Among the most pressing issues on the minds of Americans as the November election approaches is the war between Israel and the terrorist organizations that surround them in the Middle East. Because of this, the Pray Vote Stand Summit in Washington, D.C. kicked off Thursday night with a panel discussion on Israel — both the reality of what they’re facing and the church’s role in showing love and praying for the nation and the people who live there.

What’s happening in Israel right now “will be in the history books,” former congresswoman and 2012 Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann stated. Not only because it’s a war, but because it’s a spiritual war, as Daniel Cohen, the news director at Real Life Network, explained. In fact, Cohen, who lives in Israel, said the people of the not-so-religious city of Tel Aviv believe the unfolding events and the “way God is protecting Israel is biblical.”

And when seen in the proper perspective, Cohen added, it becomes clear this is “an opportunity for the church to stand up, to stand with Israel, and to love your Jewish neighbors.” FRC Action President Tony Perkins concurred, noting that love should be at the heart of how we treat the people of Israel. “Our love will speak volumes,” he declared. “[J]ust by standing with the Jewish people, standing with the Jewish state, and standing against the anti-Semitism that we see in our own country, that will speak volumes.”

Dr. A.J. Nolte, director of the Institute for Israel Studies at Regent University, agreed. He pointed out that as “evangelicals, we are known for our love of Israel.” He continued, “[T]hat love of Israel … [and] of the Jewish people should not stop at the water’s edge.” He went on to express how Jews, especially here in America, see “their house is on fire.” Additionally, they’ve “been betrayed by people they thought were their friends.” And so, Nolte contended, “Let’s not forget that … [our] love of the Jewish people should not stop in America because they need friends right now,” which “is also part of what I think God is calling us to do today.”

But Nolte also warned that the hatred fueling the terrorism in Israel is the same hatred that threatens America. “They don’t just hate Israel,” he underscored. “They hate us.” This, he argued, makes it not only that much more important to support America’s ally Israel, but to be on guard as a country ourselves. So, “pray for the Jewish people,” Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel stated. Pastor Carter Conlon of Times Square Church further exhorted, “For those who do know God, it’s time to step out of the shadows. It’s time to start speaking. It’s time to start praying.”

Perkins went on to observe that in a time of wars, intolerance, and violence, “Only a return to God will heal our nation.” He further emphasized that whether it be regarding Israel, protecting women and unborn children, securing the nation’s border, or any other political issue, our problems are ultimately “spiritual. We must restore a healthy reverence for God in our society, which will lead to respect for the lives of others and bring back the security and stability our country once knew.”

This is done by Christians boldly stepping out in faith, Conlon maintained. “There’s a dominant voice in our culture now that is almost like the Goliath of our day. It’s not time to be timid because we live on the side of truth. We know the truth,” and we can’t afford to “apologize for what we believe” or “hide in the shadows,” he concluded.