Each Passover, Jews across the world recount the miraculous exodus of their ancestors from servitude under the Egyptian pharaoh, in pursuit of a life of ordered liberty in the Land promised to Abraham. This pharaoh enslaved the Jewish people, forcing them into hard labor doubly tortuous, as their taskmasters imposed assignments with labor itself as the ultimate end. The pharaoh even ordered the infanticide of Hebrew male infants in an attempt to cement his power over the Hebrews. The Passover dinner retells the story of our enslavement, the Ten Plagues inflicted upon the Egyptians, and Hebrews’ miraculous deliverance. The ancient Hebrews left a tyranny that subjugated their spiritual and physical freedom to the dictates of a human regime at odds with the Divine.
Importantly, escape from tyranny wasn’t their ultimate aim. The ancient Hebrews embarked at this moment on a journey to their Promised Land. These tribes became the People of the Book — striving to form a civil society under the rule of law, complete with education of the young, the establishment of courts, protection of property, and concern for innocent life.
The American Founders certainly recognized that this “Season of Our Freedom” is relevant for the United States of America. The national motto proposed by Benjamin Franklin of “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God” accompanied an image of Moses leading the Children of Israel across the miraculously parted Red Sea as they escaped the tyrant of their times. The Israelites desired to worship God freely, raise families, and enjoy the fruits of their own labor. The protections of our Bill of Rights guarantee us similar rights.
The Israelites and the Pilgrims both journeyed to a new land not just in pursuit of generic freedom — but freedom of a far deeper type. The foremost concern of the Pilgrims arriving on the shores of Cape Cod in 1620 indeed was freedom of religion and conscience. Like the Israelites, these early settlers forfeited many of the comforts of their prior home as they endured a harsh climate in unfamiliar territory surrounded by hazards. Those Pilgrims entered a covenant to “combine ourselves together into a civil body politick” — one with the family as society’s foundation, with national traditions and core values transmitted in the home.
<div id="attachment_906725" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-906725" class="size-large wp-image-906725" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1217401397-864x576.jpg" alt="Passover matzoh jewish holiday bread with kipah table background. " width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1217401397-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1217401397-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1217401397-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1217401397-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1217401397-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1217401397-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1217401397-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Cavan images. Getty Images.</div>
The Passover seder recognizes that the story of the Jewish people neither began nor ended with the Exodus story. In its recount, we recognize also that we must be active participants in maintaining our freedom. We recognize also that, in a sense, this deliverance happened to us personally. Through the long dinner, children at the table play a large role in reading the story, asking questions, and contributing to the conversation.
As the quarter-millennial celebration of our independence from King George III approaches, let’s take some lessons from the Passover celebration. Instilling an understanding of and respect for our founding in the next generation ensures they too will seek to protect our nation from corrosive influence. Yet, far too many children are apathetic or ignorant of the fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution or even the basic functioning of our republic. Too few are taught of the sacrifices made by the Founders and the freedoms they sought to protect. Even worse, some educators attempt to poison young minds against the nation’s foundation. Parents possess the responsibility and an opportunity to instill this love of country. Honoring the flag, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, respecting the national anthem, commemorating Independence Day all instill pride in country—in addition to academic studies.
Let’s remember too that our freedom is not secure forever simply by virtue of our winning our own War for Independence. As we stray from the guarantors of our freedom — rule of law, the Bill of Rights, the separation of powers, strong families — the great promise of this nation “conceived in liberty” becomes threatened. At the Passover seder, we recall audibly and collectively that, “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt.” Remembering life prior to liberty, celebrating our victory over tyranny, savoring our freedom, reflecting on what a life of liberty should mean, and involving the next generation in all of this will protect our freedom — both as Jews and as Americans.
* * *
Joel Griffith and Paul Teller, both Jewish Americans, are Senior Fellow and Executive Vice President, respectively, of Advancing American Freedom, the issue advocacy organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Metal plate with matzah or matza and Passover Haggadah on a vintage wood background presented as a Passover seder feast or meal with copy space. Translation: Passover Haggadah

The Season Of Our Freedom: Lessons From Passover For Americans

Bible

Egypt

Founding Fathers

Israel

Jewish

Jews

Opinion

Red Sea

The U.S. Navy said on Thursday that a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was involved in a collision with a large cargo ship in the Mediterranean Sea this week.
&#8220;The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M at approximately 11:46 p.m. local time, Feb. 12, while operating in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea,&#8221; the U.S. Sixth Fleet said in a statement.
&#8220;The collision did not endanger the Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) as there are no reports of flooding or injuries,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;The propulsion plants are unaffected and in a safe and stable condition.&#8221;
Navy officials said they have launched an investigation into the incident and will release more information as it becomes available.
The USS Harry S. Truman, named after America&#8217;s 33rd president, was the eighth aircraft carrier built in the Nimitz class.
The aircraft carrier was built in the 1990s under President Bill Clinton and cost $4.5 billion — well over $10 billion today.
The U.S. Naval Institute <a href="https://news.usni.org/2025/02/13/breaking-uss-harry-s-truman-collides-with-merchant-vessel-in-mediterranean-sea">noted</a> that the ship deployed in September from Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia to the U.S. Central Command.
The report said in part:
<blockquote>Port Said, Egypt, is at the northern tip of the Suez Canal, where it meets with the Mediterranean Sea. The indications from the position of Truman was the carrier was returning to the Red Sea after a port visit to Souda Bay, Greece.
Based on AIS data, Besiktas-M had just transited the Suez Canal and was bound for the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania. Besiktas-M, a bulk carrier, is more than 550 feet long with a deadweight of 53,000 tons. The ship’s owner and manager was not immediately clear.</blockquote>
The last time that a U.S. aircraft carrier collided with a merchant vessel was in 2004, when the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) collided with a small ship in the Persian Gulf, the report said.

