Zionism has both secular nationalist roots, as well as religious messianic roots. But neither have any basis in Christianity.

This week I attended a symposium — “Who owns the Holy Land” — sponsored by PIEN (Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network). It was extremely well attended and was an excellent night. If the symposium is still on its way to your city – please attend. However, in answer to questions one of the speakers shocked me by saying, “Zionism is rooted in Christianity”. I completely understand why this was said, given the influence of the American Christian Right, together with its offshoots in most Western countries, including Australia. However, to consequently assume Israel must be defended from a Christian perspective has become one reason why criticism of Israel is weaponised as antisemitism. and censorship of Palestinian voices has become so prevalent in Australian public discourse. I wish to explain.

Let’s deal with the secular (even atheistic), nationalistic roots first. After the catastrophe of the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the second temple in AD 70, Judaism survived for millennia among the diaspora. We are familiar with the terrible persecutions suffered by Jews over centuries, especially in Europe, culminating in the Holocaust.

Towards the end of the 18th century, and into the 19th century, tension arose between those members of the Jewish community who believed their future lay with appropriate integration into Bavarian, French, or whatever culture prevailed in the lands in which they were domiciled, and those who strongly opposed such a move. Integration does not mean loss of identity or religion, but it does mean accepting the governing rules and requirements of the state in which you live. Jews, along with most cultures across the globe. are thoroughly integrated into most Western countries, including Australia, without loss of identity, culture or religion. Not accepting the norms and rules of the country where you live inevitably means living in ghettos.

Strong voices resisted integration. The Zionist movement was born. A homeland was sought to be ruled, owned and governed for Jews to the exclusion of others. Nationalistic Zionism, by definition, cannot be anything other than racist, clearly attested through statements of its early and present leadership including David Ben Gurion, Golda Meir and Benjamin Netanyahu. Failure to understand that harmonious living together in the Holy Land by Christians, Jews and Muslims, in the time of the Ottomans, could not prevail with the introduction of Zionism was, and remains, a massive failure of the West. (The 1917 Balfour Declaration was written assuming such harmonious co-operation and the honouring of the rights of all residents). Since 1967, Israel has controlled the lives of every man woman and child, whether they live in the lands designated Israel, or East Jerusalem, West Bank or Gaza. Half the people with unencumbered Israeli citizenship live with the rights and privileges of nationhood. The other half, depending where they live, either have greatly restricted rights, or they live with constant expectation of their lands being confiscated or, as in Gaza, they have lived with a seemingly endless blockade and, of course, now with starvation. One-state solution, two-state solution: peace and prosperity for all is not possible with an Israel that maintains a nationalistic Zionist mindset.

Nationalistic Zionism is of course buttressed by historical religious belief that the land was promised to Israel by God. Bizarre that historical religion should buttress modern-day national secularism! Bizarre too that politicians, often with no known spiritual background, appear to give weight to this argument. Wide sections of the Christian community gloss over sufferings inflicted, legality ignored, human rights abused, holding a priori that Palestinians must be the bad guys and Israelis the good guys because of priority given to this claim.

There are so many problems with this claim.

• According to the biblical story, the promise of the land was made to Abraham along with the expectation that through his descendants all nations on earth would be blessed. Since 1948, the creation of Israel has not been a blessing, especially not to its neighbours; in contrast, members of the Jewish diaspora have been, and continue to be, a blessing beyond measure.
• The last time an entity called Israel held even fleeting sovereignty over a portion of this land was 721 BC.
• Most Jewish settlers in the 20th and 21st centuries have no historic connection to the land whatsoever, they are Europeans, Russians and Americans who have brought with them agendas from afar and a total lack of tolerance for anyone who is not Jewish. Jews with historic connection to the land lived in harmony with their neighbours.

It is utterly inconceivable that God would countenance large-scale suffering, if not annihilation, of another people to achieve the “promise”. Now, let me come to the hopes and aspirations of religious Zionism.

Christian Zionism’s origins in the US post-date the nationalistic fervour of the late 18th and 19th century Zionism in Europe, and conveniently piggybacks on them. Christian Zionism has no connection with Orthodox Judaism’s hopes for the coming of a messiah.

We know little about the first Jewish diaspora, which occurred following the annihilation of the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 BC. This diaspora is often referred to as “the lost 10 tribes”. The remaining tribe, Judah, with its capital Jerusalem, survived until 586 BC. The exile to Babylon was both utterly devastating and totally transformative. What had been, in effect, the religion of a relatively inconsequential tribal kingdom who believed their God dwelt in Jerusalem’s temple, had to admit they were wrong, or that if God was God, then God could also be worshipped in Babylon – monotheism was born. They dared to believe that they had a role in hosting the presence of God for all humankind and dreamed of a return to Jerusalem and the establishment of a “Holy Hill” — Zion — to which all the nations of the world could be drawn. (Please forgive me for reflecting the UN hopes for Jerusalem are not new)!

Unfortunately, when the return occurred under the Persian, Cyrus, the particularity of being Jewish prevailed and any vision for hosting divine presence in harmony and peace for the world vanished.

Now, fast forward to Christ and the birth of Christianity. Antagonism existed between those who claimed to be survivors of the long-lost Northern Kingdom of Israel, known as Samaritans, and the Jewish community focused on the second temple in Jerusalem. Christ was asked in which place should God be worshipped. He answered – neither.

It is Christian belief that “in Christ, God had been pleased to dwell”. If “Zion” is the dwelling place of God, then Christ is that Zion. Place has become person. The presence of the living one, the risen one, the light of the world, the prince of peace is present for all humankind; at our best, we Christians facilitate that presence, at our worst we get in the way.

There has never been a century in the last 2000 years when end times have not been immediately predicted. One of the ways in which some Christians seriously get in the way is by relinking, with zero justification, the living person who personifies “Zion”, with place. These people, drawing on their interpretation of apocalyptic writings, foresee an end to this world as we understand it through the “coming of Christ” in a final history of the Middle East. They have come to believe his coming will occur when Israel is all in, all from the river to the sea. It is bizarre that these Christians, strong supporters of Zionist Israel, really have no interest in the long-term future of Israel, but in what they perceive to be the long awaited “end times”.

No, Zionism is totally and completely antithetical to Christian belief and it should be the obligation of all Christians everywhere to speak loudly and clearly in its condemnation, of course for Palestinians, but also for Israelis. What future is there for people who have become a pariah to everyone else?

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.