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Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Why do evangelical Protestants hate Palestinians?
Since April 2025, Mike Huckabee, a white evangelical American Protestant and Baptist minister, has served as the US ambassador to Israel. A right-wing religious fanatic and former Republican presidential candidate, Huckabee previously served as governor of Arkansas. He believes, as part of his Protestant zealotry, that "there is no such thing as a Palestinian", and that Palestinian identity is merely "a political tool to try and force land away from Israel". Most recently, the ambassador described Palestinians in Gaza as "wicked, uncivilised savages" - in keeping with the tradition of missionaries, colonists and other "civilising" forces. Huckabee opposes Palestinian statehood and dismisses Israeli settler-colonialism on Palestinian land as nothing more than urban development. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Countering even Israeli claims that what Jewish colonists build on stolen land are "settlements", Huckabee insists they are simply "communities", "neighbourhoods" and "cities". Huckabee has been religiously obsessed with Israel and Jews since his youth, and has visited the country more than 100 times since 1973. He is not alone. Earlier this month, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), which claims more than 10 million members as the largest pro-Israel group in the US, held its annual summit near Washington, DC. Huckabee has been religiously obsessed with Israel and Jews since his youth, and has visited the country more than 100 times since 1973 The conference, which attracts senior government officials and lawmakers each year, has been described as a "three-day lovefest" for Israel that culminates in lobbying at the Capitol. CUFI has applauded Huckabee's confirmation and praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who vowed this would be "perhaps the most pro-Israel administration in American history". Far from fringe, this is the dominant religious current shaping US policy on Israel - one with theological and imperial roots that long predate the state itself. Its modern champions, like Huckabee, follow a long line of evangelical Christians whose lineage can be traced back to the Protestant Reformation and the Millenarian movement it spawned in the 16th century. That movement supported the "restoration" of European Jews to Palestine and their conversion to Protestantism, in the hope of expediting the so-called Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Imperial foundations Evangelical Protestant Zionism preceded Jewish Zionism by 300 years, and it was this Protestant Zionism that laid the ideological foundations of the Jewish settler-colony that would become Israel. A surge of Protestant missionary zeal swept through England at the end of the 18th century, coinciding with the emergence of the Eastern Question and the Jewish Question. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war This reignited the Crusades' erstwhile project of ending Muslim control of the "Holy Land". It likewise revived Protestant Millenarian and "Restorationist" projects aimed at converting European Jews and "returning" them to Palestine. This was also the era of the flourishing of British imperialism. Two British missionary societies took an interest in Palestine and the wider region: the Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East (founded in 1799), or CMS, and the London Society for Promoting Christianity amongst the Jews (founded in 1809), popularly known as the London Jews Society or LJS. Trump's plan to colonise Gaza echoes failed 19th-century American missions Read More » The latter was founded by two German Jewish converts to Protestantism. It was established under the auspices of the evangelical Anglican group the British Bible Society, the missionary arm of the Clapham Sect, founded by William Wilberforce. As part of its missionary activity, the Clapham Sect invited a German Jewish convert, Joseph Samuel Christian Frederick Frey (1748–1827) - born Joseph Samuel Levy - to move from Berlin to London to proselytise among British Jews, a task that led to the establishment of the LJS. Both the CMS and the LJS were sponsored by the elite of English society and politics, including British Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston and his evangelical son-in-law, Lord Shaftesbury (previously known as Lord Ashley), among others. Palmerston even approached the Ottoman sultan to request permission for the "return" of European Jews to Palestine. Palmerston, who became Britain's foreign minister in 1830, was a strong advocate of Jewish "restoration" to Palestine. The LJS converted many Jews in Britain, 250 of whom became Anglican clergymen - many of them former rabbinical scholars. By 1841, the position of patron of the LJS was conferred upon the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Anglican Church. 'Peaceful' crusaders Fanatical evangelical Americans, Germans, Swedes and others joined this new "Peaceful Crusade" to convert Jews and take over Palestine throughout the 19th century. The evangelical Zionist current did not abate in the 20th century; on the contrary, it intensified after the establishment of Israel By World War One, all the British leaders in office - including Prime Minister David Lloyd George and Foreign Minister Arthur Balfour - were fanatical evangelical Christians who supported Jewish "restoration" to Palestine, which in 1917 took the form of the "Balfour Declaration". In the US, Zionist evangelical Christianity manifested in the establishment of several colonies in Palestine during the mid-19th century, intended to convert Jews and expedite the Second Coming. This current did not abate in the 20th century; on the contrary, it intensified after the establishment of Israel, and especially after the 1967 war. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were among the leading Protestant fanatics who supported Israel, as did American presidents who claimed an evangelical upbringing, most notably Bill Clinton. It is to this tradition of evangelical fanaticism that US President Donald Trump's ambassador to Israel subscribes. Divine mandate Huckabee's conviction that God is on the side of Israel is one he shares with most evangelical Christians. He argues that Israelis did not win their wars of conquest against Palestinians and neighbouring Arabs "because they had superior military, artillery capacity or air power." Not at all: "They won them because they fought as if they knew that if they lost, they didn't lose some real estate," but rather "the land that God had given them 3,500 years ago. Because they did, I am convinced that God, Himself, intervened on behalf of His people in His land", he proclaims. At a dinner hosted by the Israel Heritage Foundation, Huckabee affirmed to his audience that his support for Israel is grounded in faith: "We believe that we put our knee to God. We didn't create Him; He created us. And we are obligated to follow His law rather than to invite Him to follow some law that we have foolishly created for ourselves." Huckabee's support for Israel has embarrassed even many of its staunchest backers in the US. In 2015, while running for president, he responded to then-President Barack Obama's announcement of the Iran nuclear deal by accusing him of marching Jews "to the door of the oven". Even the diehard pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League and Ron Dermer, Israel's ambassador to the US at the time, rebuked him for the remark. But Huckabee remains undeterred. He cites scripture that commands believers to bless Israel in order to be blessed, quoting: "those who curse Israel will be cursed." The new crusaders Huckabee is not the only Protestant fanatic weaponised by the Trump administration in support of Israel. