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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel “is determined” to go into the southern Gaza city of Rafah to destroy the last battalions of Hamas in a war that he admitted had killed 16,000 civilians and 14,000 combatants in Gaza. Despite his plan to go into Rafah, Netanyahu hopes that he and U.S. President Joe Biden can overcome their disagreements over the war in Gaza after Biden withheld weapons from Israel. “We often had our agreements, but we’ve had our disagreements. We’ve been able to overcome them. I hope we can overcome them now, but we will do what we have to do to protect our country,” Netanyahu said in an interview on the “Dr. Phil Primetime” television show. He pledged to fight Hamas with his fingernails if necessary as he dismissed President Biden’s warning that he would not provide arms for a major military operation in Rafah. “If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone,” Netanyahu said. “I have said that if necessary – we will fight with our fingernails.” “But we have much more than fingernails, and with that same strength of spirit, with God’s help, together we will win,” he said. He spoke after Biden told U.S. broadcaster CNN Wednesday, “I’ve made it clear that if they [Israel] go into Rafah… I’m not supplying the weapons that have historically been used to deal with Rafah,” the president stressed. BURNED TO DEATH In an emotionally charged interview, Netanyahu recalled the October 7 massacre, including a family burned to death. “The parents tried to hide the babies just as Anne Frank hid in the war. After killing their parents, these monsters found the babies and killed them too,” Netanyahu said. He said Israel has no other option than to fight back against a group that has in its charter “to kill every Jew” and to destroy the state of Israel. “If you hear the slogan: ‘from the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free,’ that is Israel,” Netanyahu said from a terrace overlooking Jerusalem. Some, “75 years we were defenseless, and Jews went up in flames of Auschwitz. We have unbelievably brave soldiers, men and women,” he added. He wondered: “Where are all the women’s organizations? Women were raped [by Hamas] after being beheaded.” In a first public acknowledgment, the prime minister said, “We killed about 14,000 Hamas fighters and some 16,000 civilians” in Gaza. “The civilian toll is slightly higher because they [Hamas] are hiding among civilians. For us, every civilian death is a tragedy. For them, it is a strategy,” he said. Asked whether it is difficult to differentiate between Hamas and civilians, he said that the ideology is also spread among ordinary Palestinians. He recalled that Israeli soldiers found pictures of Adolf Hitler and his Mein Kampf book, which became the base for the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah. Netanyahu stressed that Israel sent millions of pamphlets and made phone calls to warn civilians about the attacks. “That is why the civilian death toll is much lower than similar fighting when U.S. soldiers had to go after the Japanese troops in Manilla when 100,000 people were killed.” MOST BATTALIONS DESTROYED He said that Israel has “destroyed 20 of 24 battalions of Hamas. We have four more to go in Rafah. That is why we have to go into Rafah. I am committed to getting back their hostages. And to prevent another October 7.” He pushed back at criticism that Israel’s fighting amounted to war crimes. “Imagine if the allies had not entered Berlin, history would have been different now.” The prime minister admitted that he and the government made major mistakes ahead of the October 7 attacks. “That discussion will come later. We have to win and ensure this mistake does not happen again.” He also said humanitarian aid is entering Gaza but that Hamas was taking part in the deliveries. The prime minister condemned those involved in pro-Palestine protests at universities across the United States. “Their history knowledge goes as far as their last breakfast.” The post Netanyahu: ‘Israel Determined To Enter Rafah’ appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s prime minister said Thursday that he supports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s peace plan for wartorn Ukraine and contrasted Western concerns about Beijing’s close ties with Russia. Viktor Orbán spoke after giving Xi extensive red-carpet treatment, including at Budapest’s international airport and talks that also focused on billions in Chinese investments. Both Hungary and China agreed that the armed conflict should be ended not by providing more weapons to Ukraine but with peace talks. Kyiv says that would effectively mean giving up territory that Russia illegally annexed since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Hungary and China also agreed on increased cooperation on nuclear energy, despite possible concerns about it in Brussels. In addition, there are also billions in investments from China in, among other things, the express train between Belgrade and Budapest, Xi confirmed. The $2.1 billion project, financed mainly by a loan from China, is part of the “Belt and Road Initiative,” an ambitious plan launched by Xi to build global infrastructure and energy networks connecting Asia with Africa and Europe. CLOSER TO BEIJING Orbán began bringing his country closer to Beijing after he came to power in 2010. Warm political relations turned into investments about a decade later when battery and electric vehicle makers started to bring production to Hungary. One of the most prominent investors, CATL, is building a 7.3 billion euro ($7.86 billion) battery plant in Debrecen, while Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD said late last year that it was building its first European plant in southern Szeged. Orbán also clarified that Hungary considers Taiwan part of China, saying that his country supports the “one China” policy. While Orbán’s government has a secretariat for persecuted