So what can YOU do to push back against religious persecution?

January 30, 2015

Writer

On last night's TV show, Glenn continued his interview with Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks of London, England. Glenn really wanted to know what people who are truly awake and truly dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism could do to make sure the horrors of the past never repeat themselves.

Glenn: You are talking to an audience now who has been through this. This is well-tilled soil here, and we have talked about these things for a long time. My audience is, I really, truly believe, one of the more dedicated groups of people to let’s be the righteous among the nations; however, I know I feel this way, and I’m sure the audience does. I bet there are people all over the world that feel this way—what do I do? What do I do?

Yes, I know. I know what’s happening in Egypt. I know what’s happening in Iraq. I know what’s happening in Afghanistan, in France, in England, in Germany, in Russia, what’s happening here. I know. We keep saying it. We keep talking. Rabbi, it’s such a huge problem. As I was thinking about this interview today, I thought I think this is going to be one of those interviews that people look back ten years, fifteen years from now and say, “They knew, people knew…what happened?” And what happened was we don’t know what to do.

Rabbi Sacks: Let me tell you what to do, Glenn. Here’s an event that had a huge impact on me, the Six Day War in 1967. I think it had a transformative effect on everyone in my generation, but we know one Jewish community that it had a huge impact on, the Jews of the Soviet Union as it was then called. You had a lot of Jews, Jewish life had been suppressed after the Russian Revolution, serious persecution of Jews under Stalin, and then suddenly having faced what looked like a second Holocaust, you know, Nasser spoke about driving Jews into the sea, and Israel was outnumbered and outgunned, and suddenly Israel wins this extraordinary victory in six days, and that whole Jewish public in Russia suddenly woke up and suddenly wanted to be Jewish and suddenly wanted to be free.

Many of them, as you know, wanted to go to Israel, and they were known as the Jews of silence, the Jews who couldn’t make their voice heard. I was a student in those days, so I know exactly what happened. Jews around the world picked this up, and they’re probably was not a single country that had any Jews that did not campaign for the Jews of Russia. There were vigils. There were prayer meetings. There were protests. There was a worldwide movement. Glenn, there are not many Jews in the world. We are one fifth, less than one fifth of 1% of the population of the world, but we let our voice be heard.

Today, if the Christian world which numbers minimally 2.2 billion people, pretty much a third of the people alive in the world today, if the Christian community were to join its voices in protest at the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, parts of Africa, in Pakistan and elsewhere, if the moderate Muslim community which represents, I suspect, something like 90% of the Muslim world which is itself 1.6 billion, if we were to join voices together and stop saying there’s nothing we can do, there is everything we can do.

If we were to get up and protest and say this cannot be right. Whichever way you believe, religion is telling us to love one another, not hate one another. Life is sacred. Life isn’t cheap the way ISIS pretends it is. This is not religion, this is desecration. If we were capable of saying that and doing so together, we could change the world.

Glenn: The yarmulke, the kippah…I read in the paper yesterday that in Europe people are starting to wear a hair kippah so it just looks like part of your hair, and I thought to myself well, that’s a way to be safe. And as I’m listening to you, we have to all stand up, is it right to wear that, to hide the fact who you are, or is it right to wear it because stay safe?

Rabbi Sacks: My late father used to sell schmattes in the English equivalent of the Lower Eastside. Do you know what schmattes are? Off-cuts of cloth. It’s the kind of thing poor Jews did. He came over from Poland as a refugee, didn’t have an education, had to leave school at the age of 14, and he was the kind of Jew that you knew of in New York in the Lower Eastside. As a young man, I remember once I was walking in the street coming back from the synagogue, and I was wearing my yarmulke in the street.

A very sweet gentleman who had been praying with us in the synagogue saw me wearing this and run up and said, “Mr. Sacks, I think your son has forgotten to take off his yarmulke.” You know, it was not the kind of thing you did in public. My father, you know, left school at the age of 14, he turned around to him and said, “No son of mine will ever be ashamed to let people know he’s a Jew.” That sentence changed my life, and I will never, as chief Rabbi of Britain, I never did, and I never would tell people don’t wear yarmulke in public. If people can’t live with us being who we are, they can’t live with us, full stop.

Glenn: Patriotic, you’re patriotic. You love England. You’re a former chief Rabbi of England. You’ve been knighted by the Queen, so we know your loyalty and everything else. Seeing what’s on the horizon, knowing what’s happened in the past, first question: If you could go back to the Jews in Germany and in Europe in 1933, what would you tell them to do? And then, here we are. I don’t know what here it is as history repeats itself, but it’s on that track. What do you tell the Jews in Europe? Do you tell them it might be best to leave, and how do they compare?

Rabbi Sacks: First of all, Britain is not an anti-Semitic country. There are elements, minorities, fringe minorities. This is not the 1930s. We are dealing with an Internet phenomenon where individuals can be globally radicalized. The 1930s, you had something called a national culture, so you could ask, has France got an anti-Semitic culture? Has Germany? Has Britain? And there were elements in Britain in the 1930s that were also anti-Semitic.

The big difference between Britain and mainland Europe was that it never entered the public domain. It never became a vote winner, and that was the big difference. And Britain to this day is one of the most tolerant societies on earth. I have to say that out of deep personal conviction, but there are radicalized individuals who are capable of doing a great deal of harm. Now, I say in the 1930s, anyone who could run, ran. In the 21st century, we stand and fight.

The big difference, of course, is today Jews have a home, a homeland in the land of Israel. In the 1930s, they had nowhere to go. So, I think this very existence of the state of Israel which is so fundamental to Jewish self-definition says that once we have that, we are no longer capable of being intimidated. A terrorist seeks to intimidate. I as a Jew and I hope you as a Christian refuse to be intimidated. We refuse to hand terrorists a victory.

Glenn: I refuse.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

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Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

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When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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