There is an alarming statistic that cannot be ignored. While the general consensus is that young people are becoming more “religious” and supposedly “flocking to church,” that trend does not seem to be materializing in the right direction, particularly when it comes to views regarding Israel. Some statistics indicate over 60% of young people favor Hamas over Israel. Why is that?

No one has their ear to the ground among young people more than Charlie Kirk. An outspoken Christian who often speaks of the need for young and old to trust in Jesus, I am in agreement with Charlie’s position on many things, and I am deeply appreciative of the work he has done to bring young people to more conservative thought patterns and life choices. His organization, Turning Point USA was largely responsible for the huge turnout of young conservative voters in the 2024 election, and had a lot to do with President Trump being re-elected.

Yet, I have a concern about the track Charlie Kirk and Turning Point are taking when it comes to Israel. Again, Charlie Kirk has stated his support of Israel, so I cannot knock that. What is concerning, however, is that he does not use his significant influence among young people to bring truth to bear when it comes to perspectives of Israel.

For example, he hosted a focus group of young people at a large, recent event. During that discussion, many young people voiced their opposition to Israel (to various degrees). One of the biggest concerns they expressed was the large amount of foreign aid the US sends to Israel. In general, I agree that the US should not over-spend in military aid to other nations. Yet, their reasoning went without Charlie’s correction.

Here is the truth that was not told: The US indeed supplies Israel with significant military aid. However, not only is Israel our most important ally in the Middle East, and not only is their very existence in constant jeopardy, but a very large portion of the aid supplied to them comes right back to the US. Israel buys a large portion of their military equipment from the US. That creates jobs at major American companies, and pumps dollars back into our economy.

Beyond that, Israel and the US have very deep reciprocal agreements. The US provides equipment such as aircraft, missiles, defense systems, etc and Israel develops (and shares with the US) the technology that give the equipment its power.

For example, when the US ships F-35 aircraft to Israel, it is solely the shell of the aircraft. Israel technology is then loaded into the aircraft to make it a lethal threat. The “heads up” helmets, providing real life vision to battlefields and targets, were developed in Israel, for example. So were many of the weapon systems and other crucial parts that make the F-35 the world’s most feared military aircraft.

And that’s only one specific airplane. The same is true for much of the equipment shared between Israel and the US. The US manufactures the equipment, Israel supplies much of the development and technology to make it lethal! Fairly good trade-off, if you ask me.

So, the aid to Israel argument, in my opinion, fails…or is at least worth serious discussion.

Separately, why are 60% or more of young people more favorable to Hamas/Gaza than to Israel? Well, that’s perhaps a much deeper theological question. What is the church doing? And why is Turning Point USA not correcting some of the false thought surrounding support of Hamas. Some examples would be: famine in Gaza (not true), Israel is committing genocide in Gaza (not true), the IDF arbitrarily attacks innocent civilians (not true).

The simple facts: there is more food rotting in Gaza right now than in any country on earth. Hamas highjacks aid trucks coming in and refuses to distribute it to its citizens. Meanwhile, Israel is literally telling Gaza citizens when and where they will attack, and are providing safe zones for civilians to go to. If that is genocide, Israel is really bad at it!

From day one of the current war, Hamas has used the citizens of Gaza as human shields. They WANT large numbers of their citizens to be killed by the IDF because they will then point a finger at Israel, and the world’s media will spread the news like hotcakes. Hamas will always win the propaganda war and they are doing it in spades with America’s young people. No one seems to be correcting the false narratives.

Below is the recent podcast of Charlie Kirk’s focus group discussion. Listen for yourself and then decide if those young people are given correction regarding their opinions about Israel.

Charlie Kirk and Turning Point are doing good work, but I issue this caution: Pay close attention to how young people are provided direction (or not) regarding Israel. Also, be aware of what antisemitic associations (such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens) are allowed platform by Turning Point.

God’s Word speaks specifically to how we are to view/treat Israel:

• Genesis 12:3 – those who bless Israel will be blessed, those who curse Israel will be cursed.
• Joel 3:2 – Every nation on earth will be judged according to how they treat Israel. Our nation will slide in whichever direction the up and coming generations take us.

“Blessing Israel” does not mean always agreeing with Israelis or their government, but it does mean standing up for them in every sphere of life (including civic engagement). Israel has a right to exist, and they have a right to defend themselves. When attacked, they have the same rights as every other nation on earth. Yes, they should fight their battles with integrity and within the laws of international war. But when pressed against the wall, they must be allowed to respond as any other nation would.

Be careful who you follow…and ALWAYS trust the Word of God to guide you.