Watchman Newsletter

Prophetic Anticipation Builds: Unblemished Red Heifers for Temple Ceremony Soon Come of Age

CBN (Link) - Chris Mitchell (March 17, 2023)

MOUNT OF OLIVES, JERUSALEM, Israel – Last September, five red heifers arrived in Israel amid great fanfare, because some Jews and Gentiles believe red heifers are a key element leading to the building of the Third Jewish Temple.

The heifers are now in a secure, undisclosed location in Israel. Plans include moving them, sometime soon, to a visitor’s center in Shiloh, where the tabernacle of the Lord once stood for nearly 400 years.

The book of Numbers explains that ashes of the red heifer are used to purify priests for their service in the Temple:

“Now, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come. You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take it outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him … its offal shall be burned … for the water of purification; it is for purifying from sin.’” (Numbers 19:1-5)

These red heifers are now between 1½ and 2 years old. To replicate the ceremony mentioned in the Bible, they need to be at least 3 years old. And within that time span, they cannot have a blemish or anything that would disqualify them for the ceremony, even one white or black hair.

Egypt’s Transition Six Months On: From Diversity to Divisiveness

The Brookings Institution (Link) - Khaled Elgindy (August 4, 2011)

Last month, I traveled to Cairo to gain a better understanding of the political transition now underway following the Egyptian people’s historic uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak from power six months ago. While the situation remains rather fluid today, several important observations can be made about the state of Egypt’s turbulent transition.

One of the more striking features of the current transition is the extraordinary diversity and dynamism of Egypt’s burgeoning political landscape. Since the removal of Mubarak, whose historic trial began in Cairo, Egypt has seen an explosion in civic and political activity across the country and in all areas of life, including the proliferation of dozens of new political parties, movements, and groupings of all stripes. Previously apolitical actors like the youth movements that led the January uprising and the ultra-orthodox Salafists have now entered the political fray for the first time. Even established powers like the Muslim Brotherhood are undergoing major transformations with defections and splits along generational and philosophical lines. Competition, debate, and shifting alliances among the various youth, liberal, leftist, and Islamist forces unleashed by the revolution (including those who had opposed it) have brought Egypt’s once comatose political culture back to life - but not without a price.

Senate Panel Keeps ‘Secret Patriot Act’ Under Wraps

Wired (Link) - Noah Shachtman (August 2, 2011)

The secret Patriot Act is staying secret.

Two Senators have been warning for months that the government has a secret legal interpretation of the Patriot Act so broad that it amounts to an entirely different law — one that gives the feds massive domestic surveillance powers, and keeps the rest of us in the dark about the snooping.

“There is a significant discrepancy between what most Americans – including many members of Congress – think the Patriot Act allows the government to do and how government officials interpret that same law,” wrote the Senators, Ron Wyden and Mark Udall. “We believe that most members of the American public would be very surprised to learn how federal surveillance law is being interpreted in secret.”

The Senators tried to get the government to reveal some of the law’s contents, by forcing the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General to produce a report outlining when this secret surveillance has gone overboard. Yesterday, the effort failed. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said no to the report by rejecting Wyden and Udall’s amendment to the FY2012 Intelligence Authorization Act.

In other words: we are all still in the dark about how the government is spying on us.

The Battle for Syria

The Trumpet (Link) - Robert Morley (August 2, 2011)

When the United States government and al Qaeda agree on something, you know that can’t be a good thing.

In this case, they both want Syrian President Bashir Assad to step down. Bizarrely, that’s not all they agree on. On July 11, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “President Assad is not indispensable. … Our goal is to see that the will of the Syrian people for a democratic transformation occurs” (emphasis added throughout).

Responding to America’s overtures to the anti-government protesters, al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri warned the pro-democracy activists not to deal with America. America would only corrupt them, he said. He called Assad, however, a “leader of criminal gangs,” an “aggressor,” an “oppressor,” and a “traitor” to his people. He applauded the pro-democracy activists’ efforts to teach Assad a “lesson.” And he hailed Syrian protesters as “mujahideen,” or holy warriors.

