The "Middle East and Terrorism" Blog was created in order to supply information about the implication of Arab countries and Iran in terrorism all over the world. Most of the articles in the blog are the result of objective scientific research or articles written by senior journalists.
From the Ethics of the Fathers: "He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it."
In 2008, 120 countries signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, grounded in a simple idea: some weapons are so dangerous to civilians that their use cannot be justified. Where is the outcry now that Iran is launching them at Israel? Opinion.
Dozens of bombs fall from a U.S. bomb Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images
There are few weapons as
universally condemned as cluster munitions. With warheads designed to
scatter dozens-or hundreds-of smaller bomblets, called submunitions,
over wide areas, they are inherently indiscriminate. Their danger does
not end when the fighting stops. Unexploded “duds" can remain lethal for
years, waiting for a child’s footstep or a farmer’s plow.
That
reality helped drive more than 120 countries to sign the Convention on
Cluster Munitions, grounded in a simple idea: some weapons are so
dangerous to civilians that their use cannot be justified.
But like many principles in international affairs, its application appears to depend on who is pulling the trigger.
I
have spent much of my life confronting the consequences of terrorism
sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Iran. My daughter, Alisa, was
murdered in a 1995 attack carried out with Iranian backing. That
experience has taught me something enduring: when the world applies
moral standards selectively, it does not moderate violence-it invites
more of it.
In
the final days of the 2006 war against Hezbollah, before the Convention
on Cluster Munitions existed, Israel deployed cluster munitions in
southern Lebanon in terrorist areas from where civilians had fled. The
international response was immediate, detailed, and relentless. United
Nations agencies launched on-the-ground investigations. Demining teams
documented failure rates as high as 30% to 40%, leaving hundreds of
thousands of unexploded bomblets embedded in civilian areas. The United
States examined whether Israel had violated agreements governing the use
of American-supplied weapons. The criticism was not vague; it was
specific, technical, and sustained. That outcry did not fade with the
ceasefire. It became a central catalyst for the 2008 treaty banning
cluster munitions.
Israel’s actions were dissected, debated, and ultimately used to shape international law.
Today,
Iran is deploying cluster munitions of its own-this time mounted on
ballistic missiles aimed at Israeli population centers such as Tel Aviv,
Beersheba, and Rishon LeZion. These are not weapons used at the margins
of a battlefield. They are designed to open at altitude and disperse
bomblets across densely populated urban areas, sometimes covering
several square kilometers in a single strike. Weapons experts have been
clear: once such a warhead disperses, even sophisticated missile defense
systems cannot fully stop what follows. The result is not only
immediate casualties but the transformation of civilian neighborhoods
into long-term danger zones.
In other words, precisely the kind of harm the international community claimed it was banning.
And yet, the global response has been markedly different.
Where are the urgent UN investigations detailing dud rates in Israeli cities?
Where are the sustained diplomatic campaigns, the emergency sessions, the resolutions that name the weapon and condemn its use?
Much
of the official rhetoric has remained generalized-condemning
“escalation" while often directing the sharpest criticism elsewhere.
Amnesty International has, to its credit, explicitly called Iran’s use
of cluster munitions in civilian areas a “flagrant violation of
international humanitarian law" and warned that such attacks may
constitute a war crime. But those statements have not translated into
the kind of unified and sustained global response that followed Israel’s
actions in 2006.
The
contrast is not subtle. When Israel used cluster munitions, the world
responded with specificity, urgency, and lasting legal consequences.
When Iran uses them-deliberately targeting cities-the response is muted,
more conditional, and more willing to contextualize. That is not simply
a political inconsistency. It is a moral one.
If
cluster munitions are unacceptable because they endanger civilians,
then that standard must apply regardless of whether the target is in
southern Lebanon or an Israeli city. If the principle shifts depending
on the identity of the user, then it is not a principle at all-it is a
preference.
The
danger of that approach is not theoretical. International norms only
function when they are applied consistently. Once they are seen as
selective or politically contingent, they begin to erode. And when they
erode, the first victims are civilians-the very people those norms were
meant to protect.
The
unexploded bomblet does not distinguish between Jew and Arab, Israeli
and Lebanese. It waits, silent and lethal, for whoever crosses its path.
That was true in southern Lebanon in 2006. It is no less true in
central Israel today.
If
the world is serious about banning indiscriminate weapons, then the
outrage cannot be selective, and the law cannot be optional. Otherwise,
the skies themselves become a place where double standards fall-one
bomblet at a time.
Stephen M. Flatow is an attorney and the
father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored
Palestinian Arab terrorist attack in 1995. He is author of A Father’s
Story: My Fight for Justice Against Iranian Terror (now available in an
expanded paperback edition on Amazon.com) and is the president of the
Religious Zionists of America-Mizrachi. An oleh chadash, he divides his
time between Jerusalem and New Jersey.
For many, there is a shared sense that this moment demands endurance. If Iran can be dealt with as it needs to be, then in the long term, we will all be better for it. That is Israeli resilience.
Israelis do yoga at an underground garage, used as a public
shelter, in Tel Aviv during the Israel-US war with Iran. March 17. 2026.(photo credit: MIRIAM ALSTER/FLASH90)
On Friday, as sirens continued to sound across the country, Tel Aviv
did what Tel Aviv does best. The cafés had laden tables outside, and
the parks were filled with youngsters sitting in the sunshine.
A
visiting guest commented while watching, turning and saying with a mix
of admiration and disbelief, “You Israelis are so resilient.”
It
is a word often used about this country, sometimes too easily. But the
truth is, it is much more than that. It is a habit ingrained in us from
an early age.
“We’ve been doing this for 80 years,” one Israeli replied to the visitor.
That answer is the history of Israel.
Missile Impact Site in Beit Shemesh. (credit: Dor Pazuelo/Flash90)
Israeli resilence on display amid war with Iran
From
the earliest days of the state, when Arab armies crossed the border the
day after independence was declared – through wars, intifadas, waves of
rockets from Gaza and Lebanon, and now a second war with Iran –
Israelis have lived with the understanding that normal life and national
emergency are connected. The distance between the two can diminish in a
matter of seconds, with only the wail of a siren.
And
yet, when that siren sounds, something remarkable happens. People move
quickly into shelters. Doors close and phones come out as people check
on their loved ones elsewhere. It is Israeli resilience.
There is a kind of national muscle memory at work.
One
should not misread that as levity at the situation. Many feel real fear
for their lives, many run holding their children in their arms, and
flights and plans are disrupted, especially nearing Passover.
