- Posted December 12, 2025
On today’s program: Casey Harper, Managing Editor for Broadcast at The Washington Stand and Host of the “Outstanding” podcast,…
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This week on Washington Watch with Jody Heiss, we delve deep into the shifting sands of Middle East politics. As the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East and the U.S. Ambassador to Israel visit Gaza, they aim to address the rampant misinformation and evaluate humanitarian efforts. Congressman Buddy Carter joins us to discuss recent legislative moves and anti-Semitic rhetoric in Congress, providing a comprehensive outlook on U.S.’s role in the region.
SPEAKER 09 :
from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, good afternoon and welcome to this August 1st edition of Washington Watch. Unbelievable that it’s already August 1st, but glad to have you with us today. I am Jody Heiss, a senior fellow here at the Family Research Council and your Friday host. Honored to have you on board with us. All right, coming up on today’s program, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, They visited aid distribution sites in Gaza today to better understand the situation there that has been obviously misrepresented by the legacy media.
SPEAKER 03 :
most of the media is filled with some of the worst misinformation and frankly just outright lies and it’s very very harmful and it’s only empowering hamas and causing our hostages to be kept there longer and there is suffering there no doubt about it but this idea that there is mass starvation on the level that you see on pictures is simply not accurate
SPEAKER 24 :
That was Ambassador Huckabee speaking with Fox News Brian Kilmeade following today’s visit to Gaza. And I’ll be joined a little bit later in the program by Ken Isaacs from Samaritan’s Purse, who just recently returned from Gaza, where his organization is itself providing aid. And he’ll tell us what he has seen and heard there. And of course, it’s not just the legacy media that’s been smearing the nation of Israel. There’s a growing number of Democrats that have been doing that as well. In fact, this week, a record number of Senate Democrats voted in favor of two resolutions to block the sale of U.S. arms to Israel.
SPEAKER 13 :
This debate is not really about Israel. It is about the United States of America and whether we will abide by U.S. and international law or whether we will continue to contribute billions of dollars to an extremist government in Israel which has caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
SPEAKER 24 :
Wow. Not about Israel. Well, it sure sounds like it to me. That was Senator Bernie Sanders on the Senate floor Wednesday before the vote on that resolution that he sponsored took place. And in just a moment. I’ll be joined by Georgia Congressman Buddy Carter, who’s a member of the Bipartisan Antisemitism Task Force, and we’ll be talking about all the anti-Israel sentiments that we have been seeing there in Congress this past week. Also coming up on today’s program, I’ll be joined by South Carolina’s Attorney General Alan Wilson. He and 15 other state AGs this week sent a letter to Congress regarding the SHIELD laws. Those are laws right now, we’ll get into it later, but those are laws that the pro-abortion states are now using to protect criminal activity of those trafficking abortion drugs into pro-life states. So we’ve got a lot to unpack on that that you don’t want to miss. And then to close out the program today and to close out the week, I’ll be joined by David Claussen for our weekly Biblical Worldview segment to discuss some of the headlines that popped up this week. So as always, we’ve got a lot to unfold and bring your way today. If by chance you miss any portion of it, Be sure to go to our website, TonyPerkins.com, and you’ll be able to get archives of this program, many others, and a host of resources as well. All right. For today, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, as well as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, they spent more than five hours inside Gaza. in order to get a better understanding of the humanitarian situation there. And ultimately, the Trump administration is wanting to craft a plan that will more effectively deliver food and aid to the people of Gaza. That, of course, is something that the United Nations was not doing very well. and Hamas on the other side was interfering with. But no doubt the legacy media will spin all of this against the Trump administration and against Israel. But why in the world are they not placing blame where the real culprits behind all of this? Well, joining me now to talk about this and more is Congressman Buddy Carter. He is a member of the Bipartisan Anti-Semitism Task Force, and he represents the 1st Congressional District of Georgia. Congressman Carter, my friend, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Good to see you always, Jody. Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, it’s our honor to have you. All right. I’m sure you’ve been watching, keeping up with all the coverage this past week on the situation there in Gaza. Let’s start off with just your basic reaction to what’s been coming down the pipelines.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, first of all, Jody, let me mention that segment you just had about the Senate bill to block arms going to Israel. Your senator, my senator, John Ossoff from the state of Georgia, a Democrat, voted for that, to block arms to go to Israel. So I just want to make sure we get that out there. there, that he is trying to block arms from going to Israel and not supporting Israel. But yeah, what’s happening over in Gaza right now, thank goodness that Ambassador Huckabee and Mr. Wilcox went to Gaza to see exactly what’s going on, because I could not agree with you more in the sense that I don’t think it’s being represented correctly of what is happening over in Gaza. Let’s face it, President Trump doesn’t want to see people starving. He wants to ensure that they are going to have the supplies over there that they need, but he also wants to make sure that they are being delivered to the people. This is Hamas at work, and this is the media who is portraying something that is simply untrue. We want to make sure that the people there get the supplies that they need, but we are going to make absolutely sure that Hamas is not blocking them from getting it. Yeah.
