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Ben Ferguson
Welcome. It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. And Senator, we have got a lot to talk about, including later in the show, we are going to get a live on the ground update from Israel of what's happening in Israel right now. Something very important that I want to point out. So make sure you stick around for that. Also, before we get to that, there was a shocking news story that came out, and I'm still trying to get my head around it. Center terrorists that have been caught illegally crossing the border in this country were released and allowed to roam free for nearly a year because apparently we don't have time to check backgrounds of terrorists that we are allowing to go free in this country. And the Biden administration's like, oh, yeah, that happens. And, oh, by the way, there's a hell of a lot of terrorists on the terrorist watch list that are being caught now every single month in this country.
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, that's exactly right. I've said a number of times that I believe the risks of a major terrorist attack right now are greater than they have been at any time since September 11th. And this story that broke this week further underscores that. So the story that broke was an internal federal memo that indicated that a terrorist was apprehended by the Biden administration at the southern border, and they released him into the country. They released him into the country for a year. And this individual, who was a member of the Somali terror group Al Shabaab, was released shortly after being caught illegally crossing the southern border near San Ysidro, California. And that was on March 13, 2023. And the Daily Collar News foundation published this. They have a memo from the federal government that's been released. And the Terrorist Screaming Screening center initially, quote, deemed him a mismatch. So in other words, they, they said, okay, this is the guy is not a terrorist. After running him through the terror watch list, however, on January 18, 2024. So just a few days ago, the Terrorist Screening center made a redetermination that the individual was, in fact, a, quote, confirmed member of Al Shabaab and was involved in the use of manufacture or transport of explosive or firearms. Two days later, ICE arrested the Al Shabaab member in Minneapolis, Minnesota. So understand, we caught a terrorist and the Biden administration let him go. And he was in the United States for nearly a year. And just last year, in 2023, do you know how many terror watch list suspects were caught by Border Patrol last year?
Ben Ferguson
Yeah, this is a number that I know, but I want you to share it with Everybody, because it's so shocking it should terrify everyone listening, the fact that they're doing this in this country.
Senator Ted Cruz
172 now. 172 last year, by the way, during the Trump administration. Most years, every year it was in single digits. There were numbers like 0240-172 last year. Do you know how many were apprehended in the last three months? Just October to December.
Ben Ferguson
These numbers are even more terrifying. And I say this because you're asking the question and it means that there is an uptick in terrorist activity of terrorists coming into this country. Tell everybody this number.
Senator Ted Cruz
55050 in three months and 50 times four, if you have four quarters in a year is 200. That means last year's 172. We're on a pace to be at 200. To put that in perspective, 50 terrorists on the terror watch list apprehended on the southern border during just the last three months. Do you know how many people on the terror watch list were apprehended in the entirety of The Trump administration? Four years?
Ben Ferguson
How many?
Senator Ted Cruz
30. So more people on the terror watch list were caught at our southern border in October, November to December than all four years of the Trump presidency. That's how bad the Joe Biden's open borders are.
Ben Ferguson
You also have to compare it so people understand how staggering these numbers are. When you have 50 in the last three months of the year that came in that were that were caught.
Senator Ted Cruz
Yes.
Ben Ferguson
That doesn't count the number of gotaways who are on the terrorist watch list. And to be clear, the people that are being caught, the 50 that were caught, they're not walking up to border patrol agents. Like literally the millions of people that are coming into this country in total who are looking to turn themselves in to government agents because they know they're not going to be kicked out and they get to stay here. That's the other part, is how many have we not caught Sender? If we caught 50, while there's an onslaught at the border of 10,000 a day.
