Climate Youth Protests

Climate Youth Protests

We have just witnessed hundreds of thousands of youth protesting climate change and demanding radical action to stop the progression of climate warming. It is sad to me to see children scared half to death about the climate. Some psychiatrists report an uptick in those needing help and medication due to anxiety brought on by the fear of climate change. It is heartbreaking to listen to a teen activist speak at the U. N. How did she get this platform? She condemned the adults and capitalist greed for the degradation of the climate. The children learned their orientation from their adult teachers who use them to try to force the world to change. How shall we respond to this?

First, we need to note that the science is not settled. I have read papers from a minority of experts in the field who do not think the models are right and that human-caused carbon pollution is not a serious issue. The reader can find these papers. But let’s for argument sake accept the view of the majority that the world is headed for catastrophe if we do not stop the human-caused aspects of the change. As stewards of the earth, the Bible commands us to take care of the earth and to not destroy it. As such, all Bible believers should be environmentalists without idolizing the creation We should take comfort in the promise that the world will be renewed when Yeshua returns and will not be destroyed. Yet, things can get very bad first.

However, if we are to bring radical improvement or change in carbon pollution, the direction taken by the more socialistic anti-capitalists would be a disaster. Only societies that attain sufficient prosperity have the means to address the issues. Indeed, poor societies will not be able to address it without devastating their poor. They need prosperity to overcome their contribution to the problem. Switching to carbon-free alternatives like solar is wind is insufficient. No model predicts that this would be enough. They are also carbon polluting technologies. The mining to get the elements necessary for solar and the steel production necessary for windmills are themselves carbon polluting. Steel is made with coal. Zero carbon emissions is a pipe dream. What can be done really? The best papers I have read have argued that if we are to deal with carbon pollution reduction we will need to do the following.

Allow natural gas as a transitional fuel. Great reductions in carbon pollution have taken place by replacing coal and oil with the cleaner gas fuel.
Have incentives in taxes and grants for the free market to invent alternatives. However, these alternatives have to be evaluated as really a significant gain. Electric cars require electric charging and battery disposal and themselves pollute and add carbon to the environment! They may be better but are not zero emission level inventions.
As part of the incentives go nuclear. One of my friends was a top scientist in nuclear waste management. He says that the waste solution has been found but politics stops safe disposal proposals. However, we can also go full bore to the breeder reactor and if we can perfect it, it does not produce waste or bomb-making material. Sadly, political correctness on the dangers of nuclear power are not allowing this important solution. A former leader in Greenpeace is pushing this solution.
Do not go toward socialism which is so inefficient that it certainly will make things work out badly. Only the inventions of free enterprise can find solutions. The children’s protests on climate change are pushing big government and slamming capitalism. If their solutions were embraced such as in the Green New Deal, tens of millions maybe even billions would slide in to poverty. Development is absolutely necessary to feed the world and lift people out of poverty.
It is possible that oil could be cleaned up, but as yet the technology has not been discovered to do this, but we should keep trying. Cars pollute so much less than 50 years ago.
Plant lots of trees and work on desert reclamation. Israel is a leader in this.

It is a shame that the children are being used to push a socialist anti-free-market solution to climate change. It is a shame that they are demonizing the entrepreneurs whose efforts have largely been responsibility for lifting billions out of poverty. The hate against the business class being spewed by these children is so pathetically wrong. They are being used and abused.

Israeli Elections

The Israel election looks like a stalemate but it really is not. I will make a prediction. First, as I noted in an earlier post, the basic issue was that the ultra-Orthodox pushed so hard to expand their power and control in society and no work and service to the country, that Lieberman campaigned against them being in the government. Had they not been too demanding, Bibi would have been home free.

The ultra-orthodox say that they will not be in a government with Yair Lapid. Lieberman says he will not be in a government with the Ultra-Orthodox. So this makes it impossible for Netanyahu to form a government of the right. He only has 56 votes and needs 61 in the Knesset. So he needs to form a government with the centrist Blue and White. But they refuse to join with Likud if it is led by the likely to be indicted Netanyahu.

Confused yet? Netanyahu rails against the idea of a government that depends on the Arab party, the Joint List, for sufficient votes to gain over 61.

Yes, if Gantz and Lapid have the votes of Lieberman and the left parties plus the Arab party, they will have 64 votes. That is enough though the Arabs won’t sit in his cabinet. So Netanyahu tries to scare people that depending on Arab votes is a disaster and a deep danger. Again, he demeans the Arab Israelis. He is wrong.

