This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – Events in the Middle East are moving so fast it's almost impossible to keep on top of them.

This could not be more true of the country formerly known as Syria, which stands at the precipice of potential Balkanization, as competing forces try to take stock of the political landscape following the massive power vacuum created by President Bashar al-Assad's rapid demise.

Initially, the most obvious "winner" from Assad's fall seemed to be Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan, its increasingly Islamist long-standing leader. However, events in the last day or so, have highlighted how a more nuanced approach is called for in determining where each piece might fit on this highly charged Middle Eastern chessboard.

The bald facts seemed to be these: Turkey's Erdogan viewed Syria's Assad, once a friend and ally, as an enemy to be gotten rid of (fighting a civil war in which millions of refugees are externally displaced across your border will do that); and he thought he possessed the means to do so. Step forward Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, or HTS, a Turkish-armed jihadist group whose stronghold was in the Idlib area of northwestern Syria, abutting the border with Turkey, and the so-called rebel Syrian National Army, or SNA.

Erdogan's government is reported to have made overtures to the Assad regime as recently as late November, suggesting it should make some concessions to the opposition or risk the somewhat dormant 13-year civil war erupting again. Assad did not heed the warning, and now he is a stateless guest of Russian President Vladiimr Putin in Moscow. For how long this is the case remains to be seen.

To be sure, Turkey does not back all the groups that have caused Assad's fall, some are also supported by another destabilizing influence in the Middle East, namely Qatar. It's a somewhat bitter irony Turkey is a full NATO ally and Qatar, which is by no means averse to playing both sides of the ball (as it were), has special ally status with the United States. For now, at least.

The presence of the SNA in particular has allowed Turkey to continue its war of ethnic cleansing against the Kurds, who have been fighting for an independent Kurdistan for generations. Greater Kurdistan encompasses northern Iraq, southeastern Turkey, northern Syria and northwestern Iran. In fact, Turkey has been fighting the Kurds and attempting to prevent the establishment of an independent state across this region for more than 100 years – barely a year after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1922.

Both HTS and SNA have problematic histories, especially where atrocities are considered. HTS is an off-shoot of Islamic State, its leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani commanded the Al-Nusra Front. He broke with now-deceased ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi over a dispute regarding subsuming Al-Nusra into the wider Islamic State tent, and not because of divergent ideology. Al-Jolani, whose wanted poster with a bounty of $10 million and shows him wearing a turban, did not want his autonomy curtailed, and struck out with his own organization.

He now stands as a potentially powerful nemesis against the machinations of a politician who British journalist and polemicist Douglas Murray terms, "Caliph" Erdogan. While Al-Jolani might be able to gull many in the West, who want to believe his message of toleration of religious differences and a smoothing of his formerly very rough edges – in much the same way the unreformed Taliban did in Afghanistan – it is doubtful Erdogan will fall for the same trick. Indeed, Anakara already designates HTS as a terrorist organization.

At the time of writing, reports are already appearing of Yazidi, Kurdish, and Christian women being abducted to presumably be used as sex slaves. There are other reports of fighters enforcing modesty laws for women, much like the Taliban in Afghanistan or those of the Islamic regime in Iran.

Did Erdogan overplay his hand with Russia?

Erdogan will also have to answer for what some in Russia consider his betrayal of them. The respective presidents of Russia and Turkey seem to have a solid working relationship. Both are Eurasian countries, and both were formerly possessors of mighty empires. They also share a wariness of the West, despite Turkey's membership of NATO. On Dec. 8, Erdogan said, "There are only two leaders left in the world: Putin and me."

Despite his warm words to his Russian ally, Putin adviser Alexander Dugin, reportedly called Syria "a trap for Turkey."

"He has made a strategic mistake. He has betrayed Russia. He had betrayed Iran. He is doomed. Now the end of Kemal's Turkey has begun; we have supported you until now, from now on you'll repent."

Dugin's use of Kemal is an interesting historical nod, for it was Kemal Ataturk, modern Turkey's father-figure who preached a maxim of: "Peace at home; peace in the world."

While Erdogan has made little secret of his wish to return the Ottoman Empire to its former glory, it is an open question if Turkey has the clout – economic and military – to make that dream a reality. Was aiding the rebels to take over Syria the first step on that road? Or will it instead lead to destabilization and downfall?

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief

Pope Francis unveils Nativity scene, with Jesus swaddled in an Arab keffiyeh

On Saturday, Pope Francis attended a nativity scene titled "Nativity of Bethlehem 2024," crafted in the Judean city of the same name, by Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi and presented by Palestinian officials in Pope Paul VI Hall in Vatican City. The display depicting the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem featured baby Jesus swaddled in a keffiyeh.

