German-British Alienation

The Times wrote on January 6:

“Behind the smiles at today’s summit, the German chancellor is cooling on David Cameron. David Cameron’s faltering tango de salon with Angela Merkel has become one of European diplomacy’s most embarrassing spectacles. The British government’s increasing desperation to be delivered from its European muddle is matched only by the increasing German irritation with Britain’s tunnel vision. No wonder the German chancellor looks as if someone has trodden heavily on her corns.”

Don’t Give Merkel the Red Carpet Treatment!

The Telegraph wrote on January 6:

“Both in her own country, and on the world stage, Ms Merkel is one of the very few European leaders who still commands genuine respect. Her successes and popularity within German borders are manifest. Yet it is her supposed ability to deliver favours within the wider European context, rather than her many admirable qualities, that explains much of the deference the British government displays to this de facto, if somewhat reluctant, European monarch. If there is anyone who can engineer the new relationship with the European Union that David Cameron demands, it is the German Chancellor.

“And it is for her own country’s sake, rather than as a favour to Britain, that she needs to deliver; for in truth, the benefit to Germany of British participation in the European Union is substantially greater than any economic positives the UK derives from it. Given this service, it ought indeed, to be Ms Merkel who is beholden to us, not the other way around…

“The UK has long been far and away Germany’s largest European export market. Since the onset of the eurozone crisis, German reliance on British export markets has become bigger still. Amid the general wreckage of the European economy, it sometimes seems that Britain is indeed the only decent source of demand left…

“As non-members of the euro, we have by default become Europe’s consumers of last resort, even though we will not ultimately be able to afford the bills. So please, Ms Merkel; Germany owes Britain a good deal more than a few negotiating scraps. There is no one else to cure Europe of its sickness but you…”

It is interesting that the Bible paints quite a different picture: It is Ephraim (the UK) which first does not even see ITS sickness, but when it finally does, it will go to Assyria (modern Germany) for help, but won’t find help there.

Greece and the Euro Zone

Reuters reported on January 3:

“The German government believes that the euro zone would now be able to cope with a Greece exit if that proved to be necessary… It is still unclear how a euro zone member country could leave the euro and still remain in the European Union, but Der Spiegel quoted a ‘high-ranking currency expert’ as saying that ‘resourceful lawyers’ would be able to clarify.

“According to the report, the German government considers a Greece exit almost unavoidable if the leftwing Syriza opposition party led by Alexis Tsipras wins an election set for Jan. 25.

“The Greek election was called after lawmakers failed to elect a president last month. It pits Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ conservative New Democracy party, which imposed unpopular budget cuts under Greece’s bailout deal, against Tsipras’ Syriza, who want to cancel austerity measures and a chunk of Greek debt. Opinion polls show Syriza is holding a lead over New Democracy, although its margin has narrowed to about three percentage points in the run-up to the vote.”

“Stocks Tumble Again In Worst Start To Year Since 2008”

The Huffington Post wrote on January 6:

“Wall Street suffered more losses Tuesday as stocks fell for the fifth straight day, in the worst start to a year since 2008. Stocks fell with the price of oil, which has been plummeting for months to its lowest levels since the financial crisis and Great Recession.

“Falling oil prices hurt major oil companies, and investors fear they are a sign of weak global economic demand that could weigh on U.S. growth and corporate profits. European shares also fell amid political tumult in debt-plagued Greece.”

Is the deterioration of the economy going to continue? See the next article.

What If Greece Were to Depart…?

The Independent wrote on January 7:

“… the Greek Syriza party may well triumph in the election later this month. It is threatening to renege on the deal Greece reached with the IMF, EU and European Central Bank because it is too austere, even though it’s almost completed. Such an outcome would not be good for Greece, which would gain an even worse reputation for its ability to hold to international obligations, and her exit from the eurozone would soon follow.  A re-introduced drachma would immediately devalue, and the real-terms value of her euro-denominated debt would rise even further beyond redemption. Default would then be the only option. No one would lend to them. The Greek people would suffer more grievously than now.

“Such a turn of events would also be disastrous for the eurozone as a whole, at least in the short term, because of ‘contagion’… Panic, often irrationally, spreads from bank to bank, from bank to country, and from country to country, and something of the same is happening now, with the euro falling to fresh lows…

“Deflation is looming, something not seen in Europe since before the Second World War… After Greece, the dominos would fall – Portugal, Spain and the rest. The rout may not end until it has overcome France, in which case the euro would simply be a proxy German currency, with only the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Finland as economic satellites along for the ride. Europe would slide back into recession.

“Despite the damage it would cause, many governments must be quietly wondering whether Greece’s exit from the eurozone is simply inevitable, as Greek resistance to reform proves insurmountable…

“A Grexit and its knock-on effects would be as dramatic as anything we have experienced since 2007. It would hit European growth, and with it the chances of a continuing British recovery. George Osborne said last year that a slowdown in the eurozone was the biggest threat to UK prospects, and so it remains. Greece is a global problem, no matter what Syriza might think…”

None of these prospects look too healthy for a striving worldwide economy. The idea of the euro becoming a proxy German currency may have some validity.

PEGIDA Movement Growing in Germany

Breitbart wrote on January 6:

“The Patriotic Europeans Against Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) movement has now spread from its home city of Dresden, where up to 20,000 took to the streets for their first weekly ‘stroll’ of 2015, to other cities in Germany and Europe… Despite the record turnout, many mainstream news outlets have chosen to focus on the growing counter protests which have outnumbered PEGIDA in German cities like Stuttgart, Munster and Hamburg. A grand coalition of left-wing political parties and local associations of Muslim immigrants have formed in these areas and claimed 22,000 counter-protesters across the country, according to reports.

“The counter-PEGIDA movement now claims support from all sections of the German establishment, who have turned out in force to oppose the movement which threatens the pro-immigration status quo. German justice minister Heiko Maas, a member of coalition-government party the Social Democrats (SDP) was spotted marching against PEGIDA in Berlin, as churches, power companies, and factories turned off the power to their premises to deny PEGIDA supporters light during the winter night of Monday’s march.

