Transcript [00:03] Coming up on Jerusalem Dateline, the [00:05] lull is over as the US and Iran are back [00:08] to exchanging blows. Meanwhile, [00:10] President Trump says Hamas has agreed to [00:13] disarm in Gaza. But does the deal go far [00:16] enough for Israel? And analysis by [00:18] Jonathan Conricus [music] on what could [00:20] come next. Plus, insights from an [00:23] Iranian-born former Muslim on what many [00:25] inside Iran are really thinking and [00:28] hoping. And from Cindy Jacobs of [00:31] Generals International on how to pray [00:33] for the Middle East. All this and more [00:35] coming up on this edition of Jerusalem [00:38] Dateline. [00:40] Hello and welcome to this edition of [00:41] Jerusalem Dateline. I'm Chris Mitchell. [00:43] >> And I'm Paul Petite. [00:45] >> As the war with Iran continues, [00:47] President Trump is increasing pressure [00:48] on Israel as he announces an historic [00:51] Hamas disarmament deal. [00:53] >> US officials say it will prevent the [00:55] next October 7th, but Israelis well are [00:57] not that optimistic. Here's the latest [01:00] from the Middle East. [01:03] >> President Donald Trump is warning Israel [01:06] not to derail his Gaza reconstruction [01:08] plan. Today, the Board of Peace reached [01:11] a historic agreement for the complete [01:13] disarmament of Hamas and all other armed [01:16] groups in Gaza. "This is a monumental [01:19] step toward lasting peace and security," [01:22] Trump wrote on Truth Social. [01:25] A senior US official says Trump will be [01:27] very disappointed if Israel blocks the [01:29] next phase of the 20-point framework [01:32] that Israel previously accepted. The [01:34] proposal follows a Hamas approval of a [01:37] US-backed disarmament plan. [01:39] Under the framework, Hamas and all other [01:41] armed groups would surrender their [01:44] weapons over eight months to a [01:46] Palestinian technocratic committee that [01:49] would replace Hamas as Gaza's governing [01:51] authority. [01:52] The plan calls for the destruction of [01:55] terror tunnels, weapons depots, and [01:57] weapons factories, with each phase [02:00] independently verified before moving [02:02] forward. As disarmament progresses, the [02:05] IDF would withdraw from Gaza in stages, [02:08] while an international stabilization [02:10] force and a new Palestinian police force [02:13] assume responsibility for security. A [02:16] senior US official said, "We worked with [02:19] Israel the whole time. They are [02:21] skeptical that Hamas will disarm, but [02:23] not much they can do except see it [02:26] happen." Israel is demanding the [02:28] complete disarmament of Hamas, including [02:30] the removal of weapons from Gaza and the [02:33] full demilitarization of the Gaza Strip [02:36] as a precondition for any withdrawal [02:38] process. Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic [02:41] Revolutionary Guard Corps says it [02:43] launched strikes on US military bases in [02:46] Jordan and Kuwait Wednesday, followed by [02:49] another strike on Kuwait Thursday, [02:51] targeting fighter aircraft shelters, [02:54] satellite communication systems, and [02:56] equipment storage facilities. US [02:59] officials have not confirmed those [03:00] claims. The strikes come as the United [03:03] States and Iran continued exchanging [03:05] missile attacks on Thursday. Commercial [03:07] shipping through the Strait of Hormuz [03:09] remains largely at a standstill. [03:12] Also, in southern Lebanon, just 5 mi [03:15] from the Galilee in Israel, the IDF [03:17] demolished a massive Hezbollah tunnel [03:20] system with 700 tons of explosives. It [03:23] was excavated with Iranian funding and [03:26] equipped with electricity, water supply, [03:29] and a fully functional medical operating [03:31] room. And it served as a command center [03:34] for Hezbollah and a launch site for [03:36] anti-tank missiles and explosive drones [03:39] targeting northern Israel. Julie Stahl, [03:41] CBN News, Jerusalem. [03:46] >> With the war against Iran resuming, many [03:48] questions remain about what happens [03:50] next. This week I sat down with retired [03:53] Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, a [03:55] former IDF spokesperson. He's now a [03:57] senior fellow with Foundation for [03:59] Defensive Democracies and had this to [04:01] say about the ongoing Iranian threats [04:04] and how it's changing the complexity of [04:06] the Middle East. [04:09] Jonathan, appreciate you being with us. [04:11] >> Thank you. [04:12] >> Rumors abound, you know, when in the [04:14] middle of all of this. You keep hearing [04:16] US munitions are running low. You hear [04:18] that [04:20] escalated threats from the Iranians that [04:22] they're [04:23] going to [04:25] expand the war. Who do we believe in all [04:26] this? [04:27] >> Well, first we have to understand that [04:28] there is an active information campaign, [04:31] a war of sorts, that is being fought [04:33] against the US and specifically against [04:36] President Trump. They, in many times, [04:38] are getting [04:39] free publicity in Western traditional [04:42] media. You can basically see messages [04:45] that are being disseminated by Iranian [04:47] spokespeople copy-paste into mainstream [04:51] American news. And you can really see [04:53] American news amplifying enemy [04:56] propaganda, which is quite, you know, [04:58] amazing. I I try to find examples of [05:01] that in previous American history and I [05:03] couldn't find any example of, you know, [05:04] having German Nazi propaganda [05:08] told to Americans by American media or [05:11] Soviet propaganda. Pretty unheard of. [05:14] >> And speaking on that topic, they're [05:16] threatening to widen the war, escalate [05:18] the war. What could that look like from [05:20] Iran? [05:21] >> So, let's take