Christians, the topic wasn’t mentioned in the public discussions between the two leaders, despite concerns about their plight in Communist-run China. Xi arrived in Budapest when both nations celebrated 75 years of diplomatic ties and met the recently elected Hungarian President Tamás Súlyok. He came to Hungary after visiting France and Serbia. In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen pressed him to ensure more balanced trade with Europe and use his influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. ONE CHINA POLICY However, in Serbia’s capital, Xi was met by thousands waving Chinese flags, including many reportedly bused in from the countryside. “Such respect and love as he will find here in our Serbia, he will not find anywhere else,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic added. He told the crowd as Xi applauded: “We have a clear and simple position regarding Chinese territorial integrity. Yes, Taiwan is China”. Beijing claims the self-ruled island as its own and said it will not rule out using force to bring the island under Chinese control. As the two leaders sat down for meetings, Xi told Vucic in opening comments that there was a “strong feeling of friendship between our two countries.” On Wednesday, China and Serbia agreed to follow a “shared future” as President Xi Jinping visited the Balkan country as part of his bid to forge stronger relations with allies at the edge of the European Union. HISTORIC MOVE It made the Balkan country the first in Europe to agree on such a document with Beijing in a move that was due to raise eyebrows within the European Union, which Serbia seeks to join. Ahead of his arrival, Xi also recalled the 25th anniversary of the NATO military alliance bombing the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, which killed three Chinese journalists. Xi said the history of both Serbia and China “was soaked in blood.” Yet the U.S. envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said Xi’s visit to Europe, his first in five years, was intended to drive a wedge among the European states. “We caution all of our partners and all of our interlocutors to be very aware of China’s agenda in Europe and China’s agenda with regard to the European community,” he said. China has claimed neutrality in the Ukraine conflict but has refused to call the Russian assault an invasion and has been accused of bolstering Russia’s military capacity. Xi expressed hope that his country could gain more influence in the 27-nation bloc and beyond through more China-friendly nations, such as EU member Hungary. The post China’s President Received Warm Welcome In Hungary, Serbia appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel’s prime minister signaled to the White House on Thursday that “no amount of pressure” will stop his Jewish nation from defending itself. Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video message on social media platform X, a day after U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed publicly that the United States withheld a shipment of thousands of heavy bombs. pic.twitter.com/N3Mv1OF6e9 — Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 9, 2024 Biden made clear that the decision was made out of concern over Israel’s slow-rolling assault in the Gaza city of Rafah, where Washington opposes a major Israeli invasion without civilian safeguards. “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” Biden said Wednesday night, his first public words about the weapons pause. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin suggested to reporters Wednesday more weapons could be withheld. Officials said the withholding of military aid also came after tense phone calls between Biden and Netanyahu, including on April 4, after seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers were killed in Gaza in an Israeli air strike. ISRAEL GETS ULTIMATUM Biden reportedly gave Netanyahu an ultimatum: protect citizens and aid workers, or else U.S. policy would change. Israel denied targeting civilians, saying Hamas is using them as human shields, though Israel expressed it “deeply regrets the tragic incident” on April 1 that killed the WCK workers. Yet despite these setbacks, Netanyahu made clear Israel won’t halt its military operations in Gaza and hasn’t ruled out invading Rafah to destroy Hamas. He said Hamas, deemed a terrorist organization in Israel, carried out the biggest atrocities against Jews since the Holocaust, or Shoah, killing some 1,200 people and abducting hundreds on October 7. “Eighty years ago, in the Holocaust, the Jewish people were totally defenseless against those who sought our destruction,” he said in video-recorded comments posted on X on Thursday. “No nation came to our aid,” he added in the remarks he made during a ceremony earlier this week in Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. ‘BENT ON DESTRUCTION’ Netanyahu stressed, “Today, we again confront enemies bent on our destruction. I say to the leaders of the world, no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself.” He added: “As the Prime Minister of Israel – the one and only Jewish state – I pledge here today from Jerusalem on this Holocaust Remembrance Day: ‘If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone’.” However, he expressed hope, saying, “We know we are not alone because countless decent people around the world support our just cause. And I say to you: ‘We will defeat our genocidal enemies. Never again is now!’” He posted his comments on the eve of an expected vote Friday in the United Nations General Assembly on a draft resolution to upgrade the Palestinian status at the U.N., granting it almost all statehood rights. The resolution would recognize the Palestinians as qualified to become a full U.N. member. It would recommend that the decision making U.N. Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably.” Israel says such a move would undermine its security and effectively reward Hamas for its massacre in Israel on October 7. The post Israel’s Netanyahu Suggests Rafah Operations Continue Despite Suspension of US Aid appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – Republican U.S. Sens. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced two measures that, if passed, would achieve a similar objective: to place on the No Fly List individuals who are encouraging violence against Jewish persons and supporting terrorist organizations. They introduced a bill, the No Flights For Terrorists Act, and an amendment to U.S. Code to require the Federal Bureau of Investigation to put on the No Fly List anyone who calls for violence against Jewish people, pledges allegiance to U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, or has been disciplined by higher education institutions for committing such acts. The amendment and legislation were filed after ongoing antisemitic, pro-Hamas riots and encampments continue to shut down college campuses nationwide. In the past few weeks alone, hundreds of people, including students, have been arrested on charges ranging from disrupting the peace, criminal trespass, alleged hate crimes, and acts of violence. “Hamas terrorist sympathizers don’t just hate Israel, they hate America and everything we stand for. These Far-Left paid professional agitators are promoting terrorism with no fear of the consequences from this Administration and these University Presidents who are coddling them to safeguard their donor lists,” Marshall said. “These radical Marxists who are doing Hamas’ bidding across the country on college campuses, threatening the safety of our Jewish students and communities, should be treated the same way we treat the terrorist organization they are pledging their support to and immediately be placed on the TSA No Fly List.” Blackburn echoed Marshall’s comments. “It is unacceptable for terrorist sympathizers to threaten the safety of Jewish students in America with little to no consequence. When protestors chant ‘we are Hamas’ and carry around ‘Death to America’ posters, we should believe them,” Blackburn said. “Any student, professor, or paid protestor in America who promotes terrorism or engages in terrorist acts on behalf of Hamas should immediately be placed on the TSA No Fly List.” They proposed amending title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize and improve the Federal Aviation Administration and other civil aviation programs. Their amendment was proposed to another amendment, No. 1911, proposed by Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Ted Cruz, R-TX, Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Jerry Moran R-KS. According to the Marshall-Blackburn amendment, those to be added to the No Fly List include “any individual who has openly pledged support for, or espoused allegiance or affiliations to, any organization that has been designed as a foreign terrorist organization by the Secretary of State under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, including – the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; HAMAS; the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; Hizballah; Palestine Islamic Jihad; the Palestine Liberation Front; the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; Kata’ib Hizballah; the Abdallah Azzam Brigades; and the al-Ashtar Brigades.” Those expressing support for FTOs are to be added to the No Fly List including “any individual who solicits, commands, induces or otherwise endeavors to persuade another person to engage in a crime of violence against a Jewish person or their Jewish people because of their race or religion.” They include any students enrolled in higher education institutions that have been disciplined for committing such acts, any professor, faculty, or paid agitators. The same Republicans senators also cosponsored a bill filed by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., to ban student loan forgiveness for protestors convicted of a crime while protesting on U.S. college campuses. They also joined a delegation of 27 U.S. senators last month calling on the Departments of Justice and Education to immediately respond to the “outbreak of anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist mobs on college campuses.” They called on the Department of Education and federal law enforcement “to restore order, prosecute the mobs who have perpetuated violence and threats against Jewish students, revoke the visas of all foreign nationals (such as exchange students) who have taken part in promoting terrorism, and hold accountable school administrators who have stood by instead of protecting their students,” The Center Square reported. The post Senators: Protestors Calling For Violence Against Jews Should Be on No-Fly List appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Brett Rowland | The Center Square (Worthy News) – New projections show that extending provisions of President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cut past their sunset dates would add $4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade. Extending the individual income tax provisions of the 2017 tax act would add $3.3 trillion in primary deficits through 2034, according to the latest figures from the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO report cited estimates from the Joint Committee on Taxation, the nonpartisan tax policy and revenue estimating service for Congress. Most of the individual income tax provisions of the 2017 tax act are set to expire at the end of 2025. The expiring provisions affect statutory tax rates and brackets, allowable deductions, the size and refundability of the child tax credit, the 20% deduction for certain business income, and the income levels at which the alternative minimum tax takes effect, according to the report. House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Missouri, pushed back on the estimates. “While the Congressional Budget Office provides a valuable service to the Congress, its track record in predicting the economic and fiscal outcome of the 2017 Trump tax cuts is poor, to say the least,” they said in a joint statement. “The truth is, the Trump tax cuts resulted in economic growth that was a full percentage point above CBO’s forecast, and federal revenues far outpaced the agency’s predictions.” Democrats disagreed. U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, said the 2017 tax cuts benefit the wealthy. “The Trump tax cuts were a gift to the ultrarich and a rotten deal for American families and small businesses,” he said in a statement. “With their impending expiration, we have a chance to undo the damage, fix our corrupted tax code, and have big corporations and the ultra-wealthy begin to pay their fair share.” Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said the 2017 tax cuts have already proven more expensive than initially estimated. “Extending the tax cuts will cost at least 10% more than we thought last year and roughly 50% above what we thought back in 2018,” she said. “It’s important we have a competitive and pro-growth tax code. But we can’t borrow our way to prosperity. Enough is enough; it’s time to put our fiscal house in order.” Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Extending Trump Tax Cuts Would Add $4 Trillion To Deficit, CBO Says appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News MALMÖ/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Europe voted to have Israel in the grand final of the world’s largest song contest in a setback for anti-Israel protesters. Israel’s 20-year-old Eden Golan impressed millions of viewers with her song “Hurricane.” In a statement, the solo singer said she was “proud to represent my country.” There have been several campaigns to block Israel from taking part in this year’s contest following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. However, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which hosted the event, ruled that Israel could compete. Yet, Golan had to change her song “Hurricane” after the original track “October Rain” was deemed to be a reference to the October 7 attacks when Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped hundreds. Some 100,000 visitors gathered in the southern Swedish host city of Malmö for the annual kitsch-fest under heavy police presence as authorities braced for possible unrest. Italy’s RAI television accidentally published the televoting outcome early, showing Israel receiving a whopping 39,31 percent of the vote. The rest was divided among the nine other countries, making it to the grand final on Saturday night, featuring performances from 26 countries. MORE FAVORITES According to Italy’s tally, Switzerland and the Netherlands, two of the bookmakers’ favorites to win Eurovision 2024, also secured spots in Saturday’s grand final but with much fewer votes than Israel. Ahead of Golan’s performance, pro-Palestinian protesters and a smaller number of pro-Israeli protesters took to the streets to protest her participation. Climate activist Greta Thunberg, wearing a Palestinian, was among those attending the anti-Israel demonstration, which Swedish police estimated had as many as 12,000 participants. The 21-year-old said they had a “moral obligation to act” and to speak out against Israel’s military operation in Gaza. “If we are tens of thousands of people flooding the streets of Malmö when Eurovision is taking place, saying we will not accept this to continue, then it’s a very strong signal – and it does make a difference,” Thunberg said. Another protester, Matilda Varatta, told reporters she wants to see Israel disqualified as Russia was in 2022 following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “It’s not true that the Eurovision is not political; it has always been political, and it will always be,” she said. Yet Golan said that she was “proud to represent my country” and that “nothing will deter” her, despite many booting during her rehearsal on Wednesday. ISRAEL PROTEST The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation organized the country’s contest entry and asked the European Broadcasting Union to prevent a repeat of Wednesday’s booing incident. On Thursday, Worthy News heard loud applause and cheers during her performance, which several commentators described as stunning. Golan blew a kiss to the crowd after her performance in the second Eurovision semi-final on Thursday Christians on the Worthy News channel on the social media platform Telegram indicated they had been praying for her and Israel. There was some booing when it became clear that Israel qualified for the grand final, but it was less audible than the bursts of joy. Ahead of Thursday’s performance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished Golan good luck and said she had “already won” after “successfully confronting” a “horrible wave of antisemitism” in Sweden. At the pro-Israel demonstration, people could be heard singing Hurricane in support of Golan amid a significant police presence. “I’m not that interested in Eurovision,” one demonstrator, Yael Sages Wahlström, told Sweden’s Svenska Dagbladet newspaper. “But since there has been such a huge storm. of hate against Israel, I wanted to support” The Italian RAI TV results were: 39.31% Israel 7.32% Netherlands 6.68% Albania 6.64% Georgia 6.03% Switzerland 5.83% Armenia 5.29% Greece 3.54% San Marino 2.93% Denmark 2.91% Latvia 2.84% Austria 2.80% Estonia 2.48% Czechia 2.19% Malta 1.68% Belgium 1.55% Norway The post Israel In Eurovision Final Despite Massive Anti-Israel Protests appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, turn rock into living water! 