American Jews need to recognize that their most reliable allies are conservative Christians and not the liberal groups that have abandoned them. According to JNS editor-in-chief, these Christians have been at the heart of the pro-Israel movement in the United States. But this has never been more important than it has since the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel which led to a surge in left-wing antisemitism.

He’s joined on this week’s episode of Think Twice by Heather Johnston, the founder and CEO of the U.S.-Israel Education Association. Johnston spoke of the importance of changing the way Palestinian Arabs are educated. For decades, Arabs in Gaza and Judea and Samaria have been indoctrinated in hatred for Israel and Jews with the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) largely responsible for this problem which ensures the perpetuation of their century-old war on Jews and Zionism.

Johnston and her group are also promoting a program they call “friendshoring.” That will incentivize American companies to relocate their factories from hostile nations like China to friendly ones, primarily Arab and Muslim countries that are part of the Abraham Accords and have relations with Israel. In doing so, the U.S. will potentially alleviate its supply chain problems while also encouraging peace.

She believes that the key to achieve these goals is for Israel to completely defeat Hamas in Gaza rather than allowing it to survive the war it started. Her group, which arranges for members of Congress to tour Israel, especially in the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, believes that Israel should extend its sovereignty to the territories. But she acknowledges that will have to wait until the war against Hamas is won and the Trump administration can succeed in expanding the Abraham Accords. Prior to that though, she believes it is vital that Iran is forced to give up its entire nuclear program, which is the number one threat to Israel’s existence.

Chapters
00:00 Palestinian Perspectives on Israeli Leadership
01:44 The Role of Christian Support for Israel
04:55 Education as a Tool Against Antisemitism
09:57 The Aegis Fund and Educational Reform
12:48 The Importance of Israeli Military Presence
15:40 UNRWA's Role in the Conflict
19:31 Congressional Insights on Israel and Palestine
24:45 Friend Shoring and Economic Cooperation
31:44 Sovereignty in Judea and Samaria
40:56 Building Bridges Between Jewish and Christian Communities


Listen/Subscribe to weekly episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, iHeart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Watch new episodes every week by subscribing to the JNS YouTube Channel.

This episode of Think Twice is sponsored by The Jewish Future Promise — ensuring a vibrant and thriving future for Jews and Israel.

Sign the pledge: jewishfuturepromise.org/sign-the-promise/