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From your Christian allies: We stand beside you
Confirmed
In Short: Meanwhile, Franklin Graham, son of the late American evangelist Billy Graham, was named the top Christian ally for Israel in 2024 by the Israel Allies Foundation.
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a charitable volunteer, has been criminally charged by West Midlands Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for standing outside an abortion facility, where 'influence' is prohibited under the new Public Order Act 2023.
The new law, which took effect on October 31, 2024, prohibits influencing any person's decision to access, provide, or facilitate abortion services within 150 meters of abortion facilities.
Legal counsel for ADF International, Jeremiah Igunnubole, stated, 'Buffer zones' are among the most concerning frontiers of censorship in the modern west. We all stand against harassment and abuse, but the 'buffer zone' law broadly bans 'influence' which is being interpreted by police officers to target innocent people who happen to stand in a certain place and believe a certain thing.
Vaughan-Spruce, with legal support from ADF International, has sent numerous requests for clarification regarding the status of her case, emphasizing that the legislation does not function as a ban on her mere presence or on holding pro-life Christian beliefs.
In 2023, Vaughan-Spruce was acquitted in court after being arrested for praying in a local 'buffer zone' under a Public Spaces Protection Order that banned expressions of approval or disapproval of abortion.
The CPS guidance on the law stipulates that silent prayer on its own is not enough to meet the threshold of criminality unless it is accompanied by 'overt' activity.
ADF International's legal counsel, Igunnubole, added, 'Silent prayer – or holding pro-life beliefs – cannot possibly be a crime. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought.'
Graham, who serves as president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, has been recognized for his advocacy for the Jewish state and humanitarian assistance for Israeli families displaced by the war against Hamas in Gaza.
The Israel Allies Foundation, founded a decade and a half ago, has emerged as a powerhouse in mobilizing support for Israel worldwide through faith-based diplomacy.
Its network includes more than 50 pro-Israel parliamentary caucuses around the globe, based on shared Judeo-Christian values.
Pope Leo XIV also paid special tribute to the many Christians who have died as witnesses to the faith in regions affected by conflict, including Gaza.
Father Gabriele, a parish priest in Gaza, reported that 62 Catholic and Orthodox Christians have died in the war, with 25 of those deaths resulting from violent attacks.
What this adds
The Israel Allies Foundation's recognition of Franklin Graham highlights the ongoing support from evangelical Christians for Israel during times of conflict.
The Pope's tribute to Christians who have died as witnesses to the faith underscores the global impact of religious persecution and conflict.
What's confirmed
- Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a charitable volunteer, has been criminally charged by West Midlands Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for standing outside an abortion facility, where 'influence' is prohibited under the new Public Order Act 2023.
- The new law, which took effect on October 31, 2024, prohibits influencing any person's decision to access, provide, or facilitate abortion services within 150 meters of abortion facilities.
- Legal counsel for ADF International, Jeremiah Igunnubole, stated, 'Buffer zones' are among the most concerning frontiers of censorship in the modern west. We all stand against harassment and abuse, but the 'buffer zone' law broadly bans 'influence' which is being interpreted by police officers to target innocent people who happen to stand in a certain place and believe a certain thing.
- Vaughan-Spruce, with legal support from ADF International, has sent numerous requests for clarification regarding the status of her case, emphasizing that the legislation does not function as a ban on her mere presence or on holding pro-life Christian beliefs.
- In 2023, Vaughan-Spruce was acquitted in court after being arrested for praying in a local 'buffer zone' under a Public Spaces Protection Order that banned expressions of approval or disapproval of abortion.
- The CPS guidance on the law stipulates that silent prayer on its own is not enough to meet the threshold of criminality unless it is accompanied by 'overt' activity.
- Graham, who serves as president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, has been recognized for his advocacy for the Jewish state and humanitarian assistance for Israeli families displaced by the war against Hamas in Gaza.
- The Israel Allies Foundation, founded a decade and a half ago, has emerged as a powerhouse in mobilizing support for Israel worldwide through faith-based diplomacy.
- Its network includes more than 50 pro-Israel parliamentary caucuses around the globe, based on shared Judeo-Christian values.
- Pope Leo XIV also paid special tribute to the many Christians who have died as witnesses to the faith in regions affected by conflict, including Gaza.
- Father Gabriele, a parish priest in Gaza, reported that 62 Catholic and Orthodox Christians have died in the war, with 25 of those deaths resulting from violent attacks.
What's still developing
- “It is a great honor to stand with Israel. This nation was brutally attacked and has every right to defend itself from those who want to wipe it off the face of the earth,” Graham said in a written statement.
- The coinciding of the release of the list with the start of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, known as the Feast of Tabernacles, is symbolic to Bible-believing Christians who are inspired by Zechariah 14:16, which envisions a time when people from all nations will gather in Jerusalem to celebrate the holiday.
- The fifth annual list released Tuesday by the Washington, DC-based Israel Allies Foundation comes at a time when evangelical Christian support for Israel has served as a bulwark and counterweight against international criticism of Israel for the yearlong war against Hamas in Gaza.
- Through parishes, schools, hospitals, and charitable works, Christians are called to “put the Gospel into practice” by welcoming and supporting those in need.
- “Good morning, Father Gabriele. Ever since hearing the painful news about Maysa and Mary, I’ve been praying for them, their families, and everyone in Gaza. ‘How long, Lord?’” Pope Leo wrote, echoing a lament from Psalm 13.
- “Maysa and her daughter Mary had devoted their time to serving parishioners and displaced people sheltering at the Holy Family Church in Gaza, providing support and assistance amid the devastating humanitarian conditions facing the Gaza Strip,” Ramzi Khouri, head of the committee, said.
- “His Beatitude offers his prayers to the Lord, asking Him to receive the two deceased in His abundant mercy, grant them eternal rest in His Kingdom, and bestow upon their families and loved ones the grace of consolation, strength, and hope,” the patriarchate said.
- “The people are exhausted; the people are asking for peace, for this war to truly end,” he said.