Party… His decision to undercut Israel during an existential war in hopes of winning back young voters and Muslim Americans is politics at its cheapest. It makes Biden look craven, as if he has neither courage nor conviction…

‘That’s not to suggest Biden has totally abandoned Israel. The two carrier groups he dispatched are still in the region and he’s still sending military supplies. Indeed, the president went around Congress for the latest shipment when lawmakers moved too slowly. But there’s no denying he’s been giving Israel help with one hand and slapping it with the other…  Biden’s criticism reached a new low last week when, in remarks to donors, most of them reportedly Jewish, he actually accused Israel of ‘indiscriminate’ bombing…

“The heart of the problem, of course, is that Biden came into office sleepwalking in lockstep with the Obama-Biden administration’s bid to lure Iran back into the world order. The effort failed as predicted, yet not before Iran benefitted from having billions of its dollars unfrozen and realized a second bonanza through its oil sales.

“Yet even now, despite the fact that much of that money went to Hamas and Hezbollah, the Houthis and scores of other malignant forces, Biden apparently remains convinced the mullahs will one day sit down with Israel and the US around a campfire…”

Iran will remain Israel’s and America’s enemy, until Christ returns… and even beyond then for a while.

EU Has No Unanimity on Ceasefire Issue

PA Media reported on December 15:

“Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said there is… not unanimity in the EU for a ceasefire in Gaza, a day after saying the bloc had ‘lost credibility’ on the issue… He was speaking at the end of a two-day EU summit that saw an agreement to begin accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, and a proposal to send a 50 billion euro aid package to Ukraine vetoed by Hungary… He said the EU also needed to be stronger on pushing for a two-state solution…

“It comes after a UN General Assembly vote in which the vast majority of countries voted for an immediate ceasefire in the region. Austria, Germany and the UK abstained on the vote, while the US voted against it. [Actually, Austria voted against it too, according to other reports.]”

The National News reported on December 18:

“The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell on Monday described Israel’s ‘lack of distinction’ between civilians and military targets as ‘appalling’. His comments come as the US, the UK, Germany and France increase pressure on Israel to tone down its bombardments on the Gaza strip as the death toll nears 20,000… EU leaders… tasked Mr Borrell to draw up a list of violent Israeli settlers for discussions on banning them from Europe…

“German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock co-signed a letter with UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron in The Sunday Times calling for a ‘sustainable ceasefire.’ This differed from the French request for an immediate ceasefire… Some observers predict Israel will not be able to resist global opinion much longer.”

The Week of Whoppers

The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on December 14:

“The New York Times goes blind to Biden corruption… Diary of disturbing disinformation and dangerous delusions.

“This headline: ‘Impeachment Inquiry Approved, Despite No Proof of Biden Crime’… “We say: Sorry… Tons of evidence prove President Biden was involved in his son’s corrupt businesses: Hunter Biden’s partners’ testimony, bank records, pictures, video, audio recordings, emails . . .  And all [that] emerged despite Biden family stonewalling, which made an inquiry with subpoena and other powers necessary…

“This column: ‘Age jokes can’t diminish Biden’s unrivaled experience and wisdom [by] The Hill… “We say: …  Biden has wrecked everything he’s touched: the border, the economy, the budget, the situation throughout the world…”

No proof for Biden’s wrongdoing? This is so preposterous and ridiculous to even suggest! It’s just embarrassing and defies any credibility. And Biden’s “unrivaled experience and wisdom” is most certainly lacking in his failing government.

Biden—A Slow-Moving Car Crash

The New York Post published the following article by Piers Morgan on December 19:

“‘Mr. President,’ shouted a reporter as Joe Biden stumbled slowly towards his presidential SUV on a rainy night in Delaware on Sunday. ‘Why are you losing to Trump in the polls?’ The leader of the free world stopped in his tracks, looked momentarily bemused, then turned towards his questioner, and replied: ‘You’re reading the wrong polls!’ One second later, there was a loud bang as a random vehicle accidentally smashed into his presidential motorcade… It was a perfect metaphor: a presidency that’s become a slow-moving car crash. The driver who banged into the motorcade has since been charged with DUI.

