Israeli aggression in Palestine is a source of deep fissures that have begun to alter the political right in America. For the first time since its creation, unquestioned support for Israel is starting to suffer hard, ice-cracking splits within its ranks. In the past, Christian Zionist groups helped ensure that American support for Israel was unquestionable and unwavering.
But why were these Christians seemingly more supportive of the state of Israel than they were of fellow Christians at home? The answer unveils a core logic that subordinates Jews within a greater cosmic scheme.
Of course, social media is perhaps the most influential force that has altered the discourse around Israel, and witnessing digital genocide is forcing many to rethink and even abandon commitments to Israel and reject Zionism. And there are other reasons.
A recent Harper’s Magazine article called “The Turning Point” by Andrew Cockburn describes some of the factors that are causing some to turn. In describing “How Gaza Broke MAGA,” the author writes, “When it comes to Israel, the Republican Party is facing a revolt spearheaded by its young supporters.” Some are turning away because support for Israel directly contravenes the idea of “America First,” as billions are sent to Israel while Americans struggle with basics like housing and healthcare. Some are turning because of the atrocious and brutal nature of the aggression that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians. For those on the right with antisemitic tendencies, fellow opposition to Zionism has allowed opportunity for white-nationalist anti-Jewish hatred to rise to the open surface.
Yet there is another kind of antisemitism that occurs among the religious right. This type is polite and acceptable and arises out of a Christian worldview that interprets the biblical Israel through the lens of the modern-day state. Perhaps no event in recent memory demonstrates the views of Christian Zionism as when Tucker Carlson interviewed Sen. Ted Cruz and exposed the senator’s indoctrination.
Although in that interview Carlson roasted Cruz over his belief that equated the biblical Israel with the modern-day state, he has not been so polite elsewhere. In one interview, he described Christian Zionism as “a dangerous heresy within Christianity” and a “brain virus.” In the aftermath of such statements and the Cruz interview, some labeled Carlson’s attack on Christian Zionism as antisemitic, but is it?
A simple glance at the basic theological and political beliefs of Christian Zionism shows why accusing Carlson of antisemitism misses the mark. Although there are variations of this bent, it is essentially a system that interprets the modern state of Israel through biblical prophecy; it is a system that situates Jewish people and the land of Israel within God’s greater masterplan for Christians. The beliefs build on the Abrahamic Covenant, which promises the land of Israel to the Jews and mandates the blessing of Israel, while those who fail at this are cursed by God the same. For Christian Zionists, the plan became realized in 1948 with the establishment of the state of Israel and subsequent events that are believed to be precursors to the “End Times” and the second coming of Jesus.
More specifically, many believe, through doctrines of dispensationalism, that God interacts with his chosen people. This position adopts a literalist interpretation of the Bible, which understands that for the apocalypse to occur, the Jewish diaspora must return to Israel. Moreover, some believe a third Jewish temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem for the End Times to proceed. The literalist nature of the beliefs is evident in real-life events, including when the United States relocated its American embassy to Jerusalem and the fact that Christian Zionist groups provide financial and political support for Israeli-backed settlements in the West Bank.
But what about these beliefs subordinates Jews? Why are the love and support showed for Israel a mirage in the scheme of things? Perhaps the overarching point here is how the ideology, as an extension of Zionism, poses a grave danger to the physical safety and well-being of Jews. The dangers of trying to facilitate prophesy translates into lost Jewish life, not to mention huge losses suffered by Palestinians, who are also semitic. Moreover, one cannot fail to account how Israel’s actions are fomenting anti-Jewish sentiment, globally.
Beyond the raw physical threats are the ideological. For in the end, Jews are little more than a trigger for the end times. There is no equality in how the end unfolds, and instead Jews will be given a final chance to convert to Jesus. For those who choose otherwise, their beliefs will condemn them to eternal hell. Getting cast into a lake of fire is the ultimate thanks some Jews will get for their efforts of moving to Israel.
The influence of Christian Zionism in America has been so covert that many are just beginning to reckon with their own indoctrination and reckon with antisemitic part. Suffice it to say that anyone seeking to combat antisemitism in America would do well to understand what is at stake in pushing the Jewish diaspora toward the Middle East; to be sure, Christian Zionism must be rejected as any sort of “white man’s burden” for Jews, and with it, any notion that Jesus’ return represents the last chance for Jews to save themselves.
SpearIt is a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh.