Latest news with #ChristianZionists
The National
27-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
John Swinney is right to worry about swing towards dangerous populism
There is a dangerous swing towards populism, manifest not only in Britain, but across the European continent, in Argentina and, perhaps most terrifyingly, in the United States. This is not just about being right-wing – US Republicans and British Conservatives have aways had 'right-wing' elements, but in the US, the party of Abraham Lincoln has now been taken over by Klan sympathisers, white supremacists and gun-toting fake Christian Zionists all paying homage to a narcissist who cannot string two complete sentences together and is trampling on the constitution, bypassing Congress and calling judges appointed by Reagan and Bush 'dangerous, woke and left-wing'. READ MORE: Will Reform benefit from John Swinney's anti-far-right summit? A former Cameron aide, Steve Hilton, who had his own Fox TV show, has now announced his candidacy for governor in my home state California. What ties all these people together – and they are very much together – is the 'dark money' funding think-tanks like the IEA founded by Samuel Fisher, the Legatum/Prosperity Institute/Policy Exchange here, connecting via the Atlas Foundation chaired by Fisher's daughter, a "bridge across the Atlantic", to the Heritage Foundation and other outfits like the Hudson and Hoover Institutes. Hilton is married to Fisher's granddaughter, who worked for Google, Uber and Facebook. So they are well in with the tech billionaires behind Trump. Farage has appeared on Question Time 38 times in four years. He's been to the US eight times since Trump's election. Commentators are right to point out the disproportionate media attention being given to Reform UK councillor Thomas Kerr from Glasgow; it's happening everywhere, and the media need to be careful of giving so much oxygen to people who would restrict press freedom. And that's just for starters. I am not hopeful that any summit can stop the impending tsunami but I wish the FM, Alba and other independence supporters the very best. We must all do whatever we can. Marjorie Thompson Edinburgh THE Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) recently issued an interim statement following the Supreme Court's ruling in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, asserting that 'sex' under the Equality Act 2010 must now be interpreted strictly as biological sex. However, the EHRC's own statement would fail any credible Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA). First, it fails to identify all those affected. Intersex people, whose biological characteristics may not fit binary categories, are not mentioned. Cisgender men (particularly gender-non-conforming, disabled, gay, or bisexual men) are also placed at risk of discriminatory treatment, yet this is not considered. READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon confronted by media over views on Supreme Court row Second, it fails to assess differential impacts. By permitting the exclusion of trans people from both men's and women's spaces in some cases, and by leaving unclear what 'suitable alternatives' means, the EHRC creates a framework in which trans, intersex, and gender-nonconforming individuals may be left without lawful access to basic facilities. Third, the statement is riddled with dangerous vagueness. Terms such as 'where possible,' 'suitable alternatives,' and 'in some circumstances' are left undefined. Proportionality is invoked without clear standards. Duty-bearers are left exposed, and affected individuals left unprotected. Fourth, it is riddled with contradictions. If mixed-sex single-occupancy rooms are acceptable, why could existing cubicle-based facilities not be adapted? If trans people must not be denied all access, why does the EHRC permit the possibility of barring them from both men's and women's facilities? If the aim is to protect women's spaces, why risk under-providing alternatives that could place women at greater risk? READ MORE: What comes next after Supreme Court hands down gender ruling Finally, the statement offers no meaningful mitigation. An EQIA demands that steps be proposed to address any disadvantage created. Here, no such steps are suggested. At a time when respect for equality law and human rights obligations is under political pressure, the EHRC's actions risk not only breaching domestic law but also setting the stage for future conflict with the European Convention on Human Rights. Rather than upholding dignity and fairness, the commission appears to be hollowing out both. If the EHRC expects others to respect equality law, it must meet its own obligations first. Ron Lumiere via email YET another letter from an Alba supporter telling us the biggest problem of getting the vote out to end the UK Union is the threat of Scotland joining the EU at some future date. George Morton (Letters, Apr 25) tells us how that puts folk off voting for independence and damages the cause. Funnily in most surveys I have looked at, one of the biggest drivers for support in ending the UK Union is allowing Scotland to rejoin the EU family of nations, Schengen and the customs union. It appears most of Scotland's voters are in opposition to this self-declared Alba position agin the EU. Will Alba fall in line with the majority wish or yet again remain as an outlier, the pushers of 'bendy cucumbers', the EU making 'Scottish laws' and the rest of the Brexit lies? In which case, who is actually being divisive and a threat to future cohesion in Scotland's drive for independence? Peter Thomson Kirkcudbright
