Secretary Hegseth’s Alarming Military Authorization

Amid escalating dangers in the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has authorized dependents of family members stationed on military bases in the Middle East to flee. In Israel, Americans are being warned not to travel outside Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beersheba. Also, the U.K. has issued a warning concerning maritime commerce in the Persian Gulf. We will keep a close eye on our ACLJ office in Jerusalem to ensure everyone is safe.

Much of the uncertainty in the Middle East emanates from Iran, which is warning everyone that if Israel strikes Iran, then it will retaliate by also striking U.S. installations in the region. It could be military bases or even U.S. embassies.

Hegseth is telling military dependents that they can return home to the U.S. on the Pentagon’s dime. We haven’t seen such a move since 2015, when the Pentagon evacuated 900 military dependents in Turkey. Hegseth’s move points to a looming war in the Middle East.

In the meantime, the U.S. is prepping for a sixth meeting with Iran to discuss a nuclear weapons deal. I hope that negotiations go well on Sunday in Oman. If it doesn’t, who knows what the fallout could be? We are all praying for war to be avoided.

We have to keep in mind that the U.S. is dealing with Iran – not a normal government. We all know about its chants of “Death to America!” Because of the billions funneled into Iran by the Biden Administration, Iranian proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis wreaked carnage – especially against Israel. The atrocities of October 7 never would have occurred without Iran’s coffers being refilled.

That’s why Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. The worldwide consequences are unimaginable.

In ACLJ-related news, we are now defending a family whose daughter, Jenna, a high school student at Carmel High School, was denied her right to host a student Bible club – of course, students at the school are freely allowed to start secular clubs. Jenna’s only “offense” was her desire to share her faith. For that, school officials took extreme measures to silence her.

She had finally received permission to form her Bible club, known as the “Good News Club.” She created posters to announce the club’s upcoming meeting. They included a welcoming message, a handful of well-known Bible verses, a cross, and an invitation for all students to attend. However, the school officials removed the posters from the hallways.

The school’s administrators told Jenna that her posters had “too many Bible verses” and the club could not be called the “Good News Club.” She was forced to change the group’s name and remove any religious imagery from her posters, including a cross and even a single Scripture reference.

So her posters were censored because they were Christian. School officials went so far as to insist on reviewing her posters to determine whether they were too religious.

My dad, ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, won the seminal U.S. Supreme Court case 35 years ago defending Bible clubs in Board of Education v. Mergens. We have history on our side in defending students like Jenna.

The ACLJ is demanding that the school district end its unconstitutional suppression of this student’s rights and provide written assurances that Jenna and her peers may meet and express their religious views without interference. If the district refuses, we are fully prepared to file a lawsuit.

We rely entirely on our ACLJ Members and Champions to fund our legal work to defend religious liberty. We can’t thank each of you enough. Please consider donating to defend religious liberty nationwide.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included a full analysis of Secretary Hegseth’s alarming authorization to evacuate military dependents from the Middle East. Also, Steve Wiggins, formerly of Big Tent Revival, joined us in-studio to discuss Groundworks Ministries.

Watch the full broadcast below: