US Sanctions against Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

On December 22, Bild Online published the following article:

“US President Donald Trump (73) signed the US sanctions against the company Allseas, which is currently laying the last kilometers of the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 south of the Danish island of Bornholm. Minutes later, Allseas announced that it wanted to temporarily stop its construction work…

“In an interview with BILD and the US news agency Associated Press, Ambassador Richard Grenell (53) explained the motives behind the sanctioning of the Nord Stream 2 construction company.

“Richard Grenell: ‘You see, this is a longstanding US policy that goes back to the Obama administration. The goal has always been for diversification of Europe’s energy sources and to ensure that not one country or source can build up too much influence on Europe through energy…

“‘15 European countries, the European Commission and the European Parliament have all expressed their concerns about the project… That is why the sanctions are a very pro-European decision… I’ve been hearing all day from European diplomats thanking me for taking this action… As far as the US government is concerned, this is about energy security in Europe.“

These more or less meaningless sanctions and some negative vocal reactions in Europe will not substantially hinder the German-Russian project. Contrary to Grenell’s statements, other reports claim that Brussels stated that the USA has no business in interfering in these “European” matters. All of this will contribute to the prophesied deterioration of the US-EU relationship.

The Bridge of Shame

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 23:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a commuter rail bridge between the Crimea and Russian mainland with a ceremonious train journey on Monday, as Russia continues to cement its influence in Crimea since its annexation in 2014… The bridge consists of parallel automobile and railway sections…

“With the opening of the bridge to commuter traffic it is now possible to travel between St. Petersburg and Sevastopol, with the journey lasting a total of 43 hours and 25 minutes…”

In its reporting, Bild Online spoke of the “bridge of shame,” stating that Ukraine to which Crimea belongs legally, the EU and the USA protested against the bridge. As if Putin cared… Crimea will remain in Russian hands, and the same will be true very soon for Ukraine.

No Justice and Truth in Saudi Arabia’s Murder Case

The Associated Press wrote on December 23:

“A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death Monday for the killing of Washington Post columnist and royal family critic Jamal Khashoggi, whose grisly slaying in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul drew international condemnation and cast a cloud of suspicion over Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Three other people were found guilty by Riyadh’s criminal court of covering up the crime and were sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison… independent media were barred…

“Agnes Callamard, who investigated the killing for the United Nations, reacted by tweeting that the verdicts are a ‘mockery’ and that the masterminds behind the crime ‘have barely been touched by the investigation and the trial.’ Amnesty International called the outcome ‘a whitewash which brings neither justice nor truth.’…

“In Washington, Congress has said it believes Prince Mohammed is ‘responsible for the murder.’ President Donald Trump has condemned the killing but has stood by the 34-year-old crown prince and defended U.S.-Saudi ties. Washington has sanctioned 17 Saudis suspected of being involved. Among those sanctioned is Saud al-Qahtani, a hawkish former adviser to the crown prince. The Saudi attorney general’s office said Monday that al-Qahtani was investigated and had no proven involvement in the killing. Meanwhile, Ahmed al-Asiri, also a former adviser to the crown prince who was deputy head of intelligence, was tried and released because of insufficient evidence, the attorney general’s office said. The court also ordered the release of Saudi Arabia’s consul-general in Istanbul at the time, Mohammed al-Otaibi. He is among those sanctioned by the U.S. over his ‘involvement in gross violations of human rights.’ The U.S. State Department has also issued travel bans against his immediate family…

“Although Khashoggi’s killing tarnished Prince Mohammed’s reputation in the West, he is hugely popular at home, especially among young Saudis…”

Sadly, in this world of Satan, guilty powerful perpetrators are protected and go unpunished and will be able—for a while—to continue with their rotten conduct. But ultimately, the time of reckoning will come.

Further Aggravation between Germany and Britain over Brexit

Express wrote on December 24:

“German drug importers have warned they expect Brexit to further exacerbate drug shortages in Berlin, which are already scarce… Jörg Geller, board member of the Association of Pharmaceutical Importers in Germany (VAD) and President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Importers (EAEPC), said:… ‘We fear that after Brexit we will no longer be able to buy medicines in the UK. At the same time, the UK can continue to buy medicines in the EU. Therefore the market will quickly be imbalanced.’

“The current situation with drugs in Germany is dire, and has been since 2018. This is because there are currently 274 delivery bottlenecks that have been reported to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. In 2018, 12.9 percent of all prescription drugs in Germany came from imports as a result.

“Mr Geller… said he cannot comprehend how a nation as powerful and rich as Germany could possibly be struggling with a shortage of medicines.

“He said: ‘The pharmaceutical manufacturers are causing the shortages because they do not produce enough medication and put it on the market. Many manufacturers also seal off the markets through quotations and discount contracts for patent-protected preparations. Some producers even exclude entire countries from delivery because the sales prices there are too low for them. This creates an artificial shortage.’”

Sadly, this rings very true, and shame on those greedy pharmaceutical manufacturers. This kind of conduct won’t help in creating a smooth Brexit “divorce.”

Shocking anti-Semitism in Germany

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 22:

“The chairman of the Jewish community in Halle, Germany – where a neo-Nazi attempted to shoot up a synagogue on Yom Kippur – said that all German political parties are infected with Jew-hatred according to a Sunday interview in the Bild paper…, adding ‘I would not recommend to anyone to walk through Halle wearing a kippa.’… He said… ‘Just yesterday there was an email in the mailbox of the Jewish Community in Halle, which said: “Unfortunately, our grandparents did not completely solve the problem from 1933 to 1945.” The sender signed it with his full name. I forwarded the email directly to the public prosecutor’s office,’ said Privorozki.

“The Jewish community leader said ‘Antisemitism is not just a problem of the AfD [Alternative for Germany]. All parties are affected by the antisemitism virus…’ Some telling examples of antisemitism scandals over the last year, according to German media reports and critics, unfolded within the German Green Party and the Social Democratic Party…

“A 2017 federal government study said 40% of Germans hold a modern antisemitic attitude, namely the intense loathing of the Jewish state. The study revealed that nearly 33 million Germans of 82 million are contaminated with contemporary antisemitism.”

There is no further denying the fact that Germany’s anti-Semitism, which actually has always been in existence, has reached extremely dangerous proportions.

Germany’s Confidence in anti-Israel ICC’s Proposal

The Times of Israel wrote on December 25:

“Australia rejected the effort by the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor to launch an investigation into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, arguing that the matter must be resolved by the two parties at the negotiating table… ‘Australia’s position is clear — we do not recognize a so-called “State of Palestine” and we do not recognize that there is such a State Party to the ICC’s Rome Statute,’ the spokesperson went on… Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz praised Australia for the statement…

“Germany, in a more nuanced stance, said it had full trust in the court, was confident the ICC’s judges would ‘address issues of admissibility,’ and cautioned against politicization… reiterating Berlin’s support for the court… Germany is generally known as a staunch supporter of the court…

“Israel vociferously rejects her statement, arguing that the court clearly does not have jurisdiction over the case, as there is no Palestinian state that has the mandate to transfer criminal jurisdiction over its territory to The Hague… US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday issued a statement saying the administration remains ‘firmly’ opposed to the ICC’s supposed investigation into the matter, slamming it as an unfair attack on Israel.”

122 countries are Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Italy, Norway, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Countries that are not members include the United States, China, India, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Qatar and Israel. The U.S. signed the treaty during the Clinton administration, but Congress did not ratify it.

China, Russia and Iran

Breaking Israel News reported on December 26:

“As [Israel] announced that [it] is fighting Iran alone, China, Iran and Russia have scheduled joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean and Sea of Oman starting on Friday and ending on Monday…

“China’s Xining guided missile destroyer will participate in the drills, which are meant to deepen cooperation between the three countries’ navies…

“The Sea of Oman is a critical waterway as it connects to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes… This comes as tensions between Iran and the United States and Israel have risen throughout the year…”

According to the Bible, a Far Eastern military bloc will be forming, which will apparently support Iran.

“Democrat Legal Expert: Trump Isn’t Impeached Until Articles Go to Senate”

Breitbart wrote on December 20:

“Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman, who testified as a Democrat witness in the House Judiciary Committee’s public hearings on impeachment [which he strongly supported, albeit with unconvincing arguments], argues President Donald Trump is technically not impeached until the House submits the articles to the Senate.

“In a Bloomberg News opinion-editorial published Thursday, Feldman writes the definition of impeachment, according to the framers, ‘assumed that impeachment was a process, not just a House vote,’ and impeachment is official only when the articles are transmitted to the Senate, where lawmakers are ‘obliged by the Constitution to hold a trial.’

“Feldman writes: ‘If the House does not communicate its impeachment to the Senate, it hasn’t actually impeached the president… As for the headlines we saw after the House vote saying, ‘TRUMP IMPEACHED,’ those are a media shorthand, not a technically correct legal statement. So far, the House has voted to impeach (future tense) Trump. He isn’t impeached (past tense) until the articles go to the Senate and the House members deliver the message.’”

Other legal scholars have voiced similar opinions. In any event, the impeachment process and the impeachment trial will NOT lead to a conviction and will NOT prevent Trump from becoming re-elected. In a somewhat strange and bizarre move, Nancy Pelosi has invited President Trump to deliver the State of the Union address on February 4, 2020, in the House of Representatives, and Trump agreed to do so.

Evangelicals Support Trump, Reject “Christianity Today” Article

Breitbart wrote on December 22:

“More than [two] hundred influential evangelical Christian leaders sent a letter to the president of the far left magazine Christianity Today, chastising him for publishing a commentary on Thursday calling for the removal of President Trump.

“The letter, addressed to Christianity Today president Timothy Dalrymple on Sunday, was signed by well-known evangelical Christians, including Dr. James Dobson, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, former head of the Family Research Council Gary Bauer, author Eric Metaxas, and pastors Robert Morris, Tommy Barnett, and Jentezen Franklin [as well as Franklin Graham and Jerry Falwell, Jr.].

“‘We write collectively to express our dissatisfaction with the  editorial Christianity Today published on Thursday, December 19, 2019 calling for the removal of our duly elected President, who was put into office at the behest of over sixty million voters,’ the letter began. ‘The editorial you published… not only supported the entirely-partisan, legally-dubious, and politically-motivated impeachment but went even further, calling for Donald Trump not to be elected again in 2020 when he certainly survives impeachment,’ the signatories wrote in the letter. ‘Your editorial offensively questioned the spiritual integrity and Christian witness of tens-of-millions of believers who take seriously their civic and moral obligations…”

“Early Friday, Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, who founded Christianity Today in 1956, criticized the organization’s current leadership for their pro-impeachment commentary. Celebrated evangelical pastor Franklin Graham revealed Friday his father, Billy Graham, voted for Donald J. Trump in 2016 because he believed he was the best man for the job.”

Christianity Today’s editorial was certainly ill-advised and flawed as it used the biased “impeachment” procedure as the basis for demanding Trump’s removal. At the same time, one has to wonder why so many Evangelicals support Trump unquestionably, even though his comments and life style do not at all correspond to Christian “moral obligations” and godly values allegedly upheld by these same Evangelicals. Of course, liberal permissive Democrats have no corner on the market either. All of this shows why TRUE Christians must not be involved in politics and voting in governmental elections.

Homelessness on the Rise due to California

CNN wrote on December 21:

“The homeless population in the US increased 2.7% this year largely because of a surge in unsheltered and chronically homeless individuals in California, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said in a news release Friday.

“The study found that 567,715 people across the nation experienced homelessness on a single night in 2019, an increase of 14,885 people compared with 2018. Meanwhile, homelessness among veterans and families with children declined in the year, dropping 2.1% and 4.8%, respectively.

“The number of people experiencing homelessness dropped in 29 states and Washington, DC in 2019, the news release said. But the rise in homelessness in California and elsewhere on the West Coast ‘offset’ the nationwide decreases, the office said… An additional 21,306 people were homeless in California in 2019, up 16.4% from the previous year, HUD said.

“The data comes after the Trump administration sent a team of officials on a ‘fact finding’ trip to California in September to learn more about homelessness in Los Angeles.

“The homeless population in Los Angeles County increased to almost 60,000 people in 2019… Thousands of people became homeless, the authority said, as a result of the economy, foster care, mental health, criminal justice and the housing market.”

This is a terrible report. That there should be so much homelessness in the world’s wealthiest country does not speak well for its politicians and those in charge. And even though we are hearing in the mainstream media about a booming economy, there are other voices warning of a complete and total crash in 2020.

For instance, former Congressman “Ron Paul warned about ‘the mother of all bubbles’ in a recent piece arguing that the U.S. may be on the verge of experiencing a catastrophic economic crisis” (Advocates, December 6, 2019).

The Birch Gold Group wrote on November 5, 2019, “that a broken economy can be technically held together for a decade, but under the surface, the structure continues to rot… We saw this during the crash of 2008, and now we’re seeing it again… All of these factors and more show an economy in recession or depression… More stimulus will not stall the crash that is already happening… The can has been kicked for the last time.”

In spite of this or because of utter ignorance of the American people, crazy and irresponsible Christmas spending reached an all-time high. “Holiday shopping set records over the weekend, with Super Saturday sales reaching $34.4 billion, the biggest single day in U.S. retail history… [while]  online spending so far this season has accounted for 58% of sales growth from a year earlier,” according to MSN, dated December 23.

“Merry Christmas” from Netanyahu

The Algemeiner wrote on December 24:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a Christmas greeting on Monday, ahead of the start of the holiday. ‘Merry Christmas to all our Christian friends in Israel and around the world,’ Netanyahu said, standing alongside his wife Sara. ‘The State of Israel is the culmination of so many prophecies and our deepest held values,’ the prime minister stated. ‘We share the common civilization, the Judeo-Christian civilization, that has given the world the values of freedom, individual liberty, the sanctity of life and the belief in one God.’

“‘We are proud of our traditions,’ he added. ‘We are proud of our Christian friends. The State of Israel would not have come into being if it weren’t for the avid support of Christians in the 19th century, in the 20th century as well and in the 21st century.’ Netanyahu concluded, ‘We know that we have no better friends around the world than our Christian friends. So thank you. Thank you all for standing up with Israel, standing up for the truth. Merry Christmas.’”

The Bible prophecies that many Jews will become more and more engaged in “Christian” observances. After all, what do Christmas celebrations have to do with standing up for the Truth?

How Christmas Is Forced Upon Us

The Week wrote on December 24:

“Christmas is (finally) upon us. After months of red-and-green evergreen decorations in every store, and an increasingly unbroken stream of Santa-centric pop songs in every public place, the annual American onslaught reaches its peak this week. Every year, those of us who don’t celebrate Christmas find ourselves having the same debates over and over again, starting well before Thanksgiving and continuing into the New Year. Well-meaning friends, neighbors, and colleagues insist to us that we should not be bothered by the giant Christmas trees in every building lobby, or the Christmas music supplanting our usual radio fare. Christmas, the argument goes, is secular; therefore, everyone should be comfortable participating in it, whether or not they identify as Christian…

“… the pushback to secular Christmas tends to be dominated by Jewish voices… As an assimilated American Jew, I’m intrigued by this… For those who grew up celebrating Christmas, it can be hard to conceive of decorated evergreen trees [as] neutral symbols of the ‘magic; of the season…

“Christmas is neither neutral nor secular. It is firmly associated with a religious tradition that erases our existence at best, and oppresses us at worst…”

To call Christmas “secular” is total nonsense, even though many non-religious people might celebrate it as well, while they are oblivious to Christmas origins. Christmas has always been a religious festival with pagan roots.

Changing Saturday to Sunday

Express wrote on December 21:

“On September 12 this year, Pope Francis announced his plan to launch a global education pack to ‘unite efforts’ to combat climate change. The leader of the Vatican called on world leaders to come together on May 14, 2020, to discuss his ‘Laudato Si’ proposal to reduce global warming… Francis also suggests Sundays with keeping a better environment.

“Page 237 reads ‘On Sunday, our participation in the Eucharist has special importance, Sunday is meant to be a day which heals our relationship with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world’.

“[Biblical Seventh-Day Adventist preacher Greg Sereda claimed:] ‘The implication here is that we need to have a law mandating rest on Sunday, so it appears that his agenda on climate change includes giving Sunday rest and worship mandated by law to improve the environment’. Mr Sereda went on to claim that Saturday should actually be the day of rest and not Sunday, therefore those that follow the Pope’s order will be ignoring God’s wishes… ‘the Catholic Church changed the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday and no man has the right to change God’s commandment. So in convincing people to honour Sunday as the sabbath, which is a part of Pope Francis’ agenda for climate change, people will be submitting themselves to the authority of the church’…”

The article went on to “explain” that the warnings in the Book of Revelation are to be understood metaphorically and that they cannot be applied to a literal abolition of the Sabbath and its replacement with Sunday. There can be no doubt that God’s weekly Holy Day is the Sabbath (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) and that the Catholic Church “changed” God’s Law by substituting the Sabbath with Sunday. And so, the world is being kept in darkness until it will be too late.

Celebrating Winter Solstice or Christmas?

The Sun wrote on December 22:

“HUNDREDS gathered at Stonehenge this morning to welcome the winter solstice, as the sun rose for the shortest day in the year. Crowds, donning colourful clothing, congregated at the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, hugging the stones… The winter solstice is most notably associated with the druids who mark the start of the solar year with a celebration of light and the rebirth of the sun. But the celebrations were not just confined to Stonehenge, with other cultures regularly observing the shortest day of the year.

“Across Europe the winter solstice is known as Yule, from the Norse word Jul (or juul), meaning wheel. The day has been celebrated by various cultures around the world for thousands of years and is generally a recognition of rebirth.

“Fires would be lit to symbolise the heat and light of the returning sun and a Yule log was gathered and burnt in the hearth as a tribute to the Norse god Thor. There are many songs and poems used to celebrate this special day. Pagan homes are often decorated with supposedly sacred herbs and red, green and white colours. Holly, ivy, evergreen boughs and pine cones are usually put around the home, especially in places where socialising takes place.

“A sprig of mistletoe is put up above a threshold and is meant to be left there until the next Yule. Pagans see it as a charm for good luck throughout the year but [it] has now taken on a symbolic meaning for kissing beneath it and the opportunity for romance.”

The similarities with Christmas are striking and obvious. It should be clear that modern Christmas customs were adopted from pagan rites and observances. God calls this an abomination.

Church of England Accused of Betraying Christian Faith

Daily Mail wrote on December 21:

“A former chaplain to the Queen has converted to Catholicism after becoming exasperated at the ‘astonishing’ failure of the Church of England to defend Christian values and the faith itself. Dr Gavin Ashenden was chaplain to the monarch for a decade, resigning from the post in 2017 after objecting to the Koran being read during an Anglican service. Now, he has quit altogether to join the Catholic church, launching a stinging attack on the Anglican church in the process.

“He said the Church had ‘swallowed wholesale’ trendy politically correct causes such as transgender rights rather than offering a ‘Christian critique’. He also accused it of failing to stand up for those accused of ‘thought crimes’ for stating their Christian beliefs…

“Today’s children are bombarded with social media messages sowing doubts about what was a cast-iron certainty of childhood: you are a boy or a girl. And, as The Mail on Sunday reported last week, up to a quarter of children ‘presenting’ as transgender could simply be autistic.”

His criticism of the Church of England is clearly justified. His conversion to Catholicism, which could be accused of the same frailties, is difficult to comprehend.

Occultism on the Rise especially for Young People

Crux wrote on December 22:

“… references to the demonic are increasingly prevalent in videogames and school games such as the ‘Charlie Charlie challenge,’ in which players cross two pencils on a grid with sectors marking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and ask a supernatural being, ‘Charlie,’ to answer the questions they ask…

“One example of the normalization of Satanism… is the recent book, A Children’s Book of Demons, which was published in May and is directed to children aged 5-10 years of age. Penned by Aaron Leighton, an award-winning illustrator and known fan of occult practices, the book contains colorful images of some 20 different demons and teaches kids the sigil, or magical symbol, for the demons and how to summon them…

“As Satanism and occult practices become increasingly normal among young people, they also face pressure not to feel out of the loop if friends and peers are involved…”

Young people must be properly taught by their parents about the danger of Satanism and occult practices. Of course, in many cases, parents are confused themselves, not really knowing what constitutes occultism, and they might even participate in superstitious practices thinking they are harmless fun. This would include believing in horoscopes and astrology, and participating in Halloween and Christmas celebrations (which are pagan to the core). Far Eastern meditation practices, consulting mediums or participating in séances also include a fertile ground for demonic activities.

Pope Francis Challenges “Traditional Catholic Values”

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 24:

“Pope Francis’ Christmas address shocked many as he rejected tradition, Western culture and compared Jesus in Bethlehem to a refugee… This anti-West approach should be expected as Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere…

“There is no doubt that traditional Catholic values are being challenged under Pope Francis. In November, the pope announced that he would consider a request to allow married men to be priests. He is also considering the addition of ‘ecological sins’ to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Among the sins that Catholics would confess to a priest are whether their clothes are fairly traded, how many animal products they consume, and whether they overuse their mobile phones.

“His policy in which homosexuals are welcomed into the church is so revolutionary that the American LGBT magazine The Advocate named Pope Francis their Person of the Year for 2013… He has frequently met with openly homosexual and transgender people.

“Some Catholic Churches are taking this agenda even further. Catholic dioceses in the United Kingdom are reportedly hosting homosexual Masses designed to welcome homosexuals into the church and combine ‘gay pride’ with the Eucharist and other Romish sacraments… these events welcome homosexuals into the Catholic Church while not advocating celibacy.

“The Pope has also been advancing his Declaration on Human Brotherhood… [He] has been criticized for advancing the concept of one world religion…”

Many of the Pope’s new ideas are clearly in opposition to traditional Catholic dogma. Some of his ideas are worthwhile considering in the light of biblical prophecy, while others are downright silly. IF these ideas represent what Francis REALLY believes, then a dramatic clash with the Vatican is inevitable.

Sudden Call to Start the Temple Services

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 24:

“As Shabbat ends, the Sanhedrin will be hosting a Menorah lighting on Mount Zion for all nations, bringing together representatives of all of humanity, in what is the battle call for the war of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness…

“The focus of the ceremony on Mount Zion will be the lighting of the seventh flame on a large nine-branched menorah… Specially prepared to be used should a sudden call go out to jump-start the Temple service on the Temple Mount, the menorah can be carried by one man. The oil used in the lighting ceremony was prepared according to the strictest laws of purity that apply to olive oil prepared for use in the Temple. “

The rest of the article includes a lot of utter nonsense, but it is noteworthy that the desire for the building of the Third Temple is mentioned, which is very much alive today in the state of Israel.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

EU Concerned after Brexit

AFP wrote on December 13:

“European leaders warned Friday that Britain could become a formidable rival, just hours after a big victory by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s conservatives all but sealed the UK’s Brexit divorce.

“Led by France and Germany, EU member states said they would pursue a swift trade deal with a tight deadline of end [of] 2020, but insisted that any new arrangement must uphold European values and norms… Angela Merkel warned that Britain would be an economic ‘competitor at our door’ after it leaves the EU and French President Emmanuel Macron saw a threat that London would become an ‘unfair competitor’…

“Brussels is also worried about the breakneck speed with which Johnson would like to strike a trade deal with Europe, as well as any British effort to undermine the unity among the remaining 27 members.”

Express wrote on December 13 that Macron was threatening Johnson, stating: “The French President said his country will now be the only nuclear power and the remaining member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) left in the EU.”

The relationship between the EU and Britain will deteriorate drastically.

No Further Brexit Transition Period Extension beyond End of December 2020

The Sun wrote on December 16:

“BORIS Johnson will make it illegal to extend the Brexit transition period beyond the end of next year as he fired the opening salvo to the crucial trade talks with the EU. The PM will include the provision in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) when he brings it back to the Commons for the crucial vote on Friday. The PM will use his new 80-seat majority to enshrine in law that any extension will be outlawed…

“The WAB will finally implement Mr Johnson’s Brexit deal so Britain leaves the EU on January 31, triggering an 11-month ‘implementation period’ whereby EU rules will still apply here but the UK will have no role in making decisions…”

The EU has sharply criticized this move. The implementation period will prove to be thorny and difficult. If no agreement is reached, a “hard Brexit” will still occur.

Johnson’s Connection to Israel

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 16:

“Boris Johnson’s connection to Israel may have been the secret weapon that helped him win a landslide victory in last week’s British election and his first official act reflects that: a powerful anti-Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement law… the new law would ban public agencies from working with those who boycott Israel in any way…

“Johnson refers to himself as a ‘passionate Zionist’ who ‘loves the great country’ of Israel… He has openly criticized the United Nations Human Rights Council for their obsession with Israel’s so-called human rights violations.”

Both the USA under Trump and Great Britain under Johnson are the only real allies of Israel under Netanyahu. Some in the media have described Johnson’s victory as “divinely inspired.” The friendship between Trump, Johnson and Netanyahu is remarkable. Please watch the following new StandingWatch program: “Johnson’s Brexit; Trump’s Impeachment; Netanyahu’s New Elections.” 

The Fall (and Rise?) of Austria’s Heinz-Christian Strache

Der Spiegel wrote on December 13:

“[Austria’s former Vice Chancellor] Heinz-Christian Strache… is alleged to have accepted bags full of cash from Eastern Europe in exchange for political favors… For instance, fearing that the European Union would abolish paper money, the FPÖ boss invested heavily in gold, preferring bullion coins minted with the design of the Vienna Philharmonic…

“Strache is also said to have put in place an emergency fallback plan in case, for example, NATO were to invade Austria. The FPÖ leader would then have been whisked away with party officials and their families to the Defereggental valley in East Tyrol, to ‘their fortress.’ There, in August, investigators had uncovered stockpiles of gold at the Pension Enzian guesthouse. Beyond that, confidants affirm that Strache had hoarded canisters of gasoline in his office and had occasionally carried around ‘pieces of metal in his underwear’ that were ‘supposed to have healing powers.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 14:

“The far-right Freedom Party has removed former party leader Heinz-Christian Strache from its ranks…

“In recent weeks, 50-year-old Strache… said he will not withdraw from political life. ‘The enormous encouragement I’ve received from the public in the last weeks and months has allowed me to reconsider a political comeback in 2020,’ he said in a video message… This week, three Strache allies broke away from the party to found a new political group called the Alliance for Austria (DAÖ). Their goal is to run in Austria’s 2020 elections with Strache as their main candidate.”

As we stated in the past, we have not heard yet the last word of Strache.

The Battle of the Bulge and a United Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 16:

“German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday urged Europe to stand up against nationalism at an event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. ‘A united and peaceful Europe — that is the lesson we Europeans have learned from unbridled nationalism and racism, from the war of annihilation,’ said Steinmeier…

“The commemoration event took place in the small Belgian town of Bastogne, where Allied soldiers managed to repel the last major German offensive of World War II. More than 19,000 US troops were killed in what is considered one of the bloodiest battles in US history…

“The Battle of the Bulge is considered a turning point in the war, effectively paving the way for Allied forces to break through German defenses in western Europe. Less than six months after the battle, Nazi Germany surrendered…”

Unfortunately, the prophesied united Europe will be anything else but peaceful.

Pelosi Too Afraid!

The Associated Press wrote on December 19:

 “The top Senate Republican is denouncing the ‘unfair’ House impeachment of President Donald Trump and reassuring Trump and his supporters that ‘moments like this are why the United States Senate exists.’ Sen. Mitch McConnell, in remarks prepared for a Thursday floor speech, accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of being afraid to send ‘their shoddy work product to the Senate’ after she threw uncertainty into the impeachment process by refusing to say when she would send two impeachment articles to the Senate for a trial...

“Until the articles [abuse of power and obstruction of Congress] are submitted, the Senate cannot hold the trial [that is nearly certain to acquit the president, according to Newsmax and Bloomberg]… there is no Constitutional requirement on Pelosi to send them swiftly — or at all.”

The New York Times wrote on December 19:

“… the third-ranking House Democrat [James E. Clyburn of South Carolina], raised the possibility that the chamber could permanently withhold the articles from the Senate if it did not get assurances of a fair trial.”

Mitch McConnell even “threatened to cancel Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate if ‘scared’ Nancy Pelosi refuses to send him the formal articles of impeachment” (Daily Mail, December 19). On the other hand, President Trump demanded a trial in the Senate.

The Democrats have signed their death warrant. They might not only have guaranteed that Trump will be re-elected but they might also have managed to lose the House in the next election. Republicans are now unified as never before, while the Nation is deeply and incurably divided. Now, the House Democrats under Pelosi are trying to find a way out of their self-inflicted mortal wound, and delaying a Senate trial indefinitely might be their rationale for mitigating some damage. 

That new “tactic” won’t work. To suggest that the trial in the Senate might be unfair is the epitome of hypocrisy given the fact that the Democratic procedure under Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler in the House was completely dictatorial, biased and utterly unfair.

Not Yet “Impeached”?

Newsmax and Bloomberg News wrote on December 19:

“Lawyers… are exploring whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to temporarily withhold articles of impeachment from the Senate could mean that the president hasn’t actually been impeached. The legal argument… is that if Trump has been officially impeached, the U.S. Senate should already have jurisdiction. Backers of the theory would argue that the clause of the U.S. Constitution that gives the Senate ‘the sole Power to try all Impeachments’ indicates that the impeachment is not formalized until the House reported the charges to the upper chamber.”

US Senate Sanctions Russian-German Pipeline

Deutsche Welle reported on December 17:

“US lawmakers on Tuesday approved sanctions on companies and governments working on the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline that will link Germany with Russian gas.

Companies providing services such as pipe laying are being targeted, as Washington tries [to] halt the completion of the $10.5 billion (€9.6 billion) pipeline, which would transport gas under the Baltic Sea. The sanctions, which overwhelmingly passed in the House last week, are expected to be signed into force as part of a defense spending bill by US President Donald Trump later this week.

“The Trump administration would then have 60 days to identify companies and individuals providing services on the pipeline. The sanctions would revoke US visas and block property of these individuals. Those targeted by the sanctions would then have 30 days to wind down their operations. Switzerland-based Allseas, which has been hired by Russia’s Gazprom to build the offshore section, is one company that could be targeted by the sanctions.

“US officials believe the pipeline will increase Europe’s reliance on Russian energy, put billions of dollars in Moscow’s coffers, and increase Russian President Putin’s influence.

However, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has urged the US not to meddle in European energy policy. Speaking on German television last week, Maas criticized the House decision to move ahead on Nord Stream 2 sanctions. ‘We think this is unacceptable, because it is ultimately a move to influence autonomous decisions that are made in Europe.’ ‘European energy policy is decided in Europe, not in the US,’ Maas later tweeted.

“The German-Russian Chamber of Commerce said last week that the pipeline is essential for European energy security and called for retaliatory sanctions on the US. German Bundestag member Andreas Nick told DW that sanctions over the Nord Stream 2 would unite Germany behind the project. ‘It’s an issue of national sovereignty, and it is potentially a liability for trans-Atlantic relations,’ said Nick.”

CNBC added on December 18 that the defense bill approved by the Senate includes US sanctions regarding the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, but that “the sanctions might not have much effect given that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is almost complete.”

US House Approves $1.4 Trillion Spending Package

The Week wrote on December 18:

“The House approved a $1.4 trillion spending package Tuesday that would fund the federal government through Oct. 1, 2020. The Senate needs to pass [after some further compromise, the Senate passed the bill on Thursday] and President Trump sign the legislation before midnight Friday to prevent a government shutdown…”

The Associated Press added on December 17:

“The Democratic-controlled House [handed] President Donald Trump a victory on his U.S.-Mexico border fence… The hard-fought legislation also funds a record Pentagon budget… A tax on medical devices and health insurance plans would also be repealed permanently. Tuesday’s tax breaks [would] repeal the three so-called ‘Obamacare’ taxes…

“The increase in the tobacco purchasing age to 21 also applies to e-cigarettes and vaping devices… but anti-smoking activists said the provision didn’t go far enough because it failed to ban flavored vaping products popular with teenagers…

“The outcome in the latest chapter in the longstanding battle over Trump’s border wall awards Trump with $1.4 billion for new barriers — equal to last year’s appropriation — while preserving Trump’s ability to use his budget powers to tap other accounts for several times that amount. That’s a blow for liberal opponents of the wall…”

Trump emerges successfully… but the unprecedented amount of the spending package is astronomical.

Animal Sacrifices and the Third Temple

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 12:

“‘Our ascent to the Temple Mount makes known God’s name in the World,’ said [Rabbi Eliyahu] Weber, who is styled the dean of the Temple Mount Yeshiva. Weber goes up to the Mount practically every day to recite the morning service with a minyan, and says he has done so for many months. ‘The essence of our presence on the Temple Mount shows that this place belongs to the Jewish people,’ said Weber… The final goal, however, is to rebuild the Temple. ‘The ultimate goal is to be able to offer sacrifices in the Temple,’ Weber says simply…

“There is religious controversy regarding Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, let alone when it comes to work aimed at rebuilding the Temple. The influential Torah scholar Maimonides taught that the Temple would be built by Messiah. Other scholars believe that the Temple will descend from the heavens in the messianic era while the modern right-wing flank has called for Jews to build the Temple now and usher in the Messiah…”

There is no biblical evidence that the temple would descend from heaven. After the third resurrection, the heavenly Jerusalem will descend from the third heaven, but there will be no temple in it. The Bible teaches that the Jews will build the third temple prior to the return of Christ, and that this will apparently become the millennial temple as described in the book of Ezekiel.

Trump’s Plan for Israel

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 17:

“Jerusalem will remain united under mostly Israeli control with some responsibilities shared with a Palestinian state including the West Bank and Gaza, according to a purported draft copy of US President Donald Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ peace plan for the Middle East published by the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV channel on Monday. The unconfirmed reported draft details the timetable and methods of the plan.