Speaking at the event, a wheelchair-bound Francis called on Catholics to "remember the brothers and sisters, who, right there [in Bethlehem] and in other parts of the world, are suffering from the tragedy of war," adding, "enough war, enough violence!" and lamenting the existence of the commercial arms trade.

Benjamin Netanyahu gives court testimony at his corruption trial

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared at the Tel Aviv District Court Tuesday to defend himself against a number of charges relating to bribery, accepting illegal gifts, and corruption.

Some five years have passed since the unprecedented indictment of a sitting prime minister, and now Netanyahu will present his version of events in these cases over the course of weeks, possibly months.

U.S. assesses journalist Austin Tice is alive in Syria, thought to be held along with others as bargaining chip for former regime official

The Media Line confirms U.S. journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in Syria in 2012, and several other detained journalists are alive, but in urgent need of food and water. Tice, a former U.S. Marine Corps officer, and the other journalists are being hidden in a secure location by a member of the ousted Syrian regime who is attempting to ensure their safe escape from the country.

Efforts to ensure the safety of the detained journalists are ongoing. A source in Damascus told The Media Line that Tice and the others have been without food or water since the regime fell. Deliveries are impossible as the person protecting them is in a separate location, and any movement risks compromising their safety.

U.K. considers removing HTS from terrorism list

Cabinet Minister Pat McFadden announced Monday that the British government will review its terrorist designation of the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), signaling a possible modification of the U.K.'s official stance toward the organization. McFadden clarified that no decision has been reached regarding the current ban on HTS, the jihadi organization which has spearheaded the opposition campaign against the now-fallen Assad regime.

IDF strikes some 300 targets in Syria, dozens of aircraft, almost entire Syrian navy reported destroyed

The Israeli Navy carried out a significant strategic operation against the Syrian Navy overnight Tuesday, destroying a large number of vessels and preventing weapons from falling into the hands of jihadist terrorists.

In effect, Israel's action destroyed the Syrian Navy's ships. This joins a large-scale operation by the Air Force in the past two days in which Syrian Air Force aircraft were destroyed: MiG-29 and Sukhoi fighter jets, and helicopters at bases throughout Syria.

Dutch leader Geert Wilders meets with Netanyahu in Jerusalem

Dutch political leader Geert Wilders has met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the latter's office in Jerusalem, the prime minister's office says.

Wilders posted to X that he told Netanyahu "in 1 year — by crushing Hamas, pulverizing Hezbollah and significantly weakening Iran — he has done more to fight (international) terrorism than the EU has done in the last 70 years!"

Israel denies Qatari report about Hamas sharing names ahead of proposed hostage-prisoner swap

Israel denied a Dec. 9 report that the Iran-backed terrorist organization Hamas had provided a list of Israeli hostages seized during its Oct. 7, 2023, atrocities.

In a statement sent to hostage families on Dec. 9, Israel said a report published in the London-based Qatari newspaper al-Araby al-Jadeed stating Hamas was willing to release the listed hostages to Egyptian negotiators as part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations was "not correct."

Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a televised address that the overthrow of the Iran-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria meant that Hamas's isolation "opens another opening to making progress on a deal that will bring our hostages back."

World Central Kitchen forced to fire 12% of Gaza staff after failing security background checks

Some 60 of the 500 Gaza workers for World Central Kitchen, the Washington-based food relief charity, have lost their jobs after failing an Israeli security background check.

Fadi Hamad, who started working with the group four months ago, said he was suspended on the basis of "a security check that recommended that I no longer continue working."

Shocking revelation … NOT. Captured records show Hamas controlled UNRWA schools in Gaza

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, managed schools throughout Gaza until they were closed following Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war. Employing approximately 13,000 staff members, including many in its schools, the agency is responsible for ensuring the neutrality of its facilities in conflict areas by preventing terrorists from accessing its premises or being on its payroll.

However, interviews and an analysis of records shared with the New York Times by the Israeli military and foreign ministry suggest UNRWA employed at least 24 people across 24 different schools, who were members of Hamas or the Islamic Jihad. Before the war, UNRWA oversaw a total of 288 schools housed within 200 building complexes in Gaza.

WATCH: Syrians in Damascus pull down statue of former Syrian dictator Hafez al-Assad

Israel denies its tanks reached Qatana, within 15 miles of Damascus

The Israeli military on Tuesday denied reports that its tanks were advancing towards Damascus, insisting that Israeli forces were stationed in a buffer zone near the Israeli-Syrian border.

