NASHVILLE (BP) – Ethics & Religious Liberty President Brent Leatherwood and Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley submitted a joint letter today (Oct. 2) to both President Joe Biden and U.S. congressional leaders expressing Southern Baptists’ continued support for Israel. The letter comes on the heels of escalation in Middle East conflict and a few days before the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
“Since the inception of the modern state of Israel in 1948, Israel has faced numerous attacks, incursions, and violations of its national sovereignty,” the letters said. “The Jewish people have long endured genocidal attempts to eradicate them and to destroy the Jewish state. These antisemitic, deadly ideologies and terrorist actions must be opposed.”
Iran began firing missiles into Israel Tuesday (Oct. 1), moving the region closer to all-out war. Israeli Prime Ministry Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to retaliate.
In an email to Baptist Press, Pressley said he hopes the letters “raise awareness, voice support and assure the people of Israel of our continued support.”
“Tragedies are often quickly forgotten and it’s good for Christian people to remember how terrible the Oct. 7 attacks were,” Pressley said.
“Israel is one of our closest allies, the only democracy in the Middle East and is heroically fighting against terrorists after being viciously attacked. We stand with them in the justice of their cause and believe they have been raised up in the Providence of God.”
Leatherwood told Baptist Press that Southern Baptists have been “very clear that we stand in solidarity with the nation of Israel.”
“That is an ironclad belief. We expect the same from our nation’s leaders,” he said.
“Southern Baptists have been very clear that we stand in solidarity with the nation of Israel. That is an ironclad belief. We expect the same from our nation’s leaders”
Brent Leatherwood
Read the full Baptist Press article here.
