The Controversies at LifeSiteNews

John Henry-Westen, the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of LifeSiteNews, was recently removed from his position by the LifeSiteNews board. Then he got reinstated.

These moves caught much of the pro-life, pro-family, religious conservative world off guard. That’s saying a great deal, considering that pro-life and pro-family conservatives have seen all kinds of moral decline and degradation becoming the norm throughout the West. Pro-family fighters have witnessed same-sex “marriage,” rising defenses for pedophilia, and the increased push for assisted suicide. So little shocks us now.

What’s going on here? Should we be concerned? Why is one of the flagship pro-family (and anti-LGBT) news sites facing such leadership turmoil?

First, let’s talk about LifeSiteNews.

This Catholic-based news site has rigorously and accurately documented the downfall and decline of a De-Christianized West. For years, their commentary and confrontation on these matters commanded respect. They even republished the activist reporting from the organization I work for—MassResistance—because of our unwavering commitment against the LGBT agenda in all of its perverse forms.

LifeSiteNews did not back away from calling out moral corruption. To their credit, they were not only unafraid to call out the wrongs and evils of homosexuality and transgenderism. They were a welcome voice for social conservatives like me because they unflinchingly criticized the Republican Party, including President Trump, as they cozied up to so-called LGBT “conservatives” infiltrating the larger conservative movement. Their countercultural attack on mainstream conservatism gave me hope in spite of the growing fecklessness or cowardice of conservative leadership to oppose same-sex “marriage”, adoption, and the like.

So, what’s going on at LifeSiteNews? Is the leadership getting soft, embracing pro-“gay” messaging? Not a chance.

Rather, the news site has taken a dark turn on another set of issues.

For the last two years, I noticed the site’s publishing an increasing number of anti-Israel, anti-Zionist articles on many policy fronts. They were cataloguing the so-called war crimes of the IDF and blasting American politicians and foreign policy makers as puppets of Israel.

Here’s a sample:

Orthodox rabbi: Zionism a ‘cardinal sin’ for Jews, creation of Israel is ‘satanic’

Zionism: Rebellion against God?! | Rabbi speaks out

Why is a Catholic-oriented news site interviewing a Rabbi? And why are they going off on Israel and Zionism?

Oh, and it gets better (or rather, worse). They talk about the horrendous “Israel Lobby” that supposedly controls Washington:

GOP Congressman Thomas Massie exposes Zionist lobby’s power over Congress

Leaked audio exposes Israel lobby’s enormous power over the Trump administration

WATCH: Candace Owens exposes the Israel lobby’s stranglehold on America

For what it’s worth, Candace Owens has been exposed as an intellectual lightweight with a shaky grasp of the facts. She celebrated Andrew Tate, a serial pornographer under indictment for sex trafficking, while denouncing pornography. She also claimed that Hitler was not that bad.

Regarding the purported power of AIPAC, most of their funding goes to Democrats, and the Democratic Party has become increasingly hostile to Israel. As for Congressman  Massie, his performance theater against big spending is starting to wear thin. He never called out the big spending from his fellow US Senators, and he voted for liberal Republican Tom Emmer to be the next Speaker of the House this year. The focus and subject matter of these reports leave much to be desired.

And sadly, LifeSiteNews has thrown itself into the USS Liberty conspiracy. (I refute those talking points here.)

In 2023, Patrick Delaney, one of the editors at LifeSiteNews, wrote, “Orthodox patriarchate condemns ‘Israeli radicals’ for attacking bishop, priest at Church of Gethsemane.”

Yes, there are Jewish radicals, as there are radicals in other religions. What is conspicuously missing from this coverage, however, is the widespread denunciation from other Jews against such abuses. In contrast, Islamic militants have committed all sorts of crimes and terrorism against innocents—Christian, Jew, Muslim—and there is no condemnation from residents in Gaza or Judea and Samaria of their hostilities.

For the record, the Israeli government has cracked down on hyper-orthodox adherents harassing Christians, and local Rabbis raised funds to help repair a Catholic church attacked by Jewish radicals, too.

