Donald Trump and the rise of the Christian Zionists

Israel is frequently framed as a Jewish issue. However, many of Israel’s most ardent American supporters are Christians. Nothing spotlights that truism more than President Donald Trump’s burgeoning administration, and it’s worth considering the implications for its Israel policy.

Catholic convert and Vice President-elect J D Vance told an isolationist conference in May why he supports Israel: “A majority of citizens of this country think that their saviour, and I count myself a Christian, was born, died and resurrected in that narrow little strip of territory off the Mediterranean. The idea that there is ever going to be an American foreign policy that doesn’t care a lot about that slice of the world is preposterous because of who Americans are.”

A prime example of the Christians who will help shape that policy is Southern Baptist pastor and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Speaking to Israel’s Arutz Sheva about his nomination as ambassador to Israel, Huckabee said: “That’s why there is a great level of not only excitement but a deeply emotional reaction that I have had to this, because I see it as a calling.”

Christians United for Israel Action Fund chairwoman Sandra Parker sees that vocation. Parker commented on the nomination: “There is no better person to represent the American people in Jerusalem at this time. Governor Mike Huckabee believes in Israel’s right to self-determination and defence, not because it is politically convenient to do so but because these are immutable tenets of his core beliefs.”

Huckabee’s beliefs aligned well with Trump’s first-term Middle East policy. Trump pursued peace then by standing with Israel, implementing the Abraham Accords and sanctioning the Iranian regime.

Huckabee told Arutz Sheva, “I don’t think Donald Trump is the kind of president that wants to tell other countries what to do and how to do it. He wants to accommodate, help, encourage peaceful endeavours, strengthen alliances.” That interview underscored why Jewish and Christian conservatives cheered Huckabee’s selection. Huckabee said October 7 was “horrific and painful”, it “grieves me” that hostages remain captive, and Israelis should know that “America not only wants to stand with you against your enemies, but we want to stand with you as your friend”. Huckabee is that friend.

Like Huckabee, secretary of defence nominee Pete Hegseth champions Israel. (Unlike Huckabee, though, Hegseth may face Senate questions about his character and competence to manage a sprawling bureaucracy.) JNS reported three examples of Hegseth’s support. He expressed appreciation for Israel in a 2016 interview, when he said: “I understand how geopolitically we are linked and how critical it is that we stand by such a strong ally.” Speaking to National Young Israel in 2018, Hegseth said: “Zionism and Americanism are the front lines of Western civilisation and freedom.” And Hegseth encouraged his followers on Twitter/X to support Israel, following his March interview of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Asked about Trump’s high-level hires, Christians United For Israel founder and chairman Pastor John Hagee told me: “Given the millions of Christian Zionists across the country, we should be well represented in government, and I am grateful to see so many of our friends taking the helm of American policy in the region. As with all elected officials, our approach is trust but verify, and thus far, we are pleased to see so many like-minded individuals being nominated for such important positions.”

Philos Project executive director Luke Moon is likewise pleased with Trump’s hiring trajectory. Moon observed: “Having so many significant members of the administration whose Christian faith informs their views of Israel is good for Israel and the world. It presumes a default posture that Israel is good, which is a posture held by the vast majority of the two billion Christians on Earth.

“These leaders recognise that the values of the West are directly connected to the unique history of that land. It will also reinvigorate the Abraham Accords because these same leaders believe that peace rooted in faith is deeper than just a normalisation agreement.”

These personnel choices all bode well for Israel, as do three others on Trump’s international team: secretary of state nominee Sen. Marco Rubio, United Nations ambassador nominee Rep. Elise Stefanik, and National Security adviser designee Rep. Mike Waltz.

Melissa Langsam Braunstein is a writer based in the Washington DC area

@slowhoneybee