PCG Scare Mongering Against Sikhs

How does the PCG leadership persuade PCG members to pay three tithes and extra offerings? This is a complicated question but one way how this state of affairs is maintained is by making them so scared of others outside of PCG that they are distracted from noticing the problems among themselves. PCG's leaders have used many kinds of persons and boogeymen to keep PCG members distracted from the problems among themselves.

One target of their scare mongering and vilification are Sikhs. The Sikh religion originates from the Punjab region and has been present since the late 15th Century.

In the August 2006 issue of PCG's recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet, Robert Morley wrote an article scare mongering that there were terrorists and deportees living in Canada.

Terrorist organizations with members who have obtained sanctuary in Canada stand out like a “who’s who” of world terror, and include organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Algeria’s Armed Islamic Group and Babbar Khalsa (a Sikh militant group). (Robert Morley, Where Terrorists and Deportees Walk Free?, August 2006.)

Then on July 27, 2007 Morley wrote an article about a controversy surrounding a Sikh parade which featured floats celebrating a leader of Babbar Khalsa, a militant group that was part of the Punjab insurgency. From the late 1970s till the early 1990s an insurgency was waged in Punjab province against the Indian government. Thankfully this insurgency has since faded away.

The same article was rewritten for the October 2007 issue of PCG's recruitment magazine. The issue was also alluded to in an article published on August 26, 2008.

Some of the Sikh “martyrs” pictured on the floats belonged to the terrorist group Babbar Khalsa, which is considered a terrorist organization by Canada, the United States, the European Union and India. Babbar Khalsa is a group dedicated to establishing the independent country of Khalistan in the Indian state of Punjab.
Babbar Khalsa founder and Khalistan separatist Talwinder Parmar was the mastermind behind the 1985 Air India bombing that killed 329 people, mostly Canadians. Those murders made Parmar, in the words of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, “the worst mass murderer in Canadian history.” Parmar was also known for publicly urging attacks on Indian targets, saying, “Indian planes will fall from the sky,” and telling his followers to “kill 50,000 Hindus.”
Talwinder Parmar was portrayed as a hero on two parade floats. (Robert Morley, Sikh Terrorism Enters Politics in Canada, July 27, 2007.)

Some of the Sikh “martyrs” pictured on the floats belonged to Babbar Khalsa, a group dedicated to establishing the independent country of Khalistan in the Indian state of Punjab—and considered a terrorist organization by Canada, the U.S., the European Union and India.
Babbar Khalsa founder and Khalistan separatist Talwinder Parmar was the mastermind behind the 1985 Air India bombing that killed 329 people, mostly Canadians. Those murders made Parmar, in the words of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, “the worst mass murderer in Canadian history.” Parmar was also known for publicly urging attacks on Indian targets, saying, “Indian planes will fall from the sky,” and telling his followers to “kill 50,000 Hindus.”
Talwinder Parmar was portrayed as a hero on two parade floats. (Robert Morley, Terrorism on Parade, October 2007.)

For example, last year several members of parliament—including representatives from each of the Conservative, Liberal and New Democratic parties—attended and voiced support for the annual Vaisakhi Day parade in Surrey, British Columbia. This, despite the fact that the local Sikh community was using the opportunity to glorify Babbar Khalsa terrorists like Talwinder Parmar, who, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, is “the worst mass murderer in Canadian history.” (Robert Morley, Balkanizing Canada, August 26, 2008.)

On February 18, 2009 Joel Hilliker wrote a particularly xenophobic article scare mongering against immigrants coming to Britain. In the article Hilliker scare mongers against Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus. Notably this article was written just after the financial crash of 2008. Xenophobia is a tool used to distract people from the problems among themselves.

[A certain individual]’s hope of conquering Southall is probably far-fetched. After all, the majority religion there is Sikh; the next largest religion is Hindu. Indians and Pakistanis make up two thirds of the borough’s population.
Yes, we’re talking about west London. Railway signs there appear both in English and in the Gurmukhī alphabet. The majority of Southall’s residents were born outside the UK; officially only 12 percent are indigenous white British—though this figure is sure to have fallen since it was recorded in the 2000 census. (Joel Hilliker, The Changing Face of Britain, February 18, 2009.) 

It should be noted that Hilliker lives in Oklahoma and came from the State of Washington. Why is he promoting xenophobic fears about Britain?

On August 6, 2012 PCG published a brief article mention the massacre in a Sikh Temple at Milwaukee in which six innocent people were murdered.

A gunman killed six people at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee on Sunday in a rampage that left terrified worshipers hiding in closets.
The attacker entered the temple with a semi-automatic pistol as members filed in for morning meditation. He began his murderous rampage around 10:30 a.m., killing six and wounding two. According to reports, when police responded and an officer began helping one of the victims outside, Page ambushed and shot the officer. The police returned fire and killed the gunman. (Gunman Kills Six at Milwaukee Sikh Temple, August 6, 2012.) 

Later on August 7, 2014 while discussing an incident of protests during the 2014 war in Gaza he scare mongers against immigrants coming to Canada. Instead of viewing these clashes as a tragic symptom of the war in Gaza he exploited this incident to scare monger against immigrants. One of the groups he mentions to incite fear and loathing of immigrants among his readers is Babbar Khalsa.

How long before Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, ISIS, Tamil Tigers, Babbar Khalsa, Mojahedin-e-Khalq and other radical groups’ family members introduce jihad to Canada? Shiite versus Sunni; Arab versus Israeli; Ethiopian versus Somali; Croat versus Serb; Armenians versus Turks; Turks versus Kurds—how long of a list do you want? (Robert Morley, ‘Kill the Jews’ in Canada, August 7, 2014.)

PCG's vilification and scare mongering against Sikhs is part of PCG's scare mongering against many different kinds of people. This scare mongering is used to keep PCG members distracted from the problems among themselves. It is easier to keep their loyalty if they are so scared of these outsiders migrating to their neighborhoods.

The COGs Quoting Ann Coulter

So recently Ann Coulter made some statements complaining about immigration in a BBC Radio interview. Let us see if the COGs have quoted Ann Coulter.

The COGs tend to lean to right in regards to politics. I do not condemn for this but it is important to note that they are right wing because this explain so much about the political positions they decide to take.

Let's take a look.

PCG Quoting Ann Coulter

Mark Jenkins cites Ann Coulter in a 2007 article which vilifies liberals as suppressing Conservative speakers.

Even the scheduling of a conservative speaker necessitates debate. Ann Coulter is currently scheduled to appear at Cleary College in Michigan in October, and the bloggers have already launched into action—thus far, unsuccessfully. But consider the mentality behind it: “I, for one, will not rest until I hear that Ann Coulter is not going to appear in October,” Julielyn Gibbons, one leader of the opposition, said. Coulter is often deliberately controversial, making it somewhat less shocking when she is publicly confronted. But the censorship of conservative speakers is general in nature. (Mark Jenkins, Tyranny in Universities, May 4, 2007.)

Ron Fraser quoted Ann Coulter in a 2009 article scare mongering that the United States would soon collapse written soon after the crisis of September 2008.

Oberservers [sic] may well have taken Russian Igor Panarin’s predictions of America’s impending collapse with a grain of salt. After all, he’s been at it for decades. The Russian academic’s prediction that the United States would collapse in 2010 must have seemed so laughable to those whom conservative commentator Ann Coulter has termed the “former frat boys who populate Wall Street” as they guzzled their champagne, swaggered around town in their German saloons funded by annual bonuses of indecent proportions, participating in the shameless mass robbery of millions of clients to the tune of multiple billions. (Ron Fraser, America’s Collapse, January 5, 2009.)

Joel Hilliker cited Ann Coulter to condemn her acceptance of GOProud within CPAC.

Predictably, though, the move rankled those who actually favor preserving traditional norms. GOProud’s presence at CPAC drove some folks to boycott the event, including the Family Research Council and the Heritage Foundation. GOProud’s executive director, Jimmy LaSalvia, said the boycotters “have chosen to marginalize themselves out of the conservative movement.” The fact that such right-wing luminaries as Sarah Palin, Andrew Breitbart and Ann Coulter supported GOProud’s presence would suggest he’s correct. Clearly, Republican organizers felt they had more to gain by courting homosexuals than they had to lose by alienating social conservatives. (Joel Hilliker, Amazing What Passes for ‘Conservative’ These Days, February 16, 2011.)

Ron Fraser quotes Ann Coulter numerous times in an article complaining that there is now less of a stigma associated with single motherhood.

Take the United States. Here’s an excerpt from Ann Coulter’s column last week (Human Events; emphasis added throughout):

The dregs of society need to be assessed a fee for their abuse of government services and thrown in debtors prison in the unlikely event that they can’t pay.

As I described in my last book, Guilty, the leading cause of all social pathologies is single motherhood. One way or another, Casey Anthony’s refusal to give up Caylee for adoption was going to cost society—and cost Caylee.

The statistics are so jaw-dropping that not giving up an illegitimate child for adoption ought to be considered child abuse. 

If those words are too strong for you, then I suggest that you have allowed your moral conscience to be seared by our perverted education and media industries. Coulter simply airs the truth on the results of marital breakdown in an Anglo-Saxon society caught in the throes of its inevitable decline and fall. ...