SPEAKER 24 :
And, you know, this is what was stunning to me. This is war. And yet Israel, it seems, is being held to expectations that no other country has in wartime. And when you look back through history, they’ve actually been doing far more. than other countries have. Meanwhile, Hamas has been doing, targeting civilians, stealing from Gazans, and even still continuing, as we all know, holding hostages for nearly two years now they’ve been doing that. So are people, my point is, are people forgetting who the real villains are in all of this right now?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, certainly the media is forgetting it, and therefore the people aren’t being reminded of who the real villains are, and the real villains are Hamas. Look, Donald Trump is the peacemaker-in-chief. He wants to see peace in Gaza. He wants to see peace in the Middle East. He has worked diligently on that. However, it’s got to be enforceable, and it’s got to make sure that Israel is safe. That that’s two requirements that we won’t budge on. And, you know, to have the UK acknowledge Hamas is a disaster. America will continue to support Israel and we always will support Israel. And yes, again, Donald Trump, he wants to see peace in Gaza and he wants to see Gaza go back to normal and whatever normal may be. But he’s not going to be taken aback by the actions of Hamas. He’s not going to let that happen.
SPEAKER 24 :
Yeah, I’m glad you brought that up because, you know, I mean, obviously we’re not only seeing media and others turn a blind eye to the atrocities from Hamas, but it seems as though they’re actually wanting to reward them. And as you just referenced with the U.K., we’re seeing several countries this week that have come out calling for a two-state solution. What’s your reaction to that?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I’m not in favor of that, to be quite honest with you. I think President Trump has got the right idea. And I have said from day one that until the hostages are returned, that we’re not going to be able to get peace in the Middle East. We’re not going to be able to get peace in Gaza. And until Hamas starts… negotiating in good faith and not in bad faith, we’re not going to be able to achieve peace. President Trump wants peace. I think he’s proven that. And that’s why I nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. He deserves it. He’s working diligently, not only here, but in Ukraine and Russia, everywhere across the world to achieve peace. But we all understand that You achieve peace through strength. I think the previous administration proved that if you’re weak, weakness is going to bring about trouble, and it’s going to bring about war. And that’s what happens. It’s going to bring about aggression.
SPEAKER 24 :
And certainly, I think probably no other region in the world understands the strength aspect that you were referring to than the Middle East. They certainly understand and respond to strength. But I think, you know, another factor in all of this that people seem to be turning a blind eye to is the United Nations itself. I mean, their World Food Program publicly says, Disclosed statistics admitting that 90% of their aid trucks over the last several months never even made it to their destinations. In fact, I want to play a clip here for you. Really, this is why the U.S. has been stepping in. But play clip three for me, Ambassador Huckabee.
SPEAKER 03 :
The UN has lots of food. They just don’t know how to get it in safely. And they don’t like the method of delivery. And they seem to be more focused on how the food gets there than whether or not it even arrives. Well, that’s not a hunger-centric issue. They need to take care of the people.
SPEAKER 24 :
Yeah, so what do you make of the efforts of the Trump administration and Israel to do what the UN, frankly, failed to do?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I think it’s admirable. I mean, you’re exactly right. The UN has failed in their responsibility. And the media seems to want to blame Israel for that. And we see that that’s not where the blame should be. The blame should be, it’s clear where the blame should be here. If the UN can’t do their job, then someone else has to do it. And certainly the United States is trying to help in any way we can. President Trump wants an enforceable an enforceable peace in Gaza that is going to keep Israel safe. And until we get those hostages released and until we get them returned and get the bodies of the two American hostages that were taken, we’re not going to be able to achieve that peace.
SPEAKER 24 :
Yeah. And what about your Democrat colleagues, particularly in the other chamber? They’re trying to shut down aid to Israel. Any quick thoughts there?
