BRINK OF WAR: Hamas Launches 500 Rockets at Israel

This is Jay Sekulow breaking news. On the brink of war Hamas launches hundreds of rockets into Israel and Israel responds. Live from Washington DC, Sekulow Live. Phone lines are open for your questions right now.

Call 1-800-684-3110. The scene here is very familiar across Ashkelon, this city in southern Israel, because the sirens will go off and then you'll hear a lot of interceptions by Israel's missile defense system, the Iron Dome. But the Israeli military tells Fox today it's about 90% effective.

It's not perfect. And now, Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, Jay Sekulow. Hey everybody, welcome to the broadcast. Well, it's now called Operation Guardian of the Walls, the walls, of course, the walls of Jerusalem. 500 rockets were launched at Israel since Monday evening.

I've got my, I haven't had to use this in four years, but my red alert app on my phone is now up. And if there are rockets being launched during the broadcast, you'll hear it go off. I'm going to leave it on for this because you need to know what's going on. An average of rocket fire is one for every three minutes. What's interesting is Hamas is boasting that they launched 137 rockets within five minutes, which means Iron Dome, which is very effective, cannot handle that amount of incoming. They say this was their biggest rocket attack yet, but Hamas is also bragging that they have a lot more, Colonel Smith, I think is important. Explain to our audience what Iron Dome is. Yeah, Iron Dome is a missile interceptor system. It's designed by the Israelis and the United States together. And when a rocket or missile is fired towards your area, they fire missiles that go up and attack, you know, explode the missiles before they can hit. It's a very effective system. Normally it's about 90% effective in bringing down incoming missiles and rockets. And again, as you indicated, what Hamas is trying to do is overwhelm this system by firing hundreds of rockets so that the chances are some of their rockets will get through.

And indeed they are. We've had casualties in Israel. Yeah, there has been too. Well, women are dead because of these rocket explosion. Israel has responded. As I said, it's called Guardian of the Walls and they have hit more than 130 targets in Gaza.

Israel's mobilized 5,000 reserve troops, which is a moderate mobilization right now, but they're in meetings in Jerusalem right now with our friend Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister. Hamas has also used a new rocket in its attack, the ones that reached Jerusalem, called an A120, named for a commander killed by the IDF, the Israeli Defense Force, during the Gaza war of 2014. The A120 is said to have a range of about 120 kilometers, which goes about, what, 40 miles? Wes, has it also reported that that weapon is probably technology from Iran?

Yeah, yeah. They have never been able to successfully develop a rocket with that kind of a range. And we know Iran provides sophisticated guidance systems to Hezbollah's rockets and missiles. And probably more than likely, they are providing additional technology to Hamas to increase the range. And I tell you what, Jay, look for Iran to also start providing them with more sophisticated guidance systems because right now they sort of lob the rockets into Israel.

With a guidance system, they can actually target specific areas. You know, Harry, it's interesting because Iran is an equal opportunity terrorist provider in the sense that they don't distinguish between Sunni and Shia, which is a big divide in the Muslim world. They will fund both the Hamas and Hezbollah.

Absolutely. So Iran is a forward-looking adversary. And certainly there are internal disputes within the Muslim community. But Iran sees its long-term enemy as Israel and the United States.

And so it is prepared to coalesce behind Sunnis in order to achieve its long-term objectives. All right. For our radio audience, we're going to a break. For our audience on TV and social media, we are staying live with you to give you as many updates because this is breaking as we speak, so you'll want to stay with us. We encourage you to share this feed with your friends if you're on any of our social media applications, or that's Facebook, YouTube, Rumble, whatever you might be on, or of course if you're on ACLJ.org. Radio audience, we'll be right back with you and we'll get you up to date on what we talk about during this break. Support the work of the ACLJ at ACLJ.org.

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And we have an exceptional track record of success. But here's the bottom line, we could not do our work without your support. We remain committed to protecting your religious and constitutional freedoms.

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Alright, we've got Rick Grenell joining us again. If you're just coming to the broadcast, Operation Guardian of the Walls is underway in Jerusalem. More than 500 rockets have been launched in Israel since Monday evening. Israel has responded. Hamas both launching 137 rockets within a five-minute period. That, by the way, does impact the effectiveness of Iron Dome, which, as Wes described, is the missile defense system that Israel has.

It's very sophisticated, but when you've got 137 rockets coming in that short of a period of time, it makes it difficult. Rick Grenell is Senior Advisor to the ACLJ, former Acting Director of National Intelligence and Ambassador to Germany. Rick, what's your read on the situation? First of all, let's just remind people that if we had seen rocket attacks or terrorist attacks coming from Mexico or Canada, how would the Americans respond? How would the American government respond? We would be unequivocal.

That wouldn't happen for more than a couple of minutes before we would stop it. So let's put it in perspective on what's happening and make sure that we're supporting Israel. There's a lot of talk about what goes on in the Palestinian territories and who's in control. And this Biden administration has just brought those leaders to the table. We've given them money. We've included them like never before at the UN. And look what they're doing in response.