Both America and al Qaeda are pushing for democracy in Syria. Yet for all the talk, that is mostly all it is. Neither group has much influence in Syria.

Steel On Steel Persecution Update

Steel on Steel - Donald McElvaney (July 30, 2011)

1. Imprisoned Lao Pastor ‘Extremely Weak,’ Family Says

2. Churches in Nigeria Shuttered, Reduced with Uptick in Terrorism

3. Pakistani Muslims Convicted for Beating Christian to Death

4. Funeral Held for Christians Killed in Suleja, Nigeria Bombing

5. India Briefs

3 Reasons the Media Quickly Embraced the Label ‘Fundamentalist Christian’ for Norway’s Terrorist

The Christian Post (Link) - Ed Stetzer (July 29, 2011)

By now, it appears, the media has decided that Norway’s shooter was not a “Christian fundamentalist.” GetReligion’s Terry Mattingly, explained:

At this point, I think most journalists have reached the point that they know that Anders Behring Breivik (a) has self-identified as a ‘Christian,’ (b) yet he also made it clear that he is not a Christian believer, in terms of beliefs and practice and (c) that it is bizarre to call him a “fundamentalist,” in any historic sense of the word.

This is a far cry from initial reports. CNN is my preferred news station and could not count how many times I heard the word, “Christian fundamentalist.” We are told we should renounce the “Christian terrorist,” and lest anyone be unclear, I (and all Christians) do. That label “Christian fundamentalist” traveled around the world before anyone asked if it was correct. Now, calmer voices have emerged. CNN’s Belief Blog brings the clarity:

Steel On Steel Persecution Update: India Briefs

Steel on Steel - Mahruaii Sailo (July 22, 2011)

Andhra Pradesh, India, July 8 (Compass Direct News) – Pastor Johnny Lazarus, 50, was beaten by Hindu extremists on June 28 at Bollepally village in Bhongir Mandal. The All India Christian Council (AICC) reported that one extremist, Malla Reddy, accused Pastor Lazarus of performing witchcraft on him. Reddy and his family members verbally abused the pastor and his faith, saying, “You brought a low-caste god among us,” slapped him and threatened to harm him further if he did not leave the area immediately. The pastor reported the attack to police and to the AICC. Police officers summoned both parties on July 1, and the attackers apologized to the pastor, putting into writing that they would not disturb him again. The pastor forgave his assailants.

Ships and Planes of Fools Pick Wrong Target

Hudson New York (Link) - Alan M. Dershowitz (July 11, 2011)

The recent attempts by anti-Israel extremists to break Israel’s naval blockage of Gaza and to flood Israel’s airports with troublemakers have failed.

The ships of fools, knaves hypocrites, bigots, and supporters of terrorism that tried to sail from Greece have now apparently been run aground. Most of the hard-left extremists have gone home following a decision by the Greek government to prevent the boats from leaving Greek ports. And those who tried to flood Israel’s airports are being deported. The resulting fiasco, which was designed to discredit Israel, has succeeded only in discrediting the Israel bashers on the boats and planes by exposing their true purpose.

The alleged purpose of the ships was to feed the starving Arabs of Gaza. The problem is that the Arabs of Gaza are not starving. Nor are they in need of outside help.

According to reporting by The New York Times, Gaza has been thriving recently. Luxury hotels are being built; stores are stocked with food; beaches are filled with children; and life is far better than in neighboring Al Arish, which is across the border in Egypt.

Things I never thought I’d see here

Herald Sun (Link) Blog - Andrew Bolt (July 6, 2011)

Here are some things I never thought I’d see in this country I love.

I never thought I’d see people picketing shops because their owners were Jews.

But in Melbourne last Friday, 19 protesters were arrested as they tried to stop people from shopping at the Max Brenner chocolate and coffee store in Melbourne’s QV.

