Stakelbeck Tonight

Erick Stakelbeck: The Impact of Saudi Arabia | Stakelbeck Tonight

May 7, 2026 | 23:29

From wars and rumors of war abroad, to the rise of anti-Christian, "woke" ideology here at home, it's clear that Americans are living in perilous and unprecedented times. Some would even say that we're witnessing biblical prophecy unfold in real time. Stakelbeck Tonight will make sense of these stunning developments through a bold and biblical lens.

#News #Government #Leaders #Leadership #Politics #Law #Muslim #Islam #Culture #Evil #Israel #War #Terrorism #Nations #Religion #Persecution #Peace #Relationships #PersonalStory #Testimony #Children #Loss #Pain #Suffering #Death #Bondage #ErickStakelbeck #PesachWolicki

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Stakelbeck Tonight | Erick Stakelbeck: The Impact of Saudi Arabia | Stakelbeck Tonight | May 7, 2026

Welcome to stakelbeck tonight.
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I'm erick stakelbeck.
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And the islamist advance in america
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May have just suffered a major setback.
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We've been telling you about the situation in texas,
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Where we recently saw 48 new mosques built
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In the span of just 24 months.
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Folks, this is no coincidence.
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As texas goes, so goes the nation.
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That's exactly why radical islamists
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Have established a foothold in the lone star state
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And announced plans to build
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Sprawling, muslim only communities here.
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Texas governor greg abbott has even warned
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About islamic sharia courts operating in the dallas area.
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So the islamists are clearly growing more bold,
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But it looks like they're overplaying their hand.
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After a muslim only event was advertised
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At a water park in grand prairie, texas, near dallas.
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Governor abbott stepped in. earlier this week.
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He sent a letter to the mayor of grand
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Prairie, threatening to cut funding to the city
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If it did not cancel the event, which abbott rightly said
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Was a clear case of religious discrimination.
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No non-muslims allowed at a city
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Owned, taxpayer funded water park in texas.
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Folks, they say, don't mess with texas for a reason.
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The city has now caved and canceled this muslim only event.
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Now, governor abbott scored another victory against islamist
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On wednesday,
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When a federal court ruled that the texas chapters
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Of the notorious council on american-islamic relations
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Or care must turn over their donor and donee lists,
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As well as details of the foreign travels
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Of its executive director, nihar, to what
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The background here is that late last year,
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Abbott declared care along with the muslim brotherhood
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Terrorist organizations.
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Care, of course, did not like this.
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They sued to block the terror organization label and now
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A federal judge has ruled
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That care has to lay all its cards on the table.
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Let's see how this radical islamist group is really funded.
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Probably not good for care, but very good for america.
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And texas, by the way, seems to be waking up.
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In march, a statewide proposal to ban sharia law passed,
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With 95% of voters saying no to islamic law in texas.
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As texas goes, so goes the nation, god willing.
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Coming up, we head from texas to the belly of the beast,
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The middle east,
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For an update on iran, lebanon, and why it matters to you.
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And it all starts now.
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What happens in the
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Middle east does not stay in the middle east.
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Here to break down the world's
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Most volatile and strategic region.
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And why it matters to you is our good friend, rabbi pesach
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Wilkey, executive director of israel 365.
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Action pesach. always great to see you, my friend.
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Hey, some big news here.
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President trump is saying a deal
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With iran's regime may be close.
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In the meantime, the saudis are apparently
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Or were apparently none too happy about the u.s.
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Perhaps guiding ships through the strait of hormuz.
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The saudis apparently said the u.s.
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Could use saudi airspace.
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What's happening here? pesach.
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So i think with the saudis, we have to take into account
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That they may not actually want the iranian regime to fall.
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We know that their enemies.
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There was a
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There were many years that the saudis and the iranians
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Didn't even have diplomatic relations.
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They almost went to war about ten years ago.
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But i believe and i've been saying and writing
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Since before this war started,
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That i don't believe the saudis want the regime to fall.
