Today, U.S. officials — including the president's daughter, White House Adviser Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner — were in Jerusalem to open a new U.S. embassy.
The opening, which represents the U.S. breaking with decades of neutrality in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, was met with bloodshed at the Gaza border, where more than 50 Palestinian protesters were killed and thousands were wounded.
The dedication ceremony also included two controversial Christian evangelical leaders, John Hagee and Robert Jeffress. Hagee's past antisemitic comments led Senator John McCain to reject his endorsement during the 2008 presidential campaign; Jeffress has made anti-Mormon and anti-Muslim comments in recent years.
Reverend Irene Monroe and Reverend Emmett Price joined Boston Public Radio to discuss the inclusion of the pastors in the ceremony on their recurring segment, "All Revved Up."
"They are frequent offenders, as I would say, of Christian morality," Price said.
"The Christian right really needs to listen to the right Christians," Monroe added.
Monroe explained that both Hagee and Jeffress subscribe to Christian Zionist beliefs, which hold that the return of Jewish people to Israel will trigger the second coming of Christ.
She criticized that notion, particularly in light of the bloodshed in Gaza over the past week.
"Even if you believe its a biblical prophecy here or mandate, look at what you're doing in real time. You are literally slaughtering human lives. Is there no connection here to that?" Monroe said.
Click the audio player above to hear more from All Revved Up.