They're certainly not making it easy for themselves. And let's also remember that they were offered a very good deal under the Abraham Accords by Jared Kushner and his team. And the Palestinian leaders rejected all of that. And so their response after rejecting all sorts of peace deals, economic deals, has been now to resort back to terror. You know, it's interesting here, Rick, because Iran is also at the table, and Wes Smith can address this, Colonel Smith. Hamas used a new rocket.

I said this in the first segment of the broadcast. It's called an A120. It's named for a commander killed by the IDF during the Gaza war of 2014. The A120 is said to have a range of about 120 kilometers, roughly 40 miles. But Wes, the reports are, and we don't have this verified yet, but these came out of Iran.

Right, right. All indications are that that's where they came from, the technology to extend the range of their rockets. Keep in mind, these are very deadly sophisticated rockets, but they're rockets, not missiles. And just like Iran has provided guidance technology for Hezbollah's missiles and rockets, the indications are they're providing technology to Hamas now so they can extend the range, because a 43, 44-mile range on a rocket, Hamas up until now has not been able to pull that off.

Yeah, and now they're getting rick. They're able to attack Jerusalem. In fact, rockets landed less than four miles from our office in Jerusalem yesterday. And David Benjamin, who is our senior counsel there, is also an IDF colonel, as a judge advocate general, a lawyer for the International Law of War. He was on our broadcast, as was Rami Levy, our director general, and they both said that Jerusalem was literally under siege yesterday, and that ups the ante here significantly, politically.

Because when Jerusalem is under siege, certainly the Ayatollah in Iran and the entire Iranian regime celebrate it. Look, we've seen this on the Ayatollah's Twitter feed over the last week. He has been propping up the Palestinian leaders and really articulating the Israel hate right to his followers.

This is something that, if you look at over the last week, he has been egging on. There's no question that they are in support of what's going on, both materially and psychologically. And so we need to know exactly the ties, and the Biden administration needs to understand that they are the ones who brought the Palestinian leaders and the Iranian regime leaders to the table.

If we're going to start having engagement, then we need to benchmark whether or not engagement works. Clearly, when they resort to terrorist attacks like this, the engagement practices from the Biden administration are backfiring. They are not working. The money that we've been giving them, the access and the diplomatic access that we have been giving them via the Europeans, clearly is not working. Jake Sullivan and the National Security Council need to look at all these tangential facts and realize that isolation is what works with this Iranian regime. So, you know, you also have a situation that 30 warning shots were fired by U.S. warships at 13 Iranian attack boats targeting guided missile submarine Georgia and its escort of seven military vessels. So that's in the Straits of Hormuz, Harry.

So you've got a multi—I mean, people need to understand this. We've got a multi-level, multi-jurisdictional conflict brewing right now. We're actually underway in the Middle East.

Absolutely. And it's imperative to keep in mind that Iran, along with the Palestinians, have essentially rejected the Abraham Accords. And Iran continues to expand its aggression through allies in the Middle East. And so I think this move by the U.S. Navy is an important move, but it underscores, I think, the risk in caving to Iran.

By caving to Iran, by providing them with financial resources, we are fueling terror, ultimately. I'm letting you hear right now on our radio audience, you can hear red alerts. That means right now there are missiles being launched or have been launched against Israel. In fact, I will know where it has been in just—that usually takes a minute.

Kefir Eiza, so it's near the Gaza border is where those are coming up. I haven't had to play that, Rick. I used to keep that on our radio broadcasts all the time for decades.

And then in the last four years, I did not have to use it because this wasn't happening. So a change of administrations and a change of policy has direct consequences for the people in Israel. There is no question about it.

And you know, I keep harping on this point, but Jay, it is worth talking about. The Biden administration has been giving money to the Palestinian authority leaders. They have engaged with them.

They brought them in and look what the response is. I don't understand how our leaders in Washington cannot see whether or not the engagement policies work or not. It's just beyond comprehension that they cannot see that it gets worse as you provide money to the Palestinian authority and as you engage with Iran.

This is something that we need to articulate. And the Israelis certainly are feeling the brunt of bad, weak Biden policy. You know, it's interesting because Andrew Yang, who's running for a Democrat and ran for President, ran for mayor of New York City, said, I'm standing with the people of Israel who are coming under bombardment attacks and condemn the Hamas terrorists. The people of New York City will always stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel who face down terrorism and persevere. Ilhan Omar, however, of course, why shocking here, many will tell you Israel has a right to defend itself to safety and security, but are silent on when the Palestinians have those rights too.

Until we defend the rights of Palestinians, just as we do Israelis, we have no leg to stand on when it comes to justice or peace. Can anybody tell me what rocket Israel launched into Gaza before this started? Or was it Hamas launching into Israel? Which it always is. So Hamas used an excuse of an issue in Jerusalem on a neighborhood to start an air bombardment, a missile fire.

