Mike Evans
Mike EvansNati Shochat/Flash90

A senior evangelist Christian leader and key Trump ally urged Israel to coordinate its plans to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria with the Trump administration, advising against efforts to “pressure” the White House into changing its timetable for Israeli sovereignty.

Speaking with Kan Bet Monday morning, Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, urged the Israeli Right to be ‘patient’ on annexation.

“I would not encourage them to pressure the president on annexation. You have an opportunity now that you never had before. You don’t want to undermine your strength in the Gulf Sunni states. Israel never had Arab leaders supporting a peace initiative like this. This is historic. Everyone needs to be grateful and just relax.”

Evans said concerns on the Israeli Right that the Trump administration might be pulling back from its support last Tuesday for the extension of Israeli sovereignty over large swaths of Judea and Samaria were unfounded.

“My opinion: it is not something that they need to do immediately, because there is nothing to worry about with Donald Trump. All the anxiety I’m hearing from Israel concerning the people who are upset about the plan – they need to relax and be patient.”

Right-wing lawmakers have pressed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to apply sovereignty over all Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria this week, rejecting calls from President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner to hold off on applying sovereignty until after Israel’s March 2nd election.

Some on the Israeli Right also expressed concern this week that Kushner’s recent statements, including claims that the US peace plan is aimed at ‘curbing settlement expansion’ reflected an about-face by the White House.