Senator Ted Cruz
No, that is exactly right. The most terrifying number under the Biden administration is the over 2 million gotaways. Those are the people that run that we know crossed in the border. But. But the Border Patrol did not apprehend. We have 9.6 million, more than 9.6 million that we know of. And the vast majority of them, 7 plus million of them, essentially turn themselves into the Border Patrol. Those are less likely. Although to be honest, the 172 people on the Terror watch list. Some of them are in that group. Many of them are in the gotaways or they were in the gotaways and they get apprehended. But the 2.2 million, they're much more likely to be criminals, to be murderers, to be rapists, to be child molesters, to be gang members, to be an MS.13 or to be terrorists. And understand the border patrol has sent out written memos, direct instruction to border patrol agents. When I've been down on the border, Border patrol agents have told me they are very, very concerned about Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists crossing the southern border and the risk of an October 7th style attack here in the United States. And Joe Biden and the Democrats are increasing our vulnerability to that every single day.
Ben Ferguson
Let's also put this into perspective, Senator. And if my memory serves me correctly, it was 19 terrorists from Al Qaeda that hijacked those four commercial airplanes. 19. So 19 people is what it took for nine, 11 to take place on that day in the attack. When you have 100 plus terrorists that are being caught in the last year, 170 plus and you have 50 at the end of the year, these numbers are staggering. And there have been.
Senator Ted Cruz
And how many hundreds or thousands more are in the gotaways that we do not know about, that are in place in cities across America and preparing to commit horrific acts of terrorism?
Ben Ferguson
Well, and that goes back to the warning that we also learned about that's been very quiet that we mentioned on this show. I think it was several weeks ago now of a, of a terrorist attack they're concerned about that could mimic the same style of attack that we just witnessed in Israel.
Senator Ted Cruz
Now that's, that's exactly right. And it is, at this point it's just insane. It, it is Joe Biden and congressional Democrats exposing the American people to incredible vulnerability. And, and, and you know, I, I fear for what's going to happen this year because every day our exposure gets greater and greater.
Ben Ferguson
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Senator Ted Cruz
Look, that's exactly right. And Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Chuck Schumer and the congressional Democrats, they want this crisis to be happening. The 9.6 million who have crossed into this country, they want them to come. How do I know that? Because Biden could stop it tomorrow if he wanted to. He does not want to. He looks at every one of these as future Democrat voters and he's willing to accept the risk of terrorism, the risk of Americans dying in order for Democrats to get a partisan advantage. And by the way, this is not a phenomenon limited to our southern border. This Biden White House, they have a consistent pattern. It's a pattern Ben, frankly, I don't understand. They give money to people who hate us and want to kill us. Joe Biden has flowed roughly $100 billion to Iran and Ayatollah, who chants death to America. He's flowed hundreds of millions of dollars to Gaza. That's gone directly to Hamas. And I'll tell you, there was a story that broke the last week that is really stunning, which is the United Nations. Look, the United nations is a global institution with massive problems, massive corruptions, massive anti Americanism. It is a terrible institution. As bad as the UN is. There's actually an institution even worse than the UN and that is a part of the UN that's called unra. Now, what is unruh? UNRA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. And UNRA is established to focus on Palestinian refugees. And the problem is UNRWA has been a people hit of radicalism, of anti Semitism, of anti Israel hate, of, of extremism. And there's a story that broke this last week that is really stunning. And the Wall Street Journal broke it, a number of places broke it, which is at least 12 UNRA employees were directly involved in the October 7th attack. Understand that. Let me, let me repeat that because that's a headline that people go, what? Holy crap. At least 12 employees who work for the United nations for this, this, this subsidiary called UNRA were actively involved in the October 7th terrorist attack. And yet you know what Joe Biden has been doing for three years? Flowing money to UNWRA because he gives money to terrorists who hate America and hate Israel.
Ben Ferguson
What's even more shocking is there were warnings about UNWRA that have been going on for quite some time. And I want to play this for everybody. This is not that long ago, okay? On December 11th. So do the math here. December 11th, what happened before December 11th of 2023 was the attack on Israel. On December 11th of 2023. The Biden state Department spokesman, Matt Miller was questioned about this type of, of radicalism from UNRUH and, and he defended UNRA and said they were doing vitally important work for those on the ground. Listen to this carefully. This is at the State Department in.