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I think they want it to be battered and bruised,
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But not for it to fall. let me explain.
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Saudi arabia is very strategically important.
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It's important to everybody.
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That's why
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Under the biden administration,
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When saudi u.s. relations were suffering,
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They moved into the chinese camp.
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They got closer to the ccp. and then trump gets into office.
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They move back closer to the united states.
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Everyone's always courting the saudis.
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They're very important
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Because of opec and because of their land mass.
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If you look at the middle east,
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There are only two large countri
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If iran's regime falls,
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If iran becomes a pro-western democratic state, a place where
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Christianity flourishes freely,
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A country of 80 million people,
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Many of them well-educated, unlike the saudi population.
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Yeah, saudi arabia
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Suddenly is a whole lot less strategically important.
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I think another piece of it is that
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When iran started firing over the last week
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Or so at the emirates.
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Yeah, and even attacking the saudis
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When iran starts starts up again,
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The united states kind of pooh poohed it
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And said, oh, this isn't a big deal.
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You know, absorb these, absorb this a.
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Bit surprisingly. by the way, it was a bit surprising. yeah.
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Because trump wants a deal.
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Yeah. trump believes.
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And here's where.
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As much as i love what president trump has done,
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And i can't be one to complain
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Because he's he's been the greatest president
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For israel and for the middle east.
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And the approach he's taking.
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However,
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He still believes that he can make a deal with the iranians.
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He believes that there's someone to deal with.
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He talks about that,
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That the regime has already changed
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When everyone knows that it hasn't.
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And he thinks that if they sign something, somehow
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They'll keep their word. yeah.
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And he wants
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He always talks
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About how he likes what happened in venezuela,
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Where they remove the top people and,
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And then work with the next tier in the regime,
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In the regime below them.
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And he thinks he can do the same thing in iran,
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But it's a different world there. he can't.
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But again, bottom line for me is that the saudis,
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You know, the saudis make a lot of diplomatic mistakes.
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This is a bigger conversation, eric.
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But i think in this particular situation,
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As, as as shocking as it may be to a lot of this audience who
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We think of the saudis as on our side in this conflict.
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Yeah, they're on our side to a point.
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They actually don't want the regime to fall.
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They've got their own interests here.
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Interesting.
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And also, by the way, it bolsters israel
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Standing in the region.
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If the regime falls, israel really becomes
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The overarching superpower in the region.
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Speaking of which, speaking of israel,
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Pesach, lebanon,
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You could say this ceasefire with with hezbollah
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Is pretty much out the window at this point.
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I mean, hezbollah on a daily
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Basis is launching drones of israeli soldiers.
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What's the latest on lebanon? of course,
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The lebanese government saying all the right things.
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They want hezbollah out as well,
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But they don't seem to have
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The will to make it happen to actually use lebanese troops
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To push hezbollah out.
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Well, they're saying a lot of the right things.
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I think the lebanese government
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Is, is also speaking out of both sides of his mouth.
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Lebanon is a failed state.
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It's been a failed state for many, many decades.
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There really isn't.
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We talk about a lebanese government,
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But that's kind of a fiction.
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The lebanese government has been impotent
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For decades and decades.
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So we have a prime minister now of salam, who's from the sunni
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Faction in lebanon, making a statement just today
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That we want to come to peace with israel and get the israelis
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To withdraw. but we don't want normalization.
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So i'm not optimistic about where this is headed.
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I believe that what israel needs to do and will do
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Is simply hold their ground
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In southern lebanon, in this buffer zone,
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And hope for a brighter day ahead.
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But the way the lebanese government is structured,
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Where you have this power
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Sharing agreement between the sunnis
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And the shiites and the christians,
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And there's only 30% christians
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Who do want peace with israel, overwhelmingly,
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But they're only 30% of the population.
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So you have this situation where it's kind of a deadlock.
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So i'm hoping for brighter days ahead.
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But i don't believe there's any solution to lebanon.
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Short of israel going in and doing the work themselves
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To take out hezbollah.