“But when it comes to the analysis of polling, it would be more appropriate for President Biden to be charged with UID – Under the Influence of Delusion… Trump leads his successor in seven swing states by an average of 5% (47%-42%) among registered voters… As for Biden’s personal approval numbers, they just hit record lows of just 34% and among crucial independent voters, a catastrophic 24%.

“In fact, things are so bad… that for the first time, more people are impressed with his hapless, useless, and clueless Vice President Kamala Harris than him, albeit by a small margin (35%-34%)…

“Biden knows his poll numbers are dreadful… he’s been raging at staff for why his ratings are tanking so disastrously and demanding to know what they intend to do about it… In typical Biden style, everyone but himself is to blame for public disapproval of his woeful failures on everything from the economy… to immigration… So, when Biden says the only reason that we all think Trump’s beating him in the polls is because we’re all reading the wrong polls, he’s lying… This week, sources close to Barack Obama told the Wall Street Journal he fears his party could ‘very well lose’ the 2024 election. And Obama’s former top political adviser David Axelrod has warned that Biden’s approval ratings are ‘very, very dark news’…

“He’s 81 going on 101, and his seemingly never-ending physical and verbal stumbles are developing into the Republican Party’s Utopian campaign highlights reel. What’s inexplicable is why the Democrats seem so hell-bent on standing by a leader who’s become not just a national but a global joke…

“He genuinely thinks he’s going to retain the White House because there’s no chance of Americans voting for Trump again, and his anger at his aides is because Americans are telling pollsters the complete opposite…

“Biden increasingly reminds me of Union Army chief General John Sedgwick, who famously, during the American Civil War at the battle of Spotsylvania in 1864, berated his men for ducking for cover from Confederate bullets and declared confidently: ‘They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance…’ He was shot dead seconds later. Joe Biden is just as deluded about the threat from Trump, and if insists on running in 2024, his political career will meet the same fate.”

Giuliani Verdict “Pathetic” and “Offensive”

Newsmax wrote on December 15:

“A jury’s verdict that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani must pay $148 million to two former Georgia election workers who claim he defamed them was ‘pathetic’ and ‘offensive,’ Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Newsmax on Friday.

“The [black] workers… sued Giuliani for defamation regarding the 2020 election that they said upended their lives with racist threats and harassment. Giuliani was helping former President Donald Trump contest his narrow loss to Joe Biden in Georgia in that election…

“[Burchett said:] ‘This is a political game within our court system. It’s so political that our own Justice Department hasn’t even lifted a finger to look at Hunter Biden when the $30 million that have flowed through that family, their crime family, and probably not paid any taxes on it. I don’t know if Rudy Giuliani is guilty or not, but it’s not in the hundreds of millions of dollars guilty… You have the Bidens and the elite Democrats and the rest of us, and unfortunately this Justice Department, they’re blind only in one eye…’”

The Associated Press added on December 15:

“Rudy Giuliani strongly denounced the damages against him… saying the verdict matched the ‘absurdity and unfairness of the entire proceeding… It bore no resemblance to a trial in a country with the rule of law. I wasn’t able to offer any evidence in my defense. We’ll have more to say and look forward to the appeal.’”

The Messenger wrote on December 21:

“Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani petitioned for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Thursday, just one day after a federal judge allowed two election workers who he defamed to attempt to immediately enforce a $146 million judgment….”

The judge, who had been appointed by President Obama, had already found Giuliani guilty via a default judgment (!) before the case was handed to the jury who was only asked to decide on the amount of damages. One of the attorneys, representing the two plaintiffs, is a good friend of Hunter Biden, according to Giuliani. One must be blind in both eyes if one can’t see what is going on here, with a totally corrupt “justice” system which simply does not work anymore at all.

