i24NEWS debuted 'American View,' a new weekly program hosted by Senior US Correspondent Mike Wagenheim, focused on the American perspective on Israel and the broader Middle East.
The first episode centered on a conversation with Sandra Hagee Parker, chair of the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Action Fund. The interview came as CUFI's members prepared to gather in Washington for the organization's annual summit.
Wagenheim opened by asking about polling showing declining support for Israel among younger evangelicals and progressive Christians, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's longstanding outreach to Christian Zionists. Hagee Parker said a generational shift is real but not unique to Christians. "There is a generational shift; it's not just Christians but a younger generation. This is not something new, and of course, with the influence of foreign countries, we see how this influence is fomenting," she said.
Hagee Parker added that regardless of one's faith or politics, "if you care about our security, the rational thing to do is to stand with our ally Israel."
On whether Christians can oppose Zionism, Hagee Parker argued that the two positions are incompatible with genuine belief in scripture.
"How people choose to identify themselves is their business, but you cannot be a Christian and anti-Zionist," she said, arguing that taking that stance means "you don't believe large sections of the Bible." She pointed to commentators such as Tucker Carlson as an example, saying they "just don't believe large sections of the Bible."
Asked about incidents in which Christians have reported being assaulted or discriminated against in Israel, and about US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee's past criticism of Israeli authorities over such cases, Hagee Parker said no country is beyond reproach but that it is not her place to direct Israeli policy.
"No country is perfect. It's not my job to tell Israel what to do. Ambassador Huckabee is in a position to signal messaging from our nation to the nation of Israel. My job is to make sure my country doesn't do anything to create daylight between the US and the nation of Israel," she said.
The conversation also touched on friction between CUFI's legislative priorities and the current administration's posture toward Turkey. Hagee Parker cited a law CUFI helped pass barring the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara, "Turkey cannot get F-35s as long as they are so super chummy with Russia. I don't speak for the president. If they want to court favor by saying these people are friendly, what matters is it's against the law."
Hagee Parker closed by pointing to growth in CUFI's membership, particularly among young people, since October 7, and reaffirmed the organization's commitment to combating antisemitism.