A delegation of a thousand American Christian pastors and influencers – the largest group of American Christian leaders to visit Israel since its founding – arrived last Tuesday as part of a Friends of Zion initiative.
The trip, organized in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is intended to provide training and prepare participants to serve as unofficial ambassadors for Israel in their communities.
Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem and a confidante of President Donald Trump, said most evangelical Bible believers are Zionists, making them an important ally in efforts to counter anti-Semitism.
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The largest delegation of evangelical Christian preachers and influencers ever brought to Israel will meet with former Hamas prisoners at the site of the Supernova music festival on Wednesday as part of the Friends of Zion Ambassador Program. (Shlomi Amsalem)
“The new wars of the 21st century are media wars, ideological wars, economic wars and proxy wars. And while Israel has never waged an ideological war, its enemies have,” he added.
Evans said members of the visiting delegation were vetted to ensure there were no hidden agendas and signed a pledge committing to stand in solidarity with the Jewish people. “We had more than 2,000 applications; we chose those best suited for this first trip. These 1,000 pastors represent tens of millions of Americans and have major media and social media influence,” he said.
The initiative was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has known Evans for 45 years.
Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, meets with former Hamas hostage Edan Alexander. (Shlomi Amsalem)
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“There is so much negative propaganda in our country. It’s loud, and we need to better educate young people. They are able to see through the nonsense and lies – I don’t think we give them enough credit. We need to present them with the truth and plant the seed of lifelong support for Israel,” Foley said.
One goal of the training, he explained, is to reach young people – claiming that countries like Qatar have turned against Israel by investing millions of dollars in spreading anti-Semitic content through universities and digital platforms.
Evans said the Muslim Brotherhood, for example, has waged an ideological war, describing him as a “powerful demon because he doesn’t respect customs and you can’t kill him with a bullet.”
“More than half of the Palestinian population embraces Hamas’s ideology of radical Islam,” he claimed, “which is not based on land for peace, but on establishing an Islamic state and eradicating the Jewish state.”
Dr. Mike Evans meets with former Hamas hostages Keith and Aviva Siegel. (Shlomi Amsalem)
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Evans noted that the Evangelical movement, which represents 9.7% of the world’s population, has significantly influenced US foreign policy through its belief that the Biblical land belongs to the Jewish people.
“The president loves us and knows how we feel about Israel,” he said. “We believe that the president respects us and that we have his trust and ear. Without him, we would not have gotten the hostages back. He will stand by our side and not give in to the intentions of Jew-haters regarding Judea and Samaria or a Palestinian state. He will do everything he can to help Israel,” Evans added.
On Wednesday, the delegation met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and visited the site of the October 7 Hamas massacre at the Supernova music festival, accompanied by former hostages Emily Damari, Tal Shoham, Moran Stella Yanai, and Aviva and Keith Siegel, who received the “Here Am I” Award for their advocacy work.
The largest delegation of evangelical Christian preachers and influencers ever brought to Israel will tour the site of the October 7 Hamas massacre during the Supernova music festival on Wednesday. (Shlomi Amsalem)
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“The truth is the best antibiotic to combat the conspiracy theories and untruths being expressed about the United States, its partnership with Israel and the Jewish people,” he added.