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The same with gaza, by the way, with hamas, and pretty much
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Same with the iranian regime, by the way,
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And laying down the gantlet there at the end of the day,
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Hamas, hezbollah, their masters in tehran,
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Won't disarm unless they are forcefully disarmed
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And decisively crushed.
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And that's the problem we come back to again and again
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Based on the great job laying out my friend.
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Hey, the youtube channel growing by leaps and bounds.
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You see the information there, folks on your screen.
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The israel 365 action.
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Great job pesach. we'll see you again soon.
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And coming up after the break, i mentioned gaza.
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Rachel goldberg, poland lost her son.
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He was also an american citizen in gaza at the hands of hamas.
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And folks,
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She has a powerful, powerful story about how her faith
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Pulled her through. that's next.
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Stick around.
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Stick around.
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Welcome back to stakelbeck tonight.
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When her son was kidnaped
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By hamas terrorist on october 7th, 2023, rachel goldberg
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Poland began an excruciating journey, determined
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To bring back not only her son but other hostages as well.
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Now, in a brand new bestselling book, when we see you again,
00:09:18.581 --> 00:09:22.618
She describes the 328 days that would impact her
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For a lifetime and the faith that would get her through it.
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Rachel, it is so good to have you with us.
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When we see you again is now a number
00:09:35.031 --> 00:09:37.299
One new york times bestseller.
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The message is getting out.
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You've described it, rachel,
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As a love letter to your son hirsch, doused in pain.
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Tell us a bit
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About the conflicting emotions writing this book
00:09:47.243 --> 00:09:49.545
And really laying everything bare for the public.
00:09:49.545 --> 00:09:51.781
Now in print?
00:09:51.781 --> 00:09:53.949
Yes. well, eric, you're right, i have said both that
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I think that this is a love letter doused in pain,
00:09:57.887 --> 00:10:00.890
Or perhaps a pain letter that is swaddled in love.
00:10:00.890 --> 00:10:06.328
As millions
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Of people around the world know,
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It is actually tragically common to bury a child.
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I am not unique.
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But what really
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Was the origin of me starting to write was simply
00:10:19.175 --> 00:10:21.944
That my soul was buckling from the weight of the pain
00:10:21.944 --> 00:10:26.248
That i was experiencing, and i couldn't shoulder it anymore.
00:10:26.248 --> 00:10:29.885
I almost felt like i was choking.
00:10:29.885 --> 00:10:31.987
I felt like i was drowning, like up to my neck
00:10:31.987 --> 00:10:35.391
In this agony and angst and misery.
00:10:35.391 --> 00:10:39.028
And john, my husband said, you need to,
00:10:39.028 --> 00:10:42.198
You know, tick this out.
00:10:42.732 --> 00:10:44.133
You need to get this out.
00:10:44.133 --> 00:10:46.035
And in a way,
00:10:46.035 --> 00:10:47.236
I almost think that this was like a heimlich for my soul,
00:10:47.236 --> 00:10:52.308
To get these words out on the page.
00:10:53.042 --> 00:10:56.112
The response has been very validating
00:10:56.112 --> 00:10:58.814
That there are so many millions of people around the world
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From all different backgrounds and all different textures
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And all different worldviews and philosophies for whom this has
00:11:05.354 --> 00:11:09.992
Felt familiar and and
00:11:10.493 --> 00:11:13.362
And struck an identifying, unifying chord.
00:11:13.362 --> 00:11:17.133
Yeah.
00:11:17.366 --> 00:11:18.167
Rachel, your message and the book
00:11:18.167 --> 00:11:19.235
Are resonating in america and really worldwide.
00:11:19.235 --> 00:11:21.637
And one reason is
00:11:21.637 --> 00:11:23.038
That hers was such a special, special young guy.
00:11:23.038 --> 00:11:26.175
And you talk about him in the book.
00:11:26.175 --> 00:11:27.710
Tell us more about him and what set him apart.
00:11:27.710 --> 00:11:32.481
Well, you know, it's a
00:11:32.948 --> 00:11:35.184
It's a question that i think that people ask.