Trump Condemned for Using Again Hitler’s Phraseology

Daily Mail wrote on December 16:

“At a rally in New Hampshire, former President Donald Trump stood in front of a crowd of MAGA Republicans and said that illegal immigrants ‘poisoned mental institutions and prisons all over the world’. Although he didn’t elaborate on how migrants are ‘poisoning’ mental institutions and prisons – Trump’s words resemble those of Adolf Hitler, who famously used the same phrase in his book Mein Kampf…

“Trump used the same phrase back in October – prompting former Fox News host Geraldo Rivera to denounce the former President for claiming migrants are ‘poisoning the blood of our country,’ and expressing his shock at the ‘extraordinary, hateful, Hitler-like quote.’”

JTA wrote on December 20:

 “Speaking at an Iowa presidential rally on Tuesday, Donald Trump denied lifting a phrase describing immigrants as ‘poisoning the blood of our country’ from Adolf Hitler’s manifesto… ‘I never read “Mein Kampf.” They said, “Oh, Hitler said that” — in a much different way.’…

“A number of media outlets noted that Trump’s late first wife, Ivana Trump, once reported that he kept a book of Hitler’s speeches by his bedside… Trump’s spokesmen have said the phrase is normal and not racist.”

The article points out that Hitler used this phrase in his 1925 manifesto about how he became anti-Semitic. It is true that Hitler did not initially hate the Jews because of their religion, but because of their race. And he did use words similar to those used by Trump.

Trump Barred From Appearing on Colorado Presidential Primary Ballot

The New York Post wrote on December 19:

“Donald Trump was barred from appearing on Colorado’s presidential primary ballot next year, the state’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The court determined the 77-year-old former president was ineligible for the White House, citing the US Constitution’s insurrection clause, which led to his removal from the ballot.

“It’s the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate. ‘A majority of the court holds that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment,’ the court wrote in its 4-3 decision.

“The ruling is stayed until Jan. 4, or until the US Supreme Court makes a decision on the case. Trump’s campaign said in a statement it has ‘full confidence’ that the US Supreme Court would quickly side with the ex-president and ‘finally put an end to these un-American lawsuits.’”

The Daily Mail added on December 19:

“Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung… said the decision was a product of an ‘all-Democrat appointed’ court and a ‘Soros-funded, left-wing group’s scheme to interfere in an election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden.” 

As we reported earlier (see our Update #1091, dated November 24, 2023), it is highly doubtful that Section 3 of the 14^th Amendment applies to a presidential candidate. We wrote the following:

“… 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.”

Strong Condemnation for Antidemocraric and Unconstitutional Colorado Court Decision

The New York Post published on December 20 the following article by Professor Turley:

“The Colorado decision to bar Donald Trump from the ballot will be overturned because it is wrong on the history and the language of the 14th Amendment… The question is whether the US Supreme Court will speak with one voice, including the three liberal justices. As with the three Democratic state justices who refused to sign off on the Colorado opinion, these federal justices can now bring a moment of unity not just for the court but the country in rejecting this shockingly anti-democratic theory…

“The majority on the Colorado Supreme Court adopted sweeping interpretations of every element of the decision to find that Trump not only incited an insurrection, but can be disqualified under this provision.  It does not matter that Trump has never been charged with even incitement or that he called for his supporters to go to the Capitol to protest ‘peacefully.’  In finding that Trump led an actual insurrection, the four justices used speeches going back to 2016 to show an effort to rebel before Trump was ever president…

“What these four justices did was a direct assault on our democratic process in seeking to bar the most popular candidate in the upcoming election… Not only are these four justices seeking to bar the votes of millions of voters… but they are doing so in the name of democracy. It is the ballot cleansing that is usually associated with authoritarian countries like Iran, where voters are protected from ‘unworthy’ candidates… Most people understand intuitively that what these four justices did in Colorado was wrong…

“The moment has come for nine justices to speak in one voice. An American voice that transcends the personalities and divisions of our time. It is a voice that speaks not to what divides us but what defines us as a people.” 

