Dear Israelis, I've listened to a number of the NatCon talks from Israel. Upon reflecting on them, here are a few of my own thoughts as an evangelical theologian and political conservative. 1. In the simplest terms, many evangelicals are in a different place than several of the NatCon speakers. For a variety of reasons, some geopolitical and some theological, we stand with Israel unapologetically and without significant movement from the traditional America-Israel connection. 2. The tone from some of the NatCon speakers was peremptory and lecturing. Collectively, NatCon seemed dedicated to transmitting the idea that the US-Israel relationship has fundamentally shifted. For many of us, to repeat, it has not shifted. Those speakers *did not* represent many of us--not even a little, just so you know. 3. Nor do many of us think that antisemitism is a lazy leftist trope with little backing in reality. Yes, some aggrieved young men feel this way. But many of us do not agree with them (including many young men). We do concur with some NatCon speakers that it would behoove American Jews who rightly fear antisemitism to align fully and immediately with conservatives, not the left. The left, to be very sure, is no friend to Israel or to Jews. This is not an opinion; this is now established fact. Time to cross the aisle, friends. 4. Antisemitism is indeed a vicious problem today. It has come back with a vengeance in recent years, and the events of October 7, 2023 and the subsequent positive response to that horrific day have shown the world with unmistakable clarity that antisemitism is a grave and terrible threat to civilization in our time. 5. Antisemitism, of course, is not simply a public problem. Wherever it is found, it is first and foremost a corruption of the soul, a poisoning of the heart, and a warping of the mind. Again, antisemitism is anything but a pretend problem ginned up the left. Antisemitism infects and corrupts all who embrace it, and many evangelicals and conservatives stand militantly opposed to it. We are distressed to see some young men lured to antisemitism or adjacent positions, as is happening among the "Groyper" movement today. 6. I am so sorry that countrymen of mine went into your country and gave the messages they did on October 7. Wherever one lands on the issues in question, that was a strange and shocking provocation, and needlessly so. I cannot fathom the level of poor decision-making here; I grieve whatever pain this timing caused many of you, to put you on the defensive in your own country on a day of unfathomable grief. The conference organizers would have been far better served to observe a day of mourning with you all on October 7, and hold their event on different days. That would have not only been in good taste; that would have communicated needful kindness, mercy, and sympathy. 7. Some who stand with Israel are indeed "dispensationalist." In truth, there are numerous flavors of "dispensationalists," and they not a monolithic group. They have made many and varied contributions to American evangelical life, and for that reason lots of Christians honor them, even if they do not hold their system in full. Indeed, others who stand with Israel are not "dispensationalist," me included. Whatever happens with "dispensationalism" as a system in days ahead, I want you to know that there are many Christians both dispensational and non-dispensational who love Jews, care for Jews, pray for Jews, and want the good of Jews, including the scores of Jews who live in Israel. 8. Many of us want Israel to be strong in the Middle East. We do not want you to fight alone; we do not wish to draw back from you, as the forces of Joab drew back from Uriah in his hour of need, dooming him to his death. We may not have political capital, many of us, and we may not have big-pocketed donors backing us. But we want a strong Israel-America alliance because Israel loves freedom, is not Muslim, and has historically been a highly valued ally of America. Many of us do not want this to change. We see tremendous value, in fact, in the America-Israel alliance. Long may it continue. 9. Israel like America is far from perfect. Many of us know this. We do not automatically baptize every action Israel as a nation undertakes. We are able to think critically and carefully about Israel just as we are able to do so about our own country. (For example, many evangelicals who back President Trump find areas of both agreement and disagreement with him--our approach to him is far from monolithic, but is textured and thoughtful.) But again, we value the connection with Israel very highly, and we will support a President who does the same. 10. It was presented to you as a fait accompli that JD Vance will be the next American President. He may be; he has many strengths and gifts. But that is not determined, and the forcefulness with which that matter was treated does not represent how tons of us are thinking about the next Republican nominee. Vance of course has tremendous cache here as our Vice President, but please do not make the understandable mistake of thinking that certain NatCon speakers spoke to this concern with prophetic authority. They have no such authority, and they did no such thing. 11. While we are on this theme, the NatCon messages represented the views of some in America (a small group at this time). They in no way represented many of us. To give one example, William Wolfe and others in no way spoke for us. We did not ask William and his peers to voice our platform; we did not deputize him to go to Israel on our behalf; he spoke, but he did not speak for many of us, down to a single syllable of what he said. We are Protestant evangelicals as he professes to be, but he has no representative sanction from us, and he simply does not carry the banner of Protestant evangelicalism. Do not be confused on this count, then; the Internet can warp one's perception and distort reality. In truth, the speakers at NatCon Jerusalem generally spoke for themselves and a small movement they align with. Wolfe and others in no way represent scores and scores and scores of evangelicals who disagree with these speakers on many different counts, common as our faith-confession may be. 12. In fact, the very vision that William and others articulated is fiercely opposed on principle by many of us evangelicals. We in no way want "Christian Nationalism" to win the day in America. We are indeed Christians, and we definitely want a bold faith to be activated in the American and global public square, but we stand against ethnonationalism without flinching and without apology. 13. Many of us, further, want a strong and connected global order. We may or may not be "neocon," but the point is that we do not champion an "America First" vision in which we leave our traditional allies out in the cold to defend themselves from those who would destroy them. 14. Above all, please know that as evangelicals we are praying for Israel. More than anything else, we pray for Israelis and many Jews to be saved, to know the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ the Messiah, and to join us in living for God. Whether you convert to Christianity or not, though, we will emulate the Apostle Paul in Romans 11 and seek your good and your salvation. Again, this is because we love Israelis, and we love Jews, and we want to worship the Jewish Messiah in eternal glory alongside you and all the redeemed peoples of the earth. Best, Owen Strachan