Postpone celebrations, acts of determination
One Jerusalem Post
staff member recently postponed a wedding because close relatives could
not enter the country. When their family eventually made it to Israel,
the couple went ahead and held a smaller ceremony under the constraints
of Home Front Command guidelines.
It
was not the celebration they had imagined or planned, but an act of
determination and a refusal to let circumstances dictate the terms of
their lives.
For
many of our readers abroad, particularly in Western countries, this
reality is difficult to fully grasp. That is not a criticism but simply
the result of different experiences.
Few
societies in the West have lived with sustained, existential threats
overhead. War, where it exists, is often distant, seen only through
social media apps or the news. The idea of daily life continuing under
the possibility of incoming missiles is, understandably, foreign.
For
decades, Israel has invested in the systems that keep its people alive.
Through reinforced safe rooms in homes, public shelters in every
neighborhood, a layered missile defense network, intelligence
capabilities that reach far beyond its borders, and an air force trained
for precisely these scenarios, Israel does its best to keep its
citizens safe.
The
Mossad, the IDF, and the entire security establishment have operated
with a long-term understanding that moments like this come.
Compare
that to Hamas or Hezbollah, which, despite billions of dollars in
international funding, spent 20 years building up an arsenal of deadly
weapons or underground tunnels, rather than the bomb shelters necessary
for their people.
But
infrastructure alone does not explain why Tel Aviv was thriving, nor
why Israelis try to go about their day as normally as possible.
There
is also a societal component. Israelis can disagree with each other,
often loudly, about almost everything. Yet when faced with an external
threat, a coming together is hard to miss.
Support
for the operation runs deep, cutting across many of the usual lines.
For many, there is a shared sense that this moment demands endurance. If
Iran can be dealt with as it needs to be, then in the long term, we will all be better for it. That is Israeli resilience.
Patience,
too, plays a role. To go to work when possible or to open shops; to be
understanding when our children enter their fourth week of school
without seeing their classmates; to hold weddings, even if the guest
list is halved and the music is cut short by another trip to the
shelter.
The
visiting guest was right. Israelis are resilient. And on one Friday in
Tel Aviv, as life continued under the blaring of sirens, it was visible
in the most ordinary of ways.
The IDF also will speed up the destruction of southern Lebanese homes exploited by the terror group.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz makes an announcement regarding Hezbollah, March 22, 2026. Photo by Elad Malka/MoD.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, after an assessment of the
situation in Lebanon with top-ranking Israel Defense Forces staff on
Sunday, said he and the prime minister have ordered the IDF to
“immediately destroy all the bridges over the Litani river” to prevent
the movement of Hezbollah terrorists and weapons to the south.
On
March 18, the IDF destroyed two bridges over the Litani after destroying
one on March 13, reportedly the first targeting of Lebanese state-owned
infrastructure since the start of hostilities.
Katz also ordered
the IDF to speed up the destruction of homes in southern Lebanese
villages to eliminate terrorist infrastructure, following a similar
model used by the Israeli army in Rafah and Beit Hanoun in the Gaza
Strip.
“The IDF continues its ground maneuver in Lebanon to
eliminate Hezbollah terrorists and reach the anti-tank [firing line] ...
in order to protect the settlements,” he added.
On Sunday,
Hezbollah hit a car in Misgav Am, a kibbutz in the Upper Galilee, with
an anti-tank missile, killing one Israeli. Misgav Am is located directly
on the border with southern Lebanon. Anti-tank guided missiles have an
effective range of 2.5 to 5.5 kilometers (1.5 to 3.1 miles).
“We
are determined not to allow the pre-Oct. 7 reality to return,” said
Katz. “We promised to protect the residents of the north, and that’s
exactly what we’re doing.”
“The IDF will continue to allow the
evacuation of residents of southern Lebanon north to the Litani River
from the war zone for their protection,” he added. The IDF ordered all
Lebanese residents south of the Litani to move north on March 4. An
estimated 1 million Lebanese have been displaced to date due to the
fighting.
While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians by extremists is growing. The report posits that such persecution is not random but rather systematic, and takes place irrespective of language, ethnicity, or location. It includes incidents that take place during, or are reported on, any given month.
"They had the audacity to
tell us that we are poor Christians, and we should be thankful that
their son had only sodomized the child, 'not raped her'.... Muslims
think that they can commit any crime against us, and no one would dare
oppose them." — Father of a 6-year-old girl attacked by her tutor,
morningstarnews.org, December 17, 2025, Pakistan.
On December 30, a young man of "North African" appearance stabbed
a priest multiple times in a busy street in broad daylight. Don Rodrigo
Grajales Gaviria, 45, was stabbed from behind while walking in Modena's
historic center. — December 30, 2025, Italy.
On December 15, the Muslim-led MyLahore Group, led by Ishfaq
Farooq, renamed Bradford's Christmas Market, of which it is in charge,
to "Winter Market"... "Once again, Christmas is the thing being diluted,
renamed, and pushed aside – not because it offends everyone, but
because it offends a very specific worldview that refuses to integrate."
— X, December 15, 2025, United Kingdom.
"A Muslim mass besieges the St. Martin's Cathedral, shouting
'Allahu Akbar.'... This is just the trailer. What do you think will
happen when they are in the majority?" — X, December 10, 2025, The Netherlands
On December 1, a Sri Lankan national, identified only as "YA,"
successfully appealed the UK Home Office's rejection of his asylum
claim. He had been arrested in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday
bombings — Islamic State-claimed suicide attacks on Christian churches
and hotels that killed 269 people, including British nationals. The UK
is nevertheless considering granting him asylum. — December 1, 2025, United Kingdom.
On December 30, a young man of "North African" appearance
stabbed a priest multiple times in a busy street in broad daylight. Don
Rodrigo Grajales Gaviria, 45, was stabbed from behind while walking in
the historic center of Modena, Italy. Pictured: Modena Cathedral and
Ghirlandina Bell Tower at the Piazza Grande, in the center of Modena.
(Photo by iStock/Getty Images)
Muslim Rape of Christians in Pakistan
On December 10, in Punjab Province, a Muslim man in his early 20s, Muhammad Uzair Riaz Dogar, "sodomized"
a 6-year-old Christian girl during a tutoring session at his home. The
victim, daughter of impoverished Salvation Army church member Saleem
Masih, had been tutored by the suspect's sister for four months. While
the female tutor was away, the brother let all Muslim children leave but
forcibly took the Christian girl to another room and assaulted her. She
was found crying in pain, clothes blood-soaked; hospital examination
confirmed sodomy. The perpetrator was eventually arrested, but his
family tried to pressure the family to withdraw charges and settle,
making derogatory remarks exploiting their Christian poverty. According to the girl's father:
"They had the audacity to tell us that we are poor
Christians, and we should be thankful that their son had only sodomized
the child, 'not raped her,' which would have brought dishonor and shame
to us... Muslims think that they can commit any crime against us, and no
one would dare oppose them."
