Since October 7, academia has been increasingly marked by anti-Israel propaganda and antisemitism, leaving Jewish students harassed and threatened at institutions across North America. While evangelical Christians remain broadly supportive of Israel, a critical education gap leaves younger believers vulnerable to these narratives and committed pro-Israel Christians ill-equipped to counter them. The Robertson School of Government’s Israel Institute exists to meet this challenge — the only graduate-level institute for the study of the modern state of Israel at a biblically faithful Christian university in the United States, promoting research, education, and public engagement rooted in Regent’s Christian mission, Judeo-Christian principles, and a deep commitment to the Jewish people.

Promoting robust Christian scholarship on Israel

One of the most effective ways to counter academia’s antisemitic drift is to raise up a generation of Christian scholars who are committed to objective, fact-based research on Zionism and contemporary Israel. The Israel Institute will support this work through fellowships for PHD students whose dissertation projects are consistent with these goals. The eventual goal is to create an ecosystem of Christian scholars studying contemporary Israel, and firmly rooted in a robust, biblical understanding of the Jewish state.

Educating the next generation of Christian pro-Israel activists

Much of the institute’s work will focus on educating students about contemporary Israel from a Christian perspective. We do so through: speaker series, reading groups, facilitating travel to Israel with high-quality partner organizations, and developing credit and non-credit Israel-related course offerings. Our goal is to help the next generation of biblically faithful Christians deepen their knowledge of and engagement with the modern state of Israel.

Informing the public about Israel and Christian support for Israel

The Israel Institute will fill two critical gaps in the current public discourse. First, we will provide fact-based commentary and conversations about Israel for a general audience. Second, we will work to inform the public about the full spectrum of Christian support for Israel. There are many stereotypes regarding Christian Zionism that have marginalized Christian Zionist voices, and hampered cooperation between Christian and Jewish pro-Israel advocates. The institute will actively work to break down these barriers.