https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/4f7341ef-aa6f-499c-a871-cfd25aa6c302 In this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC, historian Abdallah Marouf connects the dots between the closure of Al-Aqsa, Israel’s ultra-right, Pete Hegseth, the dangerously expanding war in Iran, and the belief in a coming Messiah. He explains how a once-marginal religious Zionist movement now holds real political power in Israel, and how its vision of rebuilding the Temple and hastening the Messiah is shaping events on the ground. We explore the closure of Al-Aqsa, the rise of extremist factions, divisions within Israeli society, and the role of US evangelicals in reinforcing these ideas. Marouf breaks down competing Jewish interpretations of the Messiah, the red heifer, and the Temple Mount, and why some believe a world war may be necessary to trigger the end times. Chapters 00:00 Episode Highlights 01:31 Introducing Abdallah Marouf 02:00 Al Aqsa Closure Crisis 05:23 Rise Of Ultra Right 10:16 Shift In Israeli Politics 14:15 Netanyahu Power Dynamics 20:06 Religious Zionism Explained 25:20 Temple Mount Tensions 33:20 Messiah And Prophecy 38:07 Third Temple Ideology 43:05 World War Belief 50:07 Al Aqsa As Trigger 56:15 Global Consequences Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at MEELive@middleeasteye.org Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye Sun, 05 Apr 2026 15:11:54 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tankie.tube https://tankie.tube/lazy-static/avatars/3ba3ff73-a8b6-49c9-add8-9653ef090c7f.webp https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/4f7341ef-aa6f-499c-a871-cfd25aa6c302 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tankie.tube/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.