Evangelical Zionism

Evangelical Christians have traditionally been strong supporters of Israel and the Jewish people. Their support can no longer be taken for granted. There is now a strong movement to undermine evangelical support for Israel - and it is gaining momentum.

Christian anti-Zionists have described Zionism as “biblically anathema” and have accused Israel of ethnic cleansing, occupation, institutionalized racism, and apartheid. Those Christians who support Israel do so, in part, because of the straightforward declarations of Scripture. Their critics, however, say they are guilty of a devious heresy.

Christian theology played a central role in preparing the ground for Europe’s murder of Jews. Many of the same theological ideas that paved the road to Auschwitz now undergird today’s evangelical anti-Zionism.

Israel’s evangelical opponents will occasionally acknowledge that the Bible, taken at face value, really does teach what the evangelical Zionist believes. Because evangelicals have traditionally held that their beliefs must be based on Scripture, anti-Zionists must therefore resort to schemes by which the obvious meaning of the text is annulled.

Evangelical anti-Zionists have a troubled relationship with the Old Testament. While they profess a high view of the text, in practice, in order to maintain their anti-Israel stance, they must find ways to annul its teachings concerning Israel’s restoration.

Christian anti-Zionists often argue that the New Testament says nothing about the Land therefore Israel's promised regathering is annulled. Their argument fails on two counts, at least: there is no need to restate God's emphatic covenant promises; the New Testament is not silent - it reaffirms Israel's covenants.

Christian anti-Zionists distort a central biblical theme. In the process of denying Israel’s unique status and her connection to her ancestral homeland they undermine the foundations of evangelical faith and construct a false messiah.