stock of what the the the [05:25] different tools that are left in the [05:26] Iranian regime toolbox. [05:28] They still have some level of control [05:30] over the Houthis in Yemen. They could [05:32] exercise control there and they could [05:34] make shipping difficult. They still have [05:37] a few Iranian proxies in Iraq. The [05:40] Iranian regime still has powerful [05:42] allies. First and foremost, Russia, [05:44] China, and to some extent, Pakistan and [05:46] North Korea. All of these are countries [05:49] that have certain level of ties and [05:51] commitment with the Iranian regime, and [05:54] they could get involved. Iran could also [05:57] use the remaining capabilities, residual [06:00] capabilities in terms of [06:02] providing terror organizations and [06:05] sleeper cells in the West. And last but [06:08] not least, they could return to firing [06:10] at Israel, which is out of the long list [06:13] that I just gave, probably the last [06:16] thing they do. [06:16] >> Yeah, why is that? [06:17] >> Because they know that it wouldn't be [06:19] worth their while, and Israel would [06:21] punish them severely. [06:22] >> Back to Yemen Red Sea area right now, [06:25] Houthis firing on Saudi [06:27] vessels out there. What could this do to [06:29] the truce? [06:30] >> What Iranian actions are now forcing the [06:33] Saudis to do is to take a stand. They [06:36] understand that they [06:37] they face attacks from Iran itself, and [06:40] they're facing more and more attacks [06:42] from the Houthis to their southeast. But [06:45] the attacks from the Houthis are not the [06:47] Houthis. It is the Iranian puppeteer [06:50] that is holding the Houthis and [06:51] influencing them and instigating the [06:53] violence. [06:54] >> Let's talk about the changing face of [06:56] the Middle East as a result of the war [06:57] with Iran. Saudi Arabia, Trump is [07:00] looking at helping them with enriching [07:02] uranium. However, there's a caveat [07:04] joining the Abraham Accords. [07:07] Crown Prince bin Salman said that he [07:10] will not do that unless there's a clear [07:11] pathway for a Palestinian state. Do you [07:14] think this will really happen? [07:16] >> I doubt that the Saudis will have the [07:18] wisdom to do it now, even though the [07:21] whole Palestinian cause it's a lot of [07:23] lip service and grandstanding for other [07:26] Arabs and for other causes. I don't [07:28] think that the Saudis really care about [07:30] the so-called Palestinians, but we'll [07:32] leave that aside. It makes geopolitical [07:34] sense to join the Abraham Accords. It [07:36] makes geopolitical sense to be an ally, [07:38] a strong, real ally of the US, and to [07:41] normalize ties with Israel. They stand [07:44] to gain a lot, the Saudis. [07:45] >> Trump's interested in selling F-35 [07:48] fighter jets to Turkey. Now, they [07:49] haven't met the requirements, so we held [07:51] back a little bit. [07:52] Um [07:53] bad idea? [07:54] >> At the Foundation for Defense of [07:55] Democracies, we have looked into Turkey [07:58] quite a bit, and you see a country that [08:00] is openly supporting, financing, [08:04] bankrolling, and harboring a [08:07] US-designated terror organization, [08:09] Hamas. That is not how a US ally should [08:13] work, or that is not how I would expect [08:15] an ally of mine to operate. [08:17] >> And again, the changing face of the [08:19] Middle East. Um Syria's leader now [08:21] saying he wants possibly a security [08:23] agreement with Israel. [08:25] You know, were you surprised when you [08:26] heard that? [08:27] >> I treat everything coming out of [08:30] al-Jolani or Ahmad al-Shara's Syria with [08:34] a great deal of caution. Uh they'll have [08:37] to prove it with lots of action on the [08:39] ground before anything they do will be [08:41] trustworthy. [08:42] >> Uh last question on this portion. From a [08:44] 10,000-foot level, is there anything [08:46] What's the most surprising thing that [08:48] has happened uh since the war began? [08:50] >> How weak Iran is. How weak the Iranian [08:53] regime is. What a paper tiger they are. [08:56] Um I wasn't surprised by their cruelty [08:58] towards their own people. [09:00] I was wasn't surprised by how they have [09:04] lashed out at other Arabs. I am [09:06] surprised how penetrable, how exposed uh [09:11] the Iranian regime is. [09:14] >> Well, uh you know, Jonathan Schanzer [09:15] brings so much insight into what's [09:17] happening in Middle East. What any other [09:19] thoughts do you have, or things that he [09:21] said in your interview? [09:22] >> Yeah, I found it fascinating his [09:23] comparison to, you know, what it would [09:25] have looked like in World War II had the [09:27] Nazis had the kind of propaganda machine [09:30] that Hamas has now. That was certainly [09:33] certainly uh startling. But, he he did [09:35] say that the US is very clever, [09:37] particularly Trump with sort of keeping [09:39] Russia [09:40] at arms length and having China not [09:42] getting involved, although it's a very [09:44] fragile situation right now. [09:46] >> Yeah, yeah. Propaganda I think was such [09:48] a key point about what happened in World [09:50] War II and what's happening now. He said [09:52] cutting paste cutting pasting the [09:55] Iranian point of view. [09:57] >> Yeah, and the access, too. I mean, you [09:58] look on your phone and you see, "Oh, [09:59] there's a report. Oh, Al Jazeera." Okay, [10:01] they're a mouthpiece for the Muslim [10:02] Brotherhood, but yet they're in line [10:04] with all the other feeds you see on your [10:06] phone when you're looking at NBC or Fox [10:08] or whatever. You have to be really [10:10] careful. So, again, if they had that [10:12] kind of access during World War II, the [10:14] Nazis, what how things would have looked [10:16] so so