Transcript

Wesley Biblical Seminary trains pastors to lead churches in the future

>> Dr. Jessica Peck: At Wesley Biblical Seminary, we believe God is raising up a movement across our nation and around the world who hold fast to the inerrancy of scripture and the hope of, holiness. We do this through bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, certificate programs, and even training for lay people. So whatever your next step is in being equipped for ministry, we're here for you. And if you believe these are the kind of pastors we need leading churches in the future, we invite you to think about giving to Wesley Biblical Seminary. Learn more about us at WBS Edu.

Today's Issues offers a Christian response to the issues of the day

>> Fred Jackson: Welcome to Today's Issues. Join us for the next hour as we offer a Christian response to the issues of the day. Here's your host, Ed Vitagliano.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And welcome, everybody, to Today's Issues. Ed Vitagliano sitting in for Tim Wildmon this week. I am joined in studio by Fred Jackson. Good morning, Fred.

>> Fred Jackson: Good, morning, Mr. Ed.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Tony Vitagliano.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: Good morning.

>> Ed Vitagliano: We are trying to deepen our bench. Tony does a great job when he comes on, but we do need some, some folks to go into the infield, you know, when there's nobody else.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: I was always in the outfield or on the bench, one of the two, so.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, anyway, you're, you're on the team today, so, yeah, great to have you here. And then Chris Woodward's our news guy today.

>> Chris Woodward: Yes, I do not have an athletic bone in my body, but I'm happy that you would have me on this team.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, hey, listen, I can't speak. Fred's actually, was an athlete in high school and college, weren't you? Did you play college hockey?

>> Fred Jackson: Played college in the Boston area.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, that's right. So he's a sure enough, athlete. I was good enough for intramural. I don't know why we're talking about actual athletics.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: Didn't take long.

>> Chris Woodward: I bought a 285 once on Nintendo.

>> Ed Vitagliano: On Nintendo, yeah. Good, good.

American Family Radio is partnering with Revival Fires International to give away Bibles

folks, it is national truth for Youth Bible Week. I'm going start off with this just to let you know what we're doing. You've probably heard it, if you've been listening to AFR this week, this is. I'm just going to say this is one of my favorite times of the year, because I really believe in this ministry. And what kind of ministry is that? Well, Revival Fires International. and Tim Todd, Evangelist Tim Todd. You've heard him on American Family Radio many, many times. 25 years ago or so. Thought of an idea to get the word of God into the Hands of teenagers at high school, I guess junior high and high school. And so AFR and Revival Fires International, we are partnering together this week to provide the only hope for teens as they return to school. We want to give away and are asking you, our listeners, to help us give away thousands of free Bibles to young people across America. Now, the way this works is that Revival Fires International is giving one free Truth for Youth Bible to every student between the ages of 13 and 18 who promises to pass it along to a friend this school year. Now, the truth view, the Bible consists of the entire New Testament. And here's kind of the, the thing that makes it interesting to young people. The front of it is 100 pages or so of full color comics that present the gospel and moral truths and answer questions about critical issues that young people are facing. And this, ministry has given away over 1 million truth for youth Bibles in the past 25 years. So, and by the way, thousands of young people have received more than 30,000 over the last 24 years. So our goal this week, this partnership between AFR and Revival Fires International, is to give out 65,000 Bibles into the hands of teens. How do you do that? How do you help, us meet that goal? Well, here's what we're asking you to do. These Bibles are free, by the way. They're already paid for. Tim Todd, the evangelist I mentioned earlier, and Revival Fires Ministry, they raise the funds for these Bibles all year round. We just want people who will give them away. And that's where you come in. So call if you want to order a Bible for every teenager in your house or if you're a grandparent for your grandkids, if they are between the ages of 13 and 18. If they will promise to give this Bible away, we'll send them to you free. Okay? One per kid. Call, this number, 800-733-4737. That's 800-733-4737. Now that does not, you won't ring here at afr. You will ring at, Revival Fires International. They'll be taking your calls. But this is the number 800-733-4737. You can visit TFY.org that stands for Truth for Youth, TFY.org but. And if you call, it is between 8:30am M and 4:00pm Central Time. Now if you call that number and you want to buy a box of Bibles, you can, I think they're $2 a piece for a box of 50 of these wonderful Bibles. it's a hundred dollars. So I'm not sure about, shipping and handling. I, I'm not sure how that works. But you, when you talk to people, when you call, they will be able to give you that information. And then you can give that to a youth pastor or members, young people in your church. and. Or you can hand them out. You can hand them out at the mall or, I don't know where young people hang out. but you can find them and give them a copy of this New Testament with the comics in front. They are just excellent. So here's the number to call. 800-733-4737.

