News and Views 27th June 

Iran / Israel War

• Iranians fearful yet hopeful. Reports coming through from ordinary Iranians suggest they are experiencing considerable fear and turmoil following Israel’s attacks. “The cemeteries are full of people burying their loved ones”, said Shahrokh Afshar, founder of Fellowship of Iranian Christians, now living in America. He said emotions among Iranians are complex. “On the one hand, you are happy that someone has come to rescue you from the hands of this dictator. On the other hand, it’s your country, your neighbourhood, your neighbours, your loved ones who are being bombed. How are you supposed to feel?” Bomb shelters are scarce. 
• While Iranians are fearful of bombings, it is believed most are relatively open to strikes that could topple the regime. “They’re not bitter against Israel, and they’re not bitter against the US”, noted Hormoz Shariat, founder of Iran Alive Ministries – although some Iranians are having second thoughts because their loved ones are getting killed. Shariat said many Iranians have been “begging” Israel to launch an operation in Iran that mirrors the targeted attacks in Lebanon last year.   
• ​Iran ramps up arrest of ‘spies’. The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights claims at least 530 people have been arrested since the start of the conflict between Israel and Iran, with observers reporting a massive deployment of security services carrying out arrests. The common denominator among the accused is the claim that they have links to Mossad, the Israeli intelligence organisation. Several ‘spies’ have already been executed. Prior to June 13, Israeli agents were known to have infiltrated the upper echelons of Iran’s leadership, the resulting missile strikes that killed several of Iran’s military leaders and nuclear scientists being the result of years of intelligence work. Authorities have also been expanding a crackdown on the internet, with hundreds being arrested for suspicious online activity. But internal resistance against Iran’s leadership does not seem to be on the horizon, for now, demonstrations against the regime having stopped completely since the attacks. “Iranians are still against the regime but, for the moment, they are focused on security,” it was noted.
• Pro-Ayatollah rally in London countered by diaspora Iranians. At a pro-Palestinian demonstration held last Saturday in central London, a group of Iranians, now living in the UK joined Israel supporters in a counter-demonstration organised by a group called Stop the Hate. Iranians outnumbered Israelis – even though just a day earlier, anti-regime activists outside the Iranian Embassy had been physically attacked.  They stood in protest against a much larger anti-Israel march that included demonstrators holding up pictures of the Ayatollah and chanting and “hands off Iran”. “There are so many of them … They are supporting terrorism and they don’t even realise it,” noted one Iranian. Some pro-Palestinian protestors were quick to find an opportunity for attacking Iranians and Israelis, and several bottles were thrown at them.
• Israelis overwhelmingly back war with Iran but want to end war in Gaza. Recent polls show sweeping support among Israelis for Israel's strikes on Iran, across political lines and despite ballistic missile barrages, in stark contrast to the bitter divisions over the Gaza war. One survey found that 83% of the Jewish population, and just 12% of the Arab respondents, supported Israel's attack on Iranian targets, even when reminded that Iran had responded by firing "hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles" at Israel. The average for the total population was 70% support. The same survey showed 75% of the Israeli public preferring to end the war in Gaza in exchange for the release of all hostages held by Hamas. A separate study, asking different questions, showed almost identical results.

Society and Politics

• Where Palestine Action plans to strike next. Palestine Action has launched a major recruitment drive just days before it is officially proscribed as a terrorist organisation, after its members damaged planes during a break-in at RAF Brize Norton last week. A Telegraph investigation has revealed that PA is preparing to attack targets across the country. Tactics discussed included breaking into factories and hitting “everything you can find with a sledgehammer”, and attacking 3 further RAF bases: RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath, both in Lincolnshire, and RAF Valley, in Anglesey. It also recommended action against defence companies believed to be supplying arms to Israel, including a drone factory in Leicester. The Telegraph has shared details of the plans with police and the Ministry of Defence. 
• Assisted suicide debate goes up a gear. Following last week's vote in the Commons to legalise assisted suicide, some are calling for the House of Lords to approve the Bill, others to utterly reject it. In principle, they could reject it, as the Salisbury convention, which states that the Lords should not block a Bill that had been in the governing party's manifesto, does not apply to this Private Members Bill. Several peers have already spoken out, including Baroness Monckton MBE, who wrote that she “Angry at the lack of rigour in this bill. Angry at the lack of understanding of people with learning disabilities. Angry at the implicit assumption that their lives are not worth the same as the rest of the population.” The Christian Institute’s Director Ciarán Kelly said: “Now is not the time to give up. Although this dangerous legislation has now been approved by MPs, it is still a long way from the statute book." 

Church Issues

• World’s smartest man professes Jesus Christ. Young-Hoon Kim, a South Korean prodigy, is a brilliant scholar with a documented IQ of 276 – the highest recorded in history! He stunned the scientific and academic world this week with a simple, unwavering statement: "As the world's highest IQ record holder, I believe that Jesus Christ is God, the way and the truth and the life."  Young-Hoon became a Christian, not through emotion or upbringing, but by logic, investigation, and conviction. "Quantum physics opens doors to spiritual truths," he said. "Jesus Christ stands at the centre of both cosmic intelligence and divine purpose." Young-Hoon was also recently honoured as the World’s Youngest Honorary Doctor of Psychology.

Persecuted Church

• 22 killed in Damascus church suicide bombing ISIS have claimed responsibility for the killing of at least 20 Christians attending Sunday mass at a Greek Orthodox Church in the Syrian capital. Dozens more were wounded. Syrian authorities have condemned the attack, pledging stronger protections for Christians. Syria’s new government has said for months that ISIS is its greatest challenge, and has been aiming to focus on internal security. Most ISIS terrorist plots have been foiled, but attacks on Christians are one way by which the terror group is trying to overturn the government, which believes close ties with Christian communities are needed to prove to the world that Syria is governed well.