South Korean And US Navies Conduct Joint Maritime Exercise

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Collides With Cargo Ship In Middle East

Middle East

Military

U.S. Navy

World

Egypt is reportedly working on a plan to fund and facilitate the rebuilding of Gaza within three to five years after President Donald Trump proposed that the U.S. take control of the war-torn territory.
According to multiple <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/egypt-reportedly-release-details-plan-rebuild-gaza-theres-no-mention-cooperation-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>, Egypt&#8217;s proposal for the reconstruction of Gaza includes Arab-led nations, the European Union, and the United Nations — with no mention of cooperation with the U.S. government. Egypt&#8217;s reported plan comes as Trump has doubled down on his goal to relocate around two million Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab countries, allowing for the United States to &#8220;take over.&#8221;
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/arab-states-wake-up-to-fact-that-trump-means-what-he-says-on-gaza-56380703" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Egypt&#8217;s plan includes keeping Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and setting up a &#8220;committee of technocrats drawn from across Gaza to administer the enclave.&#8221; Security for Gaza would be provided by Palestinians who are trained by Arab forces. The Egyptian proposal reportedly kicks the question of &#8220;Palestinian statehood&#8221; down the road and instead focuses entirely on the immediate reconstruction of Gaza.
“For the Arab world, recognizing that Trump actually means what he says in terms of Gaza means the necessity of coming up with an alternative to push forward,” Middle East security expert H.A. Hellyer told the Journal.
On Tuesday, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/king-abdullah-of-jordan-agrees-to-accept-refugees-during-trump-white-house-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met with King Abdullah II</a> of Jordan at the White House, where the two leaders discussed the situation in Gaza and how to address the rebuilding. During the meeting, King Abdullah said his country would take in 2,000 sick children from Gaza, an offer Trump said was &#8220;beautiful.&#8221; Before agreeing to help with any more refugee resettlement, King Abdullah said he would wait for Egypt to present its plan.
Last week, the president said that the United States would seek control of Gaza to create an economy that would “supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.” Days later, Trump elaborated on that plan, writing that America would work “with great development teams from all over the World” to rebuild the territory that has been controlled by Hamas terrorists, adding that no U.S. troops would be needed on the ground.
&#8220;With the United States being in control of that piece of land &#8230; you can have stability in the Middle East for the first time,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2jz020ny0o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters at the White House on Tuesday. &#8220;And the Palestinians, or the people that live now in Gaza, will be living beautifully in another location.&#8221;
King Abdullah, however, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2jz020ny0o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that every Arab-led nation would reject Trump&#8217;s proposal.
Trump invited Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to discuss the issue, but Al Sisi has not yet accepted the offer. Earlier this week, Egypt said it would host a summit of Arab leaders at the end of the month to discuss “the new and dangerous developments in the Palestinian issue.”
Trump has given Israel the green light to let &#8220;hell break out&#8221; if Hamas doesn&#8217;t release the remaining hostages by Saturday at noon. Hamas suspended the release of hostages after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Donald Trump

Egypt Reportedly Plans To Fund Gaza Rebuild With Arab-Led Nations, Countering Trump’s Proposal

Gaza

Global Politics

Hamas

Jordan

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s 2024 campaign rebuffed the inspiration for the latest investigation that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-democrats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Democrats</a> have opened up against the former president as he runs another campaign for the White House.
House Oversight Committee Democrats <a href="https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/news/press-releases/oversight-democrats-launch-investigation-allegations-trump-doj-covered-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> this week that they were looking into whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) improperly shut down in 2020 an inquiry into a potential $10 million bribe to Trump from Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi in the run-up to the 2016 election, citing concerns about a report on the matter that The Washington Post published roughly one month ago.
Stephen Cheung, a spokesman for Trump&#8217;s campaign, delivered a defiant response <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/03/trump-egypt-democrats-letter.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">when CNBC asked</a> for comment <a href="https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-oversight.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-09-03.JBR%20to%20DJTrump%20re.%20Egypt.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on a letter</a> dated Tuesday in which House Democrats asked Trump to provide answers to a number of questions about whether the former president accepted any payments from Egypt&#8217;s government.
&#8220;This is textbook Fake News,&#8221; Cheung said, repeating a statement he initially gave in response to the Washington Post report. &#8220;The investigation referenced found no wrongdoing and was closed. None of the allegations or insinuations being reported on have any basis in fact,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The media is consistently played for suckers by Deep State Trump-haters and bad faith actors peddling hoaxes and shams.&#8221;
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2024/08/02/trump-campaign-egypt-investigation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> claimed that top DOJ officials blocked FBI agents from obtaining records for an inquiry into whether a $10 million bribe from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/egypt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Egypt</a> happened and factored into Trump&#8217;s decision to infuse his campaign with a similar amount of money. The report said Michael Sherwin, the acting U.S. attorney who closed the case in 2020, insisted he closed down the probe because of a lack of evidence.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724211156439000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-L2DitSaIUj5wz8v0bgxx">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
The article noted former FBI Director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/robert-mueller" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert Mueller</a>, who led the Trump-Russia investigation as special counsel, had also spearheaded the Egypt assignment until it was taken over by prosecutors in the U.S. attorney&#8217;s office in Washington, D.C. Trump has long disparaged the Russia collusion probe, along with many others, as being part of a &#8220;witch hunt&#8221; to undermine his campaigns and presidency.
House Democrats, who are currently in the minority and lack subpoena power, have pushed for more investigations into Trump while they fought back against GOP-led inquiries into President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a>. When House Republicans recently unveiled their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/impeachable-conduct-long-awaited-house-gop-report-finds-biden-defrauded-the-u-s-to-enrich-his-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impeachment report</a>, detailing millions of dollars in foreign payments to the Biden family and its associates, they <a href="https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-oversight.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-08-19.DEM%20Memo%20re%20Impeachment%20Inquiry%20Exonerates%20President%20Biden.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a counter-memo</a> defending him.

