Israeli Prime Minister used a meeting with Evangelical Christian leaders in Florida today to emphasize Israel’s reliance on faith-based allies in the United States, as divisions within the U.S. over Israel’s war and American support continue to emerge.
The gathering occurred several days after Netanyahu’s Monday meeting with President at Mar-a-Lago, as conservative circles increasingly debate the extent of U.S. support for Israel and America’s Middle East foreign policy direction.
Addressing the leaders, Netanyahu stated Israel has emerged “in many ways victorious” from what he described as a “,”, but cautioned that another front is now emerging in the West.
“There’s an eighth front,” he declared, characterizing it as a struggle “for the hearts and minds of people, particularly young people in the West, and for me especially in the United States.” He portrayed this effort not merely as Israel’s battle, but as a wider one. “It’s our common Judeo-Christian civilization’s battle,” he said.
The prime minister contended that this ideological front demands the same determination as military action. “Some believe faith should remain silent and terrorism should be understood,” Netanyahu said. “Faith should speak out and terrorism should be confronted, not understood, but confronted and defeated.”
Netanyahu repeatedly stressed the historical and ideological bond between and Israel. “You represent the Christian Zionists who made Jewish Zionism possible,” Netanyahu stated, attributing U.S. Christian support as crucial to the reestablishment of the Jewish state. “I can say we have no better friends.”
Netanyahu informed the group he had spoken with Trump the day before and outlined what he perceives as global threats to Israel and its allies. He cited “two forces,” identifying “radical Shiite Islam,” led by Iran, and “radical Sunni Islam,” which he said is led by the Muslim Brotherhood.
He also emphasized the persecution of Christians in various regions, stating Christians are being targeted “, in Lebanon, in Nigeria, in Turkey, and beyond,” while asserting that Israel plays a distinctive protective role. “One country protects the Christian community, enables it to flourish, defends it, and ensures it thrives,” Netanyahu said. “That country is Israel. There is no other. None.”
Netanyahu said Israel is pursuing broader cooperation to aid Christian communities under threat globally. “We are joining an effort to create essentially a United Nations of countries that support Christian communities worldwide,” he said, adding, “Just as you are helping us, we want to help in return.”
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, who participated in the meeting, later posted on X that the Evangelical leaders’ dedication to Israel was “inspiring” and stated that shared values would “strengthen the bond between both our nations.”