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Articles by Tim Orr
Israel at the Gaza Border: The History the Decolonization Debate is Missing
While in Israel I visited the Gaza border, Lebanese border and Syrian border. I saw towns that were attacked by terrorists and listened to the stories of those who lost family members. It led me to ask: Is Israel a colony? Or is it one of the greatest success stories of an ancient people reclaiming their land? I discuss Jewish indigeneity, Islamic imperialism, and why progressives push a false narrative of decolonization and the red-green alliance between progressives and Islamists.
Three Remarkable Stories from the Ayalon Institute
During my visit to the Ayalon Institute in Israel, I learned about one of the most remarkable stories surrounding the founding of the modern State of Israel. In 1945, a group of young Jewish pioneers, mostly teenagers, established what appeared to be an ordinary kibbutz near Rehovot. But beneath their community, approximately 24 feet underground, they secretly operated an ammunition factory for the Haganah, the Jewish defense organization.
Blame It on Hezbollah: The Tragedy of Twelve Druze Children in Israel
This wasn’t simply an unfortunate incident caused by the war with Hezbollah. Hezbollah took responsibility for firing rockets from Lebanon toward northern Israel. Whether the rocket was aimed at the soccer field, we may never know, but it was Hezbollah that fired that rocket. 12 children were killed, and many more were wounded. All were Druze children who had nothing to do with this conflict. They were living their lives on an ordinary summer day.
Why Gerald McDermott Matters: A Reading Guide to Israel, Zionism, the Jewish People, and the Bible
Why Gerald McDermott Matters: A Reading Guide to Israel, Zionism, the Jewish People, and the Bible Gerald McDermott's work challenges Christians to approach Israel through Scripture first, exploring God's covenant faithfulness, Christian Zionism, Jewish identity and antisemitism. Gerald McDermott is a friend of mine, and I believe he is the best theologian alive today writing on the subject of Israel, Zionism, the Jewish people, and the Bible.
Death, Dressed as a Cure
Death, Dressed as a Cure Whatever happened to medicine saving lives? How is it that so many can claim that abortion, the intentional killing of a baby not yet born, constitutes health care? Why is euthanasia, the intentional killing of someone who would otherwise live longer, described as a "hard beauty"? It makes no sense. Not if you still believe what medicine was always supposed to believe: that doctors exist to save lives, not to end them on purpose.
Why Gerald McDermott Matters: A Guide to Israel, Zionism, the Jewish People
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When the Mind Becomes Reprobate: Candace Owens and the Terrifying Logic of Romans 1
When the Mind Becomes Reprobate: Candace Owens and the Terrifying Logic of Romans 1 I feel like Candace Owens's way of thinking has shifted. There are a lot of red flags now that I can point to that go beyond her talking about Israel and Jews. I'm not stating that all Christians need to be Zionists. There can be many Christians who will disagree with each other about Netanyahu and Gaza and America's involvement and Zionism, etc. But what worries me most about Owens is her thought process.
When the Mind Becomes Reprobate: Candace Owens and the Terrifying Romans 1 Logic
I feel like Candace Owens’s way of thinking has shifted. There are a lot of red flags now that I can point to that go beyond her talking about Israel and Jews. I’m not stating that all Christians need to be Zionists. There can be many Christians who will disagree with each other about Netanyahu and Gaza and America’s involvement and Zionism, etc. But what worries me most about Owens is her thought process. I think something is off about how she thinks about evidence.
When the Mind Becomes Reprobate: Candace Owens and the Terrifying Romans 1 Logic
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Australia’s Largest Christian News Site
29 September 2026 16.1 MINS How feminism taught the West to distrust sexual difference, moralise female-coded virtues, and forget that both men and women are fallen. When Gloria Steinem died on 2 September 2026 at age ninety-two, many eulogies were predictably kind. Steinem had been one of America’s most visible feminist icons for over fifty years. She co-founded Ms. magazine. She helped found the National Women’s Political Caucus. She was many things to many millions of people.
Understanding the Red and Green Alliance
Image created from Google Gemini by Tim Orr So why do Western progressives and Islamists agree so much on Israel and Palestine, despite not agreeing on almost anything else that has to do with religion, sex, gender, family, and society as a whole? In this video, I look at the Red-Green Alliance. I believe that the Red can supply the terminology, and the Green can help supply some of the story.
