By: Ian Giatti – The Christian Post; christianpost.com

Nearly half a century after his father visited the region, Rev. Franklin Graham held a historic outreach on the beaches of Brazil over the weekend, drawing thousands to hear the Gospel despite some rainy weather.

The Esperança Rio — or “Hope” Rio — event at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro resulted from years of prayer, planning and training. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) partnered with more than 4,000 churches to make it all come together.

Umbrellas in hand, almost 70,000 turned out to hear the 69-year-old Evangelical leader’s message of God’s love.

Graham told The Christian Post there’s a “great hunger for the Gospel, no question,” as evidenced by the commitment of the thousands who showed up in the rain.

cont’d…

https://www.christianpost.com/church-ministries/franklin-graham-preaches-hope-to-68k-on-brazilian-beach.html

By: Yaakov Lappin – Jewish News Syndicate; jns.org

Maj. (res.) Tal Beeri of the Alma Center tells JNS that “the attacking party” behind a series of reported strikes on Damascus is sending a clear message to the Bashar Assad regime.

The Syrian regime led by President Bashar Assad risks losing its Damascus International Airport if Iran continues to use the site to smuggle advanced weapons to Hezbollah, the head of research at an Israeli defense research center has warned.

Speaking just days after international media reports said Israel struck its latest blow against Damascus International, Maj. (res.) Tal Beeri, head of the research department at the Alma Center, told JNS: “The message is clear. So long as Iran’s air corridor for smuggling weapons from Iran to Syria and Lebanon continues, the Syrian state will be seen as responsible by the attacking party. So long as Syria won’t act, the airport will continue to be a target.”

Future attacks could include a “roof knock”—dropping empty munitions to serve as a warning—on the airport’s control tower and destroying it after it is evacuated, assessed Beeri, or strikes on the airport’s radars.

“If the message isn’t received, attacks could escalate further, to the point that serious damage is caused to the airport, and it will take more than a few days to repair,” he said. “The messaging is not aimed at Iran—that is a lost cause. It is determined to continue trafficking arms to Hezbollah. It is aimed at Syria.”

cont’d…

https://www.jns.org/israeli-defense-expert-if-syria-continues-to-let-iranian-weapon-planes-land-it-risks-losing-airport/

By: Tamir Morag – Israel Hayom; israelhayom.com

“Scooper Series: Social Mission” series of videos include one by leading BDS activist Omar Shakir of Human Rights Watch, as well as videos about racism in the United States. Ben & Jerry’s parent company Unilever faces investor class action suit over ice cream giant’s boycott decision.

All new employees of ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s are now required to attend a series of four lectures by activists on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Jewish Insider reported this week.

This includes one by Omar Shakir of Human Rights Watch, a leading BDS activist expelled from Israel for supporting the boycott of the Jewish state.

Last year, Ben & Jerry’s caused an uproar when it announced it would no longer sell its products in the “occupied Palestinian Territories,” referring to Judea and Samaria and east Jerusalem.

Jewish Insider reported that the company makes new employees watch videos about racism in the United States and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict under the title “Scooper Series: Social Mission.”

cont’d…

https://www.israelhayom.com/2022/06/16/ben-jerrys-forces-new-hires-to-watch-videos-on-israeli-palestinian-conflict/

By: Shahar Klaiman and Tamir Morag – Israel Hayom; israelhayom.com

The Wall Street Journal claims Riyadh is engaging in “serious talks” with Jerusalem about establishing business ties, and bolstering security coordination.

Riyadh and Jerusalem do not maintain official diplomatic ties, the Gulf kingdom “is expanding secretive talks with Israeli leaders” and the move “could reshape Middle East politics and end decades of enmity between two of the region’s most influential nations,” the report said.

The Saudis have so far held out on joining the Abraham Accords, saying any such progress was dependent on progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, but according to the report, the administration of US President Joe Biden is actively mediating between the two with the aim of declaring bilateral steps that could facilitate normalization at a later stage.

According to the Wall Street Journal report, the conservative Islamic kingdom “senses a shift” in its public toward establishing official relations with the Jewish state.

cont’d…

https://www.israelhayom.com/2022/06/07/report-saudi-arabia-moves-closer-to-forging-ties-with-israel/

By: Times of Israel Staff; timesofisrael.com

Threat comes as Bennett touts Israel’s successes against the Islamic Republic over the past year and amid fears Tehran will try to retaliate for recent high-profile assassinations

Iran on Tuesday threatened to “raze” the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa.

“For any mistake made by the enemy, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground by the order of the Supreme Leader,” the Islamic Republic’s ground forces commander, Kiumars Heydari, told the semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency.

The threat came less than a day after a report on Monday said Thai security forces had thwarted several recent Iranian attempts to harm Western and Israeli targets in the Southeast Asian country — a popular tourist destination for Israelis.