"The reports circulated by some media outlets claiming that the Israeli Defense Forces (military) are advancing towards or nearing Damascus are completely false," military spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote on X. "The IDF forces are stationed within the buffer zone and at defensive points near the border in order to protect Israel's borders."

IDF eliminates 10-man Hamas terrorist cell responsible for deaths of 3 Israeli troops in Jabalia

An IDF aircraft killed 10 of the Palestinian terrorists responsible for the deaths of three soldiers in the Gaza Strip on Monday, the military announced in a statement on Tuesday morning.

"In a joint operation of the 401st Brigade and the air force, an aircraft attacked and eliminated ten of the terrorists who took part in yesterday's terror act, in which Staff Sgt. Ido Zano, Staff Sgt. Barak Daniel Halpern and Sgt. Omri Cohen, of blessed memory, fell," the army stated.

The three soldiers, all members of the Givati Brigade's "Shaked" Battalion, were reportedly killed by a Hamas anti-tank missile during counterterror operations in the Jabalia area of the northern Strip.

U.N. kept quiet when Turkey ethnically cleansed 200,00 Kurds; criticizes IDF presence in Syria buffer zone as 'violation of 1974 agreement'

The United Nations accused Israel of having violated the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Syria, after Jerusalem informed the U.N. Security Council that it had taken "limited and temporary measures" in a demilitarized strip on the border in Syrian territory to counter any threats to the Israeli Golan Heights.

Gallant speech at Washington, D.C. synagogue canceled over 'security concerns'

Adas Israel, the largest Conservative synagogue in Washington, D.C., canceled a planned event on Monday with former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing a security threat.

The synagogue shared with JNS a follow-up statement from its executive committee that was sent to congregants on Monday.

"Due to specific security concerns that arose in connection with this event, Adas Israel Congregation canceled the scheduled speaking engagement with former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant," the committee stated. "Contrary to speculation, this decision was not based on the event's subject matter, but rather on our commitment to the safety of our community."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The behavior of a researcher funded by the National of Institutes of Health, in hiding the results of a long-running study on the effects of puberty blockers on children, already has been called out by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

In his recent letter to NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, Rubio drew specific attention to an NIH-funded study by Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy, of the Center for Transyouth Health and Development at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Despite the Obama administration's decision to support Olson-Kennedy's study more than nine years ago, the findings have yet to be released, allegedly out of fear of the political repercussions.

Rubio has charged that Olson-Kennedy was part of a group of researchers who received nearly $6 million from NIH to study physical and mental health outcomes for children who receive puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone treatments as part of "transitioning" to the opposite sex.

Olson-Kennedy outlined a few of her findings in a 2020 report that said approximately a quarter of the children in the study who received these transgender medical treatments were experiencing depression or suicidal ideation.

"According to [Olson-Kennedy], she fears the findings will be used to show that puberty blockers do not improve the mental health of youth," Rubio warned.

Now the fact that those findings have been concealed may bring more trouble to Olson-Kennedy.

A report in Just the News explains that "the walls are closing in on perhaps the most influential youth gender-transition physician in America after she admitted hiding the results of her federally funded study that failed to find mental health improvements from so-called gender affirming care, contradicting her prior characterization of the study's population to explain the results."

A lawsuit with Olson-Kennedy as a defendant has been brought by UCLA student Kaya Clementine Breen, who detransitioned and reportedly can back her claims by using Olson-Kennedy's own case notes about her.

Breen lawyer Jordan Campbell told Just the News that those notes cannot be shared yet.

But multiple Republican senators just last week joined House Oversight Committee Republicans to demand the NIH turn over information on Olson-Kennedy's study and the results.

The report explained that decision on the study "helped create a false medical consensus on puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgical interventions for gender-confused youth."

"This case is about a team of purported health care providers who collectively decided that a vulnerable girl struggling with complex mental health struggles and suffering from multiple instances of sexual abuse should be prescribed a series of life-altering" drugs at age 12 and breast removal at 14, the lawsuit by Breen charges.

The court filing charges the sexual abuse started at age six or seven and may be related to her "anxiety, depression, presumed autism, and undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder."

The case charges, "This so-called 'treatment' of Clementine by her providers represents a despicable, failed medical experiment and a knowing, deliberate, and gross breach of the standard of care that was substantially certain to cause serious harm."

Other defendants are CHLA, UC San Francisco's St. Francis Memorial Hospital, surgeon Scott Mosser and his Gender Confirmation Center of San Francisco, and therapist Susan Landon.