In Sydney last month, Leftist and Muslim protesters did the same to a Max Brenner shop in Sydney, claiming the Jewish-owned franchise company supported the Israeli Army.

I’ve seen pictures of Jewish shops being attacked before, of course, but they were in black and white, in another country at another ghastly time.

But this is Australia. Today.

Number One? 20 Not So Good Categories That The United States Leads The World In

Economic Collapse Blog (Link) (July 5, 2011)

Is the United States “number one?” Many Americans take deep pride in their nation and the truth is that the U.S. has a lot going for it. The United States has the largest economy in the world. The United States also has the most powerful military on the entire planet. The United States has produced most of the greatest movies that the world has ever seen. But the United States is also number one in a lot of categories that are not go great. If we ever want to turn this country around, we need to be very honest with ourselves. We need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and realize that it is not a good thing that we are number one in divorce, drug addiction, debt, obesity, car thefts, murders and total crimes. We have become a slothful, greedy, decadent nation that is exhibiting signs of advanced decay. Until we understand just how bad our problems really are, we won’t be able to come up with the solutions that we need.

A lot of people that write articles like this have a deep hatred for America. But that is not the case with me. I love the United States. I love the American people. America is like an aging, bloated rock star that has become addicted to a dozen different drugs. America is a shadow of its former self and it desperately needs to wake up before it plunges into oblivion.

If you do not believe that America is in bad shape, just read the list below. The following are 20 not so good categories that the United States leads the world in....

Steel On Steel Persecution Update

Steel on Steel - Donald McElvaney (June 27, 2011)

1. Pastor, Church Official Shot Dead in Nigeria

2. Police in Pakistan Torture Sister of Christian Who Eloped

3. Christian Communities near Town in Nigeria Disappearing

4. Pakistani Families Flee after Another Bogus ‘Blasphemy’ Charge

5. China’s Official Church Members ‘Admonish’ Shouwang Group

6. Sudanese Military, Militias Kill Christians in South Kordofan

7. Christian, Visiting Lepers Beaten, Jailed in India

8. Hostile Rhetoric Turns Up Heat on Iranian Christians

First Time: Temple Mount Priestly Blessing on Jerusalem Day

Israel National News (Link) - Hillel Fendel (June 2, 2011)

Hundreds of religious Jews from all streams were able to happily commemorate the 44th anniversary of the first-ever entry of Israeli soldiers onto the TempleMount.

For the first time in the history of Israeli restrictions on Jewish entry to the Temple Mount, the recitation of the Priestly Blessing was permitted there. It happened on Wednesday, Jerusalem Reunification Day, when hundreds of visitors – all of whom immersed in a mikveh (ritual bath) prior to coming and took other precautions required by Jewish Law – were allowed to enter the Temple Mount in groups of 30-40.

Among them were several Cohanim (descendants of Aharon the Priest). They spread their hands in the customary manner and recited, “May G-d bless and watch over your… May G-d shine His countenance upon and show you grace… May G-d raise His countenance towards you and grant you peace” (Numbers 6, from the portion to be read aloud this week in synagogues throughout the Jewish world).

Scottish municipality bans Israeli books

JTA (Link) (May 24, 2011)

A Scottish municipality has banned from its libraries books by Israeli authors and that were printed or published in Israel.

The West Dunbartonshire Council, consisting of towns and villages west of Glasgow, ordered new books by Israeli authors to be banned from the council’s libraries, according to reports.

The ban reportedly was ordered after last year’s raid by Israeli commandoes on a ship attempting to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza that led to the death of nine Turkish nationals. The ban followed a decision made 2 1/2 years ago following the Gaza war to boycott goods produced in Israel. According to that law, the council and all its public bodies are forbidden to sell goods that originated from Israel.

A West Dunbartonshire Council spokesman told the UK Express over the weekend that the boycott is not retrospective and that no books have been removed from libraries.

The council told the Express that 10 other councils had agreed to join the boycott.

