According to a survey released by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), the majority of evangelical Christians in America support Israel’s right to kill terrorists but disagree on the involvement of the U.S. in putting restrict on Israel in dealing with terrorist attack.
Among 1,140 evangelical respondents of the survey said “yes” to the question, “Do you agree that Israel has the right to defend itself by eliminating terrorism at its source?” whereas 96% said “no” to the question, “Do you believe U.S. leaders have the right to restrict Israel’s response to terror attacks?”
"This survey offers further evidence - if it was needed - that evangelical Christians understand and agree with Israel's position," said IFCJ founder and president Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein.
Fewer than half of evangelical respondents (45%) appear to believe that the removal of Yasser Arafat would be the only leader that needed to be targeted. "Evangelicals know that Israel's security depends on much more than just one man," Eckstein said. "As much as they might love to see Arafat removed from power, they understand that this would not be a panacea, but only part of an overall strategy meant to cripple an ingrained terrorist infrastructure."
He added that, in light of Israel's current struggle, evangelical support should be a source of strength to Israelis, and a model to anyone who cares about freedom in the Middle East.
"Evangelicals know this is a conflict in which it is necessary to choose sides, and they have placed themselves on the right side of the conflict."
It is expected that many Christian peacemakers will be upset at the survey result but many believe it will confirm how evangelical Christians’ are taking the word of Jesus into action as they continuously make efforts to reconcile with Jews and show love to them.
