Israel’s Education Ministry is providing state funding for a Bible programme developed by evangelical Christians in which thousands of Israeli schoolchildren are expected to participate this year alone.

JH Israel has established a “National Leadership Centre” (NLC) in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, with its website describing how there has been “a partnership formed between JH Israel and Israel’s Ministry of Education to develop a values-based leadership curriculum that focuses on the characters of Israel’s biblical/cultural heritage.”

The founder and executive director of JH Israel, Heather Johnston, together with her husband Bruce, run the JH Ranch evangelical summer camp in California. As reported by Haaretz, a spokesperson for the Education Ministry confirmed that almost a million Shekels of funding had been agreed.

In a post on the JH Israel website titled “five things the new agreement with Israel’s Ministry of Education means”, the agreement is described as having come into effect in February of this year. It describes how thanks to the Israeli government's funding, “4,000 more students will attend the NLC in 2018 and more will come annually in future years”, and that “the NLC becomes the only recognized provider of leadership and biblical content for Israel’s Ministry of Education.”

The JH Israel website also states that "through the National Leadership Centre, JH Israel has stepped into the unfolding history of modern Israel by contributing to the larger story of what God is doing in Israel.

"The need for strong values and moral character in leadership has never been more evident," the site says.

"Through the National Leadership Center, JH Israel collaborates directly with Israeli leaders to develop a biblical, values-based educational initiative to meet this need."

Traditionally the Israeli government has been extremely wary of partnerships with Christian organisations. Previously, the Education Ministry had declined 40 million Shekels in funding from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews for a summer programme.

However, Naftali Bennett, the hard-right leader of the Jewish Home party and the current Education Minister, appears to have a close relationship with Mrs Johnston. In 2016, the evangelical executive posted a picture of the two together calling Mr Bennett “a good friend and amazing leader for Israel! He has a heart for G-d, and for developing programs based on biblical values for Israeli society. We love Naftali!”

A quote from Mr Bennett on the JH Israel website describes his visit to the NLC, in which he says "I discovered a dynamic place, working to prepare a new generation of leaders for Israel. The Center raises questions that set the stage for personal growth and opportunities in an ever-changing and challenging environment."

A spokesperson for the Education Ministry told Haaretz that the money would not be handed over directly to the evangelical organisation, but to the local municipal authority in charge of running the NLC.