Among those claims made by the medical industry representatives, the lawsuit says, is that "Breen would kill herself if subsequently denied testosterone."

The claims by Breen charge that Olson-Kennedy, in "minutes," diagnosed her with "gender dysphoria and recommended surgical implantation of puberty blockers" based on a "handful of platitudinal statements" – such as "I mostly have boy friends."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

We have heard so much talk about "Good Samaritans" these days – especially with the Daniel Penny case in the news. Penny was just cleared of charges in the Manhattan criminal case against him.

Penny physically subdued Jordan Neely, a homeless, allegedly mentally ill man, who was threatening other riders in a subway in New York City in May 2023. Neely, who had previously been arrested 42 times, including three times for assaulting women on the subway, died shortly after the incident, which was recorded on video by a bystander. Penny is white; Neely was black.

Many opine that it's criminal that Daniel Penny was ever even charged, with Neely's death having been a clearly unintentional tragedy occasioned by Neely's threatening behavior. Others call Penny a vigilante racist. Already some critics have noted that any potential would-be Good Samaritans might think twice before trying to help. Why get involved?

To many, it was tragic that Daniel Penny had to go through the anguish of the case. To Black Lives Matters protesters, Penny is a racist.

But step back a moment from this particular case, and look at the notion of a "Good Samaritan," which is deeply imbedded in society. Where does this ideal even come from?

Jesus told a parable one day, and He changed all of history. It is the parable of the Good Samaritan. It's found in Luke 10.

To paraphrase the story, a traveler is robbed and left for dead on the side of the road. A priest walks by and goes to the other side, ignoring the poor man. So also does a Levite – a Levite being a man of the tribe of Levi who served as an assistant to the priests.

But then another stranger sees the man in danger and stops to help him and to bring him to safety. The kind man was a Samaritan. And the parable concludes with Jesus telling His hearers, "You go, and do likewise."

Today we think of a Samaritan as one who goes around doing good, precisely because of the influence of this particular parable. But Samaritans were viewed as "half-breeds" whose blood and worship were no longer Jewish, and therefore looked down upon by the Jews. Thus, the parable of Christ had a twist for its first-century audience. The hero of his story was a hated Samaritan.

Jesus changes everything. He changed our views on charity, and He changed our views on treating others with dignity, regardless of their socio-economic class.

The Good Samaritan ethic, showing kindness to a stranger in need, has become a hallmark of our civilization. And like many aspects of our culture, it gets back to the Bible.

This influence is even recognized by legal scholars. For example, in a U.S. District Court case from 1983, Crockett v. Sorenson, the judges wrote of the influence of the Scriptures on American law – including the concept of the Good Samaritan.

They wrote, "Anglo-American law as we know it today is also heavily indebted to principles and concepts found in the Bible. … The 'good Samaritan' laws use a phrase lifted directly out of one of Jesus' parables."

Jesus went around doing good, taught others to do the same, and thereby unleashed the forces of charity in our society – through the Luke 10 parable and others as well.

The link between believing in Jesus and charitable giving and volunteering is well-documented.

Dr. Byron Johnson, a Baylor professor of social sciences, who is the founding director of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion, has been documenting the positive impact of practical Christianity.

For example, one of his 2021 research papers is entitled, "How Religion Contributes to the Common Good, Positive Criminology, and Justice Reform." He writes of the "staggering economic benefit to American society" by volunteers.

And whence come the volunteers? "As it turns out, religious affiliation and participation is one of the key factors predicting volunteer engagement, both in sacred and secular organizations. In sum, the more religious people happen to be, the more likely they are to volunteer."

Johnson adds, "Americans not only give financially, but they are also generous with their time. Volunteers donate to charity at considerably higher rates than non-volunteers."

As the late Mother Teresa, a quintessential Good Samaritan, once said: "Today God has sent us into the world as he sent Jesus, to show God's love to the world. And we must sacrifice to show that love, just as Jesus made the greatest sacrifice of all."

Good Samaritanism is good for society, even if some naysayers abide by the principle that "no good deed should go unpunished." Above all, Jesus' imprimatur of the Good Samaritan ethic alone makes it worthwhile, whatever the cost.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Want to see at art exhibit? At a public university?

You'll need to sign a waiver.

It's a report from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression that has confirmed the art is "controversial."

It's because, the report explains, featured are "prominent conservative politicians alongside swastikas, Nazis, anti-Semitic slogans, and the infamous white hoods worn by the Ku Klux Klan."