SPEAKER 07 :
Unbelievable that they would even entertain that thought. I mean, you know, this is the leftover remnants of the Biden-Harris administration. And for them to try to pull something like this, particularly, again, our senior senator from Georgia, John Ossoff, you know, I just don’t understand how in the world they don’t see that Israel is our ally and we must keep Israel safe.
SPEAKER 24 :
It’s amazing. Switching gears, we’ve got just a little over a minute left. You and your House colleagues are back in your various districts right now talking, I’m sure, about a lot of the accomplishments of the last few months. How’s that going for you, and what do you think real quickly is going to be a focus for the House when you return next month?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, first of all, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which saved Georgians, 88% of Georgians, from witnessing and experiencing the highest tax increase ever, about $1,500 a year on average in Georgia. And that’s about equivalent of seven weeks’ worth of groceries. We saved that. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, decreased tax on senior citizen, increased child care tax. All of those things are benefits of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Now, when we get back after Labor Day, we’ve got a lot of work to do, particularly in the way of appropriations. We’ve got to catch up on a lot of these appropriation bills. Tom Cole, who you know well, is doing a great job trying to get us in line with that. And I’m very confident that we’re going to be able to at least address the majority of those when we get back.
SPEAKER 24 :
Thank you, Congressman Buddy Carter of Georgia. Always great to see you and appreciate you coming on Washington Watch and filling us in on a lot of critical issues taking place. God bless.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you, my friend.
SPEAKER 24 :
All right, coming up, shield laws. What are they? And how are pro-abortion states using them against pro-life states? Well, I’ll discuss this after the break when I’m joined by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. So stay tuned. We’ll be back in just a moment.
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The family is the oldest, most tested, and most reliable unit of society. It is divinely created and sustained. And yet, there are those who are always tampering with its values and structure. That’s why we need organizations like the Family Research Council that can effectively defend and strengthen the family.
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SPEAKER 24 :
You’re tuned in to Washington Watch, and I’m your Friday host, Jody Heiss. So glad to have you with us. We appreciate it very much. All right. We had mentioned this next story earlier in the week, but really didn’t have time to dive into the details. But on Tuesday, there were 16 state attorney generals who sent a letter to Congress urging members to take action at the federal level to address the SHIELD laws. And these are laws that pro-abortion states are using to protect the criminal activity of those who are trafficking pro-abortion drugs into pro-life states. So more specifically, what are SHIELD laws? And what can Congress do to stop pro-life laws from being violated? Well, with me now to discuss this is South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. Attorney General Wilson, welcome to Washington Watch. It’s an honor to have you.
SPEAKER 17 :
Jody, it’s great to be with you. Thank you for having me on your program.
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, it is our privilege in every way. Let’s start with a simple explanation as to what SHIELD laws are and how they work.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, as you recall, to go back a little bit earlier, the Supreme Court and the Dobbs decision returned the issue to abortion to the states, and a number of states, including South Carolina, passed very or much more restrictive abortion laws prohibiting abortions from being conducted in our respective states. Other states that are pro-abortion states pass laws that shield doctors and various healthcare providers from performing those services, namely, for instance, like sending in abortifacient drugs, pharmaceutical drugs, mailing them in, doing mail order drugs, ordering them online, or even going into states and performing those types of medical services. And so these laws that these other pro-abortion states are passing are shielding those individuals from state prosecution. In the opinion of many of the states that signed the letter that you just talked about, this is a violation of the full faith and credit clause of the US Constitution. And I joined that letter along with 15 other states to ask Congress to evaluate and to look into this issue to protect and promote the sovereignty of each of the individual states and prohibit states like California from passing shield laws that prevent states like South Carolina from effectively enforcing its heartbeat bill or heartbeat law that we have in effect today.
SPEAKER 24 :
So it sounds like, if I’m wrong, correct me, but kind of summarize, it sounds like these shield laws are just blatant attempts to try to interfere with states like South Carolina and various pro-life states and their ability to enforce criminal laws within their borders. And really, this whole thing is just disrupting our constitutional structure of states. Is that kind of a correct summary?
SPEAKER 17 :
That’s correct. And again, you know, one example that some of these states are doing is they’re passing laws that prohibit the extradition of people who violate the criminal laws of states like here in South Carolina, who have those restrictive covenants on the act of performing an abortion. I was actually, earlier this past week, I was in the upstate of South Carolina. I was touring a local pregnancy center and I was speaking with one of the volunteer workers there who informed me that, and I don’t recall the name of the website right off the top of my head, but she said that she went onto this website. She was able to go onto this website put in her address that she was located here in South Carolina, give them their credit card number. And she was able to order abortifacient drugs that would terminate a pregnancy without seeing a doctor and without verifying her health history with the website. And then she could have just clicked send and could have gotten those drugs sent here into South Carolina. That is an example of how you could really compromise the health and safety of South Carolina citizens when they can do mail order drugs without even having a doctor being part of the process, let alone the fact that you’re committing a crime.