Again, quoting Coulter on facts readily available from legitimate, unvarnished sources: “Single mothers are six times more likely to be in poverty than married families. More than 80 percent of homeless families are single mothers. [C]onsider the burden single mothers place on law enforcement because of their higher likelihood to neglect or kill their children. Eighty-five percent of mothers who kill their children through neglect are single mothers.” 

One of the devil’s main tools in enacting such a horrific negative impact on our society is, as Coulter rightly infers, “the active social policy of liberals. They enjoy experimenting with other people’s lives and leaving the taxpayer with the bill. The mainstream media and Hollywood studios are constantly issuing propaganda about the joys and triumphs of single mothers.”...

As Ann Coulter cuttingly puts it: “[O]ne can’t help noticing how many more illegitimate children there are—and the accompanying child abuse, neglect, suicide, runaways and murders—now that the stigma is gone.” (Ron Fraser, The Shame of Single Motherhood, July 11, 2011.)

In the article cited above Ron Fraser also bizarrely accuses the 1955 movie Blackboard Jungle of somehow causing sexual promiscuity among teenagers.

LCG Quoting Ann Coulter

In 2000 LCG's William Bowmer mentioned Ann Coulter in an article that exploits the recent origins of Kwanzaa to denigrate Christmas as forbidden for LCG's members. It is strange that Bowmer would quote a statement that equates Kwanzaa with something made by the virulently anti-Semitic individual and former Ku Klux Klan member, David Duke.

Yet Kwanzaa did not exist before 1966, when it was invented by African-American activist Dr. Maulana Karenga. Commentators seized on the President's statements, mocking him for supporting this recently manufactured holiday; columnist Ann Coulter wrote that "it is as if David Duke invented a holiday called 'Anglica' and the President of the United States issued a proclamation honoring the synthetic holiday" ("Kwanzaa: Holiday from the FBI," Town Hall, January 1, 2001). Coulter and others mock Kwanzaa's "synthetic" origins. (William Bowmer, Kwanzaa, Christmas and God's Word, Tomorrow's World, November-December 2000.)

UCG Quoting Ann Coulter

One UCG minister, Peter Eddington, mentions in a sermon that a UCG minister's writings are cited alongside Ann Coulter.

There's been quite a variety of interest in quoting our literature. Much more than in previous years; in fact, it's picked up in just the last couple of months. That's an encouraging trend, when others see our material as authoritative.

Now, here are some from online at Daycares Don't Care. It says, "Cecil E. Maranville, in an article for World News & Prophecy published by United Church of God, wrote the following to help readers increase their awareness and understanding of the debate over the use of daycare from a Biblical perspective." It's a very popular site, so Cecil Maranville is being quoted and, alongside quotes by Dr. Laura Schlesinger and Ann Coulter, are numerous references and quotes from Cecil Maranville, World News & Prophecy author. (Peter Eddington, Preach the Gospel to Every Creature, no date.)

Israeli Defense Minister Resigns

Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon resigned citing his lack of trust in Netanyahu. Ya'alon said "extremist and dangerous forces have taken over Israel and the Likud movement".

“I notified the prime minister this morning that in the wake of his behavior during the latest developments, and in light of my lack of faith in him, I am resigning from the government and the Knesset and taking a break from political life,” Ya’alon said in a statement released to the media. (Source.)

“I worked with the prime minister harmoniously and respectfully, seriously and substantively, for a long time, and certainly during Operation Protective Edge, and for that I want to thank him,” Ya’alon said Friday.

“But to my great regret, I have found myself lately in deep disagreement over professional and ethical issues with the prime minister, a number of ministers and a few members of Knesset.

“I have fought with all my strength against radicalization, violence and racism in Israeli society, which threatens its resilience and percolates also into the IDF, already causing it harm,” he said.

“I have fought with all my strength against attempts to harm the Supreme Court and Israel’s judges, processes whose result will cause grave damage to the rule of law and could be disastrous for our country.” ...

“But to my great regret, extremist and dangerous forces have taken over Israel and the Likud movement and are destabilizing our home and threatening to harm its inhabitants.

“This is not the Likud I joined — the Likud of Ze’ev Jabotinsky and Menachem Begin — and it is appropriate that the decisive majority of Likud voters, a sane, respectable and responsible public, understands the depth of the crisis and the recklessness of this spirit that is taking over the movement. I hope that the general public, too, on right and left, understands the serious consequences of the takeover of the center by an extremist minority, and will fight these phenomena. This is existential; the state’s existence depends on it.” (Source.)

Because of Ya'alon's resignation his place in the Likud Party is replaced by Yehuda Glick, an advocate for Third Temple Extremism. He was once stabbed over this issue in 2014. Calls for the status quo to be changed and to insert some kind of Jewish religious presence in the Temple Mount that have been made by national religious Israeli Jews have contributed to inflaming tensions in Jerusalem and helped spark the recent wave of violence that began in October 2015.

Ya'alon has been replaced as Defense Minister by a man who once suggested beheading Palestinian citizens of Israel, namely Avigdor Lieberman. More information about Lieberman may be found in the 2013 book, Goliath by Max Blumenthal. 

And in other news remains of EgyptAir Flight MS804 have been found.

Also the Turkish parliament abolished parliamentary immunity for MPs. This has made many worried that relations with the Kurds may be hampered with this change of law.

LCG Member on EgyptAir Flight MS804

Banned by HWA has related the terrible news that a French LCG member was on board EgyptAir Flight MS804 which crashed on its way to Cairo from Paris.

This is terrible news. Thoughts and condolences to family and friends.

Is PCG's Mark Nash Suspended?

The following is the latest letter from Exit and Support Network.

Mark Nash Suspended:

May 19, 2016

I wanted to let you know that I heard about a month ago that Mark Nash, a minister at HQ, has been suspended. It was announced at services by Wayne Turgeon. It did not say his wife, just him. Wondered if you knew this or had heard anything? --Anonymous

Meredith's Co-Worker Letters (2010)

Continuing from previous posts (here, here and here) noting the scare mongering present in Roderick C. Meredith and Richard Ames' co-worker letters to their donors let us look at their co-worker letters from 2010.

Despite the many failed predictions of the past, including claiming that Christ would return in 1975 from 1953 onward, Meredith still insists to any who will listen that he knows what will soon occur.

Let's take a look.

January 13, 2010

Here Meredith scare mongers about terrorist attacks. If one wanted to keep people distracted from complaining about the money they send to one's organization and thus can't use that money for themselves, why not scare them about terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda like extremists?

What is the real answer to the spreading terrorist attacks? For you and your loved ones in Britain, America and elsewhere, this question will become increasingly vital in the years just ahead. Remember the terrorist bombings in London a few years ago? Although only a few dozen people were actually killed, the lives of thousands were disrupted. And the British people were shocked that “locals” had done this terrible deed. For some of those involved were homegrown terrorists—young men their neighbors had no idea would do such a thing! ...

Of course, we in America experienced the truly horrifying attacks bringing down the Twin Towers in New York City and destroying part of the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Nearly 3,000 lives were snuffed out! This was almost like another Pearl Harbor attack—which will never be forgotten! More recently, we have all been reading about the recent incident where a homegrown Muslim terrorist killed a number of fellow soldiers right in Fort Hood, TX. And then the Christmas Day incident where a young terrorist would have murdered nearly 300 fellow air travelers if his device had worked! As we read, most of us come to understand that more and more “old cells” of these terrorists are being developed across the United States, Britain and western Europe. Before too many more years, a number of scholars tell us, “We may have to learn to live in a state of constant vigilance like the Israelis. But we may never know which day or which hour another terrorist attack will be unleashed upon our unsuspecting populace.”

He scare mongers that his readers can never be safe from such terrorists.

Frankly, it is not realistic to expect that America and our allies will ever be able to find and eliminate every one of the terrorist cells that may crop up! More and more young Muslims are being propagandized against our entire way of life. And the number of terrorist cells is constantly increasing. Again, all over our Western world, millions of people are apparently going to have to “get used” to the constant threat of terror as a way of life.

But what is the real answer to this horrible problem? Though federal and local law enforcement may try to slow down the growth of terrorism, it may be impossible to stamp out all the terrorist cells in the training camps all over the world in places including Aden, Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Kashmir, Malaysia and elsewhere across Southeast Asia. So what can realistically be done?

Meredith also announced that Richard Ames, follow presenter of the Tomorrow's World recruitment and brother in law will be writing some co-worker letters himself.

Before I close, dear brethren and co-workers, I want to be sure all of you know that I have appointed our other leading minister, Mr. Richard Ames, the First Vice President of the Living Church of God parent organization in the U.S., as my successor over the whole Work. In fact he has been in this position of First Vice President working right here with me for some time now and has proved himself to be one of the most dedicated, balanced and loyal servants of God on earth. With that in mind, and with my increased age, I will be asking him to write these co-worker messages and other letters from time to time in the future. So I hope you will welcome his participation, and that you will pray for him that God will guide him, protect him and use him increasingly.

Meredith ends by exploiting the earthquake in Haiti to scare monger that his dire predictions will soon come to pass.