Hitler, the Palestinians and the West

The Trumpet (Link) - Brad Macdonald (May 19, 2011)

When Adolf Hitler dispatched German troops to Austria and annexed the country in March 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain did nothing. Despite the illegal influx of thousands of German jackboots on Austrian soil, Chamberlain believed Hitler when he promised, following the annexation, that he would no longer disturb the peace.

Six months later, Hitler’s bristling army was ready to invade the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. When Britain and France objected, Hitler promised that peace would be assured if Nazi Germany were allowed to take over the Sudetenland. Once again, despite Hitler’s policy of aggression in the Rhineland and Austria, Chamberlain fell for Hitler’s feigned peace overture. He was given the Sudetenland.

By March 1939, Nazi Germany had taken all of Czechoslovakia.

In September 1939, Hitler invaded Poland and set off the most destructive war in history.

What is remarkable about Hitler’s strategy in the 1930s is how he pursued his genocidal ambitions by simultaneously conducting both a campaign of aggression and a campaign of feigning peace. Between 1935 and September 1939, Hitler aggressively and in some instances violently gained control of the Rhineland, Austria, the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia. Meanwhile, inside Nazi Germany, Hitler was routinely persecuting, imprisoning and even killing Jews.

Yet, in spite of these overtly aggressive acts, Hitler was repeatedly and widely embraced as a voice of reason and a legitimate peace partner.

Steel On Steel Persecution Update

Steel on Steel - Donald McElvaney (May 17, 2011)

Top Stories:

1. Suspected Islamists Burn Down Two Homes in Ethiopia

2. Egyptian Convert Flees Potential Dangers in Syria

3. Hindu Extremists in India Beat Pastor Unconscious

4. Charges Fabricated against Six Christians in Bangladesh

5. Church Building in Egypt Reconstructed in Time for Easter

6. Survey of Christians in India Sets Off Alarm Bells

7. Rioting Muslims Damage Church, Properties in Pakistan

The Full-Blown Return of Anti-Semitism in Europe

Hudson New York (Link) - Guy Millière (May 16, 2011)

On April 19, the Corfu synagogue, in Greece, was burned. How many Jews live in Corfu today? One hundred and fifty. How many Jews live in Greece? Eight thousand, or about 0.8% of the population. For some, it seems these figures are still far too high. Two other synagogues were burned in Greece during the past year. Anti-Semitic graffiti on the walls are spreading all over the country.

What happened in Greece is happening everywhere across the European continent.

During the last decade, synagogues were vandalized or set on fire in Poland, Sweden, Hungary, France. Anti-Semitic inscriptions are being drawn on building walls in Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, London, Berlin and Rome. Jewish cemeteries are being ransacked. Jews are being attacked on the streets of most major cities on the continent. In the Netherlands, the police use “decoy Jews” in order to try arrest the perpetrators red-handed.

Jewish schools are being placed under police protection everywhere, and are usually equipped with security gates. Jewish children in public high schools are bullied; when parents complain, they are encouraged to choose another place of learning for their children.

Steel On Steel Persecution Update: India Briefs

Steel on Steel - Mahruaii Sailo and Binaifer Wadia (May 4, 2011)

Maharashtra, India, April 29 (Compass Direct News) – A group of Hindu extremists on April 24 disrupted the Easter celebrations of Christians at Dasturipada in Palgha, attacking them with clubs. One unidentified tribal Christian sustained a fractured bone in his hand, reported the Global Council of Indian Christians. The attack came three days after a mob disrupted a Maundy Thursday prayer service on April 21 at Devkuppada in Palghar. No arrests have been made in either incident. Following the April 21 attack, police were deployed in large numbers at Devkuppada, near Dasturipada. “Ever since a newspaper carried a report on mass conversions, tribals are being assaulted,” Abraham Mathai, vice-chairman of the Maharashtra state minorities commission, reportedly said. The All India Catholic Union reported one of the tribal Christians as saying, “I have not stepped out of my house since the attack on Maundy Thursday. We are living in fear.” – MS