He added the suspect had previously assaulted another Christian girl
whose family stayed silent due to threats, but "we are not going to back
down from our case, come what may." Threats included making their lives
miserable if there is no settlement. Discussing this incident, human
rights activist Katherine Sapna said:
"Many poor Christian families tend to shy from taking
legal action against their powerful oppressors for fear of social stigma
and threats to their lives, but we were encouraged by the Masih
family's resolve... It's very unfortunate that this family has been
forced to relocate from their village just days before Christmas."
Separately, on December 7, a 14-year-old Christian girl was abducted and raped
by Muslim neighbors Muhammad Zohaib (the rapist) and two others
(involved in the abduction). The girl, from a poor family led by her
21-year-old brother Sahil George (breadwinner after their father's death
15 years ago), left home to buy bread when the men forced her at
gunpoint onto a motorcycle, took her to a house, locked her in a room,
and Zohaib raped her. She was later dumped semi-unconscious outside;
family found her after a search, took her to hospital (where a medical
exam confirmed rape), and police arrested the three—though Bilal Arshad
and Shamil were released after Zohaib claimed sole responsibility. According to her brother, Sahil:
"She was approached on the street by Muhammad Bilal
Arshad and Muhammad Zohaib, who forced her at gunpoint to sit on their
motorcycle and took her to a house... They locked her in a room, where
Zohaib raped her."
"My friends and I had a fight with Bilal and his group
after they refused to give us the cash prize and trophy that we had
won... We eventually took the money and the trophy, and because of that
they held a grudge against me.... Zohaib and Bilal Arshad had confronted
my sister on the street days before the incident and warned her that
they would take revenge for what they considered their humiliation....
Some people are trying to pressure me to reach a settlement with the
accused... But how can I compromise on my sister's honor and her life?
If they wanted revenge, they should have taken it from me. Instead, they
targeted my younger sister, scarring her for life and causing our
family immense mental and emotional suffering."
The Muslim Slaughter of Christians
Italy: On December 30, a young man of "North African" appearance stabbed
a priest multiple times in a busy street in broad daylight. Don Rodrigo
Grajales Gaviria, 45, was stabbed from behind while walking in Modena's
historic center. According to witnesses, the young "North African"
approached silently, struck multiple times with his knife (including a
severe wound to the neck and throat, and one to the back) before
fleeing. No words were exchanged; no robbery attempt took place (nothing
stolen, no demand made). Witnesses helping him called emergency
services; the priest was rushed to a hospital for urgent surgery to
control bleeding from his neck wound, which narrowly missed major
vessels. Initially in serious condition, he was last reported as having
stabilized. Parish priest Don Graziano Gavioli emphasized
that the assault was not a robbery but "an aggression carried out with
the sole purpose of wounding." The attack was reminiscent an attack
in 2023, when a Muslim from Morocco carried out a machete attack on two
Catholic churches in Algeciras. They killed a sacristan and seriously
wounded a priest at San Isidro. Spanish authorities treated the assault
as a jihadist-motivated terrorist attack and arrested him at the scene.
Pakistan: On December 5, the Rev. Kamran Salamat, a 45-year-old Presbyterian pastor and missionary in Gujranwala, was riddled
with bullets in the Muslim majority nation. An unidentified
motorcyclist (possibly with two accomplices) gunned him down outside his
home in front of his 16-year-old daughter as he prepared to take her to
college. He was shot in at least three places and died three hours
later at a hospital. This attack followed one in September 2025 where
Salamat survived being shot in the leg. According to a church leader: "It's quite possible that he was martyred due to his missionary work" among Muslim tribesmen.
Pastor Naeem Nasir stated
that Muslim extremists "had been pursuing him and threatening him
everywhere he went" to stop his gospel proclamation. Nasir added that
they "wanted to stop his passion for preaching the gospel" even after he
relocated.
Uganda: On December 12, Muslims slaughtered
evangelist Konkona Kasimu, a 42-year-old convert from Islam, shortly
after a public Christian-Muslim dialogue event in Busia town organized
by New Eden Church. Kasimu, known for his expertise in both the Bible
and Koran, led the open-air dialogue from December 8-12. The event
resulted in several Muslims publicly converting to Christianity,
heightening tensions further. After the final day, local Christians
sheltered him briefly before the four-person evangelism team departed
around 6:30 p.m. on two motorcycles. In the Nakalama swamp area, four
men in Islamic attire stopped them under the pretense of needing help.
One recognized Kasimu as "the evangelist involved in the Busia dialogue"
and struck him on the head. They assaulted team member Recheal Kyakuwa,
who lost consciousness, while the other motorcyclist managed to flee.
Kasimu died from his injuries. Pastor Jeremiah Kasowe said:
"Kasimu was killed because of advancing the Kingdom of
God. We have lost a great man who was well-versed in both the Quran and
the Bible and used that knowledge to witness Christ to many people."
Nigeria: In a December 15 incident, Fulani tribesmen attacked internally displaced persons in Benue State, and killed four Christians. The assailants chanted "Allahu Akbar" while targeting victims, abusing and "torturing" women.
Separately, on December 3, Nigerian Anglicans mourned the murder
of Venerable Edwin Achi, an Anglican priest kidnapped from his home in
Kaduna State on October 28 along with his wife and daughter. The Muslim
kidnappers had demanded an outrageous ransom, which the priest's family
and church could not raise, so they murdered him. His wife and daughter
reportedly remain in captivity. Discussing this murder, Archbishop Henry
Ndukuba said:
"This kind of violence and cruelty that continues to
ravage communities has no place in any society that seeks peace and
prosperity... [Achi was] a faithful servant of God whose life of
sacrifice and compassion was cut short."
The Muslim Slaughter of Christians in Churches
Sudan: On December 25, a Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) drone strike targeted
Christians in the Julud area, South Kordofan state, as they marched in
procession to the Episcopal Church of Sudan for Christmas Day
celebrations. The church building was not hit, but the drone struck the
congregation en route. They killed at least 11 Christians and seriously
wounded at least 18 others (reportedly up to 19). "The drone targeted
civilians who were celebrating Christmas," the Sudan People's Liberation
Movement-North reported.
Nigeria: On Sunday, December 7, Muslim gunmen attacked
St. Andrews Anglican Church in Anambra State, as Christians gathered
for early morning worship. The assailants shot indiscriminately, killing
two Christians—the wife of the Anglican priest and another church
member—wounding several congregants, abducting the priest, and setting
the church building, priest's residence, vehicles, and nearby homes on
fire.