Are you confused yet? I hope you can follow this.

Here is a way forward. Gantz and Lapid say they want a government with Likud and without Netanyahu. But if Likud does not replace him, then they will have to depend on the left and the Arabs. It will be Netanyahu’s Likud’s fault. Netanyahu is wrong and this is not so dangerous because the Arabs will not be in the cabinet. Secondly, the Knesset has to pass legislation and the centrist Blue and White and right parties will have the votes to keep things on the right in policy. Once Netanyahu is replaced, Likud can be invited to join the government later.

So here is my prediction. If Gantz and Lapid do not change their stand toward Netanyahu, they will form a government through the votes of the Left Zionist parties and the Arabs. Even Netanyahu reached out to the left to join him but they refused so that is not so unusual. My prediction is that the Netanyahu era is over. But this can change. Blue and White with Likud could be a good government; address housing, costs of living, security, and greater liberty for Russian Jews, their marriages, and better for Messianic Jews without the Ultra-Orthodox.

Demonizing those who Disagree

I mentioned in my most recent post that General James Mattis wrote an article on the dangers of tribalism and a type of tribal warfare in America. Then more recently Carol Roth, a centrist and independent politically, wrote a very strong article expanding on the same theme. It is not that we disagree but that the other side is the enemy and evil. It is not just the loss of real tolerance and respectful speech. Politics is now elevated to religious fervor since for many this is the central meaning to life.

The primary reason I see for this is the breakdown of the moral consensus of society that was based on the Judeo-Christian Biblical ethic and the importance of biblical faith in some way as a foundation to the society. Even civil religion had its benefits as part of this consensus, though of course, people were not saved by it! Mattis and Roth missed a central issue. When one half of the population believes that killing children in the womb is murder and the other half believes it is a right without which women are not respected, we have such a real division that it is challenging to not demonize the other and both sides do. The pro-choice position is heinous to me, but I still must speak to such people with love and not hate. The loss of faith among many of the pro-choice people does not provide an ethical foundation to treat pro-life people other than as an enemy seeking to destroy women’s rights and freedom. The lawyer for the attacker against Judge Kavanaugh attacked him and others who are more pro-life as misogynists, though the Pro-life movement was mostly women! You can see the polarizing narrative creation.

We see this with issue after issue. On one side are the radical Green deal people who say the world will end soon unless we do radical things that will bring millions into poverty. The other side has doubts and quotes reputable scientists who are in the minority who point to other than human causes for warming and that the danger is exaggerated. Some believe if the human cause is important a more gradual approach is warranted that really does not destroy the lives of people. For those on the Green new deal side, the others are the enemy, hated and vilified.

Also on the immigration sides, those who want controlled borders are called racists though they profess to believe in inviting all races but legally. The level of vilification is terrible, and our Presidents rhetoric does not help. On the other hand, some want blacklists of donors and to “out” Trump supporters for shunning and protest. The people are not engaging in reasoned debate but on the campus and in many locales, the response is bullying, shaming, and rage. I do think that the left is mostly to blame but there is plenty on the right as well.

Think about the LGBT movement. They do not want to just have civil rights but to destroy all that does not support their immoral position. This includes Christian Athletes in Action, to the Salvation Army! So they try to shut down the leading Chicken franchise and ban it from airports and universities.

Bill O’Reilly gives an example of a professor who wrote a book on racists. Every white person who believes he is not a racist proves he is a racist by denying it. And if one admits it, then one is a racist too, of course. Therefore, it is a sin that can never be overcome. It is a total trap and a logical error. This kind of rhetoric can lead to race wars. Yet the left does not speak of the murder rate of black on black and care about a solution for the horror. It is the fostering of hatred for whites and many whites on the left go along with it.

The break down in Israel is similar. Our Prime Minister calls his major opponents in the Blue and White party leftists. But they believe in strong defense, security and are pro free enterprise. In most countries, they would be moderate conservatives. They just do not want to be in a government with the Prime Minister who may soon be indicted or yield to the power of the Ultra-Orthodox. The charges are so extreme. The Ultra-Orthodox make statements vilifying the secular as evil and seeks a controlling interest in the next government. The secular vilifies them back. I have longed for a societal consensus in Israel based on belief in God, belief in traditional morality and a more flexible but positive approach to tradition than the rigidity of the Orthodox. Not much chance of that with Israel’s own LGBT radicals and very liberal abortion policies!