1 Corinthians 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Exodus 17:-2-7 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, "Give us water, that we may drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?" And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, "Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!" And the Lord said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?" Psalm 11:4-5 The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. The children of Israel are facing yet another test, this one, even more severe than hunger -- dehydration -- which, unabated, quickly leads to a miserable death. Yet, now, every day they are also seeing the miracles of God, who is feeding them regularly with manna, and surrounding them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Once again, they fail the test, even in the midst of their daily witness of miracles. So even though the test is more severe, the evidence for trust is that much greater. Are some of us also asking this question, "Is the Lord among us or not?" "Is He seeing what's happening to me, or are His eyes shut to it?" ("His eyelids test the sons of men..") As a pastor, I'm often faced with this question -- "Where is God?" Most often the good and true answer is, "He is testing you!" And I think of the testing the children of Israel faced in their wilderness wanderings. Over and over again, the Lord provided for their needs. This time Moses strikes the rock -- and out pours living water! Don't allow your heart to become hardened in these days no matter how severe the test. As you endure His testing He will touch your heart once again so that His spring of living water may flow through you to this dying and desperate world. Yeshua (Jesus), the Rock of our salvation was struck for the sins of the world, and He promised those who trust Him that living water would flow from our inmost being. And God's eyes are never really shut. So the question, "Is the Lord among us or not?" will repeat Israel's sad mistake at Meribah. Friend, just realize and accept that you're being tested. You will please Him with your faith and His living water will flow from you. Shabbat Shalom and have a great weekend! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka (Jerusalem), Obadiah and Elianna (Dallas, TX) (Baltimore, Maryland) Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. Be sure to check it out! Editor's Note: We are planning our summer Tour so if you would like us to minister at your congregation, home fellowship, or Israel focused event, be sure to let us know ASAP. You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information. Around the World Israel In Eurovision Final Despite Massive Anti-Israel Protests Europe voted to have Israel in the grand final of the world’s largest song contest in a setback for anti-Israel protesters. Israel’s 20-year-old Eden Golan impressed millions of viewers with her song “Hurricane.” Fierce Ukrainian-Russian Clashes as Moscow Warns West About Nuclear Capabilities (Worthy News Radio) Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of risking a global armed conflict and warned that no one would be allowed to threaten the world’s most significant nuclear power. He made the comments as Russia marked the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, while outside Moscow fighting continued between Russia and Ukraine. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Israel’s Netanyahu Suggests Rafah Operations Continue Despite Suspension of US Aid Israel’s prime minister signaled to the White House on Thursday that “no amount of pressure” will stop his Jewish nation from defending itself. Israel’s Premier Encourages Eurovision Contestant Faces With Protests Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged Israeli artist Eden Golan ahead of the second semifinal of Eurovision, the world’s largest televised song contest, after she was booed and faced with massive anti-Israel protests. Defense Minister: Israel Could Face a “Hot Summer” of War in the North Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Wednesday that Israelis may be facing a "hot summer" as - amid Hamas' ongoing war against the Jewish state in Gaza - the Hezbollah Lebanese Islamic terror group has stepped up its attacks against Israel in the north, Ynet News reports. Inside the United States Senators: Protestors Calling For Violence Against Jews Should Be on No-Fly List Republican U.S. Sens. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced two measures that, if passed, would achieve a similar objective: to place on the No Fly List individuals who are encouraging violence against Jewish persons and supporting terrorist organizations. Extending Trump Tax Cuts Would Add $4 Trillion To Deficit, CBO Says New projections show that extending provisions of President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cut past their sunset dates would add $4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade. Christian News Music Ministry Sees Over 34,000 Professions Of Faith In Christ, “Gen Z Is On Fire” The major US music ministry Winter Jam has seen over 34,000 professions of faith in Christ from young people in America this year alone, Christian Headlines (CH) reports. USA: Pastor Says God Protected Him From Gunman Whose Firearm Jammed In Church Service Pennsylvania pastor Rev. Glenn Germany attests it was a “miracle of God” that the loaded gun aimed at him by Bernard Polite during a church service on Sunday would not fire because it was jammed, Christian Headlines (CH) reports. Algerian Pastor Sentenced To Prison Over “Unauthorized Worship” Christians in Algeria have appealed for prayers after an appeals court sentenced a prominent pastor to one-year imprisonment related to organizing “unauthorized worship” in the Islamic nation. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News MALMÖ/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged Israeli artist Eden Golan ahead of the second semifinal of Eurovision, the world’s largest televised song contest, after she was booed and faced with massive anti-Israel protests. “You’re competing not just in the Eurovision in a proud and very impressive manner, but you are competing successfully in the face of an ugly wave of antisemitism — and you are standing up to it and representing the State of Israel with huge honor,” added Netanyahu in a video message. The prime minister told Golan that “when they ‘boo’ you, we are shouting ‘hooray’ for you,” referencing the booing the Israeli singer has faced from audiences during the dress rehearsals this week. He spoke as climate activist Greta Thunberg, wearing a Palestinian scarf, joined thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Eurovision 2024 host city Malmo on Thursday to protest Israel’s participation in the song contest ahead of this year’s second semi-final. In a reaction, Israel’s Eurovision contestant said “nothing will deter” despite getting booed. Eden Golan was performing her song Hurricane ahead of Thursday’s semi-final in Malmo, Sweden. In a statement, she said she was “proud to represent my country.” ISRAEL ALLOWED TO COMPETE There have been several campaigns to block Israel from taking part in this year’s contest following the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel war. However, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which hosted the event, ruled that Israel could compete. Yet, Golan had to change her song Hurricane after the original track “October Rain” was deemed to be a reference to the October 7 attacks when Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped hundreds. Israel says the massacre, the worst atrocity against Jews since the Holocaust, or Shoah, prompted it to start attacking sites in Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry says since war broke out, about 35,000 Palestinians have been killed, but those figures have been difficult to verify. Protesters have accused Israel of “genocide,” charges Israel vehemently denies. Despite the controversies, the deputy director general of the EBU, Jean Philip De Tender, said he was against a boycott of Israel at Eurovision. EBU AGAINST POLITICAL DECISION If you “exclude Kan (Israeli public broadcaster) outside of these competition rules, that would have been a political decision, as such, which we cannot take” because it considers itself as an apolitical organization, he said. However, “We do understand the concerns and the deeply held views that many people have around the war in the Middle East, and I think nobody can remain untouched by the profound suffering of everybody involved in that war,” he added. Yet life hasn’t been easy, with Golan’s team saying the 20-year-old has been confined to her hotel room after a series of threats against the Israeli delegation. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, which organizes the country’s Eurovision entry, complained to the EBU about the “booing and asked it to prevent a repeat of the incident.” Eurovision organizers liaised with Swedish police to bring in reinforcements from Denmark and Norway, as massive protests were underway in the city ahead of Israel’s semi-final performance. The post Israel’s Premier Encourages Eurovision Contestant Faces With Protests appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News MOSCOW/KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of risking a global armed conflict and warned that no one would be allowed to threaten the world’s most significant nuclear power. He made the comments as Russia marked the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, while outside Moscow fighting continued between Russia and Ukraine. https://www.worthynews.com/wordpressimages/2024/05/WorthyNewsRadioMay9.mp3 Ukraine’s Air Force said Thursday its systems destroyed 17 out of 20 attack drones that Russia launched targeting Ukrainian territory. The drones were reportedly destroyed over the Odesa area in Ukraine’s south. Yet the attack came as Russian troops advanced against Ukraine’s Western-backed forces. The reality of the ongoing fighting against Ukraine also became evident during commemorations marking the then-Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. Russian troops marched through Moscow in a ceremony boycotted by most Western countries, where Russian President Vladimir Putin accused what he called “arrogant” Western elites of forgetting the decisive role played by the Soviet Union in Nazi Germany’s defeat. He said that the West was risking a global armed conflict but warned that no one would be allowed to threaten the world’s biggest nuclear power. Putin, who was sworn into his fifth term as Russia’s president this week, also ordered Russian forces to rehearse deploying tactical nuclear weapons. These exercises were part of military drills to respond to what he called “threats” by the West. MILITARY TRAINING Nearby Lithuania suggested that Western countries send more military training personnel into Ukraine backed by ground-based air defense after France did not rule out sending ground troops amid Russia’s increasingly hostile rhetoric. Though still struggling, Western-backed Ukraine is trying to fight back against Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. Russian authorities said Thursday that a Ukrainian air attack on Russia’s Belgorod region injured eight people and damaged scores of residential buildings and cars. Among the wounded was an 11-year-old girl who was taken to a hospital, officials said. About 34 flats in 19 apartment buildings were reportedly damaged, as well as three dozen cars in the city of Belgorod, the region’s administrative center, in what appears to be a massive attack. Ukrainian intelligence sources also say that drones launched by the Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU, struck two oil depots near the town of Anapa in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, causing large-scale fires. The oil depots were allegedly used as transshipment points to supply fuel to Russian troops in the nearby occupied peninsula of Crimea. While Ukraine’s parliament dismissed a deputy prime minister and a minister accused of financial wrongdoing, questions remain about whether changes at the top will improve Kyiv’s chances of winning the war against Russia. Several countries, including NATO military alliance member Hungary, have urged urgent peace talks to end the armed conflict in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed and injured. The post Fierce Ukrainian-Russian Clashes as Moscow Warns West About Nuclear Capabilities (Worthy News Radio) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Wednesday that Israelis may be facing a “hot summer” as – amid Hamas’ ongoing war against the Jewish state in Gaza – the Hezbollah Lebanese Islamic terror group has stepped up its attacks against Israel in the north, Ynet News reports. Referencing a surge in the scale and frequency of Hezbollah attacks against civilian communities in the Galilee and other regions along Israel’s northern border, Gallant said the Israel Defense Forces are continuing to defend the country against enemies that want to see the destruction of the Jewish state. “The mission here is not yet complete—this could be a hot summer,” Gallant said during a visit to assess the situation at the northern border. Wednesday afternoon saw intense cross-border fighting as Hezbollah launched rockets, drones and anti-tank missiles at Israeli border communities, including Metula, Malkia and Avivim, between 2-3 pm, Ynet said. Damage to high voltage electricity lines caused power outages in Avivim and Dovev. “Shortly after 3:00 pm, multiple alerts were issued for rocket fire and hostile aircraft intrusions into the Galilee and Golan regions,” Ynet said in its report. “Shortly after 4:00 pm, consecutive air raid sirens sounded in a host of northern Israeli communities near the Lebanon border, including Abirim, Elkosh, Netu’a, Matat and Fassouta, warning of an incoming hostile aircraft and rockets,” Ynet said. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 10 attacks against Israel yesterday, Ynet said. The post Defense Minister: Israel Could Face a “Hot Summer” of War in the North appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The major US music ministry Winter Jam has seen over 34,000 professions of faith in Christ from young people in America this year alone, Christian Headlines (CH) reports. A Gospel-based multi-city concert tour which counts popular Christian artists in its lineups, Winter Jam aims to share the love of Christ and encourage the faithful through easily affordable concerts at which the Gospel message is given half-way. This year’s tour saw some 34,500 professions of faith from young people who gave their information in online forms and were then paired up with a church, CH reports. Tour pastor Zane Black said in an interview with Crosswalk that young people of Generation Z (those born between 1996-2010) are “hungry for what’s real.” “They are inundated with the counterfeit — whatever is edited, cropped, filtered.The digital age has pushed them so far into the world of AI that they long for something real,” Black noted. “And so I think we have an opportunity within the church to present authentic, real truth in an age of [the] artificial and skeptic,” Black added. “There is a real God. There’s a Book that is true. And there’s a love that is life-changing, that’s tangible.” Furthermore, Generation Z Christians are “on fire,” Black attested. “There’s so many who are excited about sharing the life of Christ with their friends.” The post Music Ministry Sees Over 34,000 Professions Of Faith In Christ, “Gen Z Is On Fire” appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Pennsylvania pastor Rev. Glenn Germany attests it was a “miracle of God” that the loaded gun aimed at him by Bernard Polite during a church service on Sunday would not fire because it was jammed, Christian Headlines (CH) reports. When police later searched Polite’s home, they found the dead body of a relative who had been killed the same day with the gun that had been aimed at Germany. Leader of the Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock, Pa, Germany was preaching the Sunday service on May 5 when Polite, a man he had never seen before, walked down the center aisle and took aim at him with a handgun, CH reports. The service was being live streamed, and a video of the incident went viral. Noticing the gun, the pastor is seen to throw himself on the ground, to one side, and Polite calmly makes to go after him. Within seconds, however, deacon Clarence McCallister tackled Polite from behind and wrestled him to the ground. Germany then came to assist in subduing the gunman. “At that point, I didn’t have time to think,” Germany told ABC’s Good Morning America. “It was just a reaction. I ducked and tried to get out of the way. He pulled the trigger, and a miracle of God happened that the gun got jammed. That bullet had a name on it.” Concerning McAllister’s actions, Germany said: “I think that was an act of heroism if I’ve ever seen one.” . Germany has also stated that Polite had told him he was listening to voices in his head which told him to use the gun, CH reports. When police searched Polite’s home, they found the body of his 56-year-old cousin Derek Polite, killed with the same gun used in the church. Polite has been charged with murder and attempted murder. The post USA: Pastor Says God Protected Him From Gunman Whose Firearm Jammed In Church Service appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Pennsylvania pastor Rev. Glenn Germany attests it was a “miracle of God” that the loaded gun aimed at him by Bernard Polite during a church service on Sunday would not fire because it was jammed, Christian Headlines (CH) reports. When police later searched Polite’s home, they found the dead body of a relative who had been killed the same day with the gun that had been aimed at Germany. Leader of the Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock, Pa, Germany was preaching the Sunday service on May 5 when Polite, a man he had never seen before, walked down the center aisle and took aim at him with a handgun, CH reports. The service was being live streamed, and a video of the incident went viral. Noticing the gun, the pastor is seen to throw himself on the ground, to one side, and Polite calmly makes to go after him. Within