Border Stand Off w/ Federal Government, Biden Sanctions Texas & Live Look at Current Events in Israel Week In Review

Summary

Podcast Summary: The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson
Episode: Border Stand Off w/ Federal Government, Biden Sanctions Texas & Live Look at Current Events in Israel Week In Review
Release Date: February 3, 2024

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Introduction

In this episode of The 47 Morning Update, host Ben Ferguson delves into three pressing issues shaping the political landscape: the ongoing border standoff between Texas and the federal government, President Joe Biden's sanctions on Texas affecting the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector, and a live review of current events in Israel. Featuring insights from Senator Ted Cruz and Yael Eckstein, CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Ferguson provides a comprehensive analysis of these critical topics.

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1. Border Standoff Between Texas and the Federal Government

Ben Ferguson kicks off the episode by highlighting the escalating tension between the state of Texas and the federal government. President Biden has demanded the removal of border barriers—specifically, the “c wire” installed by Texas to secure its borders. However, many federal officials are reportedly resisting these demands, leading to a potential constitutional crisis.

Notable Discussion Points:

• Senator Ted Cruz's Concerns: Senator Cruz expresses deep concern over what he perceives as President Biden's disregard for federal immigration law and the Constitution. He emphasizes the severity of Biden's actions, suggesting they verge on a constitutional crisis.

  "We are pushing to the edges of a constitutional crisis because we have a president who is so utterly lawless that he puts his partisan political agenda above the rule of law..."
  [03:49] Senator Ted Cruz

• Federal vs. State Authority: The conversation delves into the complexities of federal and state powers, especially concerning the National Guard's deployment. Senator Cruz clarifies that while the National Guard is typically under state control, the President can federalize it, though he doubts Biden will take such a step against Texas.

  "Under federal law, the president has the authority to call up to nationalize the National Guard and put it under the direction of the federal government."
  [05:37] Senator Ted Cruz

• Potential for Escalation: Cruz warns of the dangers if Biden continues to escalate the situation, suggesting that it could lead to unprecedented clashes between state and federal entities.

  "We're starting to get into very uncharted territory."
  [06:31] Senator Ted Cruz

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2. President Biden's Sanctions on Texas: Impact on LNG Exports

The episode shifts focus to President Biden’s recent decision to halt new permits for LNG exports, a move that Democratic officials argue is environmentally motivated. However, Senator Cruz interprets this action as a direct sanction on Texas, aiming to punish the state for its stance on border security.

Key Insights:

• Economic Impact on Texas: The restriction on LNG exports is seen by Senator Cruz as an attempt to destroy jobs in Texas by targeting one of its key economic sectors.

  "Joe Biden is effectively sanctioning the state of Texas. This is declaring war on Texas."
  [14:23] Senator Ted Cruz

• Environmental Considerations: While the Biden administration claims environmental benefits, Cruz disputes this, arguing that U.S. natural gas production is cleaner than that of countries like Russia and China. He contends that halting exports will lead to increased reliance on dirtier foreign gas sources.

  "If all you cared about was the environment, Joe Biden's announcement this past week was horrible for the environment."
  [17:15] Senator Ted Cruz

• Geopolitical Ramifications: The decision is framed as aiding adversarial nations like Russia by reducing the U.S.’s competitive edge in the global LNG market, thereby indirectly supporting the Russian economy.

  "He is handing a gift to Vladimir Putin."
  [15:34] Senator Ted Cruz

• Media Critique: Cruz references a Washington Post editorial that he believes misrepresents Biden’s motives, highlighting a partisan divide in media interpretations of the policy.

  "That's how far out of the bounds of reasonableness when you're too left wing for the Washington Post."
  [20:29] Senator Ted Cruz

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3. Live Look at Current Events in Israel

In the final segment, Ben Ferguson welcomes Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, providing a live perspective from Israel amid ongoing conflicts.

Highlights from the Conversation:

• Resilience in Israel: Yael Eckstein underscores Israel’s resilience and unity in the face of threats from groups like Hezbollah. She shares her firsthand experiences in bomb shelters and the heightened state of alert within northern Israel.

  "Israel is resilient. Israel has always been resilient... We are all unified and resilient and finding moments of hope."
  [24:11] Yael Eckstein

• Support and Solidarity: Eckstein details the critical support provided by her organization, including bomb shelters, bulletproof ambulances, and fortified medical units. She emphasizes the ongoing need for basic necessities like food and aid for evacuees and vulnerable populations.