American Family Association has partnered with Revival Fires International for 25 years

Fred, just one last thing, and then we'll move on to the news of the day. but I just. If you're a Christian and you love God's word, I'm not sure how you could be a Christian or not. But if you're a Christian, you love God's word. You understand the power in it. This is a critical ministry. This is legal. A teenager can hand a New Testament to a friend at school, just like they can hand, or used to hand out CDs, but hand a book or anything that's right to a classmate. this is a powerful ministry. The word of God does not return void.

>> Fred Jackson: An absolutely incredible outreach ministry. And, as you know, American Family Association, American Family Radio, very proud to team up with Revival Fires International. 25 years. I think, we were given the figure yesterday. About 1.3 million Bibles have been handed out over that 25 years because of this partnership. AFR we do know for sure, that at least 30,000 kids have been saved through this, probably more. The 30,000 figure comes from a kind of declaration inside the Bible that you mail in, that you mail in. I expect it's far more than that. You know, only God knows for sure, just how much these Bibles are being used. And as you say, it's great for kids, especially today, and this has been going on for 25 years. But kids gravitate to pictures, right? Just the way it is. They gravitate to pictures. So you can open up a conversation. You know, you're. You're a young person going to middle school or high school. You can open up a conversation. Hey, you see this here? Have a look at it. What's it all about? You start answering questions. It makes it easy, for that individual. Also, it is great. It's a great way for parents to introduce their, their kids to the idea of reaching out.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.

>> Fred Jackson: It makes it easy rather than an, you know, abrupt conversation with somebody. Hey, I've got this Bible. Do you want to have a look at it?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Got cool comics, and they got cool comics.

>> Fred Jackson: So, it's a win, win all the way around. So 8007-3347-3780-0733-4737. Our goal this time around is 65,000 Bibles.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, Tony, you, have five kids, so I have five grandkids. kids really do gravitate towards cartoons. They gravitate towards color. These. A lot of these comics are in color. And then for kids who are in junior, high and high school, they're already dealing with the issues that these comics deal with, serious issues. But, it seems to me it's just kind of a genius idea to combine the serious issues with things that kids already like.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: Yeah, I think it is a reflection. Doing something like this is a reflection, of what Jesus did during his ministry here on Earth. I mean, he knew the audience that he was speaking to would understand, what he was trying to tell them more if he spoke in parables about things and issues that they could relate to. So the Truth for Youth Bible does just that. It speaks to what kids are going through and in the moment, and in the years to come. And it speaks the truth through the word of God into their lives. And I love hearing some of the testimonies, that are shared with us as to how these Bibles impact the lives of young people. And sometimes it's not for years. Right. But, hearing about that seed that's planted and the fruit that it bears, is very, very encouraging. I mean, yeah, I have five kids. The. If you ask me what I want for them more than anything, it's for them to come to a saving knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Amen.

American Family Radio is giving away free Bibles to teens this week

Well, and, I'll stop here with this, but, Tim Todd, who was here with us yesterday, in, our devotions, and he was on the air live here in the studio, but he tells every year this story. I hope people don't ever get tired of it. I never get tired of it because it's just an amazing story somebody gave a young man. This is 25 years ago, I think he said, one of these Bibles, and this young man got saved and felt a calling into the ministry and is now Tim Todd's pastor. Yeah, I know Tim Todd is an evangelist, so the pastor of his church is this young man.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Who was saved. So as Tony said, folks, you never know, how those planted seeds are going to come to fruition. And this is a great opportunity for you to get the, into the hands of young people, one of these Bibles. So 800-733-4737, you call that number, it rings in directly to Revival Fires International offices. Call between 8:30am and 4:00pm Central Time. And what you'll do is simply say, I have one teenager in my house. anyone between 13 and 18. I have two, I have three. I have two grandsons, I have two grandkids. I want two free Bibles. And they'll send them to you. You give them to the teens, they promise to give them to someone who needs Jesus. You can go to tfy.org that stands for truth for youth. TFY.org if, you want to order online anytime, that's not just between 8:30 and 4:00pm but to call 800-733-4737. All right, well, folks, thank you for your patience as we talk about that. You'll be hearing about it all week on American Family Radio.

Frank Turek presents evidence that Christianity is indeed true on Today's Issues

So now we want to welcome to the program, no stranger to the importance of the word of God, Dr. Frank Turek, host of I Don't have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, heard Saturdays at 9am Central Time and again Sunday at 4pm Central Time on American Family Radio. Frank, welcome back to Today's Issues.

>> Frank Turek: Gentlemen. How are things?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, things going wonderful. you do, we do have an issue to talk to you about. but you go to college campuses. College, University campuses. I don't know how many times a year you're, on the road. But just speak for a moment about the importance of God's word in opening, cracking open hardened hearts and, or at least preparing those hearts to receive the gospel. I mean, this, what you do is kind of preparatory for a lot of people, talk about that for a second.

