The Media’s War on Israel

In this episode of Inside The Epicenter, Joel and Carl cover the media bias and distortion surrounding the war in Israel. 

They discuss the New York Times headline claiming that Israel bombed a hospital without questioning the credibility of the source, leading to accusations of bad journalism and antisemitism. The danger of media biases against Jews is that it leads to slander, violence incitement, and a double standard. 

Explore Israel’s current portrayal by corporate media, the role of prayer, and the importance of reliable, balanced news sources in this episode. 

Joel and Carl also share their longing for the liberation of the Gaza Strip from the grip of terrorist influence and fervent prayer for the protection of innocent civilians on both sides.

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Transcript:

- People are listening to those lies. They believe that Israel bombed the hospital that we didn't bomb. They believe that we are trying to commit genocide in Gaza when we're actually trying to prevent genocide in Gaza and prevent genocide that Hamas was portraying in Israel.

- The corporate media, why is it at war with Israel? Hi, and welcome to "Inside the Epicenter with Joel Rosenberg," a podcast of The Joshua Fund, a ministry dedicated to blessing Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus. I'm Carl Moeller, executive director of The Joshua Fund, and today we're talking with Joel Rosenberg in Jerusalem. Joel, great to have you on. You're a member of the media as well, but we're certainly not against Israel, as you would say, but corporate media is different and the large news outlets seem to have adopted a different stance in this current war that Israel is against Hamas. You wanna talk a little bit about that?

- I do. Thanks for asking. Look, it has gotten ugly. The first couple of weeks of this war, we saw a lot of sympathy from the American media, from the international media, because what were we focused on? We were focusing on dead Jews. And at least for a while, there was sympathy. Like, okay, that's bad. And the atrocities, you know, as they were beginning, more and more information was coming out about how Hamas murdered people and dismembered them and burned them alive and all these different things. People were so horrified that I think their natural humanity kicked in, even in the media. Like, that's just horrifying. And they actually, as competitive journalists, they wanted to get more information about, well, how bad was that? And can I get images of that? And can you talk to me about that? But something shifted. And again, we're not talking about everybody in the media. We're not talking about every person, even in the corporate, what's known as the mainstream media, but wow, it has gotten ugly fast where too much, too much, and I mean a lot of the mainstream corporate American and global media has turned against Israel. And they're not asking questions as general, like, "Hey, we just wanna understand what's going on." They're asking questions like they're the prosecutor and we're the monsters. And it is ugly and it is wicked, and I'm horrified by it. But it's getting, I did predict it on this podcast and on "All Israel News" and everything. This is gonna happen and it's gonna get worse, so buckle up. But it's even far worse and far faster than I would've guessed.

- Well, I remember you saying that. I remember, you know, you calling that out because of just the way you've been an astute observer of what the media's intent is here. What are they getting wrong? I mean, so what's really behind all of that, and what are they getting wrong?