Rocket fire, I should say, to be precise. So there is no moral equivalency. Go ahead, Rick. There is no question, and there is no moral equivalency, as you're saying. But also, let's remember, we hear a lot of criticism, certainly from congressional leaders like Ilhan Omar, that the Palestinian authority, the leaders in the Palestinian territories don't have the same equipment as Israel. We constantly hear that. But let me just make one point. The Palestinian authority does have the ability to have a system in place that is just like the dome. And the system is don't fire on Israel, and you won't be fired upon by Israel.

There is no question that you can be secure. You can be assured that no one is going to fire rockets into your territory if you don't start first. Israel is not the aggressor here. And the Palestinian authority leaders need to understand that they have the ability to ensure their people's safety. And it's called don't launch the rockets first.

Wes. As is usual with the Palestinians, Rick, no good deed goes unpunished. The backdrop of this was there was a pending court case about neighborhoods that you mentioned in East Jerusalem and who the land actually belongs to. And it was also Jerusalem Day, a holiday in Israel.

Prime Minister Netanyahu postponed the court proceedings in order to keep peace and rerouted the parade away from the Palestinian neighborhood. And yet that was not good enough. Hamas gives them a one hour deadline to remove all police and troops from the area, a deadline that they knew Israel could not meet.

And then when the deadline passed, they started launching rockets at Jerusalem. Yeah, they're the instigator. There's no doubt about it. Now, look, here's what we're doing. We're going to a break. Now, for those that are watching on our social media TV or any other application where you're watching the video, we've got a very special. You're going to want to see this video report that we've just put together.

Stay tuned for that dynamic. Then Rick Grinnell is going to stay with us for another segment as we continue to address this unfolding situation that's going on in Israel right now. And don't forget, support the work of the ACLJ keeps us broadcast on the air, keeps us fighting, keeps you informed. ACLJ.org.

Stay tuned, folks, and share this feed on Facebook. Only when a society can agree that the most vulnerable and voiceless deserve to be protected is there any hope for that culture to survive. And that's exactly what you are saying when you stand with the American Center for Law and Justice to defend the right to life. We've created a free, powerful publication offering a panoramic view of the ACLJ's battle for the unborn.

It's called Mission Life. It will show you how you are personally impacting the pro-life battle through your support. And the publication includes a look at all major ACLJ pro-life cases, how we're fighting for the rights of pro-life activists, the ramifications of Roe v. Wade 40 years later, play on parenthood's role in the abortion industry, and what Obamacare means to the pro-life movement. Discover the many ways your membership with the ACLJ is empowering the right to life.

Request your free copy of Mission Life today online at ACLJ.org slash gift. The challenges facing Americans are substantial at a time when our values, our freedoms, our constitutional rights are under attack. It's more important than ever to stand with the American Center for Law and Justice. For decades now, the ACLJ has been on the front lines protecting your freedoms, defending your rights in courts, in Congress, and in the public arena. And we have an exceptional track record of success.

But here's the bottom line. We could not do our work without your support. We remain committed to protecting your religious and constitutional freedoms.

That remains our top priority, especially now during these challenging times. The American Center for Law and Justice is on your side. If you're already a member, thank you. And if you're not, well, this is the perfect time to stand with us at ACLJ.org, where you can learn more about our life-changing work. Become a member today.

ACLJ.org. You know, if you're just joining us, so you've got 500 missiles, rockets fired into Israel since yesterday evening. Israel has responded. They have responded by also operating a new operation called Operation Guardian of the Walls, the walls, of course, the walls of Jerusalem. They're landing in Jerusalem. A number of them landed within four miles of our office. The average rate of rocket fire is one every three minutes. They did launch, Hamas posted that they could launch 137 rockets within a five-minute period, which puts Operation Iron Dome at its maximum capacity.

Rick, we just got Rick Grinnell is with us, of course, our senior advisor here at the ACLJ on our team. We just got a tweet from your friend Zara from Iran, and this is what he says, the attack on Al-Aska Mosque and the killing of worshippers is the greatest evidence of the racist criminal nature of the usurping entity. They don't even like saying the word Israel, which has always been the main cause of insecurity and instability in the region.

There is only one fair solution to the Palestinian issue, which is to refer it to the will of the people of this land and to refer to a popular referendum. Iran, of course, had to get their two cents into this because not only are they supplying the weapons, they're propelling, they're the fuel to propagate this. They conflate issues of security internally in Israel in a neighborhood at the Al-Aska Mosque where the Palestinian Authority was asking for the Israeli security to be removed, which is absurd if you've ever been up there. That would be absurd.

Let me just put it that way. But now you've got Iran right in the middle of this. Look, Jay, I'm going to read to you what the Ayatollah, who is the leader of the Iranian regime, what he, four days ago, he said the Palestinian fighters must continue their legitimate, morally correct fight against the usurpian regime until it is forced to submit to a referendum being conducted. Just hours ago, he's tweeting about Israel not being a real country. So I don't understand why we're allowing this type of rhetoric to go on Twitter, for one. Why are we allowing this regime to be at the UN and to serve legitimately on UN committees?