Niger: On December 24, around 11:00 pm, armed Muslims, described by the report as "suspected jihadists," stormed
a church in Mailo village during a Christian Eve service. They fired
into the air, causing panic among worshippers. A Christian couple fled
and hid in their nearby house, but the assailants followed and
slaughtered them. Other worshippers scattered into the bushes or
neighboring villages.
The Christmas Jihad
Germany: On December 12, authorities arrested
five Muslim men -- three Moroccans (aged 22, 28 and 30); a 56-year-old
Egyptian described as a prayer leader and imam at a mosque in
Dingolfing-Landau, and a 37-year-old Syrian—at the Suben border crossing
in Bavaria. They were suspected of plotting
a vehicle-ramming attack on a Christmas market in the Dingolfing-Landau
area "to kill or injure as many people as possible" during the festive
season. The Egyptian had called on the Moroccans during mosque
gatherings to commit the attack.
France: According to a December 3 report,
France needed to step up security at Christmas markets nationwide due
to a "very high" terror threat level. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez
sent a memo urging
regional officials to mobilize intelligence services for "detection,
prevention and, where necessary, thwarting of terrorist threats,"
including pedestrian traffic control, parking and traffic restrictions,
and enhanced video surveillance at festive events.
The UK Foreign Office warned
that "terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in
France." They cited risks of attacks with knives, guns, bombs or
vehicles, based on precedents, such as the 2018 Strasbourg Christmas
market attack by a Muslim, who killed five and wounded 11 with a knife
and a revolver. The UK Foreign Office also noted a shift to younger,
impulsive jihadists (aged 15-22 in many recent plots), with six attacks
thwarted in 2025 alone.
Le Mondehighlighted "a new generation of terrorists who are likely to be more unpredictable... impulsive, reducing the chance of early detection."
Belgium: Muslims stormed
the opening night of Brussels' Christmas market, waving Palestinian
flags and setting off smoke bombs. Video footage shows them chanting
amid festive lights, with signs reading "From the River to the Sea." In
the words of one post:
"Muslims STORMED the opening night of the Christmas
market... scaring families. Coming to YOUR town if Islam is not exiled
from the West."
On another day, December 1, the same Muslim protesters decapitated the Baby Jesus from the Grand Place Nativity scene at the Christmas market.
United Kingdom: On December 15, the Muslim-led MyLahore Group, led by Ishfaq Farooq, renamed Bradford's Christmas Market, of which it is in charge, to "Winter Market." According to the post:
"Many locals believe this change is ideological, not
cosmetic – arguing it reflects Islamist sensibilities that are hostile
to Christmas and Britain's Christian heritage. Once again, Christmas is
the thing being diluted, renamed, and pushed aside – not because it
offends everyone, but because it offends a very specific worldview that
refuses to integrate."
Nigeria: A December 16 report
stated that Nigerian Christians face a tense Christmas amid ongoing
jihadist threats and historical patterns of attacks on Christian
holidays. Jihadists, including Islamic Fulani jihadists, Boko Haram, and
ISWAP, have targeted Christians during Christmas, with past examples:
33 killed in Benue state on Christmas Day 2024; 295 murdered in Plateau
state over Christmas 2023 by Fulani jihadists; two dozen killed and
others abducted on Christmas Eve 2020 in Adamawa/Borno, where attackers
called murders a "Christmas present" in a video; seven killed in Borno
on Christmas Eve 2019; and 14 on Christmas Day 2015. Warnings had
indicated planned Christmas Day 2025 attacks in the Middle Belt,
involving group kidnappings, village invasions during church services,
and militia reinforcements. Justice G. Danjuma (evangelist, Taraba
state) stated:
"As Christmas 2025 approaches, fear is widespread... These patterns
make Christians expect renewed attacks during Christmas 2025, especially
in rural communities," with many enduring "sleepless nights." Jonathan,
a northeastern Christian, noted: "well over 80%" of group attacks are religiously motivated, and "The festive period is usually taken advantage of."
Palestinian Authority: On December 22, around 3 a.m., arsonists set fire
to a Christmas tree and damaged part of a Nativity scene (crèche) in
the courtyard of the Holy Redeemer Latin Catholic Church in Jenin, West
Bank (Palestinian-controlled area). The synthetic tree was gutted
(branches burned off, ornaments scattered), and the Nativity display was
damaged. Church officials and sources (such as Holy Redeemer Facebook,
Shalom World News) attributed
it to "Palestinian extremists" or "radicalized young Muslims" aiming to
disrupt communal harmony and Christian celebrations just before
Christmas.
On December 24-25, Palestinian Authority police, after reviewing the surveillance footage, arrested three Palestinians.
Indonesia: On December 24-25, Muslims in Sukasirna village, West Java, pressured
Pastor Irianto Budy of the 70-member Indonesian Evangelical Mission
Church Bethlehem to announce cancellation of Christmas services due to
threats of attacks from Islamic groups. Pastor Budy stated
in a video: "I was asked to refrain from holding a Christmas
celebration because there are potential attacks from outside or from
hardline groups." In the end, however, Christians refused to capitulate
and proceeded as planned by attending church on Christmas Eve and Day.
Muslim Attacks on Churches and Cemeteries
Nigeria: On December 3, armed Muslim bandits attacked
a newly established church during worship service. The gunmen
surrounded the sanctuary, forcing worshippers to flee into nearby
bushes. They abducted the pastor, his wife, and several congregants.
Sudan: In early December, two historic churches in Port Sudan were vandalized
in broad daylight by two unknown persons using red graffiti. The Sudan
Evangelical Presbyterian Church had the Islamic Shahada painted on its
wall: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger," plus
the Koran verse "There is no God but He, the Lord of the Honorable
Throne." The nearby Orthodox Church was defaced with "Allah is eternal."
The churches sit opposite a police station. A church member said: "Only God knows what will happen next if such a hate crime is ignored."
Indonesia: On December 6, about 20 members of the Muslim Community Development and Empowerment Agency protested
against the renovation of the St. Vincentius A. Paulo Catholic Parish
Church. Protesters claimed the construction was illegal, but local
officials confirmed its legality:
"The administrative requirements are complete; it's legal... The existence of this church is administratively valid."
The church, with a valid building permit issued in December 2000, has
served nearly 2,000 Christians for over 25 years. The demonstration
occurred about 220 yards from the church and lasted roughly an hour.
Separately, according to a December 12 report,
Muslims stoned an Evangelical Church in Watuliney village, around 1
a.m., shattering windows and detonating firecrackers near a security
post. This sparked a melee where two Muslim assailants with sharp
weapons wounded two young Christian men. Police treated it as a "gang fight," arresting 10 suspects.
