JERUSALEM — With an evangelical pastor’s arm around his shoulders, Yehudah Glick recited the Jewish priestly blessing on Monday to a crowd in Jerusalem.
“The one thing we want to see Trump bring into [the presidency] is the concept of God,” said Glick, a rabbi who served in Israel’s parliament as part of the conservative Likud Party. He called on the new president to ensure that “the friendship between Israel and the evangelical community be strengthened, and stronger than ever before.”
Then, to a smattering of applause, he delivered another quote from the Bible: “Zion will be a house of prayer for all nations.”
Glick and the pastor, Mike Evans, had gathered with the crowd to celebrate Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. After Glick spoke, an American-Israeli folk band called the Solomon Brothers took to the stage to play a plucky, bluegrass version of “YMCA,” a staple of Trump’s campaign rallies.
Pastor Mike Evans, left, and Rabbi Yehuda Glick prayed together at an event celebration Donald Trump’s inauguration as president, Jan. 20, 2025.(Deborah Danan)
Polls show that a large majority of Israelis welcome Trump’s return to office, and some of his most enthusiastic fans in the country were on hand for Monday’s event. It was held at the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem’s downtown, an institution Evans founded to highlight the contributions of Christian Zionists, and held jointly by the museum and ILTV, an Israeli English-language TV station.
Organizers said a thousand people turned up for the event, which was titled “Congratulations Donald Trump, Israel loves you.” American fare, including donuts, was served, and attendees received MAGA-inspired merchandise, including red baseball caps adorned with U.S. and Israeli flags and the phrase, “God Bless President Trump.”
“He knows he owes his victory to the evangelical community, it’s very clear when he brings God into every single conversation and even his policies,” said Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, an Israeli government envoy, during a panel at the event. “And that gives me a lot of hope that it’s going to be way better for the Jewish people and the state of Israel.”
The event gathered both newer and longtime fans of the president. Vicky Cohn, a native of Germany who recently moved back to Israel after spending a long time in Europe, said she changed her mind about Trump after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
“I was always a left-winger and was very influenced by all the talk that he could be a full-scale dictator,” she said. “But then the 7th of October happened and everything changed for me.”
Now, she said, she admires the qualities that give many of Trump’s critics pause, including his “strong-man attitude, his unapologetic way, but also his brashness.”
Attendees at a pro-Trump inauguration event in Jerusalem did not watch the inauguration itself, Jan. 20, 2025. (Deborah Danan)
American-Israeli Yehiel Shekhtman, meanwhile, said he has “rooted for Trump since day one in 2016,” and said he has “a lot of love for President Trump and for everything he stands for and does and tries to do.”
But even among Trump’s most fervent fans, an undercurrent of unease could be detected on Monday. Lately Trump has focused his energies, when it comes to the region, on securing a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. That effort has consternated some on the Israeli right, including many of the Trump admirers who showed up Monday. Multiple attendees said they felt he rushed into the deal, in which Israel is exchanging hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners for hostages held by Hamas.
“I felt a bit like he didn’t really care too much,” Cohn said. “What would have happened if he would have waited another week or two weeks? I want Hamas to be totally defeated and now it seems like they have the upper hand, and can unleash thousands of terrorists on Israel.”
Shekhtman felt similarly, expressing skepticism that the deal would actually liberate all 94 hostages still held by Hamas. “It feels like he didn’t properly understand or even research the terms of this deal, and I found that to be a bit ignorant,” he said.
Another attendee, Lauren Adilev, said she was fearful about what Trump would push for next. “I’m very excited about Trump 2 but concerned about a peace deal with Saudi Arabia being forced on Israel in exchange for destroying every Jewish community in Yehuda and Shomron,” using the Hebrew words for the Israeli right’s term for the West Bank.
And Hassan-Nahoum expressed disappointment that Trump didn’t mention antisemitism or campus protests against Israel in his inaugural address, which was not live-streamed at the event. Still, she said, “Actions speak louder than words.”
In response, Evans said he was unconcerned. “I have the pen that he signed the antisemitism campus bill with. He gave it to me.” He may have been referring to Trump’s 2019 executive order on antisemitism.
Others in the crowd said they had no fears about Trump’s second term. “I think Trump is good for us,” said Yisrael Cohen, who happened on the event by chance. “He will help bring peace to the area. I’m not worried about the hostage deal. I believe Trump will show Hamas who is in control here.”
And in his own remarks Monday, Evans said, “Trump has absolutely zero tolerance for Hamas.”
He added, referencing reports of a day-after plan for the war, “The Saudis, the Emiratis, Egyptians will help drain the swamp in Gaza.”
Joseph Berman said he didn’t appreciate Donald Trump’s “personal foibles” but was optimistic about what he will do as president, Jerusalem, Jan. 20, 2025. (Deborah Danan)
Evans also praised a fellow Christian Zionist, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whom Trump has tapped to be ambassador to Israel. “Mike Huckabee supports sovereignty over Judea and Samaria,” Evans said, using the Israeli right’s term for the West Bank. “And don’t think for a second that Donald Trump didn’t know that when he chose him.”
Huckabee sent a video message to the gathering, saying he was “looking forward to urgently getting on the mission and to bring[ing] peace, security and great opportunity.”
Many at the event were diehard Trump fans. But even those who said they were still acclimating themselves to the second-term president said that Monday was a time to celebrate.
“He’s delivered more than anybody else has delivered,” said Joseph Berman, who said he didn’t appreciate Trump’s “personal foibles.”
“Under him, America’s first priority is Israel,” Berman said. “It’s been a major change from the previous administration, which has been trying to play both sides in the Israel-Gaza conflict. He’s really been very forceful that there’s going to be no other options.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