 Breitbart wrote on December 20:

“Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz blasted the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling that former President Donald Trump was not eligible for the presidential ballot based on the 14th Amendment. According to Dershowitz, the Colorado court’s 4-3 ruling misinterpreted the 14th Amendment, which he said laid out the process that Congress would enact, not a state court. ‘In the 60 years I’ve been practicing and teaching law, I’ve never seen a decision that’s so anti-democratic and so unconstitutional,’ Dershowitz said. ‘It is absurd. The idea that the 14th Amendment was supposed to substitute for the impeachment provision, carefully drafted by the framers, is wrong.’…

“Dershowitz also said he anticipated the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn the Colorado decision.”

Breitbart wrote on December 19:

 “The Court’s unilateral determination that Trump engaged in insurrection comes despite Trump having never been convicted of that – or any other – crime, or even been charged in court with the crime of insurrection. He was acquitted by the U.S. Senate of charges of engaging in insurrection and continues to deny wrongdoing. In support of its legal assertion, the Court cites the U.S. House January 6 Select Committee, notwithstanding that Trump was acquitted of the House’s charges in the Senate…

 “In another dissent, Justice Carlos Samour wrote, ‘Given the current absence of federal legislation to enforce Section Three, and given that President Trump has not been charged pursuant to section 2383, the district court should have granted his September 29 motion to dismiss.’ He continued, ‘the court received and considered a partial congressional report, the admissibility of which is not beyond reproach… I have been involved in the justice system for thirty-three years now, and what took place here doesn’t resemble anything I’ve seen in a courtroom.’…”

 LifeSiteNews wrote on December 20: “The claim that he was involved in an ‘insurrection’ is perverse… Violent mobs regularly riot, vandalize, and empty stores of products and now courts are vandalizing the law and destroying the Constitution. These judges are no better than the mobs. They are even more dangerous and should themselves be jailed and charged with insurrection.”

The Most and Least Favorable Politicians in the USA

Breitbart wrote on December 17:

“The [recent Harvard-Harris] poll, conducted among over 2,000 registered American voters from December 13 to 14, has gained attention for revealing the radical attitudes of young people toward Israel and Jews. A slender majority of those 18-24 said that Israel should be destroyed. However, there are other interesting results in the survey, including the favorability of various politicians and public figures.

“President Joe Biden has net negative favorability, at -10% (43% favorable, 53% unfavorable).

“Republican challenger Donald Trump is marginally positive, with net positive favorability of 1% (49% favorable, 48% unfavorable). That is ahead of one of his rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), at net negative favorability of -1%; however, it is behind former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley (net positive 9%) and even with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy (net positive 1%).

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has net positive favorability of 18% (49% positive, 31% negative). Elon Musk has net favorability of 12% (49% positive, 37% negative). Netanyahu — who is deeply underwater in his own country — is at 10% positive (36% positive, 26% negative).

“Israelis are often puzzled by Netanyahu’s popularity in the United States; likewise, Joe Biden enjoys highly favorable ratings in Israel…”

Liberty and Freedom?

Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column on December 18:

“Just before leaving town for Christmas break, the US House gave Americans a last-minute holiday gift: a nearly trillion dollar military spending bill filled with lots of goodies for the special interests and the military-industrial complex…

“Considering that Speaker Johnson tossed into the ‘must-pass’ bill yet another extension of Section 702 of the FISA Act, it’s unsurprising that he wanted to rush the bill through without the possibility of amendment. Section 702 allows the government to intercept and retain without a warrant the communications of any American who is in contact with a non-US citizen. It is clearly a violation of the Fourth Amendment which is supposed to protect Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures.