So western societies are breaking down into a kind of tribal warfare.

Again there are two reasons; first loss of the fear of God and a consensus on ethics and morals based on that. With that breakdown, a loss on both sides of a commitment to treat one another with respect. I could at least hope that those who profess to follow Yeshua would lead the way in respectful loving speech when they address their concerns.

Speak Loudly, but Carry a Little Stick

We are soon entering into elections in Israel in just over two weeks.

The right of center party of Benjamin Netanyahu is facing off against Blue and White, the centrist party of General Benny Gantz and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid.

One of the interesting aspects of the campaign is that Blue and White presents itself as committed to a much stronger party against Israel’s terror supporting enemies than Prime Minister Netanyahu who has a reputation for being a hardliner and Mr. Security for Israel. What are the facts about this debate? I want to look at three primary battle fronts and ask some hard questions. How has Israel dealt with Lebanon since the last war with Hezbollah? Secondly, how is Israel handling Hamas, and finally, how has Israel handled the terrorism from the West Bank (Judea and Samaria)? President Teddy Roosevelt famously said, “Speak softly but carry a big stick.” In other words, use real and serious power. Then your words do not have to be loud. The accusation against Benjamin Netanyahu is that he projects great strength, but really is speaking loudly and carrying a small stick. I summarize here the arguments.

First in regard to Lebanon. After the Israel-Lebanon War in 2006, a U. N resolution was passed that led to an Israel withdrawal. The war lasted 34 days. I was visiting my brother in an assisted living facility in Valdosta, George. Richard was a Major in the Airforce and had a good grasp of military strategy. We were quite amazed that Israel tried to win this war by air power and only late in the war brought in ground troops. Also, Israel bombed the infrastructure of the nation of Lebanon and did not merely concentrate on Hezbollah which could have freed Lebanon from the tyranny of this group. He thus turned Lebanon more deeply into an enemy and really empowered Hezbollah. My brother and I were amazed at the feckless way the war was fought under Prime Minister Olmert. The U. N. promised a peace keeping force on the Lebanon border that would prevent Hezbollah from rearming. When Secretary of State Condolezza Rice declared that this would be a robust U. N. force, I knew beyond a doubt that the U. N. would do no such thing but that Hezbollah would be rearmed. Today, this has indeed happened. Hezbollah now threatens with hundreds of thousands of missiles and some may be precision ones, even threatening Tel Aviv. Israel policy under Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to prevent transports from Iran, but really has never the less allowed the rearming. His response could have been, “They are rearming, and if you, the U. N. do not prevent this re-arming, we will go back and disarm them. And we will continue to do so again and again until the U. N. resolution preventing re-arming is enforced.” But short term relative peace in the North and the prevention of the loss of Israeli soldiers, has been attained with terrible danger to the half of Israel.

Secondly, we look at the situation in the West Bank. For years Israel has allowed the Palestinian Authority to pay terrorists attackers and their families. If they die as martyrs, the payments to the families are high. The worse the terrorist, the better the payments. Those in jail in Israel find their families are paid handsomely. We would not object if the payments were at the normal welfare level. This incentivizes terrorism. For years Israel protested, but only recently cut off tax payments in the amount of these payments to the P. A. But this took years. Then Israel allows squares and streets in the West Bank to be named after terrorists, even the worst ones. And Israel allows textbooks to teach anti-Semitism and fosters hate for the Jewish people and Israel. As an occupying military Israel could enforce standards so that this would not be done. Could you imagine the parallel in Germany or Japan after World War II? They had to submit in ways that teaching Nazi ideology or Japanese superiority would not be tolerated. How can there be a peace agreement when the whole culture celebrates terrorism and fosters hatred?

Third, Israel under Benjamin Netanyahu, since the last Gaza War, fears the international community and its unfair response were they to fight a war. A war is more difficult since using civilian human shields is a military strategy for Hamas. So Hamas and Islamic Jihad send rockets to terrorize the towns near the border. They protest the blockade but if they gave up violent attacks and arms for the sake of attacking Israel, the blockade would end. We have explained that the policy of the government in Israel is to keep Hamas in power so the Palestinians have divided government (West Bank under P. A. and Gaza under Hamas) and the two-state solution becomes impossible. But it has been pointed out that if Israel would simply take out more of the Hamas leaders, those surviving would be more likely to cooperate and end the rocket attacks and the violent border protests. Perhaps the Prime Minister believes that such a policy could lead to the collapse of Hamas, but others in Blue and White argue against this. The Prime Minister is building a border barrier against Hamas, and bombs military targets while preventing the loss of life. He speaks loudly. Does he also carry a small stick? Gaza simply needs to give up its military arms that are only needed to attack Israel and the blockade is over.

