A partnership guided by God: Why Trump decided to endorse Netanyahu in Israel's elections - opinion

When President Donald Trump endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection as prime minister of Israel, many voices urged him not to do it. 

But I believe I know why Trump made that decision. I have known Benjamin Netanyahu for nearly 50 years, and I believe Trump recognizes in him something I have witnessed for decades: courage, pragmatism, resilience, and a willingness to make difficult decisions without needing everyone’s approval.

I also believe God has a purpose for both men. My conviction began with an extraordinary encounter in Jerusalem in 1980.

On June 30, 1980, I sat in the office of prime minister Menachem Begin for the first time. He repeatedly asked me, “Why did you come?”

Finally, I admitted, “Mr. Prime Minister, I don’t know. All I know is that God sent me.”

He laughed and turned to his chief of staff, Yehiel Kadishai. “Shake his hand. You have finally met an honest man in this office. He knows God sent him to meet with me, but he doesn’t know why.”

Begin told me to return when God revealed the answer.

Several days later, on the Fourth of July, I was praying in Jerusalem when someone placed a newspaper outside my room. On the front page was the story of Jonathan Netanyahu, known as Yoni, and the Entebbe rescue mission. It was the anniversary of his death.

I felt a strong prompting from God: “Go and comfort the family.”

I had never met them. Nevertheless, I asked my driver to take me to the home of Yoni’s father, Benzion Netanyahu.

Benzion welcomed me inside for tea. While we were sitting together, his grieving younger son entered the room. His name was Benjamin Netanyahu.

Yoni had been his hero. Benjamin had endured the terrible responsibility of telling his parents about his brother’s death and witnessing their devastating grief.

I could see the agony in his eyes. I asked if I could pray for him and placed my hand on his shoulder.

“Jonathan loved David. You loved Jonathan. Out of the ashes of despair will come strength from God, and you will be the Prime Minister of Israel.”

He looked at me and said, “Mike, I’m not going into politics.”

After this encounter I returned to Menachem Begin’s office and explained that I had discovered why God sent me. I told Begin that Benjamin Netanyahu would one day become prime minister, and I asked him to give the young man a job in the government. He did.

I believed God had a purpose for Benjamin Netanyahu long before he became one of the most consequential leaders in Israel’s history.

Nearly half a century later, I have watched that young man’s extraordinary political journey unfold. That history shapes how I view Netanyahu, and it helps explain why I believe Donald Trump recognizes something in him that others do not.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have remarkable similarities. Both have deep connections to American culture, and both understand the power of television and media in shaping public opinion.

Politically, both emphasize national sovereignty, security, strong borders, and the defense of their nations’ interests. Both have challenged established political elites, criticized media institutions, and portrayed themselves as outsiders fighting entrenched systems.

Both have also experienced extraordinary political comebacks. Trump returned to the presidency in 2025 after losing the 2020 election. Netanyahu returned to power after losing the premiership in 2021. Both understand what it means to be counted out and then return to the center of political power.

But I believe their greatest similarity is personal.

Neither man has a desperate need to be liked.

I have known numerous prime ministers and presidents. Many leaders are consumed by the need for approval. They want the applause, favorable headlines, and reassurance that everyone respects them.

But when the need to be liked becomes greater than the responsibility to lead, a nation pays the price.

Trump and Netanyahu have demonstrated a willingness to endure criticism rather than retreat from decisions they believe are necessary. Courage is not measured by how many people applaud you. It is measured by whether you are willing to bear the consequences of doing what is right.

Both men admire the tradition of strong leadership associated with Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill. They understand that peace cannot always be preserved by avoiding confrontation.

The North Star for Donald Trump is moral clarity.

I believe that principle explains his endorsement of Netanyahu better than any political calculation.

No other president would have confronted Iran during a midterm election year, knowing the political risks. Trump was willing to do what he believed was right regardless of the consequences.

For decades, the Iranian regime has threatened Israel and the United States. Trump and Netanyahu opposed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and have shared a hard-line approach to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional aggression. Their military cooperation against Iran has demonstrated the strategic importance of their alliance.

Trump understood that confronting a dangerous regime could carry political costs. But he also understood that ignoring threats does not make them disappear.

Moral clarity means recognizing the difference between a friend and an enemy, between a threat and an ally, and between the pursuit of peace and the appeasement of those who openly call for destruction.

That is why Trump’s endorsement matters. He described Netanyahu as a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and an “even greater Partner for Peace”. He praised Netanyahu’s strength, bravery, and resilience despite tremendous opposition, including opposition within Israel itself.

I believe Trump endorsed Netanyahu because he sees a partner who shares his convictions, understands the stakes, and will not easily surrender under pressure.

During Trump’s first term, the United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and helped broker the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states.

These were historic decisions that challenged longstanding assumptions about the Middle East. The Abraham Accords opened new possibilities for diplomacy, trade, security, and regional cooperation.

Netanyahu played a central role in Israel’s participation, while Trump’s administration supplied the diplomatic initiative and American influence that helped make the agreements possible.

I have spent much of my life defending Israel and mobilizing Christian support for the Jewish people. I launched six billboard campaigns in Israel honoring Trump’s presidency, hosted an embassy gala, presented Trump with the Friends of Zion Hineni Award in the Oval Office, and helped mobilize millions of pro-Israel evangelical voters.

I believe Trump has been the greatest American president in history in terms of his support for Israel. I also believe God spared Trump’s life during the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. As a man of faith, I believe God can preserve a life for a purpose greater than oneself.

The next two years could be among the most consequential in the history of the American-Israeli alliance.

Trump and Netanyahu have an opportunity to strengthen Israel’s security, expand the Abraham Accords, deepen regional cooperation, and pursue a more durable strategy against Iran.

Imagine a Middle East where more nations recognize that cooperation with Israel offers greater opportunities than endless confrontation. Imagine a future in which Israel can live in security and the peoples of the region can pursue peace and prosperity.

What Trump and Netanyahu could accomplish in the next two years could be written about for hundreds of years.

The stakes are enormous. Their decisions could shape regional security, the future of the Abraham Accords, the threat posed by Iran, and the relationship between America and Israel for generations.

Neither Trump nor Netanyahu appears willing to sacrifice his convictions simply to win approval. That does not make them immune to mistakes. Leadership requires accountability as well as courage. But it also requires the willingness to make difficult decisions when the consequences are uncertain and the opposition is fierce.

History does not reward leaders simply for being popular. Churchill did not become a great wartime leader by trying to please everyone. Reagan did not reshape the Cold War by avoiding every confrontation. History remembers leaders who act when the stakes are high, even when their decisions invite criticism.

Trump and Netanyahu understand that reality. Perhaps that is why they recognize something in each other that other leaders miss.

Nearly half a century ago, I prayed over a grieving young man named Benjamin Netanyahu. I could not have imagined all the battles he would face or the role he would eventually play in his nation’s history.

Years later, I stood in the Oval Office and presented Donald Trump with the Friends of Zion Hineni Award. I witnessed his commitment to Israel and his willingness to make decisions that changed the course of American-Israeli relations.

I cannot claim to know every detail of God’s plan. But I believe God can use imperfect people to accomplish extraordinary things. I believe Israel’s security matters profoundly to America, and I believe courageous leaders can change the course of history.

That is why Trump’s endorsement of Netanyahu was more than a political calculation. It was an affirmation of a partnership built on shared convictions, strategic interests, and moral clarity.

Dr. Mike Evans has written 120 books and is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He is the founder of the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem, the Ten Boom Museum in Holland, and Churches United with Israel, one of the largest Christian Zionist networks in America.