“The parts that were released by the TV channel, which is based in Lebanon and affiliated with Hezbollah, discuss a trilateral peace agreement between the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Israel in which a ‘new Palestinian state’ would be established in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, excluding the settlement blocs which would remain as a part of Israel… Jerusalem will not be split up in the agreement, but instead will be ‘shared’ between Israel and the Palestinian state, with the Arab population of the city becoming residents of the Palestinian state…

“The United States will provide 20% of the funds in the agreement, while the EU will provide 10% and the Gulf nations will provide 70%. The contribution provided by the Gulf nations will be split between them according to their oil producing capabilities. According to the draft, an agreement will be signed between Israel and the new Palestinian state, with Israel providing protection to the state from ‘external aggression,’ while the Palestinians pay for it…

“Upon the signing of the agreement, Hamas will hand over its weapons and armaments to Egypt, and members of Hamas will receive monthly salaries from Arab nations… The Jordan Valley would remain under Israeli control…

“If Hamas and the PLO reject the deal, the United States will end all financial support they provide to the Palestinians and will try to prevent other countries from providing support to the Palestinians… In any military confrontation between Israel and Hamas, the US will support Israel in order to harm the leaders of Hamas and [PLO] as the US won’t accept a situation in which dozens of people control the fate of millions. If Israel rejects the deal, the US will end economic support to the state…

“A letter published in The Guardian by former EU officials, including six prime ministers and 25 foreign ministers, called for postponing the ‘Deal of the Century’ because it is unfair to the Palestinians. In the letter, which was sent to the European Union and EU governments, the former leaders argue that Europe must stand by the two-state solution and condemn the Trump administration’s policy, which they claim is unilaterally in favor of Israel.”

If the report on the contemplated “Deal of the Century” is accurate, then there is no chance that that deal would be accepted by the involved parties. It would constitute another total waste of time and energy.

What Trump Did for Israel

JTA wrote on December 12:

“He has been willing to take action on issues pertaining to Israel and the broader Jewish community that past presidents had shied away from, creating a fervent right-wing Jewish fan base… Trump has forcefully condemned anti-Semitism…

“Here’s a list of his most momentous moves in relation to the Jewish state: Recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Sent a fierce Israel defender, Nikki Haley, to the United Nations, where she used her office to bash the institution for anti-Israel bias. Slashed U.S. funding for the Palestinians. Pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despises.

 “Those all add up to arguably… the most pro-Israel and most controversial Middle East policy agenda ever.

 “There’s one area of disagreement between Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu:… In September 2019, Trump abandoned the U.S.’ Kurdish allies [in Syria], leaving room for Turkey and the Assad regime to cement their influence on the region. Other Israeli politicians… said that the United States abandoning a trusted Middle Eastern ally was not a good precedent for the U.S.-Israel relationship…   in September of 2019 [Trump also said] he was considering a U.S.-Israel defense pact.”

The now very friendly relationship between the USA and Israel is remarkable, in that prophetic events can and will take place soon, which would otherwise be impossible to occur.

Turkey and Israel on Brink

Express wrote on December 18:

“According to an investigation by The Daily Telegraph the Palestinian group [Hamas] is using Turkey as a safe harbour to plot suicide bombings and assassinations in Israel. The report also claims that Hamas maintains close ties to Turkey’s intelligence agencies, while its top leaders and activists travel freely to the country, with some now living in Istanbul. Hamas is a militant group who are opposed to Israel’s existence within any borders…

“The organisation is considered a terrorist group by the EU and US, while its armed wing has been designated a terror group by the UK… in a sign of the close relations between the Turkish state and Hamas, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met the group’s leader Ismail Haniyeh last weekend. After the meeting, Mr Erdogan re-iterated his support for Hamas, telling reporters: ‘We will keep on supporting our brothers in Palestine.’”

The report by the Daily Telegraph rings true. Turkey will continue to behave antagonistically towards Israel.

Dangers of an “Accidental” War

Daily Star wrote on December 18:

“Gerasimov, the chief [of] Vladimir Putin’s general staff, has said he believes the West are preparing for a ‘large-scale military conflict’… saying that the West has assigned ‘adversary status’ to Russia… NATO and Russia both have shipped tonnes of military hardware to the frontier in eastern Europe… General Gerasimov warned this could accidentally spiral into conflict between Russia and NATO – World War 3…

“General Gerasimov said both Moscow and the West must reduce the risk of clashes. It comes after a string of military incidents between the two sides, with warships and warplanes often ‘buzzing’ each other in eastern Europe…

“Meanwhile, US Major General Barre Seguin… confirmed the US is to send 20,000 troops to Europe next April and May in its biggest military exercises on European soil since the Cold War… to mass around 37,000 troops along the eastern flank…”

According to the Bible, a nuclear war will ensue between a united Europe and a Far Eastern power bloc under Russian and Chinese leadership.

Russia’s Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 13:

“One man became the second Jehovah’s Witness to receive a six year prison sentence in Russia in the last two months. Moscow has outlawed the fringe Christian group [in 2017], saying they are dangerous extremists… The government has been trying to crack down on the US-based Christian sect, which has been completely outlawed in Russia… ‘The current state of religious freedom in Russia is reminiscent of Soviet times,’ said Jehovah’s Witness spokesman Jarrod Lopes in New York…

“Both the government and the Russian Orthodox Church have said that the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who believe in predestination as well as several other fringe Christian doctrines, are a threat to the country’s institutions. However… even President Vladimir Putin has called into question the need to target the group. Still, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said there were no immediate plans to change the law.”

When being confronted, Putin, the proverbial chameleon, will say whatever may be convenient at the time. The persecution of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia is appalling and signals further coming persecution of any religious minority group which is not part of the Russian Orthodox Church.

End of Religious Exemptions for Vaccines even in isolated Private Schools

WKSG news reported on November 7, 2019:

“A state appeals court in Seneca County has upheld New York’s elimination of religious exemptions to vaccine requirements… This is the first school year in which a medical exemption form signed by a doctor is the only way around vaccination requirements for students enrolled in public, private or parochial schools in New York.

“The case in Seneca County focused on an Amish family represented by Long Island attorney Jason Mermigis… All 24 of the students at the private school are unvaccinated, the complaint said. Forcing the children to be vaccinated would be a ‘betrayal of faith in God’ for their father, Jonas Stoltzfus, Mermigis wrote…

“Under the rules barring religious exemptions to vaccines, schools can be fined up to $2,000 per day for each student who is out of compliance… Mermigis said the family lives in a secluded community, and they would not put anyone else at risk by being unvaccinated…”

The Associated Press added on December 16:

“New Jersey’s Assembly on Monday passed a measure to eliminate religious exemptions for vaccines for [public and private school children as well as for child care centers].… but the Democrat-controlled state Senate postponed a vote because there weren’t enough yes votes…

“If approved, the bill would go to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk. His office declined to say what he would do with the bill. New Jersey would join a handful of states, including New York and California, in doing away with the religious exemption, if the bill becomes law… Forty-five states and the District of Columbia allow for religious exemptions to immunizations…”

It is no surprise that left-wing liberal states like California and New York would eradicate religious exemptions. The paranoia regarding this whole matter is breathtaking.  

Changing “Values”

Axios wrote on December 16:

“The industry is changing fast. PBS is planning to increase its LGBTQ programming on broadcast and digital next year… NPR was recently applauded for embracing a plurality of diverse voices on its air. Disney hosted its first ‘Magical Pride’ celebration at one of its theme parks in Paris earlier this year. Highlights, a children’s magazine, made headlines two years ago when it featured an illustration of a same-sex couple in an issue for the first time.

“The bottom line: 61% of Americans support same-sex marriage, up from 31% in 2004…”

The sign of the times and the beginning of sorrows… Walt Disney would turn in his grave if he could and if he knew…

Criminalizing Conversion Therapy for Minors in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 18:

“Germany moved one step closer to banning ‘conversion therapy’ targeting transgender and gay people after its Cabinet approved a draft bill…  The bill will next be presented to Germany’s lower house, Health Minister Jens Spahn told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland news group (RND). If the bill passes both houses of parliament, advertising or offering conversion therapy will be banned and infringements will carry fines of up to €30,000 ($33,000). After the proposed ban, only adults who freely seek out the… ‘therapy’ will be legally permitted to undergo it… The bill passed by the Cabinet was amended to include banning the practice for 16- to 18-year-olds…

“A previous draft of the bill would have allowed the practice on 16- to 18-year-olds if the practitioner could prove the patient understood its implications and risks. Under the bill, parents or caregivers would also be punished for making a 16- to 18-year-old undergo the therapy…”

It should come as no surprise that Jens Spahn is openly gay. Germany, as usual, finds itself in the forefront of promoting highly controversial matters. As we reported in the last Update, Germany is also largely to be blamed for the abominable sex education classes in Europe, including the directive to familiarize children with homosexuality. Note the next article as an opposite example.

EU Attacks Poland over Stance on Family

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 18:

“The European Parliament adopted a resolution… condemning so-called ‘LGBTI-free’ zones in Poland…

“Neither same-sex marriage nor civil unions are allowed in Poland…”

The resolution reads, in part, as follows:

“In a resolution adopted by 463 votes in favour, 107 against and 105 abstentions on Wednesday, MEPs express their deep concern at the growing number of attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in the EU by states, state officials, national and local governments as well as politicians. Recent examples include homophobic statements during a referendum campaign in Romania and hate speech targeting LGBTI people in the context of elections in Estonia, Spain, the UK, Hungary and Poland…

“MEPs notably condemn the areas ‘free from LGBTI ideology’’ established since the beginning of 2019, by dozens of municipalities, counties and regions in the southeast of Poland. These local governments have issued non-binding resolutions pledging to refrain from taking any action to encourage tolerance of LGBTI people and saying they would not provide financial assistance to NGOs working to promote equal rights. The European Parliament urges Polish authorities to condemn these acts and to revoke all resolutions attacking LGBTI rights…”

“Parliament also deplores the attacks carried out against LGBTI people by some member states’ public authorities, targeted at educational institutions and schools. MEPs recall that schools should be places that reinforce and protect the fundamental rights of all children…”

Instead, children are being encouraged in school to engage in homosexual conduct, labeling it as normal. It is troublesome to see how it is tried to enforce the gay agenda on others. In addition, Deutsche Welle reported on December 17 that in the British Parliament, “the number of out gay, lesbian and bisexual MPs [is] more than [in] any other parliament in the world.”

Blaspheming Jesus Christ

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 12:

“… get ready for what’s become a new vulgar Christmas tradition; propagating the delusional denial that Jesus was a Jew. The denial of Jesus’ Jewishness gets ‘better’ by making up the claim not only that Jesus was a Palestinian Arab, but that he was the first Palestinian…

“It’s well documented that Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, and that he was born in Bethlehem, the land designated for Judah’s decedents. That’s why the area around Bethlehem is known as the Judean Mountains today, as it was called Judea then. Why, if Jesus was born in Judea, were his parents visiting from Nazareth in the Galilee where Jesus spent most of his life. This is documented in the New Testament (Luke 2:1-7) that Joseph and Mary returned from Nazareth to Judea during Sukkot (Tabernacles) to participate in a Roman census…

“At a news conference at the United Nations in 1983, (PLO leader Yasser) Arafat called Jesus ‘the first Palestinian fedayeen [militiaman] who carried his sword.’ When Arafat triumphantly took control of Bethlehem in December 1995, he told a throng gathered in Manger Square that he was there to liberate ‘the birthplace of our Lord the Messiah… the city of the Palestinian Jesus!’ During a visit to the Vatican a few years later, Arafat even greeted Pope John Paul II as ‘the successor of Peter, the first Palestinian pope.’…

“Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, describes Jesus as ‘a Palestinian messenger of love, justice and peace.’ Palestinian Authority leader Saeb Erekat has referred to Jesus as the ‘first Palestinian shahid (martyr)’… What’s next, that the last supper was not a Passover Seder but a Ramadan break-fast?

“Claiming Jesus was a Palestinian goes hand in hand with what I term Temple Denial Syndrome: the Palestinian Arab absurdity that there was never a Temple on the temple Mount. Despite historical and biblical reality, and despite that in 1925 the Islamic Wakf documented that their mosques do in fact sit in the site of Solomon’s Temple, that’s what they want you to believe.

“Only after the Bar Kochba rebellion, in the year 132, did Rome rename Israel as Palestina in order to underscore that Judea had been sacked, purging Jewish connection to the Land… Further documenting this, ancient Roman coins have been found with the phrase ‘Judea Capta,’ Judea is Captured. Not ‘Palestine is captured.’ There was no Palestine, ergo Jesus is not, was not and could not have been a Palestinian. ‘Palestine’ didn’t even exist when he lived… [it is] certain is that he was a Jew, something the Romans underscored when they crucified him, mockingly calling him King of the Jews.”

Jesus was clearly a Jew (Hebrews 7:14; John 4:22). Making matters worse, a new Brazilian “comedy” on Netflix portrays Jesus as gay. Also, the first and the second temples clearly stood on the Temple Mount. Ideas to the contrary are unbiblical and without any shred of evidence whatsoever.

Liberal Jews and Christmas Trees

Brandeis Now wrote on December 16:

“Louis Brandeis was well known for becoming the first Jewish person appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. So it may seem surprising that he celebrated the winter holidays with a Christmas tree in his home… Christmas trees were common in the homes of secular American Jews at the time. What’s happened since then is more complex. ‘In the late 19th century, there were quite a few liberal Jews – especially those from central European backgrounds – who had Christmas trees in their homes and saw them as secular symbols of the season,’ University Professor Jonathan Sarna told BrandeisNOW… ‘Christmas isn’t even mentioned in the New Testament – trees were not necessarily ubiquitous at Christmas – so some Jews felt the trees were a symbol that could be shared by people of all faiths,’ said Sarna…

“‘The rise of the state of Israel, which saw itself as the heir to the Maccabees, led to a strengthening of Hanukkah as a holiday versus Christmas,’ Sarna said… Hanukkah, whose origin dates back to the Maccabean Wars of 160-167 CE, isn’t considered a Jewish high holiday and [barely] appears in the Talmud. But its celebration became more widespread thanks to its proximity on the calendar to Christmas.

“Jews gave gifts of money when they celebrated Hanukkah in the 19th century – a tradition that continues today with gelt. But receiving presents became more mainstream at Hanukkah after Christmas became a national holiday in 1870… ‘When Christmas became a national holiday, Jewish children felt discriminated against,’ Sarna said. ‘Christian children received gifts and Jewish children felt left out. Parents took note, and there is no doubt the tradition of Hanukkah gifts, apart from gelt, was influenced by the surrounding culture of gift-giving at Christmas.’

“In the last 40 years, Sarna says two specific groups have brought back the tradition of bringing Christmas trees into the home: Russian-speaking Jews and inter-married couples. Christmas was banned as a religious holiday in the Soviet Union, but the tree remained a symbol of the new year. As such, Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants continue to see the tree as a secular symbol of winter. Sarna said intermarried couples, where one partner is Christian, might have a Christmas tree as a matter of compromise… ‘Lots of intermarried Jews find their non-Jewish spouses miss the Christmas tree and feel they can have a menorah and a tree as multiple symbols of the season,’ Sarna said…”

Liberal “secular” Jews engage in all kinds of additional “observances” which are clearly connected to pagan-filled “Christianity.”

Pontifical Secret Abolished

The Associated Press reported on December 17:

“Pope Francis abolished the ‘pontifical secret’ used in clergy sexual abuse cases Tuesday, responding to mounting criticism that the high degree of confidentiality has been used to protect pedophiles, silence victims and prevent police from investigating crimes… In a new law, Francis decreed that information in abuse cases must be protected by church leaders to ensure its ‘security, integrity and confidentiality.’ But he said ‘pontifical secret,’ the highest form of confidentiality in the church, no longer applies to abuse-related accusations, trials and decisions under the Catholic Church’s canon law.

“The Vatican’s leading sex crimes investigator, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, said the reform was an ‘epochal decision’ that will facilitate coordination with civil law enforcement and open up lines of communication with victims…

“Francis also raised from 14 to 18 the cutoff age below which the Vatican considers pornographic images to be child pornography – a response to the Vatican’s increasing awareness of the prolific spread of online child porn that has frequently implicated even high-ranking churchmen…

“Pope Benedict XVI, when he was a cardinal, had persuaded the pope to decree in 2001 that these cases must be dealt with under ‘pontifical secret.’…  The Vatican had long insisted that such confidentiality was necessary to protect the privacy of the victim, the reputation of the accused and the integrity of the canonical process…

“According to the new instruction… the Vatican still doesn’t mandate reporting the crimes to police, saying religious superiors are obliged to do so where civil reporting laws require it…”

The practical application of the change is still pretty much unclear and undefined.

The Length of a Sermon

The Associated Press wrote on December 15:

“According to Pew… Catholic sermons [are] the shortest, at a median of just 14 minutes, compared with 25 minutes for sermons in mainline Protestant congregations and 39 minutes in evangelical Protestant congregations. Historically black Protestant churches had by far the longest sermons, at a median of 54 minutes.

“Pew said sermons at the black churches lasted longer than mainline Protestant sermons even though, on average, they had roughly the same number of words. A possible explanation, Pew said, is that the preachers at black churches allow more time during their sermons for musical interludes, responses from worshippers in the pews and dramatic pauses in their oratory.”

Following the well-considered example of the Worldwide Church of God under Herbert W. Armstrong, sermons in the Church of the Eternal God last, on an average, from 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.  (A sermon is not being interrupted by responses from worshippers.) In addition, sermonettes of approximately 10 to 15 minutes in length are given in a Church service. A “sermon” in the Catholic Church would qualify, just based on length, as a sermonette in the Church of the Eternal God.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

The Most History-Shaping Election since WW II

The Associated Press wrote on December 9:

“Britain is facing the most testing and significant period in its modern history since World War II. The polarized electorate now has a critical choice to make — but it seems unlikely the result… will heal deep and toxic divisions…

“This election [on December 12] will shape the country’s future.”

Axios wrote on December 9:

“This has been a brutal campaign fought by two leaders who are disliked and distrusted by broad swaths of the public. Johnson has been accused of repeatedly misleading voters, while opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has been charged with allowing anti-Semitism to fester within his Labour Party…”

Johnson Wins Big

 JTA wrote on December 12:

 “Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has defeated Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party by a large margin in Britain’s general elections on Thursday, exit polls indicate. The Conservatives received 368 seats out of 650 according to the polls by BBC, ITV and Sky News, with Labour lagging far behind with 191…

“Many British Jews have said the elections are particularly fateful for them because they believe that the Labour Party has become institutionally anti-Semitic under its left-wing leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who was elected to lead the party in 2015… If the exit polls are accurate, it would be the worst performance by Labour in any general election since the World War II…”

 It would also be the biggest victory for the Conservatives since 1987.

Brexit Almost Certainly a Given!

 The Sun added on December 12:

 “The expected results mean Britain’s political chaos could finally be over, leaving Boris with the numbers to push his Brexit deal through Parliament in weeks… Exit polls… almost always correctly predict the outcome of general elections and are known to be accurate…”

BBC News wrote on December 12:

“If the exit polls pans out – it means one big constitutional question will be ‘solved’. The UK will leave the European Union under Boris Johnson. There will be bumps along the road and negotiating a new trade deal might not be easy. But a Tory majority government will take the UK out of the EU. If the numbers in Scotland play out, though, another constitutional clash is coming… So while Brexit might become easier to deliver – there will still be big debates over the future of the UK…”

Scotland is vehemently opposed to Brexit.

The Huffington Post wrote on December 12:

“… a newly empowered Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be able to claim a mandate to ‘get Brexit done’ on his terms, likely killing off any chance of a second referendum on Britain’s membership in the European Union… [The results give] the Conservatives an unexpectedly large majority of 86 seats, if the poll is accurate… Brexit was central to the campaign run by Johnson, who is pushing to leave the European Union by the end of January…”

ABC News wrote on December 12:

“If early exit polls are any indication, Conservatives have won a huge victory in U.K.’s closely watched general election… The victory would mean a clear vindication for Brexit-champion Boris Johnson, who would remain as prime minister.”

The anti-Brexit tabloid Bild Online stated: “By the end of January, it will apparently be said: ‘Bye-Bye EU!’” But the tabloids also pointed out that difficult negotiations between the EU and Great Britain will continue until the end of 2020, to determine the future relationship between the two power blocs.

Die German paper Die Welt commented: “Brexit will now almost certainly happen by the end of January.”

Ukraine between EU and Russia

The Associated Press wrote on December 8:

“Germany’s longer-term economic interests are a continual challenge for Ukraine. Berlin is seen as having harmed Ukraine’s interests by moving forward with the completion of a Russian-German gas pipeline called Nord Stream 2 that will bring Russian natural gas to Western Europe. Its route bypasses Ukraine, cutting off its leverage as a transit country and an income source…

“Vadim Karasev, head of the Institute of Global Strategies, an independent Kyiv-based think tank, said the Europeans ‘have grown tired of Kyiv’s endless problems… European powers, he said, ‘can’t endlessly deal with Kyiv’s problems when they have their own issues to solve.’”

Russia the Clear Winner

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 9:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to implement a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine by year-end, following their first meeting on Monday at a summit in Paris mediated by France and Germany… The four-way summit with the leaders of Germany and France also led to all sides agreeing to implement an ‘all for all’ prisoner exchange by the end of the year.”

Bild Online commented: “For years, Putin plays dumb, deceiving the world. And Macron and Merkel are ‘extras.’”

Newsmax added on December 9:

“The presidents of Ukraine and Russia… failed to resolve crucial issues such as a timeline on local elections and control of the borders in the rebel-held region… the two leaders failed to find a compromise to bring an end to the 5-year-old war that has killed 14,000 people, emboldened the Kremlin and reshaped European geopolitics…

“A major breakthrough at the Paris talks had been seen as unlikely… With U.S. influence waning around the world, many in Kyiv see one clear winner: Russia.”

Deutsche Welle added on December 10:

“The Ukrainian president may consider the Paris summit to be a draw with Russia, but he couldn’t be more wrong… The West and Ukraine are willing to compromise to woo [Putin], the undisputed ruler of Russia…

“The annexation of the peninsula by Russia was not even on the agenda in Paris. But… [it] helps prevent Ukraine’s ambitions to move closer towards the EU and NATO, as countries with ongoing conflicts cannot be admitted as members…”

The Bible reveals very clearly that ultimately, Ukraine and Russia will be working together AGAINST Europe.

House Democrats Push for Impeachment of President Trump

Breitbart wrote on December 10:

“House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump over his contacts with Ukraine: Abuse of power and obstruction of Congress… The charges… stem from second-hand allegations brought forth in a whistleblower complaint by a partisan CIA officer, who alleged President Trump attempted to pressure the leader of Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for U.S. military aid. Both President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have both vehemently denied any pressure was applied during their July 25 telephone conversation at the center of the impeachment inquiry.

“Notably absent from the articles were any mention of bribery, which House Democrats accused the president of committing in his dealings with Ukraine. Also absent was an article regarding past claims that the president obstructed special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into now-debunked criminal conspiracy between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia…”

Democrats decided against introducing additional articles of impeachment [such as, obstruction of justice and bribery], fearing that such additions might not even be accepted by the House controlled by the Democrats and that they would clearly guarantee their defeat in upcoming elections. Regardless, Democrats have already signed their death warrant for political suicide, as the impeachment circus will fall flat in the Senate. Trump will once again emerge as the winner and be re-elected in 2020.

No Grounds for Impeachment

Breitbart wrote on December 10:

“Democrats’ articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump allege… the two weakest possible charges among the many the House had been considering.

“The term ‘abuse of power’ does not appear in the Constitution’s Impeachment Clause, which specifies that Congress’s power of impeachment covers ‘Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors.’…

“Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz… argues… that ‘abuse of power’ is never impeachable — at least not without an underlying crime. In this case, there is none…

“Legal scholar Cass Sunstein, a former Obama administration official and an intellectual leader on the left, published a crucial book…  in 2017… Of ‘obstruction of Congress,’ Sunstein said that a president cannot be impeached simply for resisting subpoenas. A mere ‘conflict between the branches’ of government, he declared, is ‘no legitimate basis for impeachment’…”

Even scholars from the left state clearly that the Democrats have no case against Trump. But it had to develop in this way so as to guarantee that Trump will stay in office after the next election.

NAFTA Revised

The Independent wrote on December 10:

“House speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that Democrats have reached a deal on Donald Trump’s revised version of Nafta, just after her caucus introduced two articles of impeachment against the president. The deal would revise the 1990s free trade agreement between the countries [USA, Mexico and Canada], with slight tweaks that would especially impact the autos sector, copyright and the US dairy industry.

“But the timing of the deal shows that Ms Pelosi is also playing a shrewd political game, knowing that some of her most vulnerable members may be sticking their necks out by backing impeachment against Mr Trump. At the same time, Democrats are risking handing Mr Trump a major trade victory with just under a year before the 2020 election.”

Again, the “politics” of the Democrats portray an attitude of willful self-infliction and harm.

Escalation of Chinese-American Trade War

Express wrote on December 11:

“China has ordered all its government offices and public institutions to remove American computers amid trade negotiations between the two countries failing to progress… this is likely to hit US companies such as HP, Dell and Microsoft hard. Analysts at Jefferies say that US technology companies generate as much as $150bn a year in revenues from China…

 “This comes after US President Donald Trump’s administration banned US companies from doing business with Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei earlier this year… Washington was said to be concerned about Chinese technology companies helping the government to conduct cyber espionage. Huawei was a particular concern as it helped build ultra-high-speed 5G networks around the world.”

This trade war, and others which are pending or which will arise, WOULD be very harmful to the American people. However, it was just announced by Newsmax, dated December 12, that  “The White House reached a ‘deal in principle’ with Beijing on trade… In the current deal, the United States would suspend tariffs expected to go into effect on $160 billion in Chinese goods, and Beijing has promised to buy more U.S. agricultural goods…”

NATO’s Uncertain Future and Europe’s Destiny

On December 4, Project Syndicate published the following article by Joschka Fischer who was German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor from 1998-2005:

“A profound change in US strategic priorities under President Donald Trump demands that Europeans revisit long-held assumptions about their collective defense. The result is that Europe must fend for itself for the first time since the end of World War II. Yet after so many years of strategic dependence [on] the US, Europe is unprepared – not just materially but psychologically – for today’s harsh geopolitical realities. Nowhere is this truer than in Germany.

“NATO’s future is more uncertain now than at any time in its history… NATO’s survival can no longer be taken for granted, and Europeans cannot wait 20 years to figure out what should come after it…  Europe has no choice but to become a power in its own right… But Europeans should not harbor any illusions about what defense autonomy will require.

“… NATO still exists, and there are still US troops deployed in Europe. But the operative word is ‘still.’… the alliance’s unraveling has become less a matter of ‘if’ than ‘when.’… Macron understands this, whereas Germany, in typical fashion, is paying mere lip service to its old commitments, promising to increase its defense spending but making little real headway. Macron understands that the rupture in Europe’s defense following a withdrawal of US troops… would unfold… as a sudden break… Europe… must make substantial investments in its military and expand its own capabilities on a massive scale. In other words, it must act as if the break has already happened…

“Trump’s nationalist shift under the slogan of ‘America first’ has suddenly forced Europe to confront the question of its own sovereignty, which means becoming an independent technological power with the ability to act decisively as a united front. The EU never would have done so of its own volition. Trump, whatever his intent, is forcing Europe to reinvent itself… the EU must act as if the alliance was already gone.”

Angela Merkel has been described in the German press as someone who is sound asleep. But others are not, and sooner than later, European core nations, under a new German leadership, will unite to create a powerful military unity.

Annexation of the Jordan Valley?

The Times of Israel News wrote on December 5:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possible annexation of the Jordan Valley and other parts of the West Bank with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during their talks here… Netanyahu stressed, however, that ‘These things are much easier when you have a government…’

“Netanyahu also said he and Pompeo agreed to move forward with plans for a joint defense treaty… Asked about the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor’s statement, issued earlier on Thursday, that she was ‘concerned’ about Netanyahu’s vow to apply Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, he replied tersely: ‘It’s our full right to do it, if we decide to do it.’”

Israel will go forward with plans such as the ones described in this article.

Praying on the Temple Mount

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 5:

“Until recently, police have prevented Jews and other non-Muslims from praying conspicuously on the Temple Mount out of a concern that such activity would stoke tensions and lead to violence from Muslim worshipers. In the past, the police would routinely eject or detain any non-Muslim seen to be praying at the holy site, and this stance was mostly backed by the courts, which ruled that although in theory Jewish prayer was legal on the Temple Mount the police were entitled to prevent it due to security considerations. But all this has changed in recent months.

“According to Elishama Sandman, a spokesman for the Yeraeh Temple Mount visitation advocacy group, the prayer services have been taking place at least since Passover this year… He said however that the various Temple Mount activist groups are ‘not satisfied’ with the new situation, and hope eventually that the prayer services can be more organized, and that prayer will be possible with prayer shawls, tefillin, prayer books and a Torah scroll. ‘The ultimate vision is of course that the Temple be rebuilt on the Temple Mount,’ he said.”

Jewish prayers on the Temple Mount are another step towards bringing animal sacrifices and building the prophesied third temple on the Temple Mount.

New Israeli Elections in March

 The Week wrote on December 11:

 “Israel in March will vote in a third election within a year, after a final deadline for forming a government passed Wednesday and parliament moved to disband itself.

 “In the country’s last election in September, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his challenger Benny Gantz were essentially deadlocked. That meant Netanyahu was given the first opportunity to form a coalition, and when he failed to do so, Gantz took the reigns. But he also couldn’t execute an agreement, which — in an unprecedented move — meant the mandate was passed to parliament, which got one last opportunity before the clock ran down and elections became the only option.”

 The Algemeiner added on December 11:

 “What had once seemed nearly impossible to many Israelis — a third visit to polling stations after the inconclusive ballots of April and September — carries a heavy economic price: it will be well into 2020 before a new budget is passed, which will mean months of cutbacks that will weigh on growth…

 “But this time, Israel‘s longest-serving leader [Benjamin Netanyahu, 70,] is running under the cloud of a criminal indictment announced last month… As prime minister, Netanyahu is under no legal obligation to resign as a result of the indictment, and while in office he can ask the legislature to grant him immunity from prosecution.

 “As caretaker premier, Netanyahu would remain in the post until a new government is formed — a process that could stretch months past a March [2] ballot if what is likely to be tortuous coalition-building is taken into account.”

Pope Compares Trump with King Herod!

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 6:

“In a report published on Thursday, it was reported that while on a recent visit to Buddhists in Thailand, Pope Francis addressed the issue of refugees, comparing the policy of building walls and detention centers to the acts of King Herod who killed Jesus… ‘there are walls that even separate children from parents,’ Pope Francis said in an oblique reference to President Trump’s policies on the southern border, suggesting that the policies will ultimately fail. ‘Herod comes to mind. Yet for drugs, there’s no wall to keep them out.’

“King Herod, also known as Herod the Great, was a Roman client king of Judea. Herod’s family were converts to Judaism and his religious commitment was questioned by some elements of Jewish society. While Herod publicly identified himself as a Jew and was considered as such by some, this religious identification was undermined by the decadent lifestyle of the Herodians… Herod later executed several members of his own family, including his wife Mariamne.

“In the account of the Massacre of the Innocents in the New Testament, in an attempt to kill the infant Jesus, Herod gave orders to kill all boys of the age of two and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity.”

A very unfortunate comparison by the Pope, whether it was made intentionally or not.

Merkel Visits Auschwitz

Deutsche Welle reported on December 6:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel viewed what may be the most devastating testimonial to the industrial murder perpetrated by the Nazis at Auschwitz-Birkenau: The building that houses the personal belongings of those people who were sent to their deaths at the camp. She saw enormous mounds of human hair, thousands of pairs of glasses and a mountain of suitcases…

“Merkel [addressed] the alarming increase in racism, hate crimes, intolerance, xenophobia and anti-Semitism…

“Following Helmut Schmidt (1977), and Helmut Kohl (1989 and 1995), Merkel became just the third German chancellor to visit Auschwitz… As the early afternoon sun begins to set in the west, Merkel’s journey through the darkest chapter of German history also came to a close. She saw the ruins of the gas chambers and the remnants of Birkenau’s crematorium. She stood in front of a rail car parked at the camp’s train platform, where more than 1 million people stepped off of trains and to their deaths.”

Sadly, as many fear, another Holocaust WILL happen. It is clearly prophesied in the Bible.

Germany’s Young Socialites Condemn Government for Anti-Israel Stance

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 9:

“The youth organization of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) condemned in late November its leadership’s anti-Israel voting record at the UN. The Young Socialists (Jusos) organization wrote that the ‘disproportionate condemnation of Israel, the only democratic state in the Middle East’ is a problem affecting UN bodies ‘that is carried out not only by states of the Middle East, but also European states who pass, or abstain from, anti-Israel resolutions.’ Jusos urged Germany to ‘dissociate from the initiatives and alliances of antisemitic member states in the bodies and specialized agencies of the United Nations.’…

“There are over 70,000 members of the Jusos who fall into the age group 14 to 35 years-old.

“Germany’s Social Democratic Foreign Minister [Heiko] Maas has greenlighted nearly 30 condemnations of the Jewish state at the UN since 2018. Christoph Heusgen, Germany’s ambassador to the UN, compared Israel in March with the jihadi terrorist organization Hamas. Maas and Chancellor Angela Merkel[‘s] administration have rejected efforts to change Germany’s anti-Israel voting pattern at the UN. The Free Democratic Party pushed an initiative in the Bundestag in the Spring to reverse the alleged anti-Israel bias of the Merkel administration. Merkel’s party, the Christian Democratic Union, and the SPD rejected the initiative.”

The track record of politicians such as Maas and Heusgen is clearly appalling in this regard; and so is the at least passive approval of Angela Merkel, which stands in deep contrast to her visit at Auschwitz.