SPEAKER 24 :
Wow. Yeah, that’s stunning. And to hear it be that easy for people to do just a click, click, click and get these drugs that obviously end human life and the baby, but are also exceedingly dangerous for the mother. And they violate laws of states like what you’re referencing there in South Carolina. The question then, what can be done about it? Obviously, I think the Trump administration could be doing something about this. But, for example, we have a petition about this calling on them to instruct the Department of Justice to enforce the law, the Comstack Act, and to protect states’ rights. So the… Administration could be involved, obviously, but also Congress. And you and 15 other attorneys generals of various states are calling on Congress to take action. What can they do?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, you know, we’re calling on Congress to evaluate this particular type of shield law. And obviously we’d like them to preempt it or at least consider, evaluate if they could preempt it. There are currently cases right now in federal district court that could go to the Supreme Court And it could be dispositive of whether or not these states passing shield laws are violating the full faith and credit clause of the U.S. Constitution. But in the interim, we would ask Congress to consider and evaluate whether federal preemptive laws, for instance, states passing shield laws that violate the rights of other states and the laws of other states could be withheld federal funds in some form or fashion. I also joined a letter earlier this week that was led by the state of Kansas, along with 23 other states, that was sent to the Secretary of HHS, Robert F. Kennedy, and also Dr. Marty McCary with the FDA, asking them to evaluate drugs like Mifepristone, which is an abortifacient drug, that has been advertised as safe, as very safe and has efficacy. But what we’ve learned is, is that it’s 22 more times likely to have negative effects occur to the person taking it than it’s advertised on the drugs label. We’ve asked the FDA and HHS to evaluate that and consider re-implementing the safety protocols that used to be placed on that such as having to be seen by a doctor more than one time, being seen by a doctor three times, and having a doctor being involved, which the Obama and Biden administrations removed those safety protocols, or in the alternative, remove Mifepristone from the market while it can be safely evaluated to determine if it truly is safe for people to take. But again, People are taking these drugs, women are taking these drugs, and it is having a very adverse effect on their health. And this is something that we have a duty to protect our citizens and make sure they are educated so that they can protect themselves from these types of drugs.
SPEAKER 24 :
Amazing. Well, it seems very clear that the battle for life certainly did not end with the Supreme Court Dobbs decision. That’s a fact. Thank you so much, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. Thank you for taking the lead in this whole thing. And thank you for joining us this evening on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 17 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 24 :
All right. And just by way of reminder, we do have a petition referencing what I talked about a few moments ago, urging the Trump administration to restore strength to the FDA safety standards. And you can be a part of that petition by texting LIFE to 67742. That’s LIFE to 67742. Okay. After the break, I will be joined by Ken Isaacs from Samaritan’s Purse. He just recently returned from Gaza, and he’s going to come on with us now and tell us what he saw and what his organization’s been doing there. So stay tuned. Much more coming your way right after the break.
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SPEAKER 24 :
Good afternoon. Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. I’m your Friday host, Jody Heiss. And of course, glad to have you on board with us. As I mentioned at the top of the program, the U.S. has been getting more and more involved in the distribution of food and other types of aid to the people of Gaza. In the midst of what appears to be a very dire situation, which, by the way, primarily is the result of Hamas combined with some questionable activities from the United Nations, but there are other groups that are also involved, including our great friends at Samaritan’s Purse, who have been actively involved in helping innocent civilians there since the original attack of Hamas back on October 7th. And with me now to share more about what his organization is doing is Ken Isaacs. He’s the vice president of programs and government relations at Samaritan’s Purse. Ken, welcome to Washington Watch. It’s great to have you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you, Jody. It’s good to be with you.
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, let’s begin with this. You were recently over there. What can you tell us from your firsthand experience, what you saw and heard on the ground?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I’ve been back two and a half days, and I can tell you that it’s a desperate situation. I think that there’s a lot of political posturing going on, and I also think that there is a lot of need, and I think that there’s good work going on as far as humanitarian response. So it’s a very complex and difficult working environment, though.
