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    As U.S. Jews Cool To Israel, Evangelicals Flock There As Tourists

    Evangelicals are emerging as the most reliable U.S. supporters of the Israeli government and the fastest growing segment of the Israeli tourism market.
    by Tom Gjelten Aug 25, 2019 4 minutes
    Sharon Litton of Shreveport, La., is baptized by immersion in the Jordan River, where Jesus is said to have been baptized. Such baptisms are a staple of evangelical tours of Israel.

    President Trump's evident desire to identify who's most "loyal" to Israel has a clear winner: U.S. evangelicals.

    Not only do they outpace U.S. Jews in their support for policies that favor the Israeli government, U.S. evangelicals have also become the fastest growing sector of the Israeli tourism market. The developments may even be related.

    "I'd say close to 100 percent of our travelers come back extremely pro-Israel in their political views," says Pastor Andy Cook, who leads evangelical tours of the Holy Land twice a year.

    Back to its roots

    Tourist travel to Israel is growing about 10 percent a year, according to Eyal Carlin, the incoming North America director of the Israeli Tourism Ministry, with evangelical Christians a growing share

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