𩸠The Red Blood Journal â Follow the Money
Jewish Zionist Donors and the CUFI Machine
𩸠The Red Blood Journal â Follow the Money
Jewish Zionist Donors and the CUFI Machine
Lede
Christians United for Israel (CUFI) markets itself as a biblical grassroots army 10-million strong. But its clout in Washington isnât powered by church offerings alone. Year after year, major Jewish Zionist philanthropies underwrite CUFIâs policy pushâespecially on Iran sanctions, anti-BDS laws, and maximalist positions on settlementsâforming a pragmatic, cash-and-influence alliance that papers over sharp theological rifts.
What CUFI Is (and Why It Matters)
Scale: CUFI calls itself the largest pro-Israel organization in the U.S., repeatedly citing 10+ million members and a coast-to-coast event network. Christians United for Israel+2Christians United for Israel+2
Playbook: Mobilize church networks, stage D.C. âsummits,â and drive Hill meetings and calls. CUFI claims tangible wins, from tougher Iran sanctions to budget lines for Israeli missile defense and the Taylor Force Act. Christians United for Israel+1
Receipts: The Donor Backbone (Selected, verifiable examples)
Adelson Family Foundation (Sheldon & Miriam Adelson)
Grant to CUFI (2013): $125,000 listed to âChristians United for Israelâ in the foundationâs IRS filing (Part XV: Grants Paid). 990s Foundation Center
Pattern: Multiple years of large disbursements and public honors for CUFI/Hagee; specific annual totals vary by filing year. (Foundation filings for 2012â2021 are publicly posted; some PDFs restrict automated access, but the 2013 CUFI line is explicit.) ProPublica
The Shillman Foundation (Robert J. Shillman)
Grants to CUFI (2023): Three separate CUFI grantsâ$250,000 + $250,000 + $150,000âare listed in the foundationâs latest electronic filing recap. Thatâs $650,000 in one year alone. Grantmakers+2Grantmakers+2
Context: Shillman, a longtime funder of hardline Zionist causes, has also backed groups such as ZOA and Horowitzâs network; the 2023 CUFI gifts show current-cycle alignment with CUFIâs anti-Iran and anti-BDS priorities. (Foundation profile corroborates scope and cadence.) Cause IQ
The Marcus Foundation (Bernard Marcus)
CUFI Action Fund (advocacy arm): The CUFI Action Fund reported a $200,000 grant from the Marcus Foundation in its tracked grants. (Advocacy grants go to the 501(c)(4) arm that drives lobbying.) Cause IQ
Read this as a pattern: CUFIâs member-list may be overwhelmingly evangelical, but the large checks that fuel the D.C. push routinely flow from Jewish Zionist family foundationsâwith six-figure (and, in some years, seven-figure) outlays documented in IRS filings.
What They Buy: From Pews to Policy
Hill Pressure on Iran: CUFI boasts mobilizing thousands against the JCPOA and backing maximum-pressure sanctionsâincluding specific planks like the SHIP Act that targeted Iranâs oil revenues. Christians United for Israel+2Christians United for Israel+2
Appropriations: CUFI touts wins preserving $3.3B FMF plus $500M for U.S.âIsrael missile defense programs (Iron Dome, Davidâs Sling, Arrow) in FY 2023. CUFI Action Fund
The October 2025 Marker: Theology Meets Statecraft
On October 20â21, 2025, Hagee Ministries hosted the 45th Annual Night to Honor Israel at Cornerstone Church (San Antonio). The ministryâs release crystalized CUFIâs theology-to-policy fusion:
John Hageeâs message: âIsrael is the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem Himself⌠The Jewish people are chosen and still cherished.â He also rebuked replacement theology outright. The ministry announced over $2 million in gifts to Israeli/Jewish charities during the event. PR Newswire
Sen. Ted Cruz keynote: âEvery lunatic terrorist in Hamas or Hezbollah or Iran that Israel took out made America safer⌠the United States should say to that little nation, âThank you.ââ PR Newswire
Event confirmation: Local and social posts corroborated the 45th Annual gathering and Cruzâs presence. Yahoo Finance+2Facebook+2
Why it matters: The languageâelevating Israel as divinely prioritizedâmaps straight onto U.S. policy asks (more aid, more sanctions, fewer constraints). Jewish donors who do not share Hageeâs eschatology still fund the vehicle because the geopolitical outcomes align.