Karnataka, India, April 25 (Compass Direct News) – Police forced a pastor to stop leading worship services after Hindu extremists on April 22 disrupted his Good Friday service in Nandi Tavere village, Davengere district, and falsely accused him of forcible conversion. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that Pastor Umesh Nayak of Calvary Bethel Church was leading worship at about 11 a.m. when nearly 15 extremists stormed the church, snatched Bibles from the congregation and tore them up. A GCIC coordinator told Compass that the Hindu extremists chased away most of the congregation except for the pastor and six other church members, who remained locked inside the building. When informed of the attack, GCIC officials intervened at the Malai Bennur police station, which sent officers and released the Christians and then took them into custody for questioning. Police released Pastor Nayak at about 4:30 p.m. after he signed a statement to refrain from leading worship services in the village. – BW

EU and NATO in a tail spin

Press Europ (Link) - Lluís Bassets (April 15, 2011)

Flying on autopilot. If no one takes a quick leap into the pilot’s chair, the ground will soon be coming up to meet us. We’re on a collision course with the rough terrain of a changing world, and the turbulence buffeting Europe is of a kind not seen for more than 20 years. But back then we had a steady pilot – the United States – and a course to steer by.

Not one single international call to resolve the Libyan crisis isn’t split by dissension. Yesterday [13 April] at the first meeting of the so-called Contact Group, held in Doha (Qatar), the differences that divide Europe became readily apparent, with France and Britain on one side and Germany on the other. The disagreement this time was over channelling funds and weapons to the rebels, just as in the Security Council there had been dithering over the resolution to allow military intervention to halt Gaddafi’s advance on Benghazi.

The Cold War ended at a time when we had an efficient and conscientious driver at the wheel: the United States. During the wars in the former Yugoslavia, the wheel was still in Washington’s hands. Clinton was instrumental in stabilising the Balkans and defeating Serbia, while the Europeans left to themselves were unable to solve a thing. The current Arab crisis exposes the cruel reality of the rudderless world we live in, given vivid expression by Washington’s stepping back into its new bystander role, leaving NATO to direct the operation to restrain Gaddafi militarily.

Steel On Steel Persecution Update

Steel on Steel - Donald McElvaney (April 14, 2011)

1. Two Indian Christians Languish in Saudi Prison

2. Prospects Dim for Religious Freedom in Nepal

3. Judge Exonerates Jailed Evangelist in Bangladesh

4. Indonesian Church Reports Defiant Mayor to National Police

5. Nepal Church Bomber Faked Repentance

6. Malaysian Christians Seek to End Restrictions on Malay Bibles

7. Church in China to Risk Worshipping in Park

8. Religious Conversion Worst Form of ‘Intolerance,’ Bhutan PM Says

The Arab Risings, Israel and Hamas

Stratfor Global Intelligence (Link) - George Friedman (April 12, 2011)

There was one striking thing missing from the events in the Middle East in past months: Israel. While certainly mentioned and condemned, none of the demonstrations centered on the issue of Israel. Israel was a side issue for the demonstrators, with the focus being on replacing unpopular rulers.

This is odd. Since even before the creation of the state of Israel, anti-Zionism has been a driving force among the Arab public, perhaps more than it has been with Arab governments. While a few have been willing to develop open diplomatic relations with Israel, many more have maintained informal relations: Numerous Arab governments have been willing to maintain covert relations with Israel, with extensive cooperation on intelligence and related matters. They have been unwilling to incur the displeasure of the Arab masses through open cooperation, however.

That makes it all the more strange that the Arab opposition movements — from Libya to Bahrain — have not made overt and covert cooperation with Israel a central issue, if for no other reason than to mobilize the Arab masses. Let me emphasize that Israel was frequently an issue, but not the central one. If we go far back to the rise of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and his revolution for Pan-Arabism and socialism, his issues against King Farouk were tightly bound with anti-Zionism. Similarly, radical Islamists have always made Israel a central issue, yet it wasn’t there in this round of unrest. This was particularly surprising with regimes like Egypt’s, which had formal relations with Israel.

