By Jerusalem Online—
They are not Jews, but they have been propelling U.S. policy in the Middle East toward Zionism for decades. White evangelical Christians are one of the most loyal voting blocs to U.S. President Donald Trump and a key factor in the president’s constant backing of Israel.
For the second time in his presidency, Trump broke with traditional U.S. policy by recognizing as Israeli a disputed territory, in this case the Golan Heights, on the border with Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
The strongest applause for that decision came not from American Jews, mostly Democrats, but from white evangelicals, who voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2016 and among whom 69% continue to support him unwaveringly, according to a study published last week by the Pew research center.
“The main, and perhaps only, reason Trump is taking these steps in Israel is because it’s what his base of evangelical, white and conservative voters want him to do,” explained historian John Fea, author of “Believe Me: The Evangelical Road to Donald Trump.
Twenty-five percent of Americans, according to Pew, are evangelical Protestants, people who “believe in the absolute authority of the Bible and in salvation through Jesus,” as defined by University of North Texas political and religious expert Elizabeth Oldmixon for the Vox news portal.
The most fundamentalist evangelicals, who, according to Oldmixon, number about 15 million people, are the most vehement U.S. defenders of the Jewish state. Continue Reading…