  "We already provided over 5,500 bomb shelters on the ground in Israel... We're here, providing thousands of bulletproof helmets and flak jackets."
  [29:38] Yael Eckstein

• Call to Action: The discussion invites listeners to contribute to relief efforts, highlighting the tangible needs on the ground and providing avenues for support through donations and volunteer work.

  "One of the biggest needs right now is actually for food and basic needs for those who are evacuated."
  [32:08] Yael Eckstein

• Senator Cruz’s Support: Reinforcing the solidarity with Israel, Senator Cruz praises the nation’s stance against evil and commits to continued support, highlighting the global fight against antisemitism.

  "Israel will stand against the face of evil and America stands."
  [33:57] Senator Ted Cruz

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Conclusion

Ben Ferguson wraps up the episode by reiterating the significant issues discussed: the constitutional and economic tensions between Texas and the federal government, the broader implications of President Biden’s policies on LNG exports, and the steadfast resilience of Israel amidst ongoing conflicts. The episode underscores the interconnectedness of domestic policies and international relations, urging listeners to stay informed and involved.

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Note: For those interested in the full discussions and additional insights, the complete episode is available on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know, when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace. Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences, and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You, you'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code SPACE80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com save $80 with code SPACE80 at talk.

[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome. It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz. Weekend Review, Ben Ferguson with you. And these are the big stories that you may have missed that we talked about this past week. First up, Joe Biden is demanding that the Bob wire in Texas come down. The problem is many in the federal government aren't exactly listening to the president's demands. Will this be a serious standoff between the state of Texas and the federal government? And if Joe Biden tells him to push further, will the federal government actually do it on his behalf? We'll explain the details and the legality of that in just a moment. Also, Joe Biden is now sanctioning Texas. That's right. For the first time in history, a US President is attacking another state, trying to get them to bow to his demands over the issue of an open border. And now it's affecting liquefied natural gas exports and, and it's enriching Russia and China. And finally, so many of you have asked, how can we help the people in Israel after the war that has broken out. We have a special live look in Israel from one of our guests. It is the Weekend Review and it starts right now. The word they use this week on TV was insurrection. And Griff Jenkins, Fox News put out this tweet talking about what you were just mentioning. Take a look at this, guys, because this is a very interesting scenario here. It says, a senior CBP official tells Fox the relationship between border Patrol Texas DPS and the TMD remains strong. Bottom line, Border Patrol has no plans to remove infrastructure c wire placed by Texas along the border. Our posture remains the same. So there were people on TV saying, if this is true, this is like an insurrection. I think that's absurd. But if you have federal government officials that aren't listening to the, quote, orders of the Biden administration and saying, we're not gonna do this, what does that mean?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, look, and mind you, the same people who are saying this are the Democrats, elected Democrats and the lefties in the press who praised, for example, people in the military under Trump who they said, well, they won't follow his orders. They will resist his orders. Mind you, in this instance, look, I know the Border Patrol agents, many of them very, very well. I spent a lot of time with them. They are horrified at what Joe Biden is doing. They're watching the body bags, the death, the suffering, the children who were assaulted, the women who were raped. They're seeing it on a daily basis. And it is. Look, at some level, if you have a president who is so utterly out of touch that he wages war on the law, that he's defying the law, that he is instructing him, go destroy. Use my example. Go bomb. Go bomb the walls.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You would expect some federal officials say, hold on, you have no legal authority to do this. This is just an abuse of power. And look, our system, we are pushing to the edges of a constitutional crisis because we have a president who is so utterly lawless that he puts his partisan political agenda above the rule of law, above federal immigration law, above the Constitution, above, Above people's welfare, above protecting the lives of Texans. And it is all politics all the time with the Biden White House.

[Ben Ferguson]

I gotta ask you, you just said something that was very interesting and that was about a constitutional crisis. Texas isn't having to do this alone. Thank goodness. You've got, I think it's 25 different states now that have come to the aid of Texas fighting for states rights, saying, you have a right to defend your state.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And it is powerful. Governor after governor after governor saying, we stand with Texas. We stand with Texas. We stand with Texas. And Joe Biden is trying to say to the states, I don't care. I want your state to be invaded. I want the law to be ignored because my partisan politics matter more than your obligation to protect the safety of your citizens.