Trump Swats Down ‘Textbook Fake News’ Fueling New Dem Investigation

Trump Swats Down 'Textbook Fake News' Fueling New Dem Investigation

2024 Election

Congress

House Democrats

Politics

U.S. House of Representatives

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/israel-defense-forces-idf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel Defense Forces</a> (IDF) have discovered hundreds of tunnel shafts inside the Hamas stronghold of Rafah in southern Gaza, including dozens of tunnels that cross into Egypt.
Israeli Deputy Attorney General Gilad Noam made the revelation while speaking at the International Court of Justice.
&#8220;Rafah, in particular, is a focal point for ongoing terrorist activity. It is a stronghold for Hamas&#8217; operators with several battalions belonging to the Rafah brigades entrenched in the area,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Also present in Rafah is an intricate underground tunnel infrastructure that runs underneath the city and provides ample space for operators, command and control rooms, and military equipment.&#8221;
&#8220;Nearly 700 tunnel shafts have been identified in Rafah from which approximately 50 tunnels cross into Egypt,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;These tunnels are used by Hamas to supply itself with weapons and ammunition. It could potentially be used to smuggle out of Gaza hostages or Hamas senior operators.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Nearly 700 tunnel shafts have been identified in Rafah, with ~50 tunnels crossing into Egypt, revealed <a href="https://twitter.com/DrGiladNoam?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrGiladNoam</a> at today&#8217;s sham <a href="https://twitter.com/CIJ_ICJ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CIJ_ICJ</a> hearing.
Those tunnels are used to smuggle weapons to Hamas and can be used to smuggle senior terrorists and/or hostages out of Gaza. <a href="https://t.co/UAgvyTCoJk">pic.twitter.com/UAgvyTCoJk</a>
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraelWarRoom/status/1791469078294458747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies&#8217; Long War Journal, noted that Israel has been very patient with Egypt while Egypt has been playing &#8220;spoiler during this crisis.&#8221;
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&#8220;After Cairo refused to let in Palestinian refugees — a temporary measure that would have shortened the Gaza war — Jerusalem assented to the positioning of heavy Egyptian reinforcements in the supposedly demilitarized Sinai to seal off the Rafah border,&#8221; Truzman said. &#8220;And all the Israelis have got in return has been vitriol and, most recently, Egyptian support for the foul allegations being leveled against them at The Hague. President Sisi is supposed to be a pragmatist rather than a populist. This cannot continue.&#8221;

Israeli Forces Highlight Alleged Hamas Infrastructure In Northern Gaza

IDF Discovers 700 Tunnel Shafts In Rafah, Including 50 That Cross Into Egypt

Rafah

Terrorism

Jury selection began on Monday in the trial of Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Menendez</a> (D-NJ), who is accused of taking bribes to wield his influence to benefit foreign nations. 
Federal prosecutors have charged Menendez with 16 criminal counts, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/13/bob-menendez-trial-new-jersey-corruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including</a> conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, a charge accusing him of conspiring to act as a foreign agent for Egypt, obstruction of justice, and other related corruption charges. The allegations include claims that Menendez was bribed with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz. 
Menendez was the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when federal investigators say the bribery scheme took place. After he was first charged in September 2023, he stepped down as chair, though he is still on the committee. 
The trial, taking place in Manhattan, and expected to last weeks. Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, two New Jersey businessmen accused of being involved in the bribery scheme, are being tried with Menendez. A third alleged associate of Menendez, Jose Uribe, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/businessman-pleads-guilty-to-corruption-charges-will-testify-against-new-jersey-democrat-senator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pled guilty</a> in March to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and tax evasion.
Mendendez’s wife, Nadine, will be tried in July over accusations that she was part of the bribery scheme. During his plea deal, Uribe said that Nandine was given a Mercedes-Benz with the expectation Menendez <a href="https://apnews.com/article/menendez-uribe-federal-bribery-indictment-a7f1d893f1ee387f079161011e9dd37e?taid=65e2224817ae090001089d55&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter">would</a> use “his power and influence as a United States senator to get a favorable outcome and to stop all investigations related to one of my associates.”
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According to federal prosecutors, the alleged bribes were intended to benefit Egypt and protect Hana, Daibes, and Uribe. 
“Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value,” the indictment said. Federal authorities reportedly found gold bars and cash stuffed throughout the senator’s home that they traced back to the businessmen Menendez allegedly worked with. 
Menendez is also accused of ghostwriting a letter to other senators to urge them to support ending a hold on $300 million in military aid to Egypt, a letter reportedly written in coordination with his wife and the businessmen in question. Other charges say he attempted to use his influence to benefit Qatar. 
The New Jersey Democrat has pleaded not guilty to the charges and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-menendez-poised-to-blame-his-wife-for-alleged-crimes-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> plans to blame Nadine. Menendez previously faced federal corruption charges in 2017, but the case ended in a mistrial.

