Pence: US Will Fund Faith-Based Groups Instead of UN In Mid-East Relief

On Wednesday evening, Vice President Mike Pence spoke to the In Defense of Christians Solidarity Dinner in Washington, D.C. (full text of remarks).  He said in part:

In Egypt, we see the bombing of churches during Palm Sunday celebrations -- a day of hope transformed into a day of horror.

In Iraq, we see monasteries demolished, priests and monks beheaded, the two-millennia-old Christian tradition in Mosul clinging for survival.

In Syria, we see ancient communities burned to the ground, believers tortured for confessing Christ, and women and children sold into slavery.

Let me assure you tonight, President Trump and I see these crimes for what they are -- vile acts of persecution animated by hatred for Christians and the Gospel of Christ. And so too does this President know who and what has perpetrated these crimes, and he calls them by name -- radical Islamic terrorists....

Here’s the sad reality: The United Nations claims that more than 160 projects are in Christian areas, but for a third of those projects, there are no Christians to help. The believers in Nineveh, Iraq, have had less than 2 percent of their housing needs addressed, and the majority of Christians and Yazidis remain in shelters....

Our fellow Christians and all who are persecuted in the Middle East should not have to rely on multinational institutions when America can help them directly. And tonight, it is my privilege to announce that President Trump has ordered the State Department to stop funding ineffective relief efforts at the United Nations. And from this day forward, America will provide support directly to persecuted communities through USAID.

We will no longer rely on the United Nations alone to assist persecuted Christians and minorities in the wake of genocide and the atrocities of terrorist groups. The United States will work hand-in-hand from this day forward with faith-based groups and private organizations to help those who are persecuted for their faith.

Facebook Not Liable For Delay In Removing Page Containing Anti-Jewish Threats

In Klayman v. Zuckerberg, (DC Cir., June 13, 2014), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit dismissed a suit against Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg alleging assault and breach of duty of care growing out of Facebook's delay in removing a page titled "Third Palestinian Intifada."  The page proclaimed: "Judgment Day will be brought upon us only once Muslims have killed all the Jews." The suit alleged that it took Facebook "many days" after receiving complaints to remove the offending page.  Plaintiff sought an injunction and damages exceeding $1 billion.  The court held that Sec. 230(c) of the Communications Act (47 USC Sec. 230) shields Facebook from liability. That section provides:

No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.

Pope Hosts Prayer Summit With Israeli, Palestinian Presidents

As reported by the New York Times, yesterday Pope Francis hosted a "prayer summit" in the Vatican bringing together Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, head of Orthodox Christians, also attended the ceremony held in a garden behind St. Peter’s Basilica. Vatican Radio has the full text of the remarks of the Pope, President Abbas and President Peres.

DC Transit System Carries Competing Controversial Ads Sparked By Middle East Rivalries

The Washington Post reported last week on the latest round of competing advertising on the sides of Washington, DC's Metro buses.  In mid-March to mid-April, the Illinois-based group American Muslims for Palestine bought advertising space on the sides of 20 buses for an a banner ad featuring a drawing of Uncle Sam waving an Israeli flag, and reading: "We're Sweating April 15 So Israelis Don't Have To! Stop US Aid To Israel's Occupation!" In response to those ads which it described as "Jew-hating,"  the pro-Israel American Freedom Defense Initiative has purchased a month's worth of ads on the side of 20 buses beginning last Monday. Those ads feature a photo of Adolph Hitler with the mufti of Jerusalem who supported him, and read: "Islamic Jew-Hatred: It's In The Quran.Two-Thirds Of All US Aid Goes To Islamic Countries. Stop Racism. End All Aid To Islamic Countries."