Senator Ted Cruz
Light of a recent Jerusalem Post report about a UN Agency UNRA school teacher in Gaza holding a hostage captive in a UNRWA school as well as teachers at UNRA schools in Gaza praising the attacks on social media with Thais between Hamas terrorists and the agency schools. Is President Biden now willing to defund this terrorist UN organization unra? And I have a follow up So.
Matt Miller
I would just say with respect to that first report, we saw that report, we sought information from UNRWA about it. I would add that to our knowledge, that report has never been verified. Certainly if that were the case, we would expect accountability for the individual involved. But I do want to speak about UNRWA specifically. UNRWA is, UNRWA is providing life saving work for Palestinians right now under very difficult circumstances.
Ben Ferguson
Can we just hit pause there? We'll continue the second part, but I got to get your reaction to that, Senator. I mean, not only is the State Department now defending terrorists, they're saying that the terrorists are doing great work.
Senator Ted Cruz
Look, I gotta say, I'm just annoyed at listening to that White House hat go unra like he pronounces it, almost like he's singing like a love poem. Unrwa, they do life saving work. Look, the report that has just come out is that 10% of Unru's staff, it's Gaza staff, have ties to Hamas and Islamic militant groups. 10%. So you've got the UN funding Hamas terrorists. And mind you, these are people who participated in October 7th. And you know where UNRA gets their money from? Joe Biden, Donald Trump cut off the money for unwra. By the way, I've advocated cut UNRA off. They're a pit of antisemitism, anti Americanism, anti Israel, hatred, terrorism. What did Joe Biden do when he came in back into office? He said, all right, let's give money to the people who hate us. And I will say Biden, in the face of this shocking report, was forced to temporarily pause funding for unwra.
Ben Ferguson
Temporarily, by the way. But, but listen, let's go back to December. I want to finish this so that people can hear how much they were defending the terrorists and their great work that they were doing on the ground. I'm going to back it up about 10 seconds so you hear the context.
Matt Miller
Listen, to our knowledge, that report has never been verified. Certainly if that were the case, we would expect accountability for the individual involved. But I do want to speak about unrwa specifically. UNRWA is providing life saving work for Palestinians right now under very difficult circumstances. We've seen, I think it's more than 100 UNRWA staff killed during this conflict while they are out trying to get food and water and medicine to the Palestinian people. The work that they are doing is essential. It is saving lives. The United States continues to be the largest donor of humanitarian access to the Palestinian people. We continue to support UNRWA for the work that it's doing and we'll continue to do it because they are, I will say, as I said a moment ago, actually there on the front lines, UNRWA staffed, putting their lives at risk to get food, water, medicine to children, to babies, to civilians. So we absolutely support the work that they're doing.
Senator Ted Cruz
One of the things that the White House there said that was accurate is unrwas on the front lines. Yes, you're right. They're on the front lines with Hamas engaged in terrorism. And it is stunning that the Biden administration was happy to fund them. This was known for a long time that they spread anti Semitism, that they were vicious, that they hire Hamas sympathizers. And yet this Biden White House is willing to give them money right now. The report is so stunning, they paused it. But let's be absolutely clear. This Biden White House wants to resume funding to UNRA as soon as a little bit of time passes. And they could say, oh, we got rid of a few bad apples, let's keep giving them money.
Ben Ferguson
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Senator Ted Cruz
No, that's exactly right. When the United States halted funding, we saw countries throughout Europe do so as well. Germany halted funding. The United Kingdom halted funding. Finland halted funding. Australia halted funding. Canada halted funding. Italy halted funding. The Netherlands and Switzerland halted funding. So it was at that point unavoidable. But listen, many of those countries, particularly the European countries, have long been willing to stand with the Palestinians against Israel. And it says something that the Biden administration is not willing to lead. And they will only stop giving money to people supporting terrorism when the pressure becomes unbearable.