“Section 702 was ‘legalized’ under President George W. Bush during the ‘War on Terror’ after it was revealed that Bush was using the National Security Agency to illegally spy on Americans. We were told at the time that government must be granted these authorities because we were under threat from terrorists. It would just be a temporary measure, we were promised, and then the authority would expire. That was fifteen years ago and here we are re-authorizing the government to continue to violate our liberties.

“As with the rest of the violations of our civil liberties after 9/11, like the PATRIOT Act and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA, the federal government soon turned its terrorism-fighting tools inward, targeting Americans rather than foreigners who we were told wanted to harm Americans. That’s why the FBI’s so-called domestic terrorism watchlist continues to expand to include Christians and those skeptical of big government.

“So rather than debating whether we want a government more like East Germany than the one our Founders imagined, Section 702 was tossed into the military spending bill…

“We are more than 33 trillion dollars in debt, with interest payments on that debt dwarfing all other government spending. A crash is coming. There is no time for more ‘business as usual.’’

German Government More Unpopular Than Ever

Following the coalition government’s extremely controversial and unpopular deal on the federal budget for 2024, raising or establishing new taxes and increasing costs for gasoline, heating and domestic flights, and the embarrassing attempts by Scholz and his political partners to justify the same, emotions in Germany are running high.

Die Welt wrote on December 15:

“The Ampel coalition is doing… worse than ever before… Only 27 percent of those surveyed say that the government is ‘doing its job rather well.’… But only 35 percent of all respondents believe that a CDU-led government would do a better job… Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) reached… his personal low… [In a new election] the Ampel coalition would not have a parliamentary majority. Of the politically realistic alliances, a coalition between the CDU and the SPD or the CDU and the Greens would currently be strong enough.”

In either case, this would be a catastrophic prognosis.

Still, Bild Online wrote on December 15:

“59 percent of Germans want early elections for the Bundestag next year, i.e. in 2024. Only 27 percent are AGAINST new elections.”

But early elections would have no reasonable chance of a successful government, based on the current situation.

In its article, Bild Online published some representative opinions of its readership:

“What have we done wrong that we are governed like this?… When will you [Scholz] finally resign? You’ve caused enough chaos. Germany has never been governed so badly.”

We would agree with this assessment. We said from the outset that this coalition of diverse parties such as SPD, Green and FDP would not be successful and even wondered how long it could stay in power.

Focus Online also published representative opinions of its readership on December 15:

“Germany is turning away from its government and the government is turning away from its people… This is an insolence beyond compare… It was already clear to me before that… tax increases were coming…  I’m just angry with this government!… How about if you, Mr. Scholz, Mr. Habeck and Mr. Lindner, live the life of a normal worker for a month? Maybe you would realize what your laws mean to us. I’m 50 years old and I’m getting tired of seeing my hard-earned money not being used for my own people. All problems are blamed on the war. But many problems were created by your government…”

You might think you were reading statements about Biden and his government here.

Germany Needs a Leadership Figure

Focus wrote on December 18:

“In democracies, trust is the greatest asset. After two years of Ampel (the government coalition),  there isn’t much left of it. This is because Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his government ignore the needs of the people… Due to the budget hammer… the government has not only lost billions of euros, but it has also continued to lose more of its reputation and trust.

“The entrepreneur Roland Berger, long-time advisor to Chancellors Helmut Kohl (CDU), Gerhard Schröder (SPD) and Chancellor Merkel (CDU), speaks of an ‘extreme domestic political crisis’, the like of which has not been seen in Germany since the time of Konrad Adenauer’s government.