Criminal Trial For US Senator Bob Menendez

Jury Selection For New Jersey Democrat Senator Bob Menendez Corruption Trial Begins

Bob Menendez

Bribery

Corruption

New Jersey

U.S. Senate

Islamist extremists reportedly set fire to several Christian houses and businesses in southern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/egypt">Egypt</a> last week.
The violence broke out on Tuesday night in the village of Al-Fawakher, which is home to about 3,000 Christian families. The local Christian community had recently received a permit to construct a new church building, prompting backlash from some Muslim hardliners.
&#8220;The attacks are believed to have been triggered by an attempt to build a new church in Al-Fawakher village in Minya [province],” one local source, who asked to remain anonymous, told <a href="https://www.newarab.com/news/extremists-set-fire-christian-homes-southern-egypt">The New Arab</a>. &#8220;When religious fanatics failed to expel Christians from their homes as a form of punishment, the extremists [reportedly] burned down their houses while they were still inside.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Please share this as much as possible
Islamists are now burning and destroying Coptic homes of the village of Al-Fawakher in Minya. 
They are posting videos of what they are doing with celebrating music as they carry out the attacks and BRAGGING about it online <a href="https://t.co/ORSmLzXO4D">pic.twitter.com/ORSmLzXO4D</a>
&mdash; Ⲡⲁⲥⲟⲛ ⲛ̀Ⲕⲩⲡⲧⲓⲟⲥ (@miaphysenjoyer) <a href="https://twitter.com/miaphysenjoyer/status/1782918111186112583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://twitter.com/miaphysenjoyer/status/1782918111186112583">Video</a> circulating on social media appears to show crowds of people dancing and celebrating in front of the burning buildings.
“The extremists attacked Coptic homes with stones and chants, and a number of homes were set on fire, amid the screams of women and children,” Copts United, a religious advocacy group, <a href="https://www.copts-united.com/Article.php?I=5527&amp;A=787677&amp;fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0XCpeBCCPp68E_H1NpM_vAqqgepa462QqKczW5c-uaAa1aAN8vR_KIkwo_aem_AeJkLRz1Yy1feBpmf62DwGP4svUX1gZxl1rPRjQyJ7LaRCcTmpsoqzrn3eMqIlcRXPGooSp5CYumciq2iDYrWZbS">reported</a>. “The attack continued for a long time before the security forces arrived.”
“Security forces arrived and brought the situation under control, arresting the instigators and perpetrators,” Coptic Bishop Anba Macarius said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/AnbaMacarius/status/1782931537081557325">public statement</a> on Wednesday: “State agencies will compensate those affected and hold the perpetrators accountable.Calm prevails in the village now. May God protect our dear country, Egypt, from all harm.”
Christians have long been a persecuted minority in Egypt. Conversion from Islam to Christianity is illegal and Christians are barred from holding certain public offices, and <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/5/26/coptic-christians-killed-in-minya-bus-attack">terror </a> <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/8/palm-sunday-church-attacks-egypts-worst-day-of-violence">attacks</a>  <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/08/21/egypt-mass-attacks-churches">against</a>  <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-8-2016-009642_EN.html">churches </a> <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20220814-fire-during-mass-at-cairo-coptic-church-kills-more-than-40-say-church-officials">and</a>  <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/11/middleeast/cairo-police-foil-coptic-church-suicide-attack/index.html">religious </a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/world/meast/egypt-church-attacks/index.html">minorities</a>  <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/explosion-at-cairo-church-kills-at-least-20-injures-35-officials-say/2016/12/11/fa01d7c2-7f2e-4a94-8612-fd6d5c7f4901_story.html">are</a>  <a href="https://www.newarab.com/news/egyptian-coptic-couple-murdered-their-beds-christmas-eve">fairly</a>  <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/coptic-christians-killed-bus-attack-egypt/story?id=58924168#:~:text=At%20least%20seven%20people%20on,said%2010%20people%20were%20killed.">common</a>. Minya province in particular has been a hotbed of violence, with at least <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/opinion/egypts-cruelty-to-christians.html">77 incidents</a> recorded between 2011-2016, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.
According to Copts United, a <a href="https://www.christiandaily.com/news/coptic-christians-are-attacked-in-two-villages-in-egypt.html">similar attack</a> took place on Friday in the village of Al-Kom Al-Ahmar, after a local Evangelical group was given permission to build a church there.
Bishop Macarius himself <a href="https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2013/09/30/minya-bishop-escapes-assassination-attempt/">survived an assassination attempt</a> in 2013.
The exact number of Christians within the country is contested, and the officially Islamic Egyptian government has been accused of trying to downplay the size of its Christian minority – <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2011/02/16/how-many-christians-are-there-in-egypt/">estimates</a> range anywhere from 5-15% of the country’s 111 million people, although it is generally agreed that the share is shrinking – likely as a result of conversion, migration, or lower fertility rates compared to Egypt&#8217;s Muslim majority.
The majority of Egypt&#8217;s Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church, which claims descent from the Patriarchate of Alexandria, one of the 5 major centers of early Christianity, alongside Rome, Constantinople, Antioch and Jerusalem. The Coptic Church broke away from what would become the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches in 451 AD after the Council of Chalcedon, over theological differences, and remained the dominant religion in Egypt until the country was conquered in 641 by Muhammed’s immediate successors in the Rashidun (“rightly guided”) Caliphate.
Egypt is also home to hundreds of thousands of Eastern Orthodox Christians, Protestants and Catholics.
“An unacceptable culture of intimidation and discrimination is still far too prevalent in this region despite positive steps taken by the Egyptian authorities in recent years, and the personal commitment of President Sisi to fight sectarian extremism and promote equality of citizenship,” Christian Solidarity Worldwide President Mervyn Thomas said in a <a href="https://www.christiandaily.com/news/coptic-christians-are-attacked-in-two-villages-in-egypt.html">press statement</a>. “Egyptian citizens should all be free to practice any religion or belief of their choosing without fear of threats or physical violence.”

