Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s selection of Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate has Israelis intrigued.
As if the prospect of a Trump presidency wasn’t enough to gain everyone’s attention.
Trump has already made unwavering support for Israel a centerpiece of his campaign. Bringing Pence on board only amplifies that message.
An unabashedly conservative Christian, Pence previously spent 12 years in Congress, where he led several pro-Israel efforts, including placing stricter conditions on funding for the Palestinian Authority.
In 2007, Pence co-led the bipartisan Congressional Anti-Semitism Task Force.
In 2009, Pence addressed the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), stating “emphatically” that his “Christian faith compels me to cherish the state of Israel.”
Nor has his support for Israel waned since becoming governor.
Indiana recently became one of the first American states to outlaw the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that targets Israel.
Trump’s selection of Pence “signifies the rising power of Evangelicals among the Republican elite, which is a good thing for Israel,” wrote Yosef Hirsh on the Israeli news portal Mida.
Originally posted at Israel Today Magazine.