“Ninth Circuit Lifts Injunctions Blocking Trump’s ‘Public Charge’ Rule for Immigrants”

Politico wrote on December 5:

“A divided federal appeals court has lifted several injunctions blocking the Trump administration from implementing a rule aimed at limiting immigration benefits for individuals who participate in government programs such as food stamps or Medicaid.

“In an order Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voted, 2-1, to stay preliminary injunctions issued by federal judges in Oakland, Calif., and Spokane, Wash., against the newly issued ‘public charge’ policy just before it was to take effect in October.

“However, the policy remains on hold because judges in Maryland and New York City also blocked the new rules nationwide and their decisions are unaffected by the ruling from the 9th Circuit, which has jurisdiction over nine Western states. The Justice Department is also appealing the other injunctions.

“The majority on the 9th Circuit panel said the Trump administration was likely to prevail in its arguments that it had legal authority to issue regulations to broaden the definition of what constituted someone likely to become dependent on public assistance. ‘We find that the history of the use of “public charge” in federal immigration law demonstrates that “public charge” does not have a fixed, unambiguous meaning,’ Judge Jay Bybee wrote, joined by Judge Sandra Ikuta. ‘Rather, the phrase is subject to multiple interpretations, it in fact has been interpreted differently, and the Executive Branch has been afforded the discretion to interpret it… the wisdom of the policy is not a question we can review,’ added Bybee, who, like Ikuta, was appointed by President George W. Bush.

“The third judge on the panel, John Owens, [who was appointed by Obama] dissented, saying he would have denied the stay and allowed the injunctions to remain in place pending more thorough review by the appeals court…”

These are alarming developments for millions upon millions of (potential) immigrants, and when the case ends up with the US Supreme Court, the opinion of the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals might very well prevail.

Prosecuting the Innocent and Supporting the Guilty

Breitbart wrote on December 6:

“The criminal case against the undercover video journalists who exposed the fetal tissue trafficking activity of Planned Parenthood and its allies in the biomedical procurement industry is headed to trial. Former California Attorney General Kamala Harris, now a U.S. senator and former 2020 presidential candidate, initiated the case against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt of Center for Medical Progress. When Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate, her successor, current Attorney General Xavier Becerra, continued the case.

“The undercover citizen journalists were charged with 15 felony counts, 14 counts of illegal recording of confidential conversations and one count of conspiracy. The case makes them the first undercover journalists to be criminally prosecuted in the history of the state of California. On Friday, Judge Christopher Hite of San Francisco Superior Court announced nine of the felony charges had sufficient evidence to proceed to trial. Hite dropped the remaining six charges.

“Daleiden said in a statement: ‘Former California Attorney General Kamala Harris concocted this bogus, biased prosecution with her Planned Parenthood backers against undercover video reporting… The real criminals are the Planned Parenthood leadership who sold fetal body parts from late-term abortions and weaponized the justice system to try to cover it up.’…

“Thomas More Society Vice President and Senior Counsel Peter Breen, said that Daleiden used the same practices other undercover journalists have used to expose corruption. ‘David Daleiden is being charged as a criminal for openly delivering information that the public has a right to know, information that the abortion lobby and its financially supported elected officials would rather keep hidden,’ he said. ‘This prosecution by the State of California is an abuse of the justice system…’”

This is indeed a scandalous example of political persecution in California’s courtrooms, and we will continue to report on the further developments of this unjust procedure.

How Robocalls Became America’s Most Prevalent Crime

The Week wrote on December 7:

“Today, half of all phone calls are automated scams… Automated telephone calls might be America’s most prevalent form of lawbreaking, with more than 180 million such calls every day. A 2009 law that banned unsolicited, prerecorded telemarketing has failed to stem the explosion of calls seeking to steal information or scare people into scams… Just the time wasted dealing with robocalls costs Americans $3 billion per year… 70 percent of Americans don’t answer calls from unfamiliar numbers anymore… October was the worst month on record, with an estimated 5.7 billion robocalls…

“By one estimate, 90 percent of scam calls from abroad now show up as U.S. numbers. Robocalls home in on targets by asking consumers to press a button if they’d like to stop receiving calls, which actually lets callers identify ‘live’ numbers…

“Many Americans have been called by a fake Social Security Administration representative, who claims that the recipient’s Social Security number is compromised, asks for the number, and then uses it to commit identity theft. (In reality, the IRS and SSA don’t make unrequested telephone calls.)… Robocalls are often menacing, threatening prison or deportation; these tactics intimidate some vulnerable seniors and immigrants into cooperating…”

 Those who engage in robocalls or in hacking computers of others should be regarded as mean and despicable criminals and, if caught, they should be treated accordingly.

Volcanic Eruption on White Island

The Independent wrote on December 9:

“There are no more survivors of the volcanic eruption on New Zealand‘s White Island that killed at least [six] and left more than 30 wounded, police have said. The death toll is expected to rise [Eight missing people are believed dead]… among those currently listed as missing or injured are [five] New Zealanders who were part of the tour operation, and [24] tourists from Australia, [nine from the US, four from Germany, two each from China and Britain, one from Malaysia]…

“Many day tours visit the island regularly, and one from the Ovation of the Seas cruise liner was there at the time… Experts said they believed the island, which is New Zealand’s most continuously active volcano, had been dangerous for some time. It last erupted three years ago. ‘White Island has been a disaster waiting to happen for many years,’ said Ray Cas, a professor emeritus at Monash University…

“Monday’s was the first deadly eruption on White Island, also known as Whakaari, since 1914. The volcanic island is uninhabited and privately owned.”

The questions have been raised as to why tourists were allowed on the island when it was known that its volcano was potentially dangerous. However, there are many active or potentially active volcanoes and people do not care about the dangers. Mount Vesuvius in Italy is just one example.

Creating Animal-Human Embryos

The Daily Star wrote on December 7:

“Chinese scientists have created pig monkey hybrids… ‘This is the first report of full-term monkey-pig chimeras’, Tang Hai at the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology in Beijing told New Scientist.

“The animals had only a small amount of monkey DNA – concentrated in the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and skin cells. The team is now trying to create healthy animals with a higher proportion of monkey cells, says Hai. While the long-term goal is to incubate human-compatible organs in pig hosts, the team chose to develop the technique using monkey cells first.

“This is at the result of criticism around work done by Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte’s team at California’s Salk Institute in 2017. In that case pig-human hybrids were created but concerns were raised that the animals could have partly human brains. Belmonte’s team is now working in China, and according to an unconfirmed report have already created human-monkey chimeras…

“In other experiments, researchers have created monkeys with brains that are partially human, mice with human cells in their eyes and sheep with partially human organs. A rival team is working on a project to create a mouse with a brain made entirely of human cells.”

This is SICK and despicable! It seems that scientists will justify anything to satisfy their morbid desire for experimentation.

Samoa Incarcerates Anti-Immunization Campaigner

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 6:

“Samoan authorities on Friday warned that propaganda opposing a mass vaccination drive would not be tolerated after an anti-immunization campaigner was arrested. Police arrested Edwin Tamasese and charged him with incitement against a government order late on Thursday. The country is struggling to control a measles epidemic that has killed at least 63 people, most of them children…

“Details of the arrest were published by an online edition of [the] national newspaper  the Samoa Observer. The paper said Tamasese — who could potentially face up to two years in jail — was arrested after he breached a written warning demanding that he end his anti-vaccination activities…

“Samoa on Friday entered the second day of a lockdown as it administers compulsory vaccinations. Businesses and non-essential government services have been shut down and residents have been told to obey a dawn-to-dusk curfew and to display a red flag outside their home if they are unvaccinated to alert mobile immunization teams.”

With the hysteria pertaining to those who caution against vaccinations due to side-effects, such drastic authoritarian governmental measures can be expected to occur in many other countries as well.

Deadly Deer Disease Could Infect Humans

The Sun wrote on December 5:

“A DEADLY infection similar to mad cow disease is spreading in deer – and could infect humans, experts have warned.

“Officials are monitoring cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD), which attacks the brain, spinal cord and other tissue, in North America. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the disease – sometimes referred to as ‘zombie deer’ – has now spread to at least 26 states.

“Around 12 months after an animal is infected with CWD, it suffers progressive weight loss, listlessness, drooling, lack of awareness, lack of fear and aggression before the infected animal dies. The disease is caused by proteins (called prions) that attack the brain and spinal tissue.

“Symptoms are similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, and its human equivalent, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), which is incurable…

“CWD, which was discovered in 1967, is spread through bodily fluids, either directly or through contamination of soil, food, or water. There’s no treatment or cure for CWD, and it’s fatal to animals who become infected. Experts fear the disease could easily make the leap to humans through infected meat….

“Dr Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told the Independent: ‘We could be having human transmission occurring today and we wouldn’t even know it. The key issue here is that unlike the mad cow disease, here we see (chronic wasting disease) in the muscle as well, so it’s actually much more present in the meat that you’re eating. Cooking doesn’t do anything to destroy it.’”

Sadly, we can expect more and more reports like these. The Bible predicts massive deadly disease epidemics to occur soon around the world.

German Bishops: Homosexuality Is Normal

Breitbart wrote on December 11:

“The German Catholic bishops’ conference has issued a statement declaring homosexuality to be just as ‘normal’ as heterosexuality…

“Both the homosexual and heterosexual orientation ‘belong to the normal forms of a sexual predisposition that cannot and should not be changed by any specific socialization,’ the Dec. 5 communiqué stated… Since one’s sexual orientation is unchangeable, ‘in church thinking, this means that any form of discrimination against homosexuals must be rejected…’ the bishops note…”

Catholic Church thinking and God’s mind, as revealed in the Bible, are two different things.  

We also received the following report from Australia:

In a legal case here, Israel Folau, one of the top Rugby players in the world, came to a confidential settlement with Rugby Australia. He was suing for 14 million dollars for being wrongly terminated for his Instagram post that homosexuals will go to hell. Since he has hundreds of thousands of followers, Rugby Australia claimed that it was against his employment contract to make such statements publicly and it affected their income because of the loss of sponsors.

Australia currently is determining a freedom of religion bill which is causing great controversy. The religious community say it does not go far enough in allowing them to hire and fire based on religious ideals. The non-religious community say it will allow for discrimination and hate speech. Interestingly, the religious community including Catholics, Anglicans, Jews, Muslims and others are all in agreement.

EU vs. Poland on Sexual Education

LifeSite News reported on November 20, 2019:

“Over 400 members of the European Parliament have voted to pass a resolution criticizing a Polish bill called ‘Stop Pedofilii’ that seeks to protect minors from sexual abuse by adults. The… bill seeks to make the incitement of minor children to sexual activity illegal in Poland… The age of consent in Poland is currently 15… anyone who has sex with a child under 15, including another child under 15, in Poland can be charged with statutory rape.

“An explanatory note attached to the ‘Stop Pedofilii’ bill gives some historical context for the proposal. It says some sex education teachers have been promoting sexual activity, including homosexual acts and masturbation, to Polish children, thanks to sexual education standards for Europe composed by the World Health Organization and the German Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA). These standards were introduced to Poland for the first time in 2013.

“‘According to the Standards, children of the age of 0–4 should learn information regarding masturbation and enjoying pleasure by touching their bodies,’ the note states… the Standards also stipulate that children from the age of 4–6 are supposed to know how to express their own sexuality and sexual feelings as well as ‘take pleasure and joy in’ masturbating. Children aged 6–9  must learn about sexual consent and different methods of intercourse and contraception. Children between 9 and 12 are supposed to learn how to use condoms, learn about their first sexual experiences, and receive information about orgasms. Children between 12 and 15 should be able to communicate about their own and their partners’ desires ‘in order to have safe and pleasant sex.’ ‘According to the Standards, at every step of development there is also intensive familiarizing of children with homosexuality,’ the note adds.”

Shame on Germany and the WHO for promoting these terrible ungodly and clearly harmful sexual education standards, and shame on the 400 members of the European Parliament for criticizing the Polish government which is trying to stop sexual abuse of children by sex education teachers and others.

Scorpions on the Planes

USA Today wrote on December 7:

“A passenger on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Atlanta had a nasty surprise: A scorpion sting… [The passenger] was stung multiple times… This isn’t the first time that a scorpion has made its way onto a flight without a ticket. This is at least the third occurrence of the animal causing a disturbance on a plane in 2019 alone.

“Earlier this year, in February, [a] passenger caught a scorpion on video as it crawled out of an overhead bin after the Lion Air flight landed in Indonesia… Just a month later, a student flying from Toronto to Calgary was stung by a scorpion in the middle of the flight…”

St. Nicholas and the Devil

The Associated Press wrote on December 7:

“Dozens of people in grim reaper and devil costumes accompany St. Nicholas on his journey through the village of Valasska Polanka in this eastern corner of the Czech Republic. It’s an old pre-Christmas tradition that has been surviving for centuries in a few villages in the Wallachia region.

“The whole group parades together from door to door for the weekend. St. Nicholas presents the children with sweets to soothe them after they see the scary costumes. The devils wear homemade masks of sheepskin and travel with white creatures representing death who carry scythes. The custom reportedly dates from the pagan era before Christianity, when the masks helped the people of mountainous region defend themselves against the demons of winter.”

Paganism is still very much alive in “Christian” cultures.  Note the next article.

Austria’s Demons

The Guardian wrote on December 8:

“Goat-horned half-demons with scraggy coats of fur, lolling tongues and threatening bundles of birch branches are no one’s idea of a welcome guest on a winter’s night. In Austria, however, the figure of the Krampus has been part of pre-Christmas folklore for centuries, with men in costumes roaming the streets to scare children and grownups from the end of November to the middle of December. Yet in recent years the Krampus has developed to become an altogether very modern bogeyman, with a rising number of complaints about the demons acting in a drunkenly and disorderly fashion once they have donned their fearsome masks.

“In Carinthia, police recorded a number of violent incidents this year in the run-up to the official ‘Krampus day’ on 5 December, with one person being hit in the face with a birch and an 11-year-old child being left with bloody cut on their thigh. In Klagenfurt, in Carinthia, the fire brigade complained that two of firefighters were set upon and beaten by a group of Krampuses, while in Salzburg last Sunday police were called out to deal with a number of drunken devils in the city centre. A video of Thursday’s Krampus run in Sterzing in South Tyrol, on the Italian side of the border, shows spectators fleeing in panic as a group of devils start to beat and kick a person lying on the ground.

“In the town of Neumarkt in Lower Austria, a man dressed as a Percht, an Alpine pagan goddess, sustained severe neck injuries when a spectator yanked his mask by the horns. In Schwoich in the Tyrol region, three Krampuses set their costumes on fire and suffered burns after accidentally setting off a box of fireworks…

“In the 19th century, evil Krampus spirits began to accompany Sankt Nikolaus impersonators on home visits and would sometimes cross the threshold to scare children… in recent years the appetite for large-scale ‘Krampus runs’ has grown across Austria: at an event Salzburg on 23 November this year, about 1,000 goat-demons roamed the streets of the city…”

Christmas celebrations and accompanying pagan activities such as Krampus and other demon figures really belong together. That is why some who are professing Christianity are re-thinking their approach towards Christmas, as the next article shows.

Dropping Christmas Celebrations

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 10:

“Particularly for Christians who are reconnecting to the Hebraic roots of their faith, traditional celebrations of Christmas have begun to raise knotty questions about the lack of a scriptural basis for the holiday, as well as its seemingly pagan origins. Ever-increasing numbers of Christians are dropping the traditional celebrations associated with Christmas…

“Just how widespread is the trend away from Christmas among Christians today? [Jon] Sherman told Breaking Israel News, “Although celebrating Christmas is still all but assumed in most evangelical circles today, the occurrence of people in the faith beginning to question Christmas is global, and the magnitude is growing exponentially.”

Re-Building the Temple of Baal

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 9:

“The Russian government recently announced that it will partner with the Syrian government in reconstructing the ancient temple to the pagan god Ba’al in Palmyra… Mentioned more than 90 times in the Bible, most notably when Elijah defeated the priests of Ba’al, also known as Moloch, in a contest to bring down fire from heaven to burn a sacrifice, Ba’al became the archetypical form of idol worship…

“Followers of Ba’al engaged in bisexual orgies and sacrificed human infants, burning them alive. Anthropologists conjecture that the child sacrifice was to cull the population after the inevitable outcome of wanton sexuality…”

Why would anyone professing Christianity or Islam want to rebuild such an ancient temple to a demonic pagan god?

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Tense NATO Summit Celebrating Its 70^th Anniversary

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 3:

“US President Donald Trump kicked off a tense two-day NATO summit on Tuesday by criticizing French President Emmanuel Macron’s comment about the ‘brain death’ of the military alliance.

“Speaking to the press on the summit’s sidelines, Trump [called] Macron’s comments ‘nasty,’ ‘insulting,’ and ‘very dangerous’ adding that: ‘Nobody needs NATO more than France.’… [Trump] said that he could ‘see France breaking off’ from NATO… [He reiterated] his call for European partners to increase defense spending – calling out Germany in particular for falling short…

“The French president told reporters he stands by his ‘brain death’ comments, even if they ‘shook up a lot of people’… Macron pointed out that [the 29] NATO members have different definitions of what constitutes terrorism. He called on Turkish leaders to clarify their position at this summit, saying ‘they now are fighting against those who fought with us. And sometimes they work with ISIS proxies.’”

President Trump, who had been highly critical of NATO in the past, also said in a press conference with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (whom he later described as “two-faced”) that it was not fair that Germany had not been paying its fair share in all the previous years, saying that they owe much money to the US. Also, that if they don’t deliver, tariffs will be imposed on German cars. Trump said the US has the better cards. He also said that Germany should pay much more than what they have presently agreed to. When asked whether the USA would defend a NATO ally when attacked, he said: “That is a good question,” continuing with complaints about the failure of some NATO allies to pay their fair share.

Later, Deutsche Welle reported this on December 4:

“On Wednesday, NATO leaders agreed on the importance of mutual defense…  ‘We reaffirm the enduring transatlantic bond between Europe and North America … and our solemn commitment as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty that an attack against one ally shall be considered an attack against us all,’ they said in a joint statement… Trump suddenly canceled a press conference scheduled for the end of the day’s proceedings after footage leaked that appeared to show other world leaders mocking him behind his back.”

While one has to wonder as to how political the “reaffirmation” of NATO leaders really is, the subsequent abrupt departure of Trump shows the deep rift within NATO. Also note the next two articles which reveal American and German feelings about NATO and their respective countries.

Americans Skeptical of NATO

Politico wrote on December 3:

“To the extent that U.S. citizens think about NATO at all, they disagree about whether honoring its commitments would be worth the sacrifice. This wavering commitment likely signals a belief that American protection is no longer necessary for European security or that the United States has different priorities from when NATO was created 70 years ago…

“NATO is in the midst of an existential crisis…”

“Germany Would NOT Use Military to Defend… [the] US from Attack”

Express wrote on December 2:

“YouGov quizzed voters in the UK, France, Germany, the USA, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway about their attitudes towards the [NATO] alliance… Germans object to the possibility of defending the United States from attack by 43 percent to 32 percent, in stark contrast to the 54 percent of Americans think they should defend Germany should it find itself besieged… [In France, the support for defending the USA was even much less.]

“Both countries [Germany and France] also baulked at the idea of defending Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO, France by 35 percent to 28 percent, and Germany by 47 percent to 22 percent…

“On the wider issue for support for NATO generally… [in] France, just nine percent of those asked strongly support the alliance, a drop of 12 points compared with two years ago. In the case of Germany, strong support has plummeted, down from 41 percent in 2017 to 22 percent now. Even in the UK, strong support has fallen dramatically, from 42 percent to 25 percent.”

Germany’s New Military Budget

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 29:

“The German parliament has passed a record budget for 2020… [It] will include Germany’s ever-largest military budget amounting to some €45.05 billion (compared to €43.23 billion this year), with extra money specifically earmarked for the Bundeswehr’s overseas missions and NATO commitments.

“… Wednesday’s ‘general debate’ in the Bundestag [showed] the rift in Merkel’s coalition with the Social Democrats, whose parliamentary group leader Ralf Mützenich said his party would not blindly support the ‘urge’ for military dominance…”

Germany, following external pressure, will become more and more powerful in its military endeavors.

Germany’s Grand Coalition in Serious Doubt

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 30:

“With the fate of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government on a knife-edge, her center-left partners have elected new leaders. The Social Democrats now face a decision on whether to remain in the government.

“Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is also finance minister, and his running mate Klara Geywitz were soundly beaten, obtaining only 45.33% of the vote from the party’s rank and file. Both back staying in the coalition until the next national elections in 2021. Instead, party members chose challengers Norbert Walter-Borjans [sometimes called the German Bernie Sanders] and Saskia Esken, who have been strongly critical of the alliance with Merkel’s conservatives..

“Many party members are in favor of leaving the government and rebuilding support for the party in the opposition. That would likely trigger new elections or pave the way for a weak and uncertain minority government…

“The SPD is desperate to try and win back voters following a series of electoral losses and plunging support in opinion polls. ‘Whoever wins this membership poll will deserve the full support of the entire party,’ Foreign Minister Heiko Maas [said], an SPD member… Current opinion polls put the party at 14%, trailing in third place behind Merkel’s conservatives and the Greens…”

It is remarkable that the SPD has still some of their controversial members in high political positions, such as Scholz and Maas, while the party is of no political consequence in national elections.

Deutsche Welle added on December 1:

“Who would have thought it? The Social Democrats (SPD) have voted for revolution. Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken, two party members who, up to this point, had been relatively unknown… belong to the party’s left… Those who, until now, have had a say in the running of the SPD have been duped… And no wonder. [They] had pledged to stay in the governing coalition until the next scheduled election in fall 2021.

“… Given that Germany will assume the EU Council presidency in 2020… neither party is keen to hold an early election. Anyone who has made it to the front row, and thus has much to lose, has no interest in political suicide. Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken are different… Both are convinced that the SPD is only in such a weak position because it’s moved too far towards the political center. They want to bring the party back to its social democratic roots, heralding a new beginning with a radical change of course…”

The Guardian wrote on December 2:

“Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the head of the Christian Democrats (CDU), said the coalition deal with the Social Democrats (SPD) would either stay intact or the SPD would have to leave the government…”

The big question is, who will replace Merkel and emerge as the leader of Germany and/or Austria and ultimately Europe, in fulfillment of biblical prophecy?

Will Germany’s Far-Right AfD REALLY Change?

Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on December 2:

“The far-right Alternative for Germany on Saturday elected a decorator from the east backed by a radical wing within the party as one of two co-leaders. The election of Tino Chrupalla, a lawmaker from Saxony, is a tribute to former Communist eastern states where the AfD has made big gains in three elections this year. He will lead Germany’s largest opposition party with Joerg Meuthen, an economics professor from the industrial southern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg who serves as a European Parliament lawmaker…

“The AfD is the biggest opposition party in the Bundestag national parliament, which it entered for the first time in 2017, propelled by voters angry at conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision in 2015 to admit almost one million mainly Muslim asylum seekers. The AfD also sits on opposition benches in all of Germany’s 16 state parliaments, where it is ostracized by all established parties, including Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD).

“Alexander Gauland, 78, a unifying figure in the AfD who has been a co-leader since 2017, did not stand for reelection. He has said he wants to pass on the baton to a new leadership that ensures the party join a governing coalition with Merkel’s CDU, at least at the state level. ‘They call us Nazis, fascists and right-wing terrorists,’ Gauland told delegates. ‘But we need to be wise and resilient. The day will come when a weakened CDU has only one option: us.’…

“‘If we want more success we need to change,’ Chrupalla said on Friday… ‘We want to move toward the center. This will work because the CDU keeps moving to the left.’… The party is more popular in former Communist eastern states, with double the support that it has in the west of the country. ‘In a few years, we may well have an AfD-CDU coalition, most likely at the state level in the east,’ said Matthias Quent, director of the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society. ‘This could split the CDU. Some CDU members in the east are openly in favor of such a coalition.’…”

AfD’s pronouncement of change and Gauland’s statement that the party needs to be “wise and resilient” could be interpreted in different ways.

Known Terrorist Organization Operates Openly in Germany

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 1:

“The Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah uses a center in Berlin as well as other locations across Germany to recruit members and raise funds for terrorism and weapons purchases, according to a report by the Berlin-based Tagesspiegel newspaper… According to the article, Hezbollah members ‘use Germany as a place for drug trafficking, trade in stolen cars and money laundering. The implications of the group for the drug business are well documented.’

“The report said that Hezbollah’s ‘main routes now move from South America to Africa into the EU. Cocaine reaches Germany mainly via the ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg.’ Within the capital city of Berlin, ‘Hezbollah is also allowed to spread propaganda here in the Reuterstrasse, recruit new members, collect donations – and then forward them to Beirut,’ Tagesspiegel reported.

“The Islamic Center Imam Riza, a Shi’ite institution, is located on Reuter Street in the Berlin district of Neukölln. Berlin’s intelligence agency – the rough equivalent of Shin Bet – revealed in its 2019 report that 250 Hezbollah members live in the capital. A total of 1,050 Hezbollah members and supporters operate across Germany, according to other German intelligence reports.

“Some 30 mosques and cultural centers in Germany have links to Hezbollah, according to a 2019 Hamburg intelligence agency report…

“The Jerusalem Post exclusively reported in August that a Hezbollah mosque in the German city of Münster posted a shocking video on its Facebook page announcing it was proud of terrorism and its allegiance to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. A Lebanese member of the Imam Mahdi Zentrum Shi’ite mosque in Münster declared: ‘We belong to the party of Ruhollah [Khomeini]. We have been accused of being terrorists – we are proud of terrorism.’

“The German government has rejected appeals to outlaw Hezbollah’s so-called political wing from the country; the military wing was banned by Germany and the European Union in 2013.”

Hezbollah and all its operations are clearly part of a violent and dangerous terrorist organization. Germany’s indifferent approach towards them is shocking, but as we pointed out in our last Update, anti-Semitic positions might very well be a cause for it.

The London Bridge Murder

Daily Mail wrote on November 30:

“The London Bridge attacker who murdered two innocent people in a knife rampage was a convicted terrorist banned from entering the capital. Usman Khan, 28, was released from jail on condition that he obey 20 strict conditions, including not going to London, but probation bosses granted him an exemption to attend an ex-prisoners’ conference organised by Cambridge University because they wrongly believed he had reformed. Instead, he launched a frenzied knife attack inside the Fishmongers’ Hall building on Friday afternoon before being chased down by members of the public on London Bridge where he was shot dead by police.

“Last night, a catalogue of apparent errors by police, judges, politicians and probation services emerged that allowed Khan to launch his attack close to the scene of another terrorist atrocity at Borough Market just two years ago. Khan was jailed in 2012 over a plot to kill Boris Johnson and blow up iconic sites including the London Stock Exchange. Released under strict bail conditions in December last year, he had to wear a tag, attend deradicalisation sessions and was under surveillance by MI5. Yet he apparently ‘hoodwinked’ the authorities by behaving like a ‘model ex-prisoner’ and lulling them into allowing him to travel to London. As the investigation into Khan continued, it emerged that:

“Judge Lord Justice Leveson decided Khan had ‘bigged up’ his role and downgraded his sentence. His release from jail was signed off by the Ministry of Justice, then led by David Gauke. MI5 did not have ‘surveillance eyes’ on Khan on Friday.”

The unfolding story about this known terrorist is extremely troublesome in light of the apparent incompetence of involved government agencies.

Far-Left Anti-Semitism in Britain

The Algemeiner wrote on December 1:

“A new study on antisemitism in the UK found that more than two-thirds of strong supporters of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn hold at least one antisemitic view. It also found that far-left hatred of Jews is now more prevalent than far-right Jew hatred in Britain, with 60% of the former believing at least one stereotype…

“The poll revealed that 84% of British Jews believe Jeremy Corbyn to be a threat to the Jewish community, with 42% having considered leaving the country in the past two years due to antisemitism, a scale that is ‘unprecedented since medieval times,’ according to the report. Almost half of British Jews cite not feeling comfortable identifying as Jewish in public…

“Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign against Antisemitism [said:]… ‘the far-left is now home to even more anti-Jewish bigotry than the far-right… Nowhere is that more obvious than in the Labour Party, where Jeremy Corbyn is now the politician of choice for anti-Semites.’

“In the last year, over a dozen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party citing its institutionalized antisemitism. Many MEPs, councilors, and members have also left in protest.”

These figures are shocking!

Netanyahu Slams Six European Nations

Times of Israel wrote on December 1:

“Israel on Sunday scolded six new European members of the INSTEX barter mechanism meant to circumvent US sanctions on Iran, saying they encouraged the Iranian regime’s repression of its citizens and ‘should be ashamed of themselves.’ ‘While the Iranian regime is killing its own people, European countries rush to support that very murderous regime,’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu charged in a video released Sunday.

“In a separate statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said ‘Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden could not have picked worse timing. The hundreds of innocent Iranians murdered during the latest round of protests are rolling in their graves.’…

“[Netanyahu continued:] ‘And while the people of the Middle East bravely stand up to Iran and its henchmen, here’s the absurd thing: While all of this is happening, countries in Europe are working to bypass US sanctions against Iran…. While Iran bombs Saudi Arabia’s oil installations, while Iran rushes to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons, European countries rush to appease Iran with even more concessions.’

“In an apparent reference to World War II, the Israeli leader added: ‘These European countries should be ashamed of themselves. Have they learned nothing from history? Well, apparently not. They are enabling a fanatic terrorist state to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, thereby bringing disaster to themselves and upon everyone else.’…

“The accession of the six new members ‘further strengthens INSTEX and demonstrates European efforts to facilitate legitimate trade between Europe and Iran,’ France, Germany, and Britain said.”

All these Israelite European nations (i.e., Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, France and Britain, and, in addition, non-Israelite Germany) are turning against the state of Israel, and vice versa. Ultimately, it will be the entire world against Israel.

Iraq in Turmoil… America’s Attempt to Bring Democracy to the Country Failed Completely

Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on December 2:

“Iraq’s parliament voted on Sunday to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi after weeks of violent anti-government protests that have rocked the country. Abdul Mahdi’s decision to quit on Friday came after a call by Iraq’s top Shi’ite Muslim cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for parliament to consider withdrawing its support for Abdul Mahdi’s government to stem the violence… Iraqi forces have killed nearly 400 mostly young, unarmed demonstrators since mass anti-government protests broke out on Oct. 1. More than a dozen members of the security forces have also died in clashes.

“Abdul Mahdi’s resignation, though welcomed by protesters, is not expected to end the demonstrations, which have called for an overhaul of a political system accused of being corrupt and keeping most of the population in poverty. Protesters on Sunday torched the Iranian consulate in the holy Shi’ite city of Najaf for the second time in a week, police and civil defense sources said…

“The unrest poses the biggest challenge for Iraq since Islamic State insurgents seized swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory in 2014. It pits mostly young, disaffected Shi’ite protesters against a Shi’ite-dominated government backed by Iran and accused of squandering Iraq’s oil wealth while infrastructure and living standards deteriorate.”

America’s attempts to bring democracy to Iraq have failed entirely.

Iran in Turmoil

Aljazeera wrote on December 2:

“At least 208 people are believed to have been killed in Iran during a security crackdown on protests that came after a surprise petrol price increase, Amnesty International has said… adding that the actual figure was likely to be higher…

“‘The escalation of the use of force is evident from the fact that protesters were shot from close range. Protesters were also shot from the rooftops and in one case from a helicopter. This represents a regression even by the Iranian government’s own standards.’… It described the death toll as ‘evidence that Iran’s security forces went on a horrific killing spree’…”

The New York Times wrote on December 2:

“Iran is experiencing its deadliest political unrest since the Islamic Revolution 40 years ago… as angry protests have been smothered in a government crackdown of unbridled force.”

As long as Iran is run by dictators, there will be no peace and freedom in the country. However, one should not think that if a governmental change were to take place in the country, it would become more friendly towards America. Rather, Iran will become more and more aligned with Russia.

The Chinese-Russian Pipeline

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 2:

“China and Russia’s leaders opened the giant ‘Power of Siberia’ pipeline project on Monday. The 3,000 kilometer pipeline has been hailed as a sign of the close friendship between two of the world’s superpowers… The project, which Putin has called ‘the world’s biggest construction project,’ is set to last 30 years and pump $400 billion (€363 billion) into Russia’s economy… The agreement came as Russia faced sanctions from the EU and US after it annexed the Crimean peninsula during the same year. It is part of Russia’s plan to boost trade with countries like China and Turkey, as relations with the West continue to deteriorate…

“Xi and Putin… both attended the opening ceremony via video link… ‘ This step takes Russo-Chinese strategic cooperation in energy to a qualitative new level and brings us closer to fulfilling the task, set together with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, of taking bilateral trade to $200 billion (€181 billion) by 2024,’ said Putin. Putin added that it was ‘a genuinely historical event.’

“Xi told Putin via video link that ‘China-Russia relations are entering a new era’ and that the pipeline was an ‘example of deep integration and mutually beneficial cooperation.’”

In the near future, a powerful coalition will develop between Russia, China and other Far Eastern nations. The Bible calls this emerging power bloc “the kings of the East.”

Blocking Russian Gas Pipeline to Germany?

 Newsmax wrote on December 4:

 “President Donald Trump is under pressure from two key senators to thwart completion of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany by sanctioning companies involved in the project.

Senators Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, and New Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen are pushing to put a provision that would sanction companies involved in the construction of the pipeline in a defense spending bill that is viewed as a must-pass measure before Congress leaves Washington for the year.

 “Cruz expressed frustration with the Trump administration for not acting on its own to impose sanctions that could stop the pipeline, which is a project of Russian energy company Gazprom PJSC…

 “Cruz and Shaheen sponsored legislation, which was approved by the Foreign Relations Committee in July by a vote of 20-2, that would target vessels that lay the pipeline and sanction executives from companies linked to those vessels. It would deny visas to those individuals and block transactions related to their U.S.-based property or interests. The bill would also penalize entities that provide insurance to the project.