Two towered church standing in the middle of the farms of a village in Egypt

Islamist Extremists Attack & Burn Christian Homes In Egypt

Christian

Islam

Islamists

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Menendez</a> (D-NJ) appears set to try to blame his wife, Nadine Menendez, for the federal bribery charges that the couple is facing, according to newly unsealed court documents.
“At trial, as part of his defense, Senator Menendez may elect to testify to communications with his wife that serve to materially decrease any inference of culpability on Senator Menendez’s part,” the motion <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/04/16/us-news/sen-bob-menendez-may-throw-wife-nadine-under-the-bus-in-corruption-trial-court-docs-show/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a>. “Senator Menendez will explain, for example, what he and his wife discussed contemporaneously with their dinners with Egyptian officials (which colored his understanding of the purpose of such dinners); the explanations that Nadine provided for why [co-defendants Wael Hanna and Jose Uribe] had provided her certain monetary items; the reasons why he sent his wife a series of questions that other Senators purportedly intended to ask an Egyptian official; and many more topics.”
The 70-year-old senator is planning to show the &#8220;absence of any improper intent on Senator Menendez&#8217;s part&#8221; by &#8220;demonstrating the ways&#8221; that his wife &#8220;withheld information from Sen. Menendez or otherwise led him to believe that nothing unlawful was taking place,&#8221; the document continued.
The document added that by &#8220;demonstrating the absence of any improper intent on Senator Menendez’s part, they may inculpate Nadine.&#8221;
Menendez and his wife were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senator-bob-menendez-to-not-run-for-re-election-as-a-democrat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicted</a> on federal charges in September for allegedly accepting bribes from three businessmen in exchange for actions that he took as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. According to the DOJ, the alleged bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt.
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Prosecutors later said in a revised indictment that Menendez also allegedly used his clout to help a friend secure a multi-million dollar investment deal from the Qatari government, in part by taking actions that benefited Qatar.
In a subsequent superseding indictment, Menendez was also charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, public official acting as a foreign agent, bribery, extortion and honest services wire fraud.