This violates basic Twitter rules. This violates what the left always talks about in terms of woke culture and safe spaces, but yet they're allowed to run for offices at the UN. This is clearly being fanned and pushed by the Iranian regime. And I also want to be very clear that when we talk about the Iranian regime, it's not the Iranian people. The Iranian people are very good people who are being really victimized by their regime.

We have to remember that in the United States. We cannot give aid and comfort to the Iranian regime when it continues to put people, their basic freedoms at risk. These Iranian regime individuals are on Twitter, but Iranian people are not allowed to be on Twitter. It's interesting because we know of people, including former President of the United States, banned from Twitter, and yet the Ayatollah who is wreaking havoc and killed millions and suppresses his people, is given a free rein. In Washington, this should show the absurdity of some of what big tech's allowing here.

When you think about that for a moment, it is really absurd. Well, there's always a double standard there, Jay. And look, I'd love to get Rick's thoughts on this because there's clearly a deeper divide inside the Democrat party on this issue of whether or not we're going to stand by our ally, Israel. We mentioned earlier in the broadcast some strong comments from some Democrat members, Senator Rosen, Congressman Hoyer, Congressman Meeks, but then you had the Squad coming out and trying to draw this moral equivalency. I have my own theories on this, but Jay, I think it lends itself to a question of who is the Biden administration listening to? Rick mentioned that they're still giving funds. I think it's a clear indication that the Squad has the ear of the White House more than some of these more reasonable members of the Democrat party is.

Rick, maybe I could ask that of you if I could, Jay. Is that your read of this? Do you think that the White House is listening to the Squad members? I think at this point the White House doesn't know what to do because they view all foreign policy issues as domestic policy, and that's the big mistake. They cannot talk tough on China.

They continue to say Russia, Russia, Russia. They cannot call out the Iranian regime because what they're trying to do is placate the far left of their party. So yes, Ilhan Omar, all of the Squad members are the ones who are scaring Jake Sullivan and Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris into silence, and they want to let this play out. But you do have people like, let's remember Senator Bob Menendez, who is very tough on Iran, is a very good member of the Democratic Party. He's an expert on foreign policy, and so I think that they should be listening to Bob Menendez and some of their other leaders that clearly have stepped out, like Andrew Yang. There are people that are warning.

I read Andrew Yang's tweet, which I'll read again. It says, I'm standing with the people of Israel who are coming under bombardment attacks and condemn the Hamas terrorists. The people of New York City will always stand with their brothers and sisters in Israel who face down terrorism and perseverance. I don't like calling them the Squad, by the way. I'll tell you why. That's like giving it, it's like propping it up as if they're something.

Let me tell you what they are. Radical leftist members of Congress that have an anti-Semitic, anti-Israel agenda, that's just a start. So, Ilhan Omar or, I'm losing the name of the other one, but Ilhan Omar kind of leads the pack, yeah, leads the pack. Everything they say is going to be anti-Israel. Why don't the Palestinians have an Iron Dome?

I've got a question. Why doesn't the Hamas stop firing indiscriminate rockets at civilians in Israel? That may be a good way to start your national security. Did you have to worry about that the last four years, Gaza? Did you have to worry about Israel shooting in rockets in response to your rockets?

No, you didn't. You know why? Because there was a leader in the White House that had a clear policy and had people like Rick Grenell and Mike Pompeo implementing those policies so that they didn't get pushed around. Strength. What the Israelis said was right. When you're dealing with adversaries like this, they understand one thing, power. Now, diplomacy can be power, so long as behind that diplomacy is strength. And Rick, what I think is lacking right now is any clear policy and strength.

Both of them are missing. Let's also remember the bosses in his 15th year, his four-year term. They haven't had elections here, so they don't have a legitimate leadership in place. The Palestinian people are not being well served by the Palestinian Authority leadership, and that's what's got to change.

The American policy should be get your act together and have elections. It can't get much worse. I know some people think that it can.

I don't think it actually can. You might have a conversation about what the future is and what's working and what's not working, but I like your point about the Iron Dome. They do have the ability to have a system that is just as good as the Iron Dome, and that is don't fire first, and then you will be protected. I mean, I've been there on the border and watched the rockets come in over our heads and the Israeli response, which was then Black Hawk helicopters, or like Black Hawk helicopters, with rocket and precise. And then Israeli jets and the Israeli Air Force coming over.

So I've seen it. Rick, thanks for being with us. We appreciate it. That dinging you heard is a red alert system that says another rocket has been launched in Israel. I'm keeping that on during this broadcast so you can hear it. Stay with us for the next half hour of the broadcast. Your support of the ACLJ makes all the difference.

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ACLJ.org. And now, Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, Jay Sekulow. Well, the region's on fire. I hate to say it that way, because, who wants to hear that, but it's true. Israel has now launched Operation Guardian of the Walls, and that's because more than 500 rockets have been launched. And that's because they've launched Operation Guardian of the Walls. And that's because more than 500 rockets have been launched at Israel since month, primarily from Gaza.

