Evangelicals Declare Trump A Friend Of The Jews

President Trump receives the Friends of Zion award, December 11, 2017 Image by white house

By Nathan Guttman December 12, 2017

Continuing his victory lap after recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, President Trump hosted a group of Christian evangelical leaders in the Oval Office, to receive the “Friends of Zion” award.

“We believe no American president in history has done more to defend the Jewish people in the United Nations,” Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Museum, said of Trump. The Friends of Zion Museum, located in Jerusalem, was established by evangelical groups and highlights the contribution of Christians to Israel and the Jewish people. The award has been given in the past to President George W. Bush, Prince Albert of Monaco, and former Bulgarian president Roman Plevneliev.

Speaking outside the White House after the award ceremony, which was closed to the press, members of the organization praised Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and begin work to move the U.S. embassy to the city. “He is an anomaly because he keeps his promises,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. “Evangelicals, conservatives across this country are grateful for the fact that he has actually done exactly what he campaigned on.”

Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected] or on Twitter @nathanguttman

Nathan Guttman, staff writer, was the Forward’s Washington bureau chief. He joined the staff in 2006 after serving for five years as Washington correspondent for the Israeli dailies Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post. In Israel, he was the features editor for Ha’aretz and chief editor of Channel 1 TV evening news. He was born in Canada and grew up in Israel. He is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO