To follow Israel is to follow the United States and everything Donald Trump purports to do.

On Sunday, the Israeli Cabinet agreed—in unanimous fashion no less— to sanction Haaretz, the country’s oldest newspaper, for its critical coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

The specifics from Axios:

Israel’s Cabinet approved a proposal by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi that calls for all government staffers and staffers of state-owned companies to end communications with Haaretz and stop advertising and subscription purchases with the paper.

• The proposal came in response to critical coverage of the war by Haaretz and an October speech by its publisher, Amos Schocken, who suggested sanctioning the Israeli government for violating international law.
• In a statement following the vote, Karhi said, “We will not allow a reality in which the publisher of an official newspaper in the state of Israel will call for the imposition of sanctions against it and will support the enemies of the state in the midst of a war.”

Clearly, this move is anathema to free press advocates, who argue that it is part of a totalitarian, universal charge by the Israeli government to silence anything and anyone critical of its war in Gaza, which of course has been drifting to other places as well.

Here are two thoughts from free press advocates:

• “We deplore the Israeli government’s attempt to silence a respected Israeli outlet like Haaretz by hurting their advertising and subscription revenue,” said Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
• “Israel’s increasing deployment of restrictions on critical media is further disturbing evidence of its efforts to prevent coverage of its actions in Gaza.”

And one from Haaretz itself:

Similarly, in May, “police officers raided Al Jazeera’s Jerusalem bureau and pulled the network off the air in Israel after the Israeli parliament passed a measure forcing the closure of the Qatari-owned news outlet’s local office.” The law “empowers Israel’s communications minister to take action against any foreign media network that it can prove poses a national security risk.”

National security is important, obviously. And I personally, as a believer that Christ as King must dictate all of a nation’s activity, including its government-media apparatus, do not 100% subscribe to a wide open free press that can just as easily spread other atrocities of cultural Marxism in the name of “free speech.” But there are historical and Biblical contexts where such a move against Haaretz can stir up other concerns—concerns of eternal consequence—and certainly any time the name “Israel” is in the middle of it, for any American following this unfolding drama, it is worth at least taking pause.

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May everyone named directly or referenced indirectly ask forgiveness and do penance for their sins against America and God. I fight this information war in the spirit of justice and love for the innocent, but I have been reminded of the need for mercy and prayers for our enemies. I am a sinner in need of redemption as well after all, for my sins are many. In the words of Jesus Christ himself, Lord forgive us all, for we know not what we do.

Jeff LeJeune is the author of several books, writer for RVIVR and The Hayride, editor, master of English and avid historian, teacher and tutor, podcaster, and creator of LeJeune Said. Visit his website at jefflejeune.com, where you can find a conglomerate of content.