US Senator Menendez defiantly rejects calls to step down

Democrat Senator Menendez Poised To Blame His Wife For Alleged Crimes: Reports

Crime

Here’s how World War III could happen.
To understand how, we should look historically at the closest that the world has gotten to World War III since the end of World War II.
The world came closest to World War III during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the Soviet Union attempted to ship nuclear-tipped missiles into Cuba and the United States put a blockade around Cuba to prevent that from happening.
The United States and the USSR stood eyeball-to-eyeball and eventually the USSR backed down. But — that was very, very close.
To understand why we came so close to the brink of nuclear war in 1962, you actually have to reverse field for a few years.
The reality is that the USSR started to challenge the United States so strenuously around the world because of roughly a decade of weakness in American foreign policy.
This is how world wars break out — miscalculation. They break out because one side believes that the other side is likely to cave in the face of its aggression.
It&#8217;s particularly true when the United States shows its neck to its enemies. So to really understand what was happening in the lead-up to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, you have to return to 1956, when Dwight Eisenhower was president and there was a crisis that emerged in the Middle East.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1930-world-war-iii-china-edition-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h4>
That crisis involved the Suez Canal. Nasser, the nationalist, pan-Arab nationalist leader of Egypt, decided that he was going to unite all the Arab countries by flexing muscle in the face of the West. And so he decided that despite the fact that he had nothing to do with the building of the Suez Canal, he would nationalize the Suez Canal.
The French and the British both had an interest in the Suez Canal. And they said to Nasser, you can&#8217;t do that. The United States stood on the sidelines and vacillated for a couple of reasons: They believed that if they were kind enough to Nasser, then Nasser would not align himself with the Soviet Union and that Nasser might, in fact, become the tip of the spear in some sort of American overture to the Arab world; if they were just kind and nice to Nasser, then everything would work out just fine. They were supposedly afraid that the USSR was going to get directly involved in the Suez Canal crisis.
Meanwhile, the British were no longer an international power of the sort of vintage they had been historically. The British and the French, who had historically not worked particularly well together, decided to work with the Israelis in order to liberate the Suez Canal, which the British had built.
They went to the Israelis, who were worried about the Egyptian militarization of the Sinai Desert, and Israel decided that it would work with the British and the French in order to free the Suez Canal and possibly overthrow Nasser and put in place somebody who was not going to be an enemy of the West.
The Israelis ended up moving into the Sinai desert, which they quickly overran, and then they were on the march to Cairo.
The plan was for the British and the French to intervene, tell the Israelis to stop, and take over the Suez Canal.
And then — Eisenhower stepped in and rapped everyone on the knuckles. The United States actually stepped in on Egypt’s side and said to the British and the French that this was a violation of international law, hoping Nasser would then align himself with the West. The United States was basically saying to the British and the French that they were no longer world powers.
Again, the Egyptian government didn&#8217;t build the Suez Canal. The British government did it. None of that mattered; the bottom line was that the United States decided to play non-aligned. And in playing non-aligned, Nikita Khrushchev, the new premier of the Soviet Union, decided now was the time to move.
The next thing that happened, just a few months later, was that there was an uprising in Hungary, a state in the Soviet sphere of influence. Suddenly there was a Hungarian revolution, an attempt to actually substitute the puppet government that had been installed by the Soviets with a new government, a better government that was going to essentially remain non-aligned.
The Soviets immediately invaded Hungary and crushed everything and killed everyone involved in the Hungarian revolution of 1956. By 1957, Sputnik was launched and the space race was on. By 1958, Nikita Khrushchev, believing that he had the impetus, felt he had the power to challenge the United States globally.
In 1958, he demanded the withdrawal of American troops and Western troops from Berlin, beginning what was known as the Berlin crisis. For three long years, the Soviet Union and the United States stood toe-to-toe over Berlin.
Meanwhile, the Soviet Union facilitated a Cuban revolution that ended with Fidel Castro in charge of Cuba. In 1961, Khrushchev stepped in and solved the Berlin crisis by building the Berlin Wall, which lasted until 1989.
All of this led to the Cuban Missile crisis.
There is one rule when it comes to World War: Lack of clarity in your intention, vacillation, failure to make clear to your enemies what exactly your lines are.
Fake bluffs, empty threats. These things lead to war. Very often the open threat of war actually deters war. Very often, the willingness to actually flex muscle leads the other side to believe, “Hey, maybe I shouldn’t actually go and have this firefight with somebody. They&#8217;re ready to have the firefight.”
Miscalculation is the most likely way the great powers end up in war. That&#8217;s precisely what happened during World War I and happened during World War II. The Germans miscalculated because they thought that since the West had caved at Munich and because they&#8217;d been able to occupy the Sudetenland, they would then be able to then occupy the rest of Czechoslovakia. The aftermath of that was that they thought they could then occupy the Danzig corridor.
Failure of willingness to convey your intention, failure to act as an iron wall against the aggression of your enemies, leads to escalation. And then you actually do get dragged into hot wars that involve extraordinary numbers of casualties.
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Today there is a story out of the <a href="https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/131715/taiwan-usa-troops-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Express</a> that American troops are to be permanently stationed in Taiwan, according to Taipei.
Meanwhile, the Chinese are buzzing the borders of the Taiwan Strait, which is divided between Taiwan and China in terms of offshore control. Chinese jets have been busing the Taiwan Straits. The Chinese are again pursuing hypersonic missile tests.
Now, why would they be doing all of this? The reason they are doing that is because Joe Biden has demonstrated he&#8217;s showing his neck while China has been busily facilitating the creation of an anti-American, anti-Western alliance predominantly staffed by China, Russia and Iran.
Those are countries that are very obviously working together, so much so that the Houthis, an Iranian-backed terror group that is currently attacking shipping in the Red Sea, announced that they would not attack any Chinese or Russian shipping in the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden.
What the Biden administration should be doing is taking the position that it is going to destroy any Houthi attempts to harass shipping in the Red Sea. What the United States should be doing in Ukraine is holding the line; the United States does have an interest in holding the line against Russia. The United States, when it comes to Israel, should be saying that Israel has the full capacity to go in to strike Hamas, which is an Iranian proxy group.
The reason that China is getting aggressive with Taiwan, the reason that a war could possibly break out is because China is thinking, “We just don&#8217;t believe that Joe Biden is going to do anything about that. Not only that, you guys look so divided internally in the United States on foreign policy that if we make a move, we think that probably you will just let it go.&#8221;
The single most effective method of upgrading Chinese military capacity is to take or blockade Taiwan. It&#8217;s not about the money for the Chinese military; it is about the microchips. Taiwan is the largest manufacturer of microchips, sophisticated microchips on the planet.
Those microchips are the single greatest advantage the United States has in terms of military tech, because we design all the software here and then the hardware is then printed off and created in Taiwan, but we&#8217;re not even able to ramp up our microchip facilities in the United States fast enough to make up for Taiwan being lost.
But mostly, this is about will.
After the abandonment of Hong Kong, after the abandonment of Afghanistan, after the internal pressures in the United States over Ukraine and Israel, the Chinese are hoping that Taiwan is going to get the message and elect a government that is friendlier to China and then just give them the microchips. Suddenly their military would go from a very large but second-rate military to a first-class military.
It is a game of perception. How does the world perceive Joe Biden right now? They perceive him as weak. How does the world perceive the United States? They perceive the United States as divided. When you have a weak president and a divided United States, that seems like a really good time to march.
And that&#8217;s precisely why it matters.

