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** 15 May 2026
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Israel and the Jewish people are at the epicenter of a global war against the truth. Increasingly, historical facts are distorted and manipulated. It is becoming ever more difficult to distinguish between propaganda and truth. Satan, the hater of truth, is stirring up the masses with hatred and contempt for God’s people. As Christians we need to be on our guard, and rigorously analyse and test every allegation that is made to demonise Jewish people.


** Who is more depraved - Hamas or Israel?
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On 12 May 2026, the “Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas” published its report resulting from two and a half years investigating the crimes Hamas committed during and after the attacks of 7 October 2023. Based on some 10,000 photos and videos, dozens of interviews with victims and witnesses, and forensic evidence, the report establishes the systematic nature of the brutality on 7 October. “The main finding that emerged is that the sexual violence on 7 October and against hostages in captivity was a deliberate strategy of Hamas,” said lead author Elkayam‑Levy. The report not only documents in meticulous detail the most horrific sexual crimes, but also shows clearly that rape, mutilation and humiliation were systematically deployed as weapons of war. The report includes testimonies of horrific crimes such as parents being raped in front of their children, the cutting off of genitals, and the abuse of dead bodies.

Ironically enough, Hamas itself is one of the key witnesses for this report. The terrorists who committed the atrocities recorded their crimes with their own hands and circulated the footage online, so that the whole world could see what fate Jews deserve in the eyes of this barbaric terrorist movement.

The findings stand in stark contrast to the conclusions of both the United Nations and various human‑rights organizations which, at best, reluctantly acknowledge that there were “indications” of organized sexual violence on 7 October.

They are also in contrast with reporting in the legacy media portraying Israel as a heinous, amoral society that should be dismantled. Hamas, it is argued, is no more evil than Israel.

The most recent example of this is the opinion piece published on May 11, by the New York Times. In his article, op-ed columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Nicholas Kristof cites Palestinians accusing Israel of “widespread Israeli sexual violence against men, women and even children.” Kristof even gives credence to the claims (that have been circulating in the deep online recesses of anti-israel conspiracies) that Israel trains dogs to sexually abuse Palestinian prisoners. Kristof bases his articles on unverified statements by unknown sources, that have been recycled by anti-Israel NGOs such as the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor.

The timing of this piece can hardly be a coincidence. It is likely the NYT was sitting on the draft Israeli report, and wanted to publish a piece prior to the report’s publication. Indeed, Kristof openly states that his objective in revealing these Israeli atrocities is to provide a balance against the Hamas atrocities - to show that Israel is just as depraved as Hamas.

Many will regard the NYT article as persuasive. And yet, the contrast between the Commission’s report and the NYT opinion column published the day before cannot be starker. The Israeli Commission’s report is based on rigorous analysis and examination of primary evidence. The NYT opinion piece by Kristof is based on hearsay derived largely from ideologically-driven NGO’s (non-government organizations) whose agenda is not to criticize Israel with a view to improving Israeli society, but to undermine its right to exist at all.

As veteran journalist Matti Friedman said in an interview this week, legitimate concerns about abuse of Palestinians in Israeli prisons should be addressed. But we should not treat seriously, or engage in discussion with, allegations of extreme depravity that cannot be verified or that are based on statements made by individuals or organisations known for their hatred of Jews or rejection of Israel's right to existence as a Jewish state.


** President Trump in China
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President Trump is in China this week for meetings with China’s President Xi Jinping. One of the topics of discussion is the war against the revolutionary regime in Iran. Speaking as he left the US to join the delegation in Beijing, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that it is in China’s interest to convince Iran to “to walk away from what they’re doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf.”

“We’ve made the argument to the Chinese, and I hope it’s compelling. And they’ll have a chance to do something about it at the United Nations later this week. China’s economy is export-driven, meaning their economy is fueled not by what they consume domestically, but by what they make and sell to other countries. Economies are melting down because of this crisis in the Strait. They’re going to be buying less Chinese product, and the Chinese exports are going to drop precipitously.”

China likely plays a key role in the developments in the Middle East. Just a week ago, President Donald Trump was still threatening to wipe Iran off the map. Now, he is talking of "progress" towards a deal confirming what he and his aides, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, present as the end of military engagement.

The Strait of Hormuz remains the main point of conflict. This week, armed men seized a commercial vessel near the coast of the United Arab Emirates and the port of Fujairah, about 80 miles outside the Strait of Hormuz, and begun steering the ship toward Iran’s territorial waters, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) system reported on Thursday.

