Evangelicals, we must stand up to modern media Goliaths who hate Israel, us, and the truth

VIRGINIA BEACH — Last Friday I arrived back in the U.S. for two months of speaking engagements, media interviews, and meetings with Evangelical leaders and lay people.

Over the past week I’ve been in Washington, D.C., Indianapolis, and here in Virginia Beach explaining to Christians what’s been happening in Israel, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Territories since October 7th.

And what’s been happening just in recent days, what it all means, and why it matters. 

WHY ARE SO MANY CONDEMNING ISRAEL?

One of the most urgent questions I’m answering is this: Why are so many world leaders and voices in the so-called “mainstream” media condemning Israel for last Saturday's successful operation to rescue four hostages?

It’s a very important question – and one that I discussed at length last night on THE ROSENBERG REPORT on TBN – so let me explain.

Immediately after the rescue, Hamas’ “health ministry” in Gaza told international reporters that more than 270 innocent Palestinian civilians had been killed, and more than 700 wounded.

Most of the media quickly ran with the story, parroting Hamas' messaging and accusing Israel of “massacring” Palestinians.

While the Israeli Defense Forces agreed that Palestinians had been killed, IDF spokesmen argued that the vast majority of them were Hamas terrorists who had been holding the four Israelis hostage, as well as those who had been guarding the apartment buildings and neighborhoods in the Nuseirat refugee camps where the hostages had been held, and those terrorists who had engaged IDF forces with heavy machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

The IDF also revealed that Palestinian civilians who had been aiding and abetting the Hamas efforts in Nuseirat and resisting the IDF rescue operation were killed.

This included a Palestinian journalist working with Al Jazeera whose apartment was being used to hide and hold three Israeli hostages. 

WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS ON SATURDAY?

Were some of those killed by the IDF truly innocent Palestinian civilians? 

Yes. 

But whose fault is that? 

That, too, is an important question.

Hamas should never have taken innocent Israeli civilians hostage on October 7th.

Hamas should never have held Israeli civilians captive for eight months.

Hamas should never have held Israeli civilian hostages in private homes, in private neighborhoods, surrounded by Palestinian civilians (including women, children, and babies) that Hamas was purposefully using as human shields.

What's more, when the IDF came to rescue our people, hundreds of Hamas terrorists chose to start a massive firefight in those civilian neighborhoods knowing they were putting everyone at risk.

WORLD LEADERS CONDEMN ISRAEL

Yet the condemnations keep coming.

Let’s pick just two examples that illustrate the insanity. 

Joseph Borrell, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – and one of the most anti-Israel leaders on the planet today – immediately wrote on 𝕏 (the social media channel formerly known as Twitter): “Reports from Gaza of another massacre of civilians are appalling. We condemn this in the strongest terms. This bloodbath must end immediately.” 

Not to be outdone, Francesca Albanese – the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and another one of the most hostile, anti-Israel leaders on the scene today – rushed to 𝕏 to write this screed.

“Israel has used hostages to legitimize killing, injuring, maiming, starving and traumatizing Palestinians in Gaza. And while intensifying violence against Palestinians in the rest of the occupied territory and Israel. Israel could have freed all hostages, alive and intact, 8 months ago when the first ceasefire and hostage exchange was put on the table. Yet, Israel refused in order to continue to destroy Gaza and the Palestinians as a people. This is genocidal intent turned into action. Crystal clear.”

Just to be clear, Ms. Albanese, Israel is not allowed to rescue its own citizens?

And while we are rescuing them, are we not supposed to protect our people from hundreds of terrorists unleashing machine gun fire – and RPG fire – on us? 

And if Israelis do fight back – and large numbers of terrorists die in the process – you’re saying that Israel is guilty of genocide? 

Have you no shame? 

HATERS IN THE MEDIA

Friends, do you see how crazy this is?

Do you see how deranged and despicable such accusations are?

Such condemnations are examples of true Jew hatred. 

Such world leaders cannot bring themselves to blame or judge Hamas.

They hate Israel and the Jewish people so intensely that they cannot help but to blame and excoriate and malign Israel for acting in self-defense or for rescuing truly innocent Jewish civilians.

That’s what makes it all so sickening. 

But there’s more.

So many in the “mainstream media” immediately start parroting such insanity without pause or reflection.

The Israel haters in the media are all too eager to paint Israel – not the terrorists, not the kidnappers – as the bad guys as they try to persuade hundreds of millions of readers and viewers around the world to turn against the Jewish state and the Jewish people. 

Read the print coverage by the Washington Post and the New York Times.

Watch the TV coverage by Al Jazeera, CNN, the BBC and others.

Tell me that I’m wrong.

Last week, a BBC anchor interviewed my friend, Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF spokesman, about the rescue operation. 

Was she happy those four innocent victims were set free?

Not at all.

Rather, she relentlessly criticized the IDF for the way they rescued our four hostages.

Then she asked Jonathan why the IDF didn’t warn Palestinians in the neighborhood ahead of time – before the rescue operation – so that they could get to safety. 

Jonathan handled the ridiculous premise like a pro.

He calmly explained that the IDF needed the element of surprise or the hostages would have been murdered by their Hamas captors.

That’s why the IDF didn’t give anyone advance notice they were coming. 

But as I watched the exchange I found myself astonished, yet again, to find so many media outlets clamoring to blame Israel, blame the Jews, every single chance they get.

Google this exchange.

Watch the entire segment for yourself.

Tell me that I’m wrong. 

If it were a skit on Jimmy Fallon or Saturday Night Live, it might be funny. 

But this BBC anchor was dead serious.

Just like Joseph Borrell and Francisca Albanese, few world leaders or media voices ever talk about Hamas as evil, or even bad, much less describe Hamas as the instigators and initiators of this war and all this trauma. 

Instead, they are fixated on painting Israel and the Jewish people as the evil ones, as the barbarians, as those committing massacres and blood baths.

STANDING UP TO MODERN-DAY MEDIA GIANTS 

This is what we are up against: A world of multi-billion-dollar modern-day media Goliaths who hate God, hate His Word, hate His people, and hate the truth.

But my colleagues here at ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS – and on THE ROSENBERG REPORT on TBN – refuse to be intimidated.

Yes, we’re outmanned, outspent, and outgunned by these media Goliaths.

But so what?

Are we going to be silenced? 

Coerced?

Canceled?

Never. 

We’re going to keep doing what God has called us to do. 

We’re going to keep speaking, reporting, publishing and broadcasting the truth.

Every day. In love. With fairness and respect. But without fear or favor.

And that’s a promise you can count on.