Search

Top evangelical leaders to Mike Evans: Support for Israel remains ‘steadfast and eternal’

“Christian Zionists have had a relationship with every prime minister since [David] Ben-Gurion. That will not change,” said Christians United for Israel spokesman Ari Morgenstern.

By Sean Savage, JNS

Several top evangelical Christian leaders reiterated their steadfast support for Israel in the wake of an open letter from a prominent evangelical Christian leader who castigated Yamina Party leader Naftali Bennett over his support for a government to replace Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Christian Zionists have had a relationship with every prime minister since [David] Ben-Gurion. That will not change,” Christians United for Israel spokesman Ari Morgenstern told JNS.

In an expletive-laden open letter, evangelical leader Mike Evans, the founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Prayer Team, berated Bennett for “betraying” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and threatened to withhold evangelical Christian support for Israel.

“Don’t ever call yourself a defender of Zion. You’re not,” wrote Evans. “You betrayed the very principles that a generation gave their blood for and died for. You want to be in bed with the Muslim Brotherhood and leftists. God have mercy on your soul. You’re a pathetic, bitter little man so obsessed on murdering Netanyahu that you’re willing to damage the State of Israel for your worthless cause.”

He went on to say that he will “fight” Bennett on every step, saying “we gave you four years of miracles under [former President] Donald Trump and this is how you show your appreciation- shitting on our face. How dare you!”

“To say I’m disgusted with you is an understatement. You should hang your head in shame,” said Evans.

‘Evangelical Christians stand in solidarity with them’

His was far from the only opinion on the subject.

Laurie Cardoza-Moore, the host of “Focus on Israel” Christian television program and president of Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, said “evangelical Christian support for Israel is eternal. The Bible does not change. PJTN will stand on what is biblically expedient, not what is politically correct.”

However, she added, “while we do not involve ourselves with internal Israeli politics, it is of great concern that any government in the Jewish state would be reliant on the Muslim Brotherhood. It is of great concern to the future of the Land that G-d calls His!”

In a press release, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem said that its support for Israel remains “steadfast and anchored in timeless biblical principles,” and is not contingent on who is leading Israel at any particular time.

“After going through four divisive elections, the year-long corona crisis, the recent conflict with Hamas, rising global anti-Semitism, the latest denigration of Israel in U.N. forums and the ever-looming threat of a nuclear Iran, the Israeli public right now needs to be hearing that evangelical Christians stand in solidarity with them, regardless of who is leading their nation,” said ICEJ president Dr. Jürgen Bühler.

“No one should doubt that pro-Israel Christians around the world have great respect for Benjamin Netanyahu and his many accomplishments as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. But we do not detect any widespread move among evangelicals, in America or worldwide, to stop supporting Israel if he is replaced,” he emphasized. “In fact, Israel has been gaining millions of new Christian friends around the globe over the past decade, and we fully expect that trend to continue.”