“A new Adenauer, a chancellor who moves forward courageously and organizes government policy in order to finally restore the country’s competitiveness and thus secure the prosperity of millions of people – this leading figure is urgently needed. But Olaf Scholz doesn’t show any of that. On the contrary… Scholz clearly doesn’t see reality as it is on many topics. At the same time, he is also unable to show Germany a vision of how the greatest crisis situation in post-war history can be overcome… It is to be feared that Germany will continue to be among the worst performers in Europe in terms of the economy…

“How can it be that the losers are now hundreds of thousands of tenants with lower income who have to anticipate significant rent increases and electricity prices rising again?…

“The Ampel doesn’t know what’s happening in this country. Instead, it seems to ignore the concerns of citizens in lieu of its own emergency. This impression is becoming more and more established – and is extremely dangerous because in a phase of great uncertainty, the already low level of trust in the government continues to decline.”

Now the EU Wants German Money

Focus wrote on December 16:

“Chancellor Olaf Scholz has just filled his own budget holes a little bit at home when the next billion-dollar bill is already rolling towards him from Brussels. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants a budget supplement because, among other things, the interest on debts is growing over her head.

“At the same time, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is blackmailing the EU: he will only agree to new aid to Ukraine if he himself receives more money from Brussels. As usual, almost a quarter of the costs of these wishes will be paid by the German taxpayer.”

Obviously, Germans will not be thrilled about this new development, either.

“If Necessary, We Will Paralyze the Country”

The Augsburger Allgemeine wrote on December 14:

“Agriculture is vehemently resisting the Ampel coalition’s savings plans resulting from the budget compromise…

“The President of the Bavarian Farmers’ Association, Günther Felßner, told our editorial team: ‘We farmers are supposed to be the victims because the federal government is unable to create a functioning budget ‘…

“Felßner describes the consequences from the association’s perspective as follows: ‘With the announced cuts, food will become more expensive for everyone in Germany, self-sufficiency will be put at risk…’

“He is calling on the federal government to withdraw the austerity proposals … If this doesn’t happen, he advises the Ampel coalition to make room for another, a new government that has sensible concepts. And he threatens: ‘If none of this happens, we as farmers see it as our responsibility to take to the streets and fight to ensure that our country remains viable for the future. If necessary, we will paralyze this country after Christmas.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 18:

“Farmers from across Germany descended upon Berlin on Monday, with hundreds of tractors converging on the city’s famous Brandenburg Gate under the motto, ‘Too much is too much! Farmers are angry about the federal government’s decision to scrap diesel fuel subsidies as well as the negation of tax breaks for the purchase of agricultural and forestry machinery. According to the German Farmers’ Association, those changes could cost farmers up to €1 billion (roughly $1.1 billion)…Farmers are now seeking to send a ‘first clear signal’ to Berlin’s three-party governing coalition that it needs to drop the planned cuts.”

These are not good developments. The German nation is in uproar and blames, correctly, their government for the miserable situation.

Dramatic Changes for EU in the Making?

Express wrote on December 18:

“Controversial changes to the treaties which bind the European Union together would result in a bloc dominated by Germany in which member states would be reduced to ‘vassal’ status, opponents have claimed. The proposals… would involve a total of 267 changes to the treaties, including strengthening the role of the European Parliament, the establishment of a both Defence Union and an Energy Union, and limitations on the power of veto for members of the EU27.

“Much to the annoyance of Mr Verhofstadt and the other co-rapporteurs who lodged the proposals, last week’s European Council meeting – during which the foreign ministers of the EU member states gathered in Brussels – opted not to vote on the issue.

“However, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Poland’s former Secretary of State for Europe, warned the issue had not gone away – and feared dire consequences for the independence of EU member states if the ideas developed during the Conference on the Future of Europe in 2022 were ever put into practice. Not least among his concerns was the use of Qualified Majority Voting (QMV), a mechanism used within the European Council and Council of the EU to take decisions without the need for unanimity…

“Mr Mularczyk, an MP with the recently ousted Law and Justice Party, stressed: ‘The potential loss of sovereignty, as a result of the proposed EU treaty changes and the wider use of qualified majority voting, may cause Member States to think carefully about the future of the EU which will be dominated by the biggest country in Europe, Germany. No Member State will want to be a vassal state in the EU with no voice… The proposed EU treaty changes clearly express that competencies concerning, i.e., the military, border control, fiscal and monetary policy, and the environment, will be transferred to the EU.’…”

And it will happen… ultimately.