In 2024, Delaney wrote a particularly egregious article, claiming that Israel was conducting a “genocide” against the residents of Gaza following the October 7^th, 2023 terrorist attack from Hamas:

Israeli soldiers celebrate the ‘torturing, humiliating, and mocking’ of Palestinians on social media

I refused to remain quiet in the face of these blatant lies. I wrote an extensive response email (republished here), refuting the libelous claims about Israel and American foreign policy vis-à-vis the Jewish State. I focused on the redefinition of “genocide.” I also pointed out that his using “Al-Jazeera” as a legitimate news source is suspect.

Delaney responded, and he provided a broad mixture of half-truths and misdefinitions to justify his dishonest arguments.

LifeSiteNews eventually printed my letter, along with Delaney’s response (InfoWars republished the article, too!), but referred to me as “William” and called me a “Christian Zionist journalist,” presumably as a smear. I wear such terms as a badge of honor. The most damning aspect of Delaney’s defense of calling Israel’s attacks on Hamas “genocide” rested on his contortion of the term to include any form of fighting in a combat zone!

With all of this information in the background, let’s get to the firing and rehiring (?) of John Henry-Westen.

LifeSiteNews Co-Founder and Managing Editor Steve Jalsevac released a statement regarding Westen’s departure:

While legal constraints prevent us from delving into extensive detail, I can share that the decision was influenced by several factors, including a 72% drop in readership from 2021 to 2024 during John-Henry’s tenure as CEO, a decline in monthly and new donors, and other business challenges. Additionally, an internal survey revealed significant concerns regarding staff sentiment and safety scores, which further informed the board’s considerations.

 

Nonprofits have to keep the money flowing, but should stick to their principles. A steep drop-off of nearly three-quarters of your readership is troubling.

I can guess why LifeSiteNews is losing readers and donors:

The Pro-Hamas, Anti-Israel Propaganda!

Truth matters in the fight against moral and sexual degradation. When a Catholic-based news site insists on pushing pro-terrorist propaganda, venturing into foreign policy conspiracy theories, they are embracing lies, one can expect that their once-faithful readership will be repulsed.

And now, we receive word that John Henry-Westen has been reinstated.

Surprisingly, the site issued a very short reinstatement statement:

The LifeSiteNews Board of Directors voted today to restore John-Henry Westen to his former position.

 

“John-Henry Westen has been recognized by the board as the President and CEO of lifesitenews.com Inc. subject to administrative review and investigation.”

C.J. Doyle of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts issued the following analysis:

"This is likely the only time in the history of corporate governance that a statement restoring a CEO showed even less cordiality than the statement which announced his firing.

The brevity, timing and language of the announcement all suggest a profound reluctance, or even resentment, on the part of those who issued it.

It was released at 5:47 EDT on a Friday afternoon, a time best suited to minimize publicity on a story that a corporation or a government agency wishes to bury.

The use of the word 'recognized', rather than the more usual 're-appointed' is curious. It might suggest that the previous vote was somehow improper or legally defective.

The inclusion of the phrase 'subject to administrative review and investigation' suggests continued hostility towards Westen by the Board of Directors.

There is also a striking omission. There is no mention of Westen being restored as Editor-in-Chief of LifeSiteNews, a position specifically referenced in his termination announcement.”

LifeSiteNews is losing readers, then they bungled the removal of the CEO. C.J. Doyle’s analysis makes sense. Potential litigation often scares organizations into a quick, unexplained course correction.

But did the board fire Westen because of the website’s increasing embrace of anti-Zionist propaganda? One of the frequent commentators on the site, Peter LaBarbera, shared with me that Westen was not removed because of the anti-Zionist turn in reporting: “It wasn’t about the Israel bashers. They’re still there!” He encouraged me to reach out to one of their main contributors, who privately shared his criticism of the anti-Zionism turn in reporting, but that writer has not gotten back to me yet.

If the LifeSiteNews board of directors can’t see how their dishonest reporting on the Arab-Israeli conflict is affecting readers, then they should be fired!

