Courtesy of JNS. Photo credit: Courtesy
Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman in Judea and Samaria during the filming of the 2023 documentary film “Route 60: Israel’s Biblical Highway”
(JNS) — A group of American Christian leaders are publicly reaffirming the Jewish people’s right to the biblical heartland of Israel, ahead of a key U.S. decision on Israeli sovereignty over the territory.
The move comes weeks before U.S. President Donald Trump is slated to announce whether or not he supports the Israeli annexation of Judea and Samaria — a goal backed by many evangelicals including some administration officials — amid international plans to rebuild post-war Gaza.
The declaration will be made public on Tuesday at the annual National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Convention in Dallas, an international association of evangelical communicators, and is expected to be signed by thousands of Christian pastors and religious leaders from across the U.S. before being presented to the American president.
“We reaffirm the Jewish people’s inalienable right to the biblical heartland of Israel and reject all efforts — both from the United States and the international community — to pressure the Jewish people to relinquish their ancestral homeland in Judea and Samaria,” the declaration reads.
“We recognize the undeniable biblical and historical ties of the Jewish people to this land and have consistently brought this issue to the attention of our members, elected officials, the media, and corporate America,” said Troy A. Miller, president and CEO of the NRB Association. “We reaffirm our commitment to standing with Israel against any challenge to its rightful sovereignty.”
“This resolution is a crucial affirmation of the Jewish people’s undeniable connection to the biblical heartland,” said Susan Michael, director of the American Christian Leaders for Israel and president of the U.S. office of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. “At a time when Israel’s sovereignty is under relentless attack, it is vital that we stand firm in recognizing Israelis’ historical, legal and moral rights to their ancestral homeland.”
The declaration highlights the Jewish people’s historical, cultural and biblical connection to the region, commonly known as the West Bank, citing key biblical figures including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David and King Solomon, who all lived or traveled through the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria.
“Everywhere I go, Bible-believing Christians are speaking about the real possibility for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” said Josh Reinstein, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Israel Allies Foundation, which spearheads faith-based diplomacy. “With President Trump’s statement on the issue only a week or two away, many Christians believe that they could be witnessing the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, yet again.”
On Feb. 4, Trump said he would likely make an announcement on the issue at some point in the next four weeks when asked whether he would back Israel annexing the territory.
“We’re discussing that with many of your representatives. You’re represented very well…, [but] we haven’t been taking a position on it yet,” Trump said in remarks that sparked the lobbying effort now underway.
A 2020 Trump peace plan that envisioned Israel annexing parts of the territory was subsequently shelved in favor of the landmark Abraham Accords reached that year, which saw Israel reach peace agreements with four Arab countries.
Meanwhile, the influential Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) also stated on Thursday that it believes that Judea and Samaria are “integral parts” of Israel and that both the United States and its allies should recognize Israeli sovereignty over these areas.