different. I wanted to ask you [10:18] when he said, "And you may have heard [10:19] this before." I asked him [10:21] what surprised him. He said that he [10:23] called Iran a paper tiger. Your thoughts [10:25] on that? [10:25] >> Yeah, well, I think that's what we're [10:26] hearing from people inside Iran, that [10:28] they are a paper tiger. They bluster. [10:30] They really present a very strong point [10:33] of view in their rhetoric, but behind [10:35] the scenes, [10:36] you know, they don't have a population [10:38] that supports them. In fact, a [10:40] population that's against them. [10:42] So, I think they're really on a knife's [10:44] edge right now, but they they still [10:46] continue that bluster. One other thing [10:48] in the interview as well, Turkey. Turkey [10:50] seems to be the other enemy right now [10:53] that Israel and perhaps the West is [10:56] facing after Iran. [10:58] >> Yeah, I think a can of worms might have [10:59] been opened there with this offer for [11:01] F-35 fighters going to them. Obviously, [11:04] that's not in the best interest of [11:06] Israel. So, that's been pulled back a [11:08] little bit, but yes, they are now a [11:10] player on the stage. We'll see how it [11:12] all rolls out. [11:13] >> And Kahlil Shikaki brings so much [11:14] experience. I've known him for maybe a [11:17] good 10 years. He was the former IDF [11:19] spokesperson. [11:20] You know, he brings so much insight [11:22] analysis [11:23] to his to his presentation and he's all [11:26] over the media right now. He's in many [11:27] different places. [11:28] >> Yeah, you can see him on Piers Morgan [11:30] and many other shows. So, he is this is [11:32] his wheelhouse. It is the strategy of [11:34] war. [11:34] >> Yeah. [11:35] >> And for our YouTube viewers, we have an [11:37] extended interview with Jonathan [11:39] Conricus from the Foundation for Defense [11:41] of Democracies. We shift the focus in [11:43] that interview to anti-Semitism and the [11:45] ongoing accusations of genocide in Gaza. [11:48] And we invite you to check it out. [11:52] >> Welcome back to Jerusalem Dateline. I'm [11:54] here in our studio with Ramin Parsa. [11:56] Uh great to be with you, Ramin. For [11:58] those that may not have met you or heard [12:00] your story, tell us [12:01] uh tell us why you're here and what your [12:03] story. [12:04] >> Well, I was born and raised in Iran as a [12:06] Shiite Muslim. [12:07] And all my life I was told uh by the [12:09] Islamic regime in Iran to hate the Jews, [12:12] hate Israel, hate Christians, hate [12:13] America. [12:14] Every morning in the school, [12:17] uh they told us to shout death to [12:18] America, death to Israel after they read [12:21] the Quran to us. And so, this was our [12:23] life, you know, propaganda on TV, radio [12:26] against Israel, against America. They [12:28] called Israel the little Satan and [12:29] America the great Satan. [12:31] they really demonize Israel. But when I [12:33] was 19 years old, the Lord Yeshua came [12:35] to my life, Jesus. He changed my life. [12:38] He gave me a new heart. And he put [12:40] actually a love in my heart for Israel, [12:42] for America, for Christians, for Jews. [12:44] And my life changed ever since. So, I've [12:46] ever since been [12:48] uh talking about Israel, in defense of [12:50] Israel, in defense of America, [12:51] Christians, and Jews. [12:53] And um this is a movement in Iran. [12:55] Millions of people are seeing the [12:57] ugliness of Islam, and they are [12:59] converting. Millions are becoming [13:01] believers. Iran has the fastest growing [13:03] uh church in the world. People are [13:05] dumping the Quran into sewage, into [13:07] rivers, on the streets. They're throwing [13:09] away the Quran. And the Iranian people, [13:12] they know that the root cause of the [13:13] problem is first Islam. And millions are [13:16] embracing [music] their national [13:18] heritage, which was King Cyrus, King [13:20] Darius, King Xerxes, King Artaxerxes, [13:22] the [13:23] kings in the Bible who supported Israel. [13:26] And uh they're changing their names from [13:28] Islamic names, you know, back 20-30 [13:31] years ago people named their children [13:33] Muhammad, Hussein, Ali. Now they're [13:35] changing their names to Cyrus, Darius, [13:38] Xerxes and the Iranian people are [13:40] rejecting Islam. This is the first [13:43] country after 1400 years of Islamic [13:45] conquest that are actually rejecting [13:47] Islam and Iran will become a Christian [13:50] nation in my opinion. Wow. You know, [13:52] there are 75,000 mosques in Iran. 50,000 [13:55] of them are closed because of no [13:56] attendance and even the ones that are [13:58] open only handful of old people go who [14:01] have nothing to do, just go to chat. So, [14:03] Islam is dying in Iran [14:05] and it's a warning to Europe to wake up [14:08] because in Europe is the opposite. You [14:09] see they're buying the churches, turning [14:11] them to mosques. You see they're closing [14:13] the streets for Islamic prayers and the [14:17] most used name in England is Muhammad. [14:20] In Iran is the opposite. So, people are [14:22] changing their names from Islamic name [14:24] to Persian names. So, this is only, you [14:27] know, God could do that that Iran will [14:28] be [14:29] changed to such an extent and no army [14:32] could have done that. The Iranian people [14:34] are rejecting Islam. They want to lean [14:36] toward the west. They want to be free [14:39] country. They want to be friends with [14:41] Israel and with America. That's what the [14:43] Iranian people want and the only [14:45] obstacle is the Iranian regime that must [14:48] be eradicated. [14:49] >> How would you describe the church inside [14:51] Iran right now? [14:52] >> The church is very active in despite all [14:55] the persecution. [14:56] In