Iowa
Support for Israel becomes top issue for Iowa evangelicals in Republican caucuses
NEWTON, Iowa — Steve Rowland peered beneath the brim of his baseball cap and admonished the roughly 500 people at Rising Sun Church of Christ in the Des Moines suburb of Altoona.
It had been three days since Hamas attacked Israel and killed hundreds of civilians. In Iowa, where evangelical Christians dominate the first-in-the-nation Republican presidential caucuses, Rowland and other pastors are delivering a message meant to resonate both biblically and politically.
“What we’re seeing in that region is pure evil,” Rowland said. “Israel has mobilized their army and they are intent on stamping out evil, and we should be behind them. That’s where we should be, and I want you to know that, as a pastor.”
Support for Israel has leapt to a top priority for evangelicals in the leadoff Republican presidential caucuses now less than three months away, according to interviews with more than a dozen Iowa conservative activists. While curbing abortion has for decades energized Christian conservatives like no other issue, the attack by Hamas and Israel’s response have put new pressure on Republican candidates to hew not just to traditional Republican support for Israel but to beliefs rooted in the Bible.
Some Christians support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Some evangelicals believe Israel is key to an end-times prophecy that will bring about the return of the Christian messiah.
Since the Oct. 7 attack, Iowa’s evangelical pastors, faith leaders and rank-and-file caucus participants have been looking more closely at candidates’ statements, while ministers urge their congregations to keep those positions top-of-mind when weighing their options. Several GOP contenders have discussed the conflict in black-and-white terms and accused President Joe Biden of not being tough enough on Hamas or Iran, which has long provided the group with money and training.
“We’ve got a true war between good and evil, and we have to have a leader that has the moral clarity to know the difference,” said Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, in an interview between Iowa stops this month.
Former President Donald Trump remains dominant in Iowa polls and gets by far the largest crowds at his campaign stops. He attracts many fervent Christian conservatives, some of who have described him as divinely chosen even as critics note that he has been married three times and supported abortion rights in the past.
During one recent Trump event at a downtown Cedar Rapids hotel, a man in an audience of 2,000 shouted from the hotel ballroom floor, “God gave me to you!”
Several activists interviewed by The Associated Press were rankled by Trump’s criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack, and by his suggestion that Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group fighting with Israel on the country’s northern border, was “very smart.”
Others said they felt Trump deserved credit for his record while in the White House of completing conservative priorities on Israel, notably moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognizing Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights.
It’s a similar dynamic to Trump’s handling of abortion. Trump has refused to endorse a national abortion ban, which has led to criticism from some state and national anti-abortion leaders. But others point to his record as president, notably his appointment of three Supreme Court justices who were part of the decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Daniel Hummel, author of “Covenant Brothers: Evangelicals, Jews, and U.S.-Israeli Relations,” said that Republican support for Israel has become a proxy for other conservative priorities, particularly on immigration.
Trump and several other Republicans have alleged Hamas sympathizers could cross the southern U.S. border, despite there being almost no known examples of unauthorized border crossers staging mass attacks. And Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — who are battling for second place in many national polls — have argued over who is tougher on refugee issues after the Hamas attack.
“The Arab-Israeli conflict has become part of the culture-war framework,” Hummel said. “That’s part of the Trump and post-Trump Republican Party, that terrorism and immigration are really deeply linked.”
Some of Trump’s rivals have directly tied U.S. relations with Israel to Christian tradition. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who has invested heavily in Iowa, often speaks of Israel’s importance by referencing the Bible.
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” Scott told an audience during a campaign stop in Newton this month, quoting from the Book of Psalms. For Israel’s enemies, Scott said, “the wrath of God, let them feel it,” paraphrasing the Book of Romans.
DeSantis has aggressively tried to win the support of evangelical clergy. One Iowa pastor leaning toward supporting DeSantis, Joseph Brown, called Trump’s criticism of Netanyahu “a huge turnoff” and questioned his true beliefs on Israel.
“Even though Donald Trump has done amazing things when it comes to Israel, we need some assurances now,” said Brown, who leads Marion Avenue Baptist Church in Washington, Iowa. “I don’t think he understands the biblical foundation of why we stand with Israel.”
Several pastors also have criticized biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a political newcomer who has lined up with Trump’s foreign policy ideas and at times criticized U.S. aid to Israel. Some evangelicals have long questioned whether they could vote for Ramaswamy, who is Hindu but often talks about his affinity for Judeo-Christian beliefs.
“I think he’s trying to figure out what conservatives want to hear,” said Brad Cranston, the former pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Burlington, Iowa. “And I think he thinks conservatives want a less interventionist foreign policy. But that does not work when it comes to Israel.”