Los Angeles Times
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Why conservative American evangelicals are among Israel's strongest supporters
WASHINGTON — One of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's first meetings in the United States this week was not with American Jewish leaders but with evangelical ones. The conservative Christians met with Netanyahu on Monday at Blair House, a residence for visiting foreign officials near the White House. The gathering came ahead of the Israeli leader's meeting with President Trump on Tuesday that led to Trump's dramatic proposals about the future of Gaza. 'The fact that our meeting took place before his meetings with President Trump and U.S. elected officials is indicative of the strength of the historic friendship that exists between Israel and Christians in America,' said Pastor Jentezen Franklin, who leads a Georgia megachurch and has served as a Trump spiritual advisor. Among those in attendance were former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Baptist pastor and Trump's pick to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel, and Tony Perkins, president of the socially conservative Family Research Council. Many of those in attendance were Christian Zionists, including Pastor John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel, an evangelical organization that claims 10 million members. 'The Prime Minister is here — as his country begins to conclude its longest war — to effectively reset the U.S.-Israel relationship after the damage done by four years of, at best, lukewarm support for the Jewish state,' Hagee told the Associated Press via email. Christian Zionism is an ideology among some evangelical Christians, particularly in the United States, that interprets the Bible as promising the land of Israel eternally to the Jews and asserting that God would bless Israel's supporters. Some proponents also interpret the Bible as predicting many Jews' eventual conversion to Christianity. The meeting was a reminder that evangelical Christian Zionists are among Israel's strongest supporters in the U.S. — and they wield considerable influence as Trump begins his second term. They have also backed controversial sentiments expressed by Republicans and Trump this week over the territories of Gaza and the West Bank. Trump, during a shocking news conference with Netanyahu on Tuesday, suggested that Palestinians from the Gaza Strip could be removed and resettled elsewhere, with the U.S. taking over the war-torn region. The president, echoing his real estate developer past, said he envisions a Gaza that could be 'the Riviera of the Middle East.' 'This could be something that could be so valuable. This could be so magnificent,' Trump said, adding that the people who live there would be able to live in peace. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a key White House advisor during his first term, has also praised the 'very valuable' potential of Gaza's 'waterfront property.' 'I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up,' Kushner said a year ago. The national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad, assailed Trump's proposal. 'Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not the United States, and President Trump's call to displace Palestinians from their land either temporarily or permanently is an absolute nonstarter,' Awad said in a statement. 'If President Trump wants to make history with some sort of grand peace deal, he must start by accepting that the way to make permanent peace is to end the Israeli occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people.' Trump's proposals underscore 'the colonial nature of the Palestinian struggle,' said Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. 'Any forced relocation of the Palestinian population will only escalate violence and resistance, leading to more instability in the region,' he said. 'Anti-American sentiment will spike even further than what we have witnessed over the last year.' Among U.S. Jewish leaders there were mixed views. The president of an umbrella group representing relatively progressive congregations, Rabbi Rick Jacobs of the Union for Reform Judaism, was skeptical. 'While this moment indeed requires bold thinking to bring safety and autonomy to Israel and the Palestinians, what we heard yesterday will not build that future; it will undermine it,' Jacobs said. 'A peaceful Palestinian state alongside a secure Jewish state of Israel has to be reached through a negotiated agreement between the two parties,' he added. 'Forcibly removing either populace will only perpetuate the conflict.' The executive vice president of a more conservative group, Rabbi Moshe Hauer of the Orthodox Union, said Trump's pronouncements about Gaza 'were certainly a shock' and might be viewed in some quarters as insane. Yet he described the policies affecting Gaza for the last two decades as 'utter insanity,″ with Hamas holding control and then invading Israel in 2023. 'There may be in this new proposal something to digest and think about,' he said. 'We have gotten into a very unproductive place, an insanity that keeps repeating itself. Let's take a step back, and think, 'What if this really works, and bodes well for the future of everybody.'' Trump's proposals were praised by Sam Markstein, communications director for the Republican Jewish Coalition. 