00:11:35.184 --> 00:11:41.891
To give to those of us who have, who've lost people
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That we miss terribly and grieve for and mourn for.
00:11:46.462 --> 00:11:49.832
First was really a normal.
00:11:49.832 --> 00:11:53.402
Sweet, regular person.
00:11:53.869 --> 00:11:57.239
I think that there's always a temptation to lionize
00:11:57.239 --> 00:12:01.410
And mythologize and heroic.
00:12:01.410 --> 00:12:04.446
People who die, especially
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Young people who are killed in,
00:12:06.448 --> 00:12:09.585
You know, young in tragic ways.
00:12:09.585 --> 00:12:13.689
But i think that what was for me
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Special about hirsch was his imperfection.
00:12:17.960 --> 00:12:21.297
But i say often that.
00:12:21.297 --> 00:12:25.067
Within that, he was the perfect son for me,
00:12:25.067 --> 00:12:28.470
That god said,
00:12:28.804 --> 00:12:29.872
Rachel is going to have one son and one son only.
00:12:29.872 --> 00:12:33.008
And so here he is, the perfect son for her.
00:12:33.008 --> 00:12:35.945
He was easy.
00:12:35.945 --> 00:12:37.313
He was extremely respectful.
00:12:37.313 --> 00:12:40.282
That was something he held very dear,
00:12:40.282 --> 00:12:43.686
To his identity.
00:12:44.086 --> 00:12:45.888
And he was flawed.
00:12:45.888 --> 00:12:47.723
He was a normal person.
00:12:47.723 --> 00:12:49.525
He had a dry,
00:12:49.525 --> 00:12:50.659
Sarcastic sense of humor that did not go over to mean
00:12:50.659 --> 00:12:53.629
Usually sarcastic.
00:12:53.629 --> 00:12:55.197
You know, sarcasm kind of has, like, a little mean tinge.
00:12:55.197 --> 00:12:58.701
And he was not like that.
00:12:58.701 --> 00:13:01.337
And i feel extremely blessed
00:13:01.937 --> 00:13:04.640
That i will always be the mother of hirsch goldberg polen.
00:13:04.640 --> 00:13:08.711
In terms of hirsch, his impact hostages
00:13:08.711 --> 00:13:12.281
Who were held alongside him said he was a light
00:13:12.281 --> 00:13:15.184
In the darkness, quite literally.
00:13:15.184 --> 00:13:16.819
You also heard that after the fact,
00:13:16.819 --> 00:13:18.954
The hostage said that hirsch had heard your voice
00:13:18.954 --> 00:13:21.991
Over the radio in gaza.
00:13:21.991 --> 00:13:23.592
Rachel, when you hear things like this,
00:13:23.592 --> 00:13:25.828
How does that make you feel?
00:13:25.828 --> 00:13:26.962
I mean, you have to just say, wow again.
00:13:26.962 --> 00:13:29.398
He was a light in the darkness, even in the most despairing
00:13:29.398 --> 00:13:32.735
Of situations.
00:13:32.735 --> 00:13:35.938
It was truly for me.
00:13:35.938 --> 00:13:38.841
It gave life back to me. i had been living.
00:13:38.841 --> 00:13:41.810
I had been living in darkness for almost 500 days
00:13:41.810 --> 00:13:46.215
After hirsch had been stolen.
00:13:46.215 --> 00:13:48.017
And as you said,
00:13:48.017 --> 00:13:49.285
We were notified on day 330 that he had been executed
00:13:49.285 --> 00:13:53.222
48 hours before, with five other beautiful young people.
00:13:53.222 --> 00:13:58.861
And we were still in the
00:13:59.395 --> 00:14:01.530
Darkness for an additional, you know, almost 150 days.
00:14:01.530 --> 00:14:05.567
And then we started to meet hostages who were released,
00:14:05.567 --> 00:14:09.705
Who had been held captive with hirsch.
00:14:09.705 --> 00:14:12.875
And they did share exactly what you're talking about, eric.