fact, [clears throat] just a few days [14:57] ago the regime in Iran shut down the [15:00] only open church. There was a church [15:04] and they have closed many churches. [15:05] There were Assemblies of God churches, [15:07] Presbyterian churches. They shut all of [15:09] the churches down. In fact, there's a [15:11] historic church a building. They came at [15:13] 2:00 a.m. and bulldozed the whole church [15:15] down. [15:16] Um, this is after the protest because [15:19] the regime is the demonic forces there. [15:21] They're feeling that the church is a [15:23] threat to them. [15:24] But the church is growing so fast [15:26] nevertheless under the ground. Millions [15:28] are becoming believers like neighbor to [15:30] neighbor, friends to friend, taxi driver [15:32] sharing with their passengers or vice [15:34] versa. Just the word of God is [15:38] uh expanding. The kingdom of God is [15:40] expanding in Iran. Um I was at a meeting [15:42] in America [15:44] uh a few years ago. Maybe it was 4 years [15:46] ago and um [15:48] Mike Pompeo was there, the the previous [15:51] uh foreign minister [15:53] and the Secretary of State. And he said [15:55] that when he was the head of the CIA, [15:57] they would check uh which apps are being [15:59] downloaded in which country. And the [16:01] most downloaded app of the Bible was [16:03] being downloaded in Iran. [16:05] >> Mhm. [16:05] >> This is what he said word for word. So, [16:07] and I confirm that because millions of [16:09] Iranians are leaving Islam. They're [16:11] becoming believers in the Lord Jesus. [16:13] And Iran will become a Christian country [16:15] in the near future. [16:17] >> Yeah. Uh last question, Remin, how can [16:19] people in the West or around the world, [16:21] how can they pray for the church in [16:23] Iran? [16:24] >> Please pray for their strength, for [16:25] protection for the underground church, [16:27] for them to be strong, to continue to [16:29] evangelize, to share the word of God [16:31] with the people around them, and pray [16:33] for their protection from the regime, [16:35] and pray that that evil regime would [16:37] come down. When the regime come down, [16:39] then people can go, you know, groups [16:41] from America, from Israel, they can go [16:42] into Iran and share openly and [16:44] fellowship with the believers. [16:45] >> Mhm. [16:46] Yeah. Uh Remin Pastor, thanks so much. [16:49] You're [16:50] giving us a [16:51] uh a perspective behind the veil, so to [16:53] speak, in Iran. Thanks so much. [16:55] >> you. [16:57] >> At CBN Israel, we have the great [16:59] privilege to bless and tangibly [17:01] demonstrate the never-ending love of God [17:04] for the Jewish people and all the [17:05] peoples of this land. Partner with us [17:08] and help terror victims, immigrants [17:10] fleeing anti-Semitism, refugees, [17:13] Holocaust survivors, single mothers to [17:15] rebuild their lives with dignity and [17:17] hope by meeting their physical, [17:19] emotional, and spiritual needs. Give [17:22] today and let your faith, which is [17:24] rooted in Israel's story, shine for the [17:27] glory of God. [17:32] >> [music] [17:37] >> Amid wars and rumors of wars, many are [17:40] asking, "Where are we on the end times [17:42] timeline?" [17:43] >> Recently, I spoke with Cindy Jacobs of [17:45] Generals International, who shared her [17:47] insights on God's agenda for the Middle [17:49] East and how believers can pray at this [17:52] pivotal moment. Here's our conversation. [17:57] Cindy Jacobs, co-founder of Generals [17:58] International, thanks for joining us. [18:00] What is your sense right now? What's [18:02] happening in the Middle East and how [18:03] should people be praying? [18:07] >> Well, we are dealing with ancient [18:09] spirits, as you know, in the Middle [18:12] East, the prince of Persia, that has [18:14] controlled geographic areas that are [18:17] vast. And we have to remember, this is [18:20] where it all began. And so, the enemy [18:24] does not want to give up this territory [18:27] and will fight. And I I I want to say to [18:31] you that there are things that are still [18:33] in the balance. [18:35] And we know that there is a great [18:37] warfare over what should happen in Iran. [18:41] And the word of the Lord, of course, [18:43] from Jeremiah 49 is that I will set my [18:45] throne in Elam, which is Iran, the [18:48] southern part of Iran. And the thing [18:51] that we have to understand is if we [18:53] don't have regime change, the word of [18:56] the Lord is God wants to change the [18:58] regime in Iran. [19:01] And the battle is over that. And I [19:04] believe that Iran is the linchpin. [19:08] And once it changes, the whole Middle [19:11] East will change. And God wants to do [19:13] it. And I see that [19:16] that he's bringing in alignment. I think [19:18] we've talked about this before for the [19:20] Isaiah 19 highway. The Bible has to be [19:23] fulfilled, and it will be fulfilled. But [19:26] but I want to say to you as I have [19:29] prayed, I was just interceding this [19:30] morning about this, the Lord keeps [19:32] saying it could go either way. [19:35] >> Mhm. [19:36] >> And if it does if we don't have regime [19:38] change, what's going to happen is [19:40] there's strong forces from [19:43] Iraq that will come in, and everybody is [19:46] going to want a piece of the pie. [19:48] Everybody's going to want to rule and [19:50] govern in Iran. And so we have to [19:54] intercede right now so that the balance [19:56] goes the right way. The will of God is [20:00] for this current regime to be gone. And [20:04] as I've interceded, I feel like the Holy [20:06] Spirit is saying, I will give [20:08] strategies. I will give military [20:10] strategies to do this. And I feel like [20:13] the Lord wants to give a warning to us [20:15] in the US. If we