Iowa’s evangelical voters are not monolithic. One point of debate is whether the U.S. should accept refugees from Gaza, where many of its roughly 2 million residents have been displaced by Israeli airstrikes and face acute shortages of food and water.
Trump and DeSantis have argued the U.S. should not take in any Gaza refugees, with DeSantis saying in one television interview that all people from Gaza were “antisemitic,” even though Palestinians and other Arabs are also semitic peoples.
Haley, meanwhile, said in a recent CNN interview that the U.S. could determine which Palestinians “want to be free from this terrorist rule.”
Ann Trimble Ray, a conservative from Early, Iowa, said she sided with Haley and was leaning toward supporting her due to her experience and demeanor, but also for what she sees as compassion in her openness to some Palestinian refugees.
“There are victims on both sides now,” she said. “The terrorists who want to rid the world of Jews struck first and killed innocents, and now Israel is retaliating and there is innocent loss of life on both sides.”
Rowland, the pastor who admonished his congregation recently to support Israel, said that for many in his church, a key reason for supporting Israel was biblical prophecy about the return of the Messiah.
“At some point along their way, along their journey, they’ve heard the end of the world is going to happen,” he said. “There’s fear that comes into play for a lot of these people. And whatever it is you fear, you pay attention to.”
___
Associated Press writer Tiffany Stanley in Washington contributed to this report.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Iowa men’s golf team finished two rounds of play at the Fighting Irish Classic on Sunday. The Hawkeyes currently sit in sixth place out of 15 teams.
Sophomore Noah Kent and junior Gage Messingham are both leading the Hawkeyes, tied for 8th place overall. Kent shot 1-over (71) in the first round and 1-under (69) in the second round, finishing with a total score of 140. Messingham join Kent as the only other Hawkeye to go under-par today in a round.
Sophomore Max Tjoa is tied for 37th place, shooting rounds of 74 and 72, with a total score of 146. Senior Chance Rinkol posted scores of 71 and 77 in the first and second rounds, respectively, and sits tied for 51st place with a score of 148. Senior Josh Lundmark recorded rounds of 79 and 71, finishing tied for 64th place with a total score of 150.
HAWKEYE SCORECARD
| 6/15 | Team | +5 | +3 | 148 |
| T8 | Gage Messingham | -1 | +1 | 140 |
| T8 | Noah Kent | +1 | -1 | 140 |
| T37 | Max Tjoa | +4 | +2 | 146 |
| T51 | Chance Rinkol | +1 | +7 | 148 |
| T64 | Josh Lundmark | +9 | +1 | 150 |
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH TYLER STITH
“Today was a very strong team performance with Noah and Gage leading the way. We showed a lot of grit all day but especially down the stretch. We’re in a great position heading into the final round.”
UP NEXT
The final round of the Fighting Irish Classic is set to tee off on Monday morning.
Nebraska volleyball entered October a perfect 38-0 against Iowa all-time. That number is now 39-0.
The No. 2 Huskers (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten) swept the Hawkeyes (8-8, 2-2 Big Ten), 25-17, 25-11, 25-13. This is the eighth-straight sweep for Nebraska over Iowa and 11th-straight win since falling at SMU.
Nebraska’s offense hit a blistering .404, led by 10 kills on .400 hitting from Merritt Beason.
The story of the day was the middles, though. With Andi Jackson out again, Leyla Blackwell earned the start alongside Rebekah Allick. The pair notched nine kills each, with Blackwell hitting .692 and Allick hitting .583. They also combined for five blocks.
Bergen Reilly dished out 35 assists.
Iowa managed to hit just .155, but did have the player with a match-high for kills: Michel Urquahart at 11.
Nebraska is back in action Friday, hosting No. 10 Purdue.
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Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
Video: Jay Higgins on Iowa’s defensive performance in loss to Ohio State
Jay Higgins discusses a variety of topics after Iowa’s 35-7 loss to Ohio State.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz made his view of the quarterback position pretty clear after Saturday’s 35-7 loss at Ohio State.
No, the Hawkeyes are not headed for a change at quarterback, Ferentz said.
“We’re not ready, I think, to have a controversy at that position,” the longtime head coach said.
The loss to Ohio State again illustrated the gap between Iowa and national powerhouses. The Hawkeyes haven’t beaten one of the three giants of the Big Ten — Penn State, Michigan or Ohio State — since a 2021 win over the Nittany Lions. Against ranked opponents last season, Iowa was beaten a combined 92-0.
Perhaps you could point to the fact that Iowa at least scored on Saturday as progress. But in reality, Saturday’s margin was similar to those three games last season.