>> Chris Woodward: Right.

>> Frank Turek: It's kind of pre evangelism, Ed. You know, before people are going to consider your worldview, sometimes they have to doubt their worldview first, and then they have to see evidence that your worldview is true. So we go to college campuses and we present evidence that Christianity is indeed true. The Bible's true. We start with truth. Does truth exist? You know, people will say, there's no truth. And I'll ask them, is that true? Of course there's truth. Then we move on to God. Does God exist? We give several arguments for the existence of God, one of them from the beginning of the universe. and Then we move on to miracles. Are miracles possible? Turns out the greatest miracle in the Bible is Genesis 1:1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. If that verse is true, every other verse is possible. And even atheists are admitting the evidence for the first verse. Of course, they don't think God created the universe, but they admit there was a creation. And so we point out the best explanation for that is God. So if Genesis 1:1 is true, is a resurrection possible? And then we look at the evidence for the resurrection include, yeah, Jesus really did rise from the dead. And if Jesus rose from the dead, then it's pretty easy to show the Bible's the Word of God, because Jesus is God if he's risen from the dead and whatever God teaches is true. He taught the entire Old Testament was the word of God, and he promised the New Testament. And so you can show that Christianity is the right correct worldview. And from that point on, then we take questions and we see what people have to say about it. And quite frequently they object. Not on evidentiary grounds, they object on moral grounds. They don't want it to be true.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Frank Turek: because that might interfere with how they want to live. That's why I always ask them, if Christianity were true, would you become a Christian? And many times they answer no.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, that, that, I've used that many times and have given you credit for it. That is just kind of a genius way of revealing where someone, is in terms of whether they're rejecting, of the gospel is in their head or in their heart. ah, we're going to get Chris Woodward in, in here in just a second to introduce our issue. But, the issue we have with you, Frank. But, but go ahead and give your website out for folks who want to find out where you're going to be, what's available at your website. Why, don't you give that out?

>> Frank Turek: Cross examine.org, cross examine with a D on the end of it.org and, during the school year. We're at college campuses right now. there are no colleges in session, but there'll be several. We'll go to this, this fall. In fact, one of them will probably be with Charlie Kirk at, Berkeley. Can't wait to go to Berkeley.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, my.

>> Frank Turek: Charlie, that's going to be fun. We're going to have to bring an army with us.

>> Chris Woodward: I'm happy to go if you need me to be there for coverage.

>> Ed Vitagliano: For coverage.

>> Chris Woodward: I volunteer humbly.

>> Fred Jackson: Uh-huh.

>> Ed Vitagliano: All right. Chris, why don't you introduce our issue to, Frank, get his comments on insights on it.

New York City is having a mayoral election later this year

>> Chris Woodward: All right, so, as many people are aware, new, York City is having a mayoral election later this year. And one of those candidates, this is Zoran Mamdani, a man some people refer to as a socialist, other people call a communist, and his views on we're gonna pay for all kinds of stuff by taxing the rich, continue to make headlines. Hardly an hour goes by without Fox News doing two stories on Zoran Mamdani. One person that does like him is Senator Elizabeth Warren. I've got about a 30 second bite here of her, glowing endorsement of Mamdani. Clip 7.

>> Frank Turek: When someone stands up and says, I will lead this city by making it more affordable. And here are my plans, real plans. Plans to deliver on childcare, plans to deliver on housing. That is the Democratic message. Is this what the party should look like? The Democratic Party moving forward?

>> Ed Vitagliano: You bet.

>> Frank Turek: The Democratic Party needs to stand up and be clear.

>> Ed Vitagliano: We are the party that fights for.

>> Frank Turek: A force, ability for working families.

>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, Frank, what's wrong with. What's wrong with what Mom, Donnie wants to do? And Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator. Okay. From. From Massachusetts, which, you could argue. You could argue is the, the cradle of liberty for the United States. I mean, Virginia. Virginians might have an argument with there, but we're talking about an important state. She's saying the Democratic Party should follow Mom, Donnie, you got a problem with that?

