Some 20 evangelical Christian leaders visited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Blair House near the White House on Monday, ahead of Netanyahu’s planned Oval Office meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Pastor John Hagee, founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel, told JNS that “it is always an honor to meet with the prime minister and now, even more so, as his nation defeats our shared enemies and defends our shared values.”
“He knows, as should all of Israel, that the 10 million members of CUFI stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish state,” added Hagee, who was among the 20 leaders to meet Netanyahu.
Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and Trump’s nominee for envoy to Israel, was also reportedly on hand, as were Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham and head of Samaritan’s Purse, and Ralph Reed, founder and chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and a Southern Baptist leader, wrote that “I was honored to join a group of evangelical leaders for a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Blair House last evening to encourage him ahead of his various meetings this week.”
“Join me in praying for his meeting with President Trump today—that God would give both of these men divine wisdom as they discuss critical matters facing Israel and the Middle East,” Perkins added.
Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, wrote that he “had the pleasure to meet my good friend Mike Huckabee, who is set to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s meeting with evangelical leaders in Washington.”
“I have known Mike for decades,” Danon said. “He is a true friend of Israel and the Jewish people. I look forward to our collaboration in strengthening the unwavering alliance between the State of Israel and the United States.”
A JNS source present at the meeting said that Netanyahu thanked the participants, who came from all over the country, for their support and encouraged them to continue to strengthen Israel’s positions.
Those assembled talked about Iran and about the hostages in Gaza, per the source, who declined to be named.
“Some were worried about the hostage deal, and the prime minister said Israel had no choice,” per the source. “There are dangerous aspects of the deal, but Israel had no choice.”
Evangelical leaders asked the Israeli prime minister what more they could do and assured Netanyahu that Trump “is in the right place” in his feelings on Israel, the source said.
“We were very honored to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu and key Christian leaders at this most historic time for America and Israel,” Mario Bramnick, pastor of New Wine Ministries Church in Cooper City, Fla., in the Miami area, told JNS.
“I believe that with President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu—both leaders that have been called and commissioned by God—prophetic destiny of nations shall be established,” added Bramnick, who is president of the Latino Coalition for Israel and is also a part of the Conference of Christian Presidents for Israel.
Bramnick told JNS that the group expressed “unwavering support for the nation of Israel” and that he told Netanyahu “that we applaud his unwavering courage and steadfastness in defending the nation of Israel against the unprecedented political war waged against him to criminalize Israel’s war efforts and deny the Jewish state the right to self-defense.”
Ron Dermer, Israeli strategic affairs minister, was also present at the meeting, per a photo that Danon shared.
Netanyahu arranged the meeting with evangelical leaders, but a similar sort of gathering with U.S. Jewish leaders is noticeably absent from his schedule.
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman emeritus of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told JNS that a meeting between Netanyahu and Jewish leaders is possible but “unlikely” on Friday.
Hoenlein noted that the Conference of Presidents has a mission to Israel scheduled for later this month when its representatives will meet with Netanyahu. Hoenlein said that Netanyahu wants to meet with “young Jewish leaders” in Washington. That meeting would come on Thursday or Friday, a JNS source said.