“It was never brought to the floor for a vote, but Senator Jim Risch, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, told Defense News that the sanctions measure had been added to the draft of the National Defense Authorization Act. The sanctions measure may fall victim to haggling between Democrats and Republicans about what should or shouldn’t be included in the defense bill…

“The Nord Stream 2 project has divided the European Union, with nations led by Poland concerned about Russia’s Gazprom tightening its grip on the region if the new pipeline comes online...

“Trump was non-committal when asked about sanctioning the pipeline companies as he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday during this week’s NATO summit in London. ‘Well, we haven’t really determined that yet,’ Trump said. ‘I do think it’s a problem. But it’s a problem that Germany’s going to have to work out for themselves. Maybe for Germany, it won’t be a problem. I hope it’s not, actually. But we’ll be talking about that.’”

It would be hard to imagine what would happen if the USA were to impose sanctions on Russia and Germany regarding the pipeline.  Nothing that has happened so far would even come close to the animosity which would develop between those countries.

Where to Store Nuclear Waste?

CNN wrote on November 30:

“Germany… [will close] all of its nuclear plants in the coming years… [The seven power stations still in operation today are due to close by 2022.] Experts are now hunting for somewhere to bury almost 2,000 containers of high-level radioactive waste. The site must be beyond rock-solid, with no groundwater or earthquakes that could cause a leakage. The technological challenges — of transporting the lethal waste, finding a material to encase it, and even communicating its existence to future humans — are huge. But the most pressing challenge today might simply be finding a community willing to have a nuclear dumping ground in their backyard…

“Currently, high-level radioactive waste is stored in temporary facilities, usually near the power plant it came from… As the name suggests, high-level radioactive waste is the most lethal of its kind…

“With more than 400 nuclear power plants around the world, many nearing the end of their operating lifetimes, the issue of waste storage will only become more urgent…”

Another example of how mankind has created its own disasters.

Our Trillion Dollar Deficits

The Hill wrote on December 1:

“Trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see, and hardly a voice of caution to be heard.

“In the old days, a decade or so ago, Democrats would have assailed Donald Trump’s failure on federal deficits; instead of eliminating it, as promised, the deficit has doubled to a trillion dollars as far as the eye can see.

“Republicans would be in full fury over the spending schemes of Democratic presidential candidates; even the mainstream moderates propose huge increases for health care, education and the social safety net for the disadvantaged. Yet deficits, as a political issue, are dead.”

People have become accustomed to dangerous situations. It is as if a spirit of slumber has overtaken them.

California’s Ignored Volcanoes

The Los Angeles Times wrote on November 30:

“California is famous for its catastrophic earthquakes and wildfires, but they are not the state’s only natural hazards. As head of the observatory, or CalVO, Mangan has drawn attention to the state’s more overlooked threats: a dozen restive volcanoes that stretch from Medicine Lake near the Oregon border to the Salton Buttes in the Coachella Valley… the risk of a small-to-moderate eruption somewhere in the state over the next 30 years is 16% — about the same as for a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake along the San Andreas Fault… Unlike earthquakes, which are over in a matter of seconds, volcanic eruptions can drag on…

“[Air Traffic could be interrupted.] Planes regularly fly over California’s volcanoes, ferrying up to 300,000 passengers to, from and along the West Coast every day. Each year, millions more people drive through the Mount Shasta hazard zone on Interstate 5 between Redding and the Oregon border… Thousands of miles of high-voltage power lines bound for major population centers cross through hazard zones, particularly in the northern part of the state. These could short out if covered in wet ash, leaving consumers in the dark for weeks. A natural gas pipeline snakes between Shasta, Lassen and Medicine Lake, supplying 4.2 million homes. And many of the state’s water reservoirs lie within the ash fall zones of various volcanoes… ash damages electronics and interferes with radio signals…”

Earthquakes, volcanoes, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural catastrophes, including the impact with asteroids and meteors, will contribute to the destruction of vast areas of the USA and the entire world.  In this regard, we received the following report from Paul Niehoff in Australia:

“47 wildfires are burning in Queensland and 96 in New South Wales from the south coast to the Queensland border. Sydney has hazardous air quality due to the smoke, people with health issues are being urged to stay indoors and some workers are refusing to work outdoors. Central Western Australia has extreme fire danger, temperatures over 40 degrees are expected.”

Controversial Pope’s Quest for a World Religion

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 1:

“Islam was founded in the 7th century CE, approximately 600 years after the founding of Christianity and several thousand years after Judaism began. As an aggressive form of replacement theology, Islam appropriated all of the figures in the Christian and Jewish Bible as Muslim prophets. Even though Buddhism was founded in the 6th century BCE, Islam did not appropriate Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, as a Mulsim prophet. This may be because Islam considers Buddhism to be a forbidden form of idolatry… ‘The Pope wants to unify all religions and all governments under one world order,’ Rabbi Assur said. ‘What is the big surprise? He is not hiding anything. Just listen to what he says and who he is and his plans are right there for all to see.’

“Pope Francis… is the first pope from the southern hemisphere and, most significantly, he is the first Jesuit to be appointed to the position. Though established by papal order in 1540 to stop the spread of Protestantism and convert the indigenous peoples of Africa and the Americas, the Jesuit order has historically been treated with suspicion by the Catholic Church for being power-hungry. ‘You assume that the pope is Catholic but he is certainly not acting like a Catholic,’ Rabbi Asore said… ‘Brotherhood is a wonderful thing but one religion is only good if it is worshipping the true God,’ Rabbi Asore said…

“Pope Francis has come under fire before for connecting the Catholic Church with the children of Ishmael. In 2015, 71 elders of the Sanhedrin tried the Pope in absentia for recognizing a ‘State of Palestine’ with an official treaty. By doing so, the Sanhedrin claimed, the Pope was denying the covenant as described in the Bible in which God gives the land of Israel to the descendants of Jacob…

“Pope Francis has also made displays similar to his sitting barefoot in front of the Golden idol of Budda in Bankok that showed a shocking level of tolerance for idolatry. In October, a video emerged of what appears to be Pope Francis blessing a Pachama Goddess statue. Pope Francis has also taken on a policy in which homosexuals are welcomed into the church so much so that the American LGBT magazine The Advocate named Pope Francis their Person of the Year for 2013.”

The Bible predicts we will see a universal body of “believers”—all in opposition to the true God.

Coming—Microchip Vaccinations?

Natural News wrote on October 23:

“It’s all happening, just as we predicted. Big Pharma is officially partnering with the tech industry to pair ‘immunization’ with digital biometrics, meaning humans will soon be microchipped, tracked, and ultimately controlled through a global identification matrix… Similar to how cattle are marked with ear tags, this globalist alliance wants all humans to be ‘vaccinated’ with digital tracking chips that will create a seamless monitoring system for the New World Order to manage the populations of the world with ease…

“While the… program’s testing grounds are primarily in the Third World, the group says it’s also now working with governments here in the United States to start microchipping people through vaccination. In Austin, Texas, for example, the homeless population is now being exploited as a collective guinea pig for… microchip vaccination program… [the program] is also jabbing refugees with its microchip vaccinations…

“All of this is priming the public for an eventual mandate of microchip vaccinations…”

The article makes the common mistake of equating microchip vaccinations with the mark of the beast. It has nothing to do with it. Still, the article is remarkable in that it shows what misguided power-hungry people are willing to do.

 Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

ALARMING—German Holocaust Victims’ Group Loses Charity Status

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 24:

“One of Germany’s oldest and biggest Holocaust victims’ organizations is facing the loss of its nonprofit status…

“The Union of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime/Federation of Antifascists (VVN-BdA) received a notice this month from the financial authorities of the [city] of Berlin that its nonprofit tax benefits would no longer be awarded…

“Several other nonprofit organizations and politicians condemned the decision… who described the letter from the financial authority as an ‘alarm signal for democratic civil society.’

“Nonprofit status exempts an organization from several taxes, and allows supporters to write their donations off against tax. In a statement posted on its website on Friday, the VVN-BdA said the decision could lead to five-digit back taxes that could endanger the group’s survival. But other German financial authorities, such as the one representing North Rhine-Westphalia, continue to recognize VVN-BdA’s nonprofit status…

“According to [a 2016 report by] the Bavarian intelligence agency charged with tracking extremist groups, the VVN-BdA’s agenda goes beyond simply fighting far-right extremism… The report also cited an article by VVN-BdA spokesman Ulrich Schneider in support of direct blockades of Nazi demonstrations as evidence that the organization accepted left-wing extremist groups as allies.

“The VVN-BdA describes itself as a non-party-affiliated alliance of victims of the Nazi regime, resistance fighters, and anti-fascists of all generations. It was originally founded in 1947, having emerged from an alliance of Holocaust victims’ associations and former anti-Nazi resistance fighters… The group now has around 6,000 members in Germany.

“German financial authorities appear to be cracking down on politically active nonprofit organizations… According to a report in Der Spiegel magazine, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz is keen to cut tax benefits for groups that try to influence political debate.”

This is an extremely dangerous, biased and right-wing decision, which is based on ridiculous arguments and ludicrous conclusions [see some of our underlining in the article], and it may set in motion very troubling developments reminiscent of the rise of Adolf Hitler.

REVEALING—German New Nazis’ and Greens’ Anti-Israel’s Policy 

The Jerusalem Post wrote on November 24:

“The German neo-Nazi party The Third Way and the Green Party welcomed the EU top court ruling that mandates Israeli products from the disputed territories must be branded with a label to show consumers that they were not produced in Israel proper.

“The Third Way ‘has been calling for years to boycott all products from the terrorist state of Israel’… Third Way added a link to an article from 2014 titled: ‘Israel Boycott: What anyone can do against Zionist genocide.’ A graphic on the Third Way’s entry states: ‘Boycott products from Israel: 729=Made in Israel.’ The number 729 is used in bar codes to identify Israel-based products and companies.

“The intelligence agency for the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate wrote in its 2018 report: ‘The Third Way’s slogan “Boycott Products from Israel”… betrays significant parallels to the anti-Jewish agitation of the National Socialists.’

“German intelligence officials in the state of Baden Württemberg wrote in a 2018 report that propaganda from the Third Way calling to boycott Israeli products ‘roughly recalls similar measures against German Jews by the National Socialists, for example, on April 1, 1933 (the slogan: “Germans! Defend yourselves! Don’t buy from Jews!”).’

“MPs from the German Green Party have sought to label Jewish products from the West Bank, Golan Heights and east Jerusalem since 2013… Green Party MP Renate Künast… once invoked a contemporary antisemitic conspiracy theory to describe a German organization as a ‘Mossad front’ that seeks to advance Israel’s security and stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

“In 1983, the Green Party put out a ‘Green Calendar’ with the headline ‘Israel, the gang of murderers’ and urged a ‘boycott of goods from Israel.’ The German daily Die Welt published an article titled ‘The long tradition of Green Anti-Zionism,’ in which the Green Party’s history of blaming Israel for the Middle East’s problems was highlighted.”

Anti-Israeli positions and anti-Semitism have now gone far beyond the preposterous claims of certain controversial German parties and have reached the entirety of Europe, as the above-mentioned EU Court’s decision has proven. The next article shows the extent of such anti-Israeli positions in the EU which ultimately lead to a military intervention in the Middle East and Europe’s occupation of Israel.

Sad and Troubling —Anti-Semitism in Germany on the Rise

The Algemeiner wrote on November 26:

“Antisemitic outrages have risen precipitously across Germany during the last year, together with a corresponding rise in antisemitic attitudes. Two studies on Tuesday from separate regions of Germany underlined that the problem exists on a national scale.

“First, the daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reported that antisemitic incidents in the state of Brandenburg [in East Germany] during the first nine months of this year equaled the entire record for 2018… Meanwhile, an academic… study, carried out by the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, showed that 16 percent of respondents in Thuringia [in East Germany] agreed with the statement that Jews were unwelcome aliens (‘They don’t belong here.’)… The university study also showed that 24 percent of Thuringia residents identified with right-wing extremist parties, such as the ‘Alternative for Germany’ (AfD).”

Have those Jew-hating Germans learned NOTHING from history?

SHOCKING—Europe to Stop Recognizing Israel as an Independent State?

Project Syndicate wrote on November 25:

“With the United States standing firmly with Israel’s most hawkish elements, it is up to the rest of the international community to push back against Israel’s violations of international law in Palestinian territory. The European Union should lead the charge.

“The United States may have just obliterated any remaining hope for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s declaration that Israeli settlements in the West Bank do not violate international law defies a longstanding global consensus. The rest of the world must push back…

“After the US reversal, the EU’s foreign-policy chief,  Federica Mogherini, confirmed that its position on Israeli settlement policy ‘remains unchanged: all settlement activity is illegal under international law’ and ‘erodes the viability of the two-state solution and the prospects for a lasting peace.’

“But this is far from the first time the EU has criticized Israel’s behavior… If European leaders – or, indeed, any others around the world – want to advance a vision of an independent Palestinian state alongside an Israeli one, they have only two choices: officially recognize Palestine as an independent state or stop recognizing Israel as one until it proves it is serious about reaching a negotiated solution.

“Already, most European parliaments have voted in favor of recognizing Palestine as an independent state along the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. But only Sweden has followed through, with the EU advising others to wait for the perfect opportunity to arise – the moment when a unified decision to recognize Palestine could have a real impact. Now is that moment.”

Even though the article does not set forth the OFFICIAL policy of the EU, there is no denying that it describes quite accurately the underlying reasons for the EU’s conduct and actions. The anti-Israeli policy of the EU is in stark contrast to the current pro-Israeli policy of the USA… the differences could not be greater. This is bound to result in a military clash between those two power blocs in the very near future.

DANGEROUS—Israel and Jordan—Relations at an All-Time Low

Breaking Israel News wrote on November 24:

“Relations between Jordan and Israel are at an ‘all-time low’ King Abdullah [said]… Regarding the Israeli-Arab conflict, Abdullah added that ‘If we do not solve the Israeli-Palestinian issue, Israel cannot really be part of the Middle East’…

“‘I think that no small amount of us in this room believe that the only way forward is the two-state solution – because the alternative is much worse,’ he added…  ‘But I am not ready for this to come at the expense of what my father and late Prime Minister Rabin fought so hard to achieve, as a symbol of hope and opportunity for Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians and others.’

“Despite the king’s sentiments, it should be noted that Prime Minister Rabin was against a Palestinian state.”

These are strong anti-Israeli words coming from Jordan… and they are also misleading.

INTERESTING—Israel’s Attorney General Breaks the Law in Indicting Netanyahu

Breaking Israel News wrote on November 24:

“According to Israeli law, Israel’s Attorney General, Avichai Mandleblit has no authority to indict the Prime Minister at this time… The law states that before the attorney general indicts a Member of Knesset such as Netanyahu, they must first submit a recommendation to the Knesset committee. The only problem is that during a transition government (as there is now), there is no Knesset committee which means that no indictment can be handed down.

“The law also states that after the Knesset Committee receives the letter to recommend an indictment, the committee then has to take the time to discuss whether or not the suspect should enjoy immunity. These sessions can take months. And as long as there is no government, as is the case currently, these discussions cannot even take place.

“As [Conservative pundit Caroline] Glick puts it: ‘When Mandleblit announced that he was indicting Netanyahu, he made a political decision, not a legal one. He behaved like a politician and not like an attorney general… everything a lie. There is no indictment, no law and no sentence. There is a coup whereby state prosecutors (with the help of opportunistic politicians and politically biased journalists) are trying to bring down a political leader without elections.’”

The parallels to the US Democrats’ strictly political attempts to concoct reasons for their indictment scheme against President Trump are only too obvious. In this regard, Bild Online wrote on November 24:

“Witnesses in the impeachment showdown accuse him severely. [But] Trump will be the winner in the end.” It should also be noted that none of the witnesses who accuse him have first-hand personal knowledge. It has all been hearsay in the impeachment circus. And as we said before, the alliance of Donald Trump (USA=Manasseh), Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel=Judah) and Boris Johnson (UK= Ephraim) would be an interesting triumvirate.

TELLING—Church of England Blames So-Called Christian Theology for the Holocaust

Breaking Israel News reported on November 24:

“Christian theology played a part in the stereotyping and persecution of Jewish people that ultimately led to the Holocaust, according to a new report released by the Church of England on Thursday.

“… the 121-page report said attitudes towards Judaism over centuries had provided a ‘fertile seed-bed for murderous anti-Semitism,’ and that Anglicans and other Christians must repent for the ‘sins of the past,’ as well as actively challenge anti-Semitic attitudes or stereotypes. ‘The attribution of collective guilt to the Jewish people for the death of Christ and the consequent interpretation of their suffering as collective punishment sent by God is one very clear example of that,’ the report said.”

The report is right in pointing out that the Bible condemns the concept of a “collective guilt” and a “collective punishment” approach against the Jews. Please note our Q&A on that issue, titled, “What is the significance of the saying of Jews at Jesus’ time that ‘His blood be on us and on our children’ (Matthew 27:25)?” 

CONFIRMED—Britain’s Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn Deeply Anti-Semitic 

Breitbart wrote on November 26:

“The Archbishop of Canterbury has backed an electoral intervention by Britain’s chief rabbi by saying the country should be alert to the profound unease felt by many Jews at the prospect of a left-wing Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn. Justin Welby tweeted Tuesday after Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis wrote in the Times of London that Britain’s Labour Party and its leader have been deeply tarnished by anti-Semitism…

“It is without precedent for the chief rabbi to express his thoughts on party politics during an election campaign. He stopped short of advising voters to shun Labour but made his point about the prospect of Jeremy Corbyn gaining Number 10. ‘The way in which the (Labour) leadership has dealt with anti-Jewish racism is incompatible with the British values of which we are so proud,’ he wrote…

“The Labour Party in general has been engulfed in claims of institutionalized anti-Semitism since Corbyn became leader. At a personal level, he has also been slammed after pictures emerged confirming he attended a 2014 wreath-laying ceremony for Palestinian terrorists. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly admonished Corbyn when the images became public last year: ‘The laying of a wreath by Jeremy Corbyn on the graves of the terrorist who perpetrated the Munich massacre and his comparison of Israel to the Nazis deserves unequivocal condemnation from everyone – left, right and everything in between.’

“Netanyahu’s rare public criticism of a foreign politician came after the Daily Mail newspaper published photos of Corbyn holding a wreath to honor the instigators of the Munich atrocity. He had previously denied being part of the service… Also last year Corbyn’s camp defended comments he made during a speech at a rally outside Israel’s London embassy in 2010 in which he compared Israel’s blockade of the Gaza strip to the Nazi sieges of Leningrad and Stalingrad during World War II.”

The Labour Party’s anti-Semitism under Corbyn is well- documented and undisputable. What is shocking and alarming is that so many Brits are willing to vote for them. Notice the next article as well.

Disgusting—Radical Proposals on Abortion

The Daily Mail wrote on November 25:

“Labour’s… radical proposals on abortion seem to have slipped through unnoticed.

“However, it is vital we examine the party’s declaration that ‘we will uphold women’s reproductive rights and decriminalise abortions’. Decriminalising abortion would mean you could have one for any reason; you wouldn’t even be asked why you wanted it.

“Right To Life campaigners say the plan has the potential to allow unlimited abortions right up to birth, well beyond the present 24-week limit, which is already around twice the average time limit on abortions in Europe… Legislatively, it would mean scrapping the existing 1967 Abortion Act, which says you have to give a reason for an abortion and that two doctors have to sign it off…

“Two years ago, a Daily Mail investigation revealed that Marie Stopes, which has 60 clinics across England, signed off abortions for women they had never even met. Undercover reporters were approved for abortions based on a brief phone conversation with a call centre worker and told there was no need to meet a doctor because they filled out the necessary forms ‘behind the scenes’, based on reasons given to staff over the phone. The discussions could be as short as 22 seconds…”

The liberal ungodly laws in England and elsewhere are already terrible enough. Left-wing Labour wants to make them even worse…

SHAMEFUL—China’s Concentration Camps, while the World Is Silent (Again)

The Associated Press wrote on November 24:

“President Donald Trump’s new national security adviser [Robert O’Brien] is criticizing what he says is silence from the rest of the world over China’s confinement of more than 1 million Muslims in reeducation camps, linking the lack of a global outcry to China’s economic clout…

“‘Where is the world? We have over a million people in concentration camps,’ O’Brien said. ‘I’ve been to the genocide museum in Rwanda. You hear “never again, never again is this going to happen,” and yet there are reeducation camps with over a million people in them.’”

The Associated Press wrote on November 25:

“[New] classified documents lay out the Chinese government’s deliberate strategy to lock up ethnic minorities even before they commit a crime, to rewire their thoughts and the language they speak… Drawing on data collected by mass surveillance technology, computers issued the names of tens of thousands of people for interrogation or detention in just one week… the documents give the most significant description yet of high-tech mass detention in the 21st century in the words of the Chinese government itself. Experts say they spell out a vast system that targets, surveils and grades entire ethnicities to forcibly assimilate and subdue them.”

The world was silent when the truth about concentration camps in Nazi Germany was known. The world has been silent ever since in light of unspeakable atrocities. There is a reason for that: This is Satan’s world, not God’s.

FRIGHTENING—Nuclear Weapons Not the Solution

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 24:

“Visiting Japan, Pope Francis has condemned atomic weapons, nuclear deterrence and the growing arms trade…

“In a highly symbolic visit to Nagasaki, one of the two Japanese cities devastated by nuclear strikes during the closing days of World War II in August 1945, Pope Francis said nuclear weapons were ‘not the answer’ for global security, peace and stability… ‘I ask political leaders not to forget that these weapons cannot protect us… Peace and international stability are incompatible with attempts to build upon the fear of mutual destruction or the threat of total annihilation,’ Francis noted…

“The head of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics also criticized governments for spending huge sums on the development and manufacture of destructive weapons, while millions of people worldwide remain destitute…”

The Associated Press added on November 26:

“Pope Francis is planning to change official Catholic Church teaching to declare the use and possession of atomic weapons as ‘immoral,’ a move that makes clear that his rejection of the Cold War-era doctrine of deterrence is to be official church policy… ‘This must go in the Catechism of the Catholic Church,’ he said, referring to the published compendium of official church teaching. ‘Not just the use, also the possession,’ he said…

“Francis first articulated his opposition to the doctrine of deterrence in 2017, during a Vatican conference, when he said the possession of nuclear weapons was ‘to be condemned.’ The shift upended three decades of the Vatican’s tacit acceptance of nuclear arsenals. Starting in 1982, St. John Paul II had held that deterrence could be morally acceptable in the interim as long as it was used as a step toward mutual, verifiable disarmament…”

No amounts of weapons—nuclear or otherwise—are the answer for our protection. But until man changes his way of thinking, finally realizing that “it must be of the spirit, if we are to save the flesh” (General Douglas MacArthur, Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945), we will slip and stumble from one catastrophe to the next, until the unthinkable will happen, as our comments to the next article show. 

TYPICAL—Germany Not Ready and Willing

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 22:

“Only a world without nuclear weapons can be a ‘safe world,’ the German foreign minister [Heiko Maas] said on a trip to Hiroshima. But that requires international consensus, and Germany won’t be taking the first step… [He] said he was against a unilateral German withdrawal of nuclear weapons… Germany currently stores around 20 US nuclear warheads. The armed forces have Tornado jets on standby to deploy them if necessary…

“The US nuclear attack on Hiroshima at the end of World War II almost completely destroyed the city and killed around 140,000 people, mostly civilians. Tens of thousands died subsequently as a result of the long-term effects of the radiation. Three days after the attack on Hiroshima, US forces dropped another nuclear bomb on the city of Nagasaki where a further 70,000 people died.”

Heiko Maas’s poor and faulty reasoning shows why there will be no solution to our problems. This world will not get rid of nuclear weapons; in fact, they will be used again and if it were not for the return of Christ to end man’s madness and bring peace, all life on this planet would be annihilated. 

STUNNING—Germany Economy Minister Attacks USA

Politico wrote on November 25:

“German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier on Monday defended describing the United States as ‘unreliable and untrustworthy’ in a debate over whether Chinese companies should be banned from providing equipment for Germany’s 5G telecoms network. The U.S. ambassador to Berlin, Richard Grenell, strongly condemned the remarks, branding them ‘an insult to the thousands of American troops who help ensure Germany’s security and the millions of Americans committed to a strong Western alliance.’

“Altmaier, Angela Merkel’s former chief of staff and a close ally of the chancellor, made the comments on live television… Merkel has advocated letting the Chinese in, despite deep reservations both within her own party and her governing coalition…

“Altmaier’s negative characterization of Germany’s longtime ally and protector illustrates the depth of the rift between the U.S. and Germany, which has worsened in recent months amid trade disputes and Washington’s persistent criticism of Berlin’s failure to meet NATO defense spending goals…

“Altmaier, however, wasn’t the only senior figure to draw comparisons between the U.S. and China on the talk show. Dieter Kempf, the president of the German Federation of Industries, a powerful business lobby, said he saw no reason to treat Chinese companies any different from American ones… ‘If you compare the Chinese intelligence act with the U.S. Patriot Act, which some of us appear to have forgotten, one can see that they have pretty much the same requirements.’”

That rift between the USA and Germany (as well as Europe) will continue to worsen until a MILITARY confrontation is no longer unthinkable. 

AFFIRMING—Donald Trump… the “Chosen One” Sent by God?

The Huffington Post wrote on November 25:

“Departing Secretary of Energy Rick Perry [said] that the president was ‘the chosen one’ sent by God to rule over America. The former Texas governor and Republican presidential rival of Trump used Old Testament kings to make his point. ‘God’s used imperfect people all through history,’ Perry said. ‘King David wasn’t perfect, Saul wasn’t perfect, Solomon wasn’t perfect.’

“Perry said he shared his thoughts with Trump on paper recently. ‘I said, Mr. President, I know there are people that say you said you were the chosen one and I said, “You were.” I said, “If you’re a believing Christian, you understand God’s plan for the people who rule and judge over us on this planet and our government.”’…

“Perry… is not the first Trump acolyte to attribute the president’s ascent to religion. Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said earlier this year that ‘only God could deliver such a savior to our nation.’ Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said God ‘wanted Trump to become president.’ And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo…  said in March that ‘it’s possible’ that Trump… had been sent ‘to help save the Jewish people.’”

Daily Mail added:

“The failed 2012 and 2016 presidential candidate continued: ‘None of us got here by accident. I’m a big believer that the God of our universe is still very active in the details of the day-to-day lives of government. You know, Barack Obama didn’t get to be the president [of the] United States without being ordained by God. Neither did Donald Trump…

“Trump won the Republican nomination after turning aside a raft of rival Republicans – including Perry, who in 2016 denounced him as a ‘false prophet.’ ‘Let no one be mistaken – Donald Trump’s candidacy is a cancer on conservatism, and it must be clearly diagnosed, excised and discarded,’ Perry warned in a speech at the National Press Club in July of 2015. ‘My fellow Republicans, beware of false prophets. Do not let itching ears be tickled by messengers who appeal to anger, division and resentment. Resentment is the poison we swallow that we hope harms another. My fellow Republicans, don’t take the poison.’…

“Trump described himself as the ‘chosen’ one when describing his role taking on China on trade practices. ‘Somebody had to do it,’ he told reporters at the White House at the end of August. ‘I am the chosen one,’ he said, looking upward [and stretching out his arms]. ‘Somebody had to do it. So I’m taking on China.”

It is not true that God ordains every president of the United States, or every ruler on this planet. As we explain in our Q&A on Romans 13:3,  the Bible tells us that sometimes, God has nothing to do with certain people coming to power. This is Satan’s world, not God’s, and Satan is the ruler of this world, which includes the USA, the UK, Israel and other nations. Sometimes, people come to power without any spiritual influence—neither from God nor from Satan. At other times, Satan gives power and authority to certain people (he will do so in respect to the beast and the false prophet or the man of sin). On the other hand, nothing happens against God’s Will. And sometimes, God intervenes directly and places people in power, strictly and solely for the purpose of fulfilling biblical prophecy. We believe that in regard to Donald Trump, and perhaps other current leaders, this is the case.

UNFOLDING—“Brexit—No Going Back Now”

Express wrote on November 25:

“EU BOSSES are set to press ahead with a new European Commission without Britain after Boris Johnson’s steadfast refusal to nominate a representative. The Prime Minister’s hardline stance threw Brussels into a tailspin as its own laws clearly state every member nation must have a commissioner. But EU legal teams have been working round the clock throughout the weekend to come up with a solution to make the new Commission legitimate without a British presence.

“… Officials are confident [that] the next European Commission [will be conducted] in December without a UK commissioner. [A document by the EU commissioners] says the UK’s failure to meet its obligation to nominate a commissioner ‘cannot undermine the regular functioning of the Union and its institutions and thus cannot constitute an obstacle to the appointment of the next Commission in order for it to start as soon as possible exercising the full range of its power under the Treaties’.

“The European Commission has wide-ranging powers that include proposing policies on everything from migration to climate change, policing member states’ budgets and negotiating global trade deals. It is normally comprised of one representative from each of the EU’s 28 member states. Britain was given until midnight last Friday to respond to the launch of legal action in which it is accused of violating EU law by refusing to put forward a nominee. But the Government did not respond and is not expected to do so.”

Brexit will happen soon. The “patience” of the EU with the UK is running out. While Angela Merkel has been trying so far to delay Brexit, the Bible says that ultimately, Germany will not be able to help the UK anymore. From a biblical perspective, Brexit will destroy the UK, but it is prophesied to happen. At the same time, Money Week reported on November 24 that Christine Lagarde “is pushing harder on the door that Draghi already opened – the ECB is here, it’s printing money, and it will continue to buy all the bonds you can issue in order to fund more government spending. Meanwhile, progress towards ‘ever closer union’ will continue… Draghi effected political change but cloaked it under economics. Lagarde is going to do more, and in plain sight…”

Sicknesses Because of Vaccinations 

The Associated Press reported on November 25:

“Four African countries have reported new cases of polio linked to the oral vaccine, as global health numbers show there are now more children being paralyzed by viruses originating in vaccines than in the wild. In a report late last week, the World Health Organization and partners noted nine new polio cases caused by the vaccine in Nigeria, Congo, Central African Republic and Angola. Seven countries elsewhere in Africa have similar outbreaks and cases have been reported in Asia. Of the two countries where polio remains endemic, Afghanistan and Pakistan, vaccine-linked cases have been identified in Pakistan…

“The Independent Monitoring Board, a group set up by WHO to assess polio eradication, warned in a report this month that vaccine-derived polio virus is ‘spreading uncontrolled in West Africa, bursting geographical boundaries and raising fundamental questions and challenges for the whole eradication process.”

We need to understand that ALL vaccines are potentially dangerous, and that is especially true for people with a weak immune system.  In countries where it is mandatory for children to be immunized, it is important that parents are aware of the potential dangers so they can pray fervently to God for His protection of the children. An uninformed, casual and lackadaisical approach is most certainly not called for.  

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

The Pope’s Stance on Nuclear Weapons, Death Penalty, Euthanasia, Abortion and Suicide

The Associated Press wrote on November 17:

“[Pope] Francis has gone further than any other pope by saying that not only the use, but the mere possession of nuclear weapons is ‘to be firmly condemned.’…

“Francis changed Catholic teaching last year by declaring the death penalty ‘inadmissible’ in all cases. He has also denounced today’s ‘throwaway culture’ where euthanasia, abortion and suicide are often considered acceptable…”

The disagreements between the Pope and conservatives within the Catholic Church continue.

Pope Condemns Groups like the Churches of God

Vatican News wrote on November 11:

“Pope Francis… warned against those who tell us that the end is coming immediately, that ‘the time is at hand.’ … ‘The poor facilitate our access to heaven,’ he said.”

 The end IS near, and we do NOT go to heaven when we die.

“The Pope Has Gone Further Away from God”

Breaking Israel News wrote on November 17:

“Pope Francis received the Grand Imam… of Egypt at the Vatican on Friday… a joint statement signed by the Pope and the Imam in February in Abu Dhabi intended to promote a ‘culture of mutual respect.’

“William Kilpatrick, a professor at Boston College… was skeptical of the agreement. ‘It’s unlikely that the Muslim parties will stick to their end of the bargain’, he wrote upon its signing, noting that the document ‘seems to have been written almost entirely in Rome. [The agreement is] geared to obfuscating the dangerous differences while emphasizing the surface similarities between Christianity and Islam… This is not what Muslim converts want to hear from their pope….That the Pope seems to propose the Quran as a way of salvation, is that not cause for worry?’

“The meeting at the Vatican comes at a time when traditional values in the Catholic Church are changing. Pope Francis has taken on a policy in which homosexuals are welcomed into the church… Pope Francis stated that homosexual ‘tendencies are not a sin…’

“Catholic dioceses in the United Kingdom are reportedly hosting homosexual Masses designed to welcome homosexuals into the church and combine ‘gay pride’ with the Eucharist and other Romish sacraments… these pro-homosexuality events have received blessings from the local Roman Catholic bishops…

“Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the spokesman for the Sanhedrin, noted that… rather than take the time to repent, the Pope has gone even further away from God…”

The Algemeiner wrote on November 16 that “Pope Francis said on Friday politicians who rage against homosexuals… remind him of Hitler.”

 The Pope’s fascination with homosexuals is quite remarkable.

Strengthening the Bonds with Other Religions?