“In Dresden the Volkswagen car factory turned off their lights, following the example of the local cathedral and state opera house. In Berlin the floodlights illuminating the Brandenburg gate and the television tower, the tallest structure in Germany, were turned off. In Cologne, the municipal power company turned out their lights and the city cathedral was also darkened. The strolling PEGIDA members appear to have responded to the blackout by marching with their mobile phone torches turned on and held in the air in a symbol of resistance.”

While the German “established” parties and their leaders, as well as most German liberal and conservative magazines and newspapers, foolishly and sometimes quite inaccurately try to find stronger and stronger words against PEGIDA, thereby ignoring the real dangers stemming from fanatical and radical Islamists and the less-than-peaceful religion of Islam, PEGIDA is finding more and more sympathy and support among “ordinary” Germans.

Mixed Reactions to Terrorist Attack in France

Reuters reported January 8:

“Anti-immigrant groups in Germany seized on Wednesday’s deadly attack in Paris, with leaders of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and PEGIDA saying it showed the threat of Islamist violence. Twelve people were killed when gunmen stormed the offices of a French satirical magazine known for lampooning radical Islam. ‘This bloodbath proves wrong those who laughed or ignored the fears of so many people about a looming danger of Islamism,’ said Alexander Gauland, a regional AfD leader. ‘This gives new clout to PEGIDA demands.’

“PEGIDA, or Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West, itself reacted strongly to the Paris attack. ‘The Islamists, against whom PEGIDA has been warning over the last 12 weeks, showed in France today that they are not capable of (practicing) democracy but instead see violence and death as the solution,’ PEGIDA wrote on its Facebook page…

“German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Wednesday the attack in Paris had nothing to do with Islam. ‘Islamic extremists and Islamic terror are something entirely different from Islam,’ he said. “It is immensely important to underscore that difference on a day like today.'”

The Huffington Post wrote on January 8:

“Muslims in France and around the world banded together on Wednesday to strongly condemn the deadliest terror attack the country has seen in the past two decades.

“Three masked gunmen stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine that has become notorious for its caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. One of the men reportedly shouted ‘Allahu akbar’ as they unleashed a barrage of bullets that left at least twelve dead. Muslim leaders and activists immediately denounced the terrorists actions, reiterating the verse in the Quran that tells Muslims when one kills just one innocent person, it is as if he has killed all of humanity.”

CNS reported on January 8:

“In the wake of the terrorist attack on the offices of French satirist paper Charlie Hebdo, one Muslim cleric justified the murders under Islamic law. USA today published a column by avowed ‘radical Muslim cleric’ Anjem Choudary. The piece titled ‘People know the consequences’ asks why France would allow the paper to mock Islam, and further excused the systematic murders as justified under Islamic law:

“’Muslims consider the honor of the Prophet Muhammad to be dearer to them than that of their parents or even themselves. To defend it is considered to be an obligation upon them. The strict punishment if found guilty of this crime under sharia (Islamic law) is capital punishment implementable by an Islamic State. This is because the Messenger Muhammad said, “Whoever insults a Prophet kill him.” However, because the honor of the Prophet is something which all Muslims want to defend, many will take the law into their own hands, as we often see.’

“The contention that mass murder is in any way an appropriate response to being personally offended is a dangerous slope on which to tread. There is no doubt that some of these cartoons can be seen as offensive to certain people, but that same sentiment can be asserted on nearly any form of speech, especially in politics. Hence, the reasoning behind and the sanctity of the Constitution’s first amendment. Choudary then reversed the blame for the attack away from the three terrorists themselves and onto the French government.”

Does France Reap What It Has Sown?

Newsmax wrote on January 8:

“While France is reeling from the terrorist massacre of 12 people at the Paris offices of a satirical magazine, the country is also ‘one of the worst … when it comes to rewarding terrorism,’ lawyer and author Alan Dershowitz [said]… ‘They’ve never been part of the international campaign against terrorism. They are part of the problem, not part of the solution.’…

“France has endured a string of small-scale attacks since joining the military campaign against the Islamic State. But the violence level surged on Wednesday, when gunmen stormed the Paris headquarters of Charlie Hebdo shortly after it tweeted a cartoon of Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The magazine, which was firebombed in 2011, has mocked radical Islamists in the past, but has also belittled some critics of Muslim religion and culture as Islamophobes and fearmongers.

“Dershowitz said that the attack should come as no surprise, given Europe’s history of tolerating Islamic terrorism. ‘We have tolerated extreme Islamic terrorism from the very beginning,’ he said, describing the Palestinian state as ‘born in terrorism,’ with the assent of governments including France and Germany. ‘When the Israeli athletes were murdered in Munich [in 1972], most European countries freed them when they came to their country,’ said Dershowitz. ‘Germany let them go, and most European countries have freed terrorists. It shouldn’t surprise anybody. In Europe, they’ve never fought terror.’…

“Dershowitz also said that radical Islam enjoys support from ‘millions of people’ in the Muslim world ‘who support terrorism, who will be applauding what happened today… The reason it has so many supporters is because it works. Terrorism works. It achieves the goals and results. Palestinians would not be getting a state today if it wasn’t for their terrorists.’”

EU to Become Partner with EAEU?

The EUObserver wrote on January 2, 2015:

“Russia’s EU ambassador has urged Brussels to launch talks with the newly born Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) despite the Ukraine crisis… He described the new Russia-led bloc as a better partner for the EU than the US, with a dig at health standards in the US food industry…

“The treaty establishing the Eurasian Union entered into life on Thursday (1 January). It includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia, with Kyrgyzstan to join in May… Ukraine was originally to join, but a popular revolt last year overthrew its Russia-friendly president and the new government signed a free trade treaty with the EU instead…”

The relationship between Russia and Europe may become even better for a short while—with the USA finding itself on the outside—but it will ultimately end up in outright hostility and war.

Ukraine Prepares for War… while France Is Unstable as Water

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 6:

“Germany and France cast doubt on next week’s planned peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on Monday… Despite these talks, Ukraine has beefed up its heavy weaponry… Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko himself was on hand to deliver fighter jets, howitzers, and armored cars to the military in Zhytomyr in the north of the country. The delivery of heavy weapons is in direct violation of the Minsk agreement, which both sides accuse the other of violating on multiple occasions…

“The French leader took a less hard line on Russia and its president than other Western leaders have of late…

“Moscow has continuously denied that it backed the conflict in the eastern part of the former Soviet republic that has left 4,700 dead. The crisis has also proven disastrous to cash-strapped France, as it is prevented from completing the delivery of two high-tech

Mistral class warships to Russia. Breach of the 1.2-billion euro ($1.5-billion) contract could make France liable to hefty fines.”