>> Frank Turek: Well, she's from Taxachus. It's not Massachusetts. That's number one. Yeah, I actually don't have a problem with the problem she's bringing up. I think it's true that it's affordability is a problem in many American cities. The question is, what's the solution? That's the question. And, people think that the government getting more involved is going to bring about a solution. I have questions for people that say that, like, for example, Mandani wants, government run grocery stores. Have you seen the government run grocery store in Kansas City? There's one out there. The shelves are bare. They have to close the thing. Why? Because there's no incentive. This is the thing that socialists don't seem to understand. They don't understand that people need to be incentivized to work. People need to be incentivized to improve their lives. Adam Smith knew this back in 1776. He talked about the invisible hand. And he didn't say it's by the benevolence of the butcher. The baker or the brewer that, they do what they do, it's out of their self interest, which is a good thing. They want to feed their own families. In order for them to feed their own families, they have to be incentivized or that's their incentive to provide a good service. Or good. You're not going to do that if the government's just going to give handouts all over the place. In fact, I like to ask socialists or I like to ask anybody, when was the last time you washed a rental car? Have you guys ever washed a rental car? No, No, I would never.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I don't even wash my own car.

>> Chris Woodward: He gets Tony to do it.

>> Frank Turek: Right. But you're more apt to take care of your own car because it's yours. You're not going to wash your rental car. You're not going to check the oil in a rental car. You're not going to inflate the tires and you're, you're not going to wax a rental. You're not going to do any of that because it's not yours. And why does socialistic and communist countries often build walls to keep people in, but a capitalist country like the United States have to build walls to keep people out? Why is that? Because socialism doesn't. It not only doesn't provide, basic goods, it doesn't even provide food. People are not incentivized through socialism. And I'm defining socialism here in the classic sense that the government owns everything that's government property. Why is private housing better kept than public housing? Because if you own it, you're going to take care of it more. And this is what people don't understand. I think people like Elizabeth Warren have this misplaced idea that human beings are inherently good, they don't need to be incentivized and that the government can give away free stuff and there's not going to be any negative incentive. First of all, there is no free stuff. Somebody's paying for it. And secondly, when you're making people dependent on a government, you're not helping them, they're not rising to the, to the level of their potential. They're becoming lazy. And quite frequently, not to say there aren't people on government assistance that have to be on it. I'm talking about people that are able bodied. Right? That's what I'm talking about. And this is not the way forward to have the government take over. If you want to have more affordability, you got to get the government out of it as much as Possible, Frank.

Fred Rothenberg: Senator Warren praises socialist Mamdani

>> Fred Jackson: Fred here, Senator, Warren, in her praise of Mamdani, she says he has a plan. He has a plan. But you know, the detail. The devil's in the details, as they say. I had the opportunity back several years ago to go with Transworld Radio. Spent a week in Cuba. Yeah. They have a plan there. Everybody lives in cinder block houses.

>> Frank Turek: That's right.

>> Fred Jackson: You know, they take their little bicycles to go to work at the hospital, which looks like it should have been torn down years ago. That's the side of socialism. What I get worried about, Frank, is we played a montage, I think it was yesterday, of young people being asked about Mandani. And they just think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread that socialism is going to be. They're not being told the other side of the story.

>> Frank Turek: The problem is, Fred, there would be no sliced bread if he took over.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Frank Turek: Because there would be no bread in the grocery store if the government ran it. I mean, I love what Thomas Sowell said. He said socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or invade it. And I mean. Yeah. Why are there no caravans going from the United States to Venezuela?

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Frank Turek: Why are they all coming from Venezuela here?

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. Frank, just one more point. I come from Canada, so I'm kind of familiar with socialism. Hey, hey, hey. Here's what the government does though, to avoid the problem we saw in Kansas City. They take over everything. They nationalize things. They create marketing boards. They control how many chickens you can have in your backyard or how many pigs you can, That's what happens when they see those pictures of one government run grocery store. Here's their solution. They take over all the grocery stores.

>> Frank Turek: That's right.

>> Fred Jackson: It's scary.

>> Frank Turek: And Fred, I know this is going to sound crazy for a second, but it's true. It's been said before. There is nobody at Apple that knows how to build an iPhone. Why? Because it takes a whole group of people, each having individualized knowledge order to do so. Just like there's nobody in the world that knows how to build a pencil from scratch.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Frank Turek: There's nobody that knows why. Because you. There's no one that has all that knowledge. It takes an entire, free market to do so. And nobody has the knowledge from a top down perspective to do this. And that's what socialism tries to do. It tries to, put all the power in some. One person's hand can. Who doesn't have the capacity or knowledge to do it.

>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, Frank, thank you for your insights on this. I think we're going to be hearing the name Mamdani for a while yet. And, Frank, what you got coming up? Got about 15 seconds.

>> Frank Turek: No, well, we're gonna, this weekend we're gonna have Alan Parr on talking about how you can show the resurrection with. So you're going to want to check into that here in the American Family radio network.