Is this Obama’s next target after Libya?

WorldNet Daily (Link) - Aaron Klein With research by Chris Elliott (April 11, 2011)

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa served on the committee that invented the military doctrine used by President Obama as the main justification for U.S. and international airstrikes against Libya, WND has learned.

The discovery is particularly pertinent because on Sunday Moussa announced during a special meeting in Cairo that the Arab League plans to press the U.N. to impose a no-fly zone over the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip similar to the one imposed now on Libya.

Moussa said he plans to present the proposal to the U.N. Security Council.

The call comes as Hamas has fired over 140 rockets into Jewish civilian population zones, prompting Israel to carry out anti-terror operations in Gaza aimed at diminishing Hamas’ rocketing capabilities.

As WND was first to report, billionaire philanthropist George Soros is a primary funder and key proponent of the Global Centre for Responsibility to Protect, the world’s leading organization pushing the military doctrine. Several of the doctrine’s main founders sit on multiple boards with Soros.

Israel’s next war

YNet News (Link) - Yoel Meltzer (April 7, 2011)

In all likelihood, the Palestinians are going to unilaterally declare statehood in Judea and Samaria within the coming year. This is not a ploy or a desperate attempt on their part but rather a clear, rational decision. By correctly gauging the stark contrast between the massive international support for their cause as opposed to the steadily increasing de-legitimization of Israel the “apartheid state,” the Palestinians have wisely decided to bypass direct negotiations since there is no point in paying for something when you can get if for free.

Thus, with country after country pledging its support, the Palestinians are going to take their case to the United Nations.

There, the Palestinians have nothing to lose for even if the Security Council rejects their bid for statehood, it will most likely be approved by the General Assembly. Although this is less significant than an endorsement by the Security Council, an approval by the General Assembly does nonetheless have some teeth. Most notably, as many commentators pointed out, there is something known as UNGA Resolution 377 that allows the General Assembly to call for sanctions or even military force against a country that fails to implement its recommendations.

If the “civilized world” helps bring the Palestinian plan to fruition then a very likely result of such actions will be the outbreak of war. Thus, in a world turned upside down it will be the UN, a body formed to help foster peace throughout the world, which will be directly responsible for bringing the next great Arab-Israeli war to the Middle East.

Rabbi calls for sacrifice on Temple Mount

YNet News (Link) - Kobi Nahshoni (April 5, 2011)

The annual attempts to resume the Passover sacrifice received a first significant rabbinical backing recently. Safed’s Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, a prominent religious Zionism leader, has called on the public to perform the sacrifice mitzvah on the eve of the Jewish holiday, in about two weeks.

Speaking during a Halacha lesson in Jerusalem last week, the rabbi warned that Jews evading the mitzvah were risking “Kareth” - a supernatural punishment for transgressing Jewish Law.

According to Rabbi Eliyahu, there is a halachic, legal and public possibility to offer a Passover sacrifice these days. During the lesson, he quoted senior rabbinical authorities, adding that Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kalisher – one of the founders of modern and religious Zionism – had asked the Turkish sultan to allot an area on the Temple Mount for the erection of an altar for a Passover sacrifice.

‘Israel to Become a Religious State in 19 Years’

Israel National News (Link) - Maayana Miskin (April 3, 2011)

Professor Arnon Sofer, chair of Geo-strategy at the University of Haifa, has published a report predicting a religious majority in Israel by 2030.

Professor Sofer sees this as a negative development.

His study assumes natural growth of 6-7% in the hareidi-religious sector, which would lead to a hareidi population of more than one million by 2030. The national religious sector, which is involved actively in all spheres of Israeli productivity, is not given separate treatment, leading to a skewing of the predicted outcomes.