SPEAKER 24 :
I can only imagine the complexity of it all. And of course, Samaritan’s Purse has been on the ground there since the very beginning, since right after the October 7th attacks. Can you tell us, Ken, a little bit of what the Lord has been doing through Samaritan’s Purse, specifically as it relates to addressing some of the physical needs of the people who are there?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, when the attacks on October the 7th happened, the first thing that we did, we started helping people in the communities that were directly affected. And as time has gone on, you know, we’ve helped more people in Israel. The assistance that we have been putting into uh gaza and the palestinian territories we’ve done that through trusted partners and that’s included food it’s included water trucking clean water and medical supplies clinical care medical care these kind of things now what we’re focused on in addition to ambulance centers and medical facilities that we’re helping with in israel in the communities We’re looking at the food situation in Gaza, what we can do and how we would do that. And recently, a group’s name, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has come up. And so during my trip there, I visited with them. I saw firsthand the work that they’re doing. And I have to say, Jody, I came away very impressed. They are professional. They are compassionate people, and they are taking food in and delivering it, distributing it in a very chaotic situation, but they’re doing a yeoman’s job at it.
SPEAKER 24 :
That’s awesome. That’s fantastic to hear. You mentioned some of the partners. Go with us down that path a little bit, Ken. What can you tell us more about the dynamics of some of the partners that you work with? How does that what does that look like for Samaritan’s Purse?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, it has a different appearance in different places, but essentially it’s people that we know through other intermediaries that we’ve either had direct contact with them or people that we know and that we trust know that they’re people that can be trusted, that they’re not connected to any terrorist activities. And so this is what we’re looking for, how to do that. And as Christians, you know, we’re always looking for that open door. And the Lord sends his people. We try to use discernment and make the best choices that we can.
SPEAKER 24 :
So let’s talk about that. I guess at the end of the day, that is the main issue. Taking care of the physical needs, food and that type of thing are huge. But it’s not just the physical needs that Samaritan’s Purse addresses. It’s the spiritual needs as well. Ken, can you talk to us a little bit about some of the encounters spiritually that you’ve heard about or perhaps that you’ve witnessed personally?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, you know, in Israel, it’s frowned upon to be, you know, what they would say is proselytizing. But I can tell you that I’ve met with many government officials and I’ve always used the parable of the Good Samaritan to explain who we are and why we do what we do. And that message is warmly received and appreciated by all the people groups that we work with. But we want people that we help to know that God loves them and God hasn’t forgotten about them. And so we do everything that we can to do that in a way that is acceptable and appropriate in different cultural settings.
SPEAKER 24 :
So how would you encourage some of our viewers here and our listeners as well to pray about this situation, both for the people there in Gaza and Israel, but also for your team and the partners that you’re working with? How can we most effectively pray for you?
SPEAKER 04 :
But thank you for asking that, Jody. So I would just ask for prayer for discernment for our team members and our leaders, who we work with, how we work with them, open doors of opportunities. We’re looking at doing some really innovative kind of things with food distributions. And, you know, I just would ask for prayers that God would bless that and give us favor. And particularly in the relationships, pray for people. the peace in that part of the world. And pray also for the people from Gaza. They’re under enormous desperation and stress right now, and nobody wants to see that.
SPEAKER 24 :
Ken Isaacs, I want to thank you so much. Vice President of Programs and Government Relations at Samaritan’s Purse. Tremendous work that you and your team are doing. Thank you. And thank you for joining us on Washington Watch. Thank you, Jody. All right, friends, don’t go anywhere. After the break coming up in just a moment, David Clawson will join me for our weekly biblical worldview discussion. Stay tuned.
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Family Research Council is committed to advancing faith, family, and freedom from the East Coast to the West. So FRC is going to Southern California for this year’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit, October 17th and 18th at Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills. Join us for this powerful gathering of Christians desiring cultural renewal and spiritual revival. The Pray, Vote, Stand Summit brings together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action. Together, we will seek God’s guidance for our nation and engage in meaningful discussions on the intersection of faith, government, and culture. If the spiritual foundations and the cultural walls of our nation are to be rebuilt, we all have a role to play. May we each find our place on the wall as we build for biblical truth. Register now at PrayVoteStand.org. That’s PrayVoteStand.org.
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There are so many different audiences that can benefit. The first one are counselors themselves, because we have some material in there where we really address the gender dysphoria diagnosis and what is wrong with it. We have information for people who are wanting to go back to embracing God’s design for their life.