'President Trump is a disruptor, and after decades of failed policies, we are encouraged that the president is pursuing a bold, new vision for the region. ... As the most pro-Israel president in U.S. history, we are confident in President Trump's ability to bring security, peace and prosperity to this troubled region.' One longtime goal of Christian Zionists, and their allies, got a boost this last week when Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) reintroduced legislation that would require all official U.S. documents and materials to use the term 'Judea and Samaria' instead of the 'West Bank.' The legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) 'The Jewish people's legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria goes back thousands of years,' Cotton said. 'The U.S. should stop using the politically charged term West Bank to refer to the biblical heartland of Israel.' Israel's government refers to the West Bank by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria, and considers it the historical heartland of the Jewish people. Palestinians and the U.S. government refer to the occupied territory as the West Bank. Israel captured the West Bank in 1967 along with the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem — territory the Palestinians seek for a future state. The U.S., along with most of the international community, has traditionally supported the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines. American Christian Zionists often use the biblical terms Judea and Samaria as a signal of their support for Israel and its annexation of the West Bank. Speakers at the annual conference of Christians United for Israel frequently invoke the biblical language as an applause line. Huckabee has repeated that the West Bank belongs to Israel, and recently said 'the title deed was given by God to Abraham and to his heirs.' Ironically, Judea and Samaria were once part of an ancient two-state scenario. For at least 200 years of Israel's royal history, Judea and Samaria represented separate kingdoms: Judea continued the dynasty of King Solomon while Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom, called Israel. Stanley writes for the Associated Press. AP journalist Mariam Fam contributed from Egypt. Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with the Conversation, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
The Guardian
07-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump's task force order is latest in efforts to boost Christian nationalism
Donald Trump is reigniting his alliance with the Christian right, unveiling a flurry of actions that include an aggressive executive order establishing a dedicated task force to combat what he claims is 'anti-Christian bias' across federal agencies. Addressing supporters at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, Trump announced a far-reaching directive that empowers Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, to lead an effort to 'fully prosecute anti-Christian violence and vandalism' in government institutions. 'You've never had that before,' Trump said. 'If we don't have religious liberty, then we don't have a free country.' The move represents a direct appeal to energize his Christian conservative base, and follows efforts including pardoning anti-abortion activists such as Paulette Harlow, who was convicted of blocking access to an abortion clinic – which his administration framed as persecution of Christian believers. Trump also signed orders to ban the legal recognition of transgender people by the US government. The president's push for a religious conservative alliance also bridged domestic and international spheres this week, with his new task force announcement paralleling Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Washington visit. At Blair House on Monday, Netanyahu met with key evangelical leaders, including Christians United for Israel founder and pastor John Hagee and former governor Mike Huckabee – Trump's ambassador-designate to Israel – drawing together Christian Zionists who form a critical geopolitical support network. These evangelical powerbrokers, who champion hardline annexation policies such as Trump's surprise announcement to empty out and take ownership of Gaza, and reject traditional diplomatic language around the occupied Palestinian territories, represent a formidable political bloc through groups such as Christians United for Israel, which claims over 10 million members. The recent executive order announcement takes direct aim at federal agencies including the FBI and IRS, which Trump accused of systematically targeting Christian believers. It includes the creation of a new White House faith office led by Trump's longtime spiritual adviser, televangelist Paula White. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion Some critics were quick to condemn the initiative as a thinly veiled attempt to privilege evangelical Christianity over other religious minorities. 'If Trump really cared about religious freedom and ending religious persecution, he'd be addressing antisemitism in his inner circle, anti-Muslim bigotry, hate crimes against people of color and other religious minorities,' the president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Rachel Laser, said in a statement. 'This task force is not a response to Christian persecution; it's an attempt to make America into an ultra-conservative Christian Nationalist nation.'