Finally, on Sunday, December 14, Muslims from several Islamic groups formed a human line to prevent
Christians from entering their prayer house of worship in Grand
Cikarang Village, West Java. This marked the third such intervention:
the first was on October 30 (local ban on services took effect); the
second was on December 7 (Christians diverted through rice fields but
were shoved by Muslim residents). Videos show police observing as
protesters shouted "Allahu Akbar" and made anti-Christian comments while pushing worshippers. Banners read: "We, the Muslim residents... firmly reject the construction of illegal houses." A Christian said: "We only want to worship peacefully – we have no intention of disturbing anyone." Pastor Taripar Simanjuntak stated the congregation had worshipped there peacefully for seven years.
Netherlands: On December 10, a video
appeared showing a large crowd of Muslims, amid smoke and chants,
besieging St. Martin's Cathedral (Dom Church) in Utrecht. The
accompanying post reads:
"A Muslim mass besieges the St. Martin's Cathedral,
shouting 'Allahu Akbar.'... This is just the trailer. What do you think
will happen when they are in the majority?"
Kurdistan/Iraq: According to a December 16 report,
approximately 40 graves in a Christian cemetery in Shaqlawa (a
Christian-majority town) were smashed open, vandalized, and desecrated,
including the abuse of recently deceased bodies. This occurred less than
two weeks after a similar attack on December 6, in Armota (Koy Sanjaq
district), where another Christian cemetery was desecrated with graves
uncovered and headstones destroyed.
Lebanon: According to a late December report:
"The cemetery of Saint Catherine's Church in Nfayseh, Akkar, in
northern Lebanon on the border with Syria, was desecrated shortly after
Christmas. An investigation has been launched."
Italy: According to a December 5 report,
two Catholic churches were desecrated in Rome within a week. On
November 25, unknown vandals entered St. Nicholas in Ostia, leaving
human excrement in several places, including the altar — "a place reserved for the Eucharistic Sacrifice." The Diocese of Rome described
it as "a very serious and unspeakable sacrilegious act." Days later,
urine and human excrement were found in multiple corners, including the
altar, of a Catholic chapel at Termini Railway Station. Father Domenico
Monteforte, the rector, noted: "For many, the church is a refuge...
Then, unfortunately, there are those who have no respect for the
sanctity of the place." Desecrating churches and Christian objects with
feces and urine is an old Islamic practice.
Generic Muslim Persecution of Christians
Iran: According to a December 17 report,
five Iranian Christian converts were sentenced to a combined total of
more than 50 years in prison, after charges based on forced confessions,
extracted under duress, were upheld in court. Among them is a seriously
ill female convert who broke her spine while imprisoned in Evin Prison.
The article highlights this as part of Iran's crackdown on Christian
converts, with jail terms for Christians exceeding 280 years in recent
years and arrests nearly doubling.
Sudan: Christian physician Yagoub Jibril Glademea was detained
by authorities for three days (December 7–10) at the Civil Registration
office in Ad-Damazin. After being "exposed" as a Christian by his ID
card, a security cell officer became upset and asked
"why he was a Christian." Yagoub was detained for interrogation, then
jailed, denied family visits, and finally released on the evening of
December 10.
United Kingdom: On December 1, a Sri Lankan national, identified only as "YA," successfully appealed
the UK Home Office's rejection of his asylum claim. He had been
arrested in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings — Islamic
State-claimed suicide attacks on Christian churches and hotels that
killed 269 people, including British nationals. The UK is nevertheless
considering granting him asylum.
Pakistan: On December 9, the Islamabad High Court delivered two landmark decisions
in petitions by the Center for Rule of Law Islamabad and Pakistan
United Christian Movement, addressing systemic discrimination and
hazards faced by Christian sanitation workers. The court banned
discriminatory job advertisements specifying "Christians only" for
sanitation and waste collection roles, mandating the neutral term
"civilian" instead. It also ordered comprehensive safety measures for
sewage cleaners — almost all of whom are Christians — including
protective gear, gas detectors, ventilation, first-aid facilities,
government circulars for enforcement, legislative initiatives for
rights/compensation/insurance, and an implementation report within two
months. More than 70 Christian workers have died since 1988 from
poisonous gases. Recently Shan Masih and Asif Masih were killed in the
sewers of Faisalabad.
About this Series
While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of
Christians by extremists is growing. The report posits that such
persecution is not random but rather systematic, and takes place
irrespective of language, ethnicity, or location. It includes incidents
that take place during, or are reported on, any given month.
The
Ramapo police department announced that the 39-year-old postal worker
was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and
attempted assault in the third degree.
An
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish family walks in a street of Williamsburg in the
Brooklyn borough of New York on October 7, 2025. (credit: Charly
Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
The postal worker had reportedly been screaming at nearby children before the victim approached him.
Local politicians took to social media to condemn the assault.
New York Senator Bill Weber wrote on X that he shared constituents' “concern and outrage,” and demanded that the perpetrator be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
I’ve heard from constituents who are deeply alarmed by the assault of a young child in the @TownOfRamapo. I share their concern and outrage. The suspect has been arrested by @Ramapo_PD. He must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!
Iran’s regime and its media enablers insist they’re winning—even as their capabilities are dismantled, their reach exposed, and the clock on their survival runs out.
Delusion, thy name is Iran. Or maybe it’s The Economist magazine, a mouthpiece of the Mullahs.
A day or two back, an inadvertently comical, Baghdad Bob-like Iranian spokesman
took to the airwaves to warn about the “hollowness” of U.S. naval
power. God, you see, has guaranteed Iran’s victory. Meanwhile, The Economist treated its readers to a hysterical (I do not mean “humorous”) anti-Trump cover story
about “Operation Blind Fury.” That once-valuable outlet decried as
“reckless” the U.S.–Israeli effort to liberate Iran from the grip of the
theocratic death cult that has oppressed Iranians since 1979, when the
Ayatollah Khomeini arrived from Paris and began hanging people he didn’t
like from cranes.
Just Friday, The Wall Street Journalreported
that “Iran Believes It’s Winning—and Wants a Steep Price to End the
War.” “Litotes” is a fancy word for rhetorical understatement. The Journal gave
its readers a beaut: “This attitude may prove to be a dangerous
misreading of President Trump’s determination, or of Israel’s capacity
to inflict strategic blows on the Islamic Republic’s surviving
leadership and military capabilities.” Indeed. Those commentators who
have compared the bluster from Iran and our complicit media to the Monty Python skit
about the Black Knight are closer to reality. King Arthur slices off
both the knight’s arms; then he slices off both his legs. The knight
continues to insist that he is winning the fight. “’Tis but a flesh
wound,” he cries.