- There are several premises behind the media atrocities, okay? These are atrocities. But there are several conditions, preconceptions, premises that the media is operating on. The first is that the Jews are always wrong, that it's really our fault. That is an anti-Semitic trope that goes back forever, right? I mean, there were people who were saying, you know, all kind, I mean, if you go back to Haman in the Bible, right, during the book of Esther, right? What happens there? You have a Jewish man named Mordecai who is commanded by this senior advisor to the King of Persia, the Persian empire, Haman. Haman, who also really is effectively the prime minister of the country. And Haman is such a vain, wicked man that he wants Mordecai to bow down and kiss the ground when Haman walks by. But that's a form, first of all, Haman was not the king. And secondly, that's a form of idolatry, right? If you're not the king, why am I bowing down to you? I'm giving you respect, of course, but bowing down and like as though you were God, or that you were the king, and you're not the king and you're not God. So Mordecai wouldn't do it. This made Haman so infuriated, enraged, that he decides to come up with a plot to kill every Jew in the Persian empire from Ethiopia in the West to India in the East. Now this, think of that premise. The premise is it's not just you, Mordecai, a Jewish man, a man, but a Jewish man who is disrespecting me in my view. Every Jew is wrong. Every Jew is wicked and must be exterminated. That was the premise that Haman was operating on. And this is the same premise. Now, the media doesn't have the authority to kill us, but by slandering us, they have the ability to infuriate those who do have the capacity and the will, mind you, to turn into a murderous rage. And so when the media tells lies about Israelis in general, or Jews more broadly, we can see what's happening. On college campuses, people are listening to those lies. They believe that Israel bombed the hospital that we didn't bomb. They believe that we are trying to commit genocide in Gaza when we're actually trying to prevent genocide in Gaza and prevent genocide that Hamas was portraying in Israel. Everything is backwards. It's like from Superman, it's the Bizarro world. Up is down, day is night, black is white, it's all reversed. But students who don't know better and who have some predilection inside of them start beating up on Jews or crowds in London turn out or in Pakistan or wherever or, you know, in Russia, right? Where they stormed a plane, a tarmac, an airport, trying to find Israelis who just landed to kill them. And fortunately, the Israelis were all able to get back on the plane and get out of there, but, so that's the central issue, that the Jews are always wrong and at heart, we're actually evil. That's at the core. And it seems unfair for me to say it, say, "Wait, wait a minute, wait a minute. Now these reporters don't think that." Really? Then why the double standard? If America gets attacked by radical Islam, then America gets UN resolutions that support us and condemn the terrorists and everybody says, "Today, we're an American." The French, "Today, we are Americans." The British, "Today, we are Americans." Everybody in the world. But very few people are saying, "We're Israelis today." And in fact, "Actually, aren't you all wrong? Aren't you guys the monsters?" It's sickening, but that, it's a demonic spirit that people that have a predilection to be activated by it are getting activated right now.

- Yeah, well, that, you've done a great job right there of saying the why behind all this. Really at the depth of it, it is, it's antisemitism. And deeper than that, I believe, as you do, and you just said a demonic spirit that is really committed to the destruction of Israel and Jewish people in general. Let's talk about a specific incident that everybody knows about, the so-called hospital bombing, you know, and how that was treated in the world media. And even today, some people around the world believe that Israel bombed a hospital. I mean, talk a little bit about what really transpired there and maybe why they would spin that like that.

- So here first are the facts. A hospital in Gaza, actually it was a Baptist hospital, was bombed a couple weeks ago. And there were many deaths and even more injuries. Immediately, immediately, Hamas issued a statement that Israel had bombed the hospital. Immediately after Hamas issued the statement, the global media picked it up and reported it on the front pages and on lead stories. "The New York Times" ran it as a banner headline. "Israel Bombs Hospital in Gaza, comma, Palestinian Health Sources Say." Banner headline. So when you wake up the next morning in the newspaper record, right? All the news that's fit to print is their "New York Times" motto. You're one of 10 million people in New York City, you pick up the "New York Times" and you are told that Israel bombed the hospital. Not maybe, like it's disputed. And what's the justification? In the headline, it says, "Well, Palestinian health officials say." That's like saying the State Department says, or the Department of Health and Human Services says, or, you know, an official organ of a government that's a legitimate government. Who runs the non-legitimate government in Gaza? Well, that's Hamas. So that's like the Nazis saying that America bombed a hospital in Berlin, comma, German health officials say. I guarantee you, the "New York Times" did not publish a single story with Nazi attribution as a major headline that everybody had... Like they knew what the stakes were and they knew that if the Nazis said it, it could be true, but probably wasn't. Let's figure this out. You could put a headline for example, that says "Gaza Hospital Suffers Terrible Bombing" or "Suffers Bombing" even, "Cause Being Investigated." That is a fair story. But the fact that the "New York Times," I mean, set aside every other media outlet, but they all went with it, everybody went with it. Not "All Israel News," but okay, setting that aside. But everybody went with it. And the "New York Times" is the most influential, most trusted newspaper on the planet Earth. So when they say it, it's gospel truth for every other journalist on the planet. And that's what happened. So they didn't even check themselves to think, is it possible that we're getting spun? Why are we listening to Hamas? What did they just do to the Jews across the border? Is it possible we're getting played? It didn't even occur to them, okay? So that's the first question you have to ask, why not? And it goes to this point. It's the Haman effect. They actually believed that it was true. They couldn't even conceive of, in the "New York Times" editorial rooms and in the news bureau, they couldn't even conceive a scenario in which Israel didn't bomb the hospital. So that is antisemitism. It's also bad journalism to assume the worst of someone without even checking it. Now, it didn't take more than a few hours, but it's true. Israel lost a couple of news cycles, but certainly within six to eight hours, there was already, even that night, 'cause we were tracking it, we're like, did that happen? That's horrible. That's gonna be really bad for Israel if that's true. But already there's so much videography going on around Gaza that within an hour or two, people started posting video that they had taken near Gaza showing a barrage of rockets going up. And then one of them you can see, because it's nighttime, and so you can see the flames of the rockets. One of them breaks off from the ones going up and into Israel, all of which are war crimes, by the way, 'cause they're attacking civilians. But anyway, and it falls down. And then seconds later you see this massive explosion. So there was already within, before the "New York Times" had to go to print, but even before it had to publish a definitive digital story, there was already at least the possibility that maybe it wasn't Israel. So, and then by the next day, Israel had released, I think, a video from 10 different angles. And Israeli intelligence had intercepted a call between two Hamas operatives. And one of them is unaware, but the other one says, "No, it actually wasn't the Israelis, it's us." They're referring specifically to a division of them, another terror entity that's connected to them called the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. PIJ. And the one Hamas operative explains to the other, he is like, "Oh my gosh, that's terrible." Like, so Hamas knew but they lied. But you expect the devil to lie. What you don't expect is every trained journalist on the planet to immediately accept those lies. So within, by the next day, President Biden had arrived. He'd seen all the evidence, and he, you know, he loves Israel, true. But if Israel had done it, I can guarantee you Biden would've said, "I'm sorry, this is terrible." He might not even have come.

