News and Views 25th July 

Society and Politics

• Epping migrant hotel protests heighten. Hundreds of protesters concerned about a controversial migrant hotel marched through Epping again on Thurs evening, as police launched a huge operation to stop the event once again spilling over into violence. Essex's Police & Crime Commissioner has said that migrants should be removed from the asylum hotel because "large-scale protests are disrupting local life". Essex Police has strongly denied claims by Nigel Farage it "bussed" counter-demonstrators to a protest outside a migrant hotel in Epping. Farage stands by his claims, which he says are backed up by video evidence. UnHerd’s Tom Jones agrees, calling it “a divisive tactic to manage migrant unrest” and warning it risks fuelling Britain’s growing wave of riots. Meanwhile, a second police force, Hampshire Constabulary, has sparked outrage after footage showed officers escorting anti-racism protesters to a migrant hotel – this time in Aldershot back in May. Telegraph journalist Rory Geoghegan warns that if Westminster does not confront the migrant crisis head-on, they are risking a level of disorder not seen in these isles for a very long time. “One spark and tinderbox Britain will go up in flames”, noted one who lived in Eastern Europe before the fall of the Iron Curtain. Read also here, here and here.

Church Issues

• Scottish kids experience deep encounters with God. There are signs of spiritual encouragement, not just among UK’s Gen Z (18-24 year-olds), but also among the even younger age group. This week, around 2,000 11-18 year olds attended Magnitude, Scotland's biggest annual youth festival, held at Scripture Union Scotland’s principal retreat centre. Kenny Borthwick, one of the main speakers said “I have never sensed such a listening, such earnest seeking, such reverence.” The event witnessed the best kind of problems, with the team running out of Christianity welcome packs, as so many young people committed their lives to Jesus. Another leader commented, “I’ve never seen so many come forward to become Christians. It wasn’t hyped either. Very well led and sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.” A highlight for the Rev Borthwick was “the sight of streams of young folk making their way to the big top, where they worshipped, listened and responded to God's Word with joy, energy and reverence. Attentiveness to fairly long talks was amazing.”

• UN and Israel trade blame over Gaza aid. On Wednesday, a coalition of more than 100 NGOs said that Palestinians are collapsing in the street and “wasting away” as Gaza suffers mass starvation. Some organisations have warned that even their own staff are dying of hunger. Footage shows several babies suffering from acute malnutrition at one of the few functioning medical facilities left in Gaza. 
• Israel: no restriction on amount of food aid. Israel maintains there is no shortage of aid being made available by Israel to feed Gazans.  Israeli officials have circulated videos showing nearly one thousand trucks of aid sitting idle having entered Gaza. Israel blames groups like UNWRA for failing to distribute it. Humanitarian groups say they can’t distribute aid because of "tremendous bureaucratic impediments" - for example, the IDF often rejects requests for distribution authorisation certificates, without which aid convoys are liable to be attacked.  Israel rejects the claim, saying full protection is guaranteed, but that the UN rejects it, preferring the protection of a terrorist organisation (Hamas) [BBC Radio 4 interview Fri 25th July]. Meanwhile, the crisis continues. 

Antisemitism

• Antisemitism on the rise in UK schools. A survey of Jewish teachers by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers has found that 51% of Jewish teachers had experienced antisemitism in their schools since May 2023. A total of 44% reported swastika graffiti appearing at their school since May 2023, and 39% have witnessed or been subject to Nazi-related comments. A third of respondents to the union’s survey said they did not feel they could report antisemitism to their employers. Just over half of those Jewish teachers who did report antisemitic comments and graffiti said their reports were not properly handled. But the union’s response has been criticised for claiming that the rise in the abuse is being fuelled by “dangerous” rhetoric from the far-Right and misinformation on social media rather than from far-Left or Islamist groups in the aftermath of the October 7th Hamas terror attack on Israel.
• LGBT+ group illegally excludes ‘Zionists’ from annual march. London Trans Pride published leaflets and posters stating that a London Pride event this weekend was “not the place for”, among other things, “Zionism”. The demand was criticised as anti-Semitic by gay Jewish campaigners, who said most Jews regard themselves as Zionist, believing in their right to self-determination and a Jewish homeland. They point out that the blanket exclusion of Zionism and Zionists “is not only discriminatory, it is anti-Semitic”. One person noted on social media, “Why do you ban those from the only country in the Middle East that hosts pride & it’s legal & celebrated to be LGTBQ? Why is a progressive organisation so racist?” The ban follows deep concerns over the safety of Jewish LGBT+ participants at Pride events amid a rise in antisemitism and hate crime.

Other Antisemitism News:

• Spain: Jews kicked off a Vueling flight in Valencia.
• Greece: Jews prevented from disembarking ship in Greece.
• UK:  Jews slandered by James O'Brien on LBC radio station.
• Ireland: Jew verbally assaulted by thug on a bus in Dublin.
• Belgium: Jews detained at a festival for being Jews.
• France: Jews harassed at French airport by staff member.
• Greece: Jews physically attacked by anti-Israelis on Rhodes.
• Germany: Jewish restaurant vandalised in Freiberg, Germany.