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why conservative American evangelicals are among Israel's strongest supporters
WASHINGTON (AP) — One of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's first meetings in the United States this week was not with American Jewish leaders but with evangelical ones. The conservative Christians met with Netanyahu on Monday at Blair House, which is near the White House. The gathering came ahead of the Israeli leader's meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, which led to Trump's dramatic proposals about the future of Gaza. 'The fact that our meeting took place before his meetings with President Trump and U.S. elected officials is indicative of the strength of the historic friendship that exists between Israel and Christians in America,' said Pastor Jentezen Franklin, who leads a Georgia megachurch and has served as a Trump spiritual adviser. Among those in attendance were former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Baptist pastor and Trump's pick to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel, and Tony Perkins, president of the socially conservative Family Research Council. Who are Christian Zionists? Many of those in attendance were Christian Zionists, including Pastor John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel, an evangelical organization that claims 10 million members. 'The Prime Minister is here – as his country begins to conclude its longest war — to effectively reset the U.S.-Israel relationship after the damage done by four years of, at best, lukewarm support for the Jewish state,' Hagee told The Associated Press via email. Christian Zionism is an ideology among some evangelical Christians, particularly in the United States, that interprets the Bible as promising the land of Israel eternally to the Jews and asserting that God would bless Israel's supporters. Some proponents also interpret the Bible as predicting many Jews' eventual conversion to Christianity. The meeting was a reminder that evangelical Christian Zionists are among Israel's strongest supporters in the U.S. – and they wield considerable influence as Trump begins his second term. They have also backed controversial sentiments expressed by Republicans and Trump this week over the territories of Gaza and the West Bank. Trump suggests the U.S. could take over Gaza Trump, during a shocking news conference with Netanyahu on Tuesday, suggested that Palestinians from the Gaza Strip could be removed and resettled elsewhere, with the U.S. taking over the war-torn region. The president, echoing his real estate developer past, said he envisions a Gaza that could be 'the Riviera of the Middle East.' 'This could be something that could be so valuable. This could be so magnificent,' Trump said, adding that the people that live there would be able to live in peace. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a key White House adviser during his first term, has also praised the 'very valuable' potential of Gaza's 'waterfront property.' 'I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up,' Kushner said a year ago. Muslim and Jewish leaders react The national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad, assailed Trump's proposal. 'Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not the United States, and President Trump's call to displace Palestinians from their land either temporarily or permanently is an absolute non-starter,' Awad said in a statement. 'If President Trump wants to make history with some sort of grand peace deal, he must start by accepting that the way to make permanent peace is to end the Israeli occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people.' Trump's proposals underscore 'the colonial nature of the Palestinian struggle,' said Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. 'Any forced relocation of the Palestinian population will only escalate violence and resistance, leading to more instability in the region,' he said. 'Anti-American sentiment will spike even further than what we have witnessed over the last year.' Among U.S. Jewish leaders there were mixed views. The president of an umbrella group representing relatively progressive congregations, Rabbi Rick Jacobs of the Union for Reform Judaism, was skeptical. 'While this moment indeed requires bold thinking to bring safety and autonomy to Israel and the Palestinians, what we heard yesterday will not build that future; it will undermine it,' Jacobs said. 'A peaceful Palestinian state alongside a secure Jewish state of Israel has to be reached through a negotiated agreement between the two parties,' he added. 'Forcibly removing either populace will only perpetuate the conflict.' The executive vice president of a more conservative group, Rabbi Moshe Hauer of the Orthodox Union, said Trump's pronouncements about Gaza 'were certainly a shock' and might be viewed in some quarters as insane. Yet he described the policies affecting Gaza for the past two decades as 'utter insanity,″ with Hamas holding control and then invading Israel in 2023. 