Deutsche Welle reported on November 20:

“Once again, Pope Francis is traveling to countries where Catholics make up a small percentage of the population… the pope, who arrived in Thailand on Wednesday, has made it his mission to use such trips to foster understanding between faiths. The pontiff said he sought ‘to strengthen the bonds of friendship that we share with many Buddhist brothers and sisters.’…

“Francis [has] gone further than his predecessors by making… astonishing statements… about religious diversity…

“Media outlets will give heavy coverage to the pope’s visits to the memorials to the victims of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima, where he will participate in an interfaith peace conference, and Nagasaki, where he intends to deliver a rebuke of the use of nuclear weapons… Francis will become the second pope to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki. John Paul II visited in 1981, at the height of the Cold War…”

As we reported in our last Current Events section, and as it is discussed in our StandingWatch program, titled, “Is Pope Francis the False Prophet of the Bible?”, Pope Francis’ attempts to bring non-Christian religions under the Roman Catholic Church’s umbrella is being heavily criticized by conservative Catholics.  

Iran Cuts Off Internet Access

The Associated Press wrote on November 17:

“Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday cautiously backed the government’s decision to raise gasoline prices by 50% after days of widespread protests, calling those who attacked public property during demonstrations ‘thugs’ and signaling that a potential crackdown loomed.

“The government shut down internet access across the nation of 80 million people to staunch demonstrations that took place in a reported 100 cities and towns… By Saturday night, connectivity had fallen to just 7% of ordinary levels… The semiofficial ISNA news agency reported Sunday that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council ordered a ‘restriction of access’ to the internet nationwide, without elaborating.”

This shows how easy it is for autocratic dictatorships to cut off access to the Internet. But note the next article.

How the USA and the EU Could Turn the Internet on for Iran

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 19:

“Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany, tweeted that the United States and EU could ‘turn the internet on’ for Iran after the regime shut it down during protests against fuel price hikes. [He] followed up with a tweet to cellphone manufacturers and social media companies, encouraging them to join in the task…

“It’s nearly impossible for ordinary users with computers and routers to quickly access familiar internet services if a regime blocks network connections. However, limited communication may still be possible with a fair amount of effort…

“Before the World Wide Web got going in the 1990s, plenty of people already used the internet to communicate without being online all the time. CrossPoint (also called XP) brought together the function of discussion forums with those of an email program. Simple PCs equipped with one or two telephone modems acted as servers. These CrossPoint servers only needed to call one another every now and then on a normal telephone line to exchange their data packets.

“The technology works in countries run by authoritarian regimes, too. The Zamir Transnational Network demonstrated that starting in 1991, during the wars in the former Yugoslavia. As long as the servers were able to reach a telephone number in a free country, communication with the internet and the rest of the world was assured… It could still take days for an email to reach its recipient, but it was far faster than sending a letter.

“The backbone of a contemporary system in Iran and other countries with authoritarian governments would be the hundreds of thousands or even millions of smartphones that people carry around with them… Each of those phones would become a server and connect with other phones nearby. A massive parallel internet would emerge through which users could communicate with each other…

“The free internet for Iran that Ambassador Grenell has called for could possibly be implemented with a cleverly designed app that would include a number of secret servers operated inside the country that allow telephone communications abroad… If a country blocks all channels of communication abroad, what’s left is communication into space…”

Today’s technologies and their potential are just amazing. God will assure that the gospel message will be proclaimed in all the world as a witness before Christ’s return.

Germany’s Volkstrauertag and the Rise of Extremism

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 17:

“German dignitaries paid their respects to the victims of war, oppression and violence on Sunday, as they took part in annual Volkstrauertag (“Remembrance Day”) ceremonies in Berlin…

“The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, used the day of remembrance to caution against what he called ‘a creeping tendency’ of right-wing populism and extremism… Schuster spoke of ‘a real danger’ of becoming accustomed to right-wing extremism, citing ‘regular neo-Nazi concerts’ and the electoral success of the far-right AfD party…”

Antisemitism is clearly on the rise in Germany and throughout Europe.

Antisemitism in the US and across Europe

The Jerusalem Post wrote on November 17:

“Over the past five years, the world has seen record high numbers of antisemitic incidents in the United States and across Europe. Holocaust survivors say verbal and physical attacks against Jews and their property in 2019 are in many ways akin to what they experienced in Germany in the 1930s, which has created a deep-seated fear that another Holocaust is possible…

“Polls done on the subject of antisemitism in Austria and the United States have yielded frightening results. In the US, 58% of Americans believe that something like the Holocaust could happen again… 68% of people believed that antisemitism was prevalent in the United States… nearly a third of all Americans and more than four out of 10 millennials believe that substantially less than six million Jews were killed (two million or fewer) during the Holocaust…

“In a similar survey done… in Austria this year, similar results were reported. More than half (58%) of Austrians said that they believe that something like the Holocaust could happen again in other European countries. More than a third of Austrian adults – 38%, who are 43% of millennials and Generation Z – believe that National Socialism/Nazism could come to power again…

“Prof. Judy Baumel Schwartz of the Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry at Bar-Ilan University said the hatred of Jews didn’t start with the Holocaust. ‘Hatred of Jews began a very long time before Hitler’… Following the Holocaust and until the 1980s, it wasn’t fashionable to be antisemitic, but this was just a temporary situation and ‘now Europe has gone back to the way it always was.’”

 This is frightening and deeply depressing. The propaganda promulgated on the Internet and in the social media is dangerous when false information is disseminated—such as the hoax that the Holocaust did not exist.

German Neo-Nazis and Green Party .. .an Interesting Symbiosis

The Jerusalem Post wrote on November 15:

“The EU’s top court has been engulfed since Tuesday in an antisemitic legal scandal because of its singling out of Jewish, Israeli products from the disputed territories for a punitive labeling system. Critics say the legal ruling is discriminatory.

“What has been omitted from the rage over the alleged European Union discriminatory ruling is that Germany’s main neo-Nazi party and the German Green Party advocated a labeling of Israeli products from the disputed West Bank, Golan Heights and east Jerusalem territories as early as 2012 for the Nazi party NPD and for the Greens in 2013…

“First, the Nazis: In 2009, Jürgen Rieger, a Holocaust denier and then-deputy chairman of the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party of Germany, called on Germans to boycott Israel. In 2012, the NPD party submitted a legislative initiative in the parliament of the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to mark Israeli products…

“A mere five months later, in 2013, Germany’s influential Green Party introduced an initiative in the federal parliament that largely mirrored the neo-Nazi-sponsored legislation from the previous year… Both initiatives use the historical model of the German Nazi regime boycotts of Jewish businesses starting on April 1, 1933, and invoking the mass slogan: ‘Germans defend yourselves. Do not buy from Jews!’… The much-documented antisemitism of the Green Party has been reported on over the decades…

“A striking feature of the Green Party’s deep obsession with targeting Jewish products with disciplinary action is that the party, like the EU’s top court, ignores the over 100 other territorial disputes in the world. Put simply, the Green Party seeks no economic warfare against Turkish products, for example, for Ankara’s illegal seizure of Northern Cyprus…

“The Israel Hayom columnist Caroline Glick tweeted on Tuesday: ‘Weren’t the Nazis rooted in the Green Party beginning in the late 19th century? And didn’t Nazis play a key role in establishing the postwar Greens? Didn’t the Greens push to label Jewish Israeli goods? (Yes, all the above is true.)’ Glick , a former columnist for the Post, hit a button about the Nazi roots of the Green Party.

“Take the example of August Haussleiter, who, as co-founder of the Greens in 1979, played an important role in the party’s development. Haussleiter was active in Hitler’s Munich Beer Hall Putsch in 1923 and praised the German Wehrmacht in 1942. Baldur Springmann, a former member of the SA, the Nazi Party’s original paramilitary organization, also played a critical role in the nascent phase of the German Green Party. He left the party in 1980.”

This is a very revealing article, as it exposes the deeply anti-Semitic culture of Germany’s neo-Nazis and the popular environmentalist Green Party—not unlike Britain’s Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn.

Removing the Dome of the Rock?

Breaking Israel News reported on November 18:

“The Supreme Court of India ruled that an ancient [Hindu] temple must be rebuilt and a mosque that was built in its place must be relocated elsewhere. The case is surprisingly similar to the situation at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount and some see this as a precedent paving the way for the return of a Jewish Temple.

“… last week, the Indian Supreme Court gave its final ruling that the land required to build the Hindu temple be handed over by the Muslim authority…

“Assaf Fried, the spokesman for the Temple Organization, noted the unmistakable similarities between the case in India and the situation on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem… ‘The situation is precisely like the one in Jerusalem. Though it cannot be used in Israeli jurisprudence, conceptually, it is compelling… The structure of the Dome of the Rock, which is not a mosque but only a monument, can be moved to another location on the Temple Mount or in Jerusalem. It could even be transferred to Mecca.’…

“Yaakov Hayman, chairman of the United Temple Movements, agreed that the case in India was identical to the situation at the Temple Mount… He suggested moving the Dome of the Rock… ‘It is a beautiful building but it doesn’t need to be precisely there. That specific site is holy to the Jews. I think that what was shown in India is what should be done. If it was done in India, it can be done in Israel.’”

The push towards building the Third Temple gets more and more intense…

USA Reverses Decision to Call Israeli Settlements Illegal

Breitbart wrote on November 18:

“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday that the U.S. had reversed the policy of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, who declared Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria (the ‘West Bank’) illegal. Israel took over the region during the Six Day War in 1 June 1967, after Jordan, ignoring pleas from Israel to stay out of the unfolding war with Egypt and Syria, began shelling western Jerusalem. Israel’s counter-attack was victorious.

“Though the area is commonly described as ‘occupied,’ Israel has long maintained that the territory is actually ‘disputed,’ since Jordan had no sovereign right to the territory. If anything, Israel has a superior legal claim, resting on the Balfour Declaration on 1917 and the subsequent League of Nations approval of the British Mandate, which included provision for a Jewish National Home in Palestine. Palestinians also claim the area for their future state.

“Jews had lived in portions of Judea and Samara for millennia. It is the Biblical cradle of the Jewish faith; Jews also lived in Jerusalem, Hebron, and other areas. Many were killed or expelled in the 1948 war of independence, but some began coming back, and establishing new settlements on state land, from 1968 onward…

“Secretary Pompeo issued a statement explaining the administration’s legal reasoning…: ‘After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate, this Administration agrees with President Reagan.  The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law.’…

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders celebrated the U.S. decision…”

The Associated Press added on November 18:

“The European Union warned of the potential repercussions in a statement following the announcement that did not mention the U.S…. The international community overwhelmingly considers the settlements illegal…

“Shortly after Pompeo’s announcement, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued an advisory warning for Americans planning to travel in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza…”

The Associated Press wrote on November 20:

“The Vatican on Wednesday expressed concern that ‘recent decisions’ could undermine regional stability in the Middle East, in an apparent reference to the US reversal of position on Israeli settlements.”

The Netherlands Objects

The Times of Israel reported on November 20:

“The Dutch parliament on Tuesday approved a motion pushing back against a European Court of Justice decision that ordered the labeling of Israeli goods made in West Bank settlements. The motion, approved 82-68, calls on the government to object to the ruling, unless similar standards are applied to all disputed territories around the world. It deems the singling out of Israel in such regard unfair and discriminatory…

“The Dutch vote, supported by Christian groups in parliament and backed by the governing coalition, does not compel the government to act and is largely symbolic. However, diplomatic officials told the Ynet news site that the strong support from the coalition indicated it would guide government policy to an extent.”

The Netherlands is the exception. Most European countries, including Germany, reject the American position. Even though somewhat symbolic, the statement of the USA will set the stage for a coming clash in the Middle East. Note the next article.

Netanyahu Moves Ahead

Breaking Israel News reported on November 20:

“While much of the world screamed at the Trump administration’s announcement that international law does indeed grant Israel the right to Judea and Samaria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the opportunity to move forward towards redemption. As per a campaign promise made before the September 17 election, Netanyahu  announced on Tuesday [that he] approved a bill that would annex the Jordan Valley. The initiative for the bill actually came from Sharren Haskell (Likud) who, in light of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement, requested that the bill be exempted from the mandatory six-week waiting period and be fast-tracked with a Knesset vote held next week. The move would include about 20 percent of Judea and Samaria into Israel…

“The vote should go through with ease since Benny Gantz, head of the left-wing Blue and White party, announced two weeks ago that he supported annexing the Jordan Valley and the area adjacent to the Dead Sea. The left-wing party responded to Netanyahu’s campaign promise by saying,  ‘[We are] happy Netanyahu is adopting the Blue and White policy platform’…

“Rabbi Yehudah Glick, a Temple Mount activist and former Likud Member of Knesset, described the annexation of the Jordan Valley as the beginning of redemption. ‘The Jordan Valley, in particular, Jericho, was where the Jews first came into Israel,’ Rabbi Glick told Breaking Israel News. ‘That was the beginning of the first redemption. It was where we first became a free nation. This announcement is more than a political agenda. Just like the Jews who first crossed the Jordan River after the Exodus from Egypt, this is an announcement to the world that we are home… Like Abraham, we are saying, ‘Hineni’ (Here I am). We are here, and we are ready to settle the entire land,’ Rabbi Glick said.”

This will surely give rise to further anti-Israel resolutions and actions.

Israel’s Uncertain Future… a Third Election on the Horizon

Deutsche Welle reported on November 20:

“Benny Gantz, Blue and White party leader, announced on Wednesday that he will not be able to form a new government… President Reuven Rivlin had given him a midnight deadline… He now returns the mandate to Rivlin. This announcement deals a major setback to Gantz’s hopes of replacing Netanyahu as prime minister.

“Parliament now has 21 days to rally around Gantz, Netanyahu or another candidate to avoid the third election within twelve months… Avigdor Lieberman, leader of a smaller Israeli party and dubbed ‘kingmaker’ in the election, said earlier on Wednesday that he would not support Gantz, all but ensuring Gantz’s failure. He previously also ruled out working with Netanyahu.

“Neither Gantz nor Netanyahu have the required majority in parliament to form a government in their own right. Despite rounds of meetings, both have been unwilling to bend on key issues… A third election now seems likely with no other solution on the horizon.”

This means, Netanyahu remains Prime Minister for the time being.

Netanyahu Indicted

JTA wrote on November 21:

“Benjamin Netanyahu has been charged in three corruption cases, marking the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has been indicted.

“The charges, announced on Thursday evening by the Justice Ministry and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, include bribery and breach of public trust.

“Netanyahu has denied the charges and called the investigations against him a ‘witch hunt.’…

“He has 30 days to request that the Knesset grant him parliamentary immunity in order to avoid a criminal trial. Government ministers are required to resign if faced with a criminal charge, but not the prime minister.”

The Jerusalem Post added:

“The indictment will significantly impact the ongoing efforts to form a coalition before December 11 when the period of 21 days expires.”

Donald Trump—the Last US President?

On November 13, Breaking Israel News published an article with the following headline:

“Rabbi: Blessing Trump as King Shows He is the Final President Before the Return of Davidic Dynasty.”

The article continued:

“President Trump attended an Orthodox Jewish fundraising event at the Intercontinental Hotel in Manhattan on Tuesday evening. Four hundred Orthodox Jews participated in the event… Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson recited the blessing said upon seeing a non-Jewish ruler… The crowd responded with an enthusiastic ‘Amen’ and chants of ‘Four more years.’ The Talmud states that it is a mitzvah (Torah commandment) for a Jew to go out of his way to see rulers and kings, whether they are Jewish or non-Jewish… ‘Though it is true that Trump is not technically a king but he is the most powerful ruler of the world,’ Rabbi Hollander told Breaking Israel News. ‘In that sense, Trump is more of a king than other kings.’…

“Rabbi Berger noted that the blessing of Trump as a king was timely indeed. He cited Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, the medieval commentator known by the acronym Rashi, explains that this mitzvah is incumbent on Jews who will see the coming of the Messiah… ‘The Messiah will come to fix the mess that has been made of governments around the world, in almost every nation. America and Israel are both having crises in leadership,’ Rabbi Berger said.

“‘We are seeing that democracy simply does not work. The Bible does not talk about democracy. If the U.S. had a king, there would not be any spurious impeachment process or pointless investigations. Democracy allows people who hate the country, who hate God, and even hate half of the people, to run the country. This breakdown of government is intended to turn people to the real king.’ ‘If Israel had a king, there would not be any election reruns,’ Rabbi Berger said. ‘Since David was the king, he went out and dealt with the Philistines in a true and decisive manner. Because Israel does not have a king, it is 70 years and we are still getting attacked by the same Philistines.’ ‘We need the real king and all this conflict over how to run the country will end with the emergence of the true king,’ Rabbi Berger said.”

We have suggested for quite a while that Donald Trump might indeed be the last President of the United States. And as the article points out, only the Messiah will be able to make an end to the mess which we have created.

“Is America Ready for an Openly Gay President?”

AFP wrote on November 18:

“As young Democrat Pete Buttigieg emerges as a genuine contender in the 2020 White House race, his rise poses the question of whether America is ready for an openly gay president… The latest national polls put the Afghanistan veteran fourth behind… former vice president Joe Biden and… senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders… While Buttigieg does not dwell on his sexual orientation, he has spoken candidly about his decision to come out four years ago, and his engagement in 2017 to Chasten — with whom he hopes to start a family, perhaps even in the White House.

“Unlike Europe where half a dozen countries have elected gay leaders since 2009, the barrier to LGBT presidential candidates, as well as women, remains unbroken in the United States. Barack Obama, the first black man elected president in 2008, was preceded in the White House by 43 white males, none openly gay… Now we have two [openly gay] governors [and] two [openly gay] US senators… The first openly gay presidential candidate was Fred Karger, who sought the Republican nomination in 2012, although his candidacy never took off.

“On its website, Victory Fund regularly updates a map of elected LBGTQ officials in the United States: the number currently stands at 762 across all levels of government and all states except South Dakota and Mississippi… In May, a Gallup poll found 76 percent of respondents said they would vote for a gay candidate, three times more than in 1978. Among Democrats… the share rose to 83 percent… Most [opposed] were able to overcome their reservations after hearing him speak in calm and measured tones and once he had reminded them he is a practicing Christian…”

The change in the USA—and around the world—pertaining to “openly gay” politicians is quite remarkable and a telling sign of the times. The Bible condemns the practice of homosexuality. But the discussion as to whether America is ready for an “openly gay president” may only be of theoretical interest, because Donald Trump will be reelected in 2020.

The Nuclear Crisis

Project Syndicate wrote on November 18:

“Iran has begun a slow but steady process of getting out from under many of the agreement’s limits… It may… be calculating that these steps could dramatically reduce the time it would need to produce nuclear weapons without being attacked. But it is at least as likely that Iran’s actions will lead the US, or more probably Israel, to undertake a preventive strike designed to destroy a significant part of its program.

“Such a strike could lead several other regional powers, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, to develop or acquire nuclear weapons of their own. Turkey, increasingly estranged from many of its allies, has suggested that it may choose to develop nuclear weapons regardless of what Iran does. North Korea is far ahead of Iran: it already has several dozen nuclear weapons and missiles, has tested missiles that can reach the US, and is developing submarine-launched nuclear weapons.

“The notion that North Korea will agree to give up its weapons and ‘denuclearize’ is fanciful. Its leader, Kim Jong-un, believes that only nuclear weapons can ensure his regime’s survival, a belief understandably strengthened by the experience of Ukraine, which accepted security guarantees in exchange for giving up the nuclear weapons it inherited from the Soviet Union, only to be invaded by Russia 25 years later.

“One risk is… that North Korea’s neighbors, including South Korea and Japan, will determine that they, too, need nuclear weapons given the North Korean threat and their diminished confidence in the reliability of the US and its guarantees to protect them with its nuclear forces. The danger in both regions is that a race to acquire nuclear weapons could trigger a preventive war…

“India and Pakistan, two countries with a long history of bilateral conflict, are both nuclear powers. Nuclear deterrence cannot be assumed

“… the number of countries [known to have] nuclear weapons is… nine… But with nuclear technology increasingly available, arms control unraveling amid renewed great power rivalry, weakened alliances as the US pulls back from the world, and fading memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we are entering a new and dangerous period. Nuclear competition or even use of nuclear weapons could again become the greatest threat to global stability. Less certain is whether today’s leaders are up to meeting this emerging challenge.”

A nuclear all-encompassing World War III is prophesied to happen soon.

Vaccinations for Children Soon Mandatory in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 14:

“On Thursday, the German parliament — the Bundestag — passed a law to make immunization mandatory. The ‘Measles Protection Act’ stipulates that as of March 2020 children and staff in kindergartens and schools, medical facilities, and community facilities must be vaccinated. These include residences for asylum seekers, refugee shelters and holiday camps. Parents who do not vaccinate their children of school age will face hefty fines of up to €2,500 ($2,749), while younger children could face a ban from day care facilities…

“After months of debate, the law approved on Thursday wasn’t passed without criticism. Pediatrician Dr. Steffen Rabe… said every parent should be allowed to decide whether they immunize their child. ‘The law is unnecessary, ineffective and unconstitutional,’ Rabe told DW, quoting the right of bodily integrity…

“As the measles vaccination in Germany is only available as a triple — and sometimes quadruple — shot, the mandatory measles vaccination will also indirectly make immunization against measles, mumps and rubella, and in some cases chicken pox obligatory… ‘Some parents don’t want to vaccinate their children against all three diseases due to concerns about possible… side effects later in life,’ Rabe said.

“The German Association of Cities was also critical, saying that the law will affect the legal right to a place at a kindergarten and the difficulty of finding an available spot — an ongoing issue in Germany. German Health Minister Jens Spahn defended the new law.”

Many can be influenced by following the popular mass-media-driven notion endorsed by many governments regarding the necessity of vaccinations, while overlooking or suppressing potential side effects. Spahn who is openly gay has also been instrumental for the enactment of other laws which are likewise quite controversial.

 In addition, Bild Online reported on November 20 that Germans are overwhelmingly disappointed with their government. Only 26% feel the quality of their government constitutes strength for their country, and only 57% have confidence in the political stability (down from 81% a while back). 73% of East Germans think that the current government is too weak. Further, the coalition between CDU and SPD is being rejected by a large portion of the population, but so would be a coalition between the CDU and the Greens.  

Jury Sides with Planned Parenthood Against Undercover Video Journalists

Breitbart wrote on November 15:

“The jury in the federal civil case brought against the undercover video journalists who exposed Planned Parenthood in its alleged trafficking of the body parts of aborted babies found in favor of Planned Parenthood Friday. In the case of Planned Parenthood v. Center for Medical Progress (CMP), the jury found the pro-life journalists caused significant harm to the abortion chain with its sting video series and awarded punitive damages to the abortion chain of over $2.2 million, according to the Thomas More Society, which represented David Daleiden, who headed the CMP project.

“In a statement, Daleiden said: ‘Justice was not done today in San Francisco. While top Planned Parenthood witnesses spent six weeks testifying under oath that the undercover videos are true and Planned Parenthood sold fetal organs on a quid pro quo basis, a biased judge with close Planned Parenthood ties spent six weeks trying to influence the jury with pre-determined rulings and suppressed the video evidence, all in order to rubber-stamp Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit attack on the First Amendment. This is a dangerous precedent for citizen journalism and First Amendment civil rights across the country, sending a message that speaking truth and facts to criticize the powerful is no longer protected by our institutions.’

“Prior to the start of the trial, U.S. District Judge William Orrick III ruled the jury would not be allowed to consider any information Daleiden gleaned from the video recordings… Orrick has been the subject of controversy as he presided over the case, during which he imposed a gag order on CMP regarding the online publication of the National Abortion Federation (NAF) and Planned Parenthood video footage… the Good Samaritan Family Resource Center — an entity that is in partnership with a Planned Parenthood affiliate, a member of the NAF — had named Orrick as an emeritus member of its board… Orrick’s wife’s Facebook account was found to have included posted public comments — along with a photo of her and her husband — that indicate support for Planned Parenthood and criticism of Daleiden and CMP.

“Planned Parenthood has yet to be prosecuted for any of the allegations of profiting from the sales of the body parts of babies aborted in its clinics….”

This Judge should have been disqualified, as he was obviously biased. This is a travesty of justice and an abominable judgment of shame in favor of an organization which is admittedly engaged in terrible and ungodly conduct. How could a true Christian participate in jury trials like these?

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

November 9th: A fateful Day in German History

The Local wrote on November 9:

“So many momentous events happened in Germany on November 9th during the 20th century that it has become known as the country’s ‘day of fate’… here’s a look at four times history was made on November 9^th…

“With Germany on the brink of defeat in World War I and a revolutionary mood sweeping the country, the unpopular emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate, ending Germany’s monarchy… on November 9th, 1918, the deputy chairman of the Social Democrats, Philipp Scheidemann rushed to the balcony of Berlin’s Reichstag parliament to announce the birth of what would become the Weimar Republic…

“Adolf Hitler, the then relatively unknown Nazi Party leader, and his cronies tried to seize power with a coup that started in a crowded Munich beer hall on November 9th, 1923…

“Nazi thugs torched synagogues, smashed Jewish-owned shops and rounded up Jewish men across Germany on November 9th, 1938, in what became known as ‘Kristallnacht’ or the ‘Night of Broken Glass’…

“The fall of the Berlin Wall in a bloodless revolution on November 9th, 1989 [ended] 28 years of Cold War separation. But because of the dark chapters associated with the date in the past, it was considered an ill choice for a public holiday. Germans instead celebrate October 3rd, 1990, the official reunification of East and West Germany.”

Some of these events might have been staged to take place on November 9, but others were clearly not. And they might not have been “coincidental” either.

Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989

Express wrote on November 9:

“Angela Merkel… paid tribute to those who were killed or imprisoned for trying to flee from East to West Germany and insisted that the fight for freedom worldwide was not over. She said: ‘The Berlin Wall… teaches us: No wall that keeps people out and restricts freedom is so high or so wide that it can’t be broken down.

“The values on which Europe is founded – freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, respect for human rights – are anything but self-evident. And they have to be filled with life and must be defended again and again…”

While focusing on Europe, her critical remarks about walls were obviously directed at President Trump.

Walls Still Exist in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 9:

“… the hope on East Germans’ faces in those images from 1989 stands in stark contrast to the divided Germany of today, where many still debate the outcomes of reunification… German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier… warned, new walls have been built across Germany: ‘Walls of frustration, walls of anger and hatred; walls of speechlessness and alienation; walls that are invisible but still divide; walls that stand in the way of our cohesion.’…

“Despite the progress made since German reunification, the political, economic and cultural divide between eastern and western Germany still runs deep. Unemployment is still higher in the east, eastern Germans are still underrepresented in leading positions and many still feel left behind as the ‘losers’ of reunification…

“Thirty years after reunification, Germany is faced with the decision of what kind of country it wants to be.”

The political, economic and cultural divide between eastern and western Germany explains why especially in East Germany, radical parties on the left and the right are so successful.

The West’s Takeover

The Guardian wrote on November 9:

“Thirty years ago, Elfriede Begrich delivered a stirring sermon to a packed Gethsemane church in East Berlin. She quoted Deuteronomy 2.7: ‘God watches over you as you wander through this great wilderness’. ‘In those days every verse in the bible sounded like a political manifesto,’ the former Protestant pastor recalled this Saturday…

“This year… 42% [of the citizens of Berlin] felt the process of reunification had taken place too quickly. Many, like Elfriede Begrich, had hoped for at least symbolic gestures to assure them that the new Germany would be a fusion of its two halves, rather than a takeover by the west…”

East Germany was clearly taken over by the West. Even though it is described as being a peaceful takeover, East Germany’s institutions and laws were totally dismantled. East Germans have not forgotten that.

Remembering the Reichskristallnacht on November 9, 1938

The Algemeiner wrote on November 8:

“It’s been 81 years since Kristallnacht (“The Night of Broken Glass”), when Nazis torched synagogues, vandalized thousands of Jewish homes, schools and businesses, and killed nearly 100 Jews on the night of Nov. 9-10, 1938 in what was a precursor of things to come in Germany.

“In the aftermath, some 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps… ‘This Shabbat marks 81 years since Kristallnacht. It is inconceivable that today Jews need to remove their kipah in order to walk the streets of Europe,’ said [Jewish Agency chairman Isaac] Herzog…”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on November 8:

“António Guterres [the secretary-general of the United Nations] said that terrorists and neo-Nazis are ramping up recruitment and radicalization, and that they use the Internet as a tool to spread bigotry. He said online efforts are specifically targeted at luring in young and vulnerable people. Guterres called for urgent action by parents, teachers and political leaders ‘before underground hatred becomes an overt and alarming new normal.’…

“Ambassador Danny Danon, Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations… echoed Guterres’s warning on the dangers of rising antisemitism… ‘Tonight we are remembering what happened on Kristallnacht on November 9… It is important not only because of the destruction that night, but also what is happening now. We know that it might happen again.'”

Indeed it will, and much worse.

Europe vs. Israel

Times of Israel wrote on November 12:

“Israel on Tuesday condemned as politically motivated and discriminatory a decision by the European Court of Justice that determined that Israeli goods made in the settlements must be labeled as such. The ruling… serves as ‘a tool in the political campaign against Israel,’ the Foreign Ministry said in a statement… There are more than 200 territorial disputes across the world, but the European court has never ruled on any of them, the ministry said…

“Tuesday’s ruling, handed down by 15 judges in the court’s Grand Chamber in Luxembourg, ‘diminishes the chances of reaching peace,’ the ministry stated… According to the Luxembourg-based court, ‘Foodstuffs originating in the territories occupied by the State of Israel must bear the indication of their territory of origin… Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely joined the chorus of condemnation, calling the judges’ ruling political and hypocritical. Settlements are an integral part of Israel, and it does not make a difference whether a product was manufactured in Tel Aviv or in a West Bank outpost, she said…

“Foreign Ministry director-general Yuval Rotem also chimed in, taking to Twitter to suggest the court ‘label and condemn the hundreds of rockets fired into Israeli territory today.’”

Bild Online spoke about a scandalous judgment and reported that the USA has condemned it as well. It reminds us somewhat of the requirement for Jews to wear special identification cards in Nazi Germany.

More Power to Europe?

Reuters wrote on November 9:

“… incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen [who is supposed to take over the EU Presidency on December 1] said on Friday, ‘… Europe must… learn the language of power… That means on the one hand developing our own muscles… for example in security policy. On the other hand, it means engaging our available power with more focus,’ she added…”

Reuters wrote on November 12:

“European Union governments gave the green light on Tuesday for 13 new defence projects in a step to develop more firepower independently of the United States… work will begin on a new patrol vessel, an electronic jamming weapon for aircraft and technology to track ballistic missiles…

“Some 47 joint EU defence projects are now in the works following the signing of a pact by France, Germany and 23 other EU governments in late 2017 to fund, develop and deploy armed forces following Britain’s decision to quit the bloc… the bloc hopes to launch a multi-billion-euro weapons fund from 2021 requiring EU member states to work together on designing and building new tanks, ships and technology…

“France will head plans to better track ballistic missiles in space, and develop an electronic jamming weapon with Spain and Sweden for European combat aircraft to overcome enemy air defences. With Italy, France will develop a prototype for a new class of [a] military ship, to be known as a European Patrol Corvette.

“France, Portugal, Spain and Sweden also aim to deliver a new anti-submarine system to protect sea lanes and communication. France is already leading work on new European helicopters.”

Europe will become more and more powerful militarily and will soon be able to challenge the US and the UK.

Boris Johnson to Break Another Promise?

The Guardian wrote on November 11:

“The incoming president of the commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wrote to the prime minister [Boris Johnson] last week, asking him to propose a British candidate or candidates for EU commissioner ‘rapidly, in the shortest time possible’. Johnson’s spokesman said on Monday that the government would comply with the law…

“In his first address to the House of Commons after becoming prime minister in July, Johnson told MPs that ‘under no circumstances’ would he nominate a new commissioner…’”

However, as Express reported on November 12, “BORIS JOHNSON has infuriated new European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen by once again ignoring a request for Britain to nominate a candidate for her team” as “the deadline to put forward a British commissioner came and passed on Monday.”

Deutsche Welle added on November 14:

“The European Commission said on Thursday it was initiating infringement proceedings against the UK, hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson declined to nominate a British candidate as an EU commissioner. 

“‘As the Guardian of the Treaties, the European Commission has today sent a letter of formal notice to the United Kingdom for breaching its EU Treaty obligations by not suggesting a candidate for the post of EU Commissioner,’ the Commission said in a statement.

“It added that London had time until next Friday, November 22, to respond.”

The relationship between the EU and the UK is deteriorating more and more.

Most Britons Prefer Brexit over Northern Ireland

The Huffington Post wrote on November 11:

“A majority of Remainers and Leavers would be prepared to see Northern Ireland leave the Union in order to achieve their preferred Brexit outcome, a survey has found…

“Four in 10 Britons would not be concerned if Northern Ireland leaves the UK. 41% said they cared little or not at all about Northern Ireland. A majority would rather have their preferred Brexit outcome than see Northern Ireland stay in the Union; which was true for both Remainers and Leavers. Even those who care a ‘great deal’ about Northern Ireland, and want it to stay in the UK, would choose their Brexit preference over the Union remaining intact.”

Many Britons feel that in a few years from now, the UK, uniting Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, will be history.

More Uncertainty in Spain

The Associated Press wrote on November 11:

“A general election called to end political deadlock in Spain has only deepened uncertainty about the future of the European Union’s fifth-largest economy… No party achieved a clear mandate to govern in Sunday’s vote, which was the second election in seven months and was intended to clear away the stalemate. Further weeks or months of political jockeying now lie ahead.

“Incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s left-of-center Socialists captured the most seats, with 120. But that is far short of a majority in the 350-seat chamber…

“Support surged for far-right party Vox, which was launched just six years ago. It collected 52 seats, more than double its showing in the last election in April, making it the third largest party in parliament behind the Socialists and the conservative Popular Party, which recovered to collect 88 seats. Across Europe, far-right parties have made gains in recent years, setting off alarm bells about the bloc’s political direction.