[Ben Ferguson]

So explain the rules. And this is, I think, a very important point because it's gonna come up. Obviously, you have some states that are Sending, for example, state troopers to the state, Is that under state authority? Is that federal? If you're clashing, right. If you're a trooper. And then the second part is the National Guard can work in two different scenarios. One for the governor, and then all of a sudden the federal government can come in. And that's been a big fight over the last several days of what if he nationalizes the federal, you know, these guardsmen? How does that play out and explain how it works? If there's two different people that are your boss, who do you decide with?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So ordinarily, the National Guard is under the direction of the governors, and the.

[Ben Ferguson]

National Guard of each state is under that governor of that state.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Now, under federal law, the president has the authority to call up to nationalize the National Guard and put it under the direction of the federal government. And a bunch of folks on the left are demanding that Biden do that in Texas. I don't think he will. The clip we played of Greg Abbott, what he was responding to was the claim, what happens if he tries to nationalize the Guard? I don't think Biden will do that because it has a risk of backfiring. If he did, I'm not sure what will happen. But what he cannot nationalize is DPS troopers. He cannot nationalize the state law enforcement. And so even the example is Florida.

[Ben Ferguson]

Sent a lot of state troopers to Texas this past week. There was a caravan coming up. He could have no control over them, none whatsoever.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

The federal government does not have the ability to nationalize state law enforcement. So conceivably, Biden could try to nationalize the National Guard. And at that point, assuming the Guard complies with those orders and they're not challenged in court, they're not struck down, assuming the Guard complies with those orders, it's no different than Biden sending in the army. It is federal military, but there are still state officials and the potential for clashes. Now, do I think you're going to see state and federal officials shooting each other? No, I do think, look, you've got crazies on the left that are pushing, you know, might you see Biden try to order federal officials to arrest state officials? Yeah, I think that's possible. And we are starting to get into very uncharted territory.

[Ben Ferguson]

Who could he arrest in that scenario? Is that the governor on down? The governor, the attorney general? Are you talking about like a guy at the border who's saying, I'm not going to take down that razor wire? And they say, okay, arrest him or who's laying razor wire, for example.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And I don't think that's going to happen. But Joe Biden is listening to the radicals, the extremist party, and he keeps escalating and escalating and escalating. And it's dangerous. Just like Joe Biden is endangering American lives abroad. And we saw three servicemen and women murdered this weekend by Iranian proxies because of Joe Biden's lawlessness and support of genocidal killers. At the same time, Joe Biden is endangering Americans here because of his lawlessness and support for homicidal killers that are human traffickers and drug traffickers. In both instances, it is because this Biden White House puts politics above the safety and security of Americans. And the question every Democrat is going to have to answer, every Democrat senator, every Democrat House member, do you stand with the lawlessness and the extreme agenda of the Biden White House, or do you stand with the safety of the American people? And at least to date, just about every elected Democrat in the country puts politics above safety. And that's what makes where we are right now so extreme and so dangerous.

[Ben Ferguson]

You just said two words, so extreme and so dangerous. I do want to remind people, wasn't this administration that said that the adults are finally back in charge so we will have none of these issues? I just want to remind everybody this is what they said about their own.

[Podcast Host]

Team, as any connection to reality about what is going on around them should.

[Yael Eckstein]

Have watched that and said, the adults are back in the room.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It seems as though we have a professional adult once again in the White House who's just simply doing the work.

[Yael Eckstein]

Really, the theme, I would say, is.

[Ben Ferguson]

The adults are back.

[Yael Eckstein]

Still, it is a relief to have adults in charge.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Now we have adults in the White House.

[Yael Eckstein]

Okay, the adults are back in the room. There is a sense, I think the world over that the adults have returned. We have an adult in the White.

[Ben Ferguson]

House now, and it's glorious. If this is what adulting looks like, I'll take a kid in charge at this point.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

God bless. So we actually. And the irony is, every word of that is a lie. Well, look, Joe Biden is a senior citizen, and he may be so adult that he's not aware of what's happening. But I'll tell you, the agenda has been extreme and dangerous. And you look at things like the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Incompetent, naive, ideological. It is the opposite of adult leadership. Adult leadership focuses on let's follow the law. Adult leadership focuses on. We've Got a task to do. Adult leadership focuses on let's keep people safe. Adult leadership focuses on what's in American interest. Adult leadership focuses on how do we stop bad guys from hurting us. Everything Joe Biden and the Democrats have done is the opposite of adult leadership. It is naive, it is dangerous, it is extreme, and the country is a lot less safe as a result.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now, if you want to hear the rest of this conversation, you can go back and listen to the full podcast from earlier this week.

