Photo: Depositphotos
American Christian activists put pressure on the White House
Evangelical Christians in the United States have stepped up their campaign for official recognition of Israel’s annexation of Judea and Samaria. According to The New York Times, they consider it their religious duty to promote the fulfilment of the biblical prophecy of the return of Jews to the entire territory of ancient Israel.
To achieve their goal, activists:
▪️ Visit Israel and meet with Israeli politicians
▪️ Send petitions to Donald Trump
▪️ Conferences in support of annexation are being organised
▪️ Lobbying for this idea in the US Congress
Pastors’ letter to Trump: “Remove all obstacles”
A group of Zionist Christian pastors, including Terry Copeland Pearsons, sent a letter to Trump calling for him to recognise Israeli sovereignty over all of the land of Israel.
“We Christians call on our beloved President Trump and his team to resolutely remove all barriers to Israeli sovereignty over the entire land of Israel,” said Pearsons, the son of renowned televangelist Kenneth Copeland.
Conferences and lobbying in Congress
Last week, American Christians for Israel, an association of millions of supporters, held a conference demanding annexation.
New York Congresswoman Claudia Tenney and five other members of the Friends of Judea and Samaria Congressional Caucus asked Trump to formally support Israel’s sovereignty over the territories west of the Jordan River.
“It would be a defence of the Judeo-Christian heritage on which our nation was founded,” Tenney said.
Is Israel ready for annexation?
Despite the efforts of American Christians, the Israeli authorities are in no hurry to formally annex the territory.
In 2020, Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to annex the Jordan Valley and parts of Judea and Samaria, but this plan was never implemented. Subsequently, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi admitted that the annexation of the Jordan Valley would never happen.
Even Israeli right-wing parties do not insist on annexation, focusing instead on expanding Jewish settlements. Last year, the leader of Religious Zionism, Bezalel Smotrych, said that strengthening control over the territories is possible without an official declaration of annexation.
Biden administration warns of consequences
Prior to the transfer of power in January 2025, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated that the annexation of the territories would have serious consequences for Israel’s democracy and security.
At the same time, the Trump administration, which has already returned to power, does not object to strengthening Israeli control in Judea and Samaria. This gives American Christian lobbyists hope that the White House will support their demands.