00:14:12.875 --> 00:14:16.011
That number one, he was continuing
00:14:16.011 --> 00:14:18.280
To say a mantra that he had learned
00:14:18.280 --> 00:14:20.316
From the classic book man's search for meaning
00:14:20.316 --> 00:14:24.086
By viktor frankl, who was a holocaust survivor.
00:14:24.086 --> 00:14:28.290
And he said the line that was sort of a riff on what
00:14:28.290 --> 00:14:31.927
Frederick nietzsche originally said he who has a
00:14:31.927 --> 00:14:35.297
Y can bear almost any how.
00:14:35.297 --> 00:14:38.867
He who has a y,
00:14:38.867 --> 00:14:40.703
Who has a purpose, who has a goal, who is an ein,
00:14:40.703 --> 00:14:43.238
Can bear almost any thing that they are dealt with.
00:14:43.238 --> 00:14:47.409
And he was saying that to hostages.
00:14:47.409 --> 00:14:50.779
Those hostages have come home.
00:14:50.779 --> 00:14:52.848
They have shared with us that that became their mantra.
00:14:52.848 --> 00:14:55.684
One of them has it now tattooed on his arm
00:14:55.684 --> 00:14:58.620
Right next to his heart.
00:14:58.620 --> 00:15:00.522
And exactly what you were saying.
00:15:01.290 --> 00:15:03.459
That same hostage or levy shared with us that hirsch
00:15:03.459 --> 00:15:07.863
Heard my voice.
00:15:07.863 --> 00:15:09.031
He pointed at me in the hospital.
00:15:09.031 --> 00:15:10.699
We went to go visit for levy, who requested to meet us,
00:15:10.699 --> 00:15:14.536
And he said he heard you.
00:15:14.536 --> 00:15:17.740
And i said, what? what do you mean?
00:15:17.740 --> 00:15:19.441
He heard that i was
00:15:19.441 --> 00:15:21.777
Trying to do something.
00:15:21.777 --> 00:15:23.112
He heard i, you know, a piece on me.
00:15:23.112 --> 00:15:26.782
And he said, no, he heard your voice
00:15:26.782 --> 00:15:30.085
Talking in an interview on the radio
00:15:30.085 --> 00:15:33.222
About meeting with different leaders
00:15:33.222 --> 00:15:36.291
And what you and john were trying to do.
00:15:36.291 --> 00:15:38.927
And that, you know, knowing
00:15:38.927 --> 00:15:42.464
He knew because that was so much part of the torture is
00:15:42.464 --> 00:15:46.835
My assumption was he was completely cut off,
00:15:47.736 --> 00:15:49.972
Which he really was.
00:15:49.972 --> 00:15:51.106
But he happened to have overheard
00:15:51.106 --> 00:15:53.208
One day
00:15:53.208 --> 00:15:54.476
The captors were in the next room
00:15:54.476 --> 00:15:56.211
Listening to the news, and suddenly
00:15:56.211 --> 00:15:57.913
He hears his mother's voice, and he knows that we are running
00:15:57.913 --> 00:16:01.950
To the ends of the earth to try to save him.
00:16:01.950 --> 00:16:04.453
And that was that has been a huge consolation
00:16:04.453 --> 00:16:08.290
In this extremely herculean,
00:16:08.290 --> 00:16:11.493
Colossal, gigantic challenge that we have been handed.
00:16:11.493 --> 00:16:15.798
Coming up, we discussed the spiritual journey rachel
00:16:16.832 --> 00:16:19.968
Has been on since the death of her son, hirsch, and the ways
00:16:19.968 --> 00:16:23.238
She and her family are fighting to keep his memory alive.
00:16:23.238 --> 00:16:27.543
Stick around.
00:16:27.910 --> 00:16:30.005
Stick around.