The EUObserver added on January 6:

“French leader Francois Hollande has dangled the prospect of lifting EU sanctions on Russia ahead of the year’s first Ukraine summit… ‘[Russian president] Mr Putin doesn’t want to annex eastern Ukraine. He’s told me that … what he wants is to remain influential. What he wants is for Ukraine not to fall into the Nato camp’, he added, referring to his impromptu meeting with Putin at a Moscow airport in December…

“Russian media said his remarks mean Moscow is off the hook for annexing Crimea and that France is keen to resume delivery of two warships. Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, and the German centre-left SPD party have also said they want to re-engage with Russia…

“For his part, Latvian foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics – whose country took over the rotating EU presidency on 1 January – urged EU leaders not to break ranks.  Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania – former Soviet republics which host Russian-speaking minorities – fear that if Putin gets away with partitioning Ukraine he will cause trouble in the Baltic states in future.”

Is Mr. Hollande really that naïve, or do national interests play a major role for his unconscionable words? The answer should be rather obvious.

Bad News for Hillary Clinton?

On January 6, 2015, The Daily Mail published an article with the following headlines:

“Bill Clinton was also apparently friends with a woman who collected naked pictures of underage girls for Epstein to choose from. He hasn’t cut ties with that woman, however, and invited her to Chelsea’s wedding… friends now fear that if Hillary Clinton runs for president in 2016, all of their family’s old scandals will be brought to the forefront. Epstein has a host of famous friends including Prince Andrew who stayed at his New York mansion AFTER his arrest.”

The article continued:

“A new lawsuit has revealed the extent of former President Clinton’s friendship with a fundraiser who was later jailed for having sex with an underage prostitute. Bill Clinton’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who served time in 2008 for his illegal sexual partners, included… multiple trips to the onetime billionaire’s private island in the Caribbean where underage girls were allegedly kept as sex slaves…

“Flight logs pinpoint Clinton’s trips on Epstein’s jet between the years 2002 and 2005, while he was working on his philanthropic post-presidential career and while his wife Hillary was a Senator for their adopted state of New York…

“At least one woman on the compound was there unwillingly, as the suit identifies a woman as Jane Doe 102. She ‘was forced to live as one of Epstein’s underage sex slaves for years and was forced to have sex with… politicians, businessmen, royalty, academicians, etc,’ the lawsuit says…

“Epstein’s sexual exploits have been documented since 2005…

“The claim prompted a nearly year-long investigation that led to the eventual charge of soliciting prostitution which came as part of a plea deal. He spent 13 months of a 18-month sentence in jail and remains a registered sex offender.”

But before Republicans begin to cheer too much, note the next set of articles.

John Boehner Survives—For Now—Despite Big Rebellion

On January 6, 2015, the Huffington Post published an article with the following headline: “Biggest Rebellion in 90 Years.”

The article continued:

“The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to once again make John Boehner its speaker, handing the Ohio Republican the gavel for the third time despite a late challenge by dissatisfied members of his own party. Tuesday’s vote saw the most votes against a sitting speaker since 1923. In the final tally, Boehner received the votes of 216 House members, while House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) got 164 votes. More than two dozen discontented Republicans, however, voted for other candidates… They argued that the current GOP leadership had turned its back on the principles of the voters who chose to seat a Republican House and Senate for the first time in eight years…

“While the insurrection gained little traction, it does signal that Boehner could be in for a rough couple of years. The members who opposed him comprise a larger bloc than the dozen who opposed him two years ago at the start of the 113th Congress. And during the four years that Boehner has led the House, he lost control of his caucus a number of times, finding himself forced to pull key bills from the floor when he failed to muster votes that he thought he could deliver.

“Indeed, the fact that so many were willing to publicly embarrass Boehner on the first day of his new term at least serves as notice that the more hard-line members of his base will not give him a free hand, and will insist on being consulted when key pieces of legislation are being passed.

“… the GOP insurgents will likely make their presence felt as soon as the end of this month, when the House will begin work on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for implementing most of Obama’s immigration policy. The conservative rebels will also be significant in the spring, when Congress must again raise the nation’s debt limit in order to be able to pay its bills…”

Breitbart added on January 6:

“Only 216 Republicans voted to re-elect a humbled Ohio Republican Rep. John Boehner as Speaker of the U.S. House on Tuesday, as many Republicans voted for alternative candidates in the second organized attempt to unseat Boehner in as many speakership elections. He wins re-election as Speaker with less than a majority of the House, something that has happened only four times since 1917.”

The Washington Post introduced its article: “John Boehner just endured the biggest revolt against a House speaker in more than 150 years.” It subsequently wrote in an update: “Boehner lost the votes of 25 House Republicans, marking the biggest defection in at least 100 years.”

And Now It’s Payback Time–Boehner’s Revenge

Politico wrote on January 6:

“He secured his third term as speaker Tuesday afternoon, losing 25 votes on the House floor to three relatively unknown members of the House Republican Conference. But he’s already punishing those who betrayed him.

“First up: Florida Reps. Daniel Webster and Richard Nugent. The pair will be booted from their spots on the House Rules Committee, according to sources familiar with the decision. Webster ran against Boehner (R-Ohio) for speaker Tuesday, and Nugent supported his fellow Floridian. The Rules Committee is a panel appointed by the speaker, and it controls the flow of legislation to the House floor. It’s a prestigious appointment for members who are loyal to leadership.

“More punishment is likely to come for others that crossed Boehner, sources say.”

Oh yes, politics is such a dirty business!!!! That is why God tells true Christians: “Get out of her, My people.” Please read carefully Norbert Link’s Editorial in this issue.

 Planned Parenthood… One Abortion Every 90 Seconds

On January 1, 2015, The Washington Times published an article with the following headline:

“Planned Parenthood’s fiscal 2014 report puts the number of abortions the organization performed at 327,653.”

The article continued:

“‘We’ve come a long way since Margaret Sanger was jailed in 1916 for opening America’s very first birth control clinic,’ the report states before thanking the organization’s advocates for their support. CNS News reported Wednesday that the tally, which ran from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014, was 487 abortions more than the previous year. The website reported that the number of abortions performed works out to be 37 per hour, or roughly one every 90 seconds…”

This is so appallingly despicable. “We have come a long way” in murdering more and more innocent children!

Medical Marijuana – Legal Confusion Continues…

The Pasadena Star News reported on January 1, 2015:

“A single paragraph on the 88th page of the 701-page spending bill passed by Congress last month contains language that may signal a de-escalation of the federal government’s war on medical marijuana. The provision, tucked within a phonebook-size piece of legislation that authorizes roughly $1.1 trillion in federal expenditures, is no small detail: It forbids the U.S. Department of Justice from spending taxpayer money on operations that run counter to more than 30 states’ own medical marijuana laws.

“If the law is enforced as one of its key proponents intends, a contradiction between state and federal marijuana laws would be resolved in the states’ favor, at least until Washington’s budget year comes to a close Sept. 30. ‘In half of the country, the federal government will no longer be able to legally raid marijuana dispensaries,’ U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, said in a telephone interview.

“Rohrabacher, along with Northern California Democrat Sam Farr, pushed for the amendment’s inclusion in the new spending bill, which President Barack Obama signed. The Justice Department has not determined how it will adapt to the new legislation, which does not repeal the federal prohibition of marijuana. So it remains to be seen whether it will lead to major changes in the coming year in the way federal authorities maintain the prohibition against marijuana in the face of growing acceptance of the drug inside individual states…

“The recent legislation is officially only on the books for the 2015 budget year and does nothing to alter Washington’s ban against marijuana. The law simply prevents the Department of Justice from spending taxpayer dollars in ways that interfere with individual states’ medical marijuana laws. A Justice Department spokesman said the legislation is still under review. Officials there have previously outlined its policy of being willing to ignore small-time marijuana providers while reserving the authority to prosecute large-scale, medical marijuana operations, which in Washington’s eyes may be fronts for illegal drug trafficking or other crimes…

“California’s tolerance of medical marijuana does not mean cannabis can be legally obtained in all parts of the state. The state Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that individual cities have the power to ban dispensaries. Different cities have since taken different paths. Los Angeles, for example, governs dispensaries under the terms of Measure D. The voter-approved measure passed in May 2013 and limits the state’s largest city to 135 dispensaries, but Angelenos’ limited support for medical marijuana did not prevent a federal crackdown shortly after the measure passed…

“Long Beach, by contrast, has banned medical marijuana collectives involving more than three people since February 2012. The City Council is set to consider a new city law to regulate up to 18 dispensaries within the near future. David Hendricks, deputy chief of the Long Beach Police Department, said city police have relentlessly enforced the local ban against dispensaries, but most cases against dispensary operators are prosecuted as misdemeanor violations of local law…”

This is just one of so many examples presenting the typical picture of political uncertainty and even hypocrisy… and showing the utter confusion of our federal, state and local governments.

Suicide and the Church of England

The Daily Mail wrote on January 5, 2015:

“The Church of England is embroiled in a row over proposals to sweep away laws that forbid a full Christian funeral to people who have taken their own lives. Most clergy now regard suicide with far more sympathy than when ‘self murder’ was still a crime, and the move will be seen as reflecting a growing acceptance as more Britons choose to end their lives… But some critics within the Church say the reforms will ‘legalise’ suicide, which should still be regarded a serious sin…

“Under centuries-old Church rules, it is technically illegal for clergy to use official funeral services to bury those who have ‘laid violent hands’ upon themselves, particularly while of ‘sound mind’, although in reality the law is almost universally ignored…

“But former Government Minister Lord Tebbit, a vocal opponent of assisted suicide, said that by changing its laws the Church might suggest it had diluted its principles.  He said: ‘The Church is in danger of getting into a muddle because we can take a merciful view of people who kill themselves while the balance of their mind is disturbed. ‘But we are now looking at cases in which people who appear to be quite sane want to take their own lives. The Church should think again.’”

Suicide is a sin. Taking somebody’s life—including our own—is violating God’s command not to kill. The same applies to abortion (see article above regarding Planned Parenthood) or killing in war. All of this is transgressing and breaking the Sixth Commandment.

Inseparable Relationship between Jesus, Mary and the Church?

Zenit wrote on January 2:

“Pope Francis made [a] strong statement during his homily given Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, in St. Peter’s Basilica, when warning faithful of what happens when one undermines the beautiful relationship and inseparability between Jesus, Mary, and the Church… He pointed out that Mary ‘is the one who opens the way to the Church’s motherhood and constantly sustains her maternal mission to all mankind.’ The Pope further reflected on Mary, as ‘the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus, the model of the pilgrim Church,’ and discussed what her acceptance of God’s will has accomplished… Francis stressed how closely united Mary is to Jesus and how Jesus cannot be understood without his Mother.

‘‘Likewise inseparable,’ the Pope continued, ‘are Christ and the Church.’ He noted the salvation accomplished by Jesus cannot be understood without appreciating the motherhood of the Church. ‘For the Church is herself God’s great family, which brings Christ to us’… the Pontiff said the Church resembles a mother ‘who tenderly holds Jesus and gives him to everyone with joy and generosity’… Without the Church,  he continued, ‘Jesus Christ ends up as an idea, a moral teaching, a feeling. Without the Church, our relationship with Christ would be at the mercy of our imagination, our interpretations, our moods.’”

These comments are either blatantly wrong or they present a backward picture. First of all, Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is dead. She is in her grave, awaiting the resurrection from the dead together with all of those who died in Christ. This will occur when Jesus Christ returns at the blowing of the last trumpet… not before then. Also, there is no biblical evidence to support the view that Mary was “the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus.” In addition, it is not the Church (not even the true Church of God) which carries Christ, but it is Christ who carries the Church. It is true that the true Church of God is NECESSARY for Christians, but the Bible warns against false ministers who preach a false Jesus and a false gospel.

Russia Sees NATO as the Biggest Threat

The Associated Press reported on December 26:

“President Vladimir Putin has signed a new military doctrine that describes NATO’s military buildup near the Russian borders as the top military threat amid Russia-West tensions over Ukraine.