don't stand with [20:17] Israel, we ourselves will come under a [20:20] very dark time. [20:22] >> Mhm. [20:22] >> A very time where there will be more and [20:24] more violence. [20:26] And even as we see what's happening in [20:28] New York City, that I pray for Mondani [20:30] every day for his salvation. But but [20:34] that that is like a litmus test. New [20:36] York is a litmus test for America and [20:39] the Islam of [20:41] the Islamification [20:43] of what is happening in this nation. And [20:46] so I want to say to you there is a race [20:50] for what God wants to do right now. His [20:53] will is going to be done, but will it be [20:55] done in our generation? And and that's [20:57] the thing. And I remember when the [21:00] prophets of the [21:02] when our group ACPE prophesied, we [21:05] prophesied three things for this year. [21:08] One was that Maduro was going to leave. [21:12] We prophesied this in November. [21:14] Actually, I prophesied this before that. [21:16] He had it received a million hits where [21:19] I prophesied, "Maduro, you better leave. [21:21] If you don't leave now, it's [21:23] [clears throat] going to be very bad for [21:24] you. You need to go into exile." Which [21:26] he didn't. The second thing was [21:27] Colombia. Colombia just had a remarkable [21:32] election. It became conservative. And [21:33] the third was Cuba. And we're going to [21:35] see the same happen in Cuba. But I want [21:38] to say for the Middle East that God is [21:41] putting things back into biblical order. [21:44] And there's a great warfare against it, [21:47] but God wants to put Judea and Samaria [21:49] back in biblical order. God wants to put [21:52] all of these nations and Iran is the [21:55] prize. As you know, it was home of [21:58] Esther and and Daniel and all these [22:01] incredible figures. So, if we get this [22:03] turned [22:05] and we will get it turned. [22:07] But we have to say, "Will it be now?" If [22:09] we get this turn, then we're going to [22:11] see the massive move of God. Nation [22:14] after nation after nation in the Middle [22:16] East. And of course, Egypt is a key. [22:19] Watch Egypt because Egypt is going to [22:21] have some remarkable shifts [22:24] for freedom of Christianity. And the [22:26] Lord is is just going to put on the [22:28] heart of the leaders in Egypt to see [22:32] that [22:33] there be more and more and more [22:35] religious freedom. Watch and see for it [22:37] to come out in the news that Egypt is [22:40] making incredible advance. And the sign [22:43] will be they will change the ID cards [22:45] where they don't say Christian or [22:47] Muslim, but they will let people choose [22:49] their religion. [22:51] >> Well, it's an incredibly encouraging [22:53] word, but also sobering [22:55] word, Cindy. Thanks so much. One other [22:58] question. If all this is happening, [23:00] especially with Iran, how should we be [23:02] praying for President Trump and Prime [23:04] Minister Netanyahu? [23:07] >> Oh, that's such a good question. [23:10] They have had such a good relationship. [23:13] You know, I was watching the funeral of [23:16] Senator Lindsey Graham, of course, and [23:18] the Prime Minister [23:19] was there of Israel. And [23:23] there are forces within the US [23:25] government that do not want to align [23:29] with Israel. And so there's this [23:30] incredible battle that is going on, [23:32] there's incredible tension. [23:35] And so we need to pray particularly for [23:37] those whose hearts are not towards [23:41] Israel. That they think Israel is just [23:43] one among many nations. And so as you're [23:46] praying, pray that God will turn the [23:48] hearts of everyone in the administration [23:53] towards Israel. [23:55] >> Yeah. [23:55] Cindy Jacobs, co-founder of Generals [23:57] International. Thanks so much for your [23:59] insight and perspective on how to be [24:02] praying for such a time as this. [24:06] >> Thank you so much. [24:10] >> And as promised for our YouTube viewers, [24:12] here's the extended interview with [24:13] Jonathan Conricus from the Foundation [24:15] for Defense of Democracies. [24:20] Mahmoud Abbas [24:21] rolls out the genocide narrative that [24:23] never seems to go away. All 73,000 [24:25] people in Gaza were killed by Israel. [24:28] That's all fact. That's [24:30] it doesn't end. What How do you separate [24:33] fact from fiction in this cuz you've [24:34] been doing it for quite some time? [24:36] >> You know, wherever we poke these days, [24:39] it's a lot of mush. You know, these [24:42] allegations, genocide, the issue of [24:45] starvation, the issue of humanitarian [24:48] workers, the issue of medical staff, and [24:51] the issue of journalists. These are [24:53] basically five libels that have been [24:57] generated and thrown at Israel and [25:00] concocted together in this massive [25:03] information war against Israel. Wherever [25:05] you poke on these five topics, what you [25:07] find today with the benefit of analysis, [25:10] intel, and rigorous analysis of what's [25:13] been going on, you find exactly what [25:16] Israel has been saying for so long, not [25:19] very successfully if you judge it by [25:21] what people in the West understand, but [25:23] what we've been saying all along. No [25:25] genocide, no starvation. Those are two [25:29] very clear facts today when you look at [25:31] numbers, when you look at deaths, when [25:33] you look at the amount of people who [25:35] died in a certain period of time in [25:37] Gaza, there is no way that a serious [25:40] person can claim that there ever was or [25:43] is a genocide going on in Gaza. Just [25:46] when looking at the sheer numbers, when [25:47] you look at the so-called the whole fake [25:50] about journalists, international [25:52] organizations including established [25:54] Western media