Christians United for Israel (CUFI)

Christians United for Israel (CUFI) was founded in 2006 by the American pastor and televangelist John Hagee. At its inception, the organization reported recruiting approximately 400 pastors and Christian leaders who aimed to advocate in favor of the Zionist movement and support of Israel. This initiative aimed to unite Christians across denominational and cultural boundaries in support of Israel. The founding of CUFI was marked by a series of public events and publications intended to establish a united voice of Christian support for Israel.

In the same year as CUFI’s founding, David Brog, its first executive director, published Standing with Israel: Why Christians Support the Jewish State. Hagee contributed the foreword to this book, which aimed to explain Christian support for Israel and encourage the Jewish community to accept this support. A year later, in 2007, Hagee’s book, In Defense of Israel: The Bible’s Mandate for Supporting the Jewish State, was released, targeting a Christian audience and aiming to counter criticisms against supporting Israel. Hagee delivered a keynote address at the annual meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), focusing on Christian support for Israel and concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program. CUFI on Campus was founded as its student wing in the same year.

Over time, CUFI grew significantly. By 2019, it claimed to have over seven million members, and by 2023, this number was reported to be over ten million, positioning it as the largest pro-Israel group in America. CUFI’s stated aims include acting as a defensive shield against anti-Israel lies, boycotts, and political threats. The organization advocates directly to politicians through mass email campaigns and other means in support of policies such as the Taylor Force Act and continuous funding for Israel’s Iron Dome Missile Defense System.

CUFI hosts an annual summit in Washington, D.C., which has become a regular event for politicians seeking to demonstrate their pro-Israel stance to a broadly evangelical audience. The organization exerts its influence through various channels, including email networks, nationwide “Nights to Honor Israel,” its student wing CUFI on Campus, and its television show, The Watchman. In 2017, CUFI launched an educational initiative called CUFI U. Other initiatives include Daughters for Zion, which focuses on prayer groups for Israel, and the Israel Collective, which publishes news from Israel for American Christians. In 2020, CUFI established the CUFI Action Fund to concentrate on Middle East foreign policy issues.

CUFI’s policy agenda advocates for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, American aid to Israel, and the maintenance of Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region. It opposes international pressure on Israel to make concessions and any notion that Israel’s military activities are not acts of self-defense. CUFI also actively works to counter Iran’s influence through sanctions and efforts to disrupt support for groups like Hezbollah. A significant focus of CUFI is opposition to anti-Semitism, supporting the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition. Furthermore, CUFI advocates against Palestinian terrorism and opposes U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority until it changes its behavior toward Israel. The organization is a vocal opponent of the BDS movement, supporting legislation against it at both federal and state levels.

CUFI has been involved in significant political events, including the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem in 2018 and the U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, CUFI brought pastors from every state to Israel. In 2024, following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, CUFI played a role in advancing the 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act, which provided emergency military aid to Israel.

Pastor Hagee has denounced replacement theology and says of Israel: “We believe in the promise of Genesis 12:3 regarding the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. We believe that this is an eternal covenant between God and the seed of Abraham to which God is faithful.” Evangelical leader Pat Robertson echoed this statement while on his tour of Israel during the Israel-Hezbollah war, saying, “The Jews are God’s chosen people. Israel is a special nation that has a special place in God’s heart. He will defend this nation. So, Evangelical Christians stand with Israel. That is one of the reasons I am here.”

Hagee claims that he and other Christian Zionists support Israel because they owe a debt of gratitude to the Jewish people, and not because they want Jews to convert to Christianity. The Jewish people gave the world Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the prophets, of whom there were “not a Baptist in the bunch...The Jewish people do not need Christianity to explain their existence. But Christians cannot explain our existence without Judaism. The roots of Christianity are Jewish.”

While older Evangelical leaders and voters remain staunchly pro-Israel, support among young Evangelicals has declined significantly in recent years. This shift is influenced by changing theological perspectives, increased exposure to media portraying Israel as the aggressor, and a preference for younger pastors who place less emphasis on Israel. Although young Evangelicals still tend to lean Republican, their waning enthusiasm for Israel could influence long-term U.S. policy; however, some scholars suggest that their views may evolve with age.

Throughout its history, CUFI has emphasized the importance of education and mobilized its millions of members to support Israel. John Hagee stated that CUFI’s most significant achievement was bringing together millions of people from diverse backgrounds to support Israel and the Jewish people, asserting that CUFI had awakened a “sleeping giant” of Christian Zionism.

Sources: “Christians United for Israel (CUFI),” CDAMM.
“Impact,” CUFI.
“Mission,” CUFI.
“Policy Agenda,” CUFI.
“Who we are,” Hagee Ministries.
“Christians United for Israel (CUFI),” Influence Watch.
Tovah Lazaroff, “‘Evangelicals the world over are praying for Israel,’” Jerusalem Post, (August 9, 2006).
Sean Savage, “How CUFI has awakened the ‘sleeping giant’ of Christian Zionism,” JNS, (March 9, 2021).
Maaya Jaffe-Hoffman, “Young Evangelical support for Israel plummets,” Jerusalem Post, (February 12, 2024).