“The document released by the Kremlin on Friday maintains the provisions of the previous, 2010 edition of the military doctrine regarding the use of nuclear weapons. It says Russia could use nuclear weapons in retaliation to the use of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction against it or its allies, and also in case of aggression involving conventional weapons that ‘threatens the very existence’ of the Russian state.

“For the first time, the new doctrine says that Russia could use precision weapons ‘as part of strategic deterrent measures.’ The document doesn’t spell out conditions for their use.”

According to Die Welt, dated December 27, 2014, the document also states that Russia has enough bunkers to resist and survive a nuclear war.

NATO “Fires” Back…

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 27:

“Within hours of Russian President Vladimir Putin approving a new security doctrine, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu flatly denied that the Western military bloc was a threat to any nation. ‘Any steps taken by NATO to ensure the security of its members are clearly defensive in nature, proportionate and in compliance with international law,’ Lungescu said. ‘In fact, it is Russia’s actions, including currently in Ukraine, which are breaking international law and undermining European security,’ she added in comments posted on her Twitter account…

“The new Russian military doctrine, posted on the Kremlin’s website on Friday, lists 14 security risks to the country, beginning with NATO’s military potential and eastward expansion… However, a statement released by the Russian Security Council said that the doctrine remained defensive in nature, despite the changes.

“Relations between the Kremlin and the West have experienced a major chill since Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula back in March. Ukraine and the West have also accused Moscow of stoking the fires of conflict in eastern Ukraine by supporting pro-Russia separatists with weapons and troops. Russia has denied this.”

We hear more and more of rumors from the Northeast (compare Daniel 11:44) which are making Europe very nervous.

“2014: A difficult Year for the EU”… but a Crisis Unites…

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 27, 2014

“For the European Union… the ongoing confrontation with Russia could once again bring unity.

“It was a foreseeable political disaster: discontent had long been seething, and in May it showed its force in the elections for the European Parliament. Almost everywhere, euroskeptic parties, right-wing and even parties openly hostile toward the European Union celebrated strong showings. In France, Britain and Denmark, they even won the election. Their platform: Less Europe, more nation states…

“In 2014, migration was an issue that split the EU more than ever before… The euro crisis was a ‘central factor, at least a catalyst for the feeling that the EU is either too far away or gets too involved’…

“Nowhere in the EU was the discontent as palpable as in Britain, where Prime Minister David Cameron is being pushed around by UKIP… In fact, a British exit has now become conceivable – even though the United Kingdom itself only narrowly escaped its own breakup just a few months ago when 55 percent of Scottish voters rejected independence…

“The economic crisis, with its high unemployment rates in many countries, has not only buoyed fringe parties. How to fight the crisis is still a question that continues to divide Europe…

“The crisis that overshadowed everything else in Europe this year, however, was the confrontation with Russia. In March, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and began destabilizing Eastern Ukraine, a campaign that continues to this day. Several EU states that once belonged to the Soviet Union, including the Baltic countries and Poland, now fear that they, too, may fall victim to Russian aggression.

“Over the course of the year, the EU imposed increasingly harsh sanctions on Russia – but the conflict is anything but solved. As 2014 comes to a close, a return to the former partnership with Russia seems to be more distant than ever. The peaceful European order that has lasted since the end of the Cold War has cracked, and no one knows what’s next.

“At least this bitter experience has taught the Europeans the importance of solidarity. In the dispute with Russia, the EU has presented a unified front like it rarely has before, proof that the 28 EU member states, with their varying positions and relationships with Moscow, were and continue to be able to agree on a common position… The crisis has restored the idea that Europe is ‘stronger united than alone’… That truism seemed long-forgotten in the EU – but 2014 has brought it back to life.”

It might require a crisis of great proportions which will force Europe to unite.

Putin Looks for Friends in the East

The Editorial Board of the New York Times wrote on December 26:

“There was a time when President Vladimir Putin was welcomed, even courted, by governments in the West. Now, as tensions between them grow over the issue of Ukraine, and as Russia’s economy is under stress, Mr. Putin is pursuing new friends, including one of the world’s most noxious leaders, Kim Jong-un of North Korea…

“During the Cold War, the Soviet Union often helped prop up North Korea’s brutal totalitarian regime. This year, after Russia’s invasion of Crimea led to a crisis and the imposition of sanctions by the United States and Europe, Mr. Putin has moved to strengthen those ties as part of a ‘Look East’ policy designed to compensate for the loss of economic and political interaction with the West.

“Russia is interested in North Korea’s mineral resources and needs its help in building a gas pipeline through North Korea to reach the wealthier South Korea. Meanwhile, North Korea sees Russia as a way to reduce dependency on China, its main source of food and fuel…

“Mr. Putin’s courtship of North Korea has not distracted him from his continuing efforts to build closer relationships with China and India. China’s president, Xi Jinping, made Russia his first foreign trip after taking office, and he attended the Sochi Olympics while President Obama and European leaders boycotted them. In May, as the West imposed sanctions on Russia, Mr. Putin completed a $400 billion, 30-year deal providing natural gas to China…

“For decades, people speculated about some kind of China-Russia alliance, but one never really materialized. The gas deal is viewed in Washington as much more favorable to Beijing than to Moscow, and over the long term, China’s economic and political strengths seem certain to ensure that Russia will always be the junior partner — a position that is unlikely to please Mr. Putin.

“As for India, Mr. Putin was warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit there this month and given assurances that Russia would remain India’s top weapons supplier. The two sides also signed billions of dollars in nuclear power, oil and defense deals. The outcome was a reminder that expectations in America of more trade and political cooperation with India have fallen short since the two countries signed a nuclear deal in 2008…”

In light of the remarks that Russia will always be China’s junior partner, it is interesting to note that the attack of the Asiatic hordes against Israel at the beginning of the Millennium will be led by Gog, a CHINESE leader over China, Russia and other Far Eastern countries (compare Ezekiel 38:2-3).

