Dr. Mike Evans, a prominent figure in the evangelical world and an advisor to former president and U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, is very concerned that Iran will instruct Hamas and Hezbollah to end the war with Israel to help Kamala Harris win the election.
"I told this to Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Mike Herzog. The Iranians will intervene in the U.S. elections and try to help the Democrats because they don't want Trump," Evans said in an interview with Ynet.
Evans, the founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, was very close to Shimon Peres and is a great admirer of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After the prime minister's speech in Congress last month, he even met with him along with other evangelical leaders and described it as an "excellent meeting."
What did you think of Netanyahu's speech in Congress?
"I thought the speech was like one given by Reagan or Churchill. A brilliant speech. The most unifying speech heard in Congress in recent years. Our political system is very polarized, and his speech was very sensitive to both Democrats and Republicans. He was sincere and addressed all core issues. I thought it was a masterpiece."
Is Netanyahu really "the chosen one" as many Jews and Christians see him?
"'The chosen one' is a complex term to use because many Christians think of the chosen one as the Messiah. Do I believe that God chose Bibi Netanyahu? The answer is yes. I know for certain that God chose him."
Why do evangelicals in the US love Netanyahu?
"It's not just in the U.S.; it's global. The only person who unites evangelicals around the world is Netanyahu. The reason is related to moral clarity. For them, everything is black and white, good or evil. And he has always been a proponent of moral clarity. He has been a friend to the evangelicals. He always understood our base. He always respected us. He built a bridge with us for decades."
'October 7 was entirely planned by the devil in Tehran'
After the difficult events of October 7, Evans was shocked and blames Iran for giving Hamas the order to attack. According to him, "October 7 was an attack by Iran because it is close to completing its nuclear program. Iran now has an alliance with Russia that can only help them by providing a nuclear umbrella. Iran authorized the proxy to attack. It was entirely planned by the devil in Tehran. Russia will help Iran complete its nuclear program and eventually provide a nuclear umbrella. This is what will happen in the future. Iran knows this. Israel knows this. And that is why Iran is using its proxy, Hamas, as part of a strategic plan to wear down not just Israel but the West. To wear down and deceive. Russia will provide a nuclear umbrella – which means Russian planes will fly over Iran and Syria, causing Israel and the U.S. to be unable to attack Iran. This is an umbrella for their nuclear program."
Do you not acknowledge Netanyahu's responsibility for October 7?
"October 7 did not happen because of Netanyahu. Unfortunately, it happened, and there were mistakes, and there will be a committee of inquiry that needs to look for the culprits. It is terrible – there is no one I know in Israel who is not shocked by this. The investigation will determine, but you cannot blame Bibi for October 7. You can blame Hamas and Iran. Bibi is not God. He cannot solve every problem in Israel."
Can Israel rely on America these days?
"Yes and no. You have two problems. One problem is that there is a very weak White House now. Because of the weakness of the White House, Biden's resignation sends a message to Tehran and all the evil ones that now have a window. It is very dangerous. You have a president who wants to end the war, and you have Harris who wants to end the war now. You have Trump who is anti-war. He does not want wars, and he made it clear that he is against the war in Iraq. He does not want wars in the Middle East. You have two people – one of whom will be president – and both do not want war. Trump will tell Bibi to end the war quickly. This is a disaster for you. In the background, Israel will not allow Iran to be nuclear. Israel will have to inform America that it is going to destroy the centrifuges alone. Sooner or later, they will have to confront Iran."
Who is better for Israel, Trump or Harris?
"Trump was the greatest president in my lifetime for the state of Israel. There has never been a better president for Israel. I was inside, and we advised him on decisions about Israel. Trump did very brave things. He was advised not to move the embassy, and he did. He did everything he could for Israel. There is no chance that Harris will be a great supporter of Israel. She will say it with her mouth but will not be. Harris will be the worst president for Israel if elected. Much worse than Obama."
You are a believer, what is Israel's role in the world these days?
"I believe that God chose Israel. This goes back to Jacob in the Bible, to be a light unto the nations. Tehran calls Israel the little devil and America the big devil. Israel is America's firewall. It is a firewall to keep radical Islam from reaching our shores. You had September 11 – they hate America more than Israel. And so Israel is a critical soldier on the front line – fighting the terrorists who want to harm America. Israel needs America's support. Israel is a light unto the world. There is no other country in the world that has produced so many Nobel Prize winners – even though it is a small country. It is a beacon to the world, and it is hated. Jews are not murdered in Israel because of land but because they are Jews."
Kamala Harris speaking after meeting with Netanyahu
(Video: Reuters)
How do you see the division among the people of Israel, is it a danger?
"I think Israel is experiencing the dilemmas that the U.S. is experiencing. In the 1960s, there was a social and sexual revolution in the U.S. In America, it was a rebellion, and a left-wing movement was born that took over universities, art, and the education system. This left-wing ideology greatly influenced Israel. Israel was influenced exactly by the logic of the ideological left. In Israel, you are either right or left. There is no center. There is an ideological battle that continues. Shimon Peres told me that the new wars in the 21st century are ideological and communicative. He told me this in 1996, and he was right. Israel is fighting not only an ideological war outside Israel's borders but also an ideological war within Israel."
"We will do everything to persuade Trump to stand by Israel. We will not give him rest. If Trump wins, Israel will have very strong allies among the evangelicals. There is no chance that Harris will be a great supporter of Israel. She will say it with her mouth but will not be."
In the Christian world, they talk about "the end times," what do you think about that?
"I am not a prophet. I am pragmatic. I do not focus on the end times. For me, the end times mean that Israel is suffering. I was with the grandfather of the two babies, the ginger twins who were kidnapped. He experienced the end times. For him, it is the end times. Hell on earth. I am not involved in prophecies, and I only examine the current times. When Israelis are killed, raped and beheaded, it is the end times."
What is your gut feeling about who will win the U.S. elections?
"We are worried. In the previous elections, only 28% of registered voters were Republicans. Today, registered Republicans are only 24%. It means that, for Trump to win, he needs to bring more votes from independents, even more than from Republicans. He chose the wrong vice president. If he had chosen a black vice president like Ben Carson or a woman like Nikki Haley or a Hispanic like Marco Rubio, it would have helped him with independents. By choosing J.D. Vance, he gets nothing from independents, and so we are worried. We will do our best to help him. We know that Harris will have all the media behind her. She will gain strength in the polls. There is another thing we are worried about, and that is Iran. I believe that the Iranians, who play chess, will try to make a chess move. They will send a message to Hamas to end the war and to Hezbollah to end the war so that everything will be quiet again, to help Harris because they do not want Trump."
If Trump wins, will you evangelical leaders pressure him to continue to support Israel and defend it against Iran?
"100%. Every one of us who gave him the presidency is pro-Israel on steroids. Everything that happened with Trump was because of us. We pushed him to recognize the Golan Heights. The embassy to Jerusalem. The Taylor Force Act. We will do the same thing now. Everyone believes that if America curses Israel, America will be cursed. This is what unites us all. We will do everything to persuade Trump to stand by Israel. We will not give him rest. If Trump wins, Israel will have very strong allies among the evangelicals. Bibi knows this. He knows that American support for Israel is evangelical. That's his North Star."