What does Israel need from Christian Zionists? This was one of the questions that three experts on Israel-Christian relations sought to answer this week on Christmas Eve.
During ILTV’s Insider, Maj. (Res.) A.Y. Katsof, founder and director of The Heart of Israel; Ilse Strauss, news bureau chief of Bridges for Peace; and Pesach Wolicki, executive director of Israel365 Action, shared their Christmas messages with North American evangelicals, who, according to recent reports, make up about 25% of the population.
“Pray for Israel,” was Katsof’s message.
“I see there are so many churches praying for Israel, reading Psalms, praying for the peace of Jerusalem, praying for the peace of Judea and Samaria,” he said. On the other hand, he urged them to visit and “put boots on the ground.”
Katsof runs “Settlers’ Cellar” in Eish Kodesh, where he grows grapes harvested by Christians and produces what he calls “liquid prophecy”—wine made in the ancient tradition of the Israelites, whose first kingdom was in the area.
“Come to the land. See it for yourself,” Katsof said. “We’re waiting to greet you and let you taste some liquid prophecy.”
2 View gallery
ILTV Insider with (from left) Pesach Wolicki, Maayan Hoffman, Ilse Strauss and A.Y. Katsof
(Courtesy)
Wolicki encouraged Christians to stand up for Israel and the Jewish people in their own communities.
“Be loud. Be proud,” he said. “The pro-Hamas supporters are a tiny, little fringe minority, but they’ve taken to the streets. We need Christians not only to pray for Israel but to be out there in public, standing up, making their voices heard.”
He emphasized that such actions would “matter a lot to the Jewish community,” adding, “You’ll see more and more Jewish arms open to the relationship if Christians do that.”
Strauss, however, focused on empowering Christians to strengthen themselves.
“Educate yourself,” she advised, addressing ILTV’s Christian Zionist audience directly. “Make sure you have the facts. You can’t stand in front of someone who comes with an accusation of genocide, and your answer is, ‘Yes, but it’s God’s chosen people.’ Have the facts on the ground. Listen to people in the know. Make sure you are an expert.”
She concluded, “Your voice matters. So make sure that when you have that 30 seconds, you use it wisely.”