This week, Amir Taheri described the importance of China in the current situation as follows:
“Several new developments may have contributed to this new optimistic vision. The first is that Israel has been excluded from the process of shaping the war's end. That gives the US a free hand in seeking a deal. Trump wanted to flex America's military muscles and show everyone what its gigantic war machine can do thousands of miles away from home.

… The second thing that contributed to what seems to be a change of mood is the realization that the blockade imposed on Iran may be more effective than bombing it, especially when one runs out of serious targets.

The third thing that happened was the failure of the project to guide ships pinned down by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman under US military escort.

At the rate of two ships a day, clearing the pinned-down vessels would take over 100 days and that would be too close to midterm elections that appear dicey for Trump.

The fourth thing that may have contributed to what Hegseth calls "a pause" is the end of the 60-day limit after which the president needs Congressional approval to continue military action. Theoretically, the sine die ceasefire declared by Trump and accepted by Tehran could be sold as the end of initial hostilities.

According to sources in Washington, Tehran, Islamabad and Beijing, a "roadmap" may take shape along an Iranian 15-point proposal and an American 10-point counterproposal. Both represent maximalist gambits that neither side could accept as such. As mentioned in an earlier column, China seems set to play mediator by offering a compromise formula during Trump's summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14-15.

Palestinians attend a rally marking the anniversary of the "Nakba in the West Bank city of Ramallah | Photo: Flash90


** Palestinians continue to reject Israel’s existence
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On May 11 and 12, the Palestinian Authority organized mass rallies across the West Bank to commemorate the "Nakba" ("catastrophe") - the term Palestinians and their allies use to describe the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Hundreds of Palestinians marched through the streets of Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinians, waving flags, carrying "keys of return," and chanting slogans such as "We live a new Nakba every day" and "We will never forget the right of return."

The commemoration is being repeated around the world. Effectively, these commemorations challenge the right of the Jewish State of Israel to exist at all, demanding its replacement by a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea”.

According to veteran historian Benny Morris - widely regarded as the most balanced and authoritative historian of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - such Nakba events reflect the fact that most people have little understanding of the complexities and nuances of the conflict. In his extensive studies of the conflict over many decades, Morris has documented that while there was no master plan for expulsion, around 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled in 1948, with many driven by fear following actions like the Deir Yassin massacre. In his recent writing, Morris views the current, ongoing war that began on October 7, 2023, as a "continuum" of the Palestinian/Arab rejectionism that caused the 1948 conflict.

In previous commentary, Morris has expressed understanding of Palestinian resentment over their refugee status while maintaining that the displacement was a direct outcome of the rejection of the new Jewish state and the subsequent war that was launched by the Arabs against Israel.

Let us pray against the Deceiver, the author of all lies. Pray that the church of Christ will have spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear the truth - that Christians will realize that there is a deliberate campaign to demonize and legitimize the Jewish people, and take whatever action is needed to counter deception, lies and disinformation.

‘Rapist dogs?’ Woke journalism’s antisemitic war on Israel crosses a line

“The New York Times” publication of absurd blood libels and conspiracies requires more than polite protests. Those who defend it or won’t shame and shun it are also to blame.
Read more ([link removed])

Iran’s IRGC takes over real power from the supreme leader

Mojtaba Khamenei’s elevation has sharply limited his authority, rendering his role largely symbolic.
Read more ([link removed])

Palestinian Leaders Still Reject Israel's Right to Exist

Khaled Abu Toameh at Gatestone: When Palestinian leaders speak about the "right of return," they are not talking about resettling refugees in a future Palestinian state in the West Bank or Gaza Strip.... The goal is to flood Israel with millions of Palestinians and transform Jews into a minority in their own country.
Read more ([link removed])

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The Truth About the Nakba by Benny Morris

The 1948 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the War of Independence by Israelis and the Nakba (Catastrophe) by Palestinians, was a pivotal and complex conflict that resulted in the establishment of the state of Israel and had lasting repercussions for the entire Middle East. The war began following the end of British Mandate in Palestine and the United Nations' partition plan, which proposed dividing Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. Quillette's community manager, Zoe Booth, reads Benny Morris' essay.


** SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK:
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** Psalm 125
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^1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. ^2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. ^3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. ^4 Do good, O Lord , to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. ^5 But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.

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The goal of Israel & Christians Today is to help Christians to take God’s Word seriously, and study current events in the world in the context of the Bible.

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