- Yeah. Well, and I think it goes to just the nature of all of this. It was such a dramatic response by so many nations, immediately condemning Israel without waiting for the obvious facts to emerge. You know, a few years ago, several years ago now, I was actually in Gaza, I've been there. And I've been to another hospital that's been in the news as well, the Al-Shifa Hospital. Had an opportunity to go there with-

- Oh, Al-Shifa, which we now know from intelligence, we now know that the Hamas command and control center is located underneath it.

- Well, exactly my point. You know, and I was there with a Baptist church and there was, you know, there was an opportunity for doing mission work-

- By the way, can I just interrupt, I apologize. Rockets are being fired at Tel Aviv right now.

- [Carl] Wow.

- So let's just take a moment to pray in real time. I realize this is going to air later, but just to understand that we have an app on our phones here in Israel, and so we can see in real time.

- Wow. See it, see it right there.

- All those places are being struck as you and I are recording. As Gaza, Palestinian, Hamas rockets and missiles are landing on Tel Aviv or being shot out of the sky. So let's just take, would you pray, Carl?

- I'd be happy to, Joel. Heavenly Father, we ask right now for your divine and supernatural protection over the people in land of Israel. And Lord, we ask right now that you would empower Israel's military response to intercept these rockets, that you would prevent the loss of civilian life in Israel, that there would be a peace and a sense of your protection right now being experienced by those that are sheltering in bomb shelters, Lord. We just ask right now, for in this moment, your hand of protection to be extended over Israel and to intercept even more than those iron dome rockets, those missiles headed towards civilian targets in Israel. We ask this in the powerful and matchless name of , amen.

- Yes, Lord, and may I just add that you would be gracious to all these Palestinian civilians? Whether they're innocent or not. Maybe in their hearts they actually do support Hamas. Many, many do, we know that. But we pray that you would move them out of harm's way, that you would protect them, that you would get the food and the water and the medical supplies to them that they need. And that you would vanquish this terror entity, all the terror entities, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and anyone else that has this murderous genocidal spirit. Lord, convert them or remove them. Lord, please, we pray that you would liberate the Gaza Strip from this demonic influence and bring a new era of calm and peace and quiet. I don't know if to pray for prosperity seems a stretch, but people can build on life on both sides of these borders. And that you'd be merciful, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray.

- Yes, Lord.

- Amen.