Iran has reportedly been trying to retaliate for several high-profile assassinations and mysterious deaths in the Islamic Republic in recent months, including of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps colonel and a top scientist.

cont’d…

https://www.timesofisrael.com/iranian-general-threatens-to-raze-tel-aviv-and-haifa-to-the-ground/

By: Julie Stahl – CBN News; cbn.com

Dubbed the Lion of Judah, a bronze lion statue was dedicated in Jerusalem this week, in the presence of prominent Christian and Jewish guests, against the backdrop of Jerusalem’s Old City Walls.

“We thank you for this sculpture representing the Lion of Judah. We thank you Lord that you are the Lion. We thank you Lord that no weapon formed against us shall prosper,” prayed We thank you Lord that we are ambassadors of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and not even the gates of hell shall prevail,” prayed Nick Vujicic, Chief Executive Officer of Life Without Limbs.

The Lion of Judah sculpture was created by American Christian artist Max Greiner and was given to Israel as a gesture of friendship and U.S. Christian support of the Jewish people of Israel several years ago.  The 1,134-pound, 11-foot-long bronze lion was installed in one of Jerusalem’s largest parks.

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2022/june/jerusalems-newly-dedicated-lion-of-judah-statue-celebrates-jewish-christian-ties

By: Matt Galka – CBN News; cbn.com

More than $150 million – that’s what the Palestinian Authority paid to the families of terrorists in 2020. Their “Pay to Slay” policy is still in force, using your American tax dollars to fund terror campaigns.

In 2018, Congress passed the Taylor Force Act to cut off certain economic aid to the Palestinians to stop the practice of rewarding terrorism. Now, more legislation is needed to finish the task.

Taylor Force’s family is hoping Congress can go a step further to try and end those payments.

Not a day goes by when Stuart Force doesn’t think about his son Taylor who was taken from the world six years ago. “Probably more like an hour goes by that we don’t miss Taylor. There will always be an emptiness,” said Force.

Taylor Force was a U.S. Army veteran murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in Israel in 2016. His family made it their mission to end the Palestinian Authority’s so-called “Pay to Slay” policy, where the PA pays stipends to the families of the terrorists who commit the crimes. 

“It’s sad to say, but the same countries that are hell-bent on destroying the United States, destroying Israel, have no problem using U.S. dollars to fund their terror campaigns,” said Stuart Force.

cont’d…

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2022/june/palestinian-authority-awards-150m-to-families-of-terrorists-prompting-push-for-taylor-force-follow-up

By: Faygie Holt – Jewish News Syndicate; jns.org

Speaking with Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founders Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart, Israel’s Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata said that more than 100,000 new immigrants have moved to Israel from other countries in the last four years.

NEW YORK—Israel’s Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata heralded the growing number of Diaspora Jews who have come to the Jewish state in recent years. Yet if she had it her way, the influx is just beginning.

Speaking at a press conference with Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founders Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart on Monday, she said that more than 100,000 new immigrants (olim) have moved to Israel from other countries in the last four years.

“It’s a huge achievement,” she said, noting that “our destiny is as one people, bound together.”

Last year, more than 4,000 Jews from the United States made aliyah. They were among the more than 27,000 Jews worldwide who moved to the Jewish state in 2021, marking a 30% increase in immigration overall.

cont’d…

https://www.jns.org/israels-minister-of-aliyah-touts-recent-diaspora-immigration/

By: Jacob Nagel & Jonathan Schanzer – Newsweek; newsweek.com

sraeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz revealed details about the largest Israel Defense Force (IDF) drill in recent years last week. The drill included simulated airstrikes on Iran and a simulated multi-front war against Iran-backed proxies in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza. The message was unmistakable: The Israeli government is weighing its military options, and the military is readying for whatever the government decides. Iran should be worried.

Right now, however, all eyes are on Syria. The war in Ukraine has prompted Russia to redeploy some forces and hardware out of Syria, where it has been buttressing the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad. As the Russians depart, the Iranians want to fill the void.

The Israelis are determined not to let that happen. The Syrian-Israeli border, as well as key bases and facilities in Syria, have witnessed significant clashes in recent years. The Iranian regime continues to build its capabilities to target Israel from this war-torn territory. And Israel continues to erode those capabilities.

cont’d…

https://www.newsweek.com/russias-withdrawal-syria-opportunity-israel-opinion-1708727

By: Emily Jones – CBN News; cbn.com

JERUSALEM, Israel – Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) on Monday introduced a new House resolution to recognize the “Nakba,” the Arabic term for “catastrophe” that Palestinians use to describe the mass displacement of Arabs during the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948.

Tlaib, who is a Palestinian-American, submitted the resolution to coincide with “Nakba Day”, when Palestinians commemorate the event.

The resolution claims that Palestinians were “expelled or fled” from their homes by Israelis before and during Israel’s war for independence in 1948. The war, which Israel won, began when five Arab nations attacked the Jewish nation after it declared independence in territory that was formerly controlled by the British.

The resolution states that by the end of the war, “Israel had depopulated more than 400 Palestinian villages and cities, often demolishing all structures, planting forests over them, or repopulating them with Jewish Israelis.”

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2022/may/us-congresswoman-introduces-resolution-to-recognize-catastrophe-of-israels-founding