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How should Christians think about the thorny issues shaping our culture? How should Christians address deceitful ideas like transgenderism, critical theory, or assisted suicide? How can Christians navigate raising children in a broken culture, the war on gender roles, or rebuilding our once great nation? Outstanding is a podcast from The Washington Stand dedicated to these critical conversations. Outstanding seeks to tear down what our corrupt culture lifts up with an aim to take every thought and every idea captive to the obedience of Christ. Whether policies or partisan politics, whether conflict in America or conflict abroad, join us and our guests as we examine the headlines through the lens of Scripture and explore how Christians can faithfully exalt Christ in all of life. Follow Outstanding on your favorite podcast app and look for new episodes each week.
SPEAKER 24 :
Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. I hope you’re having a great day. I’m Jody Heischer, Friday host. An honor to be with you. Before I get to my final guest, I want to encourage you to sign a petition that we have, an extremely, extremely important petition. We are calling on the Trump administration to restore and strengthen FDA safety standards for the abortion drug Mifepristone. and to direct the Department of Justice to enforce federal law. Friends, the bottom line, look, this is becoming increasingly a huge problem, and we need the Trump administration to take immediate action, to take decisive action, to put a stop to the Biden-era policies that have allowed this type of dangerous abortion drug to be trafficked across state lines And you can help. You can help simply by signing this petition. So I encourage you to text the word LIFE, L-I-F-E. Text LIFE to 67742 and sign our petition. And let’s help make this thing right. So thank you in advance for joining us in that effort. All right, as we do each and every Friday, I always like to end the program and end the week, for that matter, by literally thinking about some of the headlines of the week through the lens of Scripture, through a biblical worldview perspective. And even though Capitol Hill is a little bit quieter this week because Congress is out of session, there is certainly no shortage when it comes to news. And so I always like to bring in FRC’s David Claussen to help us think about some of these stories through a biblical perspective. David, of course, is the director of FRC’s Center for Biblical Worldview, and he’s the author of the recent book, Life After Roe, Equipping Christians in the Fight for Life Today, which I certainly recommend for you to check out and read. David, as always, happy Friday and welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 20 :
Happy Friday. Great to be with you again, Jody.
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, listen, I just had our last guest, Ken Isaacs, from Samaritan’s Purse, and we were talking about some of the things taking place specifically in Gaza, but Israel in general. I know you’ve been there many times. You’ve led Christian tours and so forth through the land. You’ve seen it up close and personal. And as we all know, this week we’ve seen some headlines about the situation in Gaza. And, you know, it just appears as this conflict intensifies, we need to have a biblical understanding of what Christians should know about it all. So let me just throw it out there to you from that perspective. What do Christians need to know about what’s happening in Israel and Gaza?
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, Jody, I think as Christians, probably the most important thing when it comes to this issue is moral clarity. You know, as Christians, we are people who care about the facts. We want to be right. We want to be accurate. And I think what you’ve seen develop over the past couple of weeks in Israel, we need to realize Every single development that has happened in Gaza with the horrible human suffering can be traced back to October the 7th with that Hamas terrorist attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 that were kidnapped and taken hostage. Of course, you know, Jody, that was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. And I think that’s where we need to start with a conversation like this. We need to just be really clear. If Hamas laid their weapons down this evening and released the hostages, the war would be over. I think that’s really important to say. What has taken place, of course, is not surprising though, Jody, and you know this, you’ve covered this as a member of Congress and as a pastor. Hamas is a terrorist group. They’ve always been about this ever since they won an election back in 2006. 2007 is when they took control of Gaza, actually forcibly expelled the Palestinian authority that was there. They have used this small stretch of land as a base for terrorist operations. And so just very briefly, I think as Christians, how do we look at this? especially the headlines that have been in the news this week. We lament and we grieve. Any Israeli life that is lost, any Palestinian life that is lost, we grieve. But, again, I think we need moral clarity. We, of course, want to encourage those who are combatants to do everything they can to minimize civilian casualties. But, again, moral clarity is needed. Hamas is the instigators. They also embed themselves in civilian populations, intentionally put their base of operations in mosques, in hospitals, in places where they know there’s going to be a population of civilians. And then I guess the final thing we also need to realize, because hunger has been in the news this week, Jody, that Hamas militants have diverted millions of dollars worth of humanitarian aid to their militants. There’s one organization known as the World Food Health Program. They admitted that 90% of their resources have been taken by Hamas. You know, Mike Huckabee and Steve Witkoff, they are there today in Gaza taking a look at it. You know, what was remarkable to me is what Ambassador Huckabee said, is that, you know, there’s this organization that’s providing one million meals a day to Gazans, and they’re being protected by the Israeli military. So, again, all of this is important background for how we read the headlines.
