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Israel First Has Severed MAGA

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In July of 2023, long before it became clear that Israel would become a defining topic of MAGA 2.0 and the Trump presidency, Tucker Carlson gave a speech at a Turning Point USA event when it was still uncontroversial for him to be there.

“What are the crimes that are punished?” Carlson asked the crowd. “Thought crimes. Thinking the ‘wrong’ thing. Having the ‘wrong’ beliefs. Saying unapproved words. And those words are always true.”

“How do you know what’s true? That’s a great question,” Carlson continued. “Who are the thought criminals and what are they saying?”

Tucker Carlson has certainly become the thought criminal he presciently described over two and a half years ago. And he’s perhaps committed the greatest sin of all in America: telling the truth when powerful people are not.

At the time of his speech, Oct. 7 hadn’t happened, Charlie Kirk was still alive and leading TPUSA, and Carlson had not yet campaigned alongside Donald Trump.

Fast forward to January 2025 and Trump — with the support of Carlson and a bipartisan coalition of other independent thinkers, like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, and Marjorie Taylor Greene — arrived back at the White House with truly a once in a generation opportunity and the political capital to do the radically unthinkable in Washington: focus on America and the problems that ail us here. (Read more from “Israel First Has Severed MAGA” HERE)

‘Manifestly Unreasonable’: Israeli Police Block Catholic Cardinal From Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass At Christ’s Tomb

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Israel Bars Catholic Officials from Praying at Holy Site, Outraging US Ambassador Mike Huckabee

By New York Post. Israel barred Catholic officials from privately praying at a historic Jerusalem church for the first time in centuries over security concerns involving the war — sparking outcry from US Ambassador Mike Huckabee.

Catholic higher-ups were already told they could not hold Mass at the city’s famed Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus is believed to have been crucified and buried, on the Palm Sunday.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Catholic patriarch of Jerusalem, and Father Francesco Ielpo, who oversees the sacred site, as well as two other priests were then on their way to the church for private prayer when they were halted by Israeli police early Sunday, Catholic officials said.

While Huckabee said it is reasonable for large gatherings to be put on pause amid Iran’s retaliatory bombardments, the US ambassador to Israel contended it is unacceptable for Israeli police to stop the four clergymen from making their own private visit to the church in Jersualem’s Old City.

“The action today by the Israel Nat’l Police to deny Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and 3 other priests from entering the Church to offer a blessing on Palm Sunday is an unfortunate overreach already having major repercussions around the world,” Huckabee wrote on X. (Read more from “Israel Bars Catholic Officials from Praying at Holy Site, Outraging US Ambassador Mike Huckabee” HERE)

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‘Manifestly Unreasonable’: Israeli Police Block Catholic Cardinal From Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass At Christ’s Tomb

By Daily Caller. Israeli police prevented a Catholic Cardinal from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the church traditionally believed to have been built over site of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and burial, adding a new dynamic to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem and the highest-ranked Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, was traveling with the official guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, when they “were stopped en route, while proceeding privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act,” according to an official joint statement. . .

Warning of the “grave precedent” the incident risks setting as “billions … this week, look to Jerusalem,” the statement notes how seriously local Church officials have complied with the restrictions imposed by the civil authorities, despite disruptions and inconveniences. The restrictions have not always been evenly implemented, Reuters reported, citing local residents. Muslim preachers during Ramadan and a Western Wall cleaning crew ahead of Passover, for example, were allowed access to their respective holy sites in certain circumstances.

“The Heads of the Churches have acted with full responsibility,” the statement continues, “and, since the outset of the war, have complied with all imposed restrictions: public gatherings were cancelled, attendance was prohibited, and arrangements were made to broadcast the celebrations to hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide, who, during these days of Easter, turn their eyes to Jerusalem and to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.”

“Preventing the entry of the Cardinal and the Custos, who bear the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the Holy Places, constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure,” the statement went on to criticize. “This hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the Status Quo [sic].”

(Read more from “‘Manifestly Unreasonable’: Israeli Police Block Catholic Cardinal From Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass At Christ’s Tomb” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

CNN Journalist Put In Chokehold By IDF Soldiers

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Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers put CNN photojournalist Cyril Theophilos in a chokehold before detaining him and a group of journalists.

The CNN team was interviewing Palestinians in the West Bank town of Tayasir when IDF soldiers pointed weapons at the group and detained them for two hours, CNN reported.