So that's where it's come from. They're averaging about one every three minutes, but Hamas is boasting that they could launch 137 rockets in a five-minute period, which overwhelms the Iron Dome defense system. Hamas also says that they are prepared to increase their weaponry, which we know that. They have an A120, which is out of, looks like, Iran. At the same time, U.S. warships fired 30 warning shots at 13 Iranian attack boats targeting guided missile submarine Georgia and its escort of seven military vessels in the Straits of Hormuz.

Now, as I said, 30 warning shots were fired. And then, in another act by our United States Navy, they seized a group of weapons aboard a ship in the Arabian Sea bound for Yemen, it appears. And those weapons, including not only machine guns, assault weapons, but also anti-aircraft and tank-to-tank, were captured in the Arabian Sea. Looks like they were going to the Houthi rebels.

Guess, and there's a picture of it on our screen. And guess who was the manufacturer of those weapons? Russia and China.

Wes, what does that tell us? This is all happening at the same time, folks, in a very small region of the world. And since the Presidential election, we have the confluence of our adversaries.

Think about it. You've got Russia and Chinese weapons on a ship from Iran bound for Yemen to the Houthi rebels. The Houthi rebels, who, by the way, target civilians in Saudi Arabia. And, of course, you've got Hamas targeting civilians in Israel itself. That's the thing about this conflict in Israel that is so telling. While Israel does everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, Hamas deliberately targets civilians. And Hamas just today told Egyptian officials who are trying to broker a ceasefire that they have no interest in negotiations or a ceasefire, and that all previous agreements about peace with Israel have now been abandoned.

I mean, this is like an epidemic of insanity has settled upon the Middle East. And, again, it's a perception, I think, of weakness in the new U.S. administration. You know, weak policy. No policy. They think we will not respond strongly, and guess what? We probably won't.

Probably not. Iliana Omar, Israeli airstrikes killing civilians. By the way, that sound going off right now is another attack, another rocket launched in Israel. That was just moments ago. That's going on right now. It's called red alert. I have it on my phone. I haven't had to use it in the last four years.

I had to reactivate it. Because he hadn't had this problem in the last four years, but guess what? The new sheriff in town is really not corralling the West, and the Wild West is what the Middle East, unfortunately, is like right now. Iliana Omar said that Israeli airstrikes kill civilians in Gaza. It's an act of terrorism. Palestinians deserve protection. Unlike Israel, missile defense programs such as Iron Domes, they don't exist to protect Palestinian civilians. It's unconscionable to condemn these attacks on the week of Eid, which is a Muslim celebration. That's interesting, except if Hamas did not launch the rockets, you wouldn't be getting them in return. And this moral equivalency is absurd.

And Logan, you mentioned that with some of the churches that are going on right now, but this is another example of this. Coming out of a member of Congress. Oh, the Palestinians don't have Iron Dome. Don't fire rockets into your neighbor.

Might be a good way to start. Don't launch rockets and missiles into your neighbors because of a land dispute in a court in East Jerusalem. Any excuse to launch? You know what, though? When the Israelis start naming operations, usually not a good sign for the Palestinian Authority.

No, absolutely not. Hey, we're going to take some phone calls coming up in the next couple of segments. Right now, 1-800-684-3110. Phone lines are open.

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But here's the bottom line. We could not do our work without your support. We remain committed to protecting your religious and constitutional freedoms.

That remains our top priority, especially now during these challenging times. The American Center for Law and Justice is on your side. If you're already a member, thank you. And if you're not, well this is the perfect time to stand with us at ACLJ.org where you can learn more about our life-changing work.

Become a member today. ACLJ.org Only when a society can agree that the most vulnerable and voiceless deserve to be protected is there any hope for that culture to survive. And that's exactly what you are saying when you stand with the American Center for Law and Justice to defend the right to life. We've created a free, powerful publication offering a panoramic view of the ACLJ's battle for the unborn.

It's called Mission Life. It will show you how you are personally impacting the pro-life battle through your support. And the publication includes a look at all major ACLJ pro-life cases, how we're fighting for the rights of pro-life activists, the ramifications of Roe v. Wade 40 years later, a play on parenthood's role in the abortion industry, and what Obamacare means to the pro-life movement. Discover the many ways your membership with the ACLJ is empowering the right to life.

Request your free copy of Mission Life today online at ACLJ.org slash gift. I want to go to Washington, D.C. and check in with Van Bennett to see what the reaction is. I mean, we've got Andrew Yang's statement in Ileane Omar's. Are there any other Democrats coming out?

Andrew Yang did. He's not a member of Congress, of course, supporting Israel. What are you hearing? Yeah, there are a few, Jay. I mean, first of all, on the Republican side of the aisle, I think it's important to acknowledge that some of the stalwarts on this have spoken out. Senator Rubio, Leader McCarthy, Congressman Jordan, and a whole line of others coming quickly to the defense of Israel, as the United States of America should.