- Amen, amen. Joel, we're gonna take a quick break right now, but we're gonna come back and we're gonna talk about what we can do and how we can face this media war. Our verse of the day today is found in John 8:32. "Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." Our prayer requests today are to, number one, pray for the world's media to spread the truth and not distortion. And second, pray that truth prevails in the nations and that Jesus, who is truth, is revealed to the unsaved in the Middle East. Well, Joel, we're back and I do wanna finish that story about my visit to the Al-Shifa Hospital with the Baptist church there in Gaza during a visit several years ago. And I wanted to make the connection to this that, you know, while we were there, of course we saw the ill, the sick, the wounded from different things going on and the treatments that were being done there. Of course, it was an operating hospital. And yet you mentioned something, and I think many of our listeners might not realize this, but Hamas' actual command and control operations have been revealed by Israeli intelligence to be located underneath that hospital. Now, why isn't the media reporting more of that and more of the diabolical nature of Hamas' activities, using a hospital like Al-Shifa as a location to run their operations from?

- Yeah, well, that's because there's this built in, it's not just bias. There's, it's something wicked. I'm sorry, it's the spirit of Haman that has decided that the Jews are the monsters. And now these reporters are finally getting to reveal that the Jews of Israel are Goliath and that the Palestinians of Hamas are David. And like that is just-

- How ironic.

- So twisted that it really is scary to think there's people that believe this. It's bad enough that they are professors in Western universities. It's bad enough that their students, who are, I'm sorry, idiots and aren't getting a good education and their parents are wasting their money.

- It's a lot of wasted tuition.

- Sending them to these Ivy League schools where they're being brainwashed into thinking the exact opposite of all things that are true. But to say that your profession is to seek the truth and to make instant snap judgments in a war situation, in which you believe a genocidal enemy and you immediately don't believe the victim of the crime, is wicked. And you know, I gotta say that I also wanna underscore that Israel has not attacked a Palestinian hospital. It probably has every cause to. If you were really gonna take out Gaza's, Hamas' command and control system, you just flatten that hospital. But that's why we're having to go in on the ground because there are some things, you know, we don't wanna kill Palestinian innocents.

- Civilians, yeah.

- Even if they're not innocent. If they're not combatants, if they're not actual terrorists, we don't wanna kill 'em. That's not our objective. But it is the objective to kill civilians. We have warned the Palestinian society to move out of harm's way. That's part of our ethics, it's part of our morality as Israel. I'm not saying we do everything right, but we're doing that right. Did the Hamas terrorists warn any of the communities along the Gaza Israel border? "By the way, we're coming to kill you in your sleep. We're gonna burn you alive in your own homes. We're gonna shoot you in the face. We're gonna cut off the heads of your babies." No, there was no warning. And now more than 8,100 rockets and missiles have been fired, including in the last few seconds, at us. And there are people calling for a ceasefire. That sounds, in a weird, Western, semi-sophisticated, pseudo-sophisticated way, oh, calling for a ceasefire sounds like it's the rational answer. But let's put it this way. Wherever you who are watching or listening live, if you have a small child or grandchild or neighbor's child, whatever, five, six years old, they're in an elementary school, you hear over the radio or your neighbor comes running to your house, there are five shooters with AR-15s inside the elementary school where your children go and they're killing all the children. The first question I want you to say is, do you want a proportional response? Do you want the local police to send five people? They have five, so we'll send five. That's a proportional response. But that's no, you want them to send the entire SWAT team, the entire police force, surround it. And if you can negotiate these guys stopping and arrest them, fine. But if they're killing children actively, you wanna a sniper to take out those five guys, right? You're not looking, but you're like, you're not asking for a ceasefire. What does a ceasefire mean? It means that the good guys stop shooting and the bad guys keep killing.

- Yeah, yeah.

- That's insane. You don't believe that. In your own life, you don't believe it. Why are you putting that moral monstrosity on a country that's trying to protect ourselves from murderers.

- Yeah, it-

- And one more clarification, I'm sorry. One other clarification. I'm not saying that everybody who doesn't get it is being influenced by a demonic spirit. I wanna be clear. I said that, you know, I've been saying that in recent podcasts, meaning the people who do wanna kill, they're being driven by a demonic spirit and those who are listening or reporting and sort of not seeing it, they're being influenced by the spirit of the age, which is an anti-Christian, anti-Judeo-Christian mindset. It doesn't mean you're demon possessed. I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is you're listening to falsehoods that you actually don't believe about your own children or your grandmother, right? Or if the the nursing home is being shot up and everybody's being shot to pieces or put into the incinerator, I mean, like, in what way do you want a proportional response? No, you wanna end that crisis as fast as possible and get everybody to safety. That's what we're trying to do. And what do you do if the bad guys have the grandmothers and the children all around them? Well, you be more careful, right? You don't shoot at them at that moment, but you might have to move into the building, which is much more dangerous. Especially if the police don't know there's only five. What if they're 50? Every room you have to go through carefully and make sure there's no bad guys there. Anyway, I'm trying to make an analogy that I think far too few people are actually applying to this situation.