seconds, however, deacon Clarence McCallister tackled Polite from behind and wrestled him to the ground. Germany then came to assist in subduing the gunman. “At that point, I didn’t have time to think,” Germany told ABC’s Good Morning America. “It was just a reaction. I ducked and tried to get out of the way. He pulled the trigger, and a miracle of God happened that the gun got jammed. That bullet had a name on it.” Concerning McAllister’s actions, Germany said: “I think that was an act of heroism if I’ve ever seen one.” . Germany has also stated that Polite had told him he was listening to voices in his head which told him to use the gun, CH reports. When police searched Polite’s home, they found the body of his 56-year-old cousin Derek Polite, killed with the same gun used in the church. Polite has been charged with murder and attempted murder. The post USA: Pastor Says God Protected Him From Gunman Whose Firearm Jammed In Church Service appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent ALGIERS (Worthy News) – Christians in Algeria have appealed for prayers after an appeals court sentenced a prominent pastor to one-year imprisonment related to organizing “unauthorized worship” in the Islamic nation. Pastor Youssef Ourahmane, vice-president of the Église Protestante d’ Algérie (EPA) association of some 45 Protestant churches, was also fined about $735 in local currency, trial observers said. “The charges are based on two articles of the 2006 ordinance regulating non-Muslim worship. The appeal court added an additional six months suspended prison sentence,” explained advocacy group Middle East Concern (MEC). The prison sentence is suspended pending a further appeal to the Supreme Court, Christians told Worthy News. “Pastor Ourahmane was not informed of the original court hearing or verdict which was two years in prison and a fine until mid-September 2023,” MEC said. “An appeal verdict, announced on November 27, [last year] reduced the sentence to one year imprisonment. The current appeal was heard on 23 April 2024,” MEC added, but details of the trust just emerged. The criminal investigation against the pastor began in March 2023 when several Christian families spent three days holiday in a church compound under his supervision, Christians said. The small church in the compound had apparently been sealed in 2019 by an order from the governor of the province, Christians said. The legal wrangling comes at a time when Pastor Ourahmane oversees churches and Bible schools in several areas of the country, in addition to his task as EPA vice-president. Christians said the possible jail dor the pastor marks an escalation of a government-backed campaign, “to close Protestant churches” and harass leaders in 2017. “Only a handful of churches are still open. Several Christians, especially church leaders, have faced court cases on different charges,” MEC added. In comments shared with Worthy News Christians in Algeria urged to pray “for Pastor Youssef and his family to know the comfort of the Father.” They also urged prayers for other churches, leaders facing “increasing challenges” and for “individual Christians” and for the government campaign against the Church and Christians to cease,” as Christian refugees want to “live in peace and freedom.” Advocacy group Open Doors suggested that most Algerian Christians are converts from Islam,” adding to expected difficulties. “They face harassment and discrimination in their daily lives, and their families and community may try to force them to continue to adhere to Islamic norms and practices. They also face pressure – from both the government and their surrounding communities – to renounce their faith in Jesus and return to Islam. Many choose to keep their faith secret,” added Open Doors. It has ranked Algeria 15th on its annual World Watch List of 50 nations where Open Doors says believers face most persecution. The post Algerian Pastor Sentenced To Prison Over “Unauthorized Worship” appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News NEW YORK/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is due to upgrade the Palestinian status at the U.N., granting it almost all statehood rights, Israeli sources and diplomats said Wednesday. A draft resolution would recognize the Palestinians as qualified to become a full U.N. member and recommend that the decision-making U.N. Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably.” The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was expected to submit a resolution to the United Nations Security Council to grant Palestine full membership status in the U.N. If confirmed, the move would lead to concerns in Israel that Palestine is getting closer to internationally recognized statehood, some seven months after Hamas massacred 1,200 people in Israel and took hundreds hostage. Diplomats of the 193-member General Assembly were likely to back the Palestinian bid. However, changes could still be made to the draft after some diplomats raised concerns about the current text that also grants additional rights and privileges – short of full membership – to the Palestinians, Worthy News learned. PALESTINE ‘QUALIFIED’ The text, likely to have majority support, says that “Palestine is qualified for membership in the United Nations in accordance with article 4 of the Charter and should therefore be admitted to membership in the United Nations.” The Palestinian Authority, through the UAE, turned to the General Assembly after the United States vetoed its membership application to the U.N. Security Council last month. The U.S. is one of five permanent Council members with veto power. The UAE resolution “recommends” that the Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably.” UNGA resolutions, however, cannot be vetoed, and some 140 of its members already independently recognize Palestine as a state, observers said. The post United Nations To Give Near Statehood Rights To Palestinians appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article