On the other side, Jay, I mean, let's just put it candidly. There is a deep divide on Capitol Hill inside the Democrat Party. You had Senators Rosen and Menendez come out strongly in favor of Israel and their right to defend themselves. You had Congressman Meeks and Congressman Hoyer do the same thing. But then, Jay, you did have Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and others. To me, their criticism of Israel in this, what was most marked, Jay, is that they were upset with President Biden for not coming out and condemning Israel. And we have seen largely silence from the administration. So, to me, it signals that while there's a divide on Capitol Hill inside the Democrat Party, I'm not so sure there's a divide down the street. It seems to me that President Biden is listening to Rashida Tlaib over Marco Rubio.

Let's put it that way. Well, let's listen to Rashida Tlaib, because here's what she said on MSNBC yesterday. We need to stop and look at the fact that our own country is enabling it, with billions of dollars every year being issued to Israel, even though they are promoting racism and dehumanization. I'm going to read what she said. You just heard it. I'm going to read it. She said, we need to stop and look at the fact that our own country, that's the United States, is enabling it, with billions of dollars every year being issued to Israel.

She didn't mention the billions of dollars going to the Palestinian Authority, which ends up in the coffers of Mahmoud Abbas and not the Palestinian people, even though they are promoting racism and dehumanization. Now, I want you to think about this for a moment. Who launched what into whom? How did this start? Where did the first rocket come from? Well, it came from Iran, actually.

That's where it came from. It came from Iran. And then it was shipped, not interdicted, not stopped, as they just did in the Straits of Hormuz. And then what happened?

And those were only made by China and Russia. And then they end up in the hands of Hamas, who now see that there's a legal dispute over a, probably five miles of property in East Jerusalem that's in court, and they say, let's start a war over it. And the Israelis suffer first day, and then as the Israelis do, they name it. As soon as they name the operation, buckle your seatbelts, folks. But this idea that Israel is dehumanizing, they are, Hamas is targeting civilians, their own civilians.

They use hospitals and schools as launching points for the rockets. And I know Logan talked about this yesterday with, you know, the woke church, the evangelical church woke on this. You know, wake up is what you need to do and actually know the facts. Yeah, actually see what's actually happening over there. And this is something we should touch on briefly. I'm not sure if this, do we bring this up on the air already or no?

Because this is just breaking right now. So Hamas has put out a statement, because they do, because they are, I mean, you think of these organizations, people putting out press releases, they're putting out a press release claiming that today, it says Hamas threatens rocket barrage at Tel Aviv if Israel airstrikes continue. And here's what they've said. This is coming from I-24, which is Israeli news, essentially is what you're looking at.

The Hamas military wing spokesman issued a threat to Israel on Tuesday saying the group could fire a rocket at Tel Aviv. They added with exceeded what happened in Eshkolah. That's what they will do. So already threatening more if this proceeds, now threatening Tel Aviv. So we're seeing that continually. So you've got Jerusalem, which is the governmental center and the heart of Israel.

You don't really understand. Tel Aviv, do we have a map we can put up at the moment? Tel Aviv is like the New York City. That's exactly right.

That's what I was going to say. Jerusalem is the old town, but it's also, like I said, it's the spiritual capital, but then Tel Aviv is- Is where the people live. Is where people are. Yeah. I mean, not that people don't live in Jerusalem, they do, but Tel Aviv is like New York City. And I mean, obviously smaller. But Wes, these kinds of statements show this escalation.

Oh, absolutely. This has the potential, the probability is going to be a long conflict because Hamas has already said they're not interested in stopping it or in negotiating. They are continuing to target civilians.

And Congresswoman Tlaib gets on my last nerve. She complains about billions of dollars going to Israel. Doesn't mention the billions of dollars that not only go to the Palestinians, but that are frequently stolen and put into the bank accounts of the Palestinian leaders. And in the meantime, we gave, the Democrats under President Obama gave Iran billions of dollars. And we're about to give them billions more with the renewal of the JCPOA. And what does Iran do? They help provide the missiles and the rockets for Hamas and Hezbollah.

But somehow that's off her radar. Let me remind though, for history's sake, even though Andy's not here today, the historian, our historian. But let me give you a little history. The history of the Arab-Israeli conflicts. Let's start way back. We can go back to biblical times. It doesn't usually end so well for the adversary. But let's take it to modern times. I'm trying to think of one war where at the end of the war, Israel surrendered.

Let me think. None. Every time they were attacked by Arab forces, the Israelis prevailed since 1948. Now, here's the problem that Hamas and Iran have. Guess who the allies of Israel now? Those same forces that attacked Israel in 68 and in 73 in the Yom Kippur War, they are now Israel's allies. Real allies.

Close. Economic allies. Security allies. Military allies. So this is a zero-sum game, Harry, for Hamas. They know it. They do not prevail.

Absolutely. So Israel has faced literally decades of attacks by its enemies. And every time, Israel has prevailed. In part because they are led, at least in spirit, by what Moshe Dayan said during one war.

That the road that leads from Cairo to Tel Aviv leads from Tel Aviv to Cairo. And so I think at the end of the day, the Palestinian people are being ill-served by their leaders, who continue to lead them down a garden path of attacking Israel. And Israel will respond. Israel has a backbone, unlike the Biden administration. You wonder how this – I mean, I'm thinking it from a military strategy standpoint. And, Wes, I'm thinking they don't win this war. I mean, Israel has mobilized nothing, 5,000 reserves, which for Israel is nothing. The whole country is in the army. Men, women, children.

