U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s trip to the Middle East this week was envisioned as a show of solidarity with Christian communities in the region suffering from persecution. Yet now, the vice president will not be meeting any Christians during his three-day visit to Egypt and Israel. [...]
Pence, a proud evangelical Christian, will pay a private visit to one of Judaism’s holiest sites, Jerusalem’s Western Wall, as soon as he lands in Israel on Wednesday. But he has no plans to visit any churches in the country or any other sites of significance for Christianity. Nor will he be meeting with leaders of the various Christian communities in Israel. [...]
The turning point was obviously U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announcement that the U.S. Embassy would move there. Pence, who is closely aligned with the religious right, is regarded as a driving force behind the move, though Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later said such a move is unlikely to take place during Trump’s current term in office. [...]
Asked to expound on the trip’s purpose, Pence begins by speaking about America’s great love for Israel, followed by its determination to bring peace to the region. Only at the end of his remarks does he mention a desire to help embattled Christians.
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