- Well, you know, moving from that to just maybe a question right now, we see this from the West, and you know, we're talking about it here in the safety of the US and you obviously, you know, have alerts going off on your phone. How does it affect the typical Israeli to know that there's unethical reporting about this war going on around the world? Is it talked about much in Israel? Is it something that has affected Israelis in general?

- It is talked about. In fact, you know, just referencing our previous podcast about my exclusive interview with the former Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, we talked about it quite a bit because it infuriates Israelis and it is very difficult for Israelis to understand why there's this double standard, because Israelis, Israeli Jews, Jews in general, but Israeli Jews in particular, I would say we as a society so crave to be just one of the nations. We see that in the Bible. Often the people of Israel just, they would almost bend over backwards, figuratively speaking, to be like the rest of the nations. I mean, we just wanna fit in. We don't wanna be special. We don't wanna be, I mean, people are like, "Oh, you're the chosen people." Like, we don't even wanna be chosen. Like, we feel like we're chosen for bad things more often than chosen for good things. But most Israelis sort of resign themselves to like, that's, it's like the weather. Like a hurricane's coming, what am I gonna do? But if I have to fight bad guys, I'll fight bad guys. But they don't know, they're not sure how to fight the media. And this is why, you know, this is why we started this podcast. It's why a number of colleagues and I almost four years ago started something called "All Israel News" and "All Arab News." And why a year after that, when TBN, the most watched Christian television network in America, came to me and you, we had that conversation in Dallas and said, "Look, what's happening with the Joshua and particularly what's happening with 'All Israel News,' it's so interesting, it's so important. There isn't a primetime show on any Christian or any network of any kind made in Israel. No primetime program, weekly primetime program. Would you create one?" And all three of these projects are, you know, they're expensive and they're time consuming. But why do we do them? And you know, I joke, but it's true. But I mean, I try to say it in a humorous way. Well, I have two choices. I either could have an aneurysm because I'm so angry every day at the Goliaths of the corporate media that have all the money, all the power, all the influence, all the viewers, although they're losing a lot of viewers, right, 'cause people don't trust them anymore. But they have, they're the Goliaths. What are we gonna do? What, I'm gonna start something to compete against CNN? CNN lost $300 million in one month when they created CNN, plus "All Israel News" was getting more traffic than they were and we were operating on a budget of, I think, I don't know, $500,000 that first year? And they wasted $300 million in a month.

- [Carl] Amazing.

- But there was two options. You could have an aneurysm being so angry every day, or you could do something about it. And realize that the Goliaths in the corporate mainstream, you know, establishment legacy media, they're Goliaths. They're against God, they're against the Bible. They're against all of us who believe in the Bible, whether we're Jews or Christians. They're against us. And David realized what the rest of the Israelite army didn't understand, that God was not gonna tolerate that. That you could respond and you could win, or at least chalk up some victories, right? You're not gonna, may not win the whole war that day, but you, even if you're a young person, you can make a difference. And so on that premise, we decided, you know, with all these different media outlets, media projects of The Joshua Fund and our ally in Near East Media, this is what we were gonna do. We're gonna create something that people can trust. And it's working. I mean, we just passed, for the month of October, more than 7 million views and, you know, yeah, views of "All Israel News." This is seven times more than any month we've ever had because people are so hungry for credible, honest, trustworthy news and analysis from a biblical worldview that they're looking and they're finding us.

- Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And it's been so refreshing to talk to people who have listened to the podcast, maybe discovered the podcast during the course of this last month of the conflict in Israel, and are refreshed, are breathing a sigh of relief that someone somewhere is saying the truth. And so-

- What's great about this is that, you know, even "All Israel News," the article might be 1,000 or 1,500 words and my TBN show, "The Rosenberg Report," you know, it runs 25 minutes, but this is a long form deep dive into the big topics that, you know, I literally don't know where else to find this type of conversation, which is why I said yes to you. You're absolutely right. Even now, I don't know where to find something that even approximates what we're doing.

