In an interview in Jerusalem, the Christian Broadcast Network’s Chris Mitchell asked Pompeo, “could it be that President Trump right now has been sort of raised for such a time as this, just like Queen Esther, to help save the Jewish people from the Iranian menace?” Esther is the main heroine of the Jewish holiday of Purim, which was celebrated this week.
“As a Christian, I certainly believe that’s possible,” Pompeo said.
Pompeo added that he is “confident that the Lord is at work here” when he sees the “remarkable history of the faith in this place and the work that our administration’s done to make sure that this democracy in the Middle East, that this Jewish state, remains.”
Retired Rear Adm. John Kirby, a former State Department spokesman who is now a CNN military and diplomatic analyst, blasted Pompeo over the remarks.
“Secretary Pompeo’s assertion that President Trump may have been sent by God to save Israel would be laughable on its face if it weren’t yet another indication that our Secretary of State recklessly crosses the line that should exist between church and state,” Kirby said. “The very idea that there is something biblical to the conduct of diplomacy — that foreign policy is some sort of evangelical endeavor and that the American president is the champion of Judeo-Christian values alone — gives comfort to extremists who see the West as crusaders and unease to those who look to the United States as the protector of both religious and civic freedom. What he said is not only embarrassing; it’s dangerous and irresponsible.”
Pompeo on Thursday also used the interview to weigh in on domestic politics and the controversy surrounding Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat whose recent criticism of Israel and US policy toward the Jewish state has been criticized as anti-Semitic.
In Thursday’s interview, Pompeo did not address accusations that the Trump administration itself has previously demonstrated insensitivity toward anti-Semitism, most notably the President’s tepid response to the white nationalist marches in Charlottesville, Virginia, that were marked by chants of “Jews will not replace us.”
Pompeo continues his overseas travels with a visit to Lebanon on Friday.
CNN’s Michelle Kosinski and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
Source : Nbcnewyork