'High hopes': Evangelical leaders react to Israel's new prime minister

Christian Zionists call for prayer, support of new gov't

By Emily Hawley, Op-ed contributor Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Joel Rosenberg

Evangelical author Joel C. Rosenberg, a dual United States-Israeli citizen who has participated in meetings between evangelical leaders and world leaders in recent years, argued in an op-ed that Christians’ “love for Israel is not tied to one man, but is based on the Abrahamic covenant and the biblical command to bless Israel and the Jewish people."

Rosenberg, who founded The Joshua Fund to mobilize Christians to bless Israel, encourages Christians to support and pray for Israel no matter who is in power. He is optimistic that Bennett and incoming Foreign Minister Yair Lapid can build relationships with evangelicals.

“Evangelicals will soon learn that Bennett is a protégé of Netanyahu, who shares Netanyahu's worldview and political philosophy,” Rosenburg shared. “They will also learn that Bennett, a strong right-wing hawk, served as Netanyahu's defense minister and shares his hardline position against the Iranian regime. What's more, they will soon learn that Netanyahu desperately courted Bennett to be in his next government.”