P.S. Word just comes of the terrible 7.0 magnitude earthquake which struck Haiti yesterday afternoon! Many thousands are estimated to have died, and the trauma affecting millions is incalculable. I was on the phone before 8:00 a.m. this morning with our own Haitian minister, Dr. Wilner Pierre, and we will send what help we can. But all of us need to realize that Jesus Christ Himself predicted massive earthquakes, famine and disease epidemics just before His Second Coming (Luke 21:11). To those who smirk and sneer at God’s Word—some even doubting His existence—He will find ways to get their attention! Brethren, we really do need to powerfully witness to this confused world while there is time. Please help us do this job by being truly zealous at this time with your prayers, your tithes and your generous offerings.

February 10, 2010

Here Meredith scare mongers about the morality and insinuates the United States will soon collapse.

However, as many of you already recognize, America’s days as the “leading world power” are numbered! ... If America is “heading” toward a steep precipice, financially, it is also heading for a similar precipice morally. For increasing numbers of television programs, Internet offerings and other media are definitely going right down into the drain—morally speaking! Sorry, but I can’t put it any better. Many of you recognize this—as even God’s people occasionally have images of vile sex practices, hedonistic violence and the gratuitous taking of God’s name in vain pushed at them as they are “surfing the channels” on television. Frankly, our American and British-descended peoples are morally “sick.” And the Eternal God is not pleased!

Meredith begs for more money.

There has never been a time when it is more important to get involved in the Work of Christ than right now! For time truly is short—as I know many of you fully realize. So, I hope and pray that many of you will “dig down deep” to help us financially as best as you are able, plus pouring out your hearts to God in fervent prayer that God will see us through the trying financial times that our nations are experiencing, and that God’s Work is experiencing as well. We do need your help, and ask all who understand to respond generously at this time.

He also denigrates educational institutions in order to promote his unaccredited Living University.

March 16, 2010

Here Meredith exploits various severe earthquakes to scare monger that his dire predictions will soon come true.

The Eternal God is indeed beginning to intervene and “shake” the nations. Just in the last several weeks, we have had a virtual wave of magnitude 6.0-plus earthquakes. Have you noticed? These powerful quakes have struck in Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Chile, Turkey and—just this weekend—another strong earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter Scale struck Japan.

What is going on? Most news commentators scoff at the idea that the Creator may be starting to intervene in a special way to “shake” people to their senses. But the inspired Word of God tells us that the Creator—whose voice and actions shook His people at Mount Sinai—has promised, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven”....

He also scare mongers about terrorism, famines and epidemics.

So, along with many “fearful sights”—which may be translated “terrors,” or terrorism!—and with increasing “famine” leading to mass starvation, and with a huge upsurge of “pestilence” or disease epidemics—we in these prophesied last days will experience Almighty God intervening to shake, to humble and to chasten the rebellious peoples of this deceived world. He will begin to let them know by these actions that He is God!

April 13, 2010

Here Ames praises his boss, Meredith.

In addition to writing articles for each Tomorrow’s World magazine and our Church news magazine, The Living Church News, Dr. Meredith is taping dynamic Tomorrow’s World telecasts and keeping very active in overseeing operations of the Church around the world, as well as the day-to-day activities here in our Charlotte international headquarters building. He has continued to preach frequent sermons here in Charlotte and in various congregations around the nation. And he is doing all this with great power and effectiveness, despite having experienced a stroke a year and a half ago. Dr. Meredith will turn 80 years of age in June, and I tell him that since Moses anciently began his main ministry at age 80, we can rightly pray that his work is just beginning. He knows that his life is in God’s hands, and he appreciates your prayers and support for him—and for the Work he is leading under our Savior, Jesus Christ, with the same faithfulness and dedication that has inspired me ever since I first met him nearly 49 years ago, at the Church’s fall festival, the Feast of Tabernacles, in Big Sandy, Texas.

Ames mentions that he became a co-worker of WCG in 1961.

I remember the encouragement and inspiration I felt when, back in 1961, I received a letter from Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong accepting me as a new co-worker with Christ.

Ames then talks about the seven deadly sins, abortions, sex selective abortion in some parts of the world and earthquakes.

At least 17 earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater have struck our globe in the first four months of 2010! Scientists are calling the 8.8 magnitude quake that struck Chile on February 27 one of the seven or eight most powerful temblors ever recorded! The January 12 quake in Haiti, though “merely” a 7.0, was one of the five or six deadliest in recorded history, causing more than 230,000 deaths and several hundred thousand serious injuries. From Chile to China, from Haiti to Japan, earthquakes have reminded us of our fragile existence on planet Earth. Even the central U.S.—far from the Pacific “Ring of Fire”—has been startled by unusual earthquake activity in the first months of 2010, with a 4.0 in Oklahoma on January 15 and a 3.8 in Illinois on February 10. It has been nearly 200 years since the New Madrid Fault buckled in December 1811 and January 1812. Is the American Midwest ready for the next big temblor?

Surprisingly he said nothing about his nonsensical scare mongering about the US federal debt.

Ames also boasts of public presentations given by LCG ministers.

One way this Work is helping people stay alert is through special personal appearances by our evangelists and other ministers. Over the years, Dr. Meredith and others have presented dozens of evangelistic campaigns. Evangelist Dr. Douglas S. Winnail, our Director of Church Administration, has recently been coordinating a major renewal of this important strategy for preaching the Gospel, with excellent results. In fact, just last weekend, Dr. Winnail gave his most recent Tomorrow’s World Special Presentation to subscribers in the Providence, Rhode Island area. Our Canadian Regional Director, Evangelist Gerald Weston, and his fellow ministers have just completed ten Tomorrow’s World special presentations throughout Canada, the latest in Scarborough, Ontario, on April 10. On April 3, Dr. Meredith spoke to an audience of 234 in his hometown of Joplin, Missouri, where he dedicated a new building for Church services and announced that the Tomorrow’s World telecast would soon air on a local television station.

May 14, 2010

Here Meredith insists things are falling apart.

Countless millions of Americans are deeply concerned about our nation’s future. They are beginning to realize that—after the last year or two of horrifying financial crisis and the increasing mistrust of government—America will never be the same again. They instinctively know that “something” is going on! Many leaders in the right-wing media also fear what is happening and are giving you part of the picture. Glenn Beck recently revealed that his worst fear is that a “Reichstag moment”—a catastrophic event bringing an end to our beloved Republic—may soon take place because of ongoing events in our nation. Many in Britain are concerned about the direction of things there.

Although he is happy to exploit these media outlets to spread fear about the future he insists he is one of the elite enlightened ones because of his British Israelism.

But these media leaders—often called “fear-mongers”—do not and cannot understand what is truly ahead. For God has not called them to the understanding of who the British and American people really are. They do not understand the reality of the soon-coming government of God to be set up on this earth under Jesus Christ. They do not understand the laws of that government which will soon be set up—and how each of us ought to be preparing to take part in that government under Jesus Christ. They cannot understand—not through their own fault, but because God has not “called” them yet.

Meredith insists on having a long record of accurately predicting the future.

Hopefully, having read Tomorrow’s World magazine for many months, most of you realize that this very Work—the Tomorrow’s World telecast and Tomorrow’s World magazine—are truly “different.” You know that we tell you about the very “real” God who is now beginning to intervene to bring down the British-descended and American peoples because of our national sins! Many of you remember how God’s true servants and the Work of which we are a continuation prophesied directly that the great “sea gates” of the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, the Strait of Malacca and others would be “taken away” from our peoples! Remember how Herbert W. Armstrong specifically predicted, three decades in advance, that the nations of eastern Europe would “break away” from the Soviet Union, and that the Berlin Wall would come down? These things and many other specific things have happened! In my almost 58 years in Christ’s ministry, I have been part of this Work proclaiming these very things all over the world. I have seen it happen with my own eyes. I know that God is real! That He is powerful! And that He is beginning to intervene now in a way He has not done since the parting of the Red Sea!

He boasts about never asking "the public" for money.

As all our long-time subscribers know, we never ask the public for money, and we never will. This is no gimmick. There is no catch. You do not have to worry about me asking you for money. Other religious organizations are constantly and incessantly appealing to and begging the public for donations or asking them to buy excessively over-priced products, which are often couched as “donations.” You be the judge. We do not do that. We truly believe that we have freely received, and that we should freely give....

He then insists his donors should be zealous in supporting his LCG.

And, while I am at it, what is holding you back? It is easy to just “go along” in your normal routine even though massive events are now beginning to occur all over the world in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Truly the end of this present age is near. Now is the time to “lay up treasure in heaven” by your service to God and to your fellow man (Matthew 6:19-21). All of us who are “called” have a responsibility. We have a powerful Work to do! May God give you the faith and the courage to truly “prove all things” and act on the message He is giving you right now through this letter.

June 15, 2010

Here Meredith boasts about how good Armstrongism has been to him over the years.

By the time most of you read this letter, I will have turned 80 years of age. God has been very good to me during these 80 years—giving me a wonderful stable family setting as I grew up, and a happy childhood. Now, over the years, He has given me a fine family, with six children, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He has given me a wonderful opportunity to serve in the very Work of God for nearly 61 years—counting my student years at Ambassador College. He gave me the opportunity to study directly under Herbert W. Armstrong and to have thousands of hours of personal association with him, and countless meetings, meals, trips together, and other activities over the last 36 years of Mr. Armstrong’s life. I am very grateful for that opportunity—and for the wonderful privilege to carry on the Work which Christ began through Herbert and Loma Armstrong so many years ago. Now, after about 17-and-a-half years in the Global and now the Living Church of God, doing this Work, I can be thankful for the progress we have made in spite of our human weaknesses.