>> Ed Vitagliano: This June 24th marks three years since Roe versus Wade was overturned. But here's what you may not know. Abortion numbers have surged to a 10 year high. The battleground has shifted from the courtroom to our homes. Today, over 60% of abortions happen through the abortion pill. Taken in silence, often alone. PreBorn Network clinics are standing in the gap, meeting women in their most desperate hour. And here's what they're Young mothers, terrified and misled, are delivering their babies, tiny, perfectly formed, onto bathroom floors. These precious babies, once called just tissue, now lie lifeless. 11% of these women who take the abortion pill will suffer seriously health complications. Countless others carry emotional scars for a lifetime. When you give to preborn, you're not just saving a baby, you're saving a mother too. You're giving her hope, financial support and the truth. Preborn has already rescued over 350,000 babies. But there are so many more who need our help. Your tax deductible gift makes this mission possible. To donate now, dial pound 250 and say the keyword baby. That's pound 250, baby. Or go to preborn.com afr that's preborn.com afr.

>> Fred Jackson: This is today's issues. Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts of today's Issues are available for listening and and viewing in the [email protected] now back to more of Today's Issues.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly preparing to take over Gaza

>> Ed Vitagliano: And welcome back to Today's Issues. Ed Vitagliano sitting in for Tim Wildmon. This week I'm joined in studio by Fred Jackson, Tony Vitagliano and Chris Woodward, who hardly got a word in edgewise during the last segment. Yes, yes, good, thank you. all right, Chris, what's your, what's your next story?

>> Chris Woodward: Well, I will get to Texas here, Lord willing, this week, next 25 minutes. But I do want to in the meantime, direct Everybody's attention to afn.net. i've already shared this on our Today's Issues Facebook page. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in talks with members of his security cabinet, because Netanyahu appears ready to order a complete takeover of Gaza. Israel has had enough with Hamas. They've had enough with Hamas how? They're slowballing the release of hostages, many of which are still said to be alive. so it appears that Israel is ready to move in and bring an end to this war, which Hamas started when it attacked Israel. We all know that backstory. so I just want to bring that in because, it's something definitely we need to be in prayer about. And, we're going to hear a lot from lawmakers in the coming days over this, for sure.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, let's sit on this story here for just a second and talk about it, Tony. we'll get you in here, too.

Chris Bell: There are still hostages that Israel is trying to get released

So, now, Chris, you said there are still hostages.

>> Chris Woodward: Yes.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That Israel is trying to get released. what seems to be the holdup here? And then, Tony, I'll pitch this story to you. Well, your take on.

>> Chris Woodward: On this, there have been reports now even the US Walked away from talks, because the US Last week or the very end of the week before had walked away from the talk saying Hamas didn't appear to be, really, sincere about wanting to release hostages and bring an end to this conflict, which, again, Hamas started. That's something that the media has often left out of their, news coverage of this, that Hamas started all of this back when they attacked Israel a couple of years ago in October. so it appears that Hamas does not want to agree to various things in exchange for those hostages. Now, where I get the information this morning, that there are still hostages alive is, that Fox's tree. Yings did a segment this morning about, Hamas in this situation. Hamas terrorists in recent days, they sunk to a new low because they released photos of emaciated Israeli hostages. We have a picture of one of those hostages on our, afn.net, i'll share that link in our Facebook page as well. Trey Yings came on and shared a story about how he had, done an interview with a relative of one of these, hostages. And at the end of the segment here, you'll hear Trey mention the number of hostages that are still believed to be alive. This is clip 11.

>> Dr. Jessica Peck: We spoke with Eviatar, David's brother here in Tel Aviv, and we asked him what this experience has been like for him, waiting nearly 700 days for his brother to come home. And he told me he couldn't bring himself to watch that hostage video that Hamas released showing his brother dead, digging his own grave. In the tunnels beneath Gaza, looking into the camera, looking so frail, like he was about to collapse because Hamas has kept food and medicine from him. And while Hamas tried to put pressure on the negotiation by releasing this video, it actually strengthened the Israeli position to bring the hostages home, to unify this country, and to ensure that people like Eviatar can be reunited with their loved ones. And so we spoke with his brother, and he pleaded with the American administration, with President Trump, and with Israeli officials to find a solution to bring his brother home along with the other 19 living hostages and the bodies of 30 others.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, Tony, you know, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, you know, I get he's a very, very smart man. I'm sure he understood this without my help. But, it appears that Netanyahu and others who think the same way have come to the conclusion that there is no, there is no, way of getting Hamas to come away from m. And back away from their reason for existence, which is to end Israel. And that if they allow the Gaza Strip to come back under Hamas rule, what we have seen over the last couple of years will just be repeated. And I don't know what else they can do but take control of and run the Gaza Strip for one thing, just so the people, the Palestinians who live there get food. What are your thoughts on, On.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: Yes, so I have a, I guess I have more, a more pragmatic approach to, to this decision. So take a. Set aside for a second. Israel and Hamas and Palestine's, previous history, the pragmatic approach is one side attacked another. Hamas launched a, brutal attack on a sovereign nation. And to me, as far as foreign policy goes, that sovereign nation has the right to respond in any capacity that they so choose. And in defeating an enemy, this is just. Again, all throughout history, there are innumerable examples of this. in defeating the enemy who attacked you, you reserve the right to do whatever you wish to with the, the land that you have taken from them. And from Netanyahu and Israel's perspective, we have defeated you, attacked us, we've defeated you. Now we are here to stay. Now bring in the history. Like you said, you mentioned Hamas. Hamas has shown time and time again that they have no, no real concern for the people who live there, the innocent people who live there. And they wouldn't all of a sudden grow a conscience and say, okay, well, we need to do what's right for the people of Palestine. They haven't had that concern for, you know, Decades at this point. We're coming up on it. So, bring in all of that history. And I think you have the only decision, that could be made going forward is for Israel to go in and if this is true, the reports are true, to permanently occupy Gaza to maintain peace, not just in that area, but for their nation as well. I mean, not without precedent in US foreign policy either. There are a lot of people who are being critical of, of Israel's decision to occupy and move in and stay there, who were very supportive of foreign policy moves that the US did under similar circumstances. You know, and we, Iraq, Iraq, Afghanistan, we stayed there for quite some time.