The New York Times wonders, “Who Is winning the War in Iran?” A couple of days ago, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth offered a clue: “We’ve decided to share the ocean with Iran,” he said. “We’ve given them the bottom half.”
True, Iran continues to lob missiles and drone swarms at Israel and
at its Arab neighbors. Most are neutralized. A few get through. Last
week, an attack inflicted serious damage on an important energy
installation in Qatar. Perhaps the most surprising development was Iran’s launching two ballistic missiles
at the U.S.–U.K. airbase in Diego Garcia. Apparently, one failed in
mid-flight, the other was intercepted. Diego Garcia is nearly 4,000
kilometers from Tehran. A few weeks ago, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign
minister, said
that his country had deliberately limited the range of its missiles to
2,000 kilometers. Oops. Turns out that was a fib. If Iran has missiles
that can travel 4,000 kilometers, that means they have missiles that can
target cities in Western Europe. As one commentator observed, “A 4,000-kilometer capability changes the map.”
Major European capitals begin to enter the
conversation. Paris comes into range. London moves much closer to the
edge of vulnerability depending on launch point and payload. This would
mean the missile threat is no longer confined to the Gulf, Israel, or
parts of South Asia. It would mean the radius of deterrence, defense,
and fear has expanded dramatically. . . . Diego Garcia was not just a
target. It was a message.
That is worth bearing in mind when confronting people like Joe Kent,
the now-former counterterrorism official who maintains that Iran is not
an imminent threat to the West. The long-range missiles are one threat.
So are the 460 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent. With a few
more turns through the centrifuge, that is enough, Iran’s own negotiators acknowledged (or perhaps bragged), for 11 nuclear bombs.
Iran is an atavism with nuclear ambitions. The United States has a
serious national security interest in frustrating its efforts to acquire
nuclear weapons. Those countries that depend on Iran’s oil—not the
United States, by the way—have a serious national interest in making
sure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open for the passage of that
black gold. The Iranian people have a serious existential interest in
ridding their country of the oppressive theocratic regime of the
mullahs.
On Friday, Donald Trump said
that “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we
consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with
respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran.” Some people think that Trump
was signaling his impatience with the war. I think that what he went on
to say puts paid to that idea. Our military efforts, Trump said,
include:
(1) Completely degrading Iranian Missile
Capability, Launchers, and everything else pertaining to them. (2)
Destroying Iran’s Defense Industrial Base. (3) Eliminating their Navy
and Air Force, including Anti-Aircraft Weaponry. (4) Never allowing Iran
to get even close to Nuclear Capability, and always being in a position
where the U.S.A. can quickly and powerfully react to such a situation,
should it take place. (5) Protecting, at the highest level, our Middle
Eastern Allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and others. The Hormuz Strait will have to be
guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it—the
United States does not! If asked, we will help these Countries in their
Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is
eradicated. Importantly, it will be an easy Military Operation for them.
The United States and Israel began their operation against the
Iranian regime just three weeks ago. Iran’s military movements now
resemble the movements of a frog’s legs during dissection. The legs may
twitch, but the frog isn’t going anywhere. Meanwhile, the U.S. and
Israel continue to search for and destroy
weapons storage and manufacturing facilities and anything having to do
with Iran’s nuclear program. Early yesterday, we again struck a uranium
enrichment facility at Natanz. On March 13, a 2,500-man Marine
Expeditionary Force left Okinawa for the Persian Gulf. It is due to
arrive any day. Its object? The consensus is Kharg Island at the north
end of the Persian Gulf. Some 90 percent of Iran’s oil passes through
Kharg Island. Secure that, and the regime starves.
The anti-Trump press is skirling about soaring gas prices and
shudders in the stock market. Those shocks are painful but temporary. A
nuclear-armed Iran would be a disaster and permanent. Mark Penn got it
exactly right in a post on X called “War Resolve.” “In the past,” Penn noted, “casualties were the important and real limiting factor in any war.”
Today, people are worked up over a
transitory increase in the price of gasoline and the most evil regime on
earth is banking its survival on the West being more concerned about
money than lives.
Consequently they even execute teenagers
without fair trials to create fear among the population to prevent an
uprising. And the global anger is over gas prices not the executions.
It will take resolve to see it through.
The Iranians appear to have enough command and control left to launch
desperate attacks on the region and suppress people at home. The aims of
the operation have not been met until that chain is broken and the
regime can no longer inflict terror on the world. And that may well take
another month or so to accomplish and so the world will have to decide
if it can withstand a temporary bump in gas prices to rid us of one of
its most evil actors whose despicable actions are even more evident each
passing day. Hopefully we can find that resolve because the good of
ridding the world of this regime, ending its terror network and ending
its threats against the West far outweigh a spike at the pump that will
quickly be forgotten once this is finished.
My only quibble is with Penn’s timetable. He said it “may well take
another month or so.” I give the regime another ten days or two weeks,
tops.
Whether in a war to save civilization from fanatics, in beating back election cheating, in deportations of illegals, or in exposing and punishing deep state interference, it’s not a good idea to bet against Trump winning.
Despite the fact that funding for ICE (Immigration and Customs
Enforcement) was already set for three years, Senate Democrats insisted
on shutting down funding for DHS (Department of Homeland Security), CBP
(Customs and Border Protection), and TSA (Transportation Safety
Administration) in an effort to geld ICE. This partial shutdown has
lasted over 30 days, with delays at airports reaching as long as three
hours. TSA workers, unpaid for weeks, were quitting. The Democrats
wanted to force the Administration to change the policies and practices
of ICE.
The partial shutdown also negatively affected the Coast Guard, the
Secret Service, and FEMA operations, also under DHS, raising real
national security issues. Elon Musk offered to pay the TSA agents out of
his own pocket. The Democrats threatened to sue him to prevent that.
On Saturday, the President ordered ICE to assist with security
operations at airports, effectively removing any leverage the Senate
Democrats hoped to capitalize on in the hope that angry travelers would
force the administration to buckle.
"If the Radical Left Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement to
let our Country, in particular, our Airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I
will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where
they will do Security like no one has ever seen before..."
Iran
On Friday night, the IDF and the U.S. effected one of the longest,
strongest waves of attacks on Tehran. As quickly as eliminated regime
leaders are replaced, their replacements are also eliminated. Ballistic
missiles buried deep underground have been hit with bunker buster bombs,
destroying not only the bombs but also pinning beyond rescue the
personnel (probably in the hundreds) located there. Drones are targeting
those Basij forces on the ground, aided by Iranian civilians sending in
location information.