Many bemoan the negative aspects of Armstrongism upon its followers lives. But for a numerically small elite Armstrongism has given them plenty of prestige, power and wealth. Meredith is one of this numerically small elite.

He also boasts about LCG's attempts to get more tithes paying members. He chooses to use the carrot in this co-worker letter.

July 15, 2010

Here Meredith exploits the deaths and suffering of Japanese people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki who endured the atomic bomb explosions to get his mainly white, American audience fearful that something similar will soon happen to them.

Within a few days after most of you read this, a very important anniversary will occur. It will be the 65^th anniversary of “Little Boy”—the first atomic bomb which was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. Although it almost immediately obliterated a major city and the lives of tens of thousands of human beings, it may have saved the lives of millions by helping bring World War II to a swift conclusion. Have you seen the footage of the utter devastation of Hiroshima? Miles and miles of totally demolished buildings. At the edge of the city, still more buildings destroyed or badly damaged and a few thousand survivors wandering through the rubble—often with sad, empty-looking eyes and shreds of skin hanging from their burned bodies. Elsewhere, huge piles of human corpses.

After the bomb was unleashed, the sky above Hiroshima grew bright with a violent flash. “My God, what have we done?” wrote co-pilot Captain Robert Lewis in his flight log. Nearly 70,000 are estimated to have died almost instantly as a result of the bomb, with another 70,000 suffering serious injury. After the lingering effects of the blast are considered—cancer and poisoning from radioactive fallout, etc.—as many as 200,000 Japanese died as a result of that one bomb. Afterward, the pilot, co-pilot and bombardier must have realized the enormity of what had happened. For a huge city was suddenly “gone.” Entire families suddenly disappeared. And the entire “world around” of those who lived on would never be the same again. Indeed, the entire world had undergone a dramatic pivotal point in human experience—for millions now realized the absolute possibility of cosmocide—the total annihilation of the human race which Jesus clearly described in Matthew 24:21-22.

My dear friends and brethren, I tell you sincerely, we in the United States, Canada, Britain, etc., are swiftly drawing closer to another such turning point in human history. For our “world”—almost everything around us—is going to swiftly change over the next very few years! Yet most of those around us “just don’t get it.” They think that “all is well,” and that America and Britain have always “pulled through” every crisis. And they tell themselves, “Not to worry!” Meanwhile, the “prosperity gospel” preachers with their flamboyant clothes and fancy hairdos proclaim, “Just think positively about what you want, and reach out for it. Then God will give it to you!”

He boasts about speaking to a presentation in front of an audience of 300.

So we are very thankful for the results that God is giving us. A few days ago, my wife and I returned from Dallas, TX, where we had nearly 300 people attend a Tomorrow’s World Special Presentation—a public campaign proclaiming the message of  Christ to those interested in following through and giving their lives to God. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ames will return tonight from Trinidad where he conducted a similar campaign—this time with more than 300 people in attendance, and a wonderful response. Around the world and around the country, the Work of God is increasing in power.

He also insists that all is well among the LCG 1%.

We also have a great deal of unity and loyalty because we practice the “way of God”—including the correct form of Church Government which Jesus Christ and the apostles clearly taught and practiced continually. So we are blessed. God has been good to us in spite of our human faults and errors. So we have much to be thankful for.

He insists that the English speaking nations will soon be destroyed by Europeans.

In a foundational prophecy given for all of us in the English-speaking nations—plus the peace loving nations of Northwestern Europe—God describes a time when the modern descendants of the House of Israel would become wealthy and turn aside from God and finally be taken into slavery.

August 17, 2010

Here Richard Ames scare mongers about the US military being bad stewards of their financial resources.

Has the U.S. Pentagon demonstrated good stewardship? This news headline seems almost unbelievable: “Audit: US cannot account for $8.7 billion in Iraqi funds” (Associated Press, July 27, 2010). Does the U.S. government just give money away without any accountability? ... Can you imagine any successful organization conducting business in such a way that it cannot account for 95 percent of its spending? No! And if we do not as a nation repent of our poor stewardship, God will continue to allow the U.S. and other modern Israelite nations to self-destruct! ...

This irresponsible fiscal approach assumes that U.S. productivity will continue to flourish, and that our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will pay for our massive indebtedness. ... Will we be able to stop this deadly “cancer”? Can you even imagine paying $1 trillion dollars in interest? As I have emphasized in my Tomorrow’s World Special Presentations, there is a solution to the global financial crisis. If every nation—and particularly our Western nations—would choose to obey God, we would not only turn this crisis around, but we would abundantly prosper. Our nations need to repent of their godless ways, and to repent of stealing from God!

Although LCG's leaders insist that their followers must send money in order to warn the United States of impending catastrophe Ames insists that national repentance will not happen.

Of course, the probability of national repentance is near zero, but God has given us the mission to warn our nations, and call them to repentance! Many of you have benefited from God’s blessings for your obedience and generosity.

Then why is he trying to get LCG members to send money to do something that will not stop the United States from being conquered by frenzied Europeans? Because that is not the goal. The goal is to get more members who will contribute to keep LCG going and keep supply the money for LCG's 1% to live on.

October 18, 2010

Here Meredith boasts of the Armstrongite, improperly observed Feast of Tabernacles.

My friends, we will certainly be blessed if we learn to actually practice what God clearly commands in the Holy Days we keep, the way we live our lives, and the emphasis we have on truly preparing for the coming Kingdom of God—the World Government which will soon be set up on this earth under Jesus Christ and the true saints of God.

He boasts that Armstrongites like LCG members properly understand these festivals.

However, though tens of thousands of people in various religious fellowships partly observe some of God’s Holy Days, very few really understand the meaning of God’s commanded annual festivals. They do not comprehend that these festivals actually picture the Plan of the Creator as it relates to our personal salvation—and how God, step by step, is working with mankind to eventually bring all human beings into His divine Family.

In other words the Jews do not understand their own religious festivals. Only the followers of a failed advertising man based in Eugene and then Pasadena.

The Jews celebrate their beautiful and precious festival by making sukkot within their houses.

Even as I have been writing this letter, news has come to my desk from The Independent newspaper in Great Britain that a secret treaty is right now being planned by a number of major world powers—a treaty which will drastically change the American and British “way of life” within the next several years! The article entitled, “The demise of the dollar” was written by Robert Fisk.

It is surprising that Meredith should quote Robert Fisk. He tends to be quite critical of the United States policies regarding the Middle East. Normally a journalist like him would be simply excluded from discussion. But Meredith exploits Fisk's article to scare mongers about some sort of financial catastrophe to soon strike the United States.

Dear friends, this article goes on to show that Brazil and India have both “shown interest” in collaborating in this plan to do away with the dollar as the major world reserve currency. Other nations will probably become involved down the line, as indicated. This article has great current significance because many of the events it describes are now underway! Just this past summer, China detached itself from the bilateral exchange rate with the U.S. dollar, instead choosing to compare itself to a “basket” of other currencies. One reason was to deflect attention away from the U.S. dollar (Reuters, July 22, 2010). Nations of the world are increasingly concerned about the U.S. dollar and spiraling U.S. sovereign debt. The U.S. debt is also acting to polarize nations and even drive some nations together—for example the gulf nations.

A lot of the COGs' scare mongering about the US dollar is nonsense.

November 10, 2010

Here Meredith mentions the 2010 elections.

For even as I write, the effects of America’s “mid-term” elections are being felt. Many millions of Americans are upset at the massive spending spree of our federal government. They are deeply worried about our huge national debt. And they are fearful that even the lives of their children and grandchildren will not hold the promise and the opportunities that they themselves have had. Truly, America’s and Britain’s “pride of power” is being broken.

Meredith scare mongers about "wrong government" causing so many problems today.

What is the primary human source of most of the troubles, the suffering and the anguish affecting the nations of this world? From the despotic dictators of many Middle Eastern and African nations to the merely “corrupt” leaders of North and South America and elsewhere, most of the suffering we experience can be traced directly to wrong government! ... In other areas of the world, like Russia and a number of Asian nations, political opponents sometimes “disappear” and are never heard from again! In the United States, many of the candidates for high office have a proven record of corruption, lying or even criminal behavior!

He boasts about how he started up LCG's telecast. He even equates GCG's The World Ahead telecast as though it was the same as LCG's Tomorrow's World telecast.

I carried on Mr. Armstrong’s heritage beginning in 1992, and continued to proclaim Christ’s Gospel on radio in 1993 to 1995. In 1995 I began what is now called the Tomorrow’s World television program. And for the past 15 years this Work has been broadcasting in nations scattered around the world. We have been on nearly 600 TV stations off and on through these years. And we are presently airing the telecast on more than 300 TV stations, plus thousands of cable systems serving thousands of communities.

He boasts that he never asks "the public" for money.

All of our publications, as we always say, are totally free of charge, and we never ask the public for money. This is a Work of faith.