FIRE notes that art often is controversial – "Every great work of art is offensive to someone" – and it is working with the National Coalition Against Censorship to deliver to Eastern Tennessee State University a statement that the waiver signature requirement "places a real burden on the public's ability to anonymously enjoy art."

"In turn, this threatens to turn away potential viewers who may otherwise want to engage with protected works of art. Given the controversy over this exhibit, people who prefer not to alert bureaucrats to their personal activities are not going to put their names down on a list of attendees — and certainly not with lawmakers, ETSU officials, and the public up in arms about the exhibit," the organization explained.

The annual exhibit honors Fletcher Dyer, who was a graphic design student at ETSU when he died during his senior year in a 2009 motorcycle crash.

He once said, "I dream of making a difference in some way with my art. I might attempt to right political, social, and religious wrongs by showing the rest of society a glimpse of how I feel about serious issues in the world."

Since his death, the school has sponsored the FL3TCH3R Exhibit in his honor.

This year's product, with its various ingredients, "has drawn ire from elected officials and the public," FIRE reported.

ETSU President Brian Noland has refused to drop the exhibit events, but also has refused to leave it barrier-free, with the waiver signature requirement.

That apparently, along with warning signs, is to alert attendees about ideas they may find offensive.

But, FIRE reported, that mindset, is just like the "trigger warnings of the 2010s," a mindset that indoctrinates that people "must be protected from difficult ideas."

ETSU explains it is not the university's duty to "attempt to shield individuals from free speech," including those ideas that can be "offensive, unwise, immoral, indecent, disagreeable, conservative, liberal, traditional, radical, or wrong-headed."

FIRE is asking that the school remove the "onerous waiver requirement."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The open borders policies of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are suspected of pushing women and children into prostitution, according to a new report from the Washington Stand.

It was Pawel Styrna, of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, who explained, "This tragic reality underscores why the new administration's promises to secure our borders, end the incentives for foreign nationals to put their lives at the mercy of ruthless criminals, and begin the process of removing Tren de Aragua and other brutal gangs from our soil are fully justified.

"Those genuinely concerned about the welfare and safety of women and children should support secure borders and the rule of law, rather than misguided open-borders policies that empower and enrich cartels and gangs that force women, and even children, into prostitution."

The Washington Stand explained, "Human sex traffickers may have used a Biden administration program that imported tens of thousands of illegal immigrants a month into the United States 'to exploit women and girls,'" according to a new congressional report.

The review, from the House Judiciary Committee, cited the tens of thousands of illegal aliens the Biden administration moved into the United States – some 30,000 a month – from just Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela alone, under Biden's CHNV program.

"To mask the border crisis and artificially decrease historically high border encounters, President Biden and Vice President Harris implemented programs and policies that allowed aliens to bypass the southwest border so they would not be included as encounters in Border Patrol data," the report charged.

"Sex traffickers have potentially used CHNV to exploit women and girls. A fraud analysis of CHNV applications revealed that some applications that were sent from the same IP addresses were submitted on behalf of a high proportion of female CHNV aliens … raising concerns about potential sex trafficking. In one such case, 21 supporter applications were submitted from the same IP address on behalf of 18 females and only three males. At least six of the females were under the age of 18. Another concern surrounded the use of the same physical address by many supporters. According to the DHS analysis, 100 physical addresses were used at least 124 times each on behalf of 19,062 CHNV aliens," the report said.

The facts are, the report said, that Biden and Harris now are unable to account for some 320,000 children whom it placed with U.S. sponsors.

The CHNV program was halted briefly during the summer, but then restarted. At that time FAIR obtained evidence of the use of "666666666" as a Social Security number, over and over, 2,839 forms including non-existent zip codes. 1,908 forms with fictitious phone numbers and more than 1,800 applications with the same, 184-word answer to a question.

Thousands had the same email address.

Critics charge the program itself, besides being used illegally, violates the law itself, as Congress adopted a law years ago that allows the attorney general to parole illegal immigrants into the U.S. "on a case-by-case bases," not en masse.

"Year-end numbers showed 2024 was the second-worst year for illegal immigration in U.S. history, with 2,901,142 illegal border crossings during the fiscal year, which began in October 2023.," the report said.

The congressional report concluded that Biden and Harris are willing "to cast aside the best interests of Americans" and that willingness "has enabled fraud, undermined national security, and endangered public safety, all in favor of ensuring that hundreds of thousands of otherwise illegal aliens can come to the U.S. through CHNV,"

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Elections officials in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, have been warned about a possible legal action over their actions in banning an elections judge from having a Bible at his desk so he could read it during breaks from his official duties.