In one possible outcome, says Professor Sofer, the secular majority would band together in time to create a “secular revolution.”

If not, Sofer said, the second outcome would be the rise of a religious majority that would force the secular minority to learn to live in a religious world.

Steel On Steel Persecution Update: India Briefs

Steel on Steel - Mahruaii Sailo and Binaifer Wadia (April 1, 2011)

Orissa, March 31 (Compass Direct News) – 14 Christians, including two pastors, were arrested on March 29 for converting to Christianity without official permit in Orissa’s Mayurbhanj district. The Global Council of Indian Christians reported that the arrests came after a police complaint was filed against pastors Samuel Mohopathra and Manuel Mahopathra and 12 newly converted Christians. The Christians were produced before a court and were released on bail the same day, charged under the “Orissa Freedom of Religion Act,” which, ironically, bans any conversion lacking a permit issued by authorities. Sajan K. George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians, called on Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to withdraw the accusations and put a stop to anti-Christian violence in the state. “The attempts by lower level police and the Sangh Parivar are scandalous and a travesty of the noble vision and ideals enshrined in Indian constitution,” he said. – MS

Uttarakhand – On March 28 in Phullaiya, Khatima, about 30 Hindu extremists barged into a Believer’s Church’s inaugural meeting of its Community Development Program, accused the Christians of forceful conversion and beat them. A Gospel for Asia representative, told Compass that at about 11 a.m. the extremists stormed into the meeting, accused Anoop Jena, Mohan Babu, Rohit Goerge and another Christian identified only as Danny of forceful conversion and started beating them. The four Christians sustained bruises. The intolerant Hindus later filed a police complaint, and officers took the four Christians to the police station for questioning. After local Christian leaders’ intervention, they were released later in the evening without charges. – MS

Poll: Young Israelis moving much farther to the right politically

Haaretz (Link) - Or Kashti (March 31, 2011)

Young Israelis are moving much further to the right politically, according to a survey to be released Thursday.

The study found that 60 percent of Jewish teenagers in Israel, between 15 and 18 years old, prefer “strong” leaders to the rule of law, while 70 percent say that in cases where state security and democratic values conflict, security should come first. A similar picture emerges in the 21 to 24 age group.

The comprehensive survey was conducted on behalf of Germany’s Friedrich Ebert Foundation, in cooperation with the Macro Center for Political Economics, by the Dahaf Institute.

According to the authors, the report shows a strengthening of Jewish-nationalist beliefs among Jewish youths, and a clear weakening of the importance given to the state’s liberal-democratic base.

The Syrian Time Bomb

Foreign Policy (Link) - Patrick Seale (March 28, 2011)

While one war rages in Libya, another rages in Washington as to the necessity of U.S. action there. Indeed, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said as much this weekend, noting that Libya was not a “vital national interest.” But if Washington is looking for an Arab state in the throes of unrest, one that is key to its regional and national interests, planners might want to pay more attention to Syria, which is currently undergoing upheaval not seen since the early 1980s.

Syria lies at the center of a dense network of Middle East relationships, and the crisis in that country -- which has now resulted in the deaths of well over 100 civilians, and possibly close to double that number -- is likely to have a major impact on the regional structure of power. The need to contain pressure from the United States and Israel, for decades the all-consuming concern of Syria’s leadership, has suddenly been displaced by an explosion of popular protest highlighting urgent and long-neglected domestic issues.

If the regime fails to tame this domestic unrest, Syria’s external influence will inevitably be enfeebled, with dramatic repercussions across the Middle East. As the crisis deepens, Syria’s allies tremble. Meanwhile, its enemies rejoice, as a weakened Syria would remove an obstacle to their ambitions. But nature abhors a vacuum, and what will come will be unpredictable, at best.