How wonderfully selective.

December 15, 2010

Here Meredith boasts about his 58th anniversary of his ordination by HWA.

Before you receive this letter, I will be observing the 58th anniversary of my ordination as an Evangelist of Jesus Christ. The world has turned over many times since that date, December 20, 1952. Many of the major world events that Herbert W. Armstrong and I and others who assisted him have prophesied for so many years have already come to pass. A number of others are right now in progress. And the situation is clearly coming into focus for the other prophecies to begin to occur very quickly. Dear brethren, please understand! Although many years have passed since we first began sounding the “Ezekiel Warning,” your Bible indicates that—at the very end—these events will speed up and take many people by surprise.

If it is good to commemorate anniversaries like that why is it sinful to celebrate one's birthday?

Meredith boasts of getting a time slot on the Discovery Channel.

Huge doors are now opening to us. Just this month we started airing the Tomorrow’s World program on the Discovery Channel in the United States, reaching 99.5 million households. But the Discovery Channel airs worldwide, yet we are only on it in the United States. Your prayers could help this Work go through even bigger doors. The Discovery Channel has separate feeds going to 258 million households in Asia, 76 million in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and 37 million homes in Latin America. In all, the Discovery Channel reaches 470 million homes. Your sincere, fervent prayers could help this Work reach many of these homes totaling as many as 1.4 billion men, women and children!

He also boasts of getting a slot on God TV.

Starting in less than three weeks, the Tomorrow’s World telecast will start airing on “God TV,” which reaches 175 million homes around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan, India, China and Australasia. This is another huge door, but we need your prayers for God to move people to watch the Tomorrow’s World telecast and respond! “God TV” reaches more than 500 million people around the world! This is big, and your prayers do help!

Just three weeks after beginning to broadcast God TV learned what sort of doctrines LCG taught and kicked them out of the TV station.

And so Meredith and Ames continues to maintain and try to sustain their LCG. But God has not revealed the future to them. There is no need to fear their dire predictions or to send them any money.

PCG Radio: When Israelis Learned Hebrew (1948)

In a recent broadcast of Jeremiah Jacques' recruitment radio program, The Sun Also Rises, he encourages people to devote their free time to productive hobbies. In seeking to encourage this he cites the example of how many Israeli Jews learned modern Hebrew in the early years of the State of Israel's existence.

No matter your age you can and should be excellent at a productive habit even if it a pretty technical one like learning a second language. Just think of the example of the modern nation of Israel. It was formed in 1948 and Jewish people from all over Europe and the world immigrated there. And very few of those people spoke Hebrew before that time. But they all moved to Israel and they built a government and decided that all business and education and science and government and everything else would be conducted in the Hebrew language.

So suddenly you have people who previously spoke only Russian or German or English or Polish or French or whatever it may have been and suddenly these people are designated to be the Foreign Minister of Israel or Israel's Ambassador to Spain or all these other high ranking government positions. And they had to attend and participate in meetings that were conducted solely in Hebrew. And many of these people were sixty or seventy years old when they started learning the Hebrew language.

But if you look into this account it's really fascinating because most of them came to command the Hebrew language pretty powerfully within just six months or a year or so. And of course for them it was not a hobby. It was more of a necessity. But I think that example should dismantle a lot of our excuses and a lot of our resistance. (Jeremiah Jacques, "The Value of Hobbies," The Sun Also Rises, May 12, 2016, 13:05-14:38.) 

Israelis speak modern Hebrew. It is not the same as the Hebrew used in the Old Testament. This is due to the simple change in circumstances that since those days many words have been adopted from other languages and sometimes words signifying a particular meaning have changed.

And because those who used modern Hebrew in conversation from the 1880s onward were initially Ashkenazim Jews from Europe it bears characteristics of Yiddish and reflects European languages as opposed to the Hebrew used by Mizrachi Jews from the Middle East.

First of they did not just decide to speak Hebrew after founding the State of Israel. It was not that simple. It was used in schools in the Holy Land from 1886 onward. So by 1947 the Jewish community in Palestine were well versed in using modern Hebrew by the time the State of Israel was established in 1948. When these new immigrants arrived there from 1948 onward with previous restrictions removed there was already a well established community there to teach them modern Hebrew.

Also noteworthy is the way Jacques only mentions by name European languages (Russian, German, English, Polish, French). This ignores the fact that many Jews who lived in the Middle East also migrated to Israel. He even neglected to mention Yiddish, the language used by Ashkenazim Jews all over Europe for centuries.

This indicates that PCG's leaders have projected their own sense of whiteness onto Israeli Jews. But Judaism is a religion that dates back thousands of years long before any modern conception of a white race came to be conceived of by anyone. This suggests the predominantly white PCG leadership supports the State of Israel because they think the Israeli Jews are white like themselves.

And Jacques makes no mention of the mass expulsion of Palestinians in 1947-9. About 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from the State of Israel during the Israeli War of Independence. The expulsion of the Palestinians from Ramleh and Lydda was but a part of the mass expulsion. Naturally with so many Palestinians having been expelled there are varying estimates.

Statistics for refugee figures have been as high as 935,573 according to UNRWA registrations, to as low as 530,000 according to some Israeli sources. The British Foreign Office estimated the total number of refugees to be 810,000 in February 1949 and then issued a revised estimate of 600,000. The UNCCP Technical Office gave a figure of 760,000. The US government estimated a total refugee population of 875,000 as of 1953. [It states elsewhere that the consensus figure is now about 750,000.] (Beyond Occupation, 2011, p. 292.)

The Palestinian refugees yearned to return home but the Israeli government did not let them return.

That is a major reason so many migrated to Israel in those days. Most of the Palestinian Arabs living there had been forced to leave by Israeli forces. Some of the empty houses they had been forced to leave were inhabited by recently arrived immigrants who were approved by the newly established state. Some were left in ruins in parks. The Palestinians who remained in Israeli territory (sometimes by accident) were placed under military rule until 1966.

But PCG's leaders do not view the Palestinians as white like themselves. Could that be a reason why PCG's leaders tend to ignore them?

This anecdote reveals more than what is intended about the PCG leadership's views on this issue.

Some Links

Some links that the COGs will be unlikely to mention to their followers.

Max Blumenthal discusses David Horowitz slurring William Kristol as a "renegade Jew" for proposing to launch a third party candidate to campaign against Trump. What other forms of crude demagoguery will the public have to endure in this election campaign? If one wishes to criticize him there is no need to bring his religion into such arguments. It is to be hoped that this will not be the start of a nasty trend.

A Haaretz columnist bemoans the coarsening of Israeli society.

David Sheen listens to an ultra-Orthodox preacher tell an audience in Dimona, Israel not to marry non-Jews.

Israeli settlers near Bethlehem got caught threatening Palestinians with a fake gun. (Hat tip.)

The Iron Heel by Jack London (1908). A haunting novel warning of the possible rise of tyranny. A premonitions of the disasters that soon tore the world apart. Some of its political ideas have since become dated and show their age. However this novel's warning that those in power might be tempted to abuse their power remains as relevant as ever.

HWA's Meetings with Israeli Officials

Let us take a look at HWA's interaction with Israeli officials. In order to learn more about this topic let us take a look at what HWA said in his co-worker letters [PDF]. These letters have been compiled into a 2715 page PDF file. When quoting HWA the page number refers to that PDF file.

What HWA Said in the Co-Worker Letters

Let us take a look at what HWA said of these officials in his co-worker letters.

Topics discussed in these passages include:

• Sponsoring archaeological excavations.

• Funding the International Cultural Center for Youth in Jerusalem. According to HWA it was almost wholly funded by Ambassador College and AICF for about ten years (about 1968-1978). (December 27, 1978, p. 2341.)

• Improving the State of Israel's relations with Japan and Kenya as noted in the passage discussing Yitzak Rabin. (At least that is what HWA claimed Rabin said to him. I advise caution with believing that claim.)

HWA in at least one point insinuates that relations between the State of Israel and Arab states that HWA had visited have become more friendly after he started visiting them. One should be quite skeptical of any such claim of that sort by HWA. Any influence HWA had regarding negotiations between the State of Israel and the neighboring Arab states appear to be practically non-existent.

At one point HWA denigrates the condition of East Jerusalem that had been left in by the Palestinian people who lived there before the 1967 Six Day War revealing his personal bias against the Palestinians. (August 19, 1976, pp. 2220-1.)

If he ever met David Ben-Gurion or Abba Eban as had hoped HWA never mentioned those meetings in his Co-Worker Letters. (February 28, 1972, p. 1851.)

At one point HWA boasts that Moshe Dayan was a friend of his for ten years. (December 27, 1978, p. 2341.) But that is the only time he is ever mentioned in HWA's co-worker letters.

(Update: May 29, 2021: The previous paragraph is in error. The alleged friend of ten years was the Speaker of the Knesset. In 1978 that post was held by Yitzhak Shamir. Shamir, as far as I can tell, was never mentioned by name in HWA's co-worker letter. He would later be Prime Minister in 1983-4 and 1986-92.)

Stanley Rader is mentioned as accompanying HWA.