"The Constitution's Establishment Clause does not require that government employees be banned from expressing their religious faith. On the contrary, the Constitution requires equal treatment for religious expressions in the public sphere," explained the American Center for Law and Justice.

The organization is taking up the fight on behalf of John Goodhart, a dedicated judge of elections in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who was "unconstitutionally discriminated against while attempting to read his Bible during personal downtime at the polling place."

"The significance of this case goes beyond one election worker's right to read a Bible. It represents a critical stand against the growing trend of religious discrimination in public spaces. Our Founders understood that true religious freedom means protecting the right of individuals to express their faith – not creating a sterile environment that silences religious viewpoints," the ACLJ explained.

The organization's report on the developing battle explained the county banned the election poll worker "from having a Bible, outrageously calling it 'offensive.' We are taking major legal action to defend our client's religious liberty."

The ACLJ has begun with a letter dispatched to officials over their treatment of Goodhart, an experienced election worker in his second four-year term."

A "staff member" with the Allegheny County Elections Division ordered Goodhart to conceal his Bible because of a vague invocation of "separation of church and state."

"Goodhart has never had any previous issues with bringing his Bible to the polling place. It's been his routine practice, and no one has ever complained. He places the Bible off to the side whenever he engages in his official duties (as anyone would do with a personal item), and he only opens his Bible to read when things are quiet or if he has a break from his official duties. Goodhart has never proselytized to voters, in any way whatsoever," the legal team explained.

But on election day, a "staff member" from the elections division called him and said someone "complained" about his closed Bible among his personal effects.

"She ordered him to remove the Bible from view, as he was a functionary of the state within the polling place at that time," the legal team explained.

However, "Prohibiting Goodhart from reading a Bible while others engage in private activities violates the First Amendment," the county was informed.

"By reading his Bible during his personal time while on a break at his election desk, Goodhart is engaged in private activity, not within the scope of his employment. The Supreme Court's analysis in Kennedy of a similar matter should be dispositive here. Goodhart wishes to engage in private religious activity, during his personal time, when his fellow coworkers are, likewise, engaging in private, personal activity," the county was told.

Additionally, the Establishment Clause does not include a "modified heckler's veto," as there is "no right to stop someone from exercising their faith just because an observer is offended," the team instructed.

Specifically, "The Establishment Clause does not require censorship of religious symbols or personal religious activities. On the contrary, the Free Exercise Clause protects the right to personal religious activities," the legal team said.

The Supreme Court's verdict on such disputes has been that "attempting to censor religious activity in the name of protecting religious liberty actually undermines the very freedoms our Constitution seeks to protect," the report said.

"The Establishment Clause does not include anything like a 'modified heckler's veto, in which … religious activity can be proscribed' based on 'perceptions' or 'discomfort,'" the ACLJ said.

The letter charges the county with a need to affirm its support for constitutional rights.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – The fallout from the dramatic events over the last 48 hours or so in Syria continued Monday, as the future shape of the entire Middle East is still uncertain and lies hugely in the balance.

With so many questions on everyone's minds, one of the most pressing is whether Iran will now go all-out, release the shackles, and try to develop a nuclear bomb.

Alarm bells are already beginning to ring loudly among some in the international community. Indeed, the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, the autonomous nuclear watchdog, which reports to the United Nations General Assembly and also U.N. Security Council, recently warned Iran is poised to "dramatically" increase its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium. Already noted as long in June, this was a process it was already undertaking.

However, due to the current situation in Syria and the break-up of its lengthy land bridge, which connected the Mediterranean Sea to Tehran, and afforded it access to an unparalleled weapons delivery highway – and has left it somewhat isolated – there are fears it will accelerate its drive for the bomb.

One element of the increased stockpile of the weapons-grade uranium, which many missed, but the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, or FDD, did not, is how it is tied to the Islamic Republic's space program.

Indeed, the FDD noted last week how "Iran claimed its space program successfully launched its heaviest payload yet into space on Dec. 6, including a device capable of repositioning other satellites. The launch utilized the domestically produced, two-stage, liquid-fueled Simorgh rocket carrying the payload into orbit with a high point of 255 miles above Earth."

The importance of this, which a U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence also noted with alarm, "would shorten the timeline to produce an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) because of the shared technologies within space launch and ballistic missile capabilities."

If Assad's fall was a shock to Western intelligence officials – including Israel and U.S. – it must also have come as a surprise to his Iranian backers. Indeed, on Dec. 1, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was filmed having a fast-food dinner in Damascus, having just met with the now-deposed Syrian leader. He was also due to speak at the Doha Forum in Qatar on Sunday, but left early because of the pace of events in Syria.

