Americans may be worried about the outcome of Tuesday’s election, but so is the rest of the world. On Sunday, hundreds of Israeli Jews gathered at the ancient site of Shiloh to pray for the U.S. election, and particularly for former President Donald Trump’s victory. The prayer event was organized by the Binyamin Regional Council, according to JNS News.
“We chose to pray to God from the site of the Tabernacle, used by the nation of Israel when they entered the land, which brought blessings to the peoples of the region,” explained Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Ganz. “I hope that a blessing will come forth at this time, from this spot, to the United States, Israel, and the entire world,” he added.
Ganz noted, “I believe the elections in the United States could have even more impact on the future for the residents of Judea and Samaria than for those living in places like New York.” He explained, “The U.S. involvement in internal Israeli matters including the imposition of sanctions on our residents, a push for a so-called ‘Palestinian state,’ the course of the war, etc. are all very significant issues, which will be impacted by whomever sits at the White House desk.”
Josh Reinstein, president of the Israel Allies Foundation, said, “Since October 7, we see that around 80% of Americans stand firmly with Israel and tens of millions pray for the peace of Jerusalem daily. It is now our turn to pray for them.” He continued, “As Israel continues to battle on seven fronts, our greatest ally, America, is at a crossroads. We pray that on November 5, America chooses the blessing and not the curse. A strong America will bring peace and prosperity to the Middle East.”
According to VINews, the Israelis gathered were praying “for the success of former President Trump in the U.S. elections, and in support of the shared values between the American nation and the State of Israel.” The outlet further noted that Republican Party leaders and Trump allies “expressed great appreciation for the prayer initiative.” A recent survey found that two-thirds of Israelis would like to see Trump win Tuesday’s election, while only 17% favor his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump has been a major proponent of peace in the often-war-torn Middle East. During his first term, he famously brokered the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain. Trump has also been a staunch opponent of Iran, discussing in recent interviews how he used the threat of severe economic sanctions during his first term to effectively bankrupt the Iran-backed terror groups Hezbollah and Hamas.
According to a recent report, Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that, if Trump wins on Tuesday, Israel has to end its war with Hamas by the time Trump takes office. The former president’s efforts to achieve peace have garnered global appreciation and he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four separate times since 2018.
S.A. McCarthy serves as a news writer at The Washington Stand.