Former Republican congresswoman from Minnesota and founder of the congressional Tea Party Caucus Michele Bachmann made an emotional speech during a visit to Jerusalem on Sunday, discussing the past misdeeds of Christians towards Jews and apologizing for her own behavior.
Bachmann, a former member of the US House delegation from Minnesota, became a national figure in the GOP after she helped found the House of Representatives Tea Party Caucus, and ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.
A self-described “long-time supporter of Israel,” Bachmann nevertheless said she needed to “ask for forgiveness from the Jewish people” on Sunday, referencing comments made during a radio interview in 2015 in which she called upon Jews to convert to Christianity.
Speaking with the radio show “Washington Watch” in November 2015, Bachmann called for efforts to convert Jews en masse to Christianity to hasten the End of Days.
“We recognize the shortness of the hour,” Bachmann said, “and that’s why we as a remnant want to be faithful in these days and do what it is that the Holy Spirit is speaking to each one of us, to be faithful in the Kingdom and to help bring in as many as we can — even among the Jews — share Jesus Christ with everyone that we possibly can because, again, He’s coming soon.”
On Sunday, however, Bachmann said she ‘repented’ for the “horrible and arrogant way” she and other Christians had treated Jewish in the past.
Speaking at a special Jerusalem Day Bible study session at the Knesset organized by the Knesset Caucus for the Encouragement of Bible Study, the Schindler Society, and Israel365, Bachmann said she sought “repentance from the Jewish people for the horrible and arrogant way Christians – myself included – treated and regarded the Jewish people.”
“I ask for forgiveness from the Jewish people for what it is that we have done,” said Bachmann. “I apologize profoundly and ask forgiveness from the Almighty God that these statements brought pain.”
Using the Hebrew term for God, “Hashem”, Bachmann said she had a profound change of heart since her 2015 comments.
“He is truly changing the world and He is changing my heart.”
Likud MK and Temple Mount activist Rabbi Yehuda Glick took part in the special event at the Knesset, along with Kfar Shmaryahu’s Rabbi Oriel Einhorn, Rabbi Tuly Weisz, and leaders of the American Evangelical “Schindler Society”, Jim Garlow and his wife Rosemary Schindler Garlow.