HWA's Co-Worker Letters

In 2011 PCG released a booklet apparently written by Joel Hilliker entitled A Warm Friend of Israel recounting HWA's relations with Israeli government officials in order to proclaim PCG to be the sole legitimate continuation of HWA's activities and to delegitimze all the other COG groups. PCG's booklet boasts of HWA meeting with the following prominent Israeli politicians. 

The first official to welcome Mr. Armstrong into “a partnership with Israel” was a signer of the 1948 Declaration of Independence, Tourism Minister Moshe Kol. From that initial partnership at the Knesset in 1968 to his death in 1986, Mr. Armstrong met with President Zalman Shazar, Prime Minister Golda Meir, President Ephraim Katzir, Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin, Prime Minister Menachem Begin, President Yitzhak Navon, President Chaim Herzog and Prime Minister Shimon Peres. (PCG, A Warm Friend of Israel, 2011, p. 5.)

HWA's discussion of the Israeli politicians mentioned above now begins.

Moshe Kol

(Israeli Minister of Tourism 1966-77 and Israeli Minister of Transportation 1966-9.)

It was a most memorable luncheon. The favor we were given in their eyes -- the warmth of their attitude toward us -- was inspiring, astonishing, and most unusual. The Israeli Minister of Tourism and Development, Mr. Moshe Kol, proposed that we build an iron bridge that could never be broken between Ambassador College and Hebrew University. After 2 1/2 years that "iron bridge" has been greatly strengthened. (May 28, 1971, p. 1806.)

Saturday night, in the ballroom of the Hilton, we had a dinner with about 45 present. At the center table were Ministers of the Cabinet -- Moshe Kol, and Gideon Hausner and wife. General Yigail Yadin, organizer of the Israeli Army in 1948, former Chief of Staff, noted archaeologist, scholar and author; Professor Mazar, Mr. and Mrs. Rader and myself. Many other top priority people in government and education were present. It was a renewing of friendships that now have lasted and grown deeper for eight years. (August 19, 1976, p. 2222.)

And through the AICF we are supporting the ICCY (International Cultural Center for Youth) directed by Minister of Tourism Moshe Kol -- bringing about a new and friendly relationship between Israeli and Arab youth, especially in Jerusalem. (August 19, 1976, p. 2223.)

There was a special program for me and our party at the ICCY (International Cultural Center for Youth), founded by Eleanor Roosevelt and by Moshe Kol, for years a member of the Knesset and Minister of Tourism for the nation. The program consisted of special dances by both male and female Israeli and Arab youth. The ICCY has been almost wholly supported in the past ten years by Ambassador College and the AICF, and is doing a good work in bringing about an active friendship between Arab and Israeli youth. (December 27, 1978, p. 2341.)

Israeli Prime Ministers

Golda Meir
 
(Prime Minister of Israel, 1969-74.)

In Jerusalem I had a long talk with Mrs. Golda Meir, the Prime Minister. She explained the high tensions between Israel and the Arab nations merely in an armistice. Actually the '67 war has not yet been settled. Jerusalem, as I have told you before, will be the number one news source in the world from now on. (February 27, 1971, p. 1785.)

In the June number of The PLAIN TRUTH -- and I HOPE we'll be able to print and send out such a vast number of copies -- I'll give you my report on my conference with Mrs. Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel, and also of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India. I will give you my own close - up personal portrait evaluation of those two outstanding women -- sitting in seats of TREMENDOUS POWER in a very sick, war - inflamed world! (April 12, 1971, p. 1800.)

On learning that we had just come from meetings with the King, and with the Crown Prince the evening before -- following meetings with President Giri of India, and Prime Minister Golda Meir of Israel -- and on the previous trip with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India -- at which time King Leopold was traveling with us -- and that two days later we were to have a private meeting with the King of Thailand (Siam) -- this government official looked puzzled, and asked, "Well how in the world do you do it? We've been trying for six months to arrange meetings with some of these people, and yet we haven't been able." And they had the power and prestige of the U.S. government! (May 28, 1971, p. 1808.)

I suppose most people could never realize how nearly IMPOSSIBLE it is to have a half - hour, a forty - five - minute or a l 1/2 - hour personal meeting -- as I have had with President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines and Mrs. Gandhi of India, and with Prime Minister Sato and Crown Prince Akihito of Japan, and with the King of Thailand, and Prime Minister Golda Meir of Israel -- and OTHERS -- for example. (May 28, 1971, p. 1809.)

A meeting is also planned with the President of South Korea at the same time, and also meetings with the King of Thailand at Bangkok, with President Giri, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India at New Delhi, then meetings with several leaders of Israel at Jerusalem -- possibly another meeting with Mrs. Golda Meir, and one with former Prime Minister Ben - Gurion -- and I believe a meeting has been arranged with the Foreign Minister, Mr. Abba Eban. Finally a meeting with the President of Romania on the way back to our campus in England, and then returning to Pasadena. (February 28, 1972, p. 1851.)

I overlooked mentioning that, on meeting the Prime Minister of Ceylon, I have now had meetings of some length with all three of the women Prime Ministers in the world -- the other two being Mrs. Indira Gandhi, and Mrs. Golda Meir of Israel (whom, by the way, I may see again this week). (March 26, 1972, p. 1858.)

In Israel we have meetings scheduled with Abba Eban, the Foreign Minister -- possibly another meeting with Mrs. Meir, besides many others. Then we have a meeting scheduled with the President of Romania, en route to our campus in England, and after a few days there, back to Pasadena Headquarters. (March 26, 1972, p. 1860.)

When I spoke of a meeting with Mrs. Golda Meir, the late prime minister of Israel, a picture of me talking with her was flashed on the screen. (February 8, 1981, p. 2503.)

Yitzak Rabin

(Prime Minister of Israel, 1974-7, 1992-5.)

Intriguingly in this section it is stated that HWA helped to improve the State of Israel's relations with Japan and Kenya.

But Monday was our BIG DAY -- our meeting with Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin. Usually it is contrary to protocol in many countries to see both the President and the Prime Minister on the same visit. This time I did not see President Katzir, but I had already had two or three fine personal meetings with him, and he sent to me his personal regards and best wishes on this visit.

My appointment with the Prime Minister was at noon Monday. Ambassador Ravid (also formerly Ambassador to Guinea) went along with us. As you know, I am nearly always accompanied on such visits with Mr. Stanley R. Rader, our chief legal counsel, and now also Vice President for Financial Affairs, and Executive Vice President of the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation (AICF). This time Mrs. Rader also accompanied us.

Mr. Rabin is not noted for a big wide vote - getting political smile like Jimmy Carter (usually he is a very solemn man) and being the chief executive handling all the troubles of a modern Israel -- he has reason to be serious. But he met me and our party with a warm and cordial smile.

"Mr. Prime Minister," I said, "I'm sorry it's been such a long time before I've had an opportunity to meet you, but it is indeed a pleasure and an honor."

"Well, Mr. Armstrong," he smiled in return, "it's just happened that I've been in your country or Europe or some other place every time you've been here since I became Prime Minister. But of course I know a great deal about you, and we all do deeply appreciate your interest in Israel."

The entire meeting, lasting perhaps 45 minutes, was warm and friendly. We spoke about the two jet planes that have more or less "commuted" between Jerusalem and Cairo, and he was candid in telling us of Secretary Kissinger's peace accomplishments. He was very appreciative of my efforts toward WORLD PEACE, and especially in bringing nations like Japan and Israel closer together -- also Kenya and Israel; and my friendships with Arab chiefs - of - state; and efforts toward a better approach to harmony and understanding between them and Israel. Actually there has been a slight lessening of tensions between some of my Arab friends -- heads of governments -- and Israel. And through the AICF we are supporting the ICCY (International Cultural Center for Youth) directed by Minister of Tourism Moshe Kol -- bringing about a new and friendly relationship between Israeli and Arab youth, especially in Jerusalem.

Somehow, returning to Jerusalem seems like returning home -- and it may be my home for a thousand years, beginning VERY SOON, NOW! (August 19, 1976, pp. 2222-3.)

Menachem Begin

(Prime Minister of Israel, 1977-83.)

I had meetings with President Navon, with Prime Minister Begin, Yigael Yadin (leader of the Democratic Movement for Change Party), Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, Speaker of the Knesset (a friend of ten years standing), Shimon Peres (leader of the leading Labor Party), Mayor Teddy Kollek, Knesset member Gideon Hausner (who prosecuted the German Eichmann as Attorney General for Israel,) Professor Benjamin Mazar, who directed our great archaeological project adjoining the south wall of the Temple, Dr. Joseph Aviram of the Hebrew University, and many others. (December 27, 1978, p. 2341.)

And I forgot to tell you that after speaking with Prime Minister Begin in the Knesset last week, I am scheduled for a meeting with President Sadat in Cairo (or, perhaps in Aswan), in February, and another visit to Tokyo in April. I am happy to be back in harness once again. (December 27, 1978, p. 2343.)

I shall fly on overseas for visits with President Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Begin at Jerusalem -- provided they are not then meeting with President Carter at Camp David. It was announced last night that the President has invited them both, and they have accepted. (March 21, 1980, p. 2446.)

Then on to Jerusalem again where I have another meeting with Prime Minister Menachem Begin, besides many other meetings with officials in government and universities. I hope to inspect again the major archaeological project we are participating in immediately south of the Temple wall extending to the adjacent City of David. (October 23, 1980, p. 2479.)