The next election in two weeks cannot be said to be a contest against a hawkish Benjamin Netanyahu and a dovish left-wing. This is simply not true. The Prime Minister has done many things right, but this election is a very difficult one, not only on domestic policy and the power of the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel, but also on Security policy.

The Controversy Over Israel’s ban of Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omer

The Democratic Party is near schizophrenic, having voted with the Republicans against the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction) movement, but then having a fit over the Israel ban of two radical congresswomen. What should be simple was made complex since they are members of congress but also the first women in congress to take radical anti-Israel stands based on radical movements from the Muslim Brotherhood and aligned with Hamas. Make no mistake about it, BDS was founded by people who seek the full destruction of Israel. “From the River to the Sea, Palestine shall be free.” The founders of BDS do not seek a lasting peace in a two-state solution, but agree with those declaring the State of Israel an illegitimate colonial imposition on the indigenous Arab population. This simplistic narrative is propaganda that in an Orwellian way seek to portray the Israelis as the oppressors without taking the terrorism of the other side into account. If BDS succeeded, it would mean the end of Israel.

Make no mistake about it; Gaza would be totally free and even able to declare itself a nation, have free trade, develop tourism, businesses and more if they would do one thing. That one thing is to give up violent opposition to Israel. The oppression is self-chosen through their violence so they can play the victim card and turn the world against Israel by a false narrative. As for the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority turned down two generous offers for a two-state solution, one under Prime Minister Barak and one under Ehud Olmert. It was quite obvious to most Israelis that the Palestinians were playing Israel and the world and had no intention of an agreement other than one that would lead to the destruction of Israel. Both the Fatah Movement of the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas Movement seek the same goal; the destruction of Israel. The method of the former is more subtle, even to pretend to be open to a real two-state lasting solution for peace. The method of the other is violent resistance and not even to countenance any negotiation that would look like accepting the legitimacy of the State of Israel.

The mistake of the Israeli government was its weakness to first entertain these two congresswomen coming separately from the bi-partisan delegation from Congress that came very recently. They refused to go preferring instead a trip to create a massive propaganda media feast against Israel. The two women have made anti-Semitic statements as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance which has been adopted by many countries including the United States. Just because voters in their districts foolishly elected these two as their representatives does not undercut Israeli right and policy, which is to deny entry to any who are involved in supporting BDS and seeking the destruction of Israel. Nancy Pelosi is trying to hold her radical wing together with the rest of the Party so she wimped out in not passing a resolution condemning the statements of Ilhan Omer early on in this congressional session, but allowing it to be watered down to a statement against all racism and prejudice. The radicals, known as the squad, are playing the Democratic leaders. But by not dealing with this, they are opening the door to the Democratic Party becoming an anti-Israel party. Some have noted the parallels to the anti-Semitism in the Labor party in Britain under Jeremy Corbin and called this the Corbinization of the Democratic party: the drift to socialism and semi-Marxism, the anti- Israel stands and the rejection of traditional moral values. Israel made the right decision to ban these two and there should not have been a question, though Israeli Parliamentarians, American politicians, and media people questioned it. Being elected to the U. S. Congress or to any legislative body in countries in relationship to Israel does not give one a pass to enter Israel and bypass its policy to ban people who support BDS and anti-Semitism. America has banned people from other democracies who they deemed problematic. Messianic Jews in Israel can give us some perspective!!!

THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE AND BIBLICAL JUSTICE

My new book, Social Justice from a Biblical basis, is now out. I hope many of you buy it. In it, I seek to deal with a multiplicity of ideas that drive the culture in the United States and Western nations, including Israel, from a post-millennial young adult perspective. One of those issues is immigration. Europe had its great challenge on immigration due to the Syrian war refugees and less so African refugees. The issues arising from this has been tearing European countries apart. The United States is also facing the deep division over the massive influx of migrants from Central American Countries. They flee violent crime and poverty. There are no norms in international law requiring nations to receive migrants unless there is persecution, violence, and danger to their lives from war form government persecution, political or religious. Large masses of people yet come who do not fulfill these standards. The division has now been set in stone by the hardened positions of the Democrats who have moved left on this issue (much more left than President Obama) and the Republicans who have moved right way beyond historic Republican positions. The Democrats seem to be supporting open borders and just letting people go wherever they want with no enforcement.

