Christian Visa Crisis Resolved

July 22, 2025

4 min read

Bluebird flight takes off at the Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, May 4, 2025. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90

JERUSALEM – In a significant victory for the Christian Zionist community, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced Monday that a months-long visa crisis affecting evangelical organizations has been fully resolved following his intervention with Israeli leadership.

The resolution comes after Huckabee’s strongly-worded letter to Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel was leaked to the press last week, revealing the ambassador’s “great distress” over bureaucratic obstacles that threatened to severely damage Israel’s relationship with its most loyal Christian supporters.

“I am delighted to report that the issue has been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, and the strong support that Israel enjoys from American evangelicals will continue,” Huckabee posted on X Monday morning.

The controversy erupted in early 2025 when Israel’s Interior Ministry abruptly altered a visa process that had been operating smoothly for decades. Instead of following recommendations from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the visa department began conducting lengthy investigations into each Christian organization seeking to determine their eligibility for “Religious Institution” status.

The policy shift created severe obstacles for established evangelical groups, including the Baptist Convention of Israel, Christian Missionary Alliance, Assemblies of God, and the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. These organizations, which represent some of Israel’s strongest international supporters, suddenly found their clergy visa renewals denied and were instead required to complete extensive questionnaires about their religious beliefs.

“The Christian organizations did not at any time ask for different or special treatment, but merely a return to what has been an efficient and satisfactory process for many years,” Huckabee explained in his official statement.

Faced with mounting frustration from Christian organizations that have stood by Israel “through thick and thin,” including during times of war, Ambassador Huckabee took the unusual step of publicly threatening reciprocal treatment of Israeli citizens seeking US visas unless the situation was resolved.

Sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that the crisis originated with a low-level clerk in Israel’s Interior Ministry who was “not particularly friendly” toward Christian visa applicants. The absence of stable leadership at the Population and Immigration Authority allowed this official to make unilateral decisions that disregarded recommendations from the ministry’s own religious affairs advisor.

“It’s a chronic problem, and it’s disheartening,” one source explained. “It shouldn’t take the intervention of someone like Ambassador Huckabee to resolve what should be a routine bureaucratic matter.”

The ambassador’s intervention quickly reached the highest levels of Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office became directly involved in resolving the crisis, working alongside Attorney Calev Myers, an Israeli lawyer who represents approximately 150 Christian groups in Israel.

“The hard work and fruitful cooperation between the US ambassador, the Ministry of Interior, and the Prime Minister’s Office” led to the breakthrough, Myers reported.

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel responded with a letter to Huckabee, reaffirming his “commitment to reviewing such applications [for clergy visas] with the utmost efficiency” and assigning personal advisors to ensure effective handling of future requests.

The resolution addresses concerns about potentially damaging Israel’s relationship with a community that represents “the vast majority of Zionists in the world today,” according to Myers. Evangelical Christians have provided crucial support to Israel through volunteer work, financial contributions, and political advocacy.

Mike Huckabee, U.S. Ambassador to Israel​​ take part in a special ceremony for a new bulletproof ambulance donated by the Harvest Christian Fellowship to Magen David Adom, at the Tower of David, in the Old City of Jerusalem, June 1, 2025. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90

Former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren emphasized the importance of maintaining strong ties with Christian supporters: “When support for Israel around the world – and in the U.S. – is under pressure, backing from our Christian friends is extremely important. They are there through thick and thin – including when bombs are falling on us – and they contribute in so many ways.”

These contributions range from agricultural work, such as grape picking, to hospital care and preparing meals for soldiers – practical demonstrations of Christian solidarity with Israel during both peaceful times and periods of conflict.

With the crisis resolved, evangelical organizations will once again receive visas “through a streamlined and efficient application process,” ensuring their continued ability to support Israel through their various ministries and humanitarian efforts.

“American Christians are some of Israel’s strongest supporters, and the resolution of this issue among friends is a welcome outcome,” Ambassador Huckabee concluded.

The swift resolution demonstrates the strength of US-Israel cooperation and the Israeli government’s recognition of the vital role played by Christian Zionists in supporting the Jewish state. For evangelical organizations that have invested decades in building relationships and supporting Israel’s people, the restoration of standard visa processing removes a significant obstacle to their continued service.

This was not the first time such visa issues have threatened Christian organizations in Israel. A similar crisis occurred in August 2023 when several Christian groups, including the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), had their clergy visa requests denied, preventing them from carrying out projects that directly benefit Israel. That incident also required intervention from Jewish leaders who came out in “unequivocal support” of the organizations.

The recurrence of visa obstacles suggests systemic issues within Israel’s bureaucracy that require ongoing attention to prevent future disruptions to the Christian-Israeli partnership.

The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining the partnerships that have made Israel’s Christian community the only growing Christian population in the Middle East, reflecting the nation’s commitment to religious freedom and pluralism.

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