'There may be in this new proposal something to digest and think about,' he said. 'We have gotten into a very unproductive place, an insanity that keeps repeating itself. Let's take a step back, and think, 'What if this really works, and bodes well for the future of everybody.'' Trump's proposals were praised by Sam Markstein, communications director for the Republican Jewish Coalition. 'President Trump is a disruptor, and after decades of failed policies, we are encouraged that the president is pursuing a bold, new vision for the region. ... As the most pro-Israel president in U.S. history, we are confident in President Trump's ability to bring security, peace, and prosperity to this troubled region.' Is it the West Bank? Or Judea and Samaria? One longtime goal of Christian Zionists, and their allies, got a boost this past week when Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) reintroduced legislation that would require all official U.S. documents and materials to use the term 'Judea and Samaria' instead of the 'West Bank.' The legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-New York). 'The Jewish people's legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria goes back thousands of years,' Cotton said. 'The U.S. should stop using the politically charged term West Bank to refer to the biblical heartland of Israel.' Israel's government refers to the West Bank by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria, and considers it the historical heartland of the Jewish people. Palestinians and the U.S. government refer to the occupied territory as the West Bank. Israel captured the West Bank in 1967 along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem — territory the Palestinians seek for a future state. The U.S., along with most of the international community, has traditionally supported the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines. American Christian Zionists often use the biblical terms Judea and Samaria as a signal of their support for Israel and its annexation of the West Bank. Speakers at the annual conference of Christians United for Israel frequently invoke the biblical language as an applause line. Huckabee has repeated that the West Bank belongs to Israel, and recently said 'the title deed was given by God to Abraham and to his heirs.' Ironically, Judea and Samaria were once part of an ancient two-state scenario. For at least two hundred years of Israel's royal history, Judea and Samaria represented separate kingdoms: Judea continued the dynasty of King Solomon while Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom, called Israel. ___ AP journalist Mariam Fam contributed from Egypt. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why conservative American evangelicals are among Israel's strongest supporters
WASHINGTON (AP) — One of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's first meetings in the United States this week was not with American Jewish leaders but with evangelical ones. The conservative Christians met with Netanyahu on Monday at Blair House, which is near the White House. The gathering came ahead of the Israeli leader's meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, which led to Trump's dramatic proposals about the future of Gaza. 'The fact that our meeting took place before his meetings with President Trump and U.S. elected officials is indicative of the strength of the historic friendship that exists between Israel and Christians in America,' said Pastor Jentezen Franklin, who leads a Georgia megachurch and has served as a Trump spiritual adviser. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Among those in attendance were former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Baptist pastor and Trump's pick to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel, and Tony Perkins, president of the socially conservative Family Research Council. Who are Christian Zionists? Many of those in attendance were Christian Zionists, including Pastor John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel, an evangelical organization that claims 10 million members. 'The Prime Minister is here – as his country begins to conclude its longest war — to effectively reset the U.S.-Israel relationship after the damage done by four years of, at best, lukewarm support for the Jewish state,' Hagee told The Associated Press via email. Christian Zionism is an ideology among some evangelical Christians, particularly in the United States, that interprets the Bible as promising the land of Israel eternally to the Jews and asserting that God would bless Israel's supporters. Some proponents also interpret the Bible as predicting many Jews' eventual conversion to Christianity. The meeting was a reminder that evangelical Christian Zionists are among Israel's strongest supporters in the U.S. – and they wield considerable influence as Trump begins his second term. They have also backed controversial sentiments expressed by Republicans and Trump this week over the territories of Gaza and the West Bank. Trump suggests the U.S. could take over Gaza Trump, during a shocking news conference with Netanyahu on Tuesday, suggested that Palestinians from the Gaza Strip could be removed and resettled elsewhere, with the U.S. taking over the war-torn region. The president, echoing his real estate developer past, said he envisions a Gaza that could be 'the Riviera of the Middle East.' 