[Podcast Host]

This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know, when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace. Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences, and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a zero dollar copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code space80 when you go to talkspace.com, match with a licensed therapist. Today at talkspace.com save $80 with code.

[Ben Ferguson]

[e-mail] now on to story number two. I want to move also to another important issue, and this is one that's starting to pick up some steam here. It deals with liquid natural gas and these ports that that have basically been stopped out of nowhere. And the alibi for the Biden White House is we met shocking enough with a 25 year old tick tocker that really explained to us the environmental problems. So we're going to study the environmental problems with liquefied natural gas and it may take over a year. It will certainly be after the election if we were to turn these back on. It's going to have a massive impact on Texas. But the timing of it, Senator, is the part that's so suspect. It was right after Texas and the Supreme Court ruling came down that said that, hey, the federal government can get through your razor wire. The ruling also, as we talked about extensively on the show, it didn't say you had to stop putting down razor wire. And it didn't say to Texas, you have to pick it up. And it was almost like the White House said, okay, well, if you're going to mess with us. And then 25 other governors got involved and said, hey, we're going to send troopers, state troopers and our guardsmen, National Guardsmen to help in Texas. Was it a shot across about Texas with this out of nowhere plan of theirs that was like, hey, we're basically going to put sanctions on you guys because you need to get in line. In any other state that's helping you, you could be next.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yes, yes, and yes. So what happened was last week the Biden administration announced that it was halting new permits for the export of liquid natural gas and for export terminal projects to export liquid natural gas. Now, what does that mean? It means three things. Number one, what Joe Biden did is effectively sanction the state of Texas. This is declaring war on Texas. And I think you're exactly right, he did it, cuz he's pissed off that Texas is standing up to the Biden administration on the border, is fighting to secure the border. And he said, all right, if you're gonna stand up and fight us, we're going to attack you and try to destroy jobs in the state of Texas. This was very deliberate. A sanction on the great state of Texas. Number two, this is a fine on American families. Joe Biden said, hardworking families, I don't care about Americans. I'm going to punish you by driving up energy costs. And number three, this announcement is a subsidy for Vladimir Putin. Understand, this announcement is Joe Biden saying, I am going to give billions of dollars to Putin and Russia. Why? Because, look, our allies, Europe, Asia, they need natural gas. Natural gas, it's produced at a gaseous form and then it's liquefied to be transported, typically on ships. Natural gas is incredibly important for heating, for power, for all of the world. And Europe imports a ton of natural gas. Asia imports a ton of natural gas. The largest producer of natural gas in the world is the United States of America. Now, Russia is a massive producer of natural gas as well. When Joe Biden says, we're gonna halt new export terminals for natural gas, he is handing a gift to Vladimir Putin. Because the Europeans are not going to suddenly not heat their homes. They're not going to say, okay, we're going to freeze to death because Joe Biden's mad. No, they're going to get the gas somewhere. And if they don't get it from the US they're much, much more likely to get it from Russia. So this is a gift to Russia. And here's the final amazing thing. You know what this decision also does? What is that hurts the environment. Explain it, explain it.

[Ben Ferguson]

Because this is the, this is the ammo that everybody listening needs.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It is critically important and I'll say twofold. Number one, US Natural gas is produced much, much more cleanly than natural gas virtually anywhere else on earth. Much, much more cleanly than Russian natural gas. So if you want less pollution in the air, if you want less carbon in the air, you want to consume US Natural gas, because we have significant environmental protections on how we produce it here, there they don't. So what Joe Biden is saying is, hey, let's rely more on the Russians. Let's have them produce more gas, let's have them pollute the environment even more. And by the way, if you notice the atmosphere, it doesn't stop at a country's border. Like the atmosphere goes all around the planet. So do you know who the biggest polluter on the face of the planet is?

[Ben Ferguson]

I'm gonna go with either China or Russia. That's my best guess when it comes to this.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

China. By a huge order of magnitude, China is massively the biggest polluter on the face of the planet. China is also building more coal plants right now than the United States has in the entirety of our country. They're building new coal plants that exceed the total coal plants in America. Now, why does that matter? If you care about the environment, if you care about pollution, if you care about carbon, which country, year after year after year has led the world in reduction of carbon emissions?