Ben Ferguson
Senator, you and I have talked so much about what is happening in Israel. And look, there's a lot of other issues that obviously are happening in the news, other things that are happening in this administration and policies in Iran. But I do want to pause and you and I talked about this and go back. Joining us now is a guest. Y Eckstein is the president and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, doing amazing work on the ground, especially with those who were affected by the horrific attacks in Israel. First of all, thank you for coming on. We really appreciate it and the work you're doing. You're in Israel right now, correct?
Yael Eckstein
Thank you so much for having me. What an honor.
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah, welcome. We're, we're very glad to have you on verdict and tell us, where in Israel are we talking to you?
Yael Eckstein
So I'm in central northern Israel where we've had a few rockets from Hamas come in. I've been in the bomb shelter both with my children and also with different senators from America. Governor Huckabee, I was in the bomb shelter with him in Tel Aviv. And the biggest threat right now in northern Israel is actually Hezbollah, which would make the war with Hamas feel like something small. So here in northern Israel, we're very on ed that a huge bigger war with Hezbollah would break out, which would see around 150,000 rockets on tiny Israel.
Senator Ted Cruz
Tell us, what is the spirit, what is the morale that people are feeling in Israel with obviously in the wake of October 7th and the horrors that unfolded then and now, several months of active warfare. How are people doing on the ground in Israel?
Yael Eckstein
Israel is resilient. Israel has always been resilient. We've never lost sight that since 1948, we've been in fight for our survival. And there's no other country to go to. There are 22 Arab states with a population of 440 million people living there. And there's one Jewish state with a population around 7.5 million Jews. So no one in Israel has lost sight of that. And we are all unified and resilient and finding moments of hope and moments of moments of peace and comfort as well, that we're together and that God is with us. And that we see how there are hundreds of millions of mostly Christian friends around the world who are standing with us as well. I just saw an estimate that there's around 700 million Christians around the world who are praying for Israel. So I think what's in a way most difficult for Israel right now and the people is to see how anti Semitism is rising again, to see how once again the world is questioning if the Jewish people should have a right to exist being okay with Israel and the Jewish people's annihilation. So I want to start off by saying thank you to you. In a world that is lacking such moral Clarity, you, since October 7th and before, have been providing such a moral compass to all of your listeners, all of your followers, which, especially today, so unique and sacred and what everyone here in Israel is just appreciative for.
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, Yael, thank you. I will tell you, we are proud to stand with the people of Israel. October 7th made clear to the world, to anyone paying attention, that this is a battle between civilization and barbarism. And this is Israel standing against the face of evil. And I'll tell you, Heidi and I, our family, we are praying for the people of Israel. The people of America stand with you. And as horrific as what happened on October 7th was, I believe there are at least two good things that will come of this. Number one, Israel's stated commitment to utterly eliminate Hamas if and when that happens. And I think we've made real and meaningful progress towards that. That is a very, very good thing for Israel. That is a very, very good thing for America, because Hamas hates Israel and hates America and they want to murder us both. And secondly, you referenced anti Semitism. I think one of the things October 7th did is it laid bare, it exposed the vicious anti Semitism we see globally, but tragically especially in US Universities. And listen, I believe that antisemitism was there on October 6th. I don't think that was newly created, but what happened on October 7th exposed it. And I think shining a sunlight on it is a key step to eliminating it. And so know that despite the viciousness, you're seeing that millions and millions of Americans and people across the world stand with the people of Israel.