- Yeah, it's obviously, it's touching a nerve, it's meeting a need, and I'm so grateful that we, you know, we get the privilege of doing this. I get the privilege of doing this with you, and you know, the opportunity for our listeners to listen in and to hear this conversation week after week. I wanna ask one question, and this is really gonna get practical for our listeners. Okay, so we have a media bias, clearly. How can we listen to the media and how can we understand and separate truth from lies when we hear it in the media? Joel, you do this as a living. Give us a couple tools in our toolkit for when we turn on the TV or we turn on the radio and we don't hear "All Israel News" or "The Rosenberg Report" or the "Inside the Epicenter" podcast, but we hear some of this other blatant misinformation.

- Well, Carl, it's a great question. And my first answer may seem self-serving, but I think you should turn off the mainstream media. Like the only reason to watch it is to understand, you know, like to do opposition research. I mean, yes, I read, I consume an enormous amount of garbage every day, looking for pearls, right? I mean, that's mixing my metaphor. Let's say, you know, my parents live out in Colorado. You know, I'm panning for gold, but I'm going through a lot of, you know, I'm having to go through a lot of dirt and mud and gunk to sift out what... So there are important things that are credible out in the mainstream media, and those operations are so big that they vacuum clean up a lot of open source intelligence and it's useful. But I will tell you that I don't think the regular person should waste their time. You know, I had the opportunity, and this will tip my hand, but I'm gonna say it anyway. Among my many jobs in my life was being research director for Rush Limbaugh. Now, I've already turned off a bunch of people on the podcast. They're like, I'm out.

- Or you've brought a whole new audience in.

- Well, yeah, but I hope many are like, "Oh, well, that's interesting." Because Rush said, he basically said, "You don't have to watch all the weekend shows and you don't have to watch all and read all the garbage. I'm gonna do it for you. And then I'm gonna bring forward what's really happening and why it matters." Now one of the things he did was he illustrated the craziness in the media by showing excerpts of the CBS evening news or CNN or MSNBC or BBC or whatever, the "New York Times" for sure. And he used to take a page and he'd be like, you know, "In my, you know, formerly nicotine-stained hands, I've got a copy of the 'New York Times,' and you will not believe today what they said." But he was, pretty much his encouragement was don't bother. So my first view is I would not bother. Life is too short. And some of us are trained for, like, my entire life on looking for the good, the bad, and the ugly. And when it's good in the mainstream media, I'll bring it out. Like we're not against media. We're against craziness and lunacy and lies and slanderers.

- And bias, yeah.

- But we'll pick, we'll point out that also. And so I think that's the main thing. If you say, well, what about people who wanna keep watching? Okay, well, you know, I would say good luck. What you need is you need a guide, right? You could say, "Well, you know, 'New York Times,' it's there, so I should read it." Well, okay. But you need, if you're gonna go up Mount Everest, you could die at the top, so you might wanna take someone who knows Mount Everest and can get you up there and back alive. And I think this is, in many ways, what we're trying to do. You don't have to use us as your only source. I'm not trying to say that we're the only source. But I would say I wouldn't spend a lot of time wasting your energy and your emotions and your spiritual life, which is gonna get wrecked. I mean, not wrecked, maybe like shipwrecked, but I know people who, they spend so much time even on conservative media. I used to say to people, you need to go through Fox detox. I'm not against Fox News as an entity. And in the grand scheme, it's probably better than others.

- Some of the others, yes.

- But part of the design of Fox News is to hourly get you angry so you'll keep watching.

- That's a very good point.