have been telling this [25:55] story of Israel deliberately killing [25:58] journalists and really [26:01] having a go at Israel for doing so. [26:03] We've been saying that yes, they may [26:05] also have been media workers, but they [26:09] were first and foremost members of [26:11] terror organizations who were actively [26:13] participating in warfare. They were [26:15] combatants. [26:16] And at the time [26:18] it most of the world didn't believe, but [26:20] what you see today, thanks to official [26:24] obituaries from Hamas and the Islamic [26:27] Jihad who claim these people as their [26:29] own. And if you actually analyze 217 [26:33] journalists, media workers who were [26:35] killed in Gaza during this conflict, [26:37] every week, every [26:40] few times every week, you have [26:41] additional names that should be taken [26:44] off the list as journalists because [26:46] Hamas and Islamic Jihad claim them as [26:48] their own. They issue posters where they [26:50] say the brave martyr such and such, who [26:54] was died in a military action." That's [26:56] usually the terminology that they use in [26:58] whatever location it was, and that he [27:00] was also he also worked for Al Jazeera [27:03] or Quds Network or many other [27:06] Palestinian or Hamas pro-Hamas networks. [27:09] What I regret is that organizations, [27:12] CNN, The New York Times, the UN, various [27:16] humanitarian organizations who were very [27:18] quick to to chastise and criticize and [27:22] punish and judge Israel while we were [27:25] fighting and were happy to use this live [27:27] these libels against Israel. Today, when [27:30] there is real evidence that should [27:32] really summon reckoning with these [27:35] people, [27:36] they don't seem to be interested [27:37] anymore. They've created a lie, the lie [27:40] sticks, and people today, many people [27:43] who are uninformed, they associate Gaza [27:45] with genocide and they think that Israel [27:47] has done horrible things because that's [27:49] what they've been told day and night by [27:52] by international media. But when you [27:53] look at the facts, wherever you poke, [27:56] starvation, a report came out a few days [27:59] ago about the fact that not only is [28:01] there nowhere near starvation, but the [28:04] amount of calories available for every [28:06] Gazan is more than in some European [28:09] countries today thanks to the tremendous [28:11] amount of humanitarian aid that UN and [28:15] other organizations have been providing, [28:17] but that Israel has been facilitating [28:19] into the Gaza Strip with everything [28:21] happening. [28:22] So, there are so many lies that have [28:23] been told. It's frustrating. Um I think [28:28] these lies, what really bothers me the [28:30] most, it's not the fact that my country [28:32] has been [28:35] unrightfully targeted by it. We're [28:38] Sadly, we're quite used to [28:40] we're used to that. What bothers me is [28:42] that there's a lot of human suffering at [28:44] the end of it because every lie like [28:46] that that is told in order to weaken [28:49] Israel doesn't only weaken Israel's [28:51] ability to fight. It strengthens Hamas. [28:55] And strengthening Hamas means more [28:57] suffering for people on the ground. It [28:59] means more oppression. It means more [29:01] cruelty. It means more corruption. It [29:03] means more future without a hope for [29:06] people living in Gaza. So, all of that [29:09] ecosystem that sustain sustains the [29:11] status quo, it sustains suffering. [29:14] UNRWA, a UN institution on the ground, [29:17] it's a bedfellow with Hamas. They help [29:20] Hamas continue to oppress the civilian [29:23] population in Gaza. Had it not been for [29:25] UNRWA, [29:26] Hamas would have had to ask themselves, [29:28] "What do I do with the dollar I have?" [29:30] With UNRWA being present, up until a few [29:33] years ago, also supported with US [29:35] taxpayers' money, but thankfully now the [29:37] US isn't donating to Hamas anymore. Many [29:40] European countries are, but up until a [29:42] few years ago, Hamas didn't even have a [29:44] dilemma. They'd say, "I have a dollar, [29:46] 90 cents on the dollar I will invest in [29:48] military procurement. I will dig [29:50] tunnels. I will buy weapons. I will [29:52] equip my fighters with weapons. I will [29:54] train them. And I will prepare myself [29:57] for war against Israel." How were they [29:59] able to do so? Because they didn't have [30:01] to invest in infrastructure, in [30:03] hospitals, in schools, in infirmaries, [30:05] in roads. Why not? Because the world [30:08] took care of it. Institutions like UNRWA [30:11] and other UN programs, they were [30:13] providing the money, the funding, and [30:15] nobody was asking questions. Nobody was [30:17] demanding of Hamas, "What are you doing [30:19] with the money that you tax? What are [30:21] you doing with the money that you have?" [30:23] Now we know the answers. After October [30:24] 7th, we know that Hamas' money meant [30:27] went to military procurement. It went to [30:30] rockets and explosives and weapons and [30:33] bombs in order to kill Israelis. And [30:35] they nearly got away with it. [30:36] >> You mentioned the UN. They finally [30:38] admitted that Hamas interfered and [30:40] interfering with humanitarian aid. [30:43] >> Yeah. [30:43] >> It used to take almost 3 years. Are you [30:45] surprised that they finally admitted it? [30:48] >> Yeah. Actually, I think it was a slip [30:49] because it was it was a slip-up. It [30:51] wasn't an intentional communique. It was [30:55] um [30:56] It wasn't made by, you know, the [30:58] spokesperson of the Secretary General or [31:01] the head of humanitarian affairs. It [31:03] definitely wasn't made by UNRWA. It was [31:05] made by a smaller program and it didn't [31:08] even say