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A delegation of 1,000 American Christian pastors and influential people – the largest group of American Christian leaders to visit Israel since its founding – arrived last Tuesday as part of the Friends of Zion initiative.
The trip, organized in partnership with the Israeli Foreign Ministry, is designed to provide participants with training and prepare them 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 confidant of President Donald Trump, said most evangelical Bible believers are Zionists, which makes them an important ally in efforts to combat anti-Semitism.
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The largest delegation of evangelical Christian pastors and influencers ever brought to Israel meets former Hamas detainees at the Supernova concert venue on Wednesday as part of the Friends of Zion Ambassador Program. (Shlomi Amsalem)
“These devils who hate Jews hate Christians just as much. What is being said against the state of Israel is a hundred times worse than what the Nazis said in their party platform in the 1920s, and everyone is ignoring it. They don’t realize how dangerous it is,” Evans told Fox News Digital.
He said, “The new wars of the 21st century are media wars, ideological wars, economic wars, and proxy wars. And while Israel has never fought an ideological war, its enemies have.”
Evans said members of the visiting delegation were vetted to ensure there were no hidden agendas and signed a commitment to stand in solidarity with the Jewish people. He said, “We had more than 2,000 people apply; we chose the people best suited for this first iteration. These 1,000 pastors represent millions of Americans and have major media and social media influence.”
The initiative was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom Evans has known for 45 years.
Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, meets with former Hamas hostage Adan Alexander. (Shlomi Amsalem)
Tamarin Foley, a member of the National Faith Advisory Board’s executive team, told Fox News Digital, “When we were on Mount Herzl, a widow was sharing her story. Her daughter no longer has a father. It broke my heart to think that my little girl didn’t have her father. I connected on a deeply personal level.”
The Board is the largest coalition supporting and advocating for people of faith, led by Pastor Paula White-Cain. Its mission is built on four pillars – protecting religious freedom, promoting a stronger America, protecting life at all stages, and respecting family values – and it identifies the US-Israel alliance as central to that agenda.
Foley, who lives in Florida, said, “I stand very strongly with Israel, and so do the group of pastors I work with. I don’t think we realized how big this event would be. We wanted to show support, and since we’ve been here, it’s been bigger than we thought.”
She further added, “I am going back home to ensure that the youth of my country know the truth. It is one thing to understand something intellectually, and it is another thing to come here, meet the affected people and connect with them at the heart level.”
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Foley said, “There is a lot of negative propaganda in our country. It is blatant and we need to do a better job of educating young people. They are able to see through bullshit and lies – I don’t think we give them enough credit. We need to present them with the truth and plant the seeds for lifelong support for Israel.”
He explained that one aim of the training is to reach young people – claiming that countries like Qatar have turned against Israel by investing millions of dollars in spreading anti-Semitic material through universities and digital platforms.
For example, Evans said that the Muslim Brotherhood has waged an ideological war, describing it as a “powerful monster” because it doesn’t articulate customs, and you can’t kill it with a bullet.
He claimed, “More than half of the Palestinian population embraces Hamas’s ideology of radical Islam,” which is based not on land for peace but on the establishment of an Islamic state and the elimination of the Jewish state.
Dr. Mike Evans meets with former Hamas hostages Keith and Aviva Siegel. (Shlomi Amsalem)
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Evans said that the evangelical movement, representing 9.7% of the global population, has significantly influenced US foreign policy through its belief that the Biblical lands belong to the Jewish people.
“The President loves us and knows how we feel about Israel,” he said. Evans said, “We believe the President respects us and we trust him and listen to him. Without him we would not have got the hostages back. He will stand with us and will not bow to the intentions of Jew-haters with regard to Judea and Samaria or a Palestinian state. He will do everything he can to help Israel.”
On Wednesday, the delegation met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and toured the site of Hamas’s October 7 massacre at the Supernova Music Festival, which also included former hostages Emily Damri, Tal Shoham, Moran Stella Yanai and Aviva and Keith Siegel, who received a “Hear Am I” award for her advocacy work.
The largest delegation of evangelical Christian pastors and influencers ever brought to Israel will visit the site of Hamas’ October 7 massacre at the Supernova Music Festival on Wednesday. (Shlomi Amsalem)
Pastor Mike Atkins, a member of the delegation, told Fox News Digital, “We are trying to unite and demonstrate that unity among evangelical Christian leaders in America, Israel and the Jewish people, and to counter any perception that this community is divided on this issue, because it is not.”
He said, “Anti-Semitism had long been simmering beneath the surface on university campuses and in major European cities. This is an open stand against lies, and a declaration of our commitment to the truth.”
Atkins reported that the delegation has been exposed to first-hand insights “at the highest levels” – visiting the site of Hamas’ October 7, 2023 massacre, listening to victims and seeing the realities on the ground in Israel. Delegates also received extensive information on how to combat anti-Semitism from the seminar speakers, he said, and will continue to do so once united in coalition.
He said, “To the youth I say: Join the movement. Commit to never allowing the toxic deception of anti-Semitism to enter our culture again. Take a stand, speak out, and do not remain silent.”
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“The best medicine for Jewish derangement syndrome, a serious form of bigotry and anti-Semitism, is for people to come to Israel and see and hear for themselves. These American spiritual leaders are committed to using their platform and influence to provide the truth,” Huckabee told Fox News Digital.
He said, “The truth is the best antibiotic to counter the conspiracy theories and lies told about the United States, Israel, and its partnership with the Jewish people.”