More: Leistikow: Rating concern levels for Iowa football at quarterback, offensive line, defense
The quarterback position wasn’t good enough on Saturday. Cade McNamara finished the game 14-of-20 passing for 98 yards and three turnovers — two fumbles and one interception. Just like the game itself, the quarterback play fit an old, tired narrative.
When, if ever, will Iowa’s quarterback woes finally be solved?
To be clear, quarterback production was not the only deficient area on Saturday. The Hawkeyes were beaten in the trenches — on both sides of the ball — and outgained 203-116 on the ground. Iowa’s defense also gave up four touchdowns through the air.
After Iowa trailed just 7-0 at the break, it got ugly in the second half. Ohio State is a legitimate national championship threat, and the Hawkeyes didn’t do much in the third and fourth quarters to show they could compete at that level.
“The bottom line is, you’ve got to play clean football against a team like this,” Ferentz said. “We weren’t able to do that. They get some credit on that, too.”
Kirk Ferentz on Cade McNamara after loss to Ohio State: ‘Cade will be fine’
Kirk Ferentz discusses a variety of topics after Iowa’s 35-7 loss to Ohio State.
Since the 2019 departure of Nate Stanley, Iowa’s quarterback struggles have been no secret. Whether it be Spencer Petras or Alex Padilla or Deacon Hill, Iowa hasn’t gotten necessary production from that position. There was optimism that McNamara, once a prized transfer from Michigan, would be the solution.
Through the first 10 games of his Iowa career, McNamara has fallen short of that.
The lowest bar for McNamara to clear as Iowa’s quarterback — taking care of the ball — is something he was unable to do on Saturday.
McNamara’s turnovers came on three consecutive possessions to open the second half, all but erasing any first-half hope that Iowa had managed to build.
Because Iowa lives in such thin margins, avoiding turnovers is paramount, even more so against a team like Ohio State. The lack of ball security was a reason the quarterback position was such a disaster at Iowa last season. Hill finished the season with a ratio of eight interceptions to five passing touchdowns.
McNamara’s touchdown pass-to-interception ratio this season is now 3-to-3. He was without a turnover against Illinois State, Troy and Minnesota, but coughing up the ball proved costly against Iowa State and Ohio State. An early second-half turnover against Iowa State this season gave the Cyclones life. Three against Ohio State on Saturday shut the door on a possible upset.
“We evaluate every position week to week,” Ferentz said about quarterback. “But we’re comfortable. I think Cade’s improving. I really do. It sounds funny with the turnovers today, I think he seems more comfortable. His timing seems better. And he was getting the ball out really well in the first half. We have to improve as a collective offense.”
It might go against popular opinion but to Ferentz’s point, McNamara started Saturday’s contest well, completing 10 of his first 12 passes. There is, however, a gaping hole in that argument.
Completion efficiency is not McNamara’s biggest issue. In fact, in the last two games — against Minnesota and Ohio State — he was a combined 25-of-39, marking major improvement from a putrid 13-of-29 outing against Iowa State.
But that extremely efficient stretch against Ohio State matters less if it amounts to zero points and also means turning the ball over three times later on.
In his Iowa career, McNamara has not yet thrown a touchdown against a power conference opponent (granted, a redzone package with backup Brendan Sullivan was implemented earlier this season, making it more difficult for McNamara to do so). But more troubling than the lack of touchdowns are the fact that all three of his interceptions this season have come against power conference opponents (one was a last ditch heave against Iowa State). You can also add the two fumbles against Ohio State to that turnover tally.
Iowa didn’t get McNamara just to beat up on lower level programs. When the competition level rises, he needs to do so with it.
“We just can’t turn the ball over,” McNamara said Saturday. “We had three drives in a row with turnovers. That just can’t happen. They just came out in the second half and they played well. They’re are a good defense and they’re a good team.”
You can argue ad nauseam against Ferentz’s assertion that McNamara is improving. But bottom line is, the fact that this is even a discussion is a problem. It was reasonable to think that McNamara would’ve been better than this through five games.
Iowa doesn’t need its quarterback to be prolific. Running back Kaleb Johnson solves a lot for the offense with the way he’s been playing. Iowa just needs McNamara to take care of the ball and make defenses pay on occasion when the chance presents itself.
In critical moments, that hasn’t been the case.
Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson reacts to 35-7 loss at Ohio State
The Hawkeyes junior wound up rushing 15 times for 86 yards, but most of those came after the game was decided.
Through the first 10 games of his Iowa career — split between 2023 and 2024 due to injury — McNamara hasn’t done much to validate the excitement that once surrounded him. Ferentz has preached patience for someone who has been out for an extended period — on multiple occasions. That faith in him could still bear results.
But time is becoming of the essence for McNamara to change the narrative.
Said Ferentz: “Cade will be fine.”
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
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