By the way, it may interest you to know I am writing from Jerusalem, November 3. The United States presidential election is tomorrow. Today I had a good long talk with Prime Minister Menachem Begin at his office, accompanied by Mr. Stanley Rader as usual, and also with the mayor of Jerusalem Teddy Kollek and with our dear friend and former Israel consul general of Los Angeles, Michael Ravid. The prime minister left an important meeting in Tel Aviv, taking the one - hour drive to Jerusalem for our private meeting and then back to finish the meeting at Tel Aviv. When I mentioned how considerate it was of him to make this special effort to see me, he said he would rise up in the middle of the night to see me. Our meeting ended in an affectionate bear hug. He was very gracious and considerate. He gave me a special overview statement on the Middle East situation for our PLAIN TRUTH readers. I have decided to give him and President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt together a big cover story in The PLAIN TRUTH, either the January or February number. I am to have a private meeting with President Sadat next Sunday or Monday. Our photographers are along, and you will see pictures of these important Middle East meetings. These heads of governments know I am doing what I can, as God leads, in bringing PEACE between nations -- although real peace will have to be brought at last by the living Jesus Christ, returning to earth in all the supreme POWER and GLORY of the Great GOD! He will come to this city -- and, thankfully, soon! (November 3, 1980, pp. 2483-4.)

On Monday, November 3 (the day before the U.S. presidential election), I had another very splendid meeting with Prime Minister Menachem Begin. I was of course accompanied by Mr. Rader and also present was Mayor Teddy Kollek. The prime minister had interrupted a government meeting in Tel Aviv, to come with a one - hour automobile drive to Jerusalem for our meeting. The Tel Aviv meeting recessed for 2 - 1/2 hours until Mr. Begin could return. When I apologized for this interruption and his two - hour round trip drive for our meeting, he said, "Mr. Armstrong, I would get up at 2 o'clock in the morning, if necessary, to see you." I told the prime minister we were planning to publish a cover story about him and President Sadat of Egypt in The PLAIN TRUTH, and he smilingly approved. The meeting ended in a bear hug. Our meeting with President Sadat in Cairo had to be postponed, because President Yitzhak Navon of Israel was in Cairo on a state visit while we were there, and we were planning a full televised private meeting with him. Our own TV crew had been flown over there, and the meeting with Mr. Begin was photographed and will be shown later on television. (November 26, 1980, pp. 2485-6.)

Today, as a new President is inaugurated in Washington, also comes the news that my dear friend, Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel, is being almost thrust out of office -- his government about to fall. There was to be a reelection in Israel in November, when Mr. Begin probably planned to retire anyway, because of serious heart trouble. But he has held his government in power only by the narrowest margin for the past several days, and now he has announced a new election in July instead of November. The last time I saw him, hardly two months ago, we parted with a bear hug. However, whoever is elected next prime minister is in all likelihood the man I also know well, and we still have many friends at and near the top in Israel. (January 20, 1981, p. 2500.)

Shimon Peres

(Prime Minister of Israel, 1977, 1984-6, 1995-6. President of Israel, 2007-14.)

I had meetings with President Navon, with Prime Minister Begin, Yigael Yadin (leader of the Democratic Movement for Change Party), Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, Speaker of the Knesset (a friend of ten years standing), Shimon Peres (leader of the leading Labor Party), Mayor Teddy Kollek, Knesset member Gideon Hausner (who prosecuted the German Eichmann as Attorney General for Israel,) Professor Benjamin Mazar, who directed our great archaeological project adjoining the south wall of the Temple, Dr. Joseph Aviram of the Hebrew University, and many others. (December 27, 1978, p. 2341.)

In Jerusalem, I had a personal meeting with Prime Minister Shimon Peres. He had a meeting a couple days before with Secretary Shultz. I asked him how he viewed the Middle East question as of the moment. He replied, "I am very hopeful we may have a break - through soon." (May 16, 1985, p. 2685.)

Israeli Presidents

Zalman Shazar

(President of Israel, 1963-73.)

December: Joint participation with Hebrew University in archaeological project completed in palace - residence of Israel President Zalman Shazar. (January 7, 1969, p. 1628.)

And on December l, at the official residence of Israel's President, Zalman Shazar, we made the joint participation official. (May 28, 1971, p. 1807.)

In many ways I have had a deep personal interest in Jerusalem since December 1, 1968. On that date, in a formal ceremony at the palace of the late President Shazar, Ambassador College entered into this joint participation formally with Hebrew University and the Israel Archeological Society. (August 19, 1976, pp. 2219-20.)

Ephraim Katzir

(President of Israel, 1973-8.)

This time I did not see President Katzir, but I had already had two or three fine personal meetings with him, and he sent to me his personal regards and best wishes on this visit. (August 19, 1976, p. 2223.)

Yitzak Navon

(President of Israel, 1978-83.)

I had meetings with President Navon, with Prime Minister Begin, Yigael Yadin (leader of the Democratic Movement for Change Party), Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, Speaker of the Knesset (a friend of ten years standing), Shimon Peres (leader of the leading Labor Party), Mayor Teddy Kollek, Knesset member Gideon Hausner (who prosecuted the German Eichmann as Attorney General for Israel,) Professor Benjamin Mazar, who directed our great archaeological project adjoining the south wall of the Temple, Dr. Joseph Aviram of the Hebrew University, and many others. (December 27, 1978, p. 2341.)

Our meeting with President Sadat in Cairo had to be postponed, because President Yitzhak Navon of Israel was in Cairo on a state visit while we were there, and we were planning a full televised private meeting with him. Our own TV crew had been flown over there, and the meeting with Mr. Begin was photographed and will be shown later on television. (November 26, 1980, p. 2486.)

A week ago yesterday, Thursday, November 19, I had a personal meeting with President Yitzhak Navon of Israel in Jerusalem, and the night before I was guest of honor at a banquet hosted by Mayor Teddy Kollek of Jerusalem. Present also were former Mayor John Lindsay of New York City, and Jacob Rothschild of London. (November 27, 1981, p. 2539.)

Chaim Herzog (President of Israel, 1983-93) is left unmentioned in HWA's Co-Worker Letters. However HWA did meet him on June 26, 1984 as is noted on page 1 of the July 16, 1984 issue of Worldwide News.

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Teddy Kollek

(Mayor of Jerusalem, 1965-93.)

Still another very important development here: I am here also to consult further with Mayor Kollek of Jerusalem. He was our guest at Ambassador College in Pasadena only eleven days ago. And also with officials of the government's Ministry of Education, concerning the distribution of our booklets here in Israel. (April 12, 1971, p. 1798.)

We arrived Thursday -- late afternoon. Friday morning, Mayor Teddy Kollek met us at the Jerusalem Hilton Hotel at ten. He took us on a 2 1/2 hour tour of portions of the "old city" where the Mayor has been supervising rejuvenation and rebuilding. After all the years of being "trodden down by the Gentiles" the old walled city has become dirty, decayed -- anything but beautiful. But Mayor Kollek is RESTORING much of its original beauty.

Israel is a very poor country -- economically. The government does not have billions upon billions of dollars for such purposes. Much of this restoration is being done by volunteer labor. It made me think of the early days in building Ambassador College. ...

First the Mayor took us through the citadel -- or the "Tower of David." This is an agglomeration of old buildings, inside the northwest corner of the walled city. Some of these old brick and stone buildings date back to the second century B.C. The northern tower of the citadel has been known as the Tower of David since Byzantine times -- but neither the citadel nor Tower of David have any connection with the ancient King David.

There are many walls and many rooms, and it is being restored into beautiful and modern condition.

From the citadel we were taken over to the old Jewish quarter of the old walled city. Here are a cluster of low, domed houses. Very old. Very unimpressive from the outside. But entering, we were struck by the BEAUTY, the MAJESTY of the rooms -- the high ceilings which had looked like very low buildings from the dingy old outside. But Mayor Kollek had done a remarkable job of restoring this area. There were about four synagogues -- each in a different room in the same building -- now very modern, very bright and beautiful on the interiors.

I was really impressed with all the plans Mayor Kollek told us he has in mind for renewing and re - beautifying the city of Jerusalem. ...

Mayor Kollek then took the group of us to a special restaurant for lunch. There, several other friends joined us. (August 19, 1976, pp. 2220-1.)

On July 4th there will be a big "4th of July Celebration" in Jerusalem, hosted jointly by the Mayor of Jerusalem, Mr. Teddy Kollek, and myself. The city of Philadelphia had an exact duplicate made of the Liberty Bell -- crack and all -- and gave it to the city of Jerusalem. In the spring of 1976 -- Passover time -- the mayor came to me privately, and asked my help in building an important downtown park in Jerusalem, to be named the "LIBERTY BELL PARK." Through the AICF, I was able to agree to supply the children's playground area, at the very opening of the park. The park is now completed, and Mayor Kollek has asked me to be present on July 4th for the opening and dedication of the Liberty Bell Park. (May 21, 1978, p. 2275.)