Yael Eckstein
It's incredible. It's so inspiring. I read the words of Isaiah 5, for example, and says, in the last of days, good will be called evil and evil will be called good. And I see how in the beginning of the war on October 8, people were debating if Hamas beheaded babies or just peacefully burned them alive. And then it took less than one minute to spread the lie that Israel bombed the hospital, which ended up being the Hamas rocket. But there is so much hatred towards the Jewish people. There's so much anti Semitism. But what I see, Senator Cruz, is exactly what you're saying, that this isn't 1938. Today, it's a different reality because we have the state of Israel, which is able to protect the Jewish people, and we have millions of Christians around the world who stand with us. And that's exactly the message of the fellowship. You know, we've all learned about the righteous gentiles during the Holocaust. We've learned about the Corrie, 10 boons, Oscar Schindler's, and there's even a forest in Jerusalem that's planted outside of Yad Vashem for the righteous gentiles. And what I see today is if we had to plant a tree for every righteous gentile who's standing with Israel, cover an entire continent with trees. And so what I represent on the ground here in Israel is millions of Christians who are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, who are not political at all, but are standing with the biblical words of the Bible, comfort ye, Comfort ye, my people, by bringing food to Holocaust survivors in their bomb shelters and providing bulletproof ambulances. And that is the difference today between 2024 and 1938. And it's significant.
Ben Ferguson
I want to ask.
Senator Ted Cruz
Amen.
Ben Ferguson
Amen. Absolutely. I want to ask you and inform the vertical listeners, because there's so many listeners this show that ask Senator Cruz, when he's traveling and myself, they ask the same question. What can we do to get involved? Talk a little bit about what the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews does. The mission you mentioned, and this is something that I learned from you when we got to sit down and break bread, is that there are These, for example, the ambulances that they need, not just ambulances, but bulletproof ambulances. And these are some of the resources that you guys are helping with those on the ground that desperately need these. Life saving, not just care, but also the meals and everything else.
Yael Eckstein
Thank you so much. So the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is the largest philanthropic organization in Israel. And we represent the Christian community on the ground in the Holy Land. We have three different areas that we focus on. One is aliyah, bringing Jews from at risk countries home to Israel, and the vision of the Bible. And that's actually continued since October 7th. Almost every day we've had people landing in Israel, from Ukraine, from the Arab world, different places where they're persecuted. The second is focusing on poverty and welfare, where we provide food and meals and all the basic needs to people who are hungry and hurting. And the third is security. And so on October 7, we were already prepared on the ground. We already provided over 5,500 bomb shelters on the ground in Israel. We already distributed bulletproof vests, we already distributed bulletproof ambulances. We already in Barzilai Hospital, which got direct rocket attacks. We already protected their labor and delivery and NICU unit that's completely fortified so that they were protected. And so October 7th, we were already, we were already mobilized. We already had the connections with all of the security officials, with all of the welfare officials. And what happened on October 7 was that suddenly the people who are normally there to provide aid became the victims. We had a head of social work, a head social worker in southern Israel who was kidnapped. We were calling her to say, what do you need? How can we help? She was in Gaza, she was kidnapped by the Hamas terrorists. We had heads of cities who, their children were murdered. And so the Fellowship moved in on October 7th to say, until the local national government is able to get together to care for the citizens, we're here, we're on the ground. In Sderot, as there were terrorists roaming, going shelter to shelter, bringing food, as the first responders were going down south to fight the terrorists, the Fellowship was there, providing thousands of bulletproof helmets and flak jackets. Because simply put, Israel wasn't prepared for October 7th. It took us by surprise. And so the fact that the Fellowship has been there on the ground providing security for over 15 years, we were able to mobilize on October 7th, and we haven't.
Ben Ferguson
What are the needs right now for specifically people in the US that do want to get involved and want to help? And how can they get involved and help?
Yael Eckstein
Well, one of the biggest needs right now is actually for food and basic needs for those who are evacuated, people who haven't had a business, people who haven't had jobs, many of them for over four months. We have reserve soldiers who were called up four months ago, who have barely come home, who haven't been able to work. And those families, many of them were poor before October 7th. And so one of the biggest needs that we're seeing is really for the basics, to bring food to the families whose husbands are in reserve duty, who were poor before the war and now are desperate to the evacuees, to the Holocaust survivors. I was in Sderot just a few a week and a half ago. Sderot is a city on the border with Gaza that was evacuated right after October 7th, almost four months ago. And there are 500 elderly over 80 years old who they said we would rather stay here and die in our homes than live again as refugees. Most of them are Holocaust survivors. And so there's no grocery stores open, there's no infrastructure there. And so it's the Fellowship who's there providing food to these elderly in the evacuated war torn city of Sderot. So right now it's the basics, which means we're not looking for millions of dollars, we're not looking for huge donations. $25 provides a food box to one of those elderly and darrows.
