Erick Stakelbeck (born January 21, 1976) is an American author, and television host and presenter of The Watchman on TBN and The Watchman Newscast on YouTube.[1][2] As a Christian Zionist,[2][3] the show is sponsored by Christians United for Israel,[4] Stakelbeck being the director of its Watchman Project.[5] Stakelbeck has also been noted as an investigative reporter and author on radical Islam,[6][7][8] and is TBN's news director.[9]
Erick Stakelbeck | ||||||||||
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.jpg) Stakelbeck in 2018 | ||||||||||
| Born | January 21, 1976 | |||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||
| Education | Holy Family University | |||||||||
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YouTube information | ||||||||||
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| Years active | 2016–present | |||||||||
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| Subscribers | 1.02 million | |||||||||
| Total views | 182 million | |||||||||
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Last updated: Nov 4, 2024 | ||||||||||
| Website | erickstakelbeck | |||||||||
Early life
editStakelbeck had a working-class upbringing in Philadelphia, with his father, who was a factory electrician by trade, also being "an autodidact who loved to study biblical history."[2][10] Growing up in the Fox Chase neighborhood,[11] Stakelbeck graduated from the Holy Family University in the same city.[12] While a long-time supporter of Israel, he also became increasingly drawn to studying the roots of Islamic terrorism after the September 11 attacks, and began writing articles for FrontPage Magazine.[2]
Television career
editStakelbeck worked as a senior writer and analyst at the Investigative Project on Terrorism from 2003 to 2005, and his articles appeared in several newspapers.[12] From 2005 he worked as a television correspondent, host and analyst for CBN News, where he covered "U.S. national security, the Middle East, Israel-related issues and the growth of radical Islam at home and abroad."[12] He has also been a regular contributor and guest host on The Blaze TV, and a regular guest on several Fox News shows.[11] He received the Ben Hecht Award for Outstanding Journalism from the Zionist Organization of America in 2014,[11] and a media "Truth" award from the Endowment for Middle East Truth in 2015.[13]
Stakelbeck began hosting The Watchman on TBN in 2016.[4] For his show, he has travelled throughout Israel, reporting from the borders of Gaza, Syria and Lebanon, and interviewing senior Israeli leaders.[2][10] He regularly highlights Israel's "strategic predicament", noting its proximity to radical Islamic terror groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas at its borders.[2] He also focuses on biblical end times prophecy, believing that "we live in prophetic times", and that "the miraculous rebirth of Israel ... set the prophetic time clock into overdrive".[14] He additionally became a correspondent for TBN's new Centerpoint, a nightly news and analysis program in 2022,[15] and host of the new show Stakelbeck Tonight in 2024.[16]
Stakelbeck recorded an exclusive interview with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2022,[1][17] and with then-former US president and presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2024.[18]
Views
edit
Stakelbeck has addressed several conferences and events of conservative groups such as ACT for America, the David Horowitz Freedom Center and the Family Research Council,[19] including the Values Voter Summit,[20][21] and has aligned himself with counter-jihad activists.[22][23]
He has stated his view that "the Left sees Islam as an ally and Western Civilization and the Judeo-Christian tradition is the enemy" and that Islam and the Left "have a shared hatred for this country".[24] He also claims that there is a "concerted effort by Islamists to infiltrate the very heartland of American society" and that American Muslims are engaged in "stealth" or "civilizational" jihad to impose Sharia in the US.[19]
Personal life
editStakelbeck is married and has two children, and currently lives in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.[16] He previously lived outside Washington, D.C.[12]
Bibliography
edit- The Terrorist Next Door: How the Government is Deceiving You About the Islamist Threat. Regnery. 2011. ISBN 978-1596981522.
- The Brotherhood: America's Next Great Enemy. Regnery. 2013. ISBN 978-1621570332.
- ISIS Exposed: Beheadings, Slavery, and the Hellish Reality of Radical Islam. Regnery. 2015. ISBN 978-1621573777.
References
edit- ^ a b Foust, Michael (December 22, 2022). "Benjamin Netanyahu Came Back 'to Stop Iran,' Says Journalist Who Interviewed Him". Crosswalk.
- ^ a b c d e f Pine, Dan (August 3, 2017). "Christian Zionist praises Israel, warns of jihadist terror". The Jewish News of Northern California.
- ^ Kampeas, Ron (July 18, 2017). "Christian Zionists still uncertain about Trump — but know they're glad Obama is out". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
- ^ a b "Q&A with Erick Stakelbeck, Host of CUFI's "The Watchman" on TBN". The Jerusalem Post. February 23, 2016.
- ^ Rothschild, Barbara S. (April 12, 2017). "Local Christians rally at 'Night to Honor Israel' in Cherry Hill". Jewish Community Voice.
- ^ Sinai, Joshua (2016). "Counterterrorism Bookshelf: 12 Books on Al-Qaida and ISIS-related Subjects" (PDF). Perspectives on Terrorism. 10 (6): 212. JSTOR 26297717.
- ^ Akram, Sarah (2015). "ISIS Exposed: Beheadings, Slavery and the Hellish Reality of Radical Islam" (PDF). Strategic Studies. 35 (4) (Winter 2015 ed.). Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad: 109–111. JSTOR 48536005.
- ^ Lopez, Kathryn Jean (May 13, 2011). "Southern Exposure". National Review.
- ^ "How celebrity influencers are helping Israeli NGOs reach Christians". Israel National News. December 18, 2022.
- ^ a b Ronen, Gil (December 8, 2012). "Stakelbeck 'Almost Shed Tear' at Cave of Machpela". Israel National News.
- ^ a b c "Local honorees to be awarded by Zionist organization". Northeast Times. September 4, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Erick Stakelbeck". CBN News. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ Langfan, Mark (June 20, 2015). "Gohmert: Obama Outed Israeli Iranian Spy Mission". Israel National News.
- ^ Hallowell, Billy (December 13, 2023). "'We live in prophetic times': Breakdown of the history of Hanukkah and End Times Bible prophecy". The Washington Times.
- ^ Kellner, Mark A. (March 4, 2022). "Evangelical TV network TBN to launch nightly news/analysis show". The Washington Times.
- ^ a b "TBN Announces New Weeknight Program with Network's Host and News Correspondent, Erick Stakelbeck". TBN. PR Newswire. March 11, 2024.
- ^ Rosenberg, Joel C. (December 22, 2022). "Netanyahu gives exclusive interview to TBN as he finalizes new government, prepares to go head-to-head with Iran". All Israel News.
- ^ "Erick Stakelbeck: Exclusive Interview With Donald Trump". Stakelbeck Tonight. TBN. October 24, 2024.
- ^ a b "Meet the Extremists Attending the ACT for America Conference". Southern Poverty Law Center. September 1, 2016.
- ^ Malone, Clare (September 17, 2012). "Pilgrims in an Unholy Land". The American Prospect.
- ^ Jilani, Zaid (September 18, 2012). "Courting leaders of an anti-Muslim hate fest". Salon.
- ^ "Stakelbeck on Terror: The West and Free Speech". CBN News. October 2, 2012.
- ^ Stakelbeck, Erick (September 15, 2015). "The Watchman Show: Is ISIS Winning Against the West?". CBN News.
- ^ Belt, David (2016). "Islam as a Platform for Politics: The Post-9/11 US Conservative Popular Security Discourse". American Journal of Islam and Society. 33 (2): 9. doi:10.12816/0037438.