Critics foolishly tried to suggest that the temporary closure of the
Strait of Hormuz proved the Administration had not thought through all
the consequences of attacking Iran. We have eliminated all the military
stationed on the chokepoint and Kharg Island, and bombed the missile
sites aimed at the Strait. Then, because it is other countries that
depend on oil shipped through the Strait, Trump told them it was up to
them to secure passage. As of this weekend, 22 countries have pledged to
do this. In the meantime, Trump has issued a threat:
"If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz,
within 48 HOURS, the United States of America will hit and obliterate
their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!"
To lessen the shock on oil prices, Secretary of the Treasury Scott
Bessent announced that we are temporarily removing the sanctions on
Russian oil which is parked on the seas (130 million barrels of which
are in floating storage outside the Strait along with another 140
million barrels of Venezuelan oil destined for China which we had seized
and will now make available on the world market). In sum, we released a
lot of oil to keep prices down as the campaign finishes up. Finally,
the president, invoking the Defense Production Act, restarted oil
platforms off California, which sit in federal waters outside the reach
of California. The first sale of this oil is expected in April.Anne Applebaum’s claim,
“Donald Trump does not think strategically,” is the kind of
ill-informed comment we are used to from Administration detractors.
Every aspect of this war demonstrates technological world supremacy and
careful and meticulous planning.
The final proof of the necessity of the war (and the fecklessness of
the prior administration and Europe) was provided this week by Iran
itself. Except for the administration, every pundit and politician I am
aware of claimed that the range of Iran’s ballistic missiles did not
exceed 2000 km. Iran shot two of them at Diego Garcia, a tiny island
housing UK and US bases 4000 km away. We do not know if this is the
maximum reach of these missiles, but even at that range, many of
Europe’s capitals are within the demonstrated range (London, Berlin,
Paris, Munich, Rome, Oslo).
Now picture these missiles with nuclear warheads. Or the reaction if there’s even the belief that the missiles might be so armed.
The unexpected appearance of Iranian IRBMs baffled analysts. “The
threat posed by Tehran to Europe proved to be much more real last night
than analysts previously thought,” ITA Milradar reported. And maybe Trump was onto something.
“This technological and tactical development provides further context
to Washington’s concerns,” ITA said, “highlighting one of the key reasons that pushed the American administration to launch the current campaign of strikes against Tehran’s military infrastructure.”
Wait! You mean… they might’ve had a key reason apart from Trump having a bad day or being somebody’s puppet?
Huh. Here’s the question: if Iran successfully concealed its lies about its “voluntary cap” on long-range missiles -- what else has
it lied about? What about its “voluntary restraint” from developing
nuclear weapons? Let’s consider the possibilities. One of these must be true:
The peace-loving Ayatollah had no intention of building nukes, just as he said (even if he did lie about the missile thing);
The lizard-lipped Ayatollah did want nuclear weapons, and did lie about it, but the Iranians are too dumb to actually build one or keep it secret; or
The sinister Ayatollah did want nukes, did lie about it, and was
doing everything he could to get some on his long-range missiles.
Go ahead. Pick one. Or, if I somehow missed a valid option (I doubt it), let me know in the comments.
The long-range missiles Iran launched at Diego Garcia were reportedly in the Khorramshahr family (you wouldn’t want that family as neighbors). Open‑source analysts describe the Khorramshahr’s wide, conical nose -- about 1.5 meters in diameter -- and its heavy payload as perfect for holding a nuclear device.
To my knowledge, Europe has no defenses adequate to deal with this
Iranian threat. It has so denuded its armed forces, shipped so much in
the way of armaments to Ukraine, and so diminished its energy stocks
that it doesn’t seem able to defend against a conventional attack by
land or sea, let alone intermediate-range ballistic missiles like the
two Iran just aimed at Diego Garcia.
The message is clear: Trump was right to attack Iran to prevent a
worldwide catastrophe triggered by fanatics. The U.S. is Europe’s only
real defender. It’s time to cut the nonsense and take seriously the
threats to their existence.
As for how the feckless Obama Administration handed billions to Iran,
allowing the mullahs to develop these missiles and speed up their
nuclear arsenal, the evidence is shocking.
The JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action which removed sanctions
on Iran] dismantled restrictions on Iran producing and selling
missiles, even though the deal was sold by Team Obama as only about
nuclear. When asked by Senators why they dismantled those restrictions,
Kerry said it's because Iranian diplomats made a good argument.
They did have an agreement on nuclear development, research, and production, all of which Iran violated without consequence.
Under the JCPOA, Obama sent $1.7 billion from a settlement to Iran
and unfroze Iranian assets held abroad, probably in excess of another
$50 billion. In return, from the middle of 2019, Iran violated the terms
of the agreement, exceeding the agreed-upon 300 kg stockpile of
enriched uranium; exceeding the enrichment of uranium to close to
weapons grade; and expanding the number and type of centrifuges,
resuming prohibited research and development, and reducing the IAEA’s
access and monitoring of its nuclear facilities. Such a deal! Such
negotiators!
The Iranian missile attacks have had some success yesterday, which is concerning.
Saturday, Iran struck Israel near Dimona, Israel’s nuclear site, and
in Arad, where Israel reports 100 casualties. There is a concerning but
unconfirmed report that U.S. defenses failed this time:
A preliminary investigation found that the American THAAD air defense
system was supposed to intercept the missiles that hit Arad and Dimona
but missed both, according to Maariv.
A similar failure occurred in a recent Beit Shemesh incident. The missiles were identical in all three cases.
I think we can expect a massive response. In fact, hours later, massive strikes were seen throughout Tehran.
Saving Honest Elections
The Senate is still stalled on the SAVE America Act (Safeguard
American Voter Eligibility Act), which would require proof of
citizenship to vote in federal elections. Polls show this has majority
support in all demographics.
At one point, Senator Chuck Schumer said they’d pass it if the act
merely required photo IDs to vote, but when Republican Senator Jon
Husted put forth such a stripped-down version, the Democrats turned it
down.
I anticipate we will soon be offered even more evidence of
large-scale election fraud through the manipulation of electronic and
mail-in voting. Whether or not this results in a change by law in time
for the midterm elections, I’ve no idea. Trump tried to accomplish
much the same thing in Executive Order 14248 , but it met with immediate
legal challenges.
The “Grand Conspiracy”
The attempted coup by former FBI Director James Comey, former CIA Director John Brennan, and others, called “the grand conspiracy,” is the subject of a grand jury in Miami under U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.
At issue is what could be the greatest political hit job in history.