I had meetings with President Navon, with Prime Minister Begin, Yigael Yadin (leader of the Democratic Movement for Change Party), Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, Speaker of the Knesset (a friend of ten years standing), Shimon Peres (leader of the leading Labor Party), Mayor Teddy Kollek, Knesset member Gideon Hausner (who prosecuted the German Eichmann as Attorney General for Israel,) Professor Benjamin Mazar, who directed our great archaeological project adjoining the south wall of the Temple, Dr. Joseph Aviram of the Hebrew University, and many others.

Mayor Kollek had arranged a special inauguration of the new downtown city park in my honor, with a formal ceremony, a band, and speeches. Over the park was flying the stars and stripes, alongside the Israeli flag, and at the entrance on a special stone sculpture work, a plaque had my name engraved in it (since I had sponsored the Children's Playground area at the entrance of the park). This was done through the AICF (Ambassador International Cultural Foundation). The park is called the "Liberty Bell Park," and inside the entrance is an exact replica of the Liberty Bell -- a gift of the city of Philadelphia to the city of Jerusalem. So it's like a bit of America in the very ancient and historic city of Jerusalem. (August 14, 1978, p. 2314.)

Today I had a good long talk with Prime Minister Menachem Begin at his office, accompanied by Mr. Stanley Rader as usual, and also with the mayor of Jerusalem Teddy Kollek and with our dear friend and former Israel consul general of Los Angeles, Michael Ravid. (November 3, 1980, pp. 2484-5.)

In Jerusalem with Mr. Rader we renewed many close friendships with Israeli leaders. I spoke at a banquet hosted by Mayor Teddy Kollek. We attended a Sunday afternoon entertainment by the Arab section of the ICCY (International Cultural Center for Youth) in the "old city" Arab section of the city. It was a performance by both Arab and Israeli youth, with a very hilarious "belly dance" by a little 9-year-old Arab girl. This youth center is succeeding well in bringing together the youths, of both Arab and Jewish children and young people, in harmonious peace instead of hostility. We've been participating in this foundation for 12 years. A whole square in front of the main headquarters building in the newer area of Jerusalem is named "The Herbert W. Armstrong Square." (November 26, 1980, p. 2485.)

On Monday, November 3 (the day before the U.S. presidential election), I had another very splendid meeting with Prime Minister Menachem Begin. I was of course accompanied by Mr. Rader and also present was Mayor Teddy Kollek. (November 26, 1980, p. 2486.)

A week ago yesterday, Thursday, November 19, I had a personal meeting with President Yitzhak Navon of Israel in Jerusalem, and the night before I was guest of honor at a banquet hosted by Mayor Teddy Kollek of Jerusalem. Present also were former Mayor John Lindsay of New York City, and Jacob Rothschild of London. (November 27, 1981, p. 2539.)

Mayor Teddy Kollek hosted a luncheon for me and visited with Aaron Dean and me in our hotel suite. (May 16, 1985, p. 2685.)

Benjamin Mazar

(Head of Hebrew University. Archaeologist.)

Hebrew University is recognized as the top center of scholarship in the Middle East. It is a large university of 12,000 students. Like Ambassador College, its students are serious, studying with purpose. Like Ambassador, there are no hippies, and no student rebellion, or student riots. The fact that they are Jewish and we are not makes no difference (we do have a few Jewish students at Ambassador). This great archaeological project is under the direct supervision of Dr. Benjamin Mazar, one of the world's recognized outstanding experts on archaeology, former President of Hebrew University. (December 10, 1968, p. 1621.)

Some ten days later, Dr. Benjamin Mazar, former President of Hebrew University and now director of archaeological dig, with Dr. Josef Aviram, visited both Texas and Pasadena campuses of Ambassador College, addressing students. (January 7, 1969, p. 1628.)

In Tokyo we met Dr. Binyamin Mazar, Director of our big archaeological exploration in Jerusalem, and also Professor Werblowsky, of Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who is professor of Comparative Religions. (October 28, 1970, p. 1761.)

The professors invited were those whose principal area of interest is the Middle East. All were greatly interested in archaeology. After I spoke, Dr. Mazar showed them many slides of our archaeological project. (October 28, 1970, p. 1761.)

Dr. Hoeh happened to be acquainted with Dr. Benjamin Mazar, archaeologist, and former President of Hebrew University. He found Dr. Mazar at the time in charge of the most important "dig" so far undertaken, starting from the south wall of the Temple Mount. Three major United States universities had sought participation in this outstanding project. All had been rejected. But Professor Mazar offered a 50 - 50 joint participation to Ambassador College!

This was a far more important project than Drs. Hoeh and Martin had envisioned. They were elated, and telexed me the news, requesting that I fly to Jerusalem to inspect this opportunity. I didn't share their enthusiasm, and was unable to go to Jerusalem at the time.

However, about mid - October (1968) I did fly to Jerusalem to look over this project. The "dig" had been begun a few months before. I met Prof. Mazar and inspected the project.

It was much more impressive than I had expected.

I began to realize the scientific and educational value to Ambassador College. A luncheon was held in a private dining room in the Knesset -- the government's capitol building. Present at the luncheon were five high - ranking officials of both the university and the government. And also, with me, were Dr. Hoeh, Mr. Charles F. Hunting, one of Ambassador's Vice Presidents in charge of finances for Britain, Europe and the Middle East, and Mr. Stanley R. Rader, our chief counsel.

It was a most memorable luncheon. The favor we were given in their eyes -- the warmth of their attitude toward us -- was inspiring, astonishing, and most unusual. The Israeli Minister of Tourism and Development, Mr. Moshe Kol, proposed that we build an iron bridge that could never be broken between Ambassador College and Hebrew University. After 2 1/2 years that "iron bridge" has been greatly strengthened.

I did not make final decision, however, at that time. We agreed to meet again in Jerusalem on December 1st, for final decision. Meanwhile, Dr. Mazar, with Dr. Aviram, Dean of the College of Humanities at the university, came to Pasadena, and visited also the Texas campus, to look us over. They liked what they saw. And on December l, at the official residence of Israel's President, Zalman Shazar, we made the joint participation official. (May 28, 1971, pp. 1806-7.)

In November, 1968, when both Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ambassador College were considering the joint participation in the huge archaeological project, Dr. Benjamin Mazar, former President of the University, and Dr. Joseph Aviram, Dean of the College of Humanities at the University, visited the Pasadena and Texas campuses. They were much impressed with what they saw. Several others from Hebrew University and the Israeli government have since visited various ones of our campuses. Ambassador College is highly respected and honored in Israel. (June 28, 1971, p. 1814.)

NINETY Ambassador College students worked on our archaeological project adjoining the Temple Mount in Jerusalem this summer. At a banquet in my honor, hosted by the Hebrew University, with our students present, Professor Mazar presented me with three highly prized artifacts which our students dug up, of the era of Kings David and Solomon, 3,000 years ago -- a decanter and two oil lamps. (August 29, 1972, p. 1896.)

Then at a dinner in Tel Aviv the other night, Professor Mazar, former President of Hebrew University, and now director of our archaeological project at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (including several hundred of our students who worked there under him for the past five years) also promised to attend our next graduation in Pasadena. So, once again, we will have important educational officials from both Japan and Jerusalem, come to Pasadena. (September 19, 1974, p. 2121.)

Saturday night, in the ballroom of the Hilton, we had a dinner with about 45 present. At the center table were Ministers of the Cabinet -- Moshe Kol, and Gideon Hausner and wife. General Yigail Yadin, organizer of the Israeli Army in 1948, former Chief of Staff, noted archaeologist, scholar and author; Professor Mazar, Mr. and Mrs. Rader and myself. Many other top priority people in government and education were present. It was a renewing of friendships that now have lasted and grown deeper for eight years. Sunday afternoon we went over to Professor Mazar's home, and many other top Israelis dropped in while we were there. Professor Mazar is Director of our big dig and a former President of Hebrew University. (August 19, 1976, p. 2222.)

I had meetings with President Navon, with Prime Minister Begin, Yigael Yadin (leader of the Democratic Movement for Change Party), Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, Speaker of the Knesset (a friend of ten years standing), Shimon Peres (leader of the leading Labor Party), Mayor Teddy Kollek, Knesset member Gideon Hausner (who prosecuted the German Eichmann as Attorney General for Israel,) Professor Benjamin Mazar, who directed our great archaeological project adjoining the south wall of the Temple, Dr. Joseph Aviram of the Hebrew University, and many others. (December 27, 1978, p. 2341.)

Other Quotes

I left Pasadena Thursday morning of last week. The night before a most remarkable recital took place in our new auditorium. The great maestro, Arthur Rubinstein, undoubtedly the world's greatest pianist, now 88 years old, gave a recital that will never be forgotten by those who attended. Those gifted, talented fingers performed in an incredible manner such as we had never seen nor heard be fore. He donated his services, as a benefit for the International Cultural Center for Youth (ICCY) at Jerusalem. (January 23, 1975, p. 2144.)

Sunday evening, we had dinner with the Panovs -- ballet artists who appeared last fall in a masterful ballet production at the Ambassador Auditorium. They are among the very top Russian ballet artists. They have defected from Russia and are now building a home in Jerusalem. It was delightful to meet them again, with some of their company. Also with us were our VERY dear friends Ambassador and Mrs. Michael Ravid. He was formerly Consul General at Los Angeles. (August 19, 1976, p. 2222.)