SPEAKER 24 :
Yeah, it really is. And the moral clarity just shouts for us to see it and understand it. But there’s so many ways in which this whole thing seems to get clouded and muddied. You know, it’s every day, David. It’s in the headlines, be it civilian casualties, be it pressure on Israel from other world leaders, which seems to be increasing on a daily basis. We have deepening divisions right here at home. And when it comes to times like this, what the Bible has to say becomes exceedingly necessary, essential for a guide to help Christians think about things like war in general, things about justice, things about like peace in the Middle East as a general rule. So how would you break that down for us? As we are seeing every day more and more and more things, how does the Bible become a guide for Christians to talk about things like war and justice and peace and so forth?
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, Jody, the Bible gives us kind of a framework to think about many of the things that you just mentioned. You also mentioned world leaders. And I have to say, you know, shame on some of these world leaders like Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer of Britain. who said they’re going to recognize a Palestinian state in the coming weeks if the fighting doesn’t stop. Again, that just needs to be seen for what it is. That is playing politics with the situation. It’s trying to bully Israel, which is simply responding to being attacked. Again, as Christians, we lament the bloodshed. We lament when innocent people are caught up in the crosshairs of war. You mentioned kind of how do Christians think about this specifically with war and peace. You know, just war theory. You and I have had a whole segment thinking about just war theory, which is, again, the Christian tradition of when it’s morally permissible to go to war. And I think, again, as Christians, Israel continues to be in the headlines. I’d encourage Christians to kind of revisit that. The Christian tradition has said that to wage a just war, you have to have just cause, a legitimate authority. It should always be seen as a last resort. There needs to be a probability of success. There needs to be proportionality. And so again, it’s a helpful framework that I think if you apply that to the current conflict, you’ll see that Israel is going above and beyond kind of what most nations would do in this situation to ensure that they’re minimizing civilian casualties. But again, as Christians, we lament whenever we see suffering. And it reminds us, Jody, that we live in a Genesis 3 world, and we need to pray for this. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and we pray for folks, our brothers and sisters in Gaza as well.
SPEAKER 24 :
Absolutely. And you just said about praying for the peace of Jerusalem. And there’s other things in the news, David. I want to get to some other things. But this last question before we depart the topic of Israel, I hear it on a regular basis, even some people at our church and so forth, that particularly I would say probably younger Christians for the most part, but they want to know whether or not and why or why not we should even be supporting Israel to begin with. How would you respond to someone who asked that question, the question why? Should we or what does it matter for me as a Christian when it comes to Israel?
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, and I have that conversation as well, Jody. I think one of the first things I say is we need to be clear what we’re talking about. You know, support for Israel doesn’t necessarily equate to you have to agree with everything the Netanyahu government does. Support for Israel means you recognize Israel as a legitimate state. You recognize Israel as the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people. You recognize Israel as a key ally of the United States. Now, again, I’m someone who greatly admires the prime minister. I read his autobiography that came out last year. I think it gives insight into the way he makes decisions. But that’s what support for Israel means. means. Specifically as a Christian, yes, we recognize Israel as our number one geopolitical ally in the region. But as Christians, whether you’re a dispensationalist or not, Romans 11 is in our Bible. Romans 11 teaches us that Christians are actually grafted onto a covenant that God made with the Jewish people. That’s the simple fact right there of why so many Christians have had such an affinity for generations for our Jewish brothers and sisters. Of course, Genesis 12 says that God blesses those who bless Abraham’s descendants. And so, again, of course, Christians can debate dispensationalism. They can debate eschatology all you want. But Romans 11, at least how I read it, does tell me that Jews are God’s original covenant people and they’re beloved. That’s Romans 11, verse 28. So I think there are theological as well as just very practical reasons that we care about Israel and we care about the Jewish people.
SPEAKER 24 :
THAT’S A GREAT FOUNDATIONAL PLATFORM THAT PEOPLE CAN GO FROM THERE IN A LOT OF DIRECTIONS. THE SCRIPTURE SPEAKS VERY CLEARLY ABOUT THIS AND HAS A LOT TO SAY. ALL RIGHT. I WANT TO SWITCH GEARS, DAVID, BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS IN THE NEWS. WE’LL PROBABLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH KIND OF RAPID FIRE WITH SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS AND A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE. WHAT APPEARS TO BE A RATHER DOMINO EFFECT TAKING PLACE AMONG SOME CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS THAT WERE ENGAGED IN SO-CALLED GENDER AFFIRMING CARE FOR MINORS, ONE IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, AMONG THE LATEST, JUST FOR EXAMPLE. SO GIVE ME SOME THOUGHTS ON SOME OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS AS IT RELATES TO HOSPITALS BACKING AWAY FROM THIS.