00:16:30.005 --> 00:16:33.184
Welcome back to stakelbeck
00:16:33.751 --> 00:16:35.186
Tonight we're talking with rachel
00:16:35.186 --> 00:16:36.821
Goldberg poland, mother of hirsch goldberg, poland,
00:16:36.821 --> 00:16:39.824
Who was one of the hostages taken and killed
00:16:39.824 --> 00:16:43.427
By hamas terrorist
00:16:43.427 --> 00:16:44.562
In the wake of the october 7th, 2023 massacre.
00:16:44.562 --> 00:16:47.531
She just authored a new book titled when we see you again.
00:16:47.531 --> 00:16:51.368
It's powerful.
00:16:51.368 --> 00:16:52.536
Here's more from our interview.
00:16:52.536 --> 00:16:55.473
Folks, the book is called when we see you again.
00:16:55.473 --> 00:16:57.475
It is a number one new york times bestseller.
00:16:57.475 --> 00:16:59.143
You can pick it up right now. amazon.com.
00:16:59.143 --> 00:17:00.945
Wherever books are sold. it is powerful.
00:17:00.945 --> 00:17:03.147
As you're hearing from rachel right
00:17:03.147 --> 00:17:04.315
Now, rachel, the book is split up into three sections
00:17:04.315 --> 00:17:08.419
The before the after, and the ever after.
00:17:08.419 --> 00:17:12.823
Hey, you've talked about your faith through this process.
00:17:12.823 --> 00:17:15.226
I've heard you quote from the book of psalms
00:17:15.226 --> 00:17:17.294
In a very powerful way.
00:17:17.294 --> 00:17:18.462
Talk more about that.
00:17:18.462 --> 00:17:20.164
Your spiritual journey during this whole process
00:17:20.164 --> 00:17:22.900
And drawing closer to god in it.
00:17:22.900 --> 00:17:26.070
Well, you know, i have said
00:17:26.670 --> 00:17:28.772
From the very, very beginning, thank god i believe in god.
00:17:28.772 --> 00:17:31.842
Thank god, i believe in god. thank god, i believe in god.
00:17:31.842 --> 00:17:34.178
I really i would not i personally would not have been
00:17:34.178 --> 00:17:37.248
Able to to handle or bear
00:17:37.248 --> 00:17:42.119
This challenge that was given to us.
00:17:42.119 --> 00:17:46.223
I as as you've said,
00:17:46.690 --> 00:17:48.492
I say it psalms diligently every morning.
00:17:48.492 --> 00:17:51.762
Every night. i pray every day.
00:17:51.762 --> 00:17:54.064
That is a huge piece of the fabric of who i am
00:17:54.064 --> 00:17:58.569
And how i walk through the world.
00:17:58.569 --> 00:18:01.605
I also found tremendous strength
00:18:01.605 --> 00:18:04.375
From just four simple words that i
00:18:04.375 --> 00:18:07.978
That i say often from the book of job,
00:18:07.978 --> 00:18:10.848
Which people know from the hebrew bible,
00:18:10.848 --> 00:18:14.618
The story of job, who who was really,
00:18:14.618 --> 00:18:17.855
Given tremendous,
00:18:18.289 --> 00:18:20.324
Suffering in his life.
00:18:20.791 --> 00:18:22.293
And he
00:18:22.293 --> 00:18:23.494
Says four words that i think are completely enlightening.
00:18:23.494 --> 00:18:27.164
He says, god gives, god takes you.
00:18:27.164 --> 00:18:31.168
Yeah.
00:18:31.168 --> 00:18:32.503
And you know, the way that we receive those blessings
00:18:32.503 --> 00:18:36.440
That each of us has, we also have to be prepared that
00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:40.811
Part of this human enterprise is those things also go away.
00:18:40.811 --> 00:18:44.748
Yeah. we're not.
00:18:44.748 --> 00:18:46.584
This is part of the the human endeavor
00:18:46.584 --> 00:18:50.120
That we all find ourselves in.