The dismantling of the Assad regime also spells – for now at least – the end of a more than 20-year Iranian foreign policy goal of being able to join up Tehran-backed proxy groups – with the twin goal of annihilating the State of Israel, and furthering its hegemonic aims in the Mideast.

There are two other fairly obvious reasons for a potential dash for the bomb. As the failed Biden administration runs on the final fumes of its own incompetence, the Trump 2.0 team – no friend of the mullahs in Tehran – is waiting in the wings for only another 40 days or so.

Trump clearly has unfinished business with Iran, the highly credible reports of the Islamic Republic's attempts – or wishes at best – to suborn his assassination not being the least of them. Trump could point – with the backing of significant evidence – that his maximum pressure campaign was reaping dividends, in the way the Iranian economy was struggling and therefore left Tehran with less room to maneuver with regard to its destabilizing influence in the region. One can draw a direct causal link from the Biden-Harris administration releasing billions of dollars of cash, and the precipitous uptick in Iran's meddling.

The other pressing issue – which is not directly related to Trump's return to office, but could be – is the knowledge – both in Iran and outside – that Israel's late-October attack did indeed leave it almost completely vulnerable to attack, up to and including its nuclear sites.

Trump alluded to it in his Truth Social post, highlighting how Israel's lengthy and unprecedented strike has left Iran "vulnerable." They know it. Everyone else knows it too. And in about five weeks, the entire tenor of U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic will change dramatically.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Hamas submits names of hostages and their condition ahead of potential prisoner swap, including U.S. citizens

The Hamas terrorist group has submitted a list of hostages it proposes to free in the first stage of a ceasefire deal with Israel in addition to a list of Palestinian security prisoners held by Israel that it wants released, the London-based pan-Arab news site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reports.

Citing a source close to the talks, the report claims Israel is evaluating the list and could send a delegation to Cairo later today (Monday).

Saar: IAF hit Syrian chemical weapons, missile production sites

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar confirms Israel struck suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets in Syria in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile actors.

Sa'ar says that "the only interest we have is the security of Israel and its citizens."

"That's why we attacked strategic weapons systems, like, for example, remaining chemical weapons, or long-range missiles and rockets, in order that they will not fall in the hands of extremists.

U.S.-Israeli intelligence services surprised at speed of Assad's fall

Israeli and U.S. intelligence arrays failed to predict Assad's downfall. Even after the rebel offensive started two weeks ago, the assumption in Washington and Jerusalem was that even if the opposition forces managed to advance, Assad would somehow manage to cling to power.

But on Thursday, the tide began to turn. "We are seeing early signs of the collapse of the Syrian army," Israeli officials told JNS. These signs intensified over the weekend, until the fall of Damascus.

UAV fired from Yemen strikes residential building in central Israel

Residents in the central city of Yavne reported a loud explosion Monday morning followed by smoke rising from a building in the city.

Witnesses in the affected building, where a fire had broken out, claimed they saw a drone in the sky before the explosion.

"I heard a strange buzzing sound and then a loud noise," one neighbor recounted. Authorities are investigating the incident, especially as incoming warning alerts did not sound.

IDF special forces seize Syrian side of Mt. Hermon, secure key southern Syria border area

Following the fall of Syria's long-standing dictator Bashar al-Assad, and a lightning advance from Turkish and Qatari-backed Islamist insurgents, the Israel Defense Force moved to quickly secure – without opposition – the Syrian side of Mt. Hermon. The part that is in Israel is the highest point in the entire country and provides excellent visibility to the fertile valleys in the Galilee below, providing it with a crucial strategic importance.

Reports of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's demise in a supposedly mysterious plane crash proved premature, as it was revealed Sunday, Russia's President Vladimir Putin granted him, and his family, political asylum. Assad was due to have given a televised address acknowledging his resignation as president, but events quickly overtook that plan, and now stateless, he fled the country.

An Israeli civilian from the northern city of Nof Hagalil was arrested for carrying out missions on behalf of Iran, the Shin Bet security agency and police say, the latest in a series of espionage cases.

The suspect, Artyom Zolotarev, 33, was detained in November over suspicions he was "committing security offenses related to contact with Iranian intelligence officials and carrying out security missions in Israel under their direction, for financial gain," according to the Shin Bet.

The IDF on Monday named four reservists of the 226th Brigade's 9263rd Battalion killed when an underground compound collapsed during operational activity in southern Lebanon.