If LifeSiteNews editors want to maintain life on their site to report the news, they need to get back to reporting … news! All the anti-Zionist propaganda, I submit, is the real turn-off, turning off the donations and views.

The larger question remains: why publish such anti-Israeli (and thus anti-Semitic) garbage? One suspects that the site, based in Canada, is trying to placate an increasing Muslim population. Perhaps they are buying into the engagement harvesting that comes with anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Whatever the reason, they need a major course-correction if they want to survive.

South Bay Leftists Support Terrorists, Refuse to Condemn 'Dancing Palestinians'

             

This is the tolerant left.

This is the "Love all people" diversity crowd which is behind the whole "Free Palestine" cause.

And to think that all of this is now happening in Torrance, CA.

For the last year and a half, nearly two years, a group of local leftists--the Bernie Sanders crowd, the Black Lives Matter people, and the rogue Democratic partisans on the South Bay have been lining up to support the regressive Palestinian cause.

I saw them assembled on the street corner of Hawthorne Blvd and Artesia this whole time. Finally, I decided to confront them about the "Dancing Palestinians" who celebrated the slaughter of American citizens on 9-11.

See the video for yourself, and you will see how abusive and intolerant they truly are. They are not interested in truth, justice, or righteous outcomes. They push their repeated slander against Israel and Zionism in general. The outrageous attacks against Prime Minister Netanyahu are particularly disturbing.

If they believe that a sovereign nation's defending itself from terrorism constitutes "genocide," then no country has a right to defend itself ... ever.

 

Here are the reports on the Dancing Palestinian:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TJWioi-YhkQ

FREE SPEECH DEBATE: Arab-Israeli Conflict (Nick Taurus v. Arthur Schaper)

                      

Here's my full debate with Nick Taurus, a pro-Palestinian Trump supporter from Orange County, CA.

Some people consider that an oxymoron. How can someone support the Palestinian movement, since so many of them are Leftists? Of course, his side, and many of his supporters, counter that Israel and Zionism are the greatest threat 

The debate took place at the Laguna Hills Community Center on Wednesday, October 30th, 2024.

Nick reached out to me in the middle of Summer 2024. He was hoping to pair me off against another anti-Zionist speaker. He reached out to a number of left-leaning, pro-Palestinian groups, but none of them would step up.

I was glad to step in and stand for truth, stand for Israel, and expose the truth about the so-called Palestinian movement.

This was not as daunting a task, since I had debated Nick on the Arab-Israeli conflict shortly after the October 7th, 2023 Hamas massacre:

             

For the October 30th, 2024 debate, Nick provided all the questions in advance, which was great, since that gesture allowed both of us to study, research, and prepare more effectively.

He also provided ground rules, which included no interruptions. I admit that that is my weak point. CRINGE! It's true, and I can laugh at myself about that.

There were supposed to be two moderators, a pro-Zionist and an anti-Zionist, but the pro-Zionist could not make it at the last minute.

Lawrence of Europa served as the moderator, and like CBS or NBC moderators, he broke the rules and interrupted me a few times, but that conflict did not stop me from speaking out.

Some of my friends joined the event, including Rachelle Mand, a Persian Jew who fled Iran before the Ayatollah took over. Keith Hardine of South Los Angeles, John Willis of Upland (both former members of We the People Rising), and Eli Komai of the John Birch Society also attended.

It was a pleasant surprise to see Eli, who is also a friend of Nick Taurus.

GROUP PHOTOS!

The debate was fun!

It was great to stand for truth, to refute a lot of the anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist talking points.

Nick was definitely the more reserved debater, standing behind the podium the whole time. I was more active, moving around a great deal. I don't recall any rules of decorum regarding our behavior, so there is that.

I really enjoyed stepping forward and speaking to the audience directly. For the first time in a long time, I felt really confident about this subject. It was good to interact with people.

Nick referenced a great deal of books, resources, and authors. That did not bother me, since truth is truth, and if lots of information is based on a false premise, everything else is invalidated. I also referenced some books, websites, and authors. I will say this much: I want to work on memorizing more names and more sources for future debates.

