At the CUFI Action Fund, we must admit that one of our least favorite topics to dive into is the United Nations. It’s not because the entity and the numerous mouthpieces for tyranny that roam those halls do not deserve condemnation. Rather, it’s because of what the UN could’ve been: a forum for honest and open discussions to solve the world’s problems without bloodshed. Instead, as CUFI founder and Chairman Pastor John Hagee has noted, the UN is an ugly mix between the Tower of Babel  and a political brothel.

The United Nothing

This week, the UN is holding its annual General Assembly meeting during which heads of state from across the globe come together and deliver remarks on the world’s stage. Certain speeches will of course be of particular interest to readers of the Action Update. President Biden is speaking this morning, and Prime Minister Netanyahu will be speaking later this week.

Rest assured we’ll be watching everyone’s remarks, reacting in real time on social media, and will bring you a wrap up of the key moments in next week’s Update, but the truth is that save Israel, the U.S. and a few industrialized nations, many of the speeches – especially those emanating from conflict zones - will simply reiterate Russia’s/Iran’s/China’s, etc. talking points on why the West is evil.

Moreover, these nations will argue that despite their abysmal human rights records, active war crimes, and the like, the world would be better off ignoring these malign actors. Interestingly, that messaging sounds a lot like the fringe left and right isolationists in Congress; funny that.

The Bible & Modern History vs. Rank Antisemitism

In other UN news, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared, this past Sunday, that the Biblical sites in Jericho are Palestinian “World Heritage Sites.” Obviously a few thousand years of history would beg to differ, but we’re not actually as concerned about this as you might think.

Sure, it’s an abomination, however, what will the tangible impact actually be? According to UNESCO the “State of Palestine [sic]” includes the Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route. Despite UNESCO’s grand proclamations… anyone been there lately?

If you go, say hi to the Israeli police officers keeping you – and everyone in the area – safe. Maybe stop in and visit with the Jewish/Muslim/Christian shopkeepers in the area who largely live together in peace and harmony (and none of which are likely to have given much thought to UNESCO’s pronouncements).

The point is that a group of morally bankrupt diplomats - many of which are speaking on behalf of authoritarian states - can say what they wish; that does not change the Biblical and modern history of these sites, nor the realities on the ground.

Biden & Bibi to Meet

On the sidelines of the General Assembly, President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet for the first time since Netanyahu returned as Israel’s Head of State. The fact that the meeting took this long is not because of scheduling challenges. It was a snub by President Biden. So too is the decision to hold this meeting not at the White House – the common practice with close allies – but in New York, because, well, they’re both going to be there and at least the Biden administration recognizes that ignoring Netanyahu at the UNGA would’ve been a political earthquake.

While a (timely) invitation to the White House would have been preferred, we have every confidence the Prime Minister will convey Jerusalem’s message to the President regardless of venue. However, we have very little confidence that President Biden will actually listen to the same.

The Price on Your Head

Finally, just as the UN General Assembly was set to begin, the Biden administration announced that the five Americans held hostage by Iran have been released and are on their way home. We praise the Lord for their safe return.

In the end, the Biden administration agreed to unfreeze $16 billion in Iranian funds, as well as five Iranians detained in the US for alleged nefarious and illegal activity. As such, we also pray for God’s protection to envelope every American traveler, as there is no way around the simple fact that for Iran, kidnapping and torturing Americans for years is a worthwhile return on investment, and Biden’s astonishing capitulation just confirmed that terrible reality.   

If you’d like to stay up-to-date on all of these issues throughout the week, we encourage you to visit our social media channels and as always, keep a lookout for any special reports or Action Alerts we may send as events warrant.

Sincerely,

The CUFI Action Fund