The "Interfaith Zionist Leadership Summit," conference held in Washington May 18, that attracted about 1,000 participants, debated how evangelical Christians could best unite with Jews to support Israel.

According to the Right-wing Unification Church owned, Washington Times, the speakers attacked the U.S. "road map" for peace in the Middle East as a breach of a 4,000-year-old covenant between “God and Israel”.

Daniel Pipes said, "Why do we destroy our enemies and ask Israel to prop up its enemies? The assumption behind the road map is the Arabs have accepted Israel."

He insisted that only an Israeli victory and a Palestinian defeat would achieve the desired "change of heart" among Palestinians, adding that moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to (occupied) Jerusalem would prompt that process, because, according to him, "It's a marker saying Israel won the war in 1948 and Jerusalem has been its capital for 55 years and we might as well come to terms with its existence."

Gary Bauer, president of American Values and a Republican presidential contender in 2000, declared, "The land of Israel was originally owned by God. Since He was the owner, only He could give it away. And He gave it to the Jewish people."

he said that others, "don't understand why Israel and the United States are joined at the heart."

Earl Cox, executive producer and host of Front Page Jerusalem, a radio program, called the ‘road map’ proposal "a Satanic road map." He declared that no Jew or a Christian could support the proposal because, according to him, there will be a mosque on all the ‘holy’ sites.

Frank Gaffney Jr., president of the Center for Security Policy, said the months before the November 2004 election are ideal for lobbying Bush on Israel, which is an issue important to his conservative base.

Evangelical Christians, about 45 millions in America, are a source of support for Israel. Evangelical organizations represented at the conference included the Christian Coalition, the Christian Broadcasting Network and the Religious Roundtable.

The conference, the Times said, was underwritten by a $100,000 grant from Zionist House, a Boston-based Jewish group, appeared to be closely balanced between Christians and Jews, with a slight Jewish majority.

Jan Willem van de Hoeven, the Dutch-born founder of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, put side aside theological differences, and declared, "We may have disagreements about who [the Messiah] is, but He is not coming back to a mosque but to a third temple."

The remark alluded to prophecies of the Jews rebuilding their temple on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, replacing the Muslim Dome of the Rock. His words drew one of several standing ovations.

Several speakers talked of how to persuade President Bush to stay firm on Pipes’ nomination as one of 15 directors of the U.S. Institute of Peace. The nomination, which must be confirmed by the Senate has drawn ardent opposition from Islamic groups.