'This could be something that could be so valuable. This could be so magnificent,' Trump said, adding that the people that live there would be able to live in peace. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a key White House adviser during his first term, has also praised the 'very valuable' potential of Gaza's 'waterfront property.' 'I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up,' Kushner said a year ago. Muslim and Jewish leaders react The national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad, assailed Trump's proposal. 'Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not the United States, and President Trump's call to displace Palestinians from their land either temporarily or permanently is an absolute non-starter,' Awad said in a statement. 'If President Trump wants to make history with some sort of grand peace deal, he must start by accepting that the way to make permanent peace is to end the Israeli occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people.' Among U.S. Jewish leaders there were mixed views. The president of an umbrella group representing relatively progressive congregations, Rabbi Rick Jacobs of the Union for Reform Judaism, was skeptical. 'While this moment indeed requires bold thinking to bring safety and autonomy to Israel and the Palestinians, what we heard yesterday will not build that future; it will undermine it,' Jacobs said. 'A peaceful Palestinian state alongside a secure Jewish state of Israel has to be reached through a negotiated agreement between the two parties,' he added. 'Forcibly removing either populace will only perpetuate the conflict.' The executive vice president of a more conservative group, Rabbi Moshe Hauer of the Orthodox Union, said Trump's pronouncements about Gaza 'were certainly a shock' and might be viewed in some quarters as insane. Yet he described the policies affecting Gaza for the past two decades as 'utter insanity,″ with Hamas holding control and then invading Israel in 2023. 'There may be in this new proposal something to digest and think about,' he said. 'We have gotten into a very unproductive place, an insanity that keeps repeating itself. Let's take a step back, and think, 'What if this really works, and bodes well for the future of everybody.'' Trump's proposals were praised by Sam Markstein, communications director for the Republican Jewish Coalition. 'President Trump is a disruptor, and after decades of failed policies, we are encouraged that the president is pursuing a bold, new vision for the region. ... As the most pro-Israel president in U.S. history, we are confident in President Trump's ability to bring security, peace, and prosperity to this troubled region.' Is it the West Bank? Or Judea and Samaria? One longtime goal of Christian Zionists, and their allies, got a boost this past week when Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) reintroduced legislation that would require all official U.S. documents and materials to use the term 'Judea and Samaria' instead of the 'West Bank.' The legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-New York). 'The Jewish people's legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria goes back thousands of years,' Cotton said. 'The U.S. should stop using the politically charged term West Bank to refer to the biblical heartland of Israel.' Israel's government refers to the West Bank by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria, and considers it the historical heartland of the Jewish people. Palestinians and the U.S. government refer to the occupied territory as the West Bank. Israel captured the West Bank in 1967 along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem — territory the Palestinians seek for a future state. The U.S., along with most of the international community, has traditionally supported the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines. American Christian Zionists often use the biblical terms Judea and Samaria as a signal of their support for Israel and its annexation of the West Bank. Speakers at the annual conference of Christians United for Israel frequently invoke the biblical language as an applause line. Huckabee has repeated that the West Bank belongs to Israel, and recently said 'the title deed was given by God to Abraham and to his heirs.' Ironically, Judea and Samaria were once part of an ancient two-state scenario. For at least two hundred years of Israel's royal history, Judea and Samaria represented separate kingdoms: Judea continued the dynasty of King Solomon while Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom, called Israel. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
