A 20-year-old steps eagerly off the plane at Ben Gurion Airport in 1998, excited to finally experience firsthand the locations portrayed in the back of his study Bible. He is vaguely aware of the conflict between Israel and Palestine from American media coverage, but aside from the occasional beret-clad sentry, he sees little to suggest that this is anything other than peacetime. The faint chatter of gunfire beyond the checkpoints is the only roadblock to this vision of peace, so after finishing his three-month study in Israel, he flies home with an overwhelmingly positive impression of the Holy Land and its people. This was my father’s experience and that of many evangelicals in his generation.
Since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, conservative evangelicals have increasingly allied themselves with the State of Israel, relying on dispensationalist theologies or Zionist interpretations of scripture as justification for unconditional U.S. support. Evangelicals have lobbied heavily for pro-Israel legislation through organizations like CUFI and AIPAC and have been one of the highest donor groups in the U.S. aside from American Jewish philanthropy. Evangelical donations that started out in the tens of millions in the early 2000s have now surged to $350 million - $450 million annually, largely through local churches and philanthropic organizations like CFOIC and the IFCJ.
In recent years, however, young Americans have become largely disillusioned with the state of Israel, particularly as Israel continues to occupy the West Bank. According to a May 2026 survey, only 32% of U.S. adults under 30 view Israel favorably, compared with the 61-68% approval rating of those 50 years or older. A remarkable shift has occurred in the conservative party in particular, with the approval rating of conservatives 50 years or older being 75-83% while the percentage for under 30s has dropped to 42%.
As a response to this moment, which the Jewish People Policy Institute is calling a “critical juncture” for the future of US-Israel relations, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced its plan in the spring of 2026 to bring over 8,000 young tourists, primarily young evangelicals, on subsidized trips across Israel by 2027. The goal of this initiative is to “create a global network of influential young people, who will return to their countries with a deeper, more direct and well-founded understanding of Israel.”
Mirroring the Israel Birthright (Taglit) heritage tours, these 8-10 day trips are heavily subsidized by both American and Israeli donors to bring the $5,000+ price tag down to $1,500 - $2,000 per student. In principle, this will offer a strong enough incentive for many students to come tour the region and to help combat what the Israeli government sees as negative media coverage of the conflict.
Despite the concerns which have arisen regarding the motivation behind the trip subsidizations, many still consider the programs to be a great option for students to experience the region first-hand. The ability to see the historical reality of Jesus’ ministry laid out in the landscape and architecture of Israel is an extremely powerful tool for making abstract biblical stories more concrete for the believer. If students want to encounter the lands of the Bible but have previously hesitated due to cost concerns, this initiative provides a rare opportunity.
Nevertheless, students should be aware that they will be viewing a highly complex conflict from only one side of the checkpoint and must choose to approach the issue with the nuance and empathy it deserves.