Yet, there is another problem. It is that a significant amount of criminal activity is being fostered due to the lack of border control. There is fraud, even that some criminals have brought children to gain entrance, which children are not their own.

What is the Biblical view of justice for this situation? Justice is an order of righteousness were every person can fulfill his or her God intended good destiny, If people are in poverty, subject to violence and in dire straits, can we blame them for seeking to escape, even if they enter illegally? They cannot fulfill a good destiny without basic provisions of food, shelter, work, and freedom from violence. Borders and nation states as they now exist are not found in the Bible though there were nations in biblical times. There was more freedom of movement and fluidity in people movement. Now that there is such a huge influx, the attempt to vet people for asylum claims is thwarted by releasing people before they can have a hearing before a judge. They never return for their hearings. We now have detention centers with poor conditions for a multitude of people. If they are released they will not show up for court on their asylum claim which usually is a false claim and a lie. Yet the need is real, for many of these people need to escape. What can be done? What is justice? Can the United States’ resources be expected to take in the whole world of people in need and support any who want to come in?

So here is a proposal.

First, the United States and all nations need to strictly control their borders. This is to keep out criminal cartels, gang members, drug dealers, sex trafficker and more. However that can be done is the right policy; a wall, drones, beefed up security personnel, etc. All who come must be vetted and criminals will be treated with strict and hard justice, jail, being sent back, etc.
Second, It should be a serious crime to not enter through ports of entry. All must come through a port of entry or be swiftly returned. There will be no claim of asylum from those crossing the border illegally.
Third, we should drop the requirement of applying for asylum to stay. The key is to give all who enter a temporary visa with a work permit. They can then be put in an e verify base for employment. Their permission to stay in the United States will be contingent on being accountable to authorities for where they live and work. If they opt out of the system, they will be deported if found. They will be removed from the qualified for employment list. Employers who hire anyone without being verified in e verify will receive a strict fine.
Employers must show that they first tried to hire citizens and permanent residents and only filled the jobs with those with the visitors’ work visas because they could not find employees who were permanent residents and citizens of the United States. The employers will pay the same salary and benefits that citizens and permanent residents receive. Thus, we eliminate the incentives to hire these visitors to save money. They can join pools for medical needs but will have to pay for it. Policy should not incentives with welfare.
If there are no jobs for them, they will have to return to their country of origin or go to another country. The e-verify system and the availability of jobs will determine whether not they can stay. Keeping a job will be the sorter of those who can stay and those who cannot. If they are unemployed for a significant period of time, they have to leave and will be removed from the employment pool. They can avoid this if they have a sponsor who will pay for them and regularly reports with them.
A merit-based system will still be maintained for those who are needed in skilled jobs who will get residency quicker.
We will do what is possible to help the countries from which these migrants come if they are willing to fight crime, and create an economically successful country. This requires finding government leaders who can do this and are not themselves corrupt criminals.

In this way, the receiving country seeks justice for migrants and refugees. The country enforces borders. The country avoids the huge costs of welfare and the bad incentives for people to come. This is a moderate position between open borders and precluding migration. It recognizes the need for border control and for compassion without leading the country to financial ruin. The number let in will be those who can be absorbed in a positive way and can make a contribution to the country. If they are employed, learn English and show stability over a few years, they can become permanent residents. This will even help our social security revenue needs.

Permanent residency would be a possibility but not citizenship. They would not be allowed to vote, but their minor children could have a path to citizenship. (There would be no anchor babies where babies born here give their parents permanent rights to stay. This would eliminate the need). This would take away the Democratic incentive to flip the country to the left by having a huge new population of Democratic voters. In a generation, it is not so certain that these people will be on the left. Many are pro-life, pro-family and morality and are very open to the Gospel if they are not already believers. They could be a source of revival in the country, if treated fairly and with compassion, they could become conservative Republican voters as well as Democratic. Both parties can be motivated to win them.

I minister in Hispanic churches, some with large numbers of illegal immigrants. They are dear and lovely people. This is an amazing opportunity for the Church to be mobilized, to provide for them with compassion to help them find jobs and to see them won to Messiah through the Good News.