The crew was reporting on recent settler attacks on Palestinians, including one attack that left 75-year-old Abdullah Daraghmeh with a fractured skull, the outlet reported.

The attack comes amid a larger trend of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Last year marked a record high for settlement expansion since the United Nations began tracking settler activity, the BBC reported.

According to the Times of Israel, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and outposts in addition to approximately 3 million Palestinians. (Read more from “CNN Journalist Put In Chokehold By IDF Soldiers” HERE)

Vance Reportedly Rebukes PM in Difficult Call for Overselling Chances of Iran Regime Change

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US Vice President JD Vance held a tense phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week, in which he chided the premier for making overly optimistic predictions about the war in Iran, Axios reports.

Vance took Netanyahu to task over how likely the latter said regime change would be, the outlet reported.

“Before the war, Bibi really sold it to the president as being easy, as regime change being a lot likelier than it was. And the VP was clear-eyed about some of those statements,” a US official tells Axios, using Netanyahu’s nickname.

Following the call, a US official claims to the outlet that Israel is undermining Vance, who has taken a leading role in negotiating a ceasefire with the Islamic Republic. Vance, a longtime public opponent of open-ended foreign wars, is joining the talks alongside US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The US official accused Israel of being behind reports that Iran wants to negotiate with Vance, seeing him as more amenable to reaching a deal to end the war. (Read more from “Vance Reportedly Rebukes PM in Difficult Call for Overselling Chances of Iran Regime Change” HERE)

IDF Chief Warns of ‘Collapse’ as Israel Delays Ultra-Orthodox Draft

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The Israel Defense Forces is “on the verge of collapse” due to acute personnel shortages, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has warned, according to local media. Opposition parties have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of stalling on drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Military service is mandatory for most Israeli citizens, both men and women. However, members of the Haredi community have historically been exempt from conscription. While the Israeli Supreme Court revoked the exemption in June 2024, Netanyahu’s cabinet has so far delayed drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Parties within the ruling coalition representing the Haredi community have repeatedly threatened to withdraw support for Netanyahu should he introduce the measure.

Addressing the cabinet on Wednesday, Lieutenant General Zamir said he was “raising ten red flags for you before the IDF collapses,” as quoted by The Jerusalem Post.

In addition to its ongoing campaign against Iran, the Israeli military is continuing its years-long operation against Hamas in Gaza. The IDF also launched an incursion into southern Lebanon in early March, targeting Hezbollah militants. (Read more from “IDF Chief Warns of ‘Collapse’ as Israel Delays Ultra-Orthodox Draft” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Uganda’s Military Chief offers to Fight for Israel

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Uganda’s military chief has offered to fight alongside Israel in its war against Iran.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba posted a series of messages on social media saying his country could enter the conflict if hostilities escalated.

He called for a swift end to the fighting while warning that any attempt to destroy Israel could prompt Uganda to enter the war on Israel’s side.

“If Israel needs help, it only need ask. Their Ugandan brothers are ready to assist,” said Gen Kainerugaba, who is the son of Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s president.

He framed his support based on historical ties, acknowledging Israel’s past support for Uganda. (Read more from “Uganda’s Military Chief offers to Fight for Israel” HERE)

Netanyahu’s Jesus Remark Sparks Outrage: ‘One of the Most Disgusting Anti-Christian Comments I’ve Heard From a World Leader’

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday (March 19) delivered a press conference amid the war between the US-Israel and Iran. Even as he spoke about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, a comment he made about Jesus Christ and Genghis Khan sparked a row, with many accusing Netanyahu of being “anti-Christian.”

In his address, Netanyahu said: “Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan. If you are strong enough, ruthless enough, and powerful enough, evil will overcome good.” His comments seemed to come in reference to a 2019 interview where he summarized historian Will Durant’s book “The Lessons of History.”

The clip of Netanyahu’s remark went viral, with many interpreting the comments as anti-Christian.

“This is one of the most disgusting anti-Christian comments I’ve heard from a world leader. Just another example of Netanyahu exposing his anti-Christian beliefs. And many Christians will again choose to ignore it,” one user said. . .

“Is there any more proof this guy is pure evil and anti Christian?” wrote another.

