Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the close relationship between Israel and the evangelical Christian community during his most recent visit to the US. In Washington, DC, Netanyahu said to well-known evangelical leaders, “We have no better friends than you.” During the meeting, which preceded his speech before a joint session of Congress, prominent individuals such as Pastor John Hagee, the originator of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), were there. Netanyahu’s remarks highlight the close ties between Zionism and Christian Millenarianism, the conviction that the Bible contains prophecies about the rapture and the second coming of Jesus that have been developed over decades or even centuries.
Religious Extremism explored
Christian Zionists were among the first to support the “return” of Jews to the Holy Land, even before Theodor Herzl. The political and intellectual foundation set by these pioneers eventually resulted in the creation of the state of Israel in Palestine, a date that Palestinians refer to as the Nakba (Catastrophe). Their actions served political and imperial goals in addition to advancing a radical theological stance. This paved the way for contemporary support networks that continue to provide vital assistance for the Zionist mission. While there are other religious movements dedicated to an extreme religious vision, such evangelical Christians, that have the support of governmental institutions to further their messianic ambitions, Judaism and Christianity are not the only ones who have views about the end of the world. For example, Islamic eschatology is politically impotent, and organizations like Daesh that see themselves as agents of end-time events are marginalized. Marxism and other secular interpretations of end-times prophecies regarding an idealized planet are also heavily criticized and marginalized.
Zionism’s radical foundations
Christian millenarianism has entwined Zionism, state interests, and imperial power since its inception in the 19th century. In Britain, leaders like Arthur Balfour and Lord Shaftesbury were among the first to advocate for the “return” of Jews to their ancient country. The infamous 1917 Balfour Declaration, a seminal statement that symbolized the fusion of religious ambitions with political and imperial goals, was the result of their campaign. They viewed the establishment of a sizable Jewish presence in Palestine as both a way to further Western interests in the area and the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. For example, Shaftesbury was an ardent advocate of encouraging Jewish migration to Palestine and used much effort to advance this notion among British politicians. The author of the Balfour Declaration, who was also influenced by Christian Zionism, stated that Britain supported the “establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”. An important turning point in the Zionist movement was the proclamation. The establishment of Israel in 1948 and all that has happened since, including the genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip, which is one of many massacres that have occurred over the years, were made possible by the early support of Christian Zionists. The US government and the American evangelical Christian community fully support this genocide.
Impact on US-Israel relations
The words and deeds of leaders like Hagee made it very evident how Christian Zionism and the contemporary evangelical movement were related. His CUFI is among the most significant pro-Israel advocacy organizations in the United States and is instrumental in promoting international policies that support Israeli interests. “Our message today to the prime minister and to the Jewish people of Israel and the United States is that the Christians of America stand solidly with Israel,” Hagee said at the recent meeting with Netanyahu. Hagee was repeated by other Christian leaders in America. “I think evangelical, Bible-believing Christians in this country have no greater supporter, ally, and friend than Israel and the Jewish people,” stated Tony Perkins, the chairman of the Family Research Council, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has identified as a hate group. Hagee’s steadfast support is grounded on eschatological and theological ideas, much like Christian Zionism. Evangelicals believe that biblical prophecy has been fulfilled by Israel’s founding and continuous existence. They too think that a sign of Christ’s second coming is the “return” of Jews to what they consider to be the Jewish homeland. Their political support for Israel stems from their eschatological viewpoint, which views it as a mandate from God.
It goes without saying that their radical reading of biblical passages ignores centuries of Palestinian history as well as the fact that native Jews have always made up a very small minority in the area. Zionist ideologies never saw Palestinians as historical figures deserving of