Ben Ferguson
It's incredible the work that you guys are doing. Where can people find out more specifically online?
Yael Eckstein
So online you could go to our website, www.iscj.org and get all the information there. And I'm very dedicated to showing on a day to day basis what the Fellowship is doing. So you can follow me, Yael Eckstein, on platforms, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and get day to day real time updates on how donations are saving lives.
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, Yael, thank you so much for joining us and thank you for all that you are doing and know that our prayers are with you. Our prayers are with the people of Israel and truth will prevail. Israel will stand against the face of evil and America stands.
Yael Eckstein
Amen. I can't tell you how comforting those words are and how much you put truth to action. So thank you, thank you, thank you.
Ben Ferguson
There you go. Don't forget we did a show traditionally, Monday, Wednesday, Fridays and a weekend review on Saturdays this week. So we will see you back here on Friday morning. Don't forget, hit that subscribe, follow or auto download button, especially if you're on Apple. They've changed the algorithms. If you're listening on Apple. Make sure you still have that check mark on the top right to follow this show. A lot of people have been saying, hey, all of a sudden, the show stopped downloading. You're gonna have to, to check that periodically, from what we understand. So make sure you do that, and the center and I will see you back here on Friday.
The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson: Episode Summary
Title: Biden Released Somali Terrorist into the U.S. & Funds UN Agency CAUGHT Participating in October 7 Terrorist Attack
Release Date: January 31, 2024
Host: Ben Ferguson
Guest: Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
In this episode, Ben Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz delve into alarming national security issues under the Biden administration. They shed light on the administration's handling of terrorist apprehensions at the U.S. southern border and the troubling ties between U.S. funding agencies and terrorist activities.
Key Discussion Points:
Release of a Somali Terrorist:
Ben Ferguson opens the discussion by highlighting a shocking report where a member of the Somali terror group Al Shabaab was released into the U.S. for nearly a year after being apprehended at the southern border.
Ben Ferguson [00:01]: "Center terrorists that have been caught illegally crossing the border in this country were released and allowed to roam free for nearly a year..."
Increased Terror Apprehensions:
Senator Cruz emphasizes the unprecedented rise in terrorism-related apprehensions, comparing the current numbers unfavorably to the Trump administration's tenure.
Senator Ted Cruz [00:53]: "I've said a number of times that I believe the risks of a major terrorist attack right now are greater than they have been at any time since September 11th."
He reveals that last year saw 172 terror watch list suspects caught, a stark increase from the previous average of single digits. In just the last three months of the Biden administration, 50 suspects were apprehended, surpassing the total 30 caught during the entire Trump presidency.
Senator Ted Cruz [03:54]: "More people on the terror watch list were caught at our southern border in October, November to December than all four years of the Trump presidency."
The conversation shifts to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), with Senator Cruz exposing its alleged involvement in terrorist activities and critiquing the Biden administration's continued funding.
Key Highlights:
UNRWA’s Involvement in Terrorism:
Senator Cruz discusses recent reports indicating that at least 12 UNRWA employees were directly involved in the October 7th terrorist attack.
Senator Ted Cruz [12:21]: "At least 12 employees who work for the United Nations... were actively involved in the October 7th terrorist attack."
Biden Administration’s Funding Choices:
Despite these revelations, the Biden administration has historically provided substantial funding to UNRWA, a move Cruz vehemently opposes. He points out that several other nations have halted their contributions in response to UNRWA's misconduct.