00:18:50.120 --> 00:18:52.256
And for me personally,
00:18:52.256 --> 00:18:55.092
I am so abundantly grateful for my beliefs,
00:18:55.092 --> 00:19:01.165
For knowing that there is
00:19:01.165 --> 00:19:05.402
God in my life
00:19:05.736 --> 00:19:07.571
And knowing that i am part of
00:19:07.571 --> 00:19:09.907
A small stitch in a magnificent tapestry
00:19:09.907 --> 00:19:13.877
That perhaps i am not privy to understand it,
00:19:13.877 --> 00:19:17.147
But i know that it's there.
00:19:17.748 --> 00:19:19.216
I know it exists.
00:19:19.216 --> 00:19:20.651
I know there is a plan.
00:19:20.651 --> 00:19:22.419
Maybe i'm not informed of the plan,
00:19:22.419 --> 00:19:24.989
But i know there's a plan, and that is a tremendous form
00:19:24.989 --> 00:19:28.692
Of comfort. yeah.
00:19:28.692 --> 00:19:30.060
And you write in the book, rachel,
00:19:30.060 --> 00:19:31.161
You are all about solutions, needless to say.
00:19:31.161 --> 00:19:34.131
And one way, of course, you're keeping hirsch's
00:19:34.131 --> 00:19:36.800
Memory alive is with
00:19:36.800 --> 00:19:38.102
When we see you again, your powerful new book.
00:19:38.102 --> 00:19:40.571
How else are you and your family keeping his memory alive?
00:19:40.571 --> 00:19:43.907
What does the future look like?
00:19:43.907 --> 00:19:45.042
You've got two wonderful daughters as well, by the way.
00:19:45.042 --> 00:19:48.112
What does a future look like?
00:19:48.112 --> 00:19:49.647
Yes. for you and your family as you continue to navigate
00:19:49.647 --> 00:19:52.816
Life after hirsch?
00:19:53.250 --> 00:19:55.719
Well, i think we try very hard to figure out
00:19:56.620 --> 00:19:59.056
How do we find hirsch in ways that don't use the five senses
00:19:59.056 --> 00:20:03.060
That we're used to encountering people with?
00:20:03.060 --> 00:20:06.030
I think wearing this grief as a badge of the love
00:20:06.030 --> 00:20:09.566
That we have for hirsch is very much helpful,
00:20:09.566 --> 00:20:13.937
And trying to
00:20:14.305 --> 00:20:17.608
Emulate some of the values that that he embodied
00:20:17.608 --> 00:20:21.445
In his young life, something that always struck us
00:20:21.445 --> 00:20:24.648
And we would talk about is hirsch
00:20:24.648 --> 00:20:26.717
Was really a radical listener,
00:20:26.717 --> 00:20:30.287
Which i didn't understand how rare that was
00:20:30.287 --> 00:20:33.891
Until the last two and a half years when i've seen,
00:20:33.891 --> 00:20:37.127
You know,
00:20:37.428 --> 00:20:38.629
We have such a tremendous problem with civil discourse.
00:20:38.629 --> 00:20:41.932
We're terrible listeners.
00:20:41.932 --> 00:20:43.367
All of us have been putting myse
00:20:43.367 --> 00:20:47.805
And that's something that that my family's trying
00:20:48.806 --> 00:20:52.376
Very hard to embrace and,
00:20:52.376 --> 00:20:54.545
And really tap into as well as he was,
00:20:54.545 --> 00:20:58.082
Hirsch was a very hungry, curious person,
00:20:58.082 --> 00:21:01.719
Especially with people who were not like him,
00:21:01.719 --> 00:21:05.255
Because i think today
00:21:05.255 --> 00:21:06.490
We we all corner ourselves into our little echo chambers,
00:21:06.490 --> 00:21:10.394
And we only listen to the news that we sign up to listen to.
00:21:10.394 --> 00:21:14.998
And we only have the the friends and the the media that we feel
00:21:14.998 --> 00:21:20.070
Really comfortable with.
00:21:20.070 --> 00:21:21.438
And he always had this very thirsty curiosity.
00:21:21.438 --> 00:21:25.709
He would say,
00:21:25.709 --> 00:21:26.877
I want to understand why they think the way they do.