“Some analysts put down Vox’s rise to nationalist sentiment stirred up as a result of mass protests by separatists in the wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia. The protests have included recent violent clashes with police that left more than 500 people injured. The push for Catalan independence, which the national government won’t allow, is Spain’s most serious political issue in decades and shows no signs of abating. Three Catalan separatist parties won a combined 23 seats, one more than in April…”

“Spain’s Pedro Sánchez Is Paying the Price for Underestimating the Far Right”

New Statesman wrote on November 11:

“After refusing to form a left alliance, the Socialist Prime Minister gambled on an early election and was painfully exposed… The previous election in April handed Sánchez victory but his party was still short of the 176 seats needed for an outright majority… And so, as King Felipe VI dissolved parliament and triggered a new election…

“Spanish fascism didn’t end with a war or a revolution…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 12:

“The Spanish Socialists have reached an initial agreement to work towards forming a minority government with left-wing populists Podemos. With a deal, the two parties’ seats still fall 21 short of a majority… Possible parties to make up the shortfall could be the leftist Mas Pais and the Basque nationalists…”

None of that sounds too promising. And as there is turmoil and uncertainty in Spain, so there is turmoil and uncertainty in Bolivia, a former Spanish colony. Bolivia’s independence from Spain was declared in 1825 and officially recognized in 1847. Note the next article.

Bolivia in Turmoil

The Week wrote on November 11:

“[Socialist] Bolivian President Evo Morales resigned Sunday… Despite agreeing to new elections, Morales was put in an even more difficult position after Bolivia’s military chief Gen. Williams Kaliman appeared on television and called for the president to resign in the hopes of allowing ‘peace to be restored and stability to be maintained for the good of our Bolivia.’

“Morales was first elected in 2006 and was the first member of the country’s indigenous population to become president. For years, Morales was lauded for his government’s progress, but Bolivians eventually grew concerned about his reluctance to give up power, especially after his most recent re-election, which led to accusations of fraud.”

The Independent added on November 11:

“Former Bolivian president Evo Morales has denounced what he has claimed was an ‘illegal’ warrant for his arrest, as supporters of the outgoing leader were accused of setting fire to his opponents’ homes… he has claimed he was the victim of a military coup – and that the police were preparing to take him into custody…”

NPR added on November 11:

“[Morales’] resignation has not settled the nation… A slew of other top officials have also resigned, including the vice president, the heads of both legislative chambers, the head of the electoral tribunal, and Bolivia’s police commander. The result is a power vacuum: it’s not clear who is in charge of Bolivia, and how a successor to Morales will be chosen.”

Deutsche Welle added on November 12:

“Former Bolivian President Evo Morales is headed for Mexico after being granted asylum there… The Mexican Foreign Ministry said it had made the decision to grant an asylum request… for humanitarian reasons. Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Morales’ ‘life and physical integrity’ were at risk in Bolivia…

“The world has reacted with a variety of perspectives on the developments… Mexico, Uruguay, Cuba, Venezuela and Argentine President-elect Alberto Fernandez have said Morales was deposed illegally. However, the US State Department has said the situation in Bolivia was not a coup…”

Bolivia’s “Interim President”

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 12:

“Opposition politician Jeanine Anez on Tuesday declared herself Bolivia’s interim president… Clashes broke out on the streets of La Paz, Bolivia’s capital… after Anez’s declaration… Morales… called her announcement ‘the most disastrous … coup in history.’ The former Bolivian president said that the opposition leader ‘declared herself… interim president without a legislative quorum, surrounded by a group of accomplices and backed by the armed forces and police that repress the people.’…

“Bolivia’s political crisis is far from over after Anez’s move. Under the Bolivian constitution, Morales’ resignation needed to be approved by both houses of Congress, and lawmakers failed to get the quorum for an assembly session on Tuesday…”

Trump Hails Morales’ Ouster

The Hill wrote on November 11:

“President Trump hailed the ouster of Bolivian President Evo Morales as a ‘significant moment for democracy’…

“‘After nearly 14 years and his recent attempt to override the Bolivian constitution and the will of the people, Morales’s departure preserves democracy and paves the way for the Bolivian people to have their voices heard,’ Trump said in a statement. Trump said the events in Bolivia ‘send a strong signal to the illegitimate regimes in Venezuela and Nicaragua that democracy and the will of the people will always prevail. We are now one step closer to a completely democratic, prosperous, and free Western Hemisphere.’”

Current events in Bolivia do not seem to support the claim that “democracy” is being preserved. Rather, it looks more like anarchy.

No Peace, but More Complex Wars

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 8:

“After the Cold War ended, the world hoped for an era of peace. But things turned out differently. Now… wars are more complex than ever. The 20th century was dominated by wars. An estimated 80 million people died in two world wars. Then there was the Cold War: An arms race between the USA and Russia. In Europe and large parts of the world, two hostile sides faced each other. In Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America, the global powers financed bloody proxy wars…

“There are still many conflicts around the world. Since the mid-2000s, their number has increased again… Among them are the Yugoslav wars and the conflicts in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The war in Mali from 2012 and the continuing war in Syria, which began in 2011, seem to continue the trend. In the last ten years alone, researchers… have counted 23 wars and 162 minor conflicts…

“In addition to the model of bilateral conflict with two opposing sides, there are often other parties involved as well who may for example send troops or supply weapons, expertise or training. Until the beginning of the 2000s, only two or three external parties, on average, participated in any given conflict. In the following years, that average rose to between four and five.

 “The main reason for this is the complex conflicts in the Middle East: In 2009, 46 external parties were involved in the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan… The war in Syria today is similarly complex: Bloomberg, for example, counted ten different main participants alone in the constantly changing network of interests at the beginning of October 2019…”

Christ warned that in these end times, we will be hearing more and more of wars and rumors of wars. Nuclear World War III is now clearly on the horizon. There will not be any peace until Christ returns.

A Third Term for Trump?

The Telegraph wrote on November 9:

“Robert De Niro… believes [that] the US president… is leading America towards war. In the past, the actor has been extremely vocal of his dislike for Donald Trump… ‘If he did win the next election, there’s definitely more chance of him allowing us to get into a war, and if you’re a president in a war, it’s more likely a chance you would stay for a third term. Imagine him in a third term.’”

It might come to that.

Trump—the Anointed King to Build the Third Temple?

Breaking Israel News wrote on November 11:

“After much deliberation, the Sanhedrin has issued a declaration calling on Iran to… return to their Biblically-correct identity as the Persian Empire. If they do not, another, possibly President Trump, will take the role of the ‘anointed king’ designated to lead the effort to build the Temple…

“[The Sanhedrin stated:] ‘Iran’s actions are in stark contrast to the great King Cyrus of Persia who ended seventy years of exile that began with the destruction of the First Temple. King Cyrus commanded the Jews exiled in Babylonia to return to Eretz Yisrael and rebuild the temple. King Cyrus aided in the restoration of the Temple by providing the tools to restore the temple and begin the Temple service. Cyrus is the ‘Anointed King’ that is mentioned in the prophecies of Isaiah one hundred and fifty years before his reign…’

“Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the spokesman for the Sanhedrin, emphasized that Iran stands at a historic crossroads… ‘The role of Cyrus as the anointed king was for a specific role… There needs to be a central figure… In his time, it was Cyrus,’ Rabbi Weiss said, noting that the Sanhedrin had compared President Trump to the Persian king. ‘This could be Trump but he also stands at a crossroads…’”

Breaking Israel News wrote on November 13:

“At a super donor event, being blessed by Jews as a King, Trump suggested he may take on a new role: Prime Minister of Israel… The invitation said the event was intended to ‘show appreciation’ to Trump, as ‘never before have Jews, here and in Israel, had such a loyal friend and supporter in the White House.’

“To honor the occasion, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson recited the blessing said upon seeing a non-Jewish ruler… ‘I think I have an approval rating of 98 percent in Israel,’ Trump said. ‘If anything happens here, I’m taking a trip over to Israel. I’ll be prime minister.’”

Note our Editorial in this issue.

DACA’s Uncertain Future

The Independent wrote on November 12:

“Donald Trump [stated that] ‘Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from “angels”… ‘Some are very tough, hardened criminals.’

“In June 2019 there were a reported 825,000 total DACA recipients — otherwise known as Dreamers. The majority are 25 years old or younger, Latin American-born and live across 20 US metro areas…

“The president attempted to terminate the programme two years ago, though two federal court rulings have since blocked the move. The nation’s top court will hear arguments on three consolidated cases… and determine whether the administration has a reasonable explanation to begin dissolving DACA. 

“It’s unclear what would happen if the justices sided with the White House: Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill have been unable to draft any legislation meeting the president’s demands for a wall while also extending protections to certain undocumented immigrants. Mr Obama found himself at a similar point when he introduced DACA in the Rose Garden in June 2012, urging Congress to pass an act that would protect Dreamers…”

This is indeed a terrible situation. Even IF some of the dreamers were criminals, many are not, and to deport all of them would constitute a terrible injustice.  

Is DACA Doomed?

The Week wrote on November 12:

“As many as nine in 10 poll respondents say the so-called ‘Dreamers’ should have a path to citizenship. Crucially, that is a view shared by most Republicans, even though President Trump announced the end of the program in 2017. DACA is popular…

“The case before the Court turns on a pretty narrow question of law. The debate isn’t whether Trump had the right to bring DACA to an end, but whether his administration gave the wrong reason for doing so. The administration said that former President Obama overstepped his authority when he created DACA by executive order in 2012, and that the White House had no legal choice but to end the program.

“The Supreme Court might agree. Or it could decide — as lower courts have — that Obama had the authority to create DACA, and that the Trump administration’s reasoning for ending the program was based ‘on an erroneous view of what the law required.’ If that happens, the Trump administration would probably be given the chance to go back to the drawing board and come up with a proper reason for ending the program. Still, if Obama had the discretion to create the program, there is little question that Trump has the authority to pull the plug — what a president can make, a president can unmake…

“It is at this point that Congress could step in and do the right thing. But the legislative branch’s failures on immigration in general — and saving the Dreamers, in particular — are legion. The House and Senate have been trying to pass a path to citizenship for the young migrants for nearly two decades.”

The incompetency of the US government is breath-taking.

America’s Pitiful Record

Axios wrote on November 12:

“New government data shows that the U.S. government held 69,550 migrant children in custody in 2019, a 42% increase from fiscal year 2018… UN researchers report that the U.S. detained more children than any other country in the world this year…

“Around 4,000 kids are still in custody, but more are arriving every week… Nearly 3,000 children were forcibly removed from their parents’ custody, while an additional 1,556 migrant families were separated between July 2017 and June 2018…”

The immigration record of the USA is indeed awful and inhumane.

US Borrowers Are Going Underwater on Car Loans

The Wall Street Journal wrote on November 9:

“Consumers, salespeople and lenders are treating cars a lot like houses during the last financial crisis: by piling on debt to such a degree that it often exceeds the car’s value. This phenomenon—referred to as negative equity, or being underwater—can leave car owners trapped. Some 33% of people who traded in cars to buy new ones in the first nine months of 2019 had negative equity, compared with 28% five years ago and 19% a decade ago…

“Borrowers with negative equity at the time of purchase tend to get longer loan terms, higher interest rates and higher monthly payments… The result for some consumers is a cycle in which each new trade-in leaves them deeper underwater… If borrowers default, lenders generally repossess the cars and try to resell them, then apply that money to the unpaid balance. Often, though, that isn’t enough to cover the borrower’s unpaid balance.”

The same phenomenon can be observed in the housing market. We should not fool ourselves in thinking that we will not experience another financial crisis soon, which will be devastating for many Americans.

Wildfires in Australia

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 11:

“The Australian state of New South Wales declared a state of emergency on Monday due to ongoing, unprecedented wildfire danger. New South Wales Emergency Services Minister David Elliott said on Monday that residents were facing ‘what could be the most dangerous bushfire week [the] nation has ever seen.’…”

Deutsche Welle added on November 12:

“Increased heat and high winds have threatened to make the already devastating bushfires worse. Authorities in Sydney are warning residents of ‘catastrophic fire danger’ — the first time that designation has been assigned since fire ratings were introduced in Australia in 2009. The warning has triggered evacuations in the state of New South Wales and forced more than 600 schools across the state to close.”

The Guardian wrote on November 12:

“It could be months before eastern Australia has more than a million hectares of bushfires under control, the New South Wales fire chief has warned, as the country faces one of its worst bushfire outbreaks… concern was growing over unpredictable wind changes worsening fires in the neighbouring state of Queensland, with much hotter temperatures also predicted for the Sydney area next week.”

The Bible has predicted that in these end times, more and more devastating wildfires will spread throughout the world, and especially in countries which are descendants of the ancient House of Israel. Australia is of course one of those countries.

Breaking the Seal of Confession?

MSN wrote on November 11:

“The Roman Catholic Church says it would reject any recommendation from a U.K. inquiry that would require priests to break confession to report child sexual abuse. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, [said:] ‘The history of the Catholic Church has a number of people who have been put to death in [defense] of the seal of the confession. It might come to that.’…

“When asked by Brian Altman, the lead lawyer on the inquiry, how the Catholic Church would respond to a recommendation of breaking the seal of confession in cases where abusers have admitted child abuse, Nichols said: ‘It would not be well received. It would be rejected,’ he said. This comes after the Australian Catholic Church opposed the Australian Royal Commission’s recommendation of breaking the seal of confession in 2018.”

This problem is not limited to the Catholic Church. Any minister who is being given confidential information must make a conscious decision as to how to proceed and use the communication received. It would therefore be important to tell anyone before communication is given what the parameters and consequences of obtaining that information would be for the parishioner.

Pope Francis: The Devil Destroys

Vatican News wrote on November 12:

“‘The devil exists, sowing hatred and death throughout the world… When you talk badly about someone you destroy them… The tongue is a fearsome weapon… Gossip kills. Slander kills’, [the Pope] said…  ‘Cain and Abel were brothers’, he said, ‘but the jealousy and the envy of the one destroyed the other’. This is the way it is, said the Pope, just watch the evening news: ‘wars, destruction, people dying of illnesses caused by wars’.

“Pope Francis recalled the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the horrors of war, the Nazis, and those who ‘tortured anyone who was not of “pure race”’… The Pope said he often has the impression the news is a story of hatred and destruction, wars and terrorist attacks. ‘So many children die of hunger and disease’ because they have no water, no education, or healthcare, said the Pope. Instead, ‘the money needed for this goes to manufacturing weapons of destruction’…”

The Devil exists indeed, even though most people don’t believe in him. That foolish ignorance empowers him even more.

Abortion an Act of Love?

Breaking Israel News reported on November 10:

“The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) launched a new campaign… dubbed ‘Abortion Actually.’ [It] makes the following claim:… ‘What is abortion actually? An act of love. An act of compassion. An act of healing. An act of selflessness. Abortion actually is something 1 in 4 people will experience in their lifetimes. It’s health care. It’s freedom… If you believe that abortion is at its core, an act of love, compassion, healing, and selflessness – please join our campaign today…’

“The NWLC campaign seeks to keep abortion available with an initial investment of $350,000 to 11 pro-abortion groups across the U.S.

“Dr. Eli Schussheim, a highly regarded Israeli surgeon who is the director of EFRAT-C.R.I.B, reacted to the new campaign from a Biblical perspective… ‘I object to abortion as a doctor… I am a doctor and have treated approximately 76,000 women that all claimed to have economic or family reasons to have an abortion,’ Dr. Schussheim said. ‘Not a single one has expressed regret at her decision to have a baby. On the other hand, unlike other surgical procedures, abortion does not leave a physical scar but always leaves a scar on the psyche. From a medical standpoint, abortion, as this organization describes it,  is horrible for women…’”

This new campaign endorses and promotes entirely ungodly and despicable concepts. Woe to those who call evil good!

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

USA—A Deeply Divided Nation

The Associated Press reported on November 3:

“The nation will plunge into the election as deeply divided as it has been politically in more than half a century, when cities were in flames with protests over war and civil rights… Many of those divisions existed before Trump, but his presidency has exacerbated them…

“Indeed, no president in the history of public opinion polling has faced such deep and consistent partisan polarization.”

The USA is deeply divided. A house divided cannot and will not stand.

Piers Morgan: Trump Guaranteed to Win in 2020

Newsmax wrote on November 1:

“The impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump will backfire, Piers Morgan predicted on Friday, saying it will fire up his base, demoralize his liberal opponents and … virtually guarantee him another win. Morgan, the host of ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain,’ wrote in an opinion piece for The Daily Mail on Friday that Democrats have misjudged their opportunity, and will inadvertently hand Trump victory in 2020. ‘I don’t think this impeachment has a… chance of being successful, given the hyper-partisan nature of current US politics,’ he wrote…

“Morgan goes on to say that ‘what the Democrats don’t seem to have realized, or have chosen to ignore in their self-righteous desperation to nail Trump for anything, is that a failed impeachment attempt will hugely help him get re-elected.’ He adds that this, combined with a strong recent job reports, including record-low unemployment for African-Americans, the recent killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ‘virtually guarantee him another win.'”

We agree.

America Tired of Fighting Endless Wars

Breitbart wrote on November 3:

“American Veterans who risked their lives in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars are increasingly opposing foreign interventionism that continues to dominate the Washington, DC, political establishment. The latest Pew Research Center survey on the issue finds that 64 percent of Veterans say the Iraq War is ‘not worth fighting,’ along with 62 percent of all American adults who agree. Only 33 percent of Veterans say the Iraq War is worth fighting.

“Likewise, nearly 60 percent of Veterans and all American adults say the Afghanistan War was not worth the fight. Less than 40 percent say the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan was worth fighting…

“Even when it comes to the U.S. intervention in Syria, Veterans by a majority oppose the effort. The Pew Research Center survey found that 55 percent of Veterans said U.S. involvement in Syria is ‘not worth it’ while almost 60 percent of American adults agreed.

“Former President George W. Bush led the U.S. into war in Afghanistan and Iraq with more than 4,500 Americans dying in Iraq — including more than 3,500 killed in combat — and up to 205,000 Iraqi citizens dying in the war since March 2003. In total, Bush’s post-9/11 wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and intervention in Pakistan have resulted in the deaths of between 480,000 and 507,000 people — including nearly 7,000 American soldiers who had deployed to the regions.”

What is reflected in the article is an interesting phenomenon: The Bible has predicted that Americans will be tired of fighting and refusing to go out when the trumpet for war sounds… but not because they realize that war is wrong per se. That change of heart will only come when Christ has returned.

US Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Health Insurance Visa Restriction

Deutsche Welle reported on November 3:

“A judge in the United States on Saturday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s efforts to insist on immigrants having health insurance, or the resources to pay for medical care, before they can get visas. The legislation was due to come into effect as of November 3 but Federal Judge Michael Simon in Portland, Oregon, granted a 28-day restraining order on the proposal.

“Simon said the possible suffering to would-be incomers and their families prevented him from approving the bill. ‘Facing a likely risk of being separated from their family members and a delay in obtaining a visa to which family members would otherwise be entitled is irreparable harm,’ Simon wrote in a statement that was 18 pages in length.

“Saturday’s decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by seven US citizens and an advocacy organization, arguing it ‘rewrites our immigration and healthcare laws by Presidential fiat.’ ‘We’re very grateful that the court recognized the need to block the health care ban immediately,’ Justice Action Center senior litigator Esther Sung said. Sung, who acted on behalf of the plaintiffs, added: ‘The ban would separate families and cut two-thirds of green-card-based immigration starting tonight, were the ban not stopped.’

“The Trump administration wanted the new legislation in order to stop taxpayers from bearing the ‘substantial costs in paying for medical expenses incurred by people who lack health insurance or the ability to pay for their healthcare.’ However, healthcare policy specialists stated immigrants use the system far less frequently than US citizens.

“In addition, according to a study carried out by Leighton Ku, director of the Center for Health Policy Research at George Washington University, newcomers to the US who arrive without insurance were responsible for less than one-tenth of 1% of medical expenditures in 2017.”

This is good news. The only question is, how long will the temporary blockade last? Will the 28-day restraining order be prolonged; will it be replaced by a permanent order prohibiting Trump’s proposals to re-write America’s long-standing immigration laws, and will the highly political US Supreme Court agree or disagree with Judge Simon or President Trump?

The US Dollar under Worldwide Attack

CNBC wrote on October 30:

“The U.S. dollar has been the world’s major reserve currency for decades, but that status could come under threat as ‘very powerful countries’ seek to undermine its importance… China, Russia and the European Union are some ‘major movers’ behind this push. One of those reasons driving their shift away from the dollar is the prospect of being subject to U.S. jurisdiction if they transact in dollars…

“When the U.S. dollar is used or transactions are cleared through an American bank, entities are subject to U.S. jurisdiction… Europe wants to do business with Iran. It doesn’t want to be subject to U.S. law for doing business with Iran… Nobody wants to be picked up at an airport for doing business with countries that the U.S. isn’t happy that they’re doing business with…

“But if the dollar declines in influence, other currencies could fill the role traditionally played by the greenback…”

According to the Bible, it will be the Euro which will replace the US Dollar.

The Trump Administration’s Obsession with Persian Emperor Cyrus

The Washington Post wrote on November 1:

“On Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commemorated a moment more than 2,500 years ago. ‘Today in 539 BC, Cyrus the Great entered Babylon and freed the Jewish people from captivity,’ Pompeo tweeted…

“Pompeo was referring to a rather famous event in history. According to sources including biblical scripture, Cyrus allowed the Judeans deported and exiled following the ravages of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II to return to their homeland. His conquest of Babylon cemented his dominion over much of the lands we now consider to be the Middle East, an empire that stretched from the Indus River basin to the Mediterranean Sea. Like any other ancient warrior king, he presided over massacres and pillage, including a notorious incident immortalized by the ancient Greek chronicler Herodotus where Cyrus burned a vanquished foe and 14 young boys alive on a funeral pyre.

“But Cyrus is memorialized by Iranians (and non-Iranians) as a unifying proto-national hero, an all-powerful emperor who still allowed for toleration and coexistence among different peoples, sects and religions. The Cyrus Cylinder, a barrel-shaped tablet etched in Babylonian cuneiform that was unearthed by archaeologists in the late 19th century, announced his victory and his desire to let his new subjects retain their traditions… the cylinder… casts Cyrus as an agent of the Babylonian god Marduk… A replica of the ancient artifact sits on display in the lobby of the United Nations…

“Some right-wing Christian evangelical supporters of the president have embraced the idea of a ‘Trump prophecy,’ seeing in Trump’s political gifts to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu – including the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital – a glimmer of divine providence. ‘Some evangelicals, who support Zionism out of the belief that the Jewish migration to Israel would trigger the Second Coming, have eagerly elevated Trump to the status of a biblical ruler,’ Columbia University professor Hamid Dabashi noted earlier this year. ‘He, in turn, has happily obliged and made a number of political concessions to Israel, out of the rather worldly consideration that the evangelical vote could win him re-election next year.’

“Trump’s closest Israeli partner is only happy to oblige. Netanyahu has declared Trump to be one of a singular set of non-Jewish heroes ‘in the long sweep of Jewish history,’ linking his deeds with those of the British Lord Balfour, President Harry S. Truman and, yes, Cyrus the Great.

“Pompeo, a devout evangelical himself, has entertained other parallels also, citing the Old Testament story of Queen Esther, the Persian Jewish queen who foiled a plot to kill all Jews in the Achaemenid kingdom. Earlier this year while in Jerusalem, Pompeo was asked whether ‘President Trump right now has been sort of raised for such a time as this, just like Queen Esther, to help save the Jewish people from the Iranian menace?’ He responded: ‘As a Christian, I certainly believe that’s possible.’”

What is missed by the author of the article—whether because of ignorance or deliberately–is the role of Cyrus to allow the Jews to build the Second Temple. As was pointed out in other news outlets, it appears that Trump believes that he has the providential role of helping to build the Third Temple… as a prerequisite for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

What Will the US Do in Case of an Israeli-Iran War?

The Atlantic wrote on November 4:

“The senior ministers of the Israeli government met twice last week to discuss the possibility of open war with Iran. They were mindful of the Iranian plan for a drone attack from Syria in August, aborted at the last minute by an Israeli air strike, as well as Iran’s need to deflect attention from the mass protests against Hezbollah’s rule in Lebanon. The ministers also reviewed the recent attack by Iranian drones and cruise missiles on two Saudi oil installations, reportedly concluding that a similar assault could be mounted against Israel from Iraq… Israel is girding for the worst and acting on the assumption that fighting could break out at any time…

“And over all of them looms a pressing question: How will the United States respond?… Whether inadvertently… or purposefully… the United States has empowered Iran… Donald Trump failed to respond forcefully to the Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia and on international shipping in the Gulf, or even for the downing of a U.S. Navy drone last June… the hasty withdrawal of American troops from Syria appears to many in the Middle East as yet another American move that will strengthen Tehran…

“I recall President Obama’s comment to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office six years ago this week, on the last day of my service as Israeli ambassador. ‘The United States will always come to Israel’s aid in the event of a war,’ he said, ‘because that is what the American people expect.’ But I also remember that, back in 1973, Egypt and Syria saw a president preoccupied with an impeachment procedure, and concluded that Israel was vulnerable. In the subsequent war, Israel prevailed—but at an excruciating price. The next war could prove even costlier.”

Trump Meddles in Brexit Debacle

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 30:

“US President Donald Trump urged Britain to speed up its departure from the European Union and advised Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage to team up with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the upcoming elections… Trump said that Britain is being ‘held back by the European Union’ and that the country would be ‘much better without it,’ particularly as it would enable the UK ‘to do much more on trade with the United States.’ The president added: ‘Brussels is very difficult to deal with.’

“However, Trump cast doubt over the current deal the EU and the UK have in place, saying it limits the possibility of trading between the two English-speaking nations… ‘this Brexit deal — certain aspects of the deal -—you can’t… trade,’ he said.”

Johnson responded by refusing to line up with Farage, and stating that he disagrees with Trump on his assessment on the proposed EU-UK deal.

Johnson Leads…

Money Morning wrote on November 1:

“… this general election is going to purge Parliament. Of the 57 MPs who are stepping down, the vast majority are Remainers. Many more of those who have scuppered the Brexit process… are likely to lose their seats. The Speaker himself is gone. Parliament is going to be a very different place on 13 December.

“The polls show Boris Johnson has a strong lead… it looks as though Johnson is going to have the majority he needs to make Brexit happen along the lines of his deal.”

Time will tell, as so far, all predictions—pro and con—have failed.

Europe Is Ready for Its Own Army

On September 5, 2019, Foreign Policy wrote:

“As the United States retreats, the EU is shaping its own military…

“The United States still has military bases all over the world and significant troop deployments on NATO’s eastern borders, so it could still intervene to stop, for example, direct military aggression against NATO members from a resurgent Russia. Washington can still choose to project power in the region as it pleases. But if European NATO countries cannot know for certain that the United States will do so in any given circumstance, they must now start taking the idea of defending themselves seriously. In effect, Trump has granted Europe its political independence.

“European leaders, foremost among them French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have grasped the new reality with a speed that should alarm policymakers in Washington. Some quarters of Europe… have long aspired to a continental military force…

“France has its own, highly developed arms industry and runs its own missions and deployments, notably in Francophone Africa, without asking anyone for permission. The French army is almost never not at war somewhere, officially or otherwise… So it should not be surprising that France has been the first to call for the formation of a European army. What is new, is that most other Western European countries agree, and most significantly that Germany agrees… There’s a traditional division of roles. France is the muscle, Germany is the money. The union of the two is a game changer.”

A powerful European Army is prophesied to happen.

The EU vs. GB

New Statesman wrote on October 30:

“…there is only one other empire that has the same reach and ability to shape the global system as the US and China: the EU… there are some moves afoot in Brussels to make the EU a third power bloc that can help its members resist pressure from the competing giants. Many European states realise that the only way of defending their national sovereignty from secondary sanctions is through common action…

“The EU has signed a series of new trade deals with Japan, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam. It is shoring up European defence by moving towards a defence union and a powerful fund for common military projects…

“Many Brexiteers believe that Europe is a paper tiger, and yet the EU has shown that it was able to move the needle in some important areas. Its data privacy code (GDPR) has set global standards for regulating data flows and privacy in the new great power competition, leading some experts to declare that it is the ‘Brussels effect’ of global rule-setting that makes Europe a third bloc…

“The EU’s powerful trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström has led an impressive push-back against Trump’s tariffs and restrictions of transatlantic trade, with EU counter-tariffs and credible threats of what would happen if the US were to escalate the transatlantic trade war.

“All of this reinforces the strategic dilemma for the UK in the world of blocs after Brexit. Will European sovereignty… be organised against Britain? The experience with the European Galileo GPS system – where Europeans forged ahead without the UK – shows that being left outside European projects and decision-making can be tough. The same sort of dilemmas could develop in other areas… in a world of great power blocs Britain may find itself at the mercy of other powers…”

The Bible says that very soon, the USA, the UK and Israel will fall together.

Germany and Europe to Control their Military Destiny

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 7:

“German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer [AKK] said in a speech delivered Thursday at the Bundeswehr University in Munich… that allies are increasingly asking for Berlin to play a proactive role in global security… She pledged to boost defense spending to… eventually make Germany the third largest defense spender in the world, behind the US and China… In an earlier interview… she urged Berlin to take an increasingly active role in military engagements abroad…

“But her proposal was met with caution from other Cabinet members. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the idea of a more assertive German military required robust support from European allies… [He said:] ‘… we as part of Europe play a leading role in competition between superpowers.’…

“French President Emmanuel Macron has called on European allies to ‘wake up’ to the realities of the transatlantic alliance before it’s too late. ‘What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO,’ Macron said in an interview… The French president warned that Europe will ‘no longer be in control of our destiny’ if it fails to recognize its strategic relevance as a geopolitical power.”

Pompeo’s, Merkel’s and Mass’s Views Irrelevant

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 7:

“Merkel… condemned comments by French President Emmanuel Macron [on NATO]… ‘This view does not correspond to mine,’ she said. Merkel described Macron’s statement as ‘drastic words’ that she did not agree with, and she reconfirmed Germany’s commitment to its role within NATO. ‘Such a sweeping attack is not necessary,’ she said.”

Macron is totally correct, and Merkel’s expressed views and her role become more and more irrelevant.

The Associated Press wrote on November 7:

“U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his German counterpart (Heiko Maas) stressed the close ties between their two countries Thursday, batting away talk of trans-Atlantic friction and insisting that the NATO alliance that both are part of remains relevant today… U.S. President Donald Trump has worried many NATO members with comments that the trans-Atlantic alliance is ‘obsolete”…

“Maas, who was widely criticized in recent days for failing to mention the U.S. contribution to ending the Cold War in an op-ed that was published in 26 European newspapers over the weekend, appeared to go out of his way to name American leaders who helped bring the divided nation back together again in 1989…”

Trump is directing American foreign policy, not Pompeo. Maas, the proverbial politician, is also becoming equally irrelevant as Merkel and AKK. A new powerful leadership—replacing Germany’s current lame duck and/or unpopular politicians—will arise soon.

Germany’s Descent into Anti-Semitism

The Jerusalem Post wrote on November 2:

“US Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, has sharply criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government for its blasé dismissal of Iran’s threat to destroy the Jewish state. ‘Threatening the destruction of Israel is something that should not be dismissed, especially when the threats come from Iranian regime officials who regularly use terrorism as a weapon of intimidation,’ Grenell told Fox News last week…

“Grenell, who enjoys enormous popularity among German Jews, pro-Israel advocates and Israeli government officials, responded to two Iranian officials who recently called for the obliteration of Israel…

“When pressed by the Post if the Iranian regime’s call to exterminate the nearly seven million Jews in Israel meets the definition of antisemitism, [Merkel’s] spokespeople said it is just ‘anti-Israel rhetoric.’…

“Antisemitism experts in the United States and Germany expressed outrage over the Merkel government’s cavalier attitude toward Iran’s genocidal antisemitism targeting Israel.”

Germany’s descent into Anti-Semitism is deeply worrisome.

US Nazi Group Issues Death Threats to former Co-Leader of Germany’s Green Party

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 2:

“Police are investigating a death threat to Cem Özdemir, the former co-leader of Germany’s Green party. A US neo-Nazi group was linked to the email, which featured the politician among a list of its assassination targets. An offshoot of the US-based neo-Nazi group Atomwaffe Division Deutschland (AWD) appeared to be behind the message, which featured Özdemir — one of Germany’s highest-profile politicians with Turkish origins — at the top of an assassination hit list…

“Long a recipient of police protection, Özdemir is no stranger to intimidation. A staunch critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he has received numerous death threats from Turkish nationalists…

“Members of the AWD in the United States have been linked to several murders and planned terror attacks. The group, organized in cells, operates largely online and has repeatedly called for attacks on minorities. While the group formed in the southern US, it has since expanded across the country and into the UK, Canada, Germany and the Baltic states.”

Satan is busy as never before. He looks for and finds his people who are willing to carry out his evil devices.

Mexico’s Hopeless “Fight” against its Cartels

In light of the horrible terrorist attack by members of a cartel on several American-Mexican citizens living in Mexico, The Guardian wrote on November 5 about a prior incident:

“Cowed and outgunned: why Mexico’s police ‘don’t stand a chance’ against drug cartels. The 14 October massacre that left 13 state police dead was just one extreme episode of violence in a recent litany of horrors… More than 30 suspected cartel gunmen ambushed the police officers in the town of El Aguaje on Monday as they were traveling in a convoy to serve a warrant, killing 13 officers and wounding nine others…

“Corruption among the ranks [of the police force] is also encouraged by dismal salaries from which officers are not only expected to buy their own bullets, but often their own uniforms as well…the president has given orders to avoid direct confrontations with the cartels… Meanwhile, the president insists that his newly formed militarized national guard will enforce the law, but so far the new force has been busier blocking migrants from reaching the United States than pursuing organized criminals…

“But while Mexico waits for justice, a new generation is growing up that has only known life amid a multi-sided conflict where there are no clear good guys.”