Putin Still in Denial

Business Insider wrote on December 27:

“As the year draws to a close, the Kremlin continues to insist that not a single Russian soldier has entered Ukraine to join pro-Moscow separatist militia who have been fighting government forces there since April. During his annual press conference earlier this month, Vladimir Putin, the president, said that all Russian combatants in Ukraine’s Donbas region were volunteers answering ‘a call of the heart’…

“Rights activists have recorded cases of at least 40 serving soldiers suspected of dying in the conflict – many believe the figure is in the hundreds – but prosecutors refuse to open criminal investigations into their deaths, a requirement by law…”

Greece in the News… Again…

The Local wrote on December 31:

“Fears of a potential Greek exit from the eurozone have rattled markets since a political crisis in Athens led to early elections, called for late January, in which a leftist anti-austerity party has good prospects of winning, threatening to unwind painful reforms.

“Michael Fuchs, deputy parliamentary leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, suggested the idea of Greece breaching its commitments to creditors and eventually leaving the single currency bloc was no longer a doomsday scenario. ‘The situation is entirely different than three years ago,’ Fuchs told the Rheinische Post daily. ‘The times when we had to rescue Greece are over. There is no potential for blackmail any more. Greece is no longer of systemic relevance for the euro.’…

“Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras warned Tuesday that the financially-stricken nation may be forced out of the eurozone if the election is won by Syriza… German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble was more direct, saying Greeks ‘have no alternative’ to the reform path.”

The Bible indicates a cooperation between Greece and core Europe (ten European nations or groups of nations). It does not say whether or not Greece will be part of core Europe.

U.N. Security Council Resolution Against Israel FAILS

JTA wrote on December 30:

“A Palestinian-backed U.N. Security Council resolution setting a deadline for a peace deal with Israel failed to garner sufficient votes for passage. The resolution, which was voted on Tuesday, was aimed at achieving a full Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank by late 2017.

“Eight nations on the 15-member council votes yes, two voted no and five abstained. Nine votes were required for passage. The no votes came from the United States and Australia. Had nine votes been obtained, the United States, which voted against the resolution, was expected to exercise its Security Council veto. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, called the draft resolution ‘deeply imbalanced’ and slammed the council for the unusual move of putting the resolution to a vote without any debate… The deadlines in the resolution, Power noted, ‘take no account of Israel’s legitimate security concerns.’”

Abbas Signs Treaty Against Israel

JTA wrote on December 31:

“Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed an international treaty that will allow the investigation of Israel for war crimes at the International Criminal Court. On Wednesday, a day after the defeat of a Palestinian statehood resolution in the United Nations Security Council, Abbas reportedly signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, or ICC, as well as more than 20 other international treaties.

“Abbas signed the treaties at an emergency meeting of the P.A. leadership in Ramallah that was called in the wake of the Security Council vote held on Tuesday… If the ICC accepts the Palestinian Authority’s request to join the Rome Statute, which brings the Palestinians one step closer to being full members of the court, then the ICC would have jurisdiction for crimes committed on Palestinian territory. The acceptance would allow the Palestinian Authority to petition the ICC to investigate Israel for possible war crimes.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the move. ‘It is the Palestinian Authority – which is in a unity government with Hamas, an avowed terrorist organization that, like ISIS, perpetrates war crimes – that needs to be concerned about the International Criminal Court in the Hague,’ he said in a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office…

“Among the other international organizations and conventions that the Palestinians are seeking to join are the Convention on the Political Rights of Women, the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel.

“Also on Wednesday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry summoned France’s ambassador to Israel, Patrick Maisonnave, for ‘clarifications’ over his country’s vote in favor of the Palestinian statehood resolution in the Security Council…”

As the New York Times explained in an article on December 31, the ROME Statute is the Hague-based court’s founding treaty: “Created in 2002 to prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, the court currently has 122 member countries, and has mainly dealt with horrors in Africa.” Also, the role of France becomes more and more dubious.

Hamas and Turkey vs. Israel

The Times of Israel wrote on December 27:

“On a surprise visit to Turkey Saturday, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal hailed the country’s leaders and said he hoped to ‘liberate Palestine and Jerusalem’ with them. During a speech to officials and supporters of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, Mashaal congratulated the people of Turkey ‘for having [Prime Minister Ahmet] Davutoğlu and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’ as heads of state, adding that ‘a strong Turkey means a strong Palestine … Inshallah, God is with us and with you on the road to victory.’…

“The Hamas leader was introduced to the crowd gathered in the conservative Konya Province in central Anatolia for the annual event by Davutoglu himself. His speech was frequently interrupted by supporters shouting ‘down with Israel!’ and ‘God is great!’… ‘God is witness … we will make this red flag a symbol of the innocent. This red flag will fly side by side with the flags of Palestine, free Syria and all other innocents’ flags anywhere in the world,’ he told the congress.

“Turkey and Hamas have seen a rapid rapprochement as Israel’s ties with Ankara continued to deteriorate. The AK Party has had close ties with Hamas since its rise in 2001, led by Davutoglu and Erdogan. The two have been known for their frequent outbursts against Israel over the years…

“Jerusalem has also accused Turkey of allowing Hamas to operate on its soil, a charge Ankara strongly denies… Israel has alleged on several recent occasions that Hamas cells operating in the West Bank and planning major terror attacks were doing so under the guidance and leadership of Hamas’s Saleh al-Arouri, who was deported from the West Bank to Turkey in 2010, while Ankara turns a blind eye to his actions.

“Last month, the Shin Bet security service said members of a Hamas terror ring in the West Bank, run from the organization’s headquarters in Turkey, sought to carry out an array of major attacks, including on Jerusalem’s main soccer stadium and its light rail line. Arouri, they said, built up and funded the network, and has effectively established a Hamas command post in Turkey which is leading terror efforts in the West Bank…

“In October, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Hamas had two command centers: one in the Gaza Strip, which has been ruled by the Islamist group since 2007, and one in Turkey.

“Israel’s ties with Turkey became strained after Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in Gaza in 2008-2009, but nosedived in May 2010 when the Mavi Marmara ferry was boarded by Israeli commandos as it attempted to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. In the ensuing melee, after the Israeli soldiers were attacked with iron bars and wooden bats, troops opened fire and nine Turkish activists were killed; 10 Israeli soldiers were injured.”

Modern Turkey is identified in the Bible as “Edom” or “Esau.” Its future hostile conduct against Israel is vividly described in the book of Obadiah and strongly condemned by God.

Iran’s Suicide Drones

Gizmodo wrote on December 27:

“Today Iranian military forces tested various unmanned aircraft that some are calling ‘suicide drones.’ Because ‘suicide drone’ sounded more intimidating than ‘model airplane that we could fly into things nearby.’