Let me get the worst and the missed opportunities out of the way:

• Nick pointed out that there are Jewish people in the Biden Administration who are part of the open borders agenda. But who put them there? Joe Biden! I should have responded to that, but there were so many other things I wanted to respond to.
• He talked a great deal about "Jewish" NGOs pushing mass migration and open borders. Who funds them, though? Most of the funding comes from rich white liberal Gentiles.
• He mentioned the Appollo Affair. Yawn. I had challenged that in the last debate, in which independent American and Israeli investigations confirmed that Schlomo Solomon did not steal any uranium. A third party, Seymour Hersh, did his own investigation and wrote his findings in The Sampson Option.
• I neglected to point out that Amin al-Husseini, the grand Mufti of Jerusalem, along with other Arab interests in the Middle East and Muslims in Southeastern Europe, collaborated with the Nazis to exterminate the Jews in Europe instead of expelling them to the Middle East.

Some of the best moments (for me) in the debate:

• Pointing out that Israeli police officers arrest hyper-Orthodox Jews when they spit at Christians. That fact deflated the whole talking point from the anti-Zionists in the audience.
• Using the phrase "so-called Palestinians" and undermining the legacy and veracity of that term. It felt really good to inform the audience that Zionist founders like Golda Meir and David Ben-Gurion were also Palestinians!
• Not breaking a sweat when one of the anti-Zionist members of the audience asked me about the Haavera Transfer Agreement. At that moment, I had not heard of that phrase, although I know that Hilter initially wanted to expel the Jews to the Middle East. Instead of getting flustered, I got to the heart of the issue: "Do you think that justifies pushing 6 million Jews into ovens?" I also stated, "Whatever that is, that does not delegitimize Israel." That's what all these obscure references are really all about.
• Refuting the "Dancing Israelis" conspiracy by using the phrase "Dancing Palestinians." I wanted to underscore the reality that it's the so-called Palestinians and their Arab/Muslim allies who are harming this country. I really thank God for having that phrase on the tip of my tongue.
• Referencing Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who served in a foreign military in order to supporting allow American citizens to serve in Congress. Nick acknowledged that point as a good counter-argument, and I respect that.
• Repeating the fact that Israel offered the so-called Palestinians a state FIVE TIMES. None on the Pro-Palestinian side can bellyache about fairness or lack of return, when so-called Palestinian leaders just want to push the Jews into the sea.

My favorite moment was turning the tables on a groyper wearing an American Flag jacket during the Question and Answer period. I think his name was Andrew, although I could be wrong. He referenced the Lavon Affair, which is a common anti-Zionist talking point. He went off about the USS Liberty, which I had mentioned before he did. He tried to interrupt me a few times, but I was relentless in pushing back on the anti-Zionist tropes. 

I really like that I held him accountable for exploiting those veterans, and I also like that I could get the truth out about Lyndon Baines Johnson, one of the most consequential--and the worst--Presidents in our country's history.

Frankly, I think that the biggest problem for many of these anti-Zionist guys is that people simply do not let them talk, and they do not respond with simple facts or evidence. People get easily offended because of the controversial nature of the subject and just shut off all discussion. That is not the way to win (back) hearts and minds.

I liked that I was able to confront other anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in the audience, and Lawrence could not stop me. The whole situation reminded me of JD Vance, when he confronted the CBS moderator for "fact-checking" him, when the corporate media moderators were just lying. Nick backed me up when the moderator got out of line, which helped a great deal.

Post-debate was great, too. A number of people came up to me and thanked me for coming, including the pro-Palestinian groyper (?) wearing an American flag on his jacket. He came up to me and shook my hand, praising me for stepping into hostile territory and taking a stand for Israel.

I let him share his views on "The Jews did 9-11," and I was able to refute his arguments. 

              

 I think it's quite telling that during the Question and Answer period, Nick did not want to spend too much time responding to his question about invading and destroying Israel. Even for anti-Zionists, the American-Flag jacket guy's arguments were way too much!

Nick was very magnanimous and praised me efforts after the debate. I am grateful that I could come and speak up, too!