Donald Trump

• Trump saved by miracle of God? Church leaders across America were quick to acknowledge Donald Trump’s escape from death in his attempted assassination as nothing short of divine intervention. The former President himself stated, “It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.” “We will remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness”, he wrote in a social media post. For many Christians, the failed assassination attempt is a sign that God is protecting Trump, and that he is clearly God’s chosen person to lead America and to reawaken the USA to Christianity in coming years. Trump retains his stronghold on America’s evangelical vote, and the latest incident is likely to increase his popularity substantially. Many have also been impressed by the accuracy of this prophecy, given 4 months prior to the assassination attempt.
• Jumping on the conspiracy theory bandwagon. Many conspiracy theories relating to Trump’s attempted assassination quickly emerged since the shooting on July 13th, including a significant number that have accused Israel and ‘The Jews’. The most popular theory is that Trump staged an assassination attempt against himself to boost his presidential campaign … with the Secret Service somehow in on the charade, who therefore did not respond as quickly and as thoroughly as might be expected … Fake blood was used. Setting aside the inconvenient truth that a man in the crowd was killed, as well as the shooter, the defining image of Trump raising a defiant fist beneath an American flag is seen as ‘too perfect’ to be authentic. Read also here and here.

Society and Politics

• Labour’s tax raid could ‘decimate’ Christian & Jewish schools. The new Labour Government has said it will remove independent schools’ VAT and business rate exemptions. This could force many faith schools to close. It will also likely breach the European Convention on Human Rights. Many independent faith schools charge fees on a voluntary basis – and some charge no fees at all. Of the 140 Jewish schools across the UK, 60% hold independent status, equating to around 22,000 students. A legal opinion by law firm Sharpe Pritchard states that schools will have grounds to challenge the Government’s policies on the basis of discrimination. Read also.
• Drs told to lecture patients on climate change. The Royal College of Physicians has issued new guidance that tells doctors to use their status as a 'trusted member of the community' to warn patients about the dangers of climate change, and to 'repeat it often'. It also called on doctors to look out for people suffering so-called 'eco-distress' - anxiety and depression caused by climate change. Additionally, doctors are told to reduce carbon footprints by considering working from home and cutting back on prescriptions and tests. The guidance has been heavily criticised as 'seriously unethical'; the view being that doctors should spend their precious time treating patients rather than lecturing them on 'politicised issues'.

Israel / Gaza War

• At least 5 Palestinian groups committed war crimes on Oct 7th. A Human Rights Watch report has revealed that at least 5 armed Palestinian groups (the main one being Hamas' military wing) took part in the attacks of October 7, and that and all 5 are responsible for committing war crimes. The report rebuts Hamas' claims that its combatants were instructed not to harm children, women and the elderly in its attack on the border communities. It also asserts that the crimes of the armed groups were part of a systematic plan. The report also calls for investigating suspicions of additional crimes against humanity, including extermination, persecution, rape and other sexual violence. Read also.

Russia / Ukraine War

• Russia lost 70,000 troops in 60 days. The Ministry of Defence has estimated that Russia has lost (killed and wounded) more than 70,000 troops in the past two months, as it made grinding advances in eastern Ukraine. That’s around 1,000 people a day. A senior Nato official described the losses as “astronomical”. Meanwhile, equally disturbing reports show that injured Russian soldiers are being sent back into the line of fire. The Ukrainian army has testified to capturing Russians already suffering from wounds sustained in previous attacks, including soldiers on crutches. They had been given minimal medical attention before being sent back to fight. One soldier captured by Ukraine was said to be driving an armoured vehicle with bloodied rags over an injured eye. There are also claims that Ukrainian prisoners of war are being used by Russia as human shields. Read also.

Covid and the Vaccines

• Mother wins battle to stop son having Covid vaccine. The mother of a severely disabled son with a rare heart condition has won a landmark case following a 3-year court battle, to prevent the state from injecting him with the Covid-19 vaccine she feared could kill him. The ruling was made after an American professor of paediatrics said the son was more likely to suffer heart complications – such as myocarditis – if given the mRNA vaccine.
• Practice admits breach of duty over vaccine death. In a separate case, a medical practice has accepted that a 26-year-old man who died within two weeks of taking AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine was not told the correct risk. While admitting a breach of duty, the practice does not accept liability for the man’s death. His family are taking legal action against the doctors’ practice, claiming that the decision to vaccinate that day destroyed their lives.

Antisemitism

• Antisemitic and overtly anti-Israel acts continue to proliferate within UK society and across the world. Here are just a few of the most recent instances:
• United Kingdom
     • A newly-elected MP who won his seat on a pro-Palestinian ticket, once told a Gaza rally that there was “no difference” between the Israeli government and the terror group Isis.
     • Bournemouth should ‘de-twin’ from an Israeli city in a bid to protect its ‘reputation’ amid the ongoing war in Gaza, a Green Party councillor has said.
     • Various reports suggest a rise of antisemitism in the arts.
     • Anti-Israel protesters - an off-shoot of Just Stop Oil - blocked traffic in central London, bragging they had left '50 police officers trailing behind'.
• Rest of World
     • The 21-year old leader of an Eastern European neo-Nazi group has been charged in a plot to have a follower dress up as Santa Claus and hand out poisoned candy to Jewish kids in New York City.
     • An Israeli superhero with a Hebrew name and visibly Jewish symbols, who was meant to feature prominently in the upcoming Captain America movie, has been rewritten as a Russian following backlash from anti-Israel activists.
     • A Jewish couple, returning from an ice cream shop, was attacked by a mob of anti-Israel protesters in Berlin after they noticed a Star of David necklace.
     • Meanwhile, the philanthropist and billionaire Mortimer Zuckerman has cut off millions of dollars in funding to Columbia University, USA, citing the school’s failure to address rising anti-Semitism.

Archaeology

• 3,200-year-old biblical city uncovered in the Promised Land. The Israeli Antiquities Authority recently shared their findings from the biblical city of Zanoah, mentioned in the Old Testament, revealing stone walls, pottery and other artifacts that date back more than 3,200 years – to around 1,406 BC. The team also uncovered a broken jar handle that featured the name of a king described in the Bible, providing more evidence to the biblical story of Moses. Preserved pottery was also pulled from the ground, with one featuring a stamp on the handle that read 'of the King,' which was to honour King Hezekiah's reign in Judah in 701 BC (see Nehemiah 3:13). Read also.