During his visit to the Middle East last week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Chief Political Analyst David Brody and Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell of the Christian Broadcast Network (CBN) in Jerusalem. The interview occurred soon after The Times of Israel reported Pompeo’s visit to Jerusalem’s Western Wall as “the first time a U.S. secretary of state visited Jerusalem’s contested Old City accompanied by a senior Israeli official.”
That senior Israeli official was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During the CBN interview, Pompeo responded to a question about whether God was using President Trump as a modern-day Esther to save the Jewish people.
“As a Christian, I certainly believe that’s possible,” Pompeo replied.
It seems Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees.
On March 21 (the last day of Purim), Pompeo and Netanyahu held a joint press conference. Netanyahu mentioned Trump’s pledge to fully recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights – a historic act made official this week – calling it a “Purim miracle.”
“We’re celebrating Purim, when, 2,500 years ago, other Persians, led by Haman, tried to destroy the Jewish people,” Netanyahu said. “They failed then. And today, 2,500 years later, Persians led by Khamenei are trying to destroy the Jewish people and the Jewish State. They are going to fail again.”
On March 25, President Trump fulfilled his pledge and signed a proclamation acknowledging Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Saving Israel Means Stopping Iran
As Netanyahu hinted at the joint press conference with Pompeo, Queen Esther 2,500 years ago courageously used her position to intercede in a plot to exterminate the Jewish people by an adviser of Persia’s King Ahasuerus, Haman the Agagite (Esther 3:1). Haman most likely was a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites and a bitter enemy of the Jewish people.
Ancient Persia is modern-day Iran.
Steven M. Collins, author of five books documenting the migrations, kingdoms and locations of the biblical “Lost Tribes of Israel,” the 10 tribes from the ancient Northern Kingdom of Israel, suggested that the spirit of Haman “lives on in the modern leadership of Iran, which wants to exterminate the Jews, as did Haman long ago.“
Toward this end, Iran is working to surround Israel.
Iran has bases in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq. They fund and supply terrorist groups, including Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border in Lebanon and Hamas on Israel’s southern border in the Gaza Strip.
Just two days after Pompeo returned to Washington – on Monday morning of this week – Hamas fired 30 Iran-supplied rockets into central Israel, destroying a family’s home and injuring seven people including two small children. Israel responded within 12 hours by conducting 15 airstrikes on Hamas military sites.
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Do you want to know how to pray for Israel in greater detail and depth? Jewish Voice Ministries has put together this Intercessory Prayer Guide for Israel that provides focused, targeted requests to help you pray for the nation of God’s People. We hope this prayer guide can help both Messianic Jews and Christians pray their support for Israel.
What Pompeo Accomplished in Kuwait, Israel and Lebanon
President Trump sent Pompeo to Kuwait, Israel and Lebanon last week to help the Middle East find peace. The Secretary of State assured the Jewish people of the Trump administration’s commitment to helping them stop Iran from achieving their goal of exterminating the Jewish people.
According to the State Department website, last week’s trip to Kuwait, Israel and Lebanon involved discussions on issues including defense, cybertechnology, cybersecurity, trade and Iran’s aggressive behavior.
- In Kuwait City, Pompeo led the U.S. delegation at the third U.S.-Kuwait Strategic Dialogue. He emphasized that the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) needed unity to confront the region’s challenges and advance prosperity, security and stability
- In Jerusalem, Pompeo reaffirmed the U.S.’ commitment to Israel’s security, as well as addressing the alarming uptick in anti-Semitism. He also participated in a meeting with representatives from Israel, Cyprus and Greece to discuss key energy and security issues facing the region. On the final day, he visited the Western Wall with Netanyahu and other officials
- In Beirut, Pompeo discussed with Lebanese leaders the political, security, economic and humanitarian challenges facing Lebanon. He stressed curbing the growing influence of the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon’s policies and government
As Pompeo denounced Iran's growing influence on Lebanon, the Trump administration slapped more sanctions on Iran. According to the Associated Press (AP), the sanctions “target 31 Iranian scientists, technicians and companies affiliated with Iran's Organization for Defense Innovation and Research, which had been at the forefront” of Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
Please join with us in praying for an end to Iran’s ability to both terrorize the world and advance its goal to destroy Israel and the Jewish people. Also pray for:
- Protection of Israel’s people from further rocket attacks by Hamas
- An end to Iran’s influence on and funding of Hezbollah in Lebanon to Israel’s north
