Shocking move: Evangelical leaders demand Trump recognize Israel’s sovereignty over Judea and Samaria

The statement, backed by thousands of evangelical leaders, was introduced last week by American Christian Leaders for Israel at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Dallas. The declaration emphasizes the Jewish people’s “inalienable right” to what it refers to as the Biblical Heartland of Israel, specifically Judea and Samaria, and rejects any pressure from the United States or the international community for Israel to give up this ancestral land.

The declaration cites archaeological evidence and biblical history, referencing significant figures such as Abraham and Jesus, as foundations for Israel's historic and religious connection to the region.

According to Dr. Mike Evans, founder of Friends of Zion, a global evangelical organization with nearly 30 million members, the support for Israel among evangelicals is rooted in a moral worldview that sees the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a battle between good and evil. Evans explained to FOX News, "They see Jews being killed because they’re Jews, not because of land." Evangelicals believe their support helped propel Trump to the presidency, and this alignment is why he chose former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a staunch advocate for Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, as his ambassador to Jerusalem.

Republican lawmakers, led by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), have also urged Trump to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the region, calling it “the heart of our shared Judeo-Christian heritage.” The area in question, which spans about 2,180 square miles between Israel and the Jordan River, includes significant cities like Hebron and parts of Jerusalem. These territories have been under Israeli control since the 1967 Six-Day War.

The Oslo Accords divided Judea and Samaria into three areas with varying degrees of Palestinian and Israeli control. Trump’s 2020 peace plan initially proposed the annexation of parts of this land by Israel but later shifted its focus to the Abraham Accords, which successfully established diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab nations. Despite this, the push for Israel's sovereignty over Judea and Samaria remains a central issue for many evangelical leaders.