A TRIP billed as a show of support for Christians had a noticeable lack of them. On January 22nd Mike Pence, America’s vice-president, landed in Israel on the last leg of a three-country jaunt. Originally scheduled for December, it was delayed after Donald Trump made the controversial decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. When Mr Pence arrived at last, the Palestinians blackballed him. So did Christian leaders in Egypt and Jordan. Mr Pence, a devout Christian himself, did not even set foot in a church in the Holy Land.
No one was sure why he came. His meetings with Israeli and Arab leaders were routine, save for a speech in the Knesset, where he announced that America would move its embassy to Jerusalem by the end of 2019. The trip seemed to be about domestic politics: for Mr Pence, a nod to his evangelical base; for Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s scandal-plagued prime minister, a chance to look like a...Continue reading
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