I mean, not children, but men and women. This conflict that Hamas has started is absolutely pointless. And they are ignoring their own people's prosperity as well as their safety. And in actuality, I don't think they care. They're on an initiative.

Their initiative is during this change of U.S. administrations and all that's going on in the world, they're looking for new support and new sympathy, which they will get from the left-wing people, not only in the U.S. but around the world. But it's pointless. They cannot prevail in this. They know they cannot prevail. And it's almost like they're on a suicide mission, although the leaders of Hamas, of course, will try to defend and protect themselves. But you're right, Jay.

This is pointless. Israel will prevail. Thankfully, goodness and justice will prevail through Israel. And here's the other thing about the nation of Israel. Every conflict in which they've been engaged has been one of self-defense. They have never been the aggressor. They don't go out and fire missiles at other countries or at the Palestinians. They try to keep the peace. And they will respond and respond forcefully when they're attacked, but they've never gone out as the aggressor. They're always in self-defense mode. There's something else they do.

They don't lose. True. Remember that question about Iran getting a nuclear device?

Let me tell you something. Has someone that has traveled to Israel, has defended Israel in international tribunals? That's why you're getting analysis here. You're not getting anyplace else. Because I don't know many lawyers that could say, I've been to the International Criminal Court in The Hague on behalf of Israel. I have.

Let me say this. Iran will not be getting a nuclear weapon. I don't care how many billions this administration gives them. It will not happen. You think the rockets are something you're seeing right now? Can you imagine?

You can't imagine. Now, we don't wish that on anybody because the Persian people, the Iranian people are good people. They're smart people. They've contributed a lot to civilization.

They don't deserve this. And as Rick mentioned earlier, they are escalating the tension in the entire region. Logan, it's not just Hamas and Gaza. It is the Straits of Hormuz. It's the Straits of, I mean, it's Iran itself and their hype and their activity while they're supposedly negotiating with the United States. It's boats en route to Yemen with Russia and Chinese weaponry, all within the same region, all within the same zone.

And that's where the church needs to wake up and understand what's really going on. And I know it's politically correct to say, oh, I pity the Palestinian plight. And I do feel sorry for the people because they've got leadership that is horrible and has been horrible for 60 years.

Pretty much terrorist regimes that are running the country. Literally, the Palestinian Liberation Organization. We've worked with the people. We've been literally there on the ground.

We've done a lot of work there, so don't pretend that we don't know what we're talking about. When it comes to, though, you said like the progressive church, there are a lot of good churches that do still preach, you know, definitely a pro-Israel point of view. But we are seeing that become less and less.

Either Israel is no longer a topic, just like life is no longer a topic, or it's taking a completely different, like you said, a pseudo-fake humanitarian point of view that's supposed to look like, oh, look how good we are, look how much better the things are that we do. But reality is really bowing to terrorism. And they just don't know.

It's a bunch of ignorant people. Yeah, so here's what we're going to do. You're not going to be ignorant, and we're not taking a break if you're watching us on Facebook or any of our social media applications. So stay tuned.

We've got a lot more. So, Logan, let everybody share it with their friends. That's really important right now. Share if you're on Facebook.

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Become a member today. ACLJ.org. Michael on YouTube says, If rockets came from Iran, would that be considered an act of war against Israel? Probably not technically, although it is certainly an act of aggression, I would think. Yeah, it's certainly an act of aggression. I mean, Israel has got justification for defensive actions here. Iran always looks for plausible deniability. They use their proxies.

You assume they're guilty, because generally they are. I mean, this is just fact. All right, we've got calls coming in, so let's take some calls. Let's go to Nick in New York online, too.

He's watching on YouTube. Nick, welcome. Hey, Nick.

How you doing? Great. My question is, do you guys see this going further into warfare?

And if so, do you think that the help from the quote-unquote Biden administration would be helpful, or do you think it would end up making everything worse, if for some reason they do feel the need to step in? No, look, first of all, Nick, great question. I'll tell you this.

This is my sense, and we'll go around the horn here. But once the Israelis name a military action and give it a name, this one's called Operation Guardian of the Walls. I was involved in Operation Cast Lead, so was Jordan. We were there for it.

In fact, I've got cufflinks that have the Cast Lead in them from the rockets that landed 50 yards from us. That was Operation Cast Lead, also in the Gaza. It's now named Operation Guardian of the Walls. Generally, when that happens, Colonel Smith, you're in an escalating environment. Yeah, and to answer Nick's question, Israel does not need any help militarily to win this conflict, or almost any conflict in which they'd be engaged, so they don't need our help there.

What the Biden administration could do to help them would be to give them moral and verbal support, and not criticize them when they're trying to simply defend their country from a hostile attack. And as we're talking, you're hearing it. That is a red alert. That means that another rocket was launched.