“Iran has been conducting military exercises for the past week at the Strait of Hormuz near the Persian Gulf. The show of force has involved air, land, and sea maneuvers over 850,000 square miles…

“This week’s exercises are codenamed Mohammad Rasoulallah, meaning Mohammad the Messenger of God… Iran has also been using drones for target practice during this week’s drills… Unconfirmed reports have said that Iran’s Shahed-129 drone can stay in the air as long as 24 hours and has a range of just over 1,000 miles.”

Santa Claus—a Bad Guy

CNN wrote on December 25:

“It’s the early 1800s, and America’s Christian leaders — most of whom were Protestant Reformation-types — had banned religious celebrations of Christmas as unscriptural and paganish. But people still wanted to party… So, on December 25, working-class stiffs got fall-down drunk and stumbled around cities looking for stuff to loot…

“When the Dutch came to the New World in the 1600s, they brought a fellow from folklore named Sinterklaas with them… Sinterklaas, who wore a red bishop’s miter and a snowy white beard, was based on St. Nicholas, a 3rd century Greek who lived in modern-day Turkey… this Nick was a bit of a bad boy… According to one medieval legend, Nicholas punched a heretic in the nose at the Council of Nicea — the meeting in 325 that formed the first consensus on Christian doctrine…

“St. Nick’s feast day, December 6, (the day he supposedly died) was celebrated across Europe for hundreds of years, often by giving gifts to children… But, beginning in the 1500s, the Protestant Reformation swept away the cult of Christian saints, denouncing them as unbiblical and idolatrous. Christmas, too, went pretty much by the wayside for much of Protestant Europe during this time. Some countries, though, such as the Netherlands, kept alive traditions associated with Sinterklaas. And it was these customs that 19th century New Yorkers wanted to revive.

“As they sought to make Christmas more family friendly, the Saint Nicholas Society found the perfect front man in their namesake, who, after all, was known for being nice to children. It was a genius move. The real goal was getting drunks off the street… Now they could do that by turning Christmas into a family event when children — who had it pretty rough back then — would receive gifts for good behavior…”

The first question is: Why do Protestants keep Christmas today, when the Protestant Reformers—their “fathers” in the faith–rejected it as pagan, idolatrous and unscriptural? How has it now suddenly become scriptural and less pagan and idolatrous? And then, even though this “account” of the origin of “Santa Claus” describes him as a pretty bad fellow, it is still not describing the awful truth. In fact, the history of the real “Santa Claus” is even much worse than depicted in the article. To learn more about it, please read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.” 

Christmas Kitsch in China

Reuters reported on December 25:

“A university in northwestern China has banned Christmas, calling it a ‘kitsch’ foreign celebration unbefitting of the country’s own traditions…

“An official microblog belonging to one of the university’s Communist Party’s committees posted comments calling for students not to ‘fawn on foreigners’ and pay more attention to China’s holidays, like Spring Festival. ‘In recent years, more and more Chinese have started to attach importance to Western festivals,’ it wrote…

“Christmas is not a traditional festival in officially atheist China but is growing in popularity, especially in more metropolitan areas where young people go out to celebrate, give gifts and decorate their homes…

“Wenzhou, a city in the wealthy eastern province of Zhejiang, has banned all Christmas activities in schools and kindergartens, the official Xinhua news agency reported…”

Even though China’s motives are self-serving and inappropriate, and the Chinese religious holidays are by no means an improvement, the classification of many of the Christmas symbols and celebrations as “kitsch” is very accurate.

“Exodus” Banned in Egypt

Reuters reported on December 26:

“Egypt has banned Hollywood’s big screen biblical epic ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings,’ a 20th Century Fox spokesman said on Friday. The studio owned by Twenty-First Century Fox Inc declined to give a reason for the ban, but films that depict biblical figures have been prohibited before in the Muslim country.

“Paramount Pictures’ Bible tale ‘Noah’ was banned in several countries in the Middle East this year for its depiction of a prophet, which is forbidden in Islam… ‘Exodus’… has come under criticism for casting mostly white actors in the lead roles and some historical anachronisms. Morocco has also reportedly banned the film…”

Variety added on December 26:

“A report from the Egyptian site Mobtada said censors issued the ban due to [the] movie’s ‘historical inaccuracies.’ Those included the film’s depiction of Jews as having built the Pyramids… Egyptian cultural minister Gaber Asfour said the depiction of Jewish slaves as being the builders of the Great Sphinx and Pyramids is inaccurate because the monuments are accepted to have been built around 2540 B.C. — 500 years before Abraham… ‘This totally contradicts proven historical facts,’ Asfour said.”

Many who have seen the movie “Exodus” declared their utter disappointment and disgust with the film, which, among many other problems, portrayed God in the scene with the burning bush as a child. The movie “Noah” was likewise declared to have been a great disappointment, as it included numerous unbiblical scenes which were totally opposed to the Word of God.

This is not to say that Egypt and Morocco, as well as other Islamic countries, banned the movies because of proper reasons. For instance, the Islamic prohibition of the portrayal of a prophet is not biblical. And it is also not correct that the Pyramids were built 500 years before Abraham. There is strong biblical and archeological evidence that the historical Cheops was none other than the biblical Job, and that it was Job who built the Great Cheops Pyramid at Gizeh, apparently with the help of biblical Joseph.

In his article, “Who Built the Great Pyramid?” (The Plain Truth, May 1964), Dr. Herman Hoeh pointed out:

“Cheops lived in Joseph’s time. SO DID JOB! Job lived in the generation after Esau, for one of his friends was Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 2:11). Eliphaz was the father of the Temanites (Gen. 36:11) and the son of Esau, Jacob’s brother (verse 10). Eliphaz and Joseph were first cousins.

“Job lived before the Mosaic law which permitted only Levites to sacrifice. Notice that Job sacrificed to God for his family as was customarily done in patriarchal times (Job 1:5; 42:8). None of the conversation in the book of Job refers to the exodus under Moses. But the flood is still uppermost in the minds of the people (Job 22:17-18).

“Cheops or Job came to the throne in 1726 B.C…. Surprisingly that is the year in which Jacob entered Egypt with his family. A coincidence? Consider this! Coming into Egypt with Jacob in 1726 was a grandson — named Job! ‘And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons … And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Phuvah and JOB, and Shimron’ (Genesis 46:13).”

