Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump will solve the Palestinian refugee problem, allow Israel to exert sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, and support Israel in an attack against Iran – at least according to one of his most trusted faith advisors, Mike Evans.
Evans, who emphasized that he does not speak for the president—"but I know him extremely well"—will be in Israel next week to celebrate the inauguration with an event at his Friends of Zion Museum. In a phone interview, Evans told ILTV News that "there is only one refugee crisis that has been going on for decades and decades, and that's the Palestinians. It needs to end, and I believe it will end under Donald Trump."
TRUMP INAUGURATION
(ILTV)
Evans, one of the first evangelical Christian leaders to meet with Saudi leadership about normalization with Israel years before the Abraham Accords were signed, told ILTV that more moderate Muslim countries are "losing their tolerance for terrorism." As such, he believes they'll back a plan to bring peace and prosperity to the region if delivered by a strong leader like Trump.
Trump has already touted peace with Saudi Arabia as a key goal for his upcoming term, aiming to build on the Abraham Accords, which established peace agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. However, Saudi Arabia has recently made several statements about its expectation of a Palestinian state in exchange for peace with Israel.
Israel, on the other hand, has made it clear that a Palestinian state, by full definition, would be an existential threat to its security. In February, the Knesset Plenum passed a resolution with a large majority objecting to unilateral international recognition of a Palestinian state. Then, in July, the Knesset passed a resolution altogether rejecting Palestinian statehood, even as part of a negotiated settlement.
But Evans believes this is because the right deal is not yet on the table.
"Donald Trump will present a new model for the Palestinians based on peace for peace, not land for peace," Evans said.
"Gaza needs healthcare. They need governance. You have to build everything from zero, including reeducating the people for zero tolerance for terror," Evans explained. "Any plan would have to last at least three to five years and be extremely detailed to change all the dynamics in Gaza. But I believe it will happen. And I believe that Trump wants autonomy for the Palestinians."
Evans said this autonomy would not constitute a state but resemble the "Puerto Rico" model, which former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman outlined in his recently released book, One Jewish State: The Last, Best Hope to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
In this model, Palestinians would become state citizens, receiving essential Israeli national services while maintaining municipal self-rule and empowerment. There would be no Palestinian army, just as Puerto Rico does not have an army. Citizens would not vote in national elections, similar to Puerto Ricans.
"Puerto Rico is prospering and doing fantastic," Evans maintained. "It will be more like the Puerto Rico model. But for that to happen, there has to be peace for peace."
He stressed that Palestinians are not inherently radical; they have become radicalized by their terror leaders. There are around 160,000 Palestinian Americans, according to the 2023 American Community Survey, and Evans said, "They are wonderful American citizens. They are happy. They are not radical. Why? They have not been 'Islamized'. All Palestinian people deserve dignity."
Under this new model suggested by Evans, annexation of Judea and Samaria would follow.
"I believe Donald Trump will support sovereignty over Judea and Samaria," Evans stated. He based his assumption on Trump's choice of evangelical leader and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as U.S. ambassador to Israel. Huckabee has long supported Jewish sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, often referred to by Christians as the biblical heartland.
"Donald Trump was elected twice because of the evangelical base in America," Evans said. "There are 52 million Bible believers who believe this is biblical land, and they believe if you take it from Israel, you'll go back to Genesis 12:1-3."
In Genesis 12:1-3, God gives Abraham the land of Israel and says He will make the Jews a great nation. "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you," the verses conclude. Evans explained that many evangelicals interpret this to mean they would be cursed if the land changed hands.
To move forward, Evans stressed that Israel must finish dismantling Hamas in Gaza. He noted that Trump has warned that Hamas would have "hell to pay" if all 98 hostages are not returned home. Current deals only work in phases and do not ensure the immediate release of all those held by Hamas. Evans said he believes Trump "will give Israel enormous support to finish the job in Gaza. There won't be anything holding them back."
Similarly, Evans believes Trump will support Israel in an attack against Iran. Because Trump "is an antiwar president," Evans said he does not believe the U.S. will take part in the attack or enter Iran. "But he will provide everything conceivable for the State of Israel to do the job and finish it with Iran."
"Iran is the ground zero for all Mideast terror," Evans continued. "Israel will have a blank check from Donald Trump to end it."
Despite Trump's sometimes unpredictable nature, Evans said that when it comes to terrorists, "it is simply a case of good and evil, and he considers the terrorists evil."
Evans has maintained a close relationship with Trump over the past four years and with several members of his previous cabinet. The event he is holding with ILTV News at the museum on January 20 will celebrate the inauguration and bring together key thought leaders to discuss what they believe will be the incoming president's first steps.
In preparation for the event, Evans launched a new campaign featuring giant billboards across Israel congratulating President Donald Trump on the start of his term as President of the United States. The message on the billboards reads: "Congratulations Donald Trump. Israel loves you."
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Mike Evans puts up billboards in support of Donald Trump ahead of the inauguration.
(Courtesy)
Evans ran a similar campaign in November 2024 when Trump was elected president, reaching audiences worldwide. Another significant campaign took place in May 2017 during Trump’s visit to Jerusalem, featuring 220 billboards across Israel.
"Donald Trump is the same Donald Trump" who supported Israel in his first term, Evans stressed. "I believe the future for Israel over the next four years will be bright."