Pastor Chris Oyakhilome sits down with US President Donald Trump’s appointed ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, for an enlightening discussion about US-Israeli relations and America’s vision for the region.

The United States Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, recently sat down with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, the founder and president of LoveWorld Incorporated, for an exclusive interview. The interview was featured on Pastor Chris’s show ‘Your LoveWorld’ which was broadcast on the organization’s global television network. 

David Friedman was appointed ambassador by President Donald Trump and he assumed office in 2017. Since his appointment, the US has formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Friedman has overseen the process of relocating the American embassy to Jerusalem. In an official proclamation earlier this year, the Trump administration approved the United States’ recognition of Israel’s territorial claims to the Golan Heights, an area Israel formally annexed from Syria after the Six-Day War. 

As a religious leader, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome has continued to emphasize the importance of showing solidarity with Israel. The Nigerian pastor received a special invitation from Israeli Prime Minister to the event celebrating the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem in 2018. Pastor Chris also leads an annual Bible tour of the Holy Land for his followers. On the tour, he is accompanied by hundreds of followers seeking to connect to Israel on a spiritual and historic level and walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

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During the interview, Friedman speaks frankly to Pastor Chris about the relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem, which according to US diplomatic relations is now the official capital of Israel. He tells Pastor Chris that the opening of the embassy has been successful and met with little to no backlash. He is thankful that the first year has brought nothing but peace and tranquility. 

When Pastor Chris asks whether the ramping of recent rhetoric by Iran is related to the US declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Friedman firmly asserts that the two are unrelated. However, he is quick to mention that Iran remains a serious problem in the region, involved in conflict both to the north and south of Israel – in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria.

With keen perception, Pastor Chris probes the ambassador on the reactions of other countries since the US has moved its embassy. Ambassador Friedman admits that other countries have not moved at the fast pace that the United States would like in relocating their embassies and formally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but that he is ‘still optimistic that we’ll see more movement.’ He tells Pastor Chris that the US has indicated that it is only correct that diplomatic missions should be located in Jerusalem. He adds that “it doesn’t in any way denigrate from the desire to see peace in the region or to see the Palestinians live in dignity, with autonomy.”

Israel is a Miraculous Country

Israel is a unique country where history and culture have woven a complex tale that has been the source of several conflicts. This is further complicated by its precarious position geographically – it is a small country surrounded by a number of historical and current enemies. When Pastor Chris asks Ambassador David Friedman to share his thoughts on Israel, he replies, “Maybe in the simplest terms – Israel is a miraculous country.”

Israel and the Israeli people have overcome the overwhelming challenges they have faced – enemies at their borders and the surrounding region, terrorist groups threatening their existence, instability. Friedman tells Pastor Chris that they have not simply survived these challenges, they have thrived. Israel has developed a world-class economy. They have become a leader in cyber defense and technology. These shared values and accomplishments have strengthened the bond between Israel the United States, making them allies in a difficult region. 

Continuing the discussion about the US defense of Israel, Pastor Chris asks Ambassador Friedman whether this motivated the recent recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel. Ambassador calls the US proclamation – the right decision at the right time, claiming there is simply no conceptualization of Israel’s northern border that does not include the Golan Heights. He also says it is unimaginable that the land would be returned to Bashar Assad. In recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel, the US is sending a message to those continuing to make mischief in Syria that Israel is lawfully entitled to a safe and secure border.

Israel is the Lynchpin in America’s Vision for the Middle East 

When Pastor Chris asks US Ambassador Friedman to articulate America’s vision for the region, he does not hesitate to declare that the US would like to see much of the region join the 21st century and develop better practices with regard to human rights. He also hopes that the United States can promote more open, transparent economies in the region and work to prevent nonaggression from one country to the next. Friedman calls Israel the lynchpin to successfully achieving this vision of democratic nations living in peace. A successful democracy that has overcome so many obstacles, Israel serves as a model of progress for the rest of the region to aspire to.  

In concluding the interview, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome asks US Ambassador Friedman to say something about Israel to the rest of the world. What is it about Israel that he would like the world to know? For Friedman, just talking about Israel cannot compare to experiencing the country first hand. He encourages people to come to Israel to see its beauty, feel the power of history on the land, and to experience the miracle that is Israel. He tells Pastor Chris that there are about 4 million tourists traveling to Israel a year, more than double the numbers seen only a few years ago. Those who come to Israel will be able to see how welcoming Israel is to those of different faiths. Friedman calls a visit to Israel a transformational experience.