>> Ed Vitagliano: 20 years.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: So those places.

Fred Rothenberg: Israel has to decide between Hamas and Israel

Well, and then you could also talk about the aftermath of World War II in both Japan.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Which fell under the control of the U.S. douglas MacArthur for a while. And then, the rebuilding of Europe, with the Marshall Plan, the denazification of Germany. Right. Or at least, you know, in, in the west where, there was Western control. so yeah, Fred, this, this is, this is a, a, a difficult decision, I'm sure for Israel to make because they're going to get hammered. you know, they're, look, there, there are Palestinians, there are Muslims, obviously the majority in Gaza. There are also Palestinian Christians living in the Middle East. I'm not sure how many actually live in the Gaza Strip, but there are some. And the aftermath, the fallout, if you will, of what Hamas instigated in attacking Israel, as Tony said, in brutal fashion that those consequences are falling on the people there. And the only way they're going to come out alive is if Israel takes control. Because Hamas does not care about what happens. In fact, the worse it is on the Palestinians, their hope is, the more the pressure will build internationally against Israel.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: So I don't know what other choice Israel has here. What are your thoughts?

>> Fred Jackson: In order for a war to end, there has to be a winner.

>> Fred Jackson: that's all there is to it. you know, I understand the pressure that's on Netanyahu right now. there are people, There were demonstrations in Israel over the weekend. You know, settle this thing, because they want to bring the 20 remaining hostages that are alive home and the bodies of those who have died already. The total is about 50. we are told on that. You know, what disturbs me is that Hamas is the enemy here. All right, let's be very clear. Hamas is the enemy.

>> Ed Vitagliano: They're the bad guys.

>> Fred Jackson: They are brutal, they are wicked, they are Wicked. The reason the talks broke down, Chris made mention of this back about 10 days ago, is that Hamas says in order for us to let the hostages go in this thing to end, Israel has to get out of Gaza completely and we have to go back to being the boss here. Netanyahu says, no, that, that's not even a starter here. We're, not going to let you. What you did to us in October 2023. Do you think we're going to allow this again?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: The one good thing, I think Israel has learned its lesson. Back in 2007, they gave that land, Right. They gave that land to the, basically the Muslim terrorists and they took all the Israeli settlers out and they gave it away in hopes of peace. Again, I hope they've learned their lesson. the other side is not interested in living side by side. You know, we hear these Neville Chamberlain minds out there. France, Canada, you know, a two state, solution is all there is. No, because the other side, Michele Bachmann, who used to be a member of Congress from Minnesota, she went there and she looked at the school books of how they're teaching their kids in the west bank to hate Israel. That, you know, Jews are depicted as monkeys. You know, it's just, they hate Israel. This, this is satanic. Well, at the basis of this, this is satanic against God's people.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, and let me just say this too. The, the seeming inability of leaders in the west, to understand what they're up against. You mentioned Neville Chamberlain. Okay. To understand what they're up against. This is an ideology. We, probably have all by now seen the picture of this young man who's a hostage who looks like he was pulled out of a concentration camp.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Ed Vitagliano: After World War II. Yes and yes, exactly. That's the point. We are not dealing with a peaceful religion. I will, I'll just simply say maybe Islam is a peaceful religion. I don't believe it is. But let's say that there are many peace loving Muslims. But the ideology that has infected Hamas is, is like the ideology that infected the Nazis.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Or the Communists in the Russian Revolution. The, the ideologies aren't the same, but the infection is the same. And the inability of leaders in the west to understand what they're up against is made clear by countries in Europe, for example, or even in our country. and not understanding what it means for a city like London to be taken over by Muslims. It starts off with, quote, unquote, we're just here to build our lives and Then you wind up with no go zones.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And then you, you wind up with, with imams in Texas declaring that we're going to take over the United States. It's astonishing that leaders in the west do not seem to understand what we're up against. It seems that Benjamin Netanyahu does understand that now.