Russia Holds 75th Anniversary Victory Parade Over The Nazis In WWII

Here’s How World War III Could Happen

Ben Shapiro

Biden Administration

China

Communism

Cuba

Joe Biden

Readers Pass

Russia

Soviet Union

Taiwan

On Christmas Day, reports were posted that Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two terrorist groups that run Gaza, had rejected an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire with Israel.
The proposal reportedly suggested that Hamas and Islamic Jihad give up their control of Gaza.
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Egyptian sources: Hamas, Islamic Jihad reject giving up power in return for permanent ceasefire. Hamas and PIJ care about staying in power — even at the cost of Gaza’s civilians.<a href="https://t.co/BjtZv2IXKN">https://t.co/BjtZv2IXKN</a>
&mdash; Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraelWarRoom/status/1739298022264111337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“It goes down to the fact that Hamas has a problem, at least Yahya Sinwar, Hamas in Gaza, has a bit of a problem recognizing the reality on the ground; perhaps that’s the problem when you’re stuck in a tunnel and not being able to see what’s happening above ground,” I24 News senior editor Guy Azriel stated. “But more specifically, regarding this Egyptian proposal: the idea is to relinquish Hamas’ power in Gaza in return for a permanent ceasefire. Hamas and Islamic Jihad rejected this and rejected any sort of concessions beyond the return of Israeli hostages, as we saw in the previous pause back in November.”
“Egypt perhaps has suggested this new vision for Gaza that would see new elections in Gaza, new leadership, would see an overhaul in the management of the Gaza Strip; something that Hamas, for now, fails to understand will have to happen. In addition to that, Egypt also offers an immunity for the heads of Hamas, not to be chased, not to be prosecuted. Of course, this is something Israel has been saying all along, that it will hunt the heads of Hamas, those responsible for the October 7 massacre.”
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Following Hamas’s, PIJ’s rejection of an Egyptian offer for a ceasefire and hostage release deal<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/i24NEWS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#i24NEWS</a>’ senior editor <a href="https://twitter.com/GuyAz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GuyAz</a> breaks down the details of the suggested deal and the sides&#39; reactions <a href="https://t.co/0YOVC4Aa8c">pic.twitter.com/0YOVC4Aa8c</a>
&mdash; i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) <a href="https://twitter.com/i24NEWS_EN/status/1739306355452748161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Recent video shows gunfire erupting, reported as coming from Hamas, when Gazans attempted to obtain humanitarian aid sent into Gaza.
https://twitter.com/AlonRok/status/1738927870288810054
“Videos circulating on social media Sunday showed gunmen, reportedly Hamas operatives, stealing trucks delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip from Egypt,” The Times of Israel<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/gaza-aid-trucks-stolen-by-gunmen-and-looted-as-convoys-start-crossing-from-israel/"> reported</a> in mid-December.
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Other videos reportedly show Hamas stealing aid meant for Gazans, and the anger of at least one resident at Hamas for its behavior.
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Videos are showing Hamas stealing trucks of humanitarian aid that enter Gaza.
Masked and armed men sit on top of the trucks. Hebrew-language media reports the men are from Hamas. <a href="https://t.co/6TMsh12efp">pic.twitter.com/6TMsh12efp</a>
&mdash; Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) <a href="https://twitter.com/AvivaKlompas/status/1736373828563935577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The videos of what Hamas is doing to the civilians of Gaza are increasingly horrendous. 
Hamas shoots their own people when they get too close to humanitarian aid in Rafah.
Hamas beats their own people with bats in the street when someone tries to interfere in Khan Yunis.… <a href="https://t.co/0KxwvbGV7Y">pic.twitter.com/0KxwvbGV7Y</a>
&mdash; Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) <a href="https://twitter.com/HenMazzig/status/1738960977243025888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Roughly a week after the October 7 Hamas massacre of 1200 Israelis, UNRWA, the UN organization under whose umbrella Palestinian children are taught to hate Israel, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/un-refugee-agency-says-hamas-stole-fuel-and-medications-from-its-gaza-premises/">reported</a> on X that Hamas authorities in the Gaza Strip had stolen fuel and medical supplies; it almost immediately deleted the posts, then later declared nothing had been stolen.
A <a href="https://www.impact-se.org/wp-content/uploads/Review-of-2022-UNRWA-Produced-School-Materials.pdf">review</a> of UNRWA-Produced Study Materials in the Palestinian Territories found UNRWA, which reportedly provides education to 533,000 children, had produced material that “consistently ignores the existence of the State of Israel,” in one instance using demonic imagery, with Israeli forces portrayed as a demon sticking its “fangs” in Palestine. One question for fifth graders “states that angels will drag infidels (Jews and Christians) by their hair to hell,” the review pointed out.
While Gazans live under the iron rule of Hamas, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, reportedly worth more than $4 billion, Khaled Mashal, reportedly worth $4 billion, and senior Hamas political leader Abu Marzuk, estimated to be worth $3 billion, all reside in Qatar, which gives Hamas between $120 million and $480 million per year, according to a report from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD).

Yahia al/Sinwar

Hamas, Islamic Jihad Reject Egyptian Proposal For Ceasefire, Won’t Give Up Power: Report

