Christians urged to question Zionism

Sharmila Devi, Foreign Correspondent

• Last Updated: February 23. 2009 9:30AM UAE / February 23. 2009 5:30AM GMT

NEW YORK // Antonios Kireopoulos is used to choosing his words carefully. The author is all too aware his brochure, Why We Should Be Concerned About Christian Zionism, cuts to the heart of some of the most contentious issues in US politics.

Mr Kireopoulos, programme director for interfaith relations at the National Council of Churches, said he did not want his words to be misused as ammunition by partisans of either side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“We share the conviction with other Christians that Israel has the right to security, but does that come at the expense of Palestinian rights and justice?” he said in his Manhattan office overlooking the Hudson river. “We want to alert Christians in our churches to these issues.”

The brochure by the Greek Orthodox theologian is being distributed among the 45 million US residents who belong to the NCC’s member churches, which include Protestants such as the Episcopalians and Lutherans, historic African-American churches that arose out of slavery, and peace advocates such as the Quakers.

Many observers believe the failure of successive US administrations to reach a Middle East peace deal is because of the influence of Christian evangelicals who overwhelmingly support Israel no matter what its policies. Mr Kireopoulos’s brochure is the latest salvo in an intra-Christian dialogue that seeks to define how far Christian support for Israel should go.

The brochure defines Christian Zionism as a 19th century theological innovation whose central belief is the state of Israel’s supposed role in the end of history and the return of the messiah. Under this ideology, the return of Jews to Israel fulfils biblical prophecy and heralds the final battle between good and evil. Unbelievers and Jews who refuse to accept Jesus will face death under divine judgment while true Christians will achieve eternal life in heaven.

Up to 40m people in the United States are Christian Zionists, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The country has about 200m Christians of different denominations out of a population of about 300m.

“Ideological Christian Zionists sometimes claim that they speak on behalf of all American evangelicals. This is not so,” the brochure says. “Many evangelicals in the US do not want to be identified as theological Christian Zionists.”

This ideology “rejects any peace process built on a negotiated settlement towards a two-state solution to the conflict” because it encouraged advocacy “committed to preserving control over all of historic Palestine for Jewish people alone”. It also promoted “fear and hatred of Muslims and non-western Christians”, the brochure says.

One of the best-known Christian Zionists is John Hagee, a pastor who leads Christians United for Israel, a “mega-church” with an estimated 50,000 members. He has close ties with many US politicians and is a regular speaker at the annual conference of the hawkish American Israel Public Affairs Committee. He has also raised funds for settlements in the West Bank, which Israel calls Judea and Samaria.

The issue of Christian Zionist support remains controversial within Israel, where some critics warn against alliances with people who ultimately seek the conversion or death of Jews. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud party leader, and Binyamin Elon, a rabbi and right-wing political leader, are among those attacked by other Israelis for receiving funds and support from Christian Zionists.

Partly to counter the influence of such leaders as Mr Hagee, a group of 34 US evangelical leaders sent a letter to George W Bush in 2007, when he was president, reaffirming their belief that a two-state solution matched Christian teachings on compassion and justice.

The National Council of Churches started distributing its brochure in November and reaction had been largely positive, Mr Kireopoulos said.

“We’ve had calls and e-mails from people saying thank you. A pastor in Texas might have more need for it than one in New Hampshire but many are saying it’s helping them in their ministry,” he said. “We’ve also had critiques for supposedly appeasing Muslims or for not supporting Israel and betraying our Christian heritage. But that’s come mostly on the internet.

“We haven’t been attacked consistently or viscerally but then the country is not so focused on Israel/Palestine because of Iraq, Afghanistan and the economic crisis. Perhaps people are more worried about other things.”

The recent Israeli offensive, which killed about 1,300 Palestinian in the Gaza Strip, provoked little open criticism from US politicians and the media. But the new NCC brochure also points to a growing debate about the nature of US support for Israel.

More activists are saying that, as friends, the United States should do more to pressure Israel to realise Palestinian aspirations and make peace. Jimmy Carter, the former president, makes such an argument in his new book We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work.

A former adviser to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, welcomed the NCC brochure, but worried about its effectiveness. “It’s great they are talking about it, but the NCC is considered left wing and not very influential.

“I believe the majority of American churches would care more if they knew how some Christian groups are mobilised with extremist Israeli settler organisations and that their influence extends into the highest reaches of the US government. But we need a lot more outreach to make sure all people of faith are mobilised. ”



sdevi@thenational.ae