>> Fred Jackson: He's lived it.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

Randy Fine says he is fed up with anti Semitism around the world

>> Chris Woodward: to go with this conversation, here I have some audio of Representative Randy Fine. He is a Jewish member of Congress and he was on Washington Watch yesterday afternoon. Randy Fine, again, a Jewish member of Congress, is fed up with the anti Semitism he sees not only in the US but around the world.

>> Fred Jackson: Clip 10 when the world said never again, it lied, because never again is going on right now. And the level of antisemitism that you see online, on social media, that you see on our college campuses, that you see in our streets, Jews being attacked, their homes being graffitied, it is reminiscent, it is exactly what happened in the 1930s in Germany. And I've got news for people. If your life isn't going the way that you wish, it isn't because the Jews did it to you. but people hate Jews because frankly, no group's been treated worse in history yet. We always figure out how to come back and be and be prosperous. And I think you got a lot of people are just miserable and want someone else to blame.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Who was that?

>> Chris Woodward: Representative Randy Fine.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Is he a Democrat?

>> Chris Woodward: He is a Republican from Florida.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Thank you. M. Well, listen, this, and folks, I just want to say, I know we have listeners who are rightly concerned about what's happening to Palestinian Christians and Christians throughout the Middle East. They, they kind of get forgotten. Yeah. In, in the clash between radical Islam. I will make that concession. in our discussion between radical Islam and Israel and any pro Western sentiments that are allowed to exist in the Middle East. so these Palestinian Christians do fall. They're. They're right in the middle and oftentimes get crushed. And good grief, what, what happened in Iraq in terms of, the Christians who were a very healthy percentage of the population in that country for, for generation after generation, maybe hundreds of years, basically pushed out by force, with, by more radical versions, isis, so on and so forth. I get that. I understand that. And Christians should be praying for their brothers and sisters and they should be asking our political leaders to do something to help them in that part of the world. And I also understand that Israel doesn't do everything right either. Right. so, all those two things being said, this is A worldwide movement of a, at least a strain of Islam. My personal belief is Islam itself is as an ideology and a religion is always going to gravitate towards what we now are calling radical Islam. But again, I will make that concession just for the sake of discussion. This is a worldwide movement of radical Islam and everywhere it goes it seeks to eventually dominate and subjugate any other religion or ideology that is opposed to it. And the fact that we're seeing what we're seeing on college campuses as this Representative Fine. You said in Florida, what we're seeing in college campuses and amongst young people, this is going to take over the Democratic Party. I do not have a good feeling for the, for the traditional Democrats in the Democratic Party, the classical liberals who are supportive of Jewish people. I don't have a good feeling about where your party's going. I just, I just think it's going to increasingly that someone about to want.

>> Chris Woodward: To say, oh no, I was just going to say Donald Trump has said many times, I don't know why there are Jewish people that vote Democrat and then somehow the media makes that into like an anti Semitic, he hates Jewish Democrats moments. But based like even if you're a secular Jew, the Democratic Party could not care less about Israel. I don't know why people still vote for them.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, and increasingly the young people who are Democrats, yes. Are opposed to Israel. And I just think here in the next few years the Democratic Party is going to make full on statements in support of a, well a, they'll say a two state solution and Palestinian this and Palestinian that. But it's going to wind up being anti Israel in its consequence.

>> Chris Woodward: And that shows you how far the Democratic Party has gone in recent decades. And I said it before on the show, I'll say it again, the reason Israel as we know it exists today, obviously God. But a Democrat president named Harry Truman, if you go back and read the things he said about Israel back in the day, it was very pro Jew, it was pro Israel and it was from a Democrat. And it goes to show you how far that party has gone where this is an issue with like sports. Seventy years ago it was, you know, they were fighting for women and making sure women had Title ix and now they don't care about women and they want a dude to compete against women in women's sports that they created. And the same party that was pro Israel back in the 1940s wants Israel abolished and the so called Palestinians to have their own country.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I firmly believe, and I think Historically, this can be backed up. If it wasn't for Harry Truman, who recognized the newly created nation of Israel in 1948, I don't know what would have happened. Yeah, but that was a Democrat. So this is. For me, this is not a partisan issue, in terms of what we used to know between Republicans and Democrats. But it is becoming a partizan issue, today in terms of what the Democratic Party is becoming. So.