RACISM AND IDENTITY POLITICS

Four new members of Congress are radically on the left. Most have heard of Ilan Omer, who spoke with anti-Semitic tropes that offended many mainstream American Jewish leaders. In Israel, the statements of the radical four have been noted as virulently anti-Israel. However, in this post, I want to speak about their effect on the constant claim that those who oppose them are racists. The accusation of racism is now bandied about against any who disagree with their policy positions. This shuts down the debate. President Trump is a racist despite his meeting with Black business leaders and having Blacks in his administration who vouch for him. The phenomenon is called identity politics and is tearing the country apart. One of the problems with identity politics is that it offends the majority of non-minority Americans and many minorities as well. The big problem is that if everything is racism then real racism, which does exist in America, cannot be clearly identified and fought. Eventually, the destructive nature of it will be clear as it spins out of control.

Two recent examples are pronounced. One is from Alexandria Ocasia Cortez, the recently elected congresswoman from New York. She actually implied that racism motivated the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, due to her passing legislation she disagreed with and then dismissed the power of her circle in its opposition. Cortez said it was connected to the four being women of color. Just a side note, last time I looked, Cortez’s skin is very white. I wonder what she would find if she took a genetic test. Cortez himself might have been an ancestor! He was the conquistador that did not treat the natives well! But Pelosi a racist? Wow!!

The second example is Colin Kaepernick, who recently got Nike to remove a patriotic theme sneaker with the original American flag of the 13 stars. He claimed it was from a time when there was slavery and had bad associations. Nike caved and pulled the sneaker. Yet the flag was designed by the anti-slavery abolitionist pre-feminist Betsey Ross who had Quaker roots. How does this help the country if even the good aspects of its history are destroyed by false claims?

In Israel, we face a very different reality. There were major demonstrations with some violence by Ethiopian Jews in Israel who claim that they are subject to racism. The proximate cause was the death of a young Ethiopian Jew by an off duty policeman. The big difference in Israel is that all admit that racism is a problem and that for years there was discrimination against Sephardic Jews by the dominant Ashkenazic Jews. Now the discrimination is with the Ethiopians. However, in Israel, there was a response admitting a real problem to be addressed, including from the conservatives and the liberals.

Elections Again

We are now living in an amazing and unprecedented situation in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not able to form a collation and the sticking point is the conflict between former Defense Minister, Avigdor Liberman and the Ultra Orthodox parties that Netanyahu also wants in his government. Liberman is on the side of the secular on several issues. One is an easier conversion process for Russian Jews who are not accepted as sufficiently Jewish by the Orthodox establishment. Another is allowing necessary transportation work on Shabbat or allow stores to open on the Sabbath. Thirdly is the egalitarian prayer area at the Western Wall for Reform and Conservative Jews. Fourthly is the level of welfare support for ultra-Orthodox Jews who do not want to work but study the Talmud and Jewish texts all day. Work requirements are crucial. However, the one issue that he went to the mat on is the conscription of the Ultra-Orthodox in the Army. The bill that was accepted for the first reading (three votes are necessary for a bill) was a very moderate increase in service for the Ultra-Orthodox. It really is not adequate but is a step. The Supreme court has ruled that the Ultra-Orthodox cannot be exempted in so many instances. The Netanyahu coalition has legislation ready to over rule the Supreme Court by a majority vote in the Knesset. In addition, they have legislation ready that precludes all parliament members from being indicted. This is a push back against the looming indictment of the Prime Minister for financial crimes in contracting. Yet Bibi got elected with the population knowing all this. Many Messianic Jews are troubled by all of this. They are the brunt of Orthodox control of citizenship issues.

We are often told that the Israeli public is very angry about the control of the Ultra-Orthodox. If Bibi is again victorious he will again try to have a government with the Ultra-Orthodox and they will have tremendous control over Israel society. Many have pointed out that the Ultra-Orthodox will have a higher and higher percent of the population and if they do not work or serve in the Army, the future is a disaster. If the last election proves anything and if the results are repeated again it really proves that the Israeli secular public is not nearly so worried about the Ultra- Orthodox. However, my great question is about Benjamin Netanyahu. Does he care about the issue of the Ultra-Orthodox? Does he not see the danger? Blue and White, the opposition party is really not leftist. I think it is a center party, maybe even right of center. There could be a strong coalition with Likud, Bibi’s party, and Blue and White under Gantz. This would then lead to a stable government without the control of the Ultra-Orthodox. However, Blue and White will not enter a government with a Bibi near to be indicted. They could enter and prevent a bill to provide Bibi with immunity. We need to pray, pray and pray some more.