- It's not designed to encourage you mostly. So you've gotta look for sources of news and analysis that balances news and analysis with also what is God doing? Where is God in all this? And I think this podcast and "All Israel News" and "All Arab News" and "The Rosenberg Report" and some other shows on TBN, which I'm very encouraged by. And you know, we're not the only ones. CBN has a wonderful team here in Jerusalem. They're not in prime time, but they do create a program called "Jerusalem Dateline" and they have other things online. So there are sources that you can trust that will also bring you a biblical worldview. This is edifying because in the end, you have to go back to what are biblical principles? If your eye is filled with darkness, you're not gonna be able to see the light. If you're constantly consuming things that are dark, there are lies, or things that you're not sure what's the difference? Is this a lie or isn't it? You're probably making a mistake. It'd be better to go with people that you trust to tell you what is true, what isn't, and why it matters, and how to think about it biblically 'cause most people don't have the time. And I guarantee you they don't have the, most people don't have, nor should they, the emotional and spiritual energy to go through manure, looking for what is true. And it's manure, it is pollution that's pouring into your mind when you're listening to people who can't tell the difference between a man and a woman, and they can't tell a difference between whether it's right to murder a baby in its mother's womb. And they're not even outraged if a terrorist carves out the baby from the mother's womb. Like, don't listen to these people. Don't go there.

- Don't go there.

- Why, why do it?

- Right, right. Well, Joel, that is about as powerful a statement as I've ever heard on this issue of media distortion. Because if we don't adopt that frame, if we don't adopt the truth as our guide, then we are gonna be susceptible. We're gonna fill our hearts and our minds with discouraging and distorted information that will lead us in directions that obviously the Lord doesn't want us to go in. And I think it's so important for our listeners to understand that you just mentioned several news sites that will provide meaningful analysis, current and transparent news, and avoid all of the pitfalls of wading through the swamp of media bias. And you brought up Rush and I used to listen to Rush a lot and, you know, thank the Lord that he's with the Lord, as your podcast a few years ago.

- Got saved right in the final years of his life, amen.

- Exactly, but when I get to heaven, I'm gonna talk to Rush, you know, and say, "Rush, that line, I am equal time, is one of the best that ever did that." And Joel, I wanna say this, I think that that is a mantle that you wear well, that you are in many ways the voice of sanity in this media distortion. And I'm so appreciative for you to bring this education to our listeners through all the outlets that you use. So God bless you, Joel, and-

- Well, I appreciate that. I have to say, I don't do it with half my brain tied behind my back. I need my full brain.

- It's pretty formidable.

- Rush had a gift I do not have, and he's way funnier than me. He also had a way of not just, he had a way of mocking or teasing lunacy that helped you go, "Oh yeah, they're crazy."

- That's right.

- Which was encouraging. I don't know exactly how to do that on this podcast so much. You know, you're not really encouraging me to roll out all my impressions. I think when I wanna do impressions, you're like, not gonna do it, not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent.

- From time to time.

- At this juncture, not gonna do it, not gonna do it. But anyway-

- Thank you, Joel. Thank you very much.

- You're welcome.

- I appreciate it. And to all our listeners, thank you for listening to this episode of "Inside The Epicenter with Joel Rosenberg." It's because of you that we do this podcast. It's to educate, to inform, and to edify, as Joel said, you, our listeners, because there's so much misinformation out there, there's so much wrong in the media and getting it so wrong. It's so important that you stand with us at The Joshua Fund, at Near East Media, "All Israel News," "All Arab News," and "The Rosenberg Report" to get the truth and to understand what it is. And Joel, thank you for this time. And we're praying for you, we're continue to lift you up in prayer as well. And Lynn, as you guys minister and serve and work so hard in Israel.

- I appreciate it. Wow, I appreciate this team. It's a wonderful team in terms of the board, the staff, and then all of our prayer warriors and people who graciously, I mean, and sometimes sacrificially invest, donate into this ministry so that we can do this work, right? The body of Messiah is not like one person or one. It takes all of us. And it is such an intense spiritual battle that I think none of us on The Joshua Fund team think that we could do it alone, even if we had the money set aside and we didn't need to raise it. No, we need the prayer warriors and the partners because this battle is so, so intense that it's gonna take the church being the church to bless Israel and her neighbors and bring Jews and Muslims into the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

- Amen, amen. Well, if you'd like to learn more about The Joshua Fund, you can visit our website at joshuafund.com and there you can learn all about what God is doing through us to help bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus. And as always, you can check out our show notes for anything you heard on this podcast that you'd like more information on. For Joel Rosenberg, I'm Carl Moeller. Thanks for listening to "Inside The Epicenter."

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