(Read more from “Netanyahu’s Anti-Christian Jesus Remark Sparks Outrage” HERE)

Father of Killed US Military Member Disputes Hegseth’s Claim He Said to ‘Finish’ the Job in Iran

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By The Guardian. The father of a US military member killed in the Iran war has contradicted Pete Hegseth’s claim that bereaved families urged him to “finish” the job in the Middle East.

Hegseth, the defense secretary and a former weekend Fox News host, told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday that he had spoken with relatives of all six service members killed in last week’s refueling tanker crash during a “dignified transfer” of their remains at Delaware’s Dover air force station the night before.

“What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve, was the same from family after family. They said, ‘Finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done,’” Hegseth said.

However, on Thursday night, Charles Simmons, the father of Tech Sgt Tyler Simmons, 28, from Ohio, said he had no such conversation.

“I can’t speak for the other families. When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about,” he told NBC News. (Read more from “Father of Killed US Military Member Disputes Hegseth’s Claim He Said to ‘Finish’ the Job in Iran” HERE)

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Father of dead serviceman says he never told Hegseth to ‘finish the job’ in Iran: report

By The Independent. The father of a dead U.S. serviceman has denied claims by Pete Hegseth that he told the Defense Secretary to “not stop until the job is done” – referring to the war in Iran.

“No, I didn’t say anything along those lines,” Charles Simmons told NBC News in an interview Thursday, recalling his encounter with Hegseth at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. “I can’t speak for the other families. When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about.” . . .

Simmons told NBC that he had spoken to Hegseth and President Donald Trump, and that both men had treated him warmly. He had mostly spoken about his son’s impressive service record, he said.

The 60-year-old, from Columbus, Ohio, added he has “questions” about the conflict, which has now killed at least 13 American service members, and cannot draw “definitive conclusions when I don’t have all the data.”

Simmons said he told Hegseth: “I understand there’s a lot of peril that goes into making decisions like this, and I just certainly hope the decisions being made are necessary,” according to NBC. (Read more from “Father of dead serviceman says he never told Hegseth to ‘finish the job’ in Iran: report” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Oman’s Foreign Minister Says War in Iran Is Trump’s ‘Greatest Miscalculation’ in Scathing Attack

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Oman’s foreign minister has said that the war in Iran is Donald Trump’s “greatest miscalculation” and urged Washington’s allies to push him to end the conflict immediately.

In the most scathing attack on Washington’s foreign policy yet by a Gulf state, Badr Albusaidi said “this is not America’s war” and criticised Mr Trump for supporting Israel.

Writing in The Economist, he called on American allies to help extricate the country from the conflict, which has continued for a third week despite failing to achieve the US and Israel’s stated aim of instigating regime change in Tehran or stopping its nuclear programme.

Since the war began, Iran has launched retaliatory attacks across the Gulf, most recently targeting oil and gas facilities – a development that shook global energy markets. Oman has been targeted on several occasions.

Mr Albusaidi said being drawn into the war was the “American administration’s greatest miscalculation” and implied that Israel didn’t have the right intentions for Iran. (Read more from “Oman’s Foreign Minister Says War in Iran Is Trump’s ‘Greatest Miscalculation’ in Scathing Attack” HERE)

Netanyahu Confirms ‘Israel Acted Alone’ in Attack on Iran’s South Pars Gas Field

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that “Israel acted alone” and that President Donald Trump had asked Israel “to hold off on future attacks” after Israel attacked Iran’s South Pars Gas Field.

During a press conference on Thursday, Netanyahu poked fun at online rumors that he was dead, stating that he was “alive.” Netanyahu also gave an update on Operation Roaring Lion, explaining that both Israel and the United States were “acting together in Iran with great determination.”

Netanyahu responded to a question from a reporter who stated that Trump “did not like the Israeli strike on the Iranian gas fields,” and asked if Trump “was aware of Israel striking that gas field.”

“Well, I’ll say two things. Fact number one, Israel acted alone,” Netanyahu answered, referring to the news that Israel had launched airstrikes on Iran’s South Pars Gas Field. “Fact number two, President Trump asked us to hold off on future attacks.”

Netanyahu’s comments came after Trump took to Truth Social to reveal that Israel had “violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Pars Gas Field in Iran.”

(Read more from “Netanyahu Confirms ‘Israel Acted Alone’ in Attack on Iran’s South Pars Gas Field” HERE)