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, Jody, and the D.C. hospital announced that after August 30th, they’re not going to do these treatments either. I think, Jody, we’re going to look back on the period probably between 2015 and 2024. It was just really a dark period in our nation’s history where good science, evidence-based medicine was replaced with a radical gender ideology that many people didn’t even understand to begin with. And so, again, I’m just really glad that it seems that a common sense, it seems that a sanity has returned on this issue. But we also need to realize we are going to be living amongst us is going to be people who were really harmed because of this gender ideology. And I think as Christians, we need to realize these people are going to be living with scars. We need to walk with them. with love, we need to walk with them with empathy, but we should all celebrate that it seems that this kind of confusion is, that the fog is lifting, and we should pray that that continues.
SPEAKER 24 :
Yeah, and it’s amazing that fog ever settled on this type of thing to begin with. All right, so there was a New York Post article, a story I’m sure you probably read about a former male fashion model who was medically modified to present as a girl. Really a heartbreaking story, quite frankly. And I’m sure you’ve read it. What do you learn from this type of story that could be helpful for Christians who are thinking about this topic?
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, Jody, I’d recommend everyone this. Just a couple days ago in the New York Post, it’s the story of a gentleman named Miles Yardley. He’s 27 years old now, but he tells the story when he was 15, he was confused about his sex and he went to a gender clinic. And after two appointments, Two, he got on estrogen and puberty blockers. After this, he kind of transitioned to present as a female. He entered into some really elite fashion circles and kind of, again, everyone thought he was just a woman. He was a model. But then what’s amazing about the story, Joe, is he started to go to church. He realized that kind of the way he was presenting, the way he was living in these elite circles wasn’t really fulfilling. He started thinking deeper thoughts about who he was, what his purpose in life was, and then he began to detransition. And he now lives as a man, he presents as a man. And what’s remarkable is when you read his story, He basically says, you know, he represents himself now as a Christian, which is remarkable. But the line in the story that he said, he said that he realized he was hurting himself. He realized he was poisoning and sterilizing himself. And he said he realized I couldn’t do the things and I wouldn’t be able to do the things in the future that normal people can do because I was castrating my body. And what’s amazing now is he’s suing the people that put those surgeries and the puberty blockers and estrogen push that on him. And he actually, again, as a Christian, he says he harbors no ill will. He doesn’t think they’re trying to do something that’s evil. But he said that he needs to speak out about this because other people are going to get hurt. So let’s just pray, Jody. that all of us are going to churches that are as welcoming as the church he found, that we’re willing to speak the truth in love. Because in the years to come, Jody, there are going to be refugees of the sexual revolution that were kind of sold to pack a lies. They realize that they’re a lie and that they’re going to be searching for truth. May they find a place in our church where we can point them to true north, we can point them to truth, and we can point them to the Lord Jesus.
SPEAKER 24 :
Amen and amen to that. All right, David, we’ve got only a minute left. All right, on the abortion front, your area of tremendous expertise, among others. There was big news coming out of Oklahoma yesterday. Break that down for us, what happened?
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, Jody, Governor Kevin Stitt, a friend of this program who’s been on several times, he put out an executive order that says that no grants, no contracts, and no funding of any kind can go to abortion-affiliated businesses or organizations. And he issued this executive order in the aftermath of the Medina v. Planned Parenthood decision that you and I have talked about extensively that basically said that a state can make sure that their Medicaid dollars don’t go towards any organization or healthcare provider that provides abortion services. And so Kevin Stitt is saying here in Oklahoma, we don’t want any of our dollars to fund this. And so good reminder for all of us that what the Supreme Court does has implications and consequences that we’re just now beginning to see the effects of all those good decisions that you and I have talked about. There’s going to be more. And that’s something that all of us should be tremendously grateful for.
SPEAKER 24 :
Absolutely. Yet another potential domino effect underway that we all get to watch. Thank you, David Claussen, as always, Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview here at the Family Research Council. Greatly appreciate you, my friend. Thanks for joining us. Thank you. All right, friends, that wraps up yet another day and another week here at Washington Watch. Hope you have a great weekend, and we’ll see you next week again right here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 09 :
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