Jewish, Christian leaders unite on Capitol Hill in support of Israel
In the Book of Proverbs, God’s word says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” That concept seemed to play out recently in D.C. between Jewish and Evangelical leaders.
More than 500 rabbis, pastors, and faith leaders came to Capitol Hill this past week as part of the annual Israel Advocacy Day, hosted jointly by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) USA, Eagles’ Wings, and the Israel Allies Foundation.
It brought together Jewish and Christian leaders from 37 states for three days of congressional meetings, policy briefings, and public solidarity with Israel and the global Jewish community.
The advocacy agenda centered around three primary priorities: strengthening bipartisan American support for Israel; confronting rising antisemitism around the world and improving protection for churches, synagogues and faith-based institutions facing growing threats.
“As we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary this July, this moment is about defining what the next chapter of this nation will look like,” said Jordanna McMillan, the Director of Outreach and Development at the Israel Allies Foundation. “America must continue to affirm its historic relationship with Israel and our leaders must protect the religious freedom of every American. We want the Jewish people to know that they will never walk alone — Christians across the country stand united with them against antisemitism.”
What started three years ago as a much smaller post-Oct. 7 effort has now evolved into a major organized advocacy movement, one that organizers say is growing rapidly each year and becoming far more operational than symbolic.
This wasn’t simply another conference with speeches and photo opportunities. The focus here was direct engagement with lawmakers and congressional staff on issues tied to Israel’s security, rising antisemitism, and protections for faith communities in America.
In total, the delegations conducted 115 meetings on Capitol Hill with offices from both political parties.
The most notable thing was that the meetings were intentionally structured so that pastors and rabbis entered congressional offices together. That visual mattered.
But organizers said the long-term impact will depend on what happens after the meetings conclude. Dr. Susan Michael, president of the ICEJ, told ALL ISRAEL NEWS that the Advocacy Day event should serve as a starting point rather than an endpoint.
“I actually see the Advocacy Day event itself as just the first step, as just a launching,” Dr. Michael says. “What now will follow and needs to follow is actual development of relationship.”
She added that organizers hope pastors and rabbis who met in Washington will now continue building connections back home in local communities and states across America.
“Relationship, David, I believe, is the antidote to the rising antisemitism,” Michael said. “It’s easy to call someone an enemy and believe conspiracy theories about them if you don’t know them. But once you’ve gotten to know them and you have personal experience and relationship, it’s a protection against the lies and the conspiracy theories and that’s what we want to see happen.”
The event comes as antisemitism continues to surge across America following the Hamas attacks on Israel and the war that followed. Jewish leaders say the atmosphere has changed dramatically over the past two years, with threats and hostility becoming far more open and aggressive.
That reality gave the event an urgency that organizers say is impossible to ignore. “Our advocacy has much greater impact when we speak with one voice and stand in unity for truth, justice, and goodness,” said Susan Michael. “We demonstrate that support for Israel is not just a Jewish issue – it is important to Christians and to tens of millions of Americans.”
But for Michael, the significance of the gathering runs much deeper than politics. “The level of relationship that’s being developed between the Jewish community and the Christian, between rabbis and pastors, it’s absolutely historic,” she explained.
Michael pointed to a powerful historical parallel dating back to World War II. “In 1943, there were 400 Orthodox rabbis who came to DC to advocate on behalf of European Jewry, and they were not allowed to see the president,” she said. “They returned home feeling like they had failed. And the message is that now, 83 years later, they’re not alone and that Christians are standing with them and we’re being heard on Capitol Hill.”
That historical connection can really be thought of as a key underpinning of the recent D.C. gathering. Of course, the tie that binds Judaism and Christianity has always been strong. It’s not only historical; it’s actually biblical, and it will be a connection that is needed more than ever.
David Brody is a senior contributor for ALL ISRAEL NEWS. He is a 38-year Emmy Award veteran of the television industry and continues to serve as Chief Political Analyst for CBN News/The 700 Club, a role he has held for 23 years. David is the author of two books including, “The Faith of Donald Trump” and has been cited as one of the top 100 influential evangelicals in America by Newsweek Magazine. He’s also been listed as one of the country’s top 15 political power players in the media by Adweek Magazine.
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