Pope Francis—the Superman Pope?

The Guardian wrote on December 27:

“He has been called the ‘superman pope’… In 2015, the pope will issue a lengthy message on the subject [of climate change] to the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, give an address to the UN general assembly and call a summit of the world’s main religions. The reason for such frenetic activity, says Bishop Marcelo Sorondo, chancellor of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences, is the pope’s wish to directly influence next year’s crucial UN climate meeting in Paris, when countries will try to conclude 20 years of fraught negotiations with a universal commitment to reduce emissions… the pope will publish a rare encyclical on climate change and human ecology. Urging all Catholics to take action on moral and scientific grounds, the document will be sent to the world’s 5,000 Catholic bishops and 400,000 priests, who will distribute it to parishioners.

“According to Vatican insiders, Francis will meet other faith leaders and lobby politicians at the general assembly in New York in September, when countries will sign up to new anti-poverty and environmental goals…

“However, Francis’s environmental radicalism is likely to attract resistance from Vatican conservatives and in rightwing church circles, particularly in the US – where Catholic climate sceptics also include John Boehner, Republican leader of the House of Representatives and Rick Santorum, the former Republican presidential candidate.

“Cardinal George Pell, a former archbishop of Sydney who has been placed in charge of the Vatican’s budget, is a climate change sceptic… Francis will also be opposed by the powerful US evangelical movement, said Calvin Beisner, spokesman for the conservative Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, which has declared the US environmental movement to be ‘un-biblical’ and a false religion. ‘The pope should back off,’ he said. ‘The Catholic church is correct on the ethical principles but has been misled on the science. It follows that the policies the Vatican is promoting are incorrect. Our position reflects the views of millions of evangelical Christians in the US.’”

Pope Flexes Political Muscles; Drives Wedge Between Conservatives and Catholic Church

The Hill wrote on December 31:

“Pope Francis is increasingly driving a wedge between conservatives and the Catholic Church.
The magnetic pope has sparked new enthusiasm around the world for the church and has flexed his political muscles internationally… But Francis’s agenda… is putting him at odds with Republicans, including GOP Catholics in the United States.

“Hours after President Obama announced moves to ease trade and travel restrictions to Cuba, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a practicing Catholic and potential 2016 presidential candidate, criticized the deal and Francis’s role in it… Fellow Catholic Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) said he wished Francis would stand up for the Cuban people ‘rather than their oppressors.’…

“‘He’s modeling the church as a place for open disagreement,’ said Vincent J. Miller, who chairs the University of Dayton’s Catholic theology program. ‘In that sense, one of the most important changes he’s making is that conservative politicians are now openly disagreeing with him,’ Miller said… Miller said Republicans are no longer able to use issues like abortion and gay marriage as the defining issues for American Catholics.

“But Mauricio Claver-Carone, director of the conservative U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC, said that by injecting his beliefs, Francis has alienated Cuban-Americans who are deeply opposed to the communist Castro regime in Cuba…”

Please view our recent StandingWatch program, “Pope Francis’ Fight with the Vatican.” 

How American Citizens Are Illegally Being Spied On

The Huffington Post wrote on December 26:

“…the National Security Agency released hundreds of pages of heavily redacted documents detailing instances of improper surveillance on U.S. citizens in the last 12 years. The batch of documents, stretching from the fourth quarter of 2001 to the second quarter of 2013, was released in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. While some of the information was already publicly known, the reports shed more light on instances in which NSA employees either intentionally or unintentionally violated the law and collected the private data of American citizens…

“The reports include instances in which analysts conducted unauthorized surveillance on U.S. organizations with the mistaken belief they were authorized to do so; instances in which analysts willfully ignored restrictions on surveillance; and even instances in which analysts intentionally abused the system to gather data on spouses or love interests…

“The USA Freedom Act, which would have ended the NSA’s controversial domestic call tracking program, died in the Senate earlier this year despite support from an unlikely alliance that included Facebook, the ACLU and the National Rifle Association.”

And so, illegal spying on American citizens might go on…

Growing Number of Germans Against “Islamization”

Reuters reported on January 1, 2015:

“One German in eight would join an anti-Muslim march if a rapidly-growing protest movement organized one in their home towns, according to an opinion poll published on Thursday. The survey highlighted growing support in Germany, as in other European Union countries including Britain and Sweden, for parties and movements tapping into voter fears that mainstream politicians are too soft on immigration.

“Some members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc worry that they risk losing support to the euro-sceptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has shifted its focus to immigration and includes many who also back the PEGIDA protest movement — Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West. PEGIDA is holding weekly rallies in the eastern city of Dresden, and attracted more than 17,000 people to a Dec. 22 rally…

“In her New Year address, Merkel urged Germans to turn their backs on PEGIDA’s leaders, calling them racists full of hatred, and said Europe’s biggest economy must welcome people fleeing conflict and war… AfD leader Bernd Lucke criticized Merkel’s New Year address in comments due to appear in Friday’s edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) paper, accusing her of disrespecting citizens. A New Year address should unite rather than divide people, he said, accusing Merkel of branding all those who joined PEGIDA marches as anti-immigrant without listening to their views…”

Lithuania Adopts the Euro

The EUObserver wrote on December 31, 2015:

“Lithuania on Thursday (1 January) will adopt the euro with a majority now supporting the currency change amid heightened tensions with their former Russian masters… The former Soviet republic, which joined the European Union and Nato in 2004, is a strategic base for the alliance’s Baltic air policing patrols…

“All EU member states, with the exception of the UK and Denmark, are required to join the euro. Lithuania will become the 19th member of the eurozone.”

Netanyahu Wins Party Nomination

The Associated Press reported on January 1:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won the backing of his hard-line Likud party in its primary and will lead it into general elections this March… Israeli media said Netanyahu had won the support of about 75 percent of electors, giving him an unassailable lead over challenger Danny Danon, a former deputy defense minister…

“Early opinion polls ahead of the March 17 general elections show Netanyahu’s Likud party in a neck-and-neck race with a joint list headed by Labor Party leader Isaac Herzog and former Justice Minister Tzipi Livni of the Hatnuah party.”