Rick Santorum, Apopka Pastor Head to Israel

A Florida pastor will be joining a once-and-possible future presidential candidate in a trip to Israel in the days to come.

Pastor Doug Bankson of the Victory Church World Outreach Center in Apopka will be joining religious and social conservatives, including former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., in heading to Israel on Sunday for a three-day trip. Besides preaching in almost every state and around the globe, Bankson has served as president of the Apopka Ministerial Alliance and chaired the Apopka City Chamber of Commerce.

Bankson, Santorum and their group will head to Israel to show American support for that nation during the current crisis in Gaza and to offer prayers for peace. Most of their time will be spent in Jerusalem. They are scheduled to meet with Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to the United States.