Hamas is taking weapons. It [31:12] mentioned Hamas in a very roundabout [31:14] way, but it said that there's a serious [31:16] problem in Gaza where we are providing [31:19] aid and it's being taken by local armed [31:22] officials and the de facto government, [31:25] which is code for Hamas. [31:27] That is something that should have been [31:29] said, you know, 17, 18 years ago. Had UN [31:33] organizations and the entire so-called [31:35] humanitarian ecosystem, had they had the [31:38] integrity then, back then, to say, [31:41] "We're not going to help and sustain [31:42] this terror organization. We want to [31:44] care for the legitimate humanitarian [31:46] needs of people on the ground, but we're [31:48] not going to do business with you. Why? [31:50] Because you're a bunch of terrorists." [31:51] That's what I would expect a [31:53] humanitarian organization to do and say, [31:55] "Yeah, I'm a humanitarian. I care about [31:57] humans. I care about people. I'm going [31:59] to be, you know, build [32:01] medical [32:02] services and food and sanitation and [32:05] schools." That's fine. But what the [32:07] entire UN ecosystem did was to enroll at [32:11] the service of Hamas and they became [32:14] Hamas facilitators. [32:16] And it took them a lot of years and a [32:17] lot of suffering to finally, in an [32:19] awkward and bypassing way, admit that. [32:22] Am I surprised? No. Do I think that the [32:24] UN will change its ways and do what it's [32:28] supposed to do according to the charter? [32:30] No. Do I think that other humanitarian [32:32] organizations will see the wrongdoing [32:35] that they have been part of and actually [32:37] change their ways? Also no, because they [32:40] are so heavily invested in the business [32:42] model that relies on misery in Gaza for [32:46] them to have a reason to exist. It is a [32:49] business. These organizations, Amnesty, [32:52] Human Rights Watch, UN [32:54] OCHA, UNRWA of course first and [32:57] foremost. These organizations whose [32:59] business model in Gaza relies on not [33:02] helping people to get out of poverty, [33:05] misery, and being in the under the [33:07] control of a terror organization, it [33:09] relies on having them in that perpetual [33:12] situation so that they can continue to [33:14] have relevance and have money and [33:15] international funds and feel important. [33:19] And it's a very sad, cynical situation. [33:21] How much of today's surge of [33:23] anti-Semitism can be traced back to [33:25] October 7th? [33:27] I think October 7th was, you know, just [33:29] a a trigger. It was the spark that [33:32] ignited a pretty dormant, but it was [33:35] below-surface infrastructure that has [33:38] been built over many years. This is a [33:40] network, you know, the whole BDS [33:42] campaign that started mid-2000s, [33:46] around 2005-ish onwards. [33:49] The Palestinian Authority and a few of [33:51] their allies, they were frustrated. They [33:53] tried, you know, military struggle. They [33:56] tried what they call resistance, what I [33:57] would call terrorism, blowing suicide [34:00] bombers, killing civilians. And they saw [34:02] that even those gruesome attacks didn't [34:05] really [34:07] knock the wind out of our sails. It [34:09] didn't force Israelis to, you know, [34:12] surrender in defeat. And they were [34:14] frustrated and they said, "Okay, what [34:15] can we do now? We've tried [34:17] guerrilla before the state of Israel was [34:19] founded. We've tried traditional warfare [34:21] with Jordan, Syria, and Egypt attacking [34:24] Israel three times and losing those [34:26] wars. We have tried terrorism. Hasn't [34:28] worked good enough yet. So, what can we [34:30] do now? Well, we move on to economic [34:32] warfare, lawfare, and information [34:35] warfare. That is where we are now. That [34:37] is what BDS is about and I think what [34:39] we're seeing on American campuses and [34:41] American streets in various states [34:44] around the country is many years of [34:46] investment, grassroots activity in US [34:50] institutions, universities, schools, [34:53] cultural institutions, and US media that [34:57] on October 7th it flipped. It ignited [35:01] and there was, you know, someone really [35:03] just opened the gate and it was free [35:06] season and it became okay and cool to [35:10] openly hate the Jews. And that is where [35:12] we are today. We see it in Canada. We [35:14] see it in the UK. Unfortunately, we see [35:17] it in various states in the US. Not all, [35:19] there are many states that are very [35:21] clear and strict about hate speech and [35:23] who do not tolerate it and that's [35:25] commendable. Florida is a great example [35:28] and there are many other good examples, [35:30] but uh unfortunately, you have states [35:33] where it is totally okay to harass Jews, [35:37] to openly espouse anti-Semitism, to say [35:40] to target American Jewish civilians for [35:45] the actions of a foreign government. [35:47] That is basically what many American [35:49] Jews are suffering. They are being [35:51] targeted because they are Jewish, [35:53] because someone has an issue with what [35:56] another government a few thousand miles [35:58] away are doing in a conflict that has [36:01] little to do with the lives of of [36:02] ordinary Americans. It's absurd, but it [36:05] is after all the world's oldest hatred. [36:07] I don't know of any institutional hate [36:09] that predates anti-Semitism. It's quite [36:12] magnificent in the sense of how it [36:14] shifts and how it morphs and how it [36:17] takes new ideology and uses old hatred [36:21] and feeds it with new hatred. [36:22] Anti-Semitism is quite astonishing in [36:25] that sense. And I think what Jews need [36:28] to do [36:29] isn't to feel sorry about themselves and [36:31] isn't to say poor me, we're being [36:34] targeted. What Jews need to do is to [36:36] fight back. That is what Jews need to do [36:39] to stop [36:40] the turning the other cheek, even though [36:42] that's a Christian saying, but to stop [36:44] doing that, to stop being polite, to [36:47] stop absorbing [36:49] attacks by haters and to start [36:54] making the attackers feel uncomfortable [36:57] for what they're doing. And there's more [36:58] than one way to do that, all within [37:00] legal bounds and, you know, what you can [37:02] do in a democratic society, but I think [37:05] until Jews change their mindset and [37:08] until they undergo a process of what you [37:12] would call becoming a little bit more [37:14] Israeli in their mindset, they're going [37:17] to continue to suffer these attacks [37:18] because anti-Semitism isn't going away [37:21] and in most cases law enforcement [37:23] officials aren't doing their job in [37:25] order to prevent it. So, Jews need to [37:28] act differently. [37:30] >> Uh as an Israeli yourself, I mean, are [37:32] you even surprised that [37:35] they were the Are you surprised that [37:37] they were the victims October 7th and by [37:40] October 8th they were the evildoers? [37:43] That quick. [37:45] >> I tweeted on the 9th of the 7th of [37:47] October. [37:48] I tweeted, "Remember how this started. [37:51] It started with an unprovoked attack [37:53] against Israel by an Iranian proxy. It [37:57] will end with an Israeli victory. [37:59] In the beginning we will we will have [38:02] global sympathy, but very quickly we [38:05] will be blamed for our victory." [38:07] That's what I said on the 7th. And yeah, [38:09] we had a few weeks of sympathy. You know [38:12] how how I could tell that we had [38:14] temporary sympathy? Because for the [38:16] first time that I can remember, [38:18] the Israeli story was told through a [38:21] human perspective. We Israelis were [38:24] humanized. We weren't represented by [38:26] tanks, planes, politicians saying nasty, [38:30] warmongering statements, and by military [38:33] spokespeople. Israelis were presented to [38:36] the world as human beings. You could [38:38] really see the suffering of Israelis, [38:40] how they were exposed, how they were [38:41] targeted, how they were [38:44] humiliated, [38:45] raped, murdered, kidnapped. All of the [38:48] things that Hamas did. And for a few [38:51] short days, [38:52] Israelis were human, and they were able [38:54] to tell a human story, which is [38:56] relatable. For more than 75, 80 years of [38:59] conflict, our story has been told mostly [39:03] by guns, politicians, the military, and [39:06] that kind of stuff. And the Palestinian [39:08] story has been told very movingly by [39:11] humans. [39:12] And that is a choice that editors, and [39:14] journalists, and politicians, and UN [39:17] officials, and international [39:18] organizations have made, because that is [39:21] the information warfare that is being [39:23] fought against Israel. The way you get [39:24] people to connect and believe and [39:27] identify with someone is by showing a [39:29] human being. It's very difficult to [39:31] identify with a tank or a plane. It's [39:34] easy to identify with a human being who [39:36] is telling you of his suffering. And the [39:38] Palestinians have been nurtured and [39:40] portrayed in such a way, and for a very [39:43] short period of time, Israelis were [39:47] portrayed as human beings, suffering, [39:49] exposed, as we were after October 7th. [39:52] But then uh media course-corrected. [39:55] >> long. [39:55] >> Went back to uh the old and tried and [39:58] established ways, and that is where we [40:00] are now. I don't think that is going to [40:03] you know, break our spirits. Israelis [40:05] will continue to fight, will continue to [40:07] defend ourselves. We believe in the [40:09] justness of our cause. We believe that [40:11] this is our home. We extend a hand to [40:14] our neighbors. If you want peace, we've [40:16] said it four times. Four different [40:18] Israeli prime ministers have come to the [40:21] Palestinian leadership twice Yasser [40:23] Arafat, twice Mahmoud Abbas and told [40:25] him, "Sign here, you get 98% of the [40:29] territory, you get the capital in [40:31] eastern Jerusalem, our eternal [40:33] historical capital, and you get a lot of [40:35] other things. Just sign the document and [40:38] say, 'I, on behalf of the Palestinian [40:40] people, end the conflict and have no [40:42] further claims with the Jews. You live [40:44] there, we live here.' They have refused [40:47] to do it four different times. But [40:50] having said that, we I think we'll still [40:51] continue to hope for peace and dream for [40:54] peace and actively pursue it. And once [40:57] the other side will be ready, they will [40:58] find a willing Israeli partner. But [41:00] until that is the case, rest assured, [41:04] CNN, New York Times, UN, and all of the [41:06] others, they'll continue to try to [41:09] delegitimize and they'll continue to [41:11] ostracize Israel. We will continue to [41:13] fight. We will continue to live here, to [41:15] work, to prosper, to love, to create, to [41:18] nurture our homeland, [41:21] even if people don't like it. [41:25] >> Well, certainly an encouragement to [41:27] pray. Well, that's all for this edition [41:28] of Jerusalem Dateline. Thanks for [41:30] joining us. [41:30] >> That is a powerful way to end. Remember [41:32] to follow Jerusalem Dateline on social [41:34] media and please keep praying just like [41:36] Cindy mentioned, as well as wisdom for [41:38] our leaders Trump and Netanyahu. [41:40] >> And pray also for the protection of [41:42] Israel and for the peace of Jerusalem. [41:44] I'm Chris Mitchell, and for all of us [41:46] here at the Jerusalem Bureau, we'll see [41:48] you next Tuesday on Jerusalem Dateline.