Senator Ted Cruz [19:17]: "When the United States halted funding, we saw countries throughout Europe do so as well."
State Department's Defense of UNRWA:
Matt Miller, a spokesperson for the State Department, defends UNRWA by emphasizing its humanitarian role. However, Senator Cruz challenges this stance, arguing that the agency's actions undermine national security and support extremist activities.
Matt Miller [13:03]: "UNRWA is providing life-saving work for Palestinians right now under very difficult circumstances."
Senator Cruz elaborates on the international community's response to UNRWA's alleged ties with terrorism, highlighting the withdrawal of support from several Western nations and criticizing the Biden administration for not taking the lead in addressing these issues sooner.
Senator Ted Cruz [19:17]: "Many of those countries, particularly the European countries, have long been willing to stand with the Palestinians against Israel. And it says something that the Biden administration is not willing to lead."
The episode features Yael Eckstein, the President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, who provides an on-the-ground perspective from Israel amidst ongoing conflicts.
Key Insights:
Resilience and Unity in Israel:
Yael Eckstein shares the resilience and unity of the Israeli people in the face of continuous threats, emphasizing the crucial support from international Christian communities.
Yael Eckstein [21:42]: "Israel is resilient. Israel has always been resilient... we are all unified and finding moments of hope..."
Rising Anti-Semitism:
Eckstein highlights the rise of anti-Semitism globally, underscoring the importance of international solidarity in combating hatred and ensuring the safety of Jewish communities.
Yael Eckstein [23:11]: "There is so much hatred towards the Jewish people. There's so much anti-Semitism."
Essential Humanitarian Work:
She details the efforts of her organization in providing critical support such as bomb shelters, bulletproof ambulances, and food aid to vulnerable populations in Israel.
Yael Eckstein [28:00]: "We have been providing security for over 15 years, and we were able to mobilize on October 7th..."
Call to Action:
Eckstein urges listeners to support their mission by donating to help meet the basic needs of those affected by the conflict, emphasizing that even small contributions can make a significant impact.
Yael Eckstein [29:39]: "We have reserve soldiers who were called up four months ago... we are desperately in need of food and basic necessities."
Senator Cruz reiterates the necessity of stringent immigration enforcement to safeguard national security and criticizes the Biden administration for its mismanagement and misplaced priorities. He also commends Yael Eckstein and her organization for their vital work in supporting Israel.
Senator Ted Cruz [31:28]: "Truth will prevail. Israel will stand against the face of evil and America stands."
Ben Ferguson wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to stay informed and engaged with the pressing national security issues discussed.
Ben Ferguson [00:01]: "Center terrorists that have been caught illegally crossing the border in this country were released and allowed to roam free for nearly a year..."
Senator Ted Cruz [00:53]: "I've said a number of times that I believe the risks of a major terrorist attack right now are greater than they have been at any time since September 11th."
Senator Ted Cruz [03:54]: "More people on the terror watch list were caught at our southern border in October, November to December than all four years of the Trump presidency."
Senator Ted Cruz [12:21]: "At least 12 employees who work for the United Nations... were actively involved in the October 7th terrorist attack."
Yael Eckstein [21:42]: "Israel is resilient. Israel has always been resilient... we are all unified and finding moments of hope..."
Senator Ted Cruz [19:17]: "When the United States halted funding, we saw countries throughout Europe do so as well."
Senator Ted Cruz [31:28]: "Truth will prevail. Israel will stand against the face of evil and America stands."
This episode of The 47 Morning Update provides a critical examination of the Biden administration's immigration and foreign aid policies, highlighting significant lapses in national security and the unintended consequences of funding decisions. Through robust dialogue between Ben Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz, coupled with firsthand insights from Yael Eckstein, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the current challenges facing the United States and its allies.
For those seeking to support humanitarian efforts in Israel or address national security concerns, the episode offers actionable information and calls to action, emphasizing the importance of informed and active citizenship.