STATEMENT

OF PRINCIPLES

1. The Israel Imperative

Our sacred text, the Bible, and the repeated occurrences of antisemitism throughout human history culminating in the Holocaust in Christian Germany convince us that every Christian leader must prioritize support for the Jewish people through education, relationship, and advocacy. We believe that no Christian pastor can claim to be a credible, moral thought leader while remaining disinterested, inactive, or silent regarding support for the Jews living in the Diaspora and in the land of Israel. The Nexus exists to facilitate this education, relationship, and advocacy.

2. The Relationship of Christians and Jews

We recognize the spectrum of Christian tradition holds diverse, wide-ranging theological opinions regarding the Jewish people and the nature of their covenantal relationship with God. We recognize that one camp of interpretation may view the other camp as misguided at best and heretical at worst. While these questions are not insignificant, the Nexus has been created to serve as a vehicle of cooperation to support Israel and combat antisemitism. To that end,  the Nexus does not have a theological litmus test for participation and cooperation. We welcome anyone to join who shares this vision, believing that "iron sharpens iron," as we seek to cooperate with one another despite our differences. The Nexus does not seek to proselytize or Christianize the Jewish people but instead works to build bridges of friendship, understanding, and support.

3. Eschatology

Both Jewish and Christian eschatolgy holds many views regarding the role that Israel may or may not play in God's ultimate plan for the earth. We welcome that diversity to the table. The Nexus does not take an official position on eschatological issues and is not motivated by eschatological narratives. Rather, we believe that supporting Israel is a moral imperative for each Christian leader and that a particular eschatology is not a prerequisite for that support.

4. The Jewish and Democratic State

The Nexus fully recognizes and supports the nature and character of the State of Israel as the "Jewish and democratic state," defined by the Israeli Declaration of Independence and its amendments. Israeli author and journalist Yossi Klein Halevi summarized that definition by writing, "Israel is based on two non-negotiable identities. It's the homeland of all Jews, whether or not they are citizens of Israel, and it's the state of all its citizens, whether or not they are Jews." The Nexus commits to defend and advocate for these "two non-negotiable identities," ensuring both the Jewish character of the state and the full rights of all its non-Jewish citizens.

5. The Borders of Israel

The final borders of the state of Israel continue to go through ever-changing, complex discussions at the highest levels of geo-political negotiation. That complexity increases as the threat of terrorism and annihilation bears upon Israel through enemies such as Iran, working through proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah. The Nexus believes the questions of "final borders" and all the corresponding questions surrounding that are best resolved through Israel's robust democratic process available to all its citizens. We seek to support Israel, not attempt to be involved in her internal political processes.

6. Peace and Prosperity for the Palestinians

The Nexus recognizes and cares deeply about the difficult position Palestinians have experienced for decades. Our commitment to Israel includes a commitment to the Palestinians as well. We pray for Palestinian leadership that hates terror, loves peace and reaches out to Israel in a spirit of partnership. We also insist that our Christian brethren in the Palestinian Territories be accorded the same freedom of Christian witness as they are in Israel. We continue to pray and work for a just and lasting peace that gives the Palestinian people a pathway to a prosperous, hopeful future.

7. An Apolitical Movement

Historically, Israel advocacy has always been a bi-partisan issue in America. It has also engendered support from diverse political movements around the world. We do not believe that Israel is ultimately a "left-wing," or "right-wing", or "liberal" or "conservative" issue. We believe the issues surrounding Israel are transcendent and truly "human issues." The Nexus is committed to maintaining a cooperative and highly inclusive spirit, working across a broad spectrum of political, theological, and ideological lines. The Nexus participants may passionately disagree with one another on other social or political issues, but we believe we can maintain those strong disagreements and yet come together and work together in functional relationship for the sake of Israel and the Jewish people.

Changing the Narrative, One Leader at a Time.