It is not clear which cartel was behind the gruesome massacre and what the reason for the mass killing was.

More Scientific Nonsense… What Was Before the Big Bang?

Express wrote on November 2:

“THE Big Bang theory has long been accepted as scientific fact as an explanation of [how] the universe came into being – but it has always begged the question ‘what happened before the big bang?’ Now an international team of researchers looking at the timescale of the early universe – measured in trillionths of seconds – think they know. But it’s complicated. And we are still not quite there. Two theories exist as to exactly what happened 13.8 billion years ago when the universe, which is now unaccountably huge, emerged from something so unimaginably small – according to the new research one hundred billionth the size of a proton.

“First there is cosmic inflation – a period BEFORE the Big Bang when, according to physicists, an ultra-high energy particle inflated at an incomprehensible speed and scale. During this period matter, such as it was, remained a cold dark formless mass. Then, less than a trillionth of a second later, came the Big Bang – an almost infinitely hot fireball which exploded ultimately forming all the matter as it now exists, and eventually Earth and us.

“But scientists struggled to link the two processes – how a cold dark soup could trigger the most explosive moment conceivable? Now a team of physicists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, aided by teams as far away as Holland, have discovered a linking period – a phase they call ‘reheating’. The inflation to reheating period was clearly a crazy time. At one point gravity worked in reverse and another it was modified by quantum effects – and it was this which allowed the hot Big Bang to emerge from the cold Cosmological Inflation period.

“Professor at MIT, David Kaiser, said: “Reheating was an insane time, when everything went haywire. ‘The postinflation reheating period sets up the conditions for the Big Bang, and in some sense puts the ‘bang’ in the Big Bang. It’s this bridge period where all hell breaks loose and matter behaves in anything but a simple way…

“However, as clever as the research is, the question of where the Universe came from remains unanswered… The research was supported, in part, by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.”

What utter nonsense and what a terrible waste of money, energy and time. That’s how taxpayer money is WASTED. The answer has been there all along: “In the beginning GOD CREATED the heavens and the earth.”

Smoking Banned in Austria

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 1:

“Austria banned smoking in bars and restaurants on Friday, bringing the country’s laws into line with most other European nations. The indoor smoking ban came into effect after lawmakers approved the move in July.

“Before the new law came into force, Austrians were still able to light up while drinking and eating inside bars and restaurants larger than 50 square meters (540 square feet), and as long as it was in a separate area, although this was not strictly enforced. The smoking ban will now apply to all such establishments and will be enforced with heavy penalties.

“Smokers who break the ban will have to pay €1,000 ($1,115), and owners of establishments who allow patrons to smoke will be fined $2,000 rising to €10,000 if found repeating the offense. The smoking ban also applies to shishas and electronic cigarettes.

“Austria has an above-average percentage of smokers with 25% of its 8.8 million inhabitants smoking in comparison with an 18% average in other EU nations. Currently, 17 EU countries have comprehensive smoke-free laws. Ireland, the UK, Greece, Bulgaria, Malta, Spain and Hungary have the strictest laws with bans on smoking in all enclosed public spaces, on public transport and in workplaces.

“In the Czech Republic it is up to the bar owner to decide if they want to permit smoking or not. In Denmark, smoking is banned indoors except in Copenhagen, where it is permitted in bars under 40 square meters. The debate about the ban has been ongoing for over 10 years, with the far-right Freedom Party — formerly led by a keen smoker — opposing the measure.”

Smoking is wrong and hazardous and deadly to the health of the active and the passive smoker. In addition, somebody who smokes in the presence of a non-smoker only shows his stupidity and selfishness, as well as his lack of love for God, himself and his neighbor.

How Governments Control the Internet… and the Minds of their Citizens

PCMAG wrote on October 31:

“On Nov. 1, Russia is poised to disconnect from the internet—in theory. That is when a long-planned internet bill will go into effect and lay the foundation for a national network whereby internet service providers are controlled by Roskomnadzor, Russia’s telecom agency. The goal is to give Russia the power to disconnect from the global internet in the event of a cyberwar and, in the interim, serve up a walled-off version of the web sanctioned by the Russians. It also gives President Vladimir Putin greater control over Russian citizens…

“Russia’s system uses a proxy to steer packets of information away from the public DNS [Doman Name System] resolver by default, look at where the data is located, and either let that information through, redirect it, or block it completely. We see examples of this kind of control in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and China…

“China restricted its web access from the start, with the Communist Party legislating in 1996 (two years after the internet arrived there) that all service providers be licensed by the government and that all internet traffic go through state-owned telecommunication companies…

“Russia has reportedly spent about $300 million on its sovereign internet plan. But while the country has restricted access to certain services in recent years… it’s unlikely the Russian government will be able to exert on its citizens the level of control China has accomplished with its Great Firewall by Nov. 1…

“… while the American view of the internet—heavily influenced by its history of free markets and free speech—might be closer in theory to the open internet that was proposed by the web’s pioneers, the hegemony of Silicon Valley has created a state in which the majority of the internet is de facto under the control of the US government… In a world of splinternets, it’s easier to say that you have an open system when the nexus of power is within your borders. The future will likely bring more legislation like Russia’s…”

The Bible condemns those who suppress the Truth. The trend to do so, especially on the Internet, is clearly alarming.

Microchipping the new Trend?

Der Spiegel wrote on October 25:

“An estimated 5,000 people in Sweden, which has a total population of 10.2 million, have had chips planted under their skin, which they use to open their front door or even as a digital train ticket…

“The idea… of employees getting chipped raises numerous questions. In Germany… it would be a horror scenario… if there’s anything we have learned in recent years, it’s that where data is collected, it also has the potential to be abused…

“In 2018, [the EU] parliament commissioned a study investigating ‘the use of chip implants for workers.’ The report states that every EU citizen has the right to the integrity of the human body and that companies cannot force their workers to be chipped. But the study also advises against voluntary chipping — for data-protection reasons. ‘The chips are not necessarily secure,’ the report concludes. The report also states that the possibility cannot be ruled out that they could get hacked or become the subject eavesdropping, cloning, deactivation or manipulation…”

As the article points out, Europe and especially Germany is at this point strongly opposed to microchipping their citizens. Some have suggested that the mark of the beast has something to do with microchipping. This assumption is clearly wrong. We explain the mark of the beast in these Q&As: https://dev.eternalgod.org/q-a-14976/ and https://dev.eternalgod.org/is-bitcoin-the-mark-of-the-beast/ .

No Pagan Idols in the Catholic Church?

Life Site News wrote on October 30:

“Three cardinals and three bishops have separately voiced opposition to paganism in Church ceremonies in the Vatican surrounding the Amazon Synod, including the Oct. 4 pagan ceremony in the Vatican Gardens where people bowed down and worshiped the Pachamama idol as Pope Francis and other top-ranking prelates looked on.

“Catholics around the world were indignant to not only see the pagan statues present in various ceremonies, but to see Pope Francis actually bless one of them during the Vatican Gardens ceremony…Paulo Suess, one of the key authors of the Amazon Synod’s working document, commented on this ceremony, saying ‘so what. Even if it would have been a pagan rite, then it is nevertheless a pagan worship of God.’…

“Cardinal Gerhard Müller… said that the ‘great mistake was to bring the idols into the Church, not to put them out, because according to the Law of God Himself – the First Commandment – idolism [idolatry] is a grave sin and not to mix them with the Christian liturgy’…

“Bishop Athanasius Schneider… stated that ‘Catholics cannot accept any pagan worship, nor any syncretism between pagan beliefs and practices and those of the Catholic Church.’ ‘The acts of worship of kindling a light, of bowing, of prostrating or profoundly bowing to the ground and dancing before an unclothed female statue, which represents neither Our Lady nor a canonized saint of the Church, violates the first Commandment of God: ‘You shall have no other gods before Me,’ he added…”

If the dissenting cardinals and bishops were consequential, they would have to condemn everything pagan in the Catholic Church… including the celebration of pagan holidays such as Christmas and Easter. Note the next article.

Paganism Nothing New in Catholic Church

Catholic Outlook, in trying to defend paganism in the Roman Catholic Church, wrote on November 1:

“Roman Christianity basically put a cross on… ‘pagan’ temples and on the people that worshiped there. Church authorities… ‘baptised’ those elements that could be useful, or at least were not detrimental, for making people members of the Christian faith… The cult of Christian saints, miracles and holy myths – and how that is celebrated – has been influenced by these now baptised, pre-Christian religious customs.

“Even the calendar of some [of] the most important Christian festivals – including Christmas – originated from such inculturation. The Christian faith – its architecture, forms of worship, symbols – continued to adapt from the Greek and Roman cultures and adopt what was useful from them. The Roman Catholic Church has more exterior elements from the old Roman Empire than it does from the Nazareth or Jerusalem of Jesus’s time.”

It is well-known that the Catholic Church has ALWAYS incorporated pagan doctrines, rites and practices in its worship services by giving them a Christian mantle. The two reasons for this were its desire to attract pagans and its Anti-Semitism.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Germany—the Left and AfD Win and Merkel and SPD Lose in State Election

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 27:

“Voters in the eastern German state of Thuringia boosted the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in regional elections on Sunday… but the Left party will remain the dominant political force in the state… the Left party winning 31% of votes in the state that was once part of the communist former East Germany.

“The far-right AfD party snagged 23.4% of the vote, making it the second-largest party in the assembly — and pushing German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party into third place with 21.8%.

“The turnout for the Thuringia polls was unusually high. Nearly 65% of the state’s 1.7 million voters cast their ballots, compared to less than 53% five years ago…

“The populist AfD party in Thuringia is led by Björn Höcke, who often draws attention to himself with firebrand statements. Höcke has notably criticized the Holocaust memorial in Berlin, describing it as a ‘memorial of shame’… The AfD boasts strong support in other eastern states, winning 27.5% in Saxony-Anhalt and 23.5% in Brandenburg in September…

“Support for the SPD… slid down to 8.2%, losing some 4% compared to its 2014 result… the Greens suffered a smaller loss, and are now hovering around 5.2%… Preliminary results put support for the FDP at 5% — just enough for the party to clear the threshold to enter parliament…

“Merkel’s CDU suffered the greatest loss during Sunday’s election, dropping down 11% from 2014. The result is a heavy blow for the center-right party and a win for the AfD, which had eyed the CDU’s disillusioned supporters. Projections showed that the AfD pulled the most support from voters who did not participate in Thuringia’s last state election, followed by voters who previously voted for the CDU…”

These results are a total debacle for Germany’s established parties. Weimar and the subsequent rise of Hitler come to mind.

Merkel under Fire

AFP wrote on October 29:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces renewed pressure from within her Christian Democrats… Her conservative critics charge that Merkel has dragged the CDU too far to the left on immigration, climate and other issues, allowing the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) on the extreme right.

“A long-time rival who hopes to succeed Merkel, Friedrich Merz, suggested the veteran leader dubbed ‘Mutti’ (mummy) is already a lame duck and should bow out long before she plans to leave politics in 2021…

“News website Spiegel Online asserted that the state election showed that ‘the state of the CDU is at least as desolate’ as that of the SPD. The big difference for now was that the CDU remains the party of the chancellor, it said, adding however that ‘this could easily be missed given that Angela Merkel is barely heard or seen these days’.

“It was after a similar state poll setback last year that Merkel dramatically handed over the CDU leadership to her preferred successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, widely known by her initials AKK.

“AKK in a later vote beat Merz for the party chair’s position and more recently also took on the post of defence minister, but in recent months her political star has dimmed. Doubts about AKK have grown after several blunders and gaffes…

“An outsider, the Free Democrats’ co-leader Wolfgang Kubicki, [declared] that Kramp-Karrenbauer simply ‘lacks the stature’ to lead the CDU or run for chancellor.

“Things are likely to come to a head toward the end of the year, when the SPD will decide whether to stay in Merkel’s coalition or leave, which could spark new elections…”

Jews and Muslims Worried

JTA wrote on October 28:

“Electoral gains by Germany’s strongest far-right party has both Jews and Muslims here worried… ‘Something has fundamentally gone off the rails in our political system,’ former president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Charlotte Knobloch, told reporters on Sunday… Aiman Mazyek, head of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, in a tweet expressed shock that so many voters supported ‘a right-wing radical party… it is much worse than merely a warning sign.’

“International Auschwitz Committee Executive Vice-President Christoph Heubner said in a statement that Holocaust survivors see the AfD’s climb up the political ladder as ‘a renewed signal of terror, which gives rise to fears that right-wing extremist attitudes and tendencies in Germany will continue to consolidate.’

“Meanwhile, a newly released study shows an increase in open anti-Semitism in Germany. Felix Klein, Germany’s commissioner on fighting anti-Semitism, commented that, while anti-Semitism was always present, people are expressing it more openly than before…”

AfD’s Björn Höcke

The Algemeiner published on October 28 an article with the following headline:

“Shock in Germany as Far-Right Demagogue Björn Höcke Strengthens Position With Regional Election Victory for AfD.”

The article continued:

“Höcke leads a hardline nationalist faction within the AfD called Der Flügel (‘The Wing’), which is militantly anti-immigrant and anti-Islamic, and which supports the repeal of legislation in Germany banning the denial of the Nazi Holocaust. In an interview with the German news outlet taz in the lead-up to the Thuringia elections, Mike Mohring — the center-right CDU’s candidate —  said that he was in no doubt that ‘Höcke is a Nazi.’

“In January 2019, the official German agency tasked with countering political extremism announced that it was treating both Der Flügel and Höcke’s AfD party in Thuringia as a threat to Germany’s ‘democratic governance.’ But after the party’s success in Thuringia on Sunday, the German news magazine Stern noted, members of the AfD’s leadership with known reservations about Höcke found themselves with little choice other than to defend him… his position within the AfD has continued to strengthen.”

Even though the mass media and political parties are demonizing Björn Höcke, some of his positions are clearly in line with biblical standards, while others are in opposition. Some are also contrary to what is prophesied to happen in Germany. Wikipedia wrote the following:

“Björn Höcke was born in Lünen, Westphalia. His grandparents were expelled ethnic Germans from East Prussia. After his Abitur… he served in the Bundeswehr and went to law school at the University Bonn, which he did not finish… He is married and has four children… He supports the return to national currencies… Höcke is an advocate of the heterosexual elementary family… He opposes sexual education in elementary schools and wants to ‘stop the dissolution of the natural polarity of the two genders.'”

EU Agrees to further Brexit Delay… Big Defeat for Johnson

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 28:

“The European Union on Monday agreed to give the United Kingdom a Brexit extension until January 31, European Council President Donald Tusk wrote on Twitter… the former Polish prime minister tweeted that the 27 member states were in agreement…

“This is the third delay since the UK invoked Article 50 in March 2017, beginning what should have been a two-year exit process. Prime Minister Boris Johnson… had previously said he would rather be ‘dead in a ditch’ than ask for an extension…”

 Johnson had sent three letters to Brussels. The first one, which was not signed by him, asked to delay Brexit beyond October 31, the second made clear that the first one was from Parliament – not the Government, and the third one urged Brussels NOT to grant an extension.

A Brexit on Satan’s festival of Halloween would have made a lot of sense, but it appears that God has another time table in mind. As we said from the outset, Johnson will either turn out to be the biggest loser or the biggest winner in the ongoing Brexit debacle. As of now, it seems that he has been losing all the way, but the last word has not been spoken yet. Note the articles below.

Already on October 20, Germany’s mass tabloid, Bild, had written the following:

“I am sick and tired of your chaotic parliament and your endless parliamentary Brexit blabbering. It is an affront to all of us. You don‘t know of any yes or no. Get out of here, you Brits. The question really is: Do I love you or don’t I love you anymore? This debate must stop. Yes or no. Both is okay.”

The Bild newspaper has usually a correct understanding as to how most Germans feel. While politicians are still reluctant to make an end to this ongoing Brexit nightmare, the people in Europe become increasingly dissatisfied with their leaders, and might be willing to replace all or most of them very soon.

New Elections on December 12

The Sun wrote on October 28:

“BRITAIN is on track for a Christmas election as [“leftie boss”] Jeremy Corbyn FINALLY agreed to go back to the people today… Jeremy Corbyn… made the spectacular reversal today after a crunch meeting with his shadow Cabinet this morning. He told his MPs that No Deal was now off the table as the EU have offered and accepted a third Brexit delay… Just last night the PM’s latest attempt to force a festive poll was torpedoed by Labour, making it short of the 434 MPs needed to get it through…

“Yesterday’s extension news means the PM’s ‘do or die’ promise to leave the EU by October 31 has now been completely shattered. Boris refused to resign for breaking his promise, or say sorry…  It means Britain will be in the EU until January 31 now, or could leave sooner if a deal is passed before then.”

The Sun added on October 29:

“BORIS Johnson has FINALLY won backing in the Commons for a Christmas election tonight as MPs voted for his plan to go to the polls on December 12. Brits will be given the chance to give the PM a majority to push through his Brexit Bill by the New Year… Parliament will be shut down from November 6 ready for the election to take place.”

The New Election Is Risky

The Associated Press wrote on October 29:

“…an early national vote… could break the country’s political impasse over Brexit — or turn out to be merely a temporary distraction… after three years of inconclusive political wrangling over Brexit, British voters are weary and the results of an election are hard to predict…

“An election is a risk… Opinion polls currently give Johnson’s Conservatives a lead, but there’s a strong chance that an election could produce a Parliament as divided over Brexit as the current one. Theresa May called an early election in 2017 with the aim of boosting the Conservatives’ majority and strengthening her hand in negotiations with the EU. The party ended up losing its majority in Parliament, and May failed to pass her key Brexit measures.

“Many voters are fed up with politicians from all sides after more than three years of Brexit drama, and all the parties are worried about a backlash from grumpy voters asked to go to the polls at the darkest, coldest time of the year.”

What Will Come Out of It?

The Independent wrote on October 29:

“Over the next six weeks, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn will ‘break the Brexit deadlock’ by screaming at each other about absolutely anything but Brexit…

“The MPs can’t agree on any form of Brexit, or indeed any form of non-Brexit, and so the people must do their bit… we can say with absolute certainty that nobody has a clue what will happen. The polls are not just hopelessly volatile but extremely unhelpful…

“It is distinctly possible, likely even, that this election fails to achieve anything. That the deadlock returns with the same certainty. But it is also distinctly possible, likely even, that the country will take decades to recover from it. Indeed, it may never do so at all.”

US Housing Market Crash Is Here!

CNN wrote on October 25:

“… the monthly price decline was the biggest seen since September 2014… a sign that a US housing market crash is here… flailing consumer confidence seems to have struck the US housing market…

“Just last month, Nobel-prize winning economist Robert Shiller predicted that home prices are headed for a crash. His prophecy stands true now… Americans became more concerned about the security of their jobs… With the probability of a recession looming large, consumers can be expected to play it safe and not go for big-ticket purchases. That’s bad news for the US housing market… we shouldn’t be in denial and accept the fact that the US housing market crash has officially arrived.”

It will get much worse. America’s highly praised booming economy is not as great as some politicians want it to be.

At the Brink of Civil War?

The Washington Examiner wrote on October 23:

“Partisan political division and the resulting incivility has reached a low in America, with 67% believing that the nation is nearing civil war… ‘The majority of Americans believe that we are two-thirds of the way to being on the edge of civil war. That to me is a very pessimistic place,’ said Mo Ellaithee, the executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service.

“And worse, he said in announcing the results of the institute’s Battleground Poll, the political division is likely to make the upcoming 2020 presidential race the nastiest in modern history… voters [are] angered with compromise and growing unfavorable ratings of President Trump and most 2020 Democratic presidential candidates…

“84% believe that ‘behavior that used to be seen as unacceptable is now accepted as normal behavior.’”

Sadly, this is true. Civil war might very well happen in this country.

Update on US Immigration Status

National Law Review wrote on October 26:

“The Trump administration’s public charge rule is on hold, at least temporarily. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State each introduced a version of the rule. Both versions were scheduled for implementation on October 15, 2019, and would have established expansive new tests to be used by those agencies when determining if certain visa applicants were likely to become public charges—a determination that would generally make them inadmissible to the United States…

“Federal district judges in five states (New York, California, Washington, Illinois, and Maryland) recently issued injunctions blocking the implementation of DHS’s revised public charge rule. If implemented, the rule would not only have greatly expanded the types of public benefits to be considered toward the ground of inadmissibility, but also increased the discretion given to immigration officers when determining if an individual was ‘more likely than not’ to become a public charge. At least one court also blocked U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from implementing a series of new and revised petition and application forms issued in furtherance of the rule. The forms would have required certain applicants to provide a substantial amount of personal information and documentation, including credit scores, evidence of health insurance, and/or school transcripts…

“Litigation challenging DHS’s public charge rule will continue to play out in the courts, as there are still a number of lawsuits pending in additional jurisdictions. The Trump administration is likely to appeal the injunctions. Many expect that the Supreme Court of the United States will ultimately decide the public charge issue, as was the case with the travel ban…

“With all of the attention focused on the public charge rule right now, it is easy to overlook the Trump administration’s new health insurance requirement. As of November 3, 2019, immigrant (i.e., permanent resident) visa applicants applying through a U.S. consulate will be required to prove that they will obtain approved health insurance within 30 days of entering the United States or that they can afford to pay for reasonably foreseeable medical expenses while they are in the United States. However, unlike the public charge rule, where health insurance is just one of a number of weighted factors immigration officers will consider, the presidential proclamation provides that lack of health insurance alone will result in the outright denial of an immigrant visa. The proclamation does not apply to nonimmigrant visas (e.g., work permits, visitor visas, etc.).”

The handwriting is on the wall.

Americans Love Illegal Mexican Drugs … While Mexico Is Slipping into National Chaos

The New York Post wrote on October 27:

“A recent RAND Corporation study reports that Americans spent just shy of $150 billion on illegal narcotics in 2016. The bulk of this money goes to Mexico, which also has become a major conduit into the United States for synthetic opioids like Chinese-manufactured fentanyl, upping the cartels’ take.

“Americans, in other words, love their illegal chemicals, they have the ready cash to indulge themselves — and they are not particularly mindful of the consequences of this for others. Hence the emergence of the Mexican drug cartels, not the sole supplier of the American drug market, but pretty much at the top of the list. Mexico’s fragile political institutions, and its long history of overtly corrupt local government, made it fertile territory for the rise of extra­legal quasi-governments…

“Mexico… is either unable, or unwilling, to protect its citizens from organized lawlessness… And this, in turn, ratifies a warning from US Joint Forces Command that Mexico is slipping toward national collapse — and this was before government troops were losing all-out gun battles with criminals. It doesn’t take much imagination to anticipate what such a collapse would mean for the United States. A legitimate refugee crisis would dwarf the manufactured border chaos that convulsed American politics this year. And it remains that Mexico is America’s third-largest trading partner, amounting to some $557 billion in business in 2017.

“Potential solutions are elusive. Enhanced law enforcement stands only to drive up drug prices and cartel profits. And a more radical approach — attempting to remove profits through drug legalization — would encounter so many legal, cultural and moral barriers in the United States that it is an ­effective nonstarter.

“So the crisis is likely to proceed. But as it does, don’t lose sight of one core truth: America is, and has long been, the world’s largest importer of illegal drugs… As the philosopher Walt Kelly once noted: ‘We have met the enemy, and he is us.’”

Is Trump Losing His Grip on White Evangelicals

Politico wrote on October 24:

“President Donald Trump is on a rescue mission to preserve his grip on the religious right. In call after call over the past two weeks, Trump has sought counsel from prominent evangelical figures on how to protect his relationship with conservative Christians amid mounting criticism over his withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria…

“It’s a first for Trump’s presidency: The same evangelical leaders who’ve been notoriously unmovable through prior controversies have spoken out forcefully to condemn his policy toward Syria. Televangelist Pat Robertson said Trump was ‘in danger of losing the mandate of heaven.’…

“There is also the shadow that impeachment has cast over Trump’s presidency, and how white evangelicals are responding. A much-discussed Fox News poll found that nearly three in 10 white evangelicals want the president impeached and removed from office… [and] only 62 percent of white evangelicals said they definitely plan to vote for Trump next fall…”

Still, Trump will be re-elected. His success in killing Isis leader al-Bagdhadi at this time and in light of his terrible Syrian policy is interesting and not just coincidental. His “mandate of heaven” will be carried out, but only very few seem to know what that mandate really is.

Preparing to Build the Third Temple?

Breaking Israel News wrote on October 24:

“At a Parliament meeting in the Gaza Strip… Hamas MP Ahmed Abu Khaliya decried the ‘disturbances’ of ‘Zionists’ in the al-Aqsa mosque and their ‘desecration’ of it… Achmad Abu Khalbiah, who heads the Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa Commission in the Palestinian parliament, categorized permitting Jews to practice freedom of worship on the Temple Mount ‘a blatant provocation’ and warned that Israeli officials seek to demolish the Al-Aqsa mosque and build the temple on its ruins…

“On the holiday of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) alone, 3,881 Jewish pilgrims entered the Temple Mount, a 42% increase since 2015. Additionally, more high profile celebrities are also ascending the mount…”

It was also pointed out that nearly 1,800 Jews, which is unprecedented, ascended the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in observance of the annual Jewish day of mourning for the destruction of the first and the second Temple.

Breaking Israel News reported on October 30:

“In September, the Sanhedrin hosted the first conference for the Organization of 70 Nations. The organization will bring together all of the nations under the common belief in the sanctity of the Bible…

“The Sanhedrin has received responses from several nations since the conference from the most unexpected sources… One such response came from a respected academic Palestinian scholar who lives in Judea… ‘He contacted the Sanhedrin and wants to work with us…’ Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the Sanhedrin, told Breaking Israel News. ‘…He accepts the historical truth that Jewish Temples once stood on the Temple Mount. He wants the Palestinian people to be part of the Organization of 70 nations and is aware this includes a Biblically mandated Sanhedrin, court of nations, and a Third Temple as a House of Prayer for all nations.’… The members of the organization agree to the sanctity of Jerusalem and the Temples…

“Another purpose of the conference and the organization of the 70 Nations is to begin the return of the lost ten-tribes of Israel…

“Last year, a World Creation Concert was held adjacent to the Temple Mount. During a ceremony held at the concert, representatives from Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico signed an agreement with the Sanhedrin to accompany the people of God, as peoples, nations, and individuals toward establishing the Temple in Jerusalem as a house of prayer for all nations as prophesied in the Bible.”

Israel Feels Betrayed

Breaking Israel News wrote on October 11:

“At the 46th annual Yom Kippur War memorial service on Monday, Prime Minister Netanyahu recalled the event [in 1973] and how the United States abandoned their closest ally in the Middle East during their time of need… Referencing the Biblical prophet Balaam, Netanyahu added that: ‘We do not aspire to be “a nation that dwells alone,” but that is how we were forced to stand at the beginning of the Yom Kippur War,’ he said, reminding those present that American aid arrived only towards the end of the 1973 war…

“But then, Netanyahu compared the events of that time to today saying: ‘We always remember and apply the basic principle that guides us: Israel will defend itself, by itself, against any threat.’ This statement was a clear reaction to what many perceive to be Trump’s abandonment of the Kurds, also a close US ally, to Erdogan’s war machine. Reading between the lines, it appears as though Netanyahu is preparing for the day when Trump abandons him too…

“Netanyahu isn’t the only Israeli leader who believes that it’s only a matter of time before Trump abandons Israel. Former MK and popular politician Moshe Feiglin took it a step further. That’s because after Trump justified his abandonment of the Kurds by noting that the ethnic group ‘didn’t help us in the Second World War’ and ‘didn’t help us with Normandy’ Feiglin understood this to mean that Trump will abandon any country who didn’t help the US in WW2, including Israel. That’s why Feiglin took to social media saying: ‘Israel didn’t help the US with Normandy either.’ Echoing Netanyahu’s comments, New Right party leader Naftali Bennett said: ‘The lesson for Israel is simple. Israel will always defend itself by itself.’”

Ultimately, the USA WILL abandon Israel, but only after Trump has fulfilled his role in regard to helping the erection of the Third Temple.

USA Back in Syria?

The Guardian wrote on October 28:

“The US military has started reinforcing its positions around oil fields in eastern Syria, saying the new deployments are part of its continuing counter-terrorist mission after the killing of the Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi…

“Video footage from the region showed US military convoys re-entering Syria, days after Donald Trump had ordered them out in advance of a Turkish invasion. The change of mind reportedly came after Pentagon officials persuaded the president that it was essential to protect east Syrian oil resources…

“Trump has defended his decision to abandon the [Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces] SDF, saying it was not America’s job to police a longstanding conflict between Turks and Kurds…

“[Defense secretary Mark Esper] would not say whether the deployment meant that there were more or less US soldiers in Syria than before Trump ordered the withdrawal last month, paving the way for Turkey’s invasion into north-eastern Syria. But the defense secretary insisted that: ‘At the end of the day we will be sending troops home.’”

This confusing lack of clarity and Trump’s indecisive backpedaling do not give “allies” any confidence in America’s reliability.

Europe Must Intervene in the Middle East

Politico wrote on October 10:

“The Kurds have been abandoned, again. Theirs is a long history of Western betrayal, dating back to colonial times. That the West would once again turn its back, after enlisting Kurdish help in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State, has been in the cards for years… But U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision this week to provide a de facto green light for yet another Turkish offensive into Kurdish-held territory in Northern Syria is not just another instance in a long, unfortunate pattern in Western-Kurdish relations. It’s the turning of a new page in the history of the Middle East… For Europeans, in particular, it should serve as a shock that moves us to act.

“The sudden power vacuum has Europe looking weak and unprepared. But the truth is that Europe has not led in the region for decades. As long as upheavals in the region unfolded under the shell of U.S. hegemony, Europeans operated in Uncle Sam’s shadow. Sometimes European countries complemented American action, at other times they sought to moderate it. But they never opposed it or charted an autonomous path. If our weakness has been exposed, it’s because we can no longer hide behind the U.S.’s skirts…

“Erdoğan gambled on Trump’s isolationism and on Europe’s cowardice… As the U.S. retreats from the Middle East, Russia is gloating on the sidelines… Erdoğan’s incursion — and Trump’s acquiescence — makes clear Europe needs to learn to stand on its own. Europeans do not have the U.S. luxury of being able to walk away. They are bound to Turkey and to the Middle East for historical, geographical, societal and economic reasons. The question we need to ask ourselves is how can we regain influence in the region, and in particular with Turkey…”

 And so, Europe will do just that, including militarily.

Big Win for Salvini

Politico wrote on October 28:

“After half a century of left-wing rule, the central Italian region of Umbria voted for a regional government spearheaded by Matteo Salvini’s far-right League… As the scale of the League’s victory became apparent Sunday night, Salvini told reporters: ‘We are writing history here tonight.’ The result is a major blow to the PD-5Stars government, whose formation two months ago removed the League from power… the governing parties’ disastrous defeat is certain to have major repercussions for the already-fragile coalition…

“Salvini will use the League’s landslide victory to demonstrate he still has the backing of most Italians despite having pulled the plug on the government over the summer and having been forced into opposition. The next big test for the PD-5Stars alliance will come in another regional vote, in Emilia-Romagna, in January…”

Pope Francis under Attack

Express wrote on October 13:

“POPE FRANCIS is facing a potential religious coup from within the Catholic Church, but there is also an emerging threat from outside the Vatican…

“The current tenure of Pope Francis has been one of the most polarising moments in the history of the Catholic Church, as his progressive and status-quo denying values provoke disdain from Vatican norms. One of the unorthodox features of the current Pope’s tenure is his appointing of cardinals from less notorious churches spanning further across the globe…

“His critics have grown impatient with this policy with [former pope] Benedict demanding he remains domiciled in an apartment on Vatican grounds amid his own doubts of Francis’ methods. He is attracting opposition from right-wing politicians in Italy too, including Matteo Salvini who recently withdrew his support in the coalition government leaving Rome in political chaos…

“The right-wing politician has also enlisted the help of former White House strategist Steve Bannon, whose Brussels-based international group, ‘The Movement’, was denied access to the Vatican for political training… Bannon advised Salvini himself that the actual Pope is a sort of enemy… Salvini [is] claiming that conservatives in the Vatican were on his side… he was also pictured in 2016 holding a shirt saying ‘Benedict is my pope.’”

“With Francis continuing to take on the right in Italy and the Catholic Church, the political grappling is expected to continue.”

This is very remarkable. We must watch these developments to see who the announced false prophet or the “man of sin” is going to be.

Is Pope Francis Changing Catholic Doctrines?

CNS News wrote on October 9:

“Pope Francis’ longtime atheist friend and interviewer, Eugenio Scalfari, claims that the Pope told him that once Jesus Christ became incarnate, he was a man, a ‘man of exceptional virtues’ but ‘not at all a God.’

“The teaching of the Catholic Church and most Christian churches is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was incarnated as fully man and fully God.

“As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, ‘The unique and altogether singular event of the Incarnation of the Son of God does not mean that Jesus Christ is part God and part man, nor does it imply that he is the result of a confused mixture of the divine and the human. He became truly man while remaining truly God. Jesus Christ is true God and true man.’

“… Scalfari states… ‘Those who, as it has happened many times with me, have had the luck of meeting him and speaking to him with the greatest cultural intimacy, know that Pope Francis conceives Christ as Jesus of Nazareth, man, not God incarnate… Once incarnate, Jesus stops being a God and becomes a man until his death on the cross.’…

“In a March 2018 interview with Scalfari, Pope Francis reportedly said, ‘There is no Hell, there is the disappearance of sinful souls.’ That interview caused an uproar… The Vatican did not deny what Scalfari reported but said it could not ‘be considered as a faithful transcription of the words of the Holy Father.’ The Pope himself never denied what Scalfari reported and the article never ran a correction or removed the article from its website…

“In a statement issued Oct. 9…,  the Vatican said, ‘As has been affirmed in other occasions, the words that Dr. Eugenio Scalfari attributes between quotes to the Holy Father during his colloquies held with him cannot be considered as a faithful account of what was effectively said, but represent more a personal and free interpretation of that which he heard, as appears entirely evident from what was written today concerning the divinity of Jesus Christ.’