A Brainwashed People

Recently I came across an article by Daniel Greenfield. He is a conservative Jewish writer who sometimes provides great insight. This article engaged the subject of cultural brainwashing. In Greenfield’s view, many of the people on the left or far left have been brainwashed. They have not come to rational conclusions by weighing all the evidence, but have been conditioned. There is a parroting like we experience when talking to people in a cult. We have created a national cult society. We watch the news and see so many speak the exact same talking points. I have been lately amazed at the deep intense hatred for those who believe in traditional morality. When I try to engage issues with some acquaintances, they simply get angry, dismissive and won’t or cannot engage arguments. The issues are black and white and there is no alternative view point. If you press beyond that and ask questions for which there no stock answer, the intended dialogue partner simply bows out of rational discourse and resorts to name calling and abuse. But issues are complex. These responses are religious cult responses. It is why there are violent protests on campus against reasonable conservatives. This mass conditioning takes place in schools, media and entertainment that repeat the same points over and over again. It is group think and group speak on steroids. George Orwell would have been amazed.

Generally, the leftist culture (I am not speaking about classical liberals) is totally opposed to traditional morals. Sexual fidelity, the reserving of sexual relationships and bonding to committed traditional marriage, avoidance of promiscuity, the sanctity of human life (it is not your body but a human being created in the image of God) the command to have no other gods before the Creator, and we could go on. The leftist culture hates these with a vengeance. Even the idea of not bearing false witness is compromised if such false witness gains the ends of the relativistic post-modern progressives. (Note the Kavanaugh hearings)

Sometimes it is depressing to read the news. Recently a California court required a Christian dating service to include LGBT people. Chick Fil A is banned not because they discriminate in service and hiring, but because their founder embraced the standards of traditional morality and marriage. Again and again we see Christians and conservative Jews censored in social media. We see the symptoms of decadence all around us, but the culture formation elite seem to not even notice; the homelessness, the divorces, the opiate epidemic, the suicide rate, the sleaze, the alarmingly low birth rate. Some on the more radical left point to global warming as the reason to not have children (others include the crises of this world, the environment in general, and the desire for meaning through a career for women). The birth rate is declining at an alarming rate and will leave us with huge social problems. Greenfield notes that so many think the same way due to the constant repletion of the same messages from Hollywood, in the universities, in journalism, and the internet. The group think is amazing. Greenfield believes that this cultural direction was planned; that gaining control of education, entertainment and media was central to the leftist revolution. So was dividing the country in identity politics a key part of the plan. In my view, one finds an amazing similarity in the brainwashing in the radical right and its racist world view, a conditioning that shows irrationality. Both radical left and right are full of conspiracy ideas. Both seek control of others and hence control of the society, but it seems the danger today is more from the left. They seek control and are planning by every possible means to get control. I think they don’t believe in a democratic republic from of government but control by the elite on the left

Greenfield notes the key elements of brainwashing.

Those three elements are control, crisis and emotional resonance. To successfully brainwash someone, you have to control their environment, force a crisis on them, and then tap into core emotions, fear, love, guilt, hate, shame, and guide them through the crisis by accepting and internalizing a new belief.

Since the Left still lacks total control over the United States, it relies on repetition, itself a form of control and stress, to create fear and panic. It makes up for its lack of physical control by bombarding Americans with messages meant to inspire fear, love, hate and guilt through the media, through the educational system, through entertainment and through every possible messaging channel.

The political brainwashing campaign in this country targets the upper class and the middle class. The best subjects for brainwashing are intelligent and emotionally vulnerable. They’re easier to manipulate by using the gap between their emotions and their reason, and their emotional instability makes it easier to force them into crisis mode. The ideal subjects are in their teens and their early twenties. In modern times, that’s a period in which identity is still developing, and can be fractured and remade.

Like every cult, the modern campus claims to serve an educational purpose, helping students find meaning and purpose, but insisting that they must first be cured of the subconscious evils such as white privilege and toxic masculinity that are holding them back through a process that deconstructs their barriers, encourages confession, expressions of trauma, shame and guilt, to create new identities.