Understanding the Red and Green Alliance
So why do Western progressives and Islamists agree so much on Israel and Palestine, despite not agreeing on almost anything else that has to do with religion, sex, gender, family, and society as a whole? In this video, I look at the Red-Green Alliance. I believe that the Red can supply the terminology, and the Green can help supply some of the story. Progressives talk about colonialism, oppressed peoples, indigenous peoples,........ © The Times of Israel (Blogs) visit website
When Feminism Lost the Jewish Woman: Kara Jesella on October 7
In her lecture at the 2026 ISGAP Summer Institute, Dr. Kara Jesella accomplished far more than simply excoriating feminist responses to October 7. Instead, she also pushed back against explanations of those reactions by asking how they became intellectually possible. That question is more compelling than charging feminists with hypocrisy for failing to defend women who were at the center of allegations of sexual violence when those women were Israeli and Jewish.
When Feminism Lost the Jewish Woman: Kara Jesella on October 7
In her lecture at the 2026 ISGAP Summer Institute, Dr. Kara Jesella accomplished far more than simply excoriating feminist responses to October 7. Instead, she also pushed back against explanations of those reactions by asking how they became intellectually possible. That question is more compelling than charging feminists with hypocrisy for failing to defend women who were at the center of allegations of sexual violence when those women were Israeli and Jewish.
Progressives Supply the Vocabulary. Islamists Supply the Narrative
Image created from Google Gemini by Tim Orr There is something strange about what many refer to as the Red-Green Alliance, a term that describes the alliance between progressives and Islamists. There are certain aspects of the left and Islamist movements that do not see eye to eye on issues such as religion, sex, women, freedom, sharia and what they believe a good society should consist of. They also help to sustain each other.
Progressives Supply the Vocabulary. Islamists Supply the Narrative
They also help to sustain each other. The Left can offer a moral vocabulary that is intelligible within many Western college campuses, media outlets, churches, labor organizations, causes and NGOs. Islamists, meanwhile, can supply a historical and communal narrative centered on themes such as Israel, the ummah, dispossession, Western domination, resistance, and reclamation.
How October 7 Altered My Work: A Conversation with the Middle East Forum
Dexter Van Zile, managing editor of Focus on Western Islamism, recently interviewed me about how my work changed after October 7, 2023. The interview prompted me to think through some important ways that ministry and research have changed since that tragic day. We discuss my many years working with Muslims, what I saw in London on October 8, and how I now spend far more time writing about Islamism and antisemitism.
How October 7 Altered My Work: A Conversation with the Middle East Forum
Dexter Van Zile, managing editor of Focus on Western Islamism, recently interviewed me about how my work changed after October 7, 2023. The interview prompted me to think through some important ways that ministry and research have changed since that tragic day. We discuss my many years working with Muslims, what I saw in London on October 8, and how I now spend far more time writing about Islamism and antisemitism.
Who Has the Right to Give Up Palestine? The Islamization of Sacred Jurisdiction
What shifted was not who would win political control of Palestine but who could legitimately be said to have authority over Palestine in the first place. For much of the twentieth century, combatants framed their struggle in familiar political terms like nationalism, sovereignty, liberation, colonialism, and self-determination. Palestine was understood foremost as the homeland of the Palestinians and, more broadly, as part of the Arab political and historical patrimony.
Who Has the Right to Give Up Palestine? The Islamization of Sacred Jurisdiction
Who Has the Right to Give Up Palestine? The Islamization of Sacred Jurisdiction - Tim Orr
Another Oxford Union Libel: The Myth That Israel Never Wanted Peace
Okay, full disclosure: I hate it when people frame arguments in such a way that the conclusion is in the premise. To say that Israel “never truly wanted peace with Palestine” isn’t asking anyone to look at the facts, it’s telling someone to presumes intent on the part of Israel and encourages the reader to view virtually every Israeli action through a lens of bad faith.
The Theology of an Empty Throne: How Shi’ism Learned to Live with an Absent Imam
The doctrine of the occultation, which is the theology that heavily influences the Iranian Revolution, is central to Twelver Shiʿite theology because it provided a rationale for the continued guidance of God when his divinely-appointed Imam was no longer publicly accessible. Twelvers believe that the twelfth Imam was concealed by God and did not die but remains alive until he returns as the promised Mahdi.
The Theology of an Empty Throne: How Shi’ism Learned to Live with an Absent Imam
The doctrine of the occultation, which is the theology that heavily influences the Iranian Revolution, is central to Twelver Shiʿite theology because it provided a rationale for the continued guidance of God when his divinely-appointed Imam was no longer publicly accessible. Twelvers believe that the twelfth Imam was concealed by God and did not die but remains alive until he returns as the promised Mahdi.
Australia’s Largest Christian News Site
31 August 2026 7.8 MINS While evangelicals rally politically behind Israel, few schools teach why. The King’s University builds Jewish studies, anti-supersessionist theology, and antisemitism scholarship into its academic core. Evangelical Christians are said to be Israel’s most ardent supporters among religious groups in the United States.