That's about the fourth one in about 45 minutes. So, that's slowing down for them, actually. But that's going into civilian land.

That's an alert system that does that. So, yeah, I think that's a valid question. During the break, we raised a question that Robert raised on YouTube. Did Representative Talib agree that the U.S. should stop funding the Palestinian Authority? And, Than, because of their actions, you had a very interesting take on that, an important take. I think we know the answer to that, Jay, because this goes back to Rashida Talib's comments about how we should condition funding to Israel.

Well, guess what? Current U.S. law does condition funding to the Palestinian Authority. It's a law we've talked about on this broadcast many times called the Taylor Force Act that says unless they stop their Pay for Slay program, which is the program where they fund terrorists to kill Americans and Israelis, then we cannot, under U.S. law, fund the Palestinians. By the way, Jay, part of that law says they also have to condemn the ongoing hostilities. So, it is currently, as we speak, against U.S. law to fund the Palestinian Authority with economic funds. Rashida Talib, Jay, she supports that funding as it stands.

So, I think we can conclusively say we know where she stands on that question. All right, we're taking phone calls, 800-684-3110. All right, let's go back to the phones. Abdul's calling from Indiana on Line 1. You're on the air. Hello, you're on the air.

Hi. My question is, I get a lot of news from ROL, YouTube or whatever, that one side's saying the Jews are attacking the Palestinians, and then the other side says Palestinians are attacking the Jews. So, what's really going on is what I want to know, and I just want to gain understanding.

I'm Muslim myself, so it kind of hurts me to see just violence and period against anybody. But I don't feel like, at least with the news outlets we have and stuff like that, we're not getting the full story and whatnot. Completely get it. I want you to answer this, but I also want to say this is why we're on YouTube. This is why we're on Facebook. This is why we broadcast around the world on different platforms, because you have people like you who call in of genuine questions, genuine concerns that we're able to actually reach. So many different people that if you keep yourself in a small bubble of whatever political side you're on, you're never going to reach people, and this is an important call to answer that question. So, Abdul, let me explain to you what has happened in the short period of time over four years. In the last four years, there was a realignment in the Middle East in ways we've never envisioned.

I'm 65 years old almost, and I've been following this since the 60s, and you never had this alignment of Muslim-led countries and the Jewish-led state of Israel working together like they have with the culmination of that in the Abraham Accords. What's your family's country of origin? Do you know, Abdul? I'm born and raised in America. We're all American. No, no, but your grandparents are great-grandparents. What part of the Muslim world do they come from? Or were they your Americans?

No, when I say I'm American, my family didn't migrate from the Middle East or anything. Got it. Okay, okay. I completely get it. And mine came from Russia, so that's why I asked.

Here's the point. So you've got this, which is historic. The Muslim world has now, in large part, especially the Gulf region and even Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, these countries are working very— they've entered into this formal arrangement called the Morocco now, the Abraham Accords. And the Abraham Accords are the three faiths of Abraham, Jews, Christians, and Muslim, came together to work together socially. In other words, exchange of citizens and travel, economic development, military and security, and importantly, water, which is a big issue in the Middle East. Now, having taken that, there are—this one area of problem is with the Palestinian Authority. Now, the problem is the Palestinian Authority does not even control the zones where they are allowed to govern because Gaza, which is a big land portion of the Palestinian Authority's property, is actually controlled by the terrorist group Hamas, who's in conflict with—guess who? They're in conflict with—and this is important to understand—the Palestinian Authority.

So they don't get along, even though they're supposed to be working together. I wrote a book, I'm going to send it to you, we're going to send it to you, called Jerusalem. It talks about all of this historically. But what you need to understand is there's been a redevelopment, a realignment in the Middle East in ways we never, Harry, ever thought we would see in our lifetime, and that has changed this dynamic significantly. I think that's precisely correct, and I think what the Trump administration has done is that they have engaged in talks which have led to a breakthrough that many of us could not foresee in our own lifetime. But I also think it's very imperative to note that the lack of courage on the part of the Biden administration will slowly unravel these forward-thinking agreements, and that will redound to hurt both Palestinians and Israelis. And so I think it's very, very important for the Biden administration to grow a backbone in terms of dealing with terrorists going forward.

Otherwise, I think we can see some unraveling in the Middle East. Look, we're following this issue very, very closely. Stay engaged. Logan's going to give you a way you can stay engaged with us on all of our media applications and forums, so you stay informed on this, especially during the day as this develops. Yeah, if you're watching, depending on how you're watching or listening, we are available on all social media platforms, whether you're on Facebook, whether you're on YouTube, Twitter, however you find us, we are there. So make sure you go and search for ACLJ, search for Jay Sekulow, Jordan Sekulow, find the content we put out every day.

Also, incredible blogs at ACLJ.org, great content you'll find there. Each and every day, brand new material that we put out, as well as obviously this daily broadcast. If you're new, you're watching online, if thousands of you are watching right now because of the breaking news out of Israel, I encourage you to subscribe. If you're watching on YouTube, click that subscribe button right now.

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