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Some religious Jewish and Christian groups believe the Messiah's arrival—whether for the first or second time—could be imminent. In their view, God has set the stage by returning Donald Trump to the White House.
The president's recent actions—whether appointing Pastor Paula White, a staunchly pro-Israel Christian, to lead his new faith office in the West Wing, telling Israel to "let hell break loose" on Hamas and destroy the enemy, or likely preparing to announce that Israel can enact sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (also known as the West Bank)—have convinced some that their beliefs are correct.
During a visit to the White House last week, former hostage Omer Shem Tov told Trump that he was "sent by God" to save them.
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"Purim is where God orchestrates all these natural and political events in order to save Israel," explained Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder and CEO of Israel365. "And God places Esther in the palace 'for such a time as this.'"
Speaking on the ILTV News Podcast, Weisz said, "A lot of people said that God placed Trump in the White House," but now they are starting to believe it.
He pointed to Maimonides' teachings, which outlined three key events that would signal the coming of the Messiah.
The first, he explained, is the destruction of Amalek, which many—including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after October 7—equate with modern-day Hamas.
The second is a religious revival among the Jewish people. Some American Jews believe they see this happening in a growing "surge" of interest in religious involvement, while in Israel, it is reflected in the rise of the religious right.
According to Weisz, the final stage is the rebuilding of the Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
"Building the Temple would be total victory in this war," he said, noting that Hamas called the October 7 attack the 'Al-Aqsa Flood,' a direct reference to the Temple Mount.
"God willing, we will celebrate a joyous Purim with the release of all our hostages," Weisz continued. "And we will have that Third Temple we have prayed for 1,000 years. It will be thanks to Donald Trump and to all the Jews who are finally saying, 'Enough of this nonsense—we are going to take action.'"
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Through his organization Israel365—and a new initiative called Israel365 Action—Weisz has been at the forefront of efforts to promote Israeli sovereignty among Jewish and Christian supporters.
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Last year, in partnership with several other organizations, Israel365 pushed for a resolution at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) convention, urging Christian media to stop referring to Judea and Samaria as the "West Bank" and instead use its biblical name.
This year, NRB took it a step further. With backing from Israel365 and similar groups, it signed a resolution supporting Israeli sovereignty in these areas. The movement has also gained traction beyond NRB. At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), similar pro-sovereignty statements were embraced. And just last week in Jerusalem, a group calling itself the Christian Conference of Presidents promoted the same agenda.
However, Israel365 and its advocacy arm, Israel365 Action, have not been without controversy.
Last week, the group honored MAGA (Make America Great Again) leader Steve Bannon at an event in Texas. Bannon has been accused of antisemitism, and most recently, he was criticized for making a gesture that resembled a Nazi salute.
Despite this, Israel365 Executive Director Pesach Wolicki, who joined Weisz on the ILTV News Podcast, defended Bannon, calling him "unapologetically pro-Israel." He argued that Bannon plays a key role in convincing members of the MAGA movement—some of whom are skeptical of Israel—that the Jewish state is a crucial ally.
"Bannon said that attacks against Israel are an attack on Judeo-Christian Western civilization," Wolicki told ILTV. He noted that Bannon broadcasts four hours daily and listens to much of his content. "I've never heard him say anything antisemitic," Wolicki claimed. "He actually gets attacked by the anti-Israel wing of the MAGA movement for being too pro-Israel."
According to Wolicki, Bannon is working to reframe the way MAGA supporters view Israel. Rather than seeing it purely as a geopolitical issue tied to military aid, Bannon wants them to recognize it as part of a more significant ideological and global conflict.
Weisz echoed this perspective. He attended the Texas event and said Bannon received a standing ovation for his pro-Israel remarks.
Wolicki has fully embedded himself in the MAGA movement. In December, he attended AmericaFest, the largest MAGA event of the year. He said he was likely the only person there wearing a yarmulke. He also remains in regular conversation with Bannon.
His reason? Wolicki believes the movement could quickly turn against Israel, influenced by rising voices like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson, both of whom have made antisemitic and anti-Israel statements and have Trump's ear.
"If the movement were a fully pro-Israel movement and didn't have any problematic voices in it, then there wouldn't be such a sense of urgency to get involved with them," Wolicki said on the podcast.
Israel365 Action is running a slate in the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections. Weisz said one of the platform's main goals is to push for sovereignty among Jewish community members. The election is only open to Jewish voters.
Established by Theodor Herzl in 1897, the World Zionist Congress and its representatives from Jewish communities worldwide allocate $1 billion annually to Jewish causes. They also oversee Israel's key national institutions, including the World Zionist Organization, which carries out the Congress's vision; the Jewish Agency, which plays a central role in Jewish immigration to Israel; and the Jewish National Fund, which owns 13% of Israel's land.
"We unapologetically stand for Judea and Samaria. We want stronger relationships between Jews and Christians, and we want new leadership," Weisz said.
He believes there must be "new leadership" in the Jewish world because, in his view, a Palestinian state would pose an existential threat to Israel. He argued that too many Jewish leaders, especially on the liberal left, fail to understand this.
Israel365 Action has faced criticism, with some accusing it of being a covert Christian organization or of recruiting Christians to vote in the election.
In December, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman distanced himself from the slate amid allegations that Israel365 Action had a hidden Christian agenda. At the time, the group was known as the One Jewish State slate—named after Friedman's book advocating sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. The organization denied the accusations and later changed its name to Israel365 Action.
But Weisz pushed back against the claims.
"There is nothing secret about our work in the Christian community. We're very proud to have taken that leadership position," he said.
He emphasized that the slate's website clearly states—"many times in bold letters"—that only Jews can vote and that the movement is for Jews. Separate efforts, he added, exist for Christians.
Wolicki echoed this point. "We're not trying to slip some Christians in the back door," he said.