They were named as Maj. (res.) Evgeny Zinershain, 43, from Zichron Yaakov, a company commander; Capt. (res.) Sagi Ya'akov Rubinshtein, 31, from Lavie, a platoon commander; Master Sgt. (res.) Binyamin Destaw Negose, 28, from Beit Shemesh; and Sgt. 1st Class (res.) Erez Ben Efraim, 25, from Ramat Gan.

Sheikh Loai, the commander of the Syrian Druze force that liberated Sweida, a province with a considerable Druze population, spoke with Ynet on Sunday amid celebrations following the fall of President Bashar Assad's regime.

"As soon as the rebels began liberating northern Syria, we realized we had to act and remove all symbols of the tyrant Assad's rule, from police stations to military bases," he recounted.

Sweida, located in southern Syria, is the largest Druze stronghold in the Middle East, covering 5,550 square kilometers (2,142 square miles) and home to around 300,000 residents. Assad made significant efforts to limit the independence of the Druze community within his territory.

Australian police said on Monday they are hunting for three suspects over an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue, which has been designated as a terrorist act. Mask-wearing attackers set the Adass Israel Synagogue ablaze before dawn on Friday, police said, gutting much of the building. Some congregants were inside the single-story building at the time but no serious injuries were reported.

Recent excavations at the Church of St. Nicholas in Demre, Antalya, Turkey, have revealed a limestone sarcophagus that may be the burial site of Saint Nicholas, the Greek bishop whose life and deeds inspired the legend of Santa Claus.

This discovery is part of the ongoing "Legacy for the Future Project," led by Associate Professor Ebru Fatma Findik from Hatay Mustafa Kemal University and initiated by Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The sarcophagus, found within the church's two-story annex, is believed to be the original burial site of Saint Nicholas, who lived in the ancient city of Myra during the 4th century A.D. Measuring approximately two meters in length and buried at a depth of 1.5 to 2 meters, the sarcophagus features a raised lid and a pitched roof consistent with burial styles of the region. Its proximity to the church – constructed in the 5th century by order of Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II – adds credibility to the theory that this was the saint's original resting place.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A warning has been issued in a column in the Federalist that the United Nations has a scheme to make criminals out of people who believe in science, who say men and women are different.

It is Stefano Gennarini, a vice president for legal studies at the Center for Family and Human Rights who has noted the looming U.N. treaty "that weaponizes international criminal law against opposition to transgender policy."

He describes it as a "parting gift" from Joe Biden to the U.S. and the world as the aging Democrat has agreed to advance the ideology that it is a "crime against humanity," or "a "gender-based persecution" for politicians who deliberately "misgender" someone.

Misgendering is when someone calls a man a man, when the man wants to be called a woman.

The U.N. General Assembly recently set up a timeline for a plan already condemned by the Vatican to finalize those criminal prosecutions as early as 2029.

The Rome Statute now defines gender as "the two sexes, male and female, within the context of society," but the report said "Western countries" are getting closer to their goal of simply avoiding that, by using domestic courts "to prosecute citizens who commit crimes against humanity … ."

The new scheme drops the definition of gender, a move which, the report said, includes the "legal effect" of enshrining "an open definition of gender as a social construct in international criminal law."

It would advance the ideology already being used in the European Union and various U.N. agencies to use "gender persecution" for categories including LGBT issues, misgendering, abortion and more.

"With the new treaty, Western leftists want to label anyone who publicly opposes gender ideology as an international criminal — an enemy of humanity. They want the crime of gender persecution to include things such as denying children cross-sex hormones and surgeries, not recognizing same-sex marriage or adoption, laws against LGBT propaganda in schools, women-only sports, and even denial of abortion," the report said.

Such actions already are being pursued by prosecutors of the International Criminal Court, the report said.

"Even more troubling, the Biden administration has already praised the weaponization of gender persecution in order to promote social engineering on LGBT issues," it said.

The report noted U.N. staffer Emily Kenney has claimed the greatest obstacle to that gender-based persecution is that it is nearly invisible, and the result is "introducing gender ideology in the crimes against humanity framework calls into question every aspect of social, political, and economic life as a potential crime against humanity, to the point that even victims can't tell they are victims."

That, the warning said, could result in "the arbitrary exercise of police power and is a license for the kind of political persecution of opponents seen in totalitarian regimes."

The article noted, "The woke ruling regime in the West is building a web to control people's lives and actions — and even their thoughts. They have done it through censorship and propaganda on social and traditional media around the world. In the United Kingdom, they are arresting people for expressing the wrong kinds of opinions about sexuality, including protesting silently outside abortion clinics and preaching what the Bible says about sexual morality.

"Now they want to use international criminal law to police the way everyone thinks."

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