00:21:26.877 --> 00:21:29.680
I think that that that could be some really
00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:34.418
Bombastic revolution is to try to figure out
00:21:34.418 --> 00:21:37.988
How do we stay in the middle
00:21:37.988 --> 00:21:39.723
When the delicious way to go is to the extremes?
00:21:39.723 --> 00:21:43.060
But but staying in the middle is really the challenge
00:21:43.060 --> 00:21:45.729
That we all need to try to engage with.
00:21:45.729 --> 00:21:48.165
Yeah, rachel, he was intellectually curious,
00:21:48.165 --> 00:21:50.634
As you just laid out, a great listener,
00:21:50.634 --> 00:21:52.269
Just two of the many great, great qualities
00:21:52.269 --> 00:21:54.838
That hirsch possessed.
00:21:54.838 --> 00:21:55.873
Rachel, we can't thank you enough for the book
00:21:55.873 --> 00:21:57.341
When we see you again, folks.
00:21:57.341 --> 00:21:58.509
Again, amazon.com, wherever books are sold.
00:21:58.509 --> 00:22:01.311
And rachel just thank you for your advocacy,
00:22:01.311 --> 00:22:03.213
Your bravery, and for sharing your story.
00:22:03.213 --> 00:22:05.082
We really appreciate it. god bless you.
00:22:05.082 --> 00:22:07.184
God bless you too, eric.
00:22:07.718 --> 00:22:08.919
Thank you for carving out the time for me.
00:22:08.919 --> 00:22:10.988
Anytime.
00:22:10.988 --> 00:22:13.390
Up next, my final thoughts resilience,
00:22:13.390 --> 00:22:16.059
Which you just heard in rachel's case, in the face of adversity
00:22:16.059 --> 00:22:20.063
For individuals and nations and what the bible has to say
00:22:20.063 --> 00:22:23.500
About it.
00:22:23.500 --> 00:22:24.401
That's next.
00:22:24.401 --> 00:22:25.302
Don't move.
00:22:25.302 --> 00:22:28.001
Don't move.
00:22:28.001 --> 00:22:30.406
Welcome back to stakelbeck tonight, folks.
00:22:31.274 --> 00:22:33.109
As we wrap up here, i think the story of rachel
00:22:33.109 --> 00:22:35.311
Goldberg and her family, what they went through
00:22:35.311 --> 00:22:37.580
With hirsch's kidnaping and death at the hands of hamas.
00:22:37.580 --> 00:22:40.616
I think what israel's facing writ large,
00:22:40.616 --> 00:22:42.919
And i think of second
00:22:42.919 --> 00:22:44.153
Corinthians chapter four, verses eight and nine, we are hard
00:22:44.153 --> 00:22:47.190
Pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed
00:22:47.190 --> 00:22:51.227
But not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned.
00:22:51.227 --> 00:22:55.498
Struck down but not destroyed.
00:22:55.498 --> 00:22:58.601
The resilience
00:22:58.601 --> 00:23:00.036
That rachel has shown that the people of israel have
00:23:00.036 --> 00:23:02.171
Shown has been inspirational, and the bible has a lot
00:23:02.171 --> 00:23:05.241
To say about it.
00:23:05.241 --> 00:23:06.275
As you just heard, it's biblical to stick with it
00:23:06.275 --> 00:23:09.312
And to follow god and let him take care
00:23:09.312 --> 00:23:11.948
Of all the rest in those times of trouble.
00:23:11.948 --> 00:23:14.083
Hey, tomorrow, more from the conference in dc.
00:23:14.083 --> 00:23:16.819
The israel advocacy day.
00:23:16.819 --> 00:23:19.288
Great stuff. inside story there tomorrow.
00:23:19.288 --> 00:23:22.158
Until then, god bless you and we'll see you soon.
00:23:22.158 --> 00:23:22.158

Erick Stakelbeck: The Impact of Saudi Arabia | Stakelbeck Tonight

May 7, 2026 | 23:29

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