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - now participating in the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza - also has an evangelical zealot as its chairman: Rev Dr Johnnie Moore, a former adviser to the White House during Trump's first term. Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: Israel's new model for weaponised aid Amira Nimerawi Read More » Moore supports Trump's vision of a Gaza "Riviera". His "personal journey has included studying Theodor Herzl's diaries and exploring lesser-known Christian contributions to early Zionism". A former assistant to Jerry Falwell, Moore has received numerous awards from Zionist institutions in recognition of his unwavering commitment to Israel. Figures like Moore, Huckabee and Rubio - yet another evangelical Christian who shuttles between Catholicism and evangelical Protestantism - are not aberrations. They are the contemporary face of a deeply entrenched evangelical Zionism that now operates through official posts, state policy and well-funded political networks. Imperial convergence The rise of Protestant evangelical Zionism in the late 18th and early 19th centuries - especially in Britain - coincided with the ascent of European, and particularly British, imperialism. This was hardly coincidental: British imperialism provided a far wider world for the Protestant fanatics to missionise beyond Britain's shores. Activists protest at the Rayburn House cafeteria on Capitol Hill during Christians United for Israel's lobbying day, 1 July 2025 (via AFP) Indeed, these missionaries were often dispatched ahead of conquest, preparing the ground for later imperial domination. Whether in Kenya, New Zealand, Sierra Leone or Palestine, the role of evangelical Protestantism was always complementary to British imperialism. It is not only the pro-Zionism of evangelical Christians that is mandated by their religious fanaticism, but also their hatred of Palestinians In the case of Palestine and the Jews, this amalgamation took on a particular significance, given that Palestine is the land where both Christianity and Judaism were born. The surge in support for Israel among American evangelicals after 1967, when the US became its primary imperial sponsor, was also no coincidence. It is not only the pro-Zionism of evangelical Christians that is mandated by their religious fanaticism and pro-American jingoism, but also their hatred of Palestinians, cast as enemies of both the evangelicals' "chosen people" and of US imperial interests in the Middle East. That their support for a genocidal state stems from religious conviction - not in defiance of it - is what keeps American evangelical Christians faithful to both their biblical and nationalist creeds. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Christians United for Israel offers support where many fail: ‘Not going to allow Jewish people to suffer on our watch!'
We've been looking for love in all the wrong places. As a Jew, I was moved to tears last week at the Christians United for Israel annual summit in Oxon Hill, Md. Passionate support for the Jewish people from speakers and crowds was palpable —and overwhelming. 'In recent weeks, we have seen Jews murdered on the streets and Jewish businesses ransacked here in America . . . it's shameful,' Pastor John Hagee said from the podium. 'We are not going to allow the Jewish people to suffer on our watch!' 5 Pastor John Hagee recently gave an emotional speech at the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) convention. CUFI A good thousand people jumped out of their seat at the Gaylord Convention Center, just over 10 miles from Washington, DC, and cheered, many waving Israeli and American flags. The 20th annual CUFI summit, which ended July 2, was a three-day lovefest for the Jewish people and the Bible that culminated with lobbying at the Capitol. CUFI is a political powerhouse and growing, with nearly 11 million members nationwide. Its singular issue: Undying support for Israel. The romping, roaring Zionism at CUFI is awe-inspiring — especially after watching social justice groups, from environmentalists to pro-choice activists, close ranks against us, post-Oct. 7. That betrayal came after decades of support by Jewish organizations and even synagogues. Meanwhile, true friends have been standing with us ever since Hagee first brought together 400 evangelical pastors to his San Antonio church in 2006 to ignite a cohesive Christian movement around the affirmation of Jews and Israel, as part of a strict interpretation of the Bible. 'This relationship could not be more kosher,' said CUFI co-executive director and rabbi Shari Dollinger. 'CUFI is non-conversionary. CUFI is non-partisan. And CUFI unilaterally supports the Israeli government. I've been here for 18 years and I have never once been proselytized to.' 5 Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son was abducted by Hamas on October 7 and murdered, was one of several speakers at the convention. CUFI In the Jewish community, fear runs deep of Christian violence and blood libels, something CUFI leaders acknowledge and address head-on. Replacement theology — the belief that Christians and the church have replaced Jews and Israel in God's covenants — is seen as another threat. Those beliefs have been officially disavowed by mainline churches such as United Methodist and Evangelical Lutheran, although complete rejection of the theology varies among congregations. CUFI has always been in direct — and even combative — opposition to replacement theology. At the summit, that distinction was reiterated dozens of times by many speakers. 'The Bible is proof of God's eternal, unshakeable love of Israel and the Jewish people is all through the Scripture,' Hagee said in a speech. 'Jesus Christ is — and always will be — a Jewish rabbi.' Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told The Post after his Tuesday night speech at CUFI that the organization is uniquely 'vocal and public about their support' for Israel. 'You don't hear the ifs and the buts.' CUFI's success lathers up the anti-Israel actors. At last year's summit, protesters secretly infiltrated the conference and frequently disrupted Hagee