This isn’t education. It’s not even dogmatic lecturing. It’s the same basic set of techniques used by any major cult in the country. Once colleges began trying to cure their students of subconscious evils at closed sessions, under the guidance of unlicensed therapists associated with a movement, there was no longer any difference between them and that of any cult, except billions in taxpayer dollars.

Some on the right respond by promoting a counter brainwashing. Have you noticed the amazing levels of repetition in some of the right wing media? However, brainwashing is immoral and is a violation of the human person. I note in talking to my more leftist friends and acquaintances an inability to dialogue in a reasonable way. They cannot argue their points beyond a certain repetition or regurgitation of the content of the brainwashing. Because he or she cannot rationally defend the position they simply seek to shut up the other. “In the hands of left-wingers, the mantle of oppression has become the greatest tool for oppressing others, denying free speech, the free exercise of religion, academic freedom, the free exchange of ideas, and intelligent free debate, thereby proving the doctrine of depravity” —Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph

Is there any hope. In the movie The Matrix, the star character takes a little pill to awaken to the fact that he was living in a totally fake world. He joins the opposition to the government controllers. We have such a solution. It is in the Gospel preached with power, with signs and wonders that break through the naturalistic world. It is in the power of prayer which is mightier than the social conditioning of the culture. It is the outpourings of the Spirit in revival that is mighty to reverse the decay. As I was contemplating these issues in a semi sleep state, the power of prayer as mighty to pull down the strongholds of the mind, the mind of the culture. May God give us the grace for prayer gatherings in every town and city, in every congregation, to realized the issue and to come against these forces of evil by the power of prayer and the proclaimed Word. Also, today more then ever, we need to see that our children are not given over to the educational establishment for this conditioning, and to choose a college with real education that respects classical biblical views.

Bibi Wins a Fifth Term

Benjamin Netanyahu (nicknamed Bibi) has for now solidified his leadership in Israel. I think many in Israel voted for him because they felt safer with the continuity of his leadership. In my opinion there are many positives and many negatives for Israel in having another term with Bibi as Prime Minister. Here are some likely advantages.a

First, there will be a continuation of a conservative economic management which has led to very low unemployment and increased wages. Under Finance Minister Kahlon’s leadership, Israel has expanded housing options. The increase in the cost of living has slowed.
Secondly, there will be a continuation of Bibi’s strong foreign policy, which amazingly has developed a relationship with the Arab nations (in opposition to Iran), a strong relationship with the Trump administration and surprisingly a decent relationship with Russia! He has opened up African and South American connections at historic levels.
Thirdly, due to the alliance with the ultra-Orthodox and national Orthodox parties, the LGBTQ+ agenda will not be furthered. In addition, as part of the fight against human trafficking there has now been strong legislation to criminalize paying for prostitution. In regards to the Palestinian leadership, it is my view that they have not been serious about building lasting peace with Israel. Netanyahu will continue to manage the conflict seeking to foster Palestinian stability. [Some think that he needs to punish Hamas, remove their weapons and capture their terrorist leaders. This is a complex issue with no easy solution.]

On the other hand, in my opinion, here are some of the drawbacks to Netanyahu’s continued government, especially in the areas of human rights.

Many Russian Jews and mixed marriage Jews are not accepted as adequately Jewish by the ultra-Orthodox and are denied legal status as Jews. They are not given any option for an official marriage officiated inside of Israel! The conversion process offends them since they already see themselves as legitimately Jewish. Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beiteinu is fighting on this issue.
Many thousands of Ethiopian Jews waiting to come to Israel are not likely to gain this goal since the majority of the ultra-Orthodox do not look on them with favor. There is racism in their attitudes to these black Jews. This is tragic and unjust.
Shas, the Sephardic Orthodox party under formerly convicted and jailed (!) Aryeh Deri, will continue to control the Interior Department and make it challenging for those who wish to move to Israel under the Law of Return (under which people with a Jewish parent or grandparent have the right to receive Israeli citizenship). Many applicants are legally qualified for citizenship but Shas will seek to keep them out. This also has very negative repercussions for Messianic Jews.
The ultra-Orthodox are constantly working to change Israel’s basic laws so that Orthodox Jews who study Talmud will be released from military service. I am amazed at the number of secular people who voted for Netanyahu knowing this to be one of the issues that could be affected.

Many Evangelicals in other countries really love Bibi, without realizing what a combination of positive and negative elements he will bring with him into the next government. Let us continue to intercede that God will use Bibi to bring about changes that align with God’s principles and not the self-serving goals of the far right and the Orthodox.