Ceasefire

Islamic Jihad

ABC News Senior White House correspondent Selina Wang asked <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-kirby" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Kirby</a> to explain the factors &#8220;beyond Hamas&#8221; that were complicating the United States&#8217; efforts to get Americans and other civilians out of Gaza — but Kirby was adamant that Hamas was quite literally the only roadblock.
&#8220;Why have Americans and foreign nationals still been unable to get out of Gaza, even though aid trucks have been going in?&#8221; Wang asked. &#8220;Beyond putting the blame on Hamas, what more can you say what&#8217;s going on there and what the progress is?&#8221;
WATCH:
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ABC&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/selinawangtv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SelinaWangTV</a>: &quot;Why have Americans and foreign nationals still been unable to get out of Gaza, even though aid trucks have been going in? Beyond putting the blame on hamas, what more can you say what&#39;s going on there &amp; what the progress is?&quot;
John Kirby: &quot;How about if I… <a href="https://t.co/O6bXJrZu91">pic.twitter.com/O6bXJrZu91</a>
&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1719417261696426314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Kirby immediately pushed back, saying that Hamas was the only obstacle that needed to be addressed, and he noted that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said the same during a Senate hearing earlier in the day.
&#8220;How about if I just put the blame on Hamas?&#8221; Kirby countered. &#8220;I mean, Secretary Blinken talked about this in his hearing this morning. They are putting obstacles up to allow us to get folks out. It&#8217;s not Israel, it&#8217;s not Egypt, it&#8217;s not places like Jordan. Hamas has been making it difficult to do this.&#8221;
Blinken <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/31/news/hamas-traps-1000-americans-in-gaza-as-last-us-charter-plane-leaves-israel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed the issue</a> during a Tuesday morning hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, saying that some 400 Americans and their families (approximately 1,000 people) and another 5,000 civilians from other countries were waiting for a safe route out of Gaza, and Hamas terrorists had refused to open the gates and allow them passage.
&#8220;We’re working with various parties to try to facilitate their departure from Gaza. The impediment is simple: it’s Hamas,&#8221; Blinken said. &#8220;We’ve not yet found a way to get them out through whatever place and by whatever means that Hamas is not blocking, but we’re working that with intermediaries.&#8221;
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&#8220;We’re working on it with with Egypt. We’re working on it with Israel. We’re looking for ways to get people out,&#8221; Blinken added. &#8220;But because Hamas controls what goes on for the most part inside of Gaza, unless it agrees, then it’s going to be very difficult to get that done.&#8221;

White House Media Briefing Held By Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre And NSC Coordinator John Kirby

Reporter Tries To Get Kirby To Shift Some Blame Off Hamas; He Doesn’t Bite

Reporter Tries To Get Kirby To Shift Some Blame Off Hamas; He Doesn't Bite

Antony Blinken

Executive

John Kirby

The New York Times corrected a report on Saturday that the publication said misquoted the chief spokesman of the United Nations Secretary General’s office. 
Over the weekend, the Times <a href="https://twitter.com/guypbenson/status/1715814648476299337" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said that the 20 aid shipments that entered Gaza on Saturday were not inspected before crossing the border with Egypt, meaning that weapons could have potentially been included in the trucks. A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/21/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">correction</a> to that statement was issued shortly after. 
“Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article misquoted Stéphane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for the U.N. secretary general’s office,” the statement from the Times said. “Mr. Dujarric did not say the first aid convoy that crossed from Egypt into Gaza had not been inspected for weapons. He said the Israeli side was fully aware of their contents.”
The initial report claimed that the inventories of the trucks had been provided to Egypt, the United Nations, and Israel, in addition to paperwork – but that their contents had not been inspected, based on a misquotation from Dujarric. According to the Times, the verification of the contents of cargo has been a major <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/21/world/middleeast/humanitarian-aid-gaza-israel-cairo.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demand</a> from Israel in attempts to prevent weapons and other non-aid items from being smuggled into Gaza. 
“All of the equipment was checked before going into Gaza,” Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-denies-humanitarian-aid-not-checked-for-weapons-before-entering-gaza/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> following the report from the Times, saying that only water, food, and medical equipment were sent. “We emphasize that Israel is able to make sure that nothing goes in or out except the aforementioned.”
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However, the same corrected report also cited anonymous sources who said that the truckloads of aid “did not require physical inspections” because they were part of an &#8220;expedited process.&#8221; Future shipments, the report notes, would not be sent under that process. Once across the border, the aid was set to be distributed by a nonprofit called the &#8220;Palestine Red Crescent Society,&#8221; an organization founded by Yassar Arafat&#8217;s brother. 
The 20 trucks that made their way into Gaza through the Rafah Crossing reportedly included food, water, and medicine, but no fuel, as Israel fears Hamas would use fuel for their vehicles or weapons. On Sunday, however, Egyptian sources and officials from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/unrwa-claims-fuel-trucks-enter-gaza-israel-denies-any-fuel-has-entered-strip/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that six trucks carrying fuel crossed into Gaza from Egypt. Journalists from the Associated Press at the Rafah Crossing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-gaza-war-syria-lebanon-916edd66e3af095d49e5ba1c59d90c2a?taid=65350fa81014b1000196041b&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that they had witnessed seven fuel trucks enter Gaza on Sunday. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#8217;s office and Israel&#8217;s defense ministry body COGAT <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/unrwa-claims-fuel-trucks-enter-gaza-israel-denies-any-fuel-has-entered-strip/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dispute</a> any reports of fuel entering Gaza. 
At least 17 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza on Sunday, according to Egyptian state-run media. Saturday’s shipment was the first since Hamas carried out a devastating attack on Israel two weeks ago, killing more than 1,400 people in the country and wounding thousands more. According to the Associated Press, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-egypt-gaza-border-crossing-aid-convoy-f061274acdc00788c9a7985d57aa84e0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approximately</a> 200 trucks holding roughly 3,000 tons of aid for Gaza are waiting in Egypt. 
In a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/21/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-the-delivery-of-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, President Joe Biden said shipments of humanitarian aid to Gaza were “essential.” 
“We will continue to work with all parties to keep the Rafah crossing in operation to enable the continued movement of aid that is imperative to the welfare of the people of Gaza, and to continue working to protect civilians, consistent with obligations under international humanitarian law,” Biden said.

Aid To Gaza Rafah Crossing

NYT Corrects Report Claiming Aid Trucks Entering Gaza Weren’t Checked For Weapons

NYT Corrects Report Claiming Aid Trucks Entering Gaza Weren't Checked For Weapons 

New York Times

weapons

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