Dear friends and prayer partners,
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is calling on Christians worldwide to urgent prayer regarding the visit of US President Donald Trump to the Middle East region this week and its possible impact on Israel.
Given the recent ‘surprises’ the Trump administration has sprung on Israel and the lack of a stopover in Tel Aviv, there is growing concern among Israeli leaders and the public over the uncertainty of President Trump’s precise agenda during this diplomatic venture. What has become clear is that, upon landing in Riyadh on Tuesday, he will face a very tempting Saudi-led pan-Arab offer of one trillion US dollars in trade, arms sales and investment deals, and a substantial widening of the circle of normalization with Israel. This would be contingent, however, on Israel prematurely ending the war against Hamas in Gaza and the US committing to a Palestinian state, among other possible conditions. Reports indicate that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will welcome President Trump to Riyadh alongside Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, new Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and new Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, signalling the potentially broader acceptance of Israel in the region. Cloaked with the Crown Prince’s personal charm, the enormity of the offer on the table would be very tempting for any American leader, much less a businessman like Donald Trump.
President Trump established an incredible pro-Israel record in his previous term, for which we are most grateful. He also has been instrumental in securing the recent release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, which is equally laudable. But the magnitude of the pending offer requires that we urgently pray for President Trump not to give in to conditions and compromises that could be detrimental to Israel, most notably by dividing the Land of Israel to create a Palestinian state.
The world was already close to a landmark normalisation pact between Saudi Arabia and Israel only two years ago, until Hamas launched its brutal terror invasion into the western Negev and massacred 1,200 Israelis while abducting 251 hostages back into the dungeons of Gaza. It would be a reckless and unconscionable reward for jihadist terrorism to now hand the Palestinians a state while allowing Hamas to survive to fight another day.
We are calling on committed Christians everywhere to set themselves aside for more focused prayer over coming days concerning the high-stakes diplomacy playing out before our eyes. This moment could bring great benefits for Israel and the entire region, or it could bring us closer to the dire prophetic judgment of Joel chapter three.
Yours in Christ,
Dr. Jürgen Bühler
ICEJ President