• World denounces Israel’s US-backed aid delivery model. In a statement co-signed by 24 allies including Australia, Canada, France and Italy, Britain has denounced Israel’s US-backed aid delivery model, condemning the “drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians”, which, it says, has seen nearly 900 Gazans killed while collecting aid. More than 170 charities and other NGOs have already called for the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to be shut down. They say that, apart from the danger of being shot at, forcing hungry Gazans to make long, arduous journeys in searing heat to one of four aid centres in the hope of acquiring food is humiliating and unconscionable. Israel said the statement was “disconnected from reality” and sent the “wrong message to Hamas”, which Israel blames for putting civilians in harm’s way when trying to reach aid sites.
• Gaza’s deadliest food distribution incident to date. Since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operations, there have been almost daily reports of Palestinians being killed at or near the aid distribution centres. Hamas said more than 90 Palestinians were killed as they queued for food last Sunday alone, the deadliest single incident involving aid collection since the start of the war. The Israeli military has pledged to investigate the claims, but disputed the death toll – saying only that its troops had fired warning shots towards the crowds who tried to take food from the convoy. There are increasing concerns from around the world and within Israel itself that the aid distribution scheme simply isn't working. A top Oxford-based surgeon has said that, while supposed to stop famine, aid distributions have instead become a “death trap”. 
• GHF claims its aid distribution is successful. The GHF denies that the shooting of civilians takes place from its aid centres and maintains its operations have successfully stopped Hamas diverting humanitarian aid to themselves. It further claims there have been repeated “credible threats from Hamas, including explicit plans to target American personnel, Palestinian aid workers, and the civilians who rely on our sites for food.” A video emerged this week, apparently showing Hamas thugs marching half-naked Gazan civilians who had received Israeli-American aid to an unknown destination after rounding them up for punishment. The GHF says it has provided more than 62 million meals to date, delivering 1.8 million on one single day recently. The GHF has blamed UN agencies for refusing offers to work together to bring more aid into Gaza. 

Syria

• Massacre in Syria - where is the world's outcry? The death toll that has consumed parts of Syria over the past 10 days has now reportedly surpassed 1,250, nearly 200 of whom were summarily executed - on camera. The fighting started on July 13 as a local dispute between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes but quickly escalated into deadly clashes. Syrian government forces deployed to the region to quell the violence instead became embroiled in it. Syrian soldiers, many of whom came from former jihadist ranks, are accused of aligning with other militias and attacking Druze fighters and civilians, carrying out a bloody rampage across the city of Suwayda.
• Israel's involvement. The Druze, whose religion is rooted in Islam but do not identify as Muslim, have faced a history of persecution. In Israel, they are seen as a loyal minority and often serve in the military. Druze citizens in Israel began demanding that the Israeli government take action, hundreds also rushing across the border into Syria in an attempt to defend their brethren. Vowing to protect the Druze community from further attacks, the IDF launched a series of airstrikes on Syrian Army tanks, destroying dozens of military vehicles.
• Carnage in Syrian town of Suwayda. Suwayda also has a significant Christian population (primarily Greek Orthodox and some Catholic Christians). A Syrian pastor and over 20 of his family members were among those martyred. There are claims that patients were shot in their beds at a Suwayda hospital, and that rows of decomposing bodies lie in the streets.  Despite a US-brokered ceasefire being declared between Syria and Israel on Saturday multiple witnesses say militias are still attacking villages and the city. Read more here. 

Society and Politics

• Christian MP calls for revival in deserted Commons chamber. Christian Conservative MP Danny Kruger gave an impassioned speech to an almost entirely empty Parliament chamber this week, in which he said that the UK needs a social and political Christian revival. Kruger claimed that “the Church and the country itself are in a bad way, divided, internally, confused, badly led … It is a combination of ancient paganism, Christian heresies, and the cult of modernism all mashed up into a deeply mistaken, deeply dangerous ideology of power, hostile to… families, communities and nations.” He continued, “We have a choice. A new restoration is needed now. A revival of the faith, and the recovery of Christian politics… The route to a prosperous modernity is founded on respect for human dignity, responsibility for the created world, and the worship of God.” The remarkable speech has already garnered over 1.5 million views. Watch it here, or read it here. 

World Events

• Revival in Hyderabad, India. While Christians are being increasingly persecuted by radical Hindus in many parts of India, believers in the southern state of Telangana constitute an increasingly influential minority. In the capital city of Hyderabad exists India's largest church, with more than 300,000 members! Shuttle buses, auto rickshaws, and motorcycles ferry thousands of people, all trying to get to Calvary Temple two hours ahead of the first of five services that begin at 6 a.m. The main sanctuary holds 18,000 people, with as many being accommodated in adjacent halls. Pastor Satish Kumar preaches at all five services with the last one ending at 8 p.m. In addition, the church produces over 650 TV programs each month in 17 of the country's major languages for broadcast on national television.  Remarkably, the church adds some 3,000 new believers each month, and it’s on a mission to build 40 more megachurches in the next 10 years.