WATCH VIDEO: As Israel turns 75, why aren’t young Evangelicals as pro-Israel as their parents and grandparents?
And what do we do about it?
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – I couldn’t be more excited to be an Israeli citizen living here in Jerusalem as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our country’s miraculous and prophetic rebirth.
On the Hebrew calendar, which is a lunar calendar, Israel’s Independence Day began on Tuesday evening, April 25.
On the Western calendar, which is a solar calendar, Israel’s Independence Day will take place on May 14.
So, all over this beautiful land, our flags are up, our cities are having spectacular displays of fireworks, families and friends are gathering to have barbecues together, and there is a wonderful sense of celebration that won’t be over in a day or a month.
To the contrary, I think many of us are going to be celebrating all year.
Why not?
After all, there is so much to be grateful for in terms of watching God actually fulfill the promises He made to the Jewish people through the Hebrew prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and others to:
resurrect the sovereign geopolitical nation State of Israel in the last days
bring the Jewish people back to our ancestral homeland after 2,000 years of exile
rebuild the ancient ruins
make the desert bloom
raise up an exceedingly great army
create a land of security and prosperity
bring foreigners from all over the world to visit Israel
make Israel a light – a blessing – to the nations
We are also paying our highest respects to the 24,213 Israeli soldiers – both men and women – who have fallen in our wars and battles over the past 75 years to secure our independence and keep us safe and free since the War of Independence in 1948.
And we are honoring the 4,255 Israelis who have died at the hands of terrorists over these past 75 years.
But even as my family and friends and I – and our country – rejoice and celebrate this tremendous miracle that God has wrought in the desert, I must tell you that I’m troubled that a growing number of young Evangelical Christians under the age of 30 really don’t understand how special Israel is, or how powerfully God is moving here.
Indeed, while most older Evangelicals around the world love Israel and have a reasonably good grasp of God’s special plan and purpose for Israel and the Jewish people, many of their children and grandchildren do not.
Two of the organizations that I have founded – The Joshua Fund and ALL ISRAEL NEWS – have been working with various Evangelical leaders and organizations to better understand what’s happening and figure out how best to respond.
In December 2021, for example, ALL ISRAEL NEWS published a five-part series of articles on the disconnect we’re seeing emerge between older and younger Evangelicals in the United States on the topic of Israel, based on fresh and fascinating polling that had just been done.
Here are links to two of those stories:
Today, we’re posting on YouTube a 30 minute video in which I share more insights that my colleagues and I have been discerning what is happening and why things are getting worse, not better.
I encourage you to watch the video and share it with family and friends on social media.
Then, please be praying earnestly about what role the Lord might be asking you to play in helping young Evangelicals truly understand why God calls Israel the “apple of His eye,” why God says He loves Israel “with an everlasting love,” and why God says those who bless Israel “will be blessed” and those who curse her “will be cursed.”
After all, before we can correct the problem, we must first understand that there is a problem and what some of the principal causes of the problem are
In the days and weeks ahead, my colleagues and I at The Joshua Fund and ALL ISRAEL NEWS will share a range of ways that Evangelical leaders and lay people can help correct the problem.
But if you can’t wait until then, we certainly understand, so here’s a link to an article we published back in December 2021 that you may find helpful.
Joel C. Rosenberg is the editor-in-chief of ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS and the President and CEO of Near East Media. A New York Times best-selling author, Middle East analyst, and Evangelical leader, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and sons.
