Pompeo: Perhaps God Sent Trump to Save the Jews from the Threat of Iran

Simultaneously with Donald Trump's remarks about the necessity of recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that perhaps God sent Donald Trump to save the 'Jewish people' from the threat of Iran. Pompeo expressed his belief as a devout Christian that God's hand is at work. Pompeo made these comments during an interview with CBS News, a Christian network, during his official visit to Israel. On Thursday, March 21, Trump tweeted that 'the time has come for the United States to fully recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights after 52 years.' He described the Golan as strategically important for Israel and the region. Trump reiterated this view in an interview with Fox News and stated that he did not do this to help Benjamin Netanyahu win the upcoming elections in Israel, as there is consensus in Israel regarding the annexation of the Golan and its recognition by the international community. While several analysts in Israeli media claimed that Trump's 'gift' to Netanyahu ahead of the elections on April 8 might suggest U.S. electoral interference in favor of Netanyahu, Trump denied this in his interview with Fox News. This remarkable political shift in the U.S. government's position comes 52 years after Israel's control over the Golan following the Six-Day War in 1967, and 38 years after the Israeli government annexed the region in 1981, announced on a day when Jews in Israel were celebrating the Purim festival. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a joint press conference with Pompeo on Thursday evening, described Trump's decision as a 'Purim miracle,' stating, 'This miracle has occurred at a time when Iran is planning to use Syria as a platform to attack and destroy Israel... 2500 years ago, the Persians tried to annihilate the Jewish nation and failed, and now the Persians will fail again.' The Book of Esther mentions that Queen Esther, one of the wives of King Ahasuerus during the Achaemenid era, informed the king about Haman's 'plot' against the Jews, preventing their execution, and Haman, the prime minister, and his associates were hanged. According to the Book of Esther, Haman was envious of Esther and her uncle Mordecai, who was responsible for the treasury of the court. Pompeo, who did not react to Netanyahu's remarks about the 'Purim miracle' during the joint press conference, stated in his interview with the Christian network that if Donald Trump has come to power at this time, it may be similar to what Queen Esther did to help the Jewish people at that time. Netanyahu has often spoken of 'miracles' for his country, but this is the first time that the U.S. Secretary of State, who has also been the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, has invoked his religious faith to speak of God's intervention to protect Israel from Iran. During this visit, Pompeo also visited the Western Wall of the Jews next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In the U.S. government, Mike Pence, the Vice President, is a devout Christian; Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House spokesperson and daughter of Senator Huckabee, a pro-Israel Christian figure, recently referred to Trump's presidency as a sign of God's will. Meanwhile, while the international community, from Russia and European countries to Syria, Turkey, Iran, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, has strongly condemned Trump's decision regarding 'the full recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights' and stated they will not follow the U.S., Channel 13 of Israeli television reported on Friday night that the White House is preparing for the official signing of the recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the Golan region. According to this Israeli network, this event will likely take place on Monday, April 1, during Netanyahu's meeting with Trump at the White House, where Trump will sign the order in front of cameras. In mid-December 2017, Trump also recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and five months later, in May 2018, the U.S. embassy in Israel was moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Meanwhile, on Friday, March 22, Pompeo, during his visit to Lebanon, emphasized the need to increase pressure on Hezbollah to stop 'crime, threats, and terrorism,' adding that the goal of this pressure is to cut off funding for terrorists. According to the Secretary of State, the actions of his country have already yielded results. Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, who emphasized that money, bread, water, weapons, and 'everything Hezbollah has comes from Iran,' two weeks ago in a speech confirmed the financial pressure on his organization and encouraged Hezbollah supporters to make financial donations.