Of course, the growing evidence of this conspiracy continues to be
buried by one of its key components: the media. Nevertheless, the “truth
will out,” and it appears to be coming out in Florida. [snip] It is
time for the public to learn whether top Obama officials and the media
pulled off the greatest political hoax in history. [snip]
With Democrats promising to
resume impeachments and investigations if they retake power in the
midterms, it would be useful for the public to have a full understanding
of what actually occurred last time.
The number of people subpoenaed, besides those two, includes former
FBI officials Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Andrew McCabe. I fully expect
a number of indictments in the near future.
Whether in a war to save civilization from fanatics, in beating back
election cheating, in deportations of illegals, or in exposing and
punishing deep state interference, I don’t think it’s a good idea to bet
against Trump winning.
Under the Constitution, federal judges can be removed from office only through impeachment by a House majority vote, then conviction by a two-thirds Senate vote for “Treason, Bribery or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
A federal judge in Massachusetts is drawing renewed criticism from
the Trump administration and conservative commentators following a
decision to block changes to federal vaccine policy, adding to scrutiny
of his broader record on high-profile cases.
Vaccine Policy Ruling
U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy last issued a preliminary
injunction halting implementation of revisions to the childhood
immunization schedule announced in January 2026 by the Department of
Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The
changes would have reduced the number of routinely recommended childhood
vaccines.
Murphy also paused new appointments to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
(ACIP), a key body that shapes federal vaccine recommendations.
Murphy explained in his 45-page ruling that the reconstitution of
ACIP likely violates federal law, including the Federal Advisory
Committee Act’s requirements for balanced membership and relevant
expertise, as well as procedural requirements under the Administrative
Procedure Act. He also stayed all prior votes taken by the reconstituted
panel and postponed an upcoming ACIP meeting.
Public health groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics,
argued that the Trump administration’s changes bypassed established
scientific processes and could undermine public confidence in vaccines.
Murphy’s decision sided with those groups and echoed their concerns.
Because Murphy’s order is a preliminary injunction, it does not
resolve the case on the merits. The administration has vowed to appeal,
with an HHS spokesperson expressing confidence in eventual success.
Murphy’s Broader Judicial Record
Appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of
Massachusetts in 2024 by President Joe Biden, Murphy has presided over
several high-profile challenges to Trump administration policies across
immigration, health, research funding and energy sectors.
Several of his high-profile rulings have been reversed on appeal, including by the Supreme Court.
A notable example involves the administration’s “third-country”
deportation policy, which permits expedited removal of certain migrants
to nations other than their origin countries without ties or full due
process protections. Murphy has repeatedly enjoined aspects of the
policy.
The high court intervened twice in the litigation: first with a 6-3
emergency stay allowing deportations to proceed in specific cases, and
later with a rare 7-2 order, with Justice Elena Kagan joining
conservatives in admonishing Murphy for flouting the high court’s
earlier decision.
On Monday, the same day as the vaccine ruling, the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the First Circuit paused Murphy’s latest block on
third-country deportations, allowing the policy to continue during
appeals.
Administration Response
The Justice Department and allies quickly condemned Murphy’s vaccine decision.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche posted on X shortly after the
ruling: “How many times can Judge Murphy get reversed in one year? The
same day he is stayed for repeatedly refusing to follow the law, he
issues another activist decision.
"We will keep appealing these lawless decisions, and we will keep
winning. The question is, how much embarrassment can this Judge take?”
An HHS spokesperson said the department expects to appeal the vaccine
ruling and expressed confidence that it will ultimately prevail.
Groups aligned with Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement
characterized the decision as judicial overreach and argued that the
changes advocated by the committee should not be controversial.
Other Judges Facing Backlash
Murphy is not alone among federal judges drawing backlash from conservatives for rulings against Trump policies.
Judge James Boasberg, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia, has drawn intense scrutiny for several rulings,
including an order blocking the Trump administration’s efforts to deport
Venezuelan men accused of gang ties under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
District Judge Tanya Chutkan, also of the District of Columbia, has
faced criticism for her handling of cases related to the January 6
attack on the U.S. Capitol, including her rejection of broad executive
immunity arguments advanced by former President Donald Trump.
Judge Amit Mehta, another Obama appointee in the same court, has been
faulted by conservatives for allowing civil lawsuits against Trump and
extremist groups to proceed under expansive theories of conspiracy and
incitement.
Can activist judges face discipline?
Under the U.S. Constitution, federal judges hold their offices
“during good Behaviour” and can be removed from office only through
impeachment by a majority vote of the House of Representatives followed
by conviction by a two-thirds vote in the Senate for “Treason, Bribery,
or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
Historically, however, impeachment has been reserved for serious
ethical violations, criminal misconduct, or clear abuses of power. Only
15 federal judges have ever been impeached, and just eight have been
convicted and removed – the most recent in 2010.
Some critics argue that so-called activist judges should face
impeachment for politically motivated rulings. For example, Rep. Brandon
Gill (R-Tex.) has introduced articles of impeachment against Boasberg,
alleging that he used “his judicial position to advance political gain”
and interfered with “the President’s constitutional prerogatives.”
Most legal observers, however, view impeachment in such circumstances as unlikely.
The Judicial Conduct and Disability Act of 1980 (28 U.S.C. §§
351–364) establishes a separate process for addressing allegations of
judicial misconduct or disability that fall short of impeachable
offenses.
Under the Act, any person may file a complaint with the clerk of the
appropriate federal court of appeals alleging conduct “prejudicial to
the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the
courts.” The chief judge conducts an initial review and may dismiss the
complaint if it is frivolous, challenges the merits of a ruling, or is
based on allegations lacking sufficient evidence that misconduct has
occurred.
If the complaint proceeds, it may be investigated by a special
committee, reviewed by the circuit’s judicial council, and, in rare
cases, referred to the Judicial Conference of the United States.
Available sanctions, however, are limited. They include private
censure or public reprimands, temporary reassignment of cases, or
requests for voluntary retirement – but not removal from office.
The Justice Department filed a misconduct complaint against Boasberg
last July, alleging that he made improper public comments about
President Trump and his administration. That complaint was dismissed on
the ground that it lacked sufficient supporting evidence and failed to
allege sanctionable misconduct.
Those seeking to impose penalties on federal judges – particularly
based on disagreement with their rulings – face a steep uphill battle.
The Constitution sets an intentionally high bar for removal, reserving
impeachment for the most serious misconduct, while the statutory
complaint process expressly excludes challenges to the merits of
judicial decisions and offers only limited sanctions.
Meaningful discipline is therefore both rare and difficult to achieve in practice.
