• Trump ally Mike Evans tells Jerusalem Post that Israel retains evangelical support but has lost ideological battle to Hamas in media sphere
• Evans argues Hamas learned to weaponize media outlets while Israel failed to invest adequate resources in strategic communications and information warfare
• Evangelical community leader calls for cooperation between Israeli government and Christian leaders to counter anti-Israel narratives on social media and universities

JERUSALEM (TDR) — Israel still has the support of American Evangelical Christians, but the Jewish state has lost the information war and needs to seriously invest its focus on the matter, longtime President Donald Trump ally Dr. Mike Evans told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. The founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center warned that while Israel maintains military superiority, it has failed to counter Hamas effectively in the global media landscape.

Israel had lost what Evans called the ideological war, which Hamas understood how to fight far better. While Gazan terrorist organizations couldn't hope to best the IDF on the battlefield, they had learned how to use the media to attack Israel in another war dimension, according to Evans.

Hamas weaponizes casualty reports

Evans gave the example of how Hamas could release figures, such as casualty reports, that were uncritically adopted by media outlets. The terrorist organization's ability to shape narratives and control information flow has given them strategic advantages despite military defeats on the ground.

The evangelical leader said Israel had discussed the problem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it a major problem. Evans emphasized that evangelical leaders were well-equipped and willing to help Israel in conveying its message to Christians and Muslims around the world, but Israeli officials needed to cooperate with them more effectively.

Evangelical support remains solid

Evans said that the evangelical community still had rock solid support for Israel, but the anti-Israel sentiment developing among some Christian factions was an issue that needed to be addressed. The Friends of Zion founder noted that his organization represents a quarter of a billion Christians worldwide who continue to stand with Israel.

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American youth first bought into social justice ideologies and narratives and now into anti-Israel activism, with Evans noting that much of it was engendered by the manipulation of universities and social media by authoritarian countries. He pointed to coordinated campaigns on college campuses and social platforms that have shaped younger generations' views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Call for strategic communications overhaul

Evans argued that Israel needs to fundamentally rethink its approach to public diplomacy and information warfare. "We are fighting a media war, and it's a real war that we've got to win together," Evans said in previous statements about the conflict.

His organization, Friends of Zion, has attempted to counter anti-Israel narratives through social media campaigns, hosting journalists and influencers, and organizing solidarity events. The group reported producing over 700 posts with many reaching over four million viewers in an effort to win hearts and minds of the 40% of the global population that gets information through social networks.

Evans has known Netanyahu since the early 1980s and has been a vocal advocate for Israel in evangelical circles. He founded several organizations including the Friends of Zion Heritage Center and Museum in Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Prayer Team, which claims to represent hundreds of millions of evangelical supporters worldwide.

The evangelical leader's warnings come as Israel continues military operations against Hamas following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. While Israel has achieved tactical successes on the battlefield, concerns remain about its ability to maintain international support amid ongoing criticism of its military campaign.

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Can Israel regain ground in the global information war while maintaining military operations?

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