During his visit to Israel this week, Ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom Mark Walker said meeting families of hostages and survivors of Hamas captivity left him “overwhelmed,” reaffirming what he called the “spiritual and historical bond” between the United States and Israel.
Walker, a former Republican congressman and Baptist pastor from North Carolina, was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the nation’s top global envoy on religious freedom. He will officially assume the position once confirmed by the Senate, becoming the seventh American to serve in the role since it was created by Congress in 1998.
His visit to Israel, he explained, was driven by both friendship and timing. “All of these other historical historical engagements are happening in the same week that we’re here,” Walker said. “It was great to see the excitement – literally banners hanging from buildings and parks thanking President Trump for his continued efforts and the strength he has shown to govern the region towards peace.”
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Ambassador-designate Mark Walker, center, visits the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, in October 2025. (Warren Cohn)
Walker said he was especially moved by his encounters with hostage families.
‘I was overwhelmed to spend some time with Keith Siegel, who endured 483 days of captivity and torture, and with Ruby Chenwhose son, Itay, was murdered by Hamas – his body still has not been returned,” Walker said. “It’s overwhelming to hear the passion in Ruby’s voice, to see his perseverance. In America we watch this from a distance. But being here on the ground and seeing how the community has come together to stand up for these hostages – alive or dead – has had a different impact on me.”
The experience, he said, deepened his appreciation for Israel’s resilience. “The people of Israel have stood resiliently in the face of evil,” he said. “Their faith and courage remind the world what strength looks like.”
As US officials visit Israel to monitor the fragile ceasefire, Walker says he remains confident in the administration’s leadership.
Ambassador-designate Mark Walker for Religious Freedom with released hostage Keith Siegel and Rubi Chen, father of hostage Itay Chen. (Warren Cohn)
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“I have no confidence in Hamas based on their history,” he said. “But I have great confidence in President Trump and what he is doing. He is committed to peace and shows it with his actions: he sent Vice President Vance, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff here this week.”
He also praised the Foreign Minister Marco Rubio for advancing the government’s diplomatic agenda. “This is not a photo opportunity,” Walker said. “It’s a real plan for long-term stability.”
When asked how he sees the importance of Israel, Walker reflected on his years in Congress.
“I think historically we’ve had a long-term relationship where we’ve supported each other, both in times of danger and in times of success,” he said. “Certainly, military and business relationships, but from a spiritual point of view, America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles.”
He added: “If you sit in the chamber of the House of Representatives where President Trump is delivering the State of the Union, there are 22 or 23 philosophers – great men of genius – pictured above. But there is only one historical figure who looks directly at the speaker’s podium, and that is Moses. That tells you a lot about the spiritual bond that connects our two countries.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Knesset as President Donald Trump and Amir Ohana, Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, watch the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on Monday, October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. (Chip Somodevilla/Swimming Pool via AP)
When asked about criticism from some within the evangelical community regarding the close alignment with Israel, Walker said he welcomes open discussion but rejects attempts to undermine the partnership. ‘I have no problem with someone asking questions; we should be able to defend those relationships,” he said. “But if you see some of the talk lately that is aimed at deteriorating that relationship, perhaps for personal gain or attention, then I do have a problem with it, and I think it should be condemned.”
He added that such views are far from mainstream. “The evangelical communities that I am a part of — and I happen to be a member of the largest Protestant organization in the United States — don’t have those problems,” he said. “There may be some who are loosely affiliated with it and use that kind of rhetoric, but the overwhelming majority of evangelicals in America applaud and encourage the relationship we have with Israel.”
Participants wave flags of Israel and the United States during the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) summit on July 17, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. Republican presidential candidates for 2024 are taking their case to the pro-Israel group. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
About his new role, Walker said the mission was deeply personal.
“When President Trump asked us to serve as Ambassador for International Religious Freedom – which is a global position – it was humbling,” he said. “We have a responsibility to advocate for people of all faiths, especially in places where they are persecuted or punished by blasphemy laws.”
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Walker said he is already building relationships with governments and religious leaders in preparation for his official role as an advisor to both President Trump and Secretary Rubio.
“It is our job to address, expose and eradicate atrocities – whether it is the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria, the Druze being targeted in Syria or the increasing anti-Semitic behavior worldwide,” he said. “The United States must remain the beacon of hope for religious freedom. We are the only country that has enshrined this into law.”
He added that Israel’s example of tolerance stands out in the Middle East. “Christians should be able to live peacefully, share their faith and worship without fear,” he said. “The fact that Israel allows that in a region where so many others do not is meaningful.”
US President Donald Trump holds the signed agreement of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025. (Reuters)
Walker said he plans to “push back wherever persecution exists – either through diplomacy or by urging governments to repeal blasphemy and anti-conversion laws.”
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He concluded: “President Trump is the only president in American history to convene a global conference on religious freedom at the United Nations,” Walker said. “That sent a message around the world – that faith matters, that freedom matters. What we see here in Israel is that same spirit of courage, and it reminds us why this partnership, rooted in faith and freedom, must endure.”
