Christian Zionism got us here…
reclaiming Christianity is our work and our hope.
End Times Theology
Christian Zionism promotes end-times theologies which characterize Muslims as the enemy of Christianity who must be vanquished, specifically in the Middle East to usher in the second coming of Jesus. It erases Christian Palestinians and defines Muslim Palestinians as the evil enemy, while objectifying Jews and requiring their presence in the region for their apocalyptic scenarios. (From Beyond Christian Dominance newsletter)
Economic Theology
Motivated by economic connections to a prosperous Israeli state, Christian Zionism holds fast to a misreading of Genesis 12:3, where God says to Abram “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse...” This falsely conflates the biblical Hebrews with modern Israel. Drawing on principles taken from the prosperity gospel, which is a misguided belief that God will reward people with financial and material success, Christian Zionism states that one’s experience of blessing is predicated upon on one’s support for the state of Israel. (From Counter CUFI toolkit)
Settler Colonial Theology
In the rhetoric of Christian Zionists, Palestinians have no claim to the land, have no legitimate grievances, and should simply be driven from the area and dispersed to other Arab countries. Deeply reminiscent of U.S. genocidal policies towards Native Americans, the level of racism and Islamophobia in Christian Zionist policy promotes an uncompromising, expansionist, no-peace-negotiation stance on the part of Israel and the U.S. towards Palestinians, and continues to be a major obstacle to any progress in ending the violence and creating a lasting and just solution in the region. (From BCD newsletter)
Level of Christian Zionist support
The largest of these organizations, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), report a following of eight million members; this is more than ten times the size of the more well-known lobby group AIPAC.
CUFI has shifted from a fringe to a mainstream movement that contributes tens of millions of dollars to Israel. There is little transparency about CUFI’s funding because U.S. tax codes do not require religious charities to disclose finances publicly. In November of 2023 founder John Hagee (a known anti-Semite) spoke alongside Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Mike Johnson at the March for Israel in Washington DC.
Christian Friends of Israeli Communities is another example. They work with U.S. churches to “adopt” illegal settlements in the West Bank. As of 2006 they have funded programs in over a third of the settlements in the Occupied Territories.
“CFOIC Heartland enables Christians to connect with the Jewish communities (i.e., settlements) in the heart of Biblical Israel. Judea and Samaria (i.e., the “West Bank”) are not occupied territory. These communities are located in the very heartland of Biblical Israel.”
It’s immportant to note that the very existence of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories violates international humanitarian law and is a war crime. (Amnesty International)
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