Mike Pompeo says god may have 'raised' Trump to save Jewish people from 'Iranian menace'
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday said that it is "possible" that President Donald Trump has been "raised" by God to save the Jewish people from Iran. He made the statement during an interview to the Christian Broadcast Network (CBN) from Jerusalem.
"I am confident that the Lord is at work here," Pompeo told the network. The secretary of state's visit to Jerusalem precedes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled visit to the White House.
Pompeo, during the discussion, was asked about the Jewish holiday of Purim, which fell on the day his comments were taped. According to the biblical story, Jewish people on this day were saved by Queen Esther from being wiped out.
Interviewer Chris Mitchell, drawing a current parallel to the situation, asked Pompeo whether Trump was here to "save the Jewish people".
"And you also mentioned a Bible story last night when you had your statements with the prime minister," Mitchell said. "Jews worldwide and here in Jerusalem are talking about the fact that Esther 2,500 years ago saved the Jewish people with God's help from Haman. And now 2,500 years later there's a new Haman here in the Middle East that wants to eradicate the Jewish people like just like Haman did: the state of Iran."
"Could it be that President Trump right now has been sort of raised for such a time as this, just like Queen Esther, to help save the Jewish people from the Iranian menace?" the interviewer asked.
To which Pompeo responded with: "As a Christian, I certainly believe that's possible." The nation's top diplomat then referred to touring the archeological sites dating back 3,000 years: "To see the remarkable history of the faith in this place and the work that our administration's done to make sure that this democracy in the Middle East, that this Jewish state remains. I am confident that the Lord is at work here."
"It was special for me as a Christian. It was special I think to show the commitment the United States has to this democracy, this Jewish nation of Israel," he added, according to CBN.
Pompeo's remarks came on the day Trump said that the US should recognize the contentious Golan Heights region as part of Israel. The remarks were seen to be beneficial for Nethanyahu, who is seeking reelection in weeks. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 during the Six-Day War. The area's 690 square miles today are considered a buffer zone between the two nations. The United Nations called on Israel to withdraw from the territory and from the West Bank and Gaza in a resolution. However, Israel enacted a law that annexed the western two-thirds of the Golan Heights in 1981 after years of arguing over the UN resolution.
Trump, in an interview with the Fox Business Network, had said that he had been "thinking about doing it for a long time." When host Maria Bartiromo asked the president if the move was about the election, making a reference to the upcoming April 9 election Netanyahu faces, Trump replied with "No. I wouldn't even know about that. I hear he is doing okay."