Germany Deploys Troops for First Time Since World War II

Newsweek wrote on December 18:

“A new agreement between Germany and Lithuania will lead to German troops’ first permanent foreign deployment since World War II. The announcement was made Monday in Lithuania, where Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas met with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, to outline a multiyear ‘Roadmap Action Plan’ involving approximately 4,800 permanently stationed German soldiers. Both officials called the move a historic moment not just for their nations but for NATO as well…

“‘Germany understands clearly the new state of affairs in security politics: we are taking the role of leadership and responsibility in the [NATO] Alliance as we deploy a combat brigade in Lithuania,’ Pistorius said in the release.”

Of course, there is no leadership under Chancellor Scholz. Still, is the world waking up?

Russia Won’t End the War, Warns America

Fox News wrote on December 16:

“A spokesperson for the Kremlin [Dmitry Peskov] says [Putin] hopes that the next U.S. leader will be ‘more constructive.’…Peskov claimed that Putin is willing to work with ‘anyone who will understand that from now on, you have to be more careful with Russia and you have to take into account its concerns’… Peskov did say that Trump’s assertion that he could end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in a single day to be misguided, saying that the war is ‘too complicated.’

“He expressed frustration with the U.S. for continuing to fund Ukrainian defenses against the ongoing Russian attacks, saying it was a waste of money to oppose the invasion… ‘You are making this conflict longer.’ Peskov also accused the West of waging a ‘war’ on Russia by bolstering defensive military capabilities in Ukraine.  Putin reiterated this week that he will not end the war in Ukraine until his goals are achieved and, at a year-end news conference, offered rare details concerning those objectives.

“The Russian president, who is seeking reelection after being in power for nearly 24 years, addressed concerns from some Russian citizens about another wave of mobilization — a highly unpopular move he enacted in September 2022 to boost his forces in Ukraine. Putin dismissed the need for a second wave of mobilization of reservists, saying there are some 617,000 Russian soldiers currently in Ukraine, including around 244,000 troops who were called up to fight alongside professional Russian military forces. ‘There is no need [for additional mobilization],’ Putin said, because 1,500 men are being recruited into the Russian army every day across the country. He said 486,000 soldiers have signed a contract with the Russian military as of Wednesday evening.”

The highly praised EU decision to start membership negotiations for Ukraine means nothing in practice. German Chancellor Scholz has been praised for convincing Urban to leave the room so that an otherwise “unanimous” decision of the remaining EU members could be reached. However, this was nothing else but an exercise in futility. Any membership is years away. By that time, the war between Russia and Ukraine will have long been over.

No Russian Interest to Attack NATO?

Thomson/Reuters wrote on December 17:

“Putin dismissed as complete nonsense remarks by U.S. President Joe Biden that Russia would attack a NATO country if it won the war in Ukraine, adding that Russia had no interest in fighting the NATO military alliance…

“Putin casts the war [with Ukraine] as part of a much bigger struggle with the United States, which the Kremlin elite says aims to cleave Russia apart, grab its vast natural resources and then turn to settling scores with China.

“The West, which presents Russia and China as its main threats, says it has no plan to destroy Russia. Ukraine says it will not rest until every last Russian soldier is ejected from its territory.”

The biblical truth is that Russia and Ukraine WILL fight with Europe, and especially Germany, in the future.