Beyond Being Pro-Israel: What The King’s University Gets Right
Evangelical Christians are said to be Israel’s most ardent supporters among religious groups in the United States. With some notable exceptions, however, comparatively few evangelical colleges and universities have taken seriously the study of Judaism, Jewish history, antisemitism, and Israel itself as part of their academic fabric. Evangelicals love Israel politically, devotionally, and at prophecy conferences.
Beyond Being Pro-Israel: What The King’s University Gets Right
Evangelical Christians are said to be Israel’s most ardent supporters among religious groups in the United States. With some notable exceptions, however, comparatively few evangelical colleges and universities have taken seriously the study of Judaism, Jewish history, antisemitism, and Israel itself as part of their academic fabric. Evangelicals love Israel politically, devotionally, and at prophecy conferences.
When the Counter-Witness Became Sovereign: Activation of Islamic Antisemitism
Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post. Image created from Google Gemini by Tim Orr There is one aspect of Muslim-Jewish relations history that stands out as odd but which is one of the keys to modern Islamic antisemitism.
When the Counter-Witness Became Sovereign: Activation of Islamic Antisemitism
Jews faced discrimination, humiliation, periodic persecution and violence from Muslim rulers across the centuries, but it was only in modern times that Muslims systematically organized their political life with Jews as the enemy. Neither of the typical explanations seems adequate on its own.
Australia’s Largest Christian News Site
25 August 2026 10 MINS When Sophie Cunningham’s comments on transgender athletes in women’s sports went viral, a WNBA sideshow became something bigger: a clash between two rival stories about creation, identity, and redemption. My daughter and I cheer for the Indiana Fever, which is a team that participates in the WNBA, a women’s basketball league in the United States. We try to catch most of their games on TV, despite living less than an hour or so south of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where they play.
Church at the Crossroads Conference: Old Anti-Semitic Theology in New Clothes
The Church at the Crossroads Conference is not and should not be treated as a regular Christian peace conference. You will discover below that there are plenty of reasons to make this assertion. It is not merely because it is anti-Zionist. The problem with it is far deeper than Israel criticism. The problem is hermeneutical, as it uses a framework to examine scripture to arrive at the political solutions that it desires.
What Happens When Evangelicals Stop Caring About Israel?
Historically, one longstanding certainty in American religious life was evangelical support for Israel. No matter what was happening in Washington or on college campuses or in elite media discourse, evangelicals were reliably pro-Israel. However, there is another takeaway from the polling: White evangelical support for Israelis and the Israeli government might be softening, especially among young Christians.
When a Debate at Oxford About Islam Requires a Security Detail
Image created from Google Gemini by Tim Orr Perhaps the greatest irony of the Oxford Union debate about the motion “This House Believes the West Is Right to Be Suspicious of Islam” was too big to miss. The debate over whether Islam poses legitimate concerns for Western societies reportedly required an unprecedented security effort to occur. Police cordons and teams of private security were needed to separate the debaters and attendees of the event from protesters outside the building.
When a Debate at Oxford About Islam Requires a Security Detail
Perhaps the greatest irony of the Oxford Union debate about the motion “This House Believes the West Is Right to Be Suspicious of Islam” was too big to miss. The debate over whether Islam poses legitimate concerns for Western societies reportedly required an unprecedented security effort to occur. Police cordons and teams of private security were needed to separate the debaters and attendees of the event from protesters outside the building. Of course, this doesn’t prove the motion.
Protect Muslims, Scrutinize Islam: The Lesson of the Oxford Union Debate
The Oxford Union is best known for its high-profile, adversarial debates that focuses on controversial political, religious, and social questions. This format is known for its association free speech and open disagreement. On JUNE 17, 2026, The Oxford Union debated on the motion: “ This House Believes the West is Right to be Suspicious of Islam. The full debate was made available online six week later on July, 31, 2026.
Protect Muslims, Scrutinize Islam: The Lesson of the Oxford Union Debate
The Oxford Union is best known for its high-profile, adversarial debates that focuses on controversial political, religious, and social questions. This format is known for its association free speech and open disagreement. On JUNE 17, 2026, The Oxford Union debated on the motion: “ This House Believes the West is Right to be Suspicious of Islam. This House Believes the West is Right to be Suspicious of Islam. The full debate was made available online six week later on July, 31, 2026.
Has God Rejected Israel? Romans 11 and the Faithfulness of God
The problem here is not merely historical, but it is also biblical. Romans 11 stands in the middle of the New Testament as perhaps the clearest rejection of the idea that God has finished with Israel. I’m not sure exactly why, but it remains one of the least preached and least understood chapters in Scripture. If Paul were writing today, I suspect he would be astonished that Christians are still debating a question he addressed so directly nearly two thousand years ago: Has God rejected His people?