Timeline (Condensed)
2006: CUFI founded by Pastor John Hagee. Growth accelerates via churches.
2012â2015+: Jewish mega-foundations (Adelson, etc.) begin regular CUFI line-items, per IRS 990-PFs; e.g., $125,000 in 2013 from Adelson Family Foundation to CUFI. 990s Foundation Center
2015â2018: CUFI mobilizes in D.C. against the JCPOA; later welcomes re-imposed Iran sanctions and pushes for SWIFT isolation. Christians United for Israel+1
2020â2023: CUFI claims/maintains 10M+ members; Action Fund highlights wins on aid and sanctions. Christians United for Israel+1
2023â2025: PostâOct. 7, CUFI escalates Iran-centric advocacy; 2025 Night to Honor Israel features Cruz; $2M+ in gifts announced that night. Christians United for Israel+1
Mini-FAQ
Is CUFI actually the biggest U.S. pro-Israel group?
That is CUFIâs self-description and appears across its official materials and sympathetic profiles. Independent membership audits arenât published, but the networkâs footprint (events, campus presence, Hill activity) is large and well-documented. Christians United for Israel+1
Do Jewish donors really fund an evangelical lobby that preaches end-times theology?
Yesâbecause of policy alignment. Filings show repeated CUFI grants from Adelson, Shillman, and Marcus-connected foundations; the theology is secondary to outcomes on Iran, aid, and anti-BDS. See the 2013 Adelson â CUFI $125k line and Shillmanâs 2023 $650k to CUFI as current-cycle proof points; CUFI Action Fund logs a $200k Marcus grant. Cause IQ+4990s Foundation Center+4Grantmakers+4
Does CUFI do âfly-insâ to lobby Congress?
Yesâthat is central to its model. CUFIâs own materials recount mass Hill mobilizations (e.g., 5,000 activists during the 2015 JCPOA fight), and its Action Fund highlights legislative wins through 2023â2024. Christians United for Israel+1
What exactly did Hagee/Cruz say in 2025?
Hagee: âIsrael is the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem Himself⌠[Jews are] chosen and still cherished.â
Cruz: âEvery lunatic terrorist⌠[Israel took out] made America safer⌠the United States⌠should say⌠âThank you.ââ (45th Annual Night to Honor Israel, Oct. 21, 2025). PR Newswire
Bottom Line
Power: CUFI converts evangelical scale into policy pressure.
Fuel: Jewish Zionist donors provide six- and seven-figure grants that sustain the operationâs high-leverage years.
Result: A theology-policy bargainâapocalyptic rhetoric tolerated (or bracketed) in exchange for maximal pro-Israel outcomes in D.C.
Sources & Receipts (key docs)
CUFI membership/positioning & accomplishments: CUFI site and 2024 Summit media kit. CUFI Action Fund+3Christians United for Israel+3Christians United for Israel+3
Adelson Family Foundation â CUFI $125,000 (2013) (IRS 990-PF, Part XV). 990s Foundation Center
Shillman Foundation â CUFI $650,000 (2023) (three grants listed). Grantmakers+2Grantmakers+2
Marcus Foundation â CUFI Action Fund $200,000 (grant log). Cause IQ
Hagee & Cruz quotes / 45th Annual Night to Honor Israel (Oct. 21, 2025) (PRNewswire/Yahoo distribution). PR Newswire
𩸠CUFI, Christian Zionism, Jewish Philanthropy, Adelson, Shillman, Marcus Foundation, Iran Sanctions, AIPAC Ecosystem, BDS Laws, Evangelical Lobbying, Washington Summit, Night to Honor Israel, Ted Cruz, John Hagee, Replacement Theology, Foreign Policy Influence