Scott Bennett: I believe Mandani will win in New York in November

>> Fred Jackson: Got a question?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Sure.

>> Fred Jackson: Predictions I need. the election in New York is November. I believe Mandani is going to win.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, I don't. I think he will. who else? I think. I think he will simply because I don't know how informed the average voter is in New York City. I think they're going to look for D after the candidate and they're going to vote for him.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: I agree. Yeah. I think there's still. We're all. We all keep up with the news day in and day out, and the slightest change. American, family news is. Is on it, reporting on it. The average, American across the country is not doing that. So. And that applies to. That applies to New York City, who has consistently voted for Democrats, for. For decades. You know, he had Rudy Giuliani. Rudy Giuliani might have been a misnomer there, but, although. Was he Republican?

>> Chris Woodward: He was.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: All right, so a misnomer.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: In the history of New York City, the recent history. So, yeah, I think they're just going to mark D. And, they're going to. They're going to be in for some pain over the next.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, and let me just say this, and then we'll get Chris's vote and come back to you, Fred. I also think there are a lot of people in the Democratic Party who, when they hear the word socialist, they simply think of spreading the wealth around, quote, unquote. I don't think they are thinking in terms of ideology or political systems. I think they are easily fooled into thinking we're just talking about taxing the rich. And in reality, they are voting their way into a, ideologically driven political system. as the old saying goes. I looked this up, by the way, and there is no actual person who can be credited with this. but you can vote your way into socialism, but you have to fight your way out something of that nature. All right, Chris, what's your vote? And then, Fred, you had something to add?

>> Chris Woodward: Yeah, I do think he's going to win, because people there are struggling, to pay for things now. The government is part of the problem, if not the reason why people can't afford to pay for things. so government is not going to be the solution to the problem. Government is the problem. It's the reason why you can't afford to. To buy, buy two packs of ramen now with a bodega. you got to cut back on all these other things. So I do think he's going to win because historically it is a Democrat city.

>> Fred Jackson: All right, Fred, you, you know, and I think too, he will be treated, he's already being treated by the mainstream media as a star. And so you will not get the stories out of the legacy media about the failures of his program. all you'll hear is the success. I'm seeing this now with the Texas story. The Texas story. If you go to the Associated Press and others, they're cheerleading the Democrats that left Texas to go up to Illinois and New York to avoid voting on things. They are the stars. I can't, express strongly enough the dramatic change in the media in this country in the last, I'd say 10 to 15 years. it is, they are now political activists for the left.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: I would say the mainstream media wants socialism in New York and they're going to use this as an example. Like I say, they will spin all the stories in a positive way as he takes over that city. He will take over that city and his agenda and they will love it. The rich people probably will move to Florida. Yeah, they'll get out. They'll get out. And we've seen this movement now of companies moving to Nashville, Tennessee from California. That'll happen. But the solution for socialists is okay, eventually they have to say you have to accept less. You have to live in the smaller house. You have to accept our grocery stores, you have to accept the jobs that we're going to give you. Because, you know, socialists, they sell it with their palm up and then comes the fist.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: Yeah, well, it'll be temporary pain. So it'll use similar language to what Trump, has been using and people on his staff like, Scott Besant, you know, when describing when the tariffs are going into effect and some of the changes they're making, you know, there might be some short term pain, you know, but this is what's best for, the future of the country. However, the dichotomy is, is that it? You know, Trump's policies will be better because it opens up the free market, it gives more opportunities for the individual to succeed. I think Mamdani and whoever his staff Is are going to have to use similar language to sell it. Like, look, there's going to be some short term pain. You know, prices may temporarily increase, but we're going to work to bring those down. you're going to see a lot of that same language, except that the difference will be nothing. Nothing, will improve. It only goes down from when you start implementing those policies.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, well, and listen, you toss the ideology, some people call it a religion of climate change on top of socialist ideas. And you have an, a lockdown on a city that used to be one of the, one of the freest and most favorable, to finances. Wait until they institute something like that. I don't know if they've instituted this, in London, but this, I can't remember the name of it. But you, you have to live in a five mile square block. Curb your emissions, Curb your emissions. And that's good for you. You've got everything you need in there. And if you go outside of that, you got to pay extra taxes. Yeah, you wait till they start tossing that on top of everything else that mum Donnie wants to do. And New York City is financially going to be nuked.

>> Fred Jackson: Yep.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: And yeah, the coffee shop socialism will turn into the food line. Socialism?

Folks, five minute break for news

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Whitney Vitagliano: Where all the, the, the young people get together in the food line to talk about the evils of capitalism.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. Folks, five minute break for news. We'll be right back.

>> Frank Turek: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.