Has God Rejected Israel? Romans 11 and the Faithfulness of God
Paul’s answer could not be stronger: Has God rejected Israel? “By no means!” (Rom. 11:1). But Paul’s concern extends beyond the Jewish people because what is at stake is the character of God Himself. If God can abandon Israel, what confidence can Christians have that He will remain faithful to His promises to us? Romans 11 is therefore not only about Israel. It is also about whether God can be trusted. Romans 9–11 is Paul’s extended defense of God’s covenant faithfulness.
Australia’s Largest Christian News Site
3 August 2026 5.2 MINS To most people’s surprise, some of the most influential political alliances are not formed between ideological allies, but between ideological opponents. One of the best examples of this is what scholars call the Red-Green Alliance, which is an alliance between secular progressives (‘Red’) and Islamists (‘Green’).
Why Van Jones Deserves Our Support: A Voice for the Black–Jewish Alliance
1. His Black–Jewish advocacy predates October 7 At the UJA-Federation of New York’s Wall Street Dinner on December 5, 2022, Jones began his keynote address with the following statement: “I apologize for the silence of my community.” In the talk, he addressed the concern regarding the failure of prominent Black voices to respond forcefully enough to rising antisemitism. His particular concern was the lack of a response after Kanye West’s statements praising Hitler and attacking Jews.
Why Van Jones Deserves Our Support: A Voice for the Black–Jewish Alliance
I am a conservative who would not agree on much of Van Jones’s politics, but I must admire his position on Israel and the Jewish people. There are several reasons Van Jones deserves not only recognition but also strong public support for his work. He is taking incredible risks professionally for taking the Zionist stance he has taken. In this article, I want to highlight several reasons why he needs our backing.
No Peace in Israel Without a Muslim Reckoning
Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post.
No Peace in Israel Without a Muslim Reckoning
When I say this, I am not saying that this is only a Muslim phenomenon, nor am I attempting to marginalize Muslims. Far from it. In this article, I deal with Muslims because, one, this is my area of expertise and two, because this group represents over one fourth of the world’s population. The religious ideas I explore here continue to exert significant influence around the world. Right now the public’s focus is on Iran and Hamas, and wondering if they can change.
The Fourth Clock: Why the West Misunderstands Iran’s Wars
I begin this article with an odd statement, which is an idea I borrow from Mark Dubowitz, from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who believes that wars run on clocks, and opposing sides are rarely watching the same one. If you are a Westerner, time is of the essence. Our lives are ordered firmly by clock time, and we tend to think in terms of a single clock. Wars do not operate that way. Opposing sides rarely experience time in the same manner, and each may be watching a different clock.
The Fourth Clock: Why the West Misunderstands Iran’s Wars
I begin this article with an odd statement, which is an idea I borrow from Mark Dubowitz, from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who believes that wars run on clocks, and opposing sides are rarely watching the same one. If you are a Westerner, time is of the essence. Our lives are ordered firmly by clock time, and we tend to think in terms of a single clock. Wars do not operate that way. Opposing sides rarely experience time in the same manner, and each may be watching a different clock.
Hamas’s Most Enduring Weapon: The Theology That Drives the Movement
There are many different ways to examine Hamas and what drives its ideology. Many people examine it through a sociological lens where things like colonialism, occupation, poverty, and political grievance are treated as the primary explanations for its rise and appeal. Others use the lens of nationalism to explain Palestinian dispossession, military occupation, and the struggle for self-determination.
Hamas’s Most Enduring Weapon: The Theology That Drives the Movement
My approach is to examine Hamas through a theological lens. While the aforementioned lenses can illuminate some aspects of understanding Hamas, the larger issue is that they obscure the religious ideas through which Hamas interprets the conflict, defines its enemies, and justifies violence. I believe that Hamas cannot be fully understood without taking seriously its theological worldview, which places the present conflict within a much larger sacred history.
Why Hamas Cannot Make Peace with Israel
Image created from Google Gemini by Tim Orr In Hamas’s Islamist theology, Palestine is an Islamic waqf (a religious endowment held in trust for God) that no political leader or generation possesses the authority to surrender. This conviction transforms any compromise or political concession into an act of religious betrayal. Negotiations are not judged according to whether they improve Palestinian lives or would produce a viable state.
Why Hamas Cannot Make Peace with Israel
This is why Hamas does not approach negotiations in the same way that a conventional nationalist movement might. Hamas has at times held elections, agreed to ceasefires, and entered political talks, but none of this signals acceptance of a permanent settlement. Hamas will make tactical concessions when they serve its immediate interests. while continuing to reject the legitimacy of Jewish sovereignty over the land.
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