“We Have About 5-8 Years”

Reuters wrote on December 15:

“Europe must race to ensure it can better defend itself as new military threats could emerge by the end of the decade even as the focus of security ally the United States shifts towards the Indo-Pacific, Germany’s defense minister said. Russia was hiking its weapons production considerably to sustain its invasion of Ukraine, while also threatening the Baltic states, Georgia and Moldova, Boris Pistorius was quoted as saying in an interview with Welt am Sonntag… ‘We have about 5-8 years to catch up, in terms of armed forces, industry and society,’ he said…

“The election of a more Europe-friendly government in Poland should now enable the Weimar Triangle of Berlin, Paris and Warsaw to develop more their military cooperation, he added.”

Like the 1940s…?

The Telegraph wrote on December 16:

“After the costly victory of 1918, peoples and politicians in democracies were mostly incapable of facing the terrifying fact that new and even greater dangers were looming… The grand old man of Labour, George Lansbury, proclaimed that Hitler, as a non-smoking vegetarian, must want peace. To the Liberal Lloyd George he was ‘the greatest German of the age’. The Tory Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax hoped that ‘one day the Führer will be seen entering Buckingham Palace at the side of the King’…

“Had the West been more visibly prepared and resolute, Hitler would probably have been overthrown by the German army…

“Ukraine is the test, like Czechoslovakia in the 1930s. We prevented the Czechs from defending themselves in 1938. At least we have helped the Ukrainians to resist, but now they are in danger of being effectively abandoned by being given too little too late… if America steps back, it will mean… the defeat of Ukraine…

“So far we have not been called on to make significant sacrifices. Are we still capable of them? Orwell wrote in 1940 that England was like ‘a family with the wrong members in control’, but still able to move together, ‘like a herd of cattle facing a wolf’. I hope we never have to find out the hard way if this is still true.”

It is very likely that the USA will begin soon to substantially reduce or entirely eliminate military help for Ukraine. Note the next article.

US With Smallest Military in Over 80 Years

The Daily Mail wrote on December 16:

“The United States is set to enter 2024 with its smallest military in more than eight decades and faces one of its ‘greatest challenges’ as it tries to boost recruiting… Under the $886 billion annual defense bill passed by Congress this week total active-duty troop numbers will fall to 1,284,500 next year. That is the lowest total since before the U.S. entered the Second World War in 1941 and officials said there should be a ‘national call to service’.

“Ashish Vazirani, the Pentagon’s acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness… said the ‘all-volunteer force faces one of its greatest challenges since (its) inception’ in the 1970s when the draft ceased.”

And so, it appears that ultimately, the draft will be reinstated.

Blasphemous Woke Nonsense

The Daily Mail wrote on December 18:

“Couples getting married will be asked if they want to be called ‘husband and wife’ under new woke Church guidelines. It is part of new ‘inclusive language’ rules published by The Methodist Church, which warns that old-fashioned terminology ‘makes assumptions about a family or personal life that is not the reality for many people’.

“The guidance also advises preachers to share their pronouns with congregation members ‘to create a safe space for people to be themselves.’… they should use ‘gender-neutral language’, opting for words such as ‘folks, teammates, friends, colleagues, or simply people’.  It adds: ‘People of different genders may choose to use a gender-neutral title such as Mx’…”

Marriage is between a man and a woman, and they are (to be) called husband and wife. Period!

Reuters wrote on December 18:

“The Vatican said on Monday in a landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis that Roman Catholic priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies.

“A document from the Vatican’s doctrinal office, which effectively reversed a declaration the same body had issued in 2021, said such blessings would not legitimise irregular situations but be a sign that God welcomes all. It should in no way be confused with the sacrament of heterosexual marriage, it added.”

Newsmax wrote on December 21:

“Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association…, is warning same-sex couples that even ‘so-called ‘blessings’ from religious leaders like Pope Francis will not save them ‘from the judgment of God.’ ‘Pope Francis has now approved Catholic priests “blessing” same-sex couples, but none of us, including the Pope, has the right to “bless” what God calls sin,’ Graham [wrote].”

What incredible hypocrisy.

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.

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.

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