Former U.S. President Donald Trump “is a controversial person who has alienated many people,” Rev. Franklin Graham admitted last week during his visit to Israel. “But I support him,” he added.
At 72, Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, was in Israel to dedicate new life-saving ambulances to Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical service. Yet, with the U.S. election looming in less than two months, many wonder whether Trump will outpace Vice President Kamala Harris and reclaim the White House.
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Rev. Franklin Graham laid the cornerstone for a new MDA dispatch station in Avshalom
(Photo: Courtesy of MDA)
Arguably America’s most prominent evangelist, Graham is the son of the late Billy Graham, famously known as “America’s pastor” until he died in 2018. The elder Graham traveled the globe, spreading God’s word and earning the trust of presidents in various countries.
The younger Graham has followed in his father’s footsteps and leads a Christian charity, delivering aid to war-torn areas from Ukraine to Israel, all “in Jesus’ name.”
During his visit to Israel, Graham praised Trump’s policies, calling them “good for America, good for the world and also good for Israel.” According to Graham, Trump “wants to fight terrorism and secure our borders – these are important for everyone.”
Graham represents the evangelical base that helped elect Trump in 2016 and remains loyal to him. According to a Pew Research Center survey published earlier this month, most Christians across denominations continue to support Trump. This includes 82% of white evangelical Protestants, 61% of white Catholics and 58% of white non-evangelical Protestants.
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Rev. Franklin Graham meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO)
“Born Again” Christians like Graham comprise most U.S. Protestants.
In appreciation for their support, Trump when president enacted policies aligning with his evangelical base’s beliefs and values. Notably, he appointed conservative Supreme Court justices who, in 2022, played a pivotal role in overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion.
Additionally, he signed an executive order on free speech and religious liberty. He introduced two federal rules allowing nonprofits and for-profit businesses to file religious or moral objections to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate under Obamacare, which requires coverage of contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs.
Trump was the first president to speak at the March for Life and continues to open his rallies with prayers led by local church leaders.
Despite rumored tensions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump’s strong pro-Israel stance is well-known. His administration is especially remembered in Israel for moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
When asked about whether Trump would support Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, Graham said it is “hard to say” which policies will be prioritized if Trump is reelected. However, he noted that after surviving two assassination attempts, Trump might be weighing decisions differently, adding, “I hope for the best.”
Graham said that Trump would maintain “a good relationship with whoever runs Israel because he loves Israel.”
Love for Israel is also a fundamental part of Graham’s belief system. “I believe Israel the nation and Israel the Jewish people are God’s chosen people. As Christians, we stand with Israel, we want to support Israel, and we do all that we can, especially in these times of great trouble," he said.
He added that “the war is not over. It will take more time, and there will be even more need. As Christians, we believe the Bible and God’s word and want to stand with God’s people.”
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Armored ambulances to MDA in memory of three American-Israelis murdered by Hamas: Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Roee and Smadar Idan
(Photo: Courtesy of MDA)
On Thursday, Graham visited the Gaza border community of Avshalom, where his organization dedicated two armored ambulances to MDA in memory of three American-Israelis murdered by Hamas: Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Roy and Smadar Edan.
Goldberg-Polin was kidnapped from the Nova music festival and survived 11 months in captivity. Earlier this month, he was executed by Hamas terrorists along with five other hostages. The Edans were murdered in their Kfar Aza home in front of their children on October 7. Their four-year-old daughter, Abigail, was kidnapped, while her older siblings survived by hiding in a closet for 12 hours.
“We are privileged to be in a position to help Magen David Adom with these ambulances,” Graham said. “But it is also very sad, in the sense that these ambulances are dedicated to people who are no longer with us.”
In addition to the ambulances, Graham laid the cornerstone for a new MDA dispatch station in Avshalom, which will significantly improve response times by Israeli paramedics and EMTs in future emergencies.
“The need is so great,” Graham said at the ceremony while pledging to provide 20 more armored vehicles to the organization. “The MDA team are heroes, saving lives every day, and it is an honor to stand with them.”
Samaritan’s Purse also supports Israel’s northern region by helping to establish a second dispatch center in Shlomi.
So far, the organization has provided or committed to 42 rescue vehicles, including 28 armored ambulances and two dispatch stations. Fourteen of these ambulances are already in service, donated by the organization in January to replenish the fleet after Hamas targeted and destroyed rescue vehicles during the October attack.
Additionally, Samaritan’s Purse has sent 1,000 trauma supply kits to Israel, packed with essential medical equipment such as chest tubes, sutures, intubation kits and combat tourniquets. These supplies have been strategically placed with MDA first responders.
“The generosity of Reverend Franklin Graham and Samaritan’s Purse knows no bounds,” said MDA Director-General Eli Bin. “The entire people of Israel are indebted to this great man and his organization.”