[Ben Ferguson]

America.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Why?

[Ben Ferguson]

Because. Well, I think when we have tons of regulation, do we actually care about the environment?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Both true, but that's not. Neither of those are why.

[Ben Ferguson]

What is it then?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

The biggest reason is the wide scale substitution of natural gas for coal and electricity production. So you want to talk about what really pollutes the hell out of the environment? It's burning coal in power plants to turn on electricity. You know, it's interesting, a lot of liberals, they think, you know, they think, ooh, I've got an electric car, I've got a fancy electric car. Isn't that great? And it never occurs to them, where does that electricity come from? Well, like, well, it comes from the wall. I plug it in and it just magically spews from the wall. Well, well, no, that electricity has to be generated, has to be generated in a power plant. Now how is it generated? For years, the predominant Method of generating electricity was burning coal. United States has a ton of coal. We're essentially the Saudi Arabia of coal. The problem is, when you burn coal, it pollutes a lot and it emits a ton of carbon. Now, what we have seen in the last decade because of the shale revolution. So the shale revolution. Shale, and it's also the fracking revolution. We have unlocked massive reserves of natural gas. And what that has done in the United States is we have seen tons of coal electricity plants shutting down and being replaced with natural gas electricity plants. Why does that matter? Because a natural gas electricity plant emits much, much, much less pollution than a coal plant, and it emits much, much, much less carbon than a coal plant. And that is why America leads the world in carbon reductions. At the same time we're doing this, China is building coal plants like crazy. And so when. When Joe Biden steps in and says, we want to stop America from selling natural gas to the world, he is a saying, buy your natural gas from Russia, from Iran, from Venezuela, from enemies of America run by dictators who are very dangerous, number one. But number two, he's also saying, produce your electricity from coal, which pollutes the environment much, much more. Understand, if all you cared about was the environment, Joe Biden's announcement this past week was horrible for the environment, and he did it. I think you're exactly right, as a petulant attack on Texas. He's mad that Texas is fighting to secure the border. And he said, all right, I'm gonna destroy jobs in the great state of Texas.

[Ben Ferguson]

Last question on this. And I think it's interesting to see that this could backfire in a big way. The Washington Post, the liberal, hardcore socialist Washington Post, put out an opinion piece by the editorial board saying Biden's. This their headline. Biden's Liquid Natural Natural Gas Decision is a win for political symbolism, not the climate they're even calling him out for. This was petty and obviously a decision made to hurt Texas. And they can cost 70,000Americans their jobs and doing it for these other reasons. And by the way, saying it's not about the climate.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

No, that's exactly right. Here's what the Washington Post editorial board said, quote, on Friday. However, that same Biden administration ordered a de facto halt to the approval of new facilities for exporting the resources to countries with which the United States does not have free trade agreements, a category that includes all of Europe. So, by the way, this is also a sanction on Europe. It's an election year. SOP to climate activists that will do much more to unsettled, vital US Alliances than to save the planet. That's a quote from the Washington Post. That's how far out of the bounds of reasonableness when you're too left wing for the Washington Post. Well, that's gotta be the Biden administration.

[Ben Ferguson]

As before, if you want to hear the rest of this conversation on this topic, you can go back and download the podcast from earlier week to hear the entire thing.

[Podcast Host]

This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know, when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace. Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences, and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code SPACE80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com save $80 with code SPACE80 at talk.

[Ben Ferguson]

I want to get back to the big story number three of the week. You may have missed center. 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 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 the 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 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 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, like with Hamas feel like something small. So here in northern Israel, we're very on edge that a huge bigger war with the 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? 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 a 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 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 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, 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 days 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 antisemitism 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, 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. 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 Barzillai Hospital, which got four 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 Sderoth, 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 stopped since.

[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, 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 gross resources 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 steroids. 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 steroids.

[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 all social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Get Day to day real time updates on 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]

Man, I can't tell you how comforting those words are and how much you've put truth to action. So thank you, thank you, thank you as always.

[Ben Ferguson]

Thank you for listening to Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. Don't forget to download my podcast and you can listen to my podcast every other day. You're not listening to Verse Verdict or each day when you listen to Verdict afterwards. I'd love to have you as a listener to again the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here on Monday morning.

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