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U.S. Christians Support Israel More Than Israeli Christians

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A new survey shows a big difference between Israeli Christians and American evangelicals in their views towards Israel.

The Pew Research Center conducted a comprehensive study on views of the Jewish State. Researchers polled 468 self-identified Christians living in Israel.

A major finding from the survey is the divergent views on the land of Israel between Israeli and American Christians.

A Greek Orthodox priest in Israel belongs is part of a growing number of Arabic-speaking Christians that support the Jewish State. Click here to watch his story.

In 2013, 82 percent of white evangelicals said God gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people.

But the survey found only 19 percent of Christians born, raised and living in Israel believe the same. Sixty-six percent believe that's not literally true, and 9 percent said they don't know what to think.

Pew discovered only 2 percent of the population of Israel in 2015 was Christian. That percentage is primarily divided in half between Catholic and Orthodox Christians.

Protestants and Messianic Jews together comprised less than .5 percent of the population of Israel. Their communities were not broken out in the survey results separately, but they are a part of the totals involving all Christians.

Another result involves the perception of the United States' support of Israel.

Eighty-six percent of Israeli Christians say the United States supports Israel too much, while only 6 percent believe the U.S. government is not supporting Israel enough and 7 percent believe the amount of support is just right.

Contrast that with American Christians. According to a 2013 Pew study, only 18 percent said the American government is too supportive of Israel. Twenty-nine percent of American Christians thought the U.S. was not supporting Israel enough and 41 percent believed the support was about right.

In a 2015 Pew survey, only 6 percent of white evangelicals in the U.S. thought the American government was too supportive, while 55 percent believed the U.S. did not support Israel enough, and 36 percent agreed the support was around the right level.

In a 2015 survey from LifeWay Research, 80 percent of evangelical pastors agreed that Christians should support Israel.

Other results of the Pew poll of Israeli Christians involve their faith walk. Only 34 percent of Christians in Israel said they pray daily, and 38 percent attend church at least weekly.

On the other hand, 68 percent of American Christians and 79 percent of U.S. evangelicals say they pray daily.

Forty-seven percent of Christians and 58 percent of evangelicals in the United States attend church at least once a week.

Click here for complete results of the Pew survey on Israeli Christians.

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