1,000-Strong U.S. Christian Delegation Visits Israel to Back Jewish State and Counter Antisemitism

U.S. Christian Leaders Travel to Israel to Train as Informal Ambassadors

A delegation of 1,000 American Christian pastors and influencers — the largest group of U.S. Christian leaders to visit Israel since the country's founding — arrived last Tuesday as part of a Friends of Zion initiative conducted in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Organizers say the program combines pilgrimage, education and training to prepare participants to advocate for Israel and counter antisemitism when they return to their communities.

Organizers, Vetting and Purpose

Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, said the delegation was selected from more than 2,000 applicants and that each participant signed a pledge to stand in solidarity with the Jewish people. Evans described Evangelical Bible believers as a key pro-Israel constituency and framed the trip as part of a broader effort to confront what he called ideological campaigns targeting Israel and Jewish communities.

“These devils that hate Jews hate Christians just as much. What is being said against the state of Israel is one hundred times worse than what the Nazis said on their party platform in 1920, and everyone is ignoring it. They don’t realize how dangerous this is,” Evans told Fox News Digital.

Evans also argued that modern conflicts include media, ideological and economic dimensions: “The new wars of the 21st century are media wars, ideological wars, economic wars and proxy wars. And while Israel has never fought an ideological war, its enemies have.” These statements reflect the organizers’ perspective and were attributed to Evans during media interviews.

Visits, Meetings and Testimonies

During the trip the delegation met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and visited Mount Herzl. Delegates also toured the site of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack at the Supernova music festival and heard testimony from former hostages and victims, including Emily Damari, Tal Shoham, Moran Stella Yanai, and Aviva and Keith Siegel. The Siegels received the "Here Am I" Award for their advocacy work.

Tamryn Foley, executive-team member of the National Faith Advisory Board, described an emotional encounter at Mount Herzl that strengthened her commitment to educating young people about Israel’s situation and motivating them to speak out against antisemitism.

“It’s one thing to understand something intellectually, and another to come here, meet people who have been affected, and connect with them on a heart level,” Foley said.

Training Focus And Political Context

Organizers emphasized outreach to youth and public education as central goals. Speakers at symposiums during the visit discussed methods to counter antisemitic misinformation and suggested that foreign funding and digital campaigns have influenced university and online discourse. Evans singled out groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and criticized what he described as ideological efforts aimed at undermining Israel; such assertions were presented as the views of delegation leaders.

Evans also noted the perceived political influence of the Evangelical movement and said its support has shaped U.S. policy toward Israel. He stated his belief that U.S. leadership has been responsive to the concerns of the delegation, and suggested that political support helped in efforts related to hostages — comments made in the context of his public statements.

Delegation Goals And Next Steps

Delegation members said they plan to use their platforms — including churches, media and social channels — to educate constituents, dispel what they describe as falsehoods about Israel, and mobilize ongoing advocacy. Pastor Mike Atkins described the trip as an effort to demonstrate unity between evangelical leaders, Israel and the Jewish community and urged younger people to remain vigilant against antisemitic narratives.

“To the youth, I say: join the movement. Commit to never again allowing the poisonous deception of antisemitism to penetrate our culture. Take a stand, speak up and do not remain silent,” Atkins said.

Former Governor Mike Huckabee, also speaking to the media during the visit, encouraged firsthand visits to Israel as a way to counter conspiracy theories and misinformation, calling direct exposure to survivors’ stories an important corrective.

The delegation framed the visit as part pilgrimage and part practical training, linking religious advocacy with political support for Israel and prioritizing public education and youth outreach as battlegrounds in efforts to reduce antisemitism.