Steel On Steel Persecution Update

Steel on Steel - Donald McElvaney (March 27, 2011)

Top Stories:

1. Christian Woman Freed from Muslim Kidnappers in Pakistan

2. Light Sentences for Attack on Christians in Indonesia Condemned

3. Christians Decry Malaysia’s Detention of Bible Books

4. Christians in Turkey Face Harassment; Murder Trial Stalls

5. Pakistani Christian Sentenced for ‘Blasphemy’ Dies in Prison

6. Turkey Arrests 20 Allegedly Linked to Malatya Murders

7. Convert from Islam Escapes Egypt with Daughter

8. Two Christians Slain in Attack Outside Church in Pakistan

9. Christian in Bangladesh Goes to Prison for Evangelism

10. India’s Anti-Christian Violence in 2008 Linked to Terrorists

Growing Intolerance for Christianity in U.S.

The Christian Post (Link) - Delores Liesner (March 26, 2011)

“In a world of political correctness devoid of the rule of law, tolerance has come to mean total rejection of Christianity and moral standards. Modern tolerance redefines words like ‘marriage,’ ‘discrimination,’ ‘equality,’ ‘morality,’ and even ‘absolutes.’ The word ‘tolerance’ as it is used today never includes opposing arguments or competing worldviews. Tolerance has become Orwellian and decidedly intolerant.” – Matthew Staver, Dean and Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law.

A few examples of recent intolerance for Christianity:

CAUGHT ON TAPE: Former SEIU Official Reveals Secret Plan To Destroy JP Morgan, Crash The Stock Market, And Redistribute Wealth In America

Business Insider (Link) - Henry Blodget (March 22, 2011)

A former official of one of the country’s most-powerful unions, SEIU, has a secret plan to “destabilize” the country.

The plan is designed to destroy JP Morgan, nuke the stock market, and weaken Wall Street’s grip on power, thus creating the conditions necessary for a redistribution of wealth and a change in government.

The former SEIU official, Stephen Lerner, spoke in a closed session at a Pace University forum last weekend.

The Blaze procured what appears to be a tape of Lerner’s remarks. Many Americans will undoubtedly sympathize with and support them. Still, the “destabilization” plan is startling in its specificity, especially coming so close on the heels of the financial crisis.

Lerner said that unions and community organizations are, for all intents and purposes, dead. The only way to achieve their goals, therefore--the redistribution of wealth and the return of “$17 trillion” stolen from the middle class by Wall Street--is to “destabilize the country.”

Lerner’s plan is to organize a mass, coordinated “strike” on mortgage, student loan, and local government debt payments--thus bringing the banks to the edge of insolvency and forcing them to renegotiate the terms of the loans. This destabilization and turmoil, Lerner hopes, will also crash the stock market, isolating the banking class and allowing for a transfer of power.

Yemen in Crisis: A Special Report

Stratfor Global Intelligence (Link) (March 21, 2011)

A crisis in Yemen is rapidly escalating. A standoff centered on the presidential palace is taking place between security forces in the capital city of Sanaa while embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh continues to resist stepping down, claiming that the “majority of Yemeni people” support him. While a Western-led military intervention in Libya is dominating the headlines, the crisis in Yemen and its implications for Persian Gulf stability is of greater strategic consequence. Saudi Arabia is already facing the threat of an Iranian destabilization campaign in eastern Arabia and has deployed forces to Bahrain in an effort to prevent Shiite unrest from spreading. With a second front now threatening the Saudi underbelly, the situation in Yemen is becoming one that the Saudis can no longer leave on the backburner.

The turning point in Yemen occurred March 18 after Friday prayers, when tens of thousands of protesters in the streets calling for Saleh’s ouster came under a heavy crackdown that reportedly left some 46 people dead and hundreds wounded. It is unclear whether the shootings were ordered by Saleh himself, orchestrated by a member of the Yemeni defense establishment to facilitate Saleh’s political exit or simply provoked by tensions in the streets, but it does not really matter. Scores of defections from the ruling party, the prominent Hashid tribe in the north and military old guard followed the March 18 events, both putting Saleh at risk of being removed in a coup and putting the already deeply fractious country at risk of a civil war.