“Church Militant’s Michael Voris commented, ‘That is the relevant part of the statement, and it, in itself, is now creating its own firestorm because it does not actually deny Scalfari’s characterization, merely hinting at the possibility.’”

 If reported accurately, then the views of Pope Francis on the humanity of Christ and the non-existence of an ever-burning tormenting hell fire would be biblically correct.

And Now… Married Priests?

The Associated Press wrote on October 27:

“On the heels of a landmark call by Amazon region bishops for married men to become priests, Pope Francis on Sunday exhorted Catholics to be open to fresh ways of evangelization, saying the church must ‘open new roads for the proclamation of the Gospel.’ He also cautioned against self-righteousness, in an apparent slap at conservative critics who fear he is weakening the church’s foundations.

“Allowing married men to be ordained in remote Amazon areas with severe shortages of priests would chip away at the church’s nearly millennium-old practice upholding priestly celibacy. It would also help the church compete with evangelical and Protestant churches that have been increasingly winning converts there… Francis… has said he will put his response in writing by year’s end…

“Francis has often praised celibacy for priests. If the Argentine-born pontiff embraces the appeal from bishops on his native continent, it is not clear whether that might trigger an erosion of the celibacy rule elsewhere. Ordaining married men, even in limited circumstances, risks deepening the antipathy in strongly conservative church circles toward Francis, whom they deem to be dangerously progressive…

“His critics, including so-called traditionalist Catholics, insist the Vatican adheres strictly to centuries-old rules demanding that priests be celibate, unmarried men. But in the first centuries of the church, married men did serve as priests… Peter… was married, as were many of the first apostles.

“Currently, the Vatican allows married men to become priests in Eastern rite churches. Eager to include converts, it has also allowed married Anglicans to remain priests when they join the Roman Catholic church…”

A clash between Francis and “traditionalist Catholics,” even including within the Vatican, might be inevitable.

Highly Unprepared for the Next Inevitable Pandemic

The Daily Mail wrote on October 25:

“No country is fully equipped to deal with the next global pandemic, a major report has claimed. Scientists say an outbreak of a flu-like illness could sweep across the planet in 36 hours and kill tens of millions due to our constantly-travelling population.

“But a review of health care systems already in place across the world found just 13 countries had the resources to put up a fight against an ‘inevitable’ pandemic…

“Writing in their report, the scientists said: ‘… a threat anywhere is a threat everywhere. Deadly infectious diseases can travel quickly; increased global mobility through air travel means that a disease outbreak in one country can spread across the world in a matter of hours.’”

The Bible says that due to pandemics and disease epidemics, millions upon millions of people will die in our time.

The Pure Language

Breaking Israel News wrote on October 27:

“Modern linguists have speculated that a single language… is the predecessor of all other human languages. Dr. Isaac E. Mozeson’s life’s work has been to document that this original language, the one first spoken in the Garden of Eden, is the source for all the world’s languages. He named this proto-human language Edenics for its connection to the Garden of Eden. Not surprisingly, Edenics is very similar to Biblical Hebrew… Mozeson claims that Edenics is the ‘Semitic mother tongue’ that ‘was scrambled into 70 languages’ 3,784 years ago, after the episode of the Tower of Babel. According to his theory, every human language today shares elements of Biblical Hebrew…

“Rabbi Tuly Weisz, publisher of Breaking Israel News, wrote, ‘The ultimate purpose of the return of the Jewish people to the Land is to serve God and to correct the sin of Babel, and to speak the one ‘language of purity,’ Hebrew. And in these days of redemption, not just the Jews, but all the people of the world will learn the Hebrew language.’”

We do not know whether it was indeed Hebrew or a language from which Hebrew was derived, which was spoken by Adam and Eve prior to the Tower of Babel incident. Nor do we know whether the pure language of the Millennium will indeed be a purified version of Hebrew.

How the Earth Might Have Become Void and Empty…

The Atlantic wrote on October 23:

“The worst day in the history of life on Earth, so far, happened almost exactly 66 million years ago, when an asteroid roughly the size of Manhattan slammed into the Yucatán Peninsula… The asteroid… immediately drilled a 20-mile hole into the planet’s surface, vaporizing bedrock and spewing it halfway to the moon. The planet shuddered with magnitude-12 earthquakes, loosing tsunamis across the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the ejected debris condensed in orbit and plunged back to Earth as searing spheres of molten glass, which torched the land and turned forests into firestorms. Other debris remained high in space, where it blocked the sun’s rays and began to chill the surface of the planet… By the time it was over, about 75 percent of all species on Earth had died, including all nonavian dinosaurs. The event, which ended the Cretaceous Period and began the Tertiary Period, is named the K-T extinction…

“The impact changed the chemical content of the ocean, rendering seawater more acidic and inhospitable to the tiny plankton that form the base of the marine food chain. Combined with the other effects of the asteroid—darkened skies and a snap of global cooling—this ecologic disruption doomed much of life on Earth…

“When the asteroid hit, untold megatons of that old organic material—rich in nitrogen and sulfur—instantly became dust and shot up into the atmosphere. Soon it began to fall back down, now as nitric oxide and sulfuric acid… It was raining brimstone and acid from the sky…

“Ocean acidification also likely worsened other sweeping environmental changes wrought by the impact, such as the years-long darkness caused by orbiting debris and ash from the global wildfires… it now appears that all three of the worst mass extinctions in Earth’s history featured huge spasms of ocean acidification. They include the K-T extinction; the End-Triassic Extinction, when volcanoes in New Jersey killed 75 percent of all species; and the dread End-Permian Event, the worst extinction in the history of the planet, which killed roughly 85 percent of all species and nearly sterilized the oceans. Scientists call that event ‘the Great Dying.’…”

We read in the Bible that after God had created the heavens and the earth in the beginning, the earth became (as it should be translated) void and empty, and that darkness was upon the face of the deep, until God began to remove that darkness.

Halloween—Spookier and Deadlier than You Might Think

Country Living wrote on September 4:

“…in the midst of the parties and games and sugar rushes, have you ever stopped to wonder what the history of Halloween even is in the first place?… Halloween falls on October 31 because the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, considered the earliest known root of Halloween, occurred on this day. It marked a pivotal time of year when seasons changed, but (more importantly) observers also believed the boundary between this world and the next became especially thin at this time, enabling them to connect with the dead. This belief is shared by some other cultures…

“The early pagan holiday of Samhain involved a lot of ritualistic ceremonies to connect to spirits… many believe the Celts celebrated in costumes… as a disguise against ghosts, enjoyed special feasts, and made lanterns… Halloween previously posed a huge (albeit rather superstitious) matchmaking opportunity for young women in the 19th century.”

The following was stated by Express on October 31, 2018:

“Halloween is the most important day of the year for Devil worshippers, according to the founder of the Church of Satan, and everyone else has been urged to avoid celebrating this ‘dark’ day… the holiday has its roots in evil…

“Anton LaVey founded the Church of Satan in the US in 1966. He was the country’s most prominent Satanist up until his death in 1997 and authored several books… In the Satanic Bible, Mr LaVey wrote: ‘… the two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht (May 1st) and Halloween.’

“Walpurgisnacht, or Saint Walpurgis Night, is a German annual event which is known in German Folklore as Witches Night… the Church of Satan recognises Halloween as an extremely important day for evil… As a result, some Christians are warning people to steer clear of Halloween celebrations. Christian website Charisma News writes: ‘There will be many people who will read this article and will continue to celebrate Halloween just as they normally do. If that is you, then you need to understand that engaging in dark practices can open up doors to spiritual darkness for yourself and your entire family.’”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Austria’s Sebastian Kurz Back in Power

NPR wrote on September 29:

“Austria’s youngest-ever chancellor, 33-year-old Sebastian Kurz, is poised to reclaim his job after his party received its biggest victory in years… His conservative Austrian People’s Party received more than [38] percent of the vote, five percentage points higher than its showing in 2017, when it teamed up with the far-right Freedom Party to form a government…

“Kurz’s first government came crashing down in May after his coalition partner, the Freedom Party, became embroiled in a cash-for-contracts scandal… Strache resigned, the Freedom Party left the government, and Kurz lost a no-confidence vote in parliament…

“While Austria has warm ties with Russia, the Freedom Party openly admires the Kremlin… Like other radical right parties, they also oppose immigration and are unabashedly nationalist — which means something in Austria, the birthplace of Adolf Hitler. Many in the Freedom Party see the defeat of Nazi Germany ‘not as a victory for democracy but as a defeat for their cause’…

News analysts are divided as to whether Kurz will try again to form a coalition with the Freedom Party under Norbert Hofer, which encountered a debacle by receiving only [17] percent—[9] percentage points lower in 2017–or whether he may try to form a coalition with other parties, such as the Greens, who won 12% of the votes or perhaps even the Social Democrats who received 21.5 percent of the vote—a debacle for them and their worst-ever result.

Kurz’ victory turned out much more decisive than many had expected. Even Kurz himself declared that he was pleasantly surprised about the many votes he got. Der Stern commented: “Messiah and Macron of the Alps… the comet-like rise of Sebastian Kurz continues…” Der Spiegel wrote: “Back into the 18^th century… the dream of [Kurz’s party] is totally controlled subjects…” Die Welt wrote: “Germany’s media celebrates King Kurz.” Previously, practicing Catholic Sebastian Kurz had been referred to in the Austrian press as “holy Sebastian.” Bild Online commented that Kurz is being celebrated in Austria like a pop-star and that he could become a political example or role model for Europe.

What’s Austria’s Future?

Deutsche Welle commented on September 29:

“The victory of former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz represents a broad conservative consensus: ‘We’ Austrians are doing well, without refugees, with a modest (and above all lower) number of foreigners, with a strong sense of national pride and identity…

“If the people want a move to the right, politicians from all parties have to follow suit. The Greens had their opposition to the right’s tough refugee policies to thank for their weak performance in 2017. This time around, they avoided the topic — and it paid off. Their renewed focus on climate change has been successful, as long as they don’t threaten to impose painful measures to limit CO2 emissions….

“The center-left Social Democrats, on the other hand, suffered on Sunday… the Social Democrats chose a weak and insecure candidate in Pamela Rendi-Wagner… But strong men and tough attitudes are what the voters want right now, and the Social Democrats weren’t prepared…

“The FPÖ could decide to refuse a coalition and move to the opposition — a scenario that would be most unappealing for Kurz…”

Kurz Needs a Coaltion… but with Whom?

Deutsche Welle added on September 30:

“‘I fear coalition talks will be a little more challenging this time,’ Kurz said on Monday, referencing the relatively smooth talks with the FPÖ which followed the 2017 election. [He] indicated that he will take his time determining which party or parties with which the ÖVP would be prepared to enter coalition talks.

“‘Of course we will seek talks with all parties and try to determine which parties there’s overlap with, which parties a stable government can be formed with,’ the ÖVP leader said. He also denounced calls from German commentators that he should avoid a fresh pact with the far right. ‘I don’t think we need advice from abroad, including from Germany,’ he said.”

The EUObserver wrote on September 30:

“The FPO’s new leader Norbert Hofer told Austria media he believed his party would not take part in coalition talks, after they lost 10 percent of votes in Sunday’s election. ‘A party needs to learn from the mistakes of the past and rebuild itself,’ he said.

“The Greens leader, Werner Kogler, said his party would only consider a coalition with Kurz if there was a ‘radical change’ in the political direction of the party compared to his previous coalition with the far-right. ‘We might end up having no government,’ Kogler said. The Social Democrats, who have led many of Austria’s previous coalitions, remain a possible partner.”

Whatever the constellation, it is clear that Austria will stay in the EU as an influential member state.

Strache Withdrawing from Politics… for Now

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 1:

“Heinz-Christian Strache is withdrawing from politics and suspending his membership with Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), he said on Tuesday morning… Strache, who led the FPÖ for 14 years, also served as vice-chancellor from 2017 to 2019 before he was forced out of the government in May…

“Until Tuesday, Strache had left open the possibility of seeking public office again in the future. The former vice chancellor is also under investigation for the alleged misuse of party funds. In Tuesday’s press conference, he repeated his claim that he was the victim of a conspiracy against his party.”

Still, we might not have heard the last word from Strache.

Hungary to Stay in EU

The EUObserver wrote on September 30:

“Hungary has no plans to leave the EU, but western and eastern Europe are ‘different’, Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban told a party congress on Sunday…

“‘We are a member of the Union and will remain a member,’ he said. But ‘the western and eastern halves of the Union clearly follow different paths … and respect different values,’ he added, amid EU clashes on judicial independence and refugees.”

We would expect that Hungary stays in the EU. They might even be part of the final core European nations. We also read that those ten core nations or groups of nations will be partly strong and partly fragile, and that they won’t really adhere to one another.

Making the Euro Stronger

CNBC wrote on September 30:

“In an interview with the Financial Times over the weekend, ECB President Mario Draghi said ‘what matters is to make the (euro) union stronger’ and ‘in some areas, further integration achieves that goal.’

“The euro zone is made up of 19 European nations that share the same currency — the euro. Their monetary policy is decided by the ECB, which is based in Frankfurt. However, their fiscal policies are decided at the national level – which often creates discrepancies and makes the region more exposed to financial shocks.

“While some countries argue that they need to share more when it comes to fiscal policy, other capitals are reluctant to delegate more power to European institutions, fearing to lose control over their economies or having to finance high-indebted nations. ‘To have a stronger EMU (economic and monetary union), we need a common euro zone budget. Clearly the political debate on that still has a long way to go. But I am optimistic,’ Draghi said, supporting a plan that the French President, Emmanuel Macron, has tried to implement.

“Led by the French delegation, European finance ministers agreed to create a common euro zone budget earlier this year. However, details of how it will be financed and how big it will be have yet to be agreed upon…

“Draghi ends his eight-year mandate at the ECB on October 31. Christine Lagarde will take over from Draghi on November 1.”

The euro is the glue which will keep the ten core nations or groups of nations together.

British Chancellor: Ready to Leave EU

The Sun wrote on September 30:

“SAJID Javid has pledged that Brexit will take place in DAYS – deal or no deal. The Chancellor told Tory party delegates that Britain was ready to leave the EU now. Mr Javid said: ‘t’s not a matter of if – it’s a matter of days…

“The Chancellor also blasted Labour for its muddled Brexit position – while taking a swipe at leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.”

Ultimately, Britain will leave the EU.

A No-Deal Brexit’s Ramifications for British Overseas Territories

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 27:

“In the lead up to Brexit, some five weeks away, the likelihood of the UK crashing out of the bloc without a deal is increasing. Come end of October, a disorderly exit will also have dramatic consequences for the 20 or so British Overseas Territories and exclaves.

“Despite the vast distance, the Caribbean island [of Anguilla] would be greatly impacted by a no-deal Brexit… The EU is the island’s biggest financial donor to its aid development program and has helped support reconstruction costs. With the uncertainty of Brexit, the voices of those calling for independence from the United Kingdom are growing louder.

“The Falkland Islands lie in the southern Atlantic Ocean some 13,000 kilometers (8,077 miles) from the UK, but the archipelago is almost entirely dependent on the UK. Its currency, the Falkland pound, is tied one-to-one to the pound sterling… The Falklands’ economy relies not only on the sales from its livestock, wool and tallow, but also on its fishing industry. Nearly all fish is exported to Spain and then from there makes its way to other EU countries, while a third of all the calamari bought in Spain comes from the Falkland Islands. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, buyers would suddenly have to pay customs duty between 6%-18%, making seafood much more costly. Whether Spain, or other EU states, would still be interested in the goods is questionable.

“Gibraltar [is] British territory at the southern tip of Spain. [It] voted almost unanimously — with 96% — to remain in the EU… Every day some 15,000 people commute to Spain and, conversely, about 10,000 Spaniards work in Gibraltar… For the last 300 years, Gibraltar’s sovereignty has been an issue of contention between Spain and the UK…

“Channel Islands and Isle of Man … [are] geographically located in the southwest of the English Channel… The islands of Guernsey and Jersey, as well as the Isle of Man in the British Isles further north, are the three Crown Dependencies… the primary GDP is… from being a tax haven… many foreign companies can pay zero tax. Moreover, there are no capital gains tax nor inheritance tax. But Brexit may cause a serious headache for those seeking the tax havens, as Great Britain may not be able to protect the territories from the EU…”

If these predictions come true, we might see an exodus of some of the British colonies from the UK, to be embraced by the “loving” arms of the EU.  

Leaders Gather for Jacques Chirac Funeral

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 30:

“Foreign dignitaries gathered in the French capital on Monday for the funeral of Jacques Chirac, who died last week at the age of 86. The former statesman served as president of France from 1995 to 2007, during a political career that spanned four decades…

“Russian President Vladimir Putin, Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and outgoing head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker [attended]. Germany’s ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder was also expected to travel to Paris. However, his office said that Schröder has not been formally invited by French officials, and a chair marked with his name was left empty during a church service honoring Chirac, according to an AFP reporter. The reasons for the missing invitation were not immediately clear…

“Chirac was celebrated by many in France for asserting the country’s role as a global player, with his opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 considered one of his most significant actions. Chirac is also being remembered for being the first French president to acknowledge France’s role in the deportation of Jews during World War II. He remained a popular figure after leaving office, despite a conviction for misusing public funds.”

“The End of the German-American Affair”

Politico wrote on October 1:

“Nearly 75 years after the end of World War II, the U.S.-German relationship isn’t just moribund, it’s on life support… About 85 percent of Germans consider their country’s relationship with the U.S. to be ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’… while a clear majority want Germany to distance itself from the U.S…

“The fraying of ties — which began long before Trump came to power but has accelerated since — carries implications that stretch far beyond the two countries’ bilateral relationship…

“Germans’ attitude to Trump is… straightforward: They universally dislike him… most Americans continue to have a positive view of Germany… the U.S.-German alliance has never been a partnership of equals… If Konrad Adenauer and John F. Kennedy shared a mutual dislike, Helmut Schmidt and Jimmy Carter absolutely despised one another. From the 1960s until the end of the Cold War, Germans took to the streets in droves to voice their opposition to both the U.S. war in Vietnam and the arms race with the Soviets.

“Even so, this time, things really are different…

“The German distrust began to take hold in the aftermath of 9/11. Though Germany joined the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan against the Taliban, Berlin refused to participate in the Iraq War, arguing there wasn’t enough evidence to support claims that Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. While Germany’s decision under then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder proved to be prescient, it also left a wound that has never fully healed. In recent years, Germany’s view of the U.S. has been framed by Guantanamo, NSA spying and Trump’s attacks…”

As we have explained many times before, the relationship between the USA and Germany will completely deteriorate.

Further Problems between USA and Europe

The EUObserver wrote on October 3:

“The US will impose tariffs worth €6.8bn annually on European imports of whiskies, French wine, Italian cheese, and planes and plane parts in retaliation for illegal EU subsidies to airplane maker Airbus.

“The new tariffs will come into force as early as 18 October, after the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled on Wednesday (2 October) in a 15-year-long case that the US could retaliate for the EU subsidies…

“The EU has said it would retaliate against the Airbus-linked tariffs, when next year the WTO is expected to rule on US subsidies to aircraft-maker Boeing.”

2019 like 1929?

The Hill wrote on September 29:

“I am increasingly worried that 2019 feels ever more like 1929. Back then, inequality was at an all-time high. Authoritarian nationalism was on the rise. World War I had exploded the old global order without creating a new one. Then the stock market crash of October 1929 ignited the horrendous cascade of depression, fascism and World War II —arguably the worst 15 years in history.

“Fast forward to today. Three intersecting geo-economic and geo-political trends feel a lot like an update of the 1920s:

“China and the United States seem increasingly determined to decouple their economies from each other — making a second Cold War a reality and superpower war more likely.

“Robotics and AI threaten to destroy many more jobs  than it creates —undermining the foundations of a good life based on a good job.

“Populism seems here to stay — eroding the foundations of democracy and increasing the chances of international conflict…”

World War 3 might be closer than many realize, even though there are many more reasons—and different ones—than listed in the article.

China a Nuclear Superpower… But Still No Match for USA or Russia

National Interest wrote on October 1:

“Paramount leader Xi Jinping just presided over the largest, most impressive military parade in the history of the world. The occasion: to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which just exceeded the Soviet Union’s lifespan by one year. The parade indeed showcased numerous military technological accomplishments far exceeding previous Soviet efforts…”

The Associated Press added on October 1: “A parade Tuesday by China’s secretive military will be a rare look at its rapidly developing arsenal, including possibly a nuclear-capable missile that could reach the United States in 30 minutes, as Beijing gets closer to matching Washington and other powers in weapons technology…

“China has about 280 nuclear warheads, compared with 6,450 for the United States and 6,850 for Russia, according to SIPRI. Beijing says it wants a ‘minimum credible nuclear deterrent’ but won’t be the first to use atomic weapons in a conflict.”

Sadly, in the next world war, atomic weapons will be used.

Congratulating China?

National Review wrote on October 1:

“Seventy years ago today, Mao Zedong declared the People’s Republic of China after his Communist forces had conquered most of the mainland. A decade later, Mao’s Great Leap Forward killed perhaps 45 million people. The Communist regime still denies its people freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and has imposed a policy of forced abortion. At the present moment, China has detained something like 1.5 million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in re-education camps. Its crackdown on Hong Kong escalated this week, when a protester was shot in the chest.

“President Donald Trump marked the 70th anniversary of the ‘People’s Republic’ with the following congratulatory tweet: ‘Congratulations to President Xi and the Chinese people on the 70th Anniversary of the People’s Republic of China!’

“But Senate Republicans have marked the anniversary with condemnation of the regime.

“Missouri senator Josh Hawley: “Seventy years ago, the Chinese Community Party seized power from the Chinese people. Since then, its ruthless rule has resulted in the deaths of millions of its own citizens.’

“Arkansas senator Tom Cotton: ‘… From the Great Leap Forward to the Cultural Revolution to the camps in Xinjiang today, it has been a ghoulish 70 years of Chinese Communist Party control.’

“Nebraska senator Ben Sasse: ‘Today Chinese tyrants celebrated 70 years of communist oppression with their typically brutal symbolism: by sending a police officer to shoot a pro-democracy protester at point-blank range. The freedom-seekers in Hong Kong mourn this anniversary, and the American people stand with them against those who deny their God-given dignity.’

“Pennsylvania senator Pat Toomey: ‘The 70th anniversary of communist rule in China is not a day for celebration. It’s a day to remind ourselves of the horrors inflicted on the Chinese people over this time…’”

What the Main Stream Media Missed about Israel

Breaking Israel News wrote on September 29:

“While covering his address to the 74th session of the UN General Assembly last Thursday, most of the media focused on the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affair’s harsh words concerning Iran and its renewed nuclear program. But the mainstream media missed a far more shocking aspect of his speech in which Yisrael Katz quoted the Prophet Isaiah in calling all of the gathered nations to come to the House of Prayer for All Nations.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (a Levite), canceled his appearance in front of the UN General Assembly, ostensibly due to high-pressure coalition negotiations but it could be that he was deferring to his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yisrael Katz, who is a Kohen (a descendant of Aaron the priest)…

“‘I want to thank the President of the United States, Donald Trump, for his historic and brave decision to recognize Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish People for three thousand years, as the capital of Israel, and to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem,’ Katz said. ‘I call on all countries to follow the United States and to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. No-one can separate the Jewish People from our historical homeland, and no-one can separate us from Jerusalem, our eternal capital.’

“Katz’s speech contained [a] Biblically mandated rebuke, calling on the Palestinian Authority to stop inciting violence and return to negotiations for peaceful coexistence with the Jews. He also rebuked Turkish President Erdogan for oppressing the Turkish people, slaughtering the Kurdish people, and supporting Hamas. The Israeli minister also sided with the U.S. in calling for Iran, which he referred to as ‘the biggest terror state,’ to cease its support of the Yemenite Houthis’ attacks on Saudi Arabia.

“His speech was short and to the point but concluded with an absolute bombshell. Katz cited the prophet [Isaiah] in Hebrew and English… ‘I will bring them to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon my altar; for my house shall be called ‘a house of prayer for all people’ (Isaiah 56:7).

“Katz then performed his Biblically mandated duty as one of the descendants of Aaron the priest by blessing the gathered people. ‘As we are about to celebrate the Jewish New Year (the Feast of Trumpets), I would like to close with the traditional Jewish blessing—for all of you, for the people of Israel, and the Jewish communities around the world:… A happy and sweet New Year.’”

“Katz is considered strong on security and supports annexing Judea and Samaria.”

As the article suggests, Katz might have very well intended to advocate the building of the Third Temple and the commencements of animal sacrifices.

Impeachment Procedures against Trump… but what was Hunter Biden Being Paid for?

Breitbart wrote on September 29:

“Breitbart News senior contributor… Peter Schweizer… told host Mark Levin:

“‘The key question here that nobody seems to want to ask in the media is: What was [Hunter Biden] being paid for? He wasn’t being paid for his expertise. What was he being paid for? And what were the Ukrainians expecting to get in return?…

“‘I think when you overlay the financial payments with the fact that Joe Biden as point person on Obama administration policy to Ukraine was steering billions of dollars of Western money to Ukraine it becomes crystal clear exactly why they were paying him money. They wanted access and they wanted to influence Joe Biden. And Joe Biden has been around a long time here, and he had to know exactly why his son was being paid.’”

Newsmax published this article by Bloomberg News on September 30:

“Interviews with voters across the country in recent days found few have changed their minds about the president as a result of the Trump-Ukraine scandal… It was Biden who may suffer the most, as even some who support the impeachment inquiry said they now had questions about what Biden’s son, Hunter, did in Ukraine…

“The perception that politicians are corrupt plays a big role in that. A 2018 survey by the Wall Street Journal found that 77% of registered voters ranked reducing the influence of special interests and corruption as a top issue. For many voters, the Trump-Ukraine scandal was just the latest example.”

The Week commented on October 1 that Biden will not survive the “Trump Impeachment” procedure, stating:

“Trump doesn’t need to accuse Biden of a crime or even prove he did anything… blatantly corrupt… He just needs to use the impeachment hearings to damage Biden’s favorability… ‘I used to like Biden, but now he doesn’t seem that much different than Trump,’ voters might say. And once they start muttering things like that, Biden will be finished, his aura of electability shattered…”

In playing to his base and others, Trump’s comments and tweets have become more and more aggressive, likening the whistleblower and White House officials who gave information to the whistleblower to spies and suggested they committed treason, alluding to what happened to spies in the past; charging Representative Adam Schiff with treason and suggesting his arrest; calling the impeachment inquiry “the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country” and a “coup” that intends to “take away the power of the people”; saying to reporters that China should launch an investigation into Joe and Hunter Biden, though he noted that he hasn’t yet asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to do so; and retweeting a comment by a pastor, stating that there would be civil war if Trump were to be impeached, while adding on his own that this will not happen—that is, that he will not be forced out of office.

It is certain that Trump will stay in power and be reelected.

Also, the Democrats become more aggressive in their desperate approach, including subpoenaing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Guiliani. Pompeo who admitted that he listened in to the phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskiy, responded by accusing the Democratic committee heads of attempting to “intimidate, bully and treat improperly the distinguished professionals of the Department of State.” Please view our StandingWatch program, “Impeaching Donald Trump? No Way—and here Is WHY!”

Most Americans Unprepared for Next Recession… Socialism and Big Government Not the Answer

Zero Hedge wrote on September 27:

“Just like in 2008, most Americans are living right on the edge financially, and so any sort of an economic downturn is going to be extremely painful for tens of millions of American families… During the last recession, millions of Americans suddenly lost their jobs, and… couldn’t pay their mortgages.  In the end, millions of Americans lost their homes… and today the housing bubble is even larger than it was back then.

“… the top financial priority for 38 percent of all Americans is just trying to pay the bills, and for 19 percent of all Americans it is dealing with credit card debt… a very large percentage of Americans are not following any sort of a financial budget…

“The big financial institutions want to get Americans into as much debt as possible, because the deeper we are in debt the more money they make… In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau is telling us that the gap between the rich and the poor is now ‘greater than it has ever been’… wealth inequality in the U.S. is far greater than it is in any country in Europe… the vast majority of Americans are currently living paycheck to paycheck.

“The way that our entire system is structured greatly favors Wall Street, the big banks, the largest corporations and those with enormous amounts of money.  And they are able to maintain control of the system by literally buying elections and controlling public opinion through their control of the mainstream media…  Unfortunately, more Americans than ever are convinced that socialism is the answer to the problems…, and this is fueling the rise of politicians such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. But socialist experiments have failed all throughout human history, and socialism would fail here too.

“Big government is never the answer. Sadly, we already have the biggest government in the history of the world, and many Americans seem absolutely determined to make it even bigger.”

A recession or even depression is coming, and denials will not prevent it. When this terrible disaster strikes, many Americans who have naively believed the promises of politicians to further their personal agenda, will be woefully unprepared.

MGM Resorts to Pay Las Vegas Shooting Victims up to $800 Million

The Week wrote on October 3:

“MGM Resorts International is set to pay up to $800 million to victims of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting… Stephen Paddock in 2017 killed 58 people and left hundreds more injured when he shot at concertgoers from one of MGM Resorts’ locations, the Mandalay Bay resort. Victims of the shooting have accused MGM of negligence for not monitoring Paddock while he brought to his suite the weapons used in the shooting.

“MGM said Thursday its settlement is not an admission of liability. This comes two days after the anniversary of the massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.”

Pope Endorses Attack on Conservative US Christians

Breitbart wrote on September 27:

“On Thursday, La Civiltà Cattolica journal released the transcript of a meeting between Pope Francis and a group of 24 Jesuits on September 5, 2019, during his recent trip to Mozambique in which the pope suggested that certain Evangelical Protestants in the United States ‘cannot really be defined as Christian.’…  ‘It has nothing to do with the preaching of a Lutheran or any other serious evangelical Christianity.’ ‘Two important articles in Civiltà Cattolica have been published in this regard. I recommend them to you. They were written by Father Spadaro and the Argentinean Presbyterian pastor, Marcelo Figueroa. The first article spoke of the “ecumenism of hatred.” The second was on the “theology of prosperity,”’ the pontiff said…

“In the first essay recommended by the pope, the authors who are both friends of Francis, slammed conservative Christians in the U.S. as ignorant, theocratic, Manichean, war-mongering fanatics. For the ‘Evangelical right,’ the authors proposed, the panorama of threats to the American way of life ‘have included modernist spirits, the black civil rights movement, the hippy movement, communism, feminist movements and so on. And now in our day there are the migrants and the Muslims.’

“The authors did not hesitate to suggest that many Evangelicals are southern racists who reject climate change… Throughout the essay, the authors criticize a string of exclusively Republican presidents as being tainted by the teachings of Evangelical Protestantism. The list of those mentioned includes Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and, of course, Donald Trump.

“One of the most serious evils of American Evangelical Christians, the article stated, is ‘the defense of religious liberty’… The authors went on to denounce the ecumenical alliance between conservative Catholics and Evangelical Christians… This poisonous alliance over shared objectives ‘happens around such themes as abortion, same-sex marriage, religious education in schools and other matters generally considered moral or tied to values,’ the essay claimed, which unite Catholics and Evangelicals in ‘the nostalgic dream of a theocratic type of state.’

“At the time of its publication, the article triggered an avalanche of critical responses denouncing the ignorance and political ill-will underlying the essay… In his critique of the article, Dr. Samuel Gregg called the article ‘disturbing,’ while lamenting the tacit anti-Americanism and ‘distinctly amateur grasp of American religious history.’

“As Dr. Gregg noted, to describe ‘Marxism-Leninism, Islamist jihadism, or National Socialism’ as evil is not evidence of a Manichaean worldview. ‘It is simply recognition that some ideas are indeed wicked and lead to many people, even nations, engaging in gravely evil acts.’

“It is not a theocratic nostalgia that leads Evangelical and Catholic Christians in America to make the argument that ‘unborn human beings are entitled to the same protections from the unjust use of lethal force as any other human being, or that religious liberty is more than just freedom of worship, or that parents are entitled to insist that their children not be subjected to the nonsense of “gender theory’”at school,’ Gregg added.

“The published criticisms of the original article by serious scholars, both Christian and secular, ended up being so numerous they could fill a book. The article was eventually dismissed as simply an embarrassing attempt at political propaganda by overly zealous Italian and Argentinian clerics who were completely out of their depth. Which could lead one to wonder what Pope Francis could possibly be thinking when he dredges up this ill-begotten essay out of the swamp of oblivion to recommend it as a useful aid for understanding America’s complex religious landscape.”

One must also wonder WHAT Pope Francis really believes! To recommend the opinions expressed in the articles is truly alarming, deeply unsettling and disturbing.

More than Half of Europe’s Trees in Danger of Extinction

CNN wrote on September 27:

“More than half of Europe’s endemic trees — species that are only found in the region — are at risk of extinction because of diseases, pests and human activities, a conservation organization based in Geneva has said… While the European Red List had already assessed 15,000 species, including vertebrates, freshwater molluscs and trees, the latest study focused on the dangers to lesser-known species.

“In total, 58% of Europe’s endemic trees are at risk of dying out — as well as more than two-fifths of the continent’s 454 native species. The horse chestnut — native to Bulgaria, Greece, Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia but widespread elsewhere in Europe — is among those in danger…

“In the UK, three types of whitebeam that were only discovered 10 years ago are now critically endangered. They belong to the ‘Sorbus’ genus, which is particularly affected — three-quarters of its 170 species are at threat…

“The latest assessments show that it is not only trees that are endangered — almost half of Europe’s shrubs and more than a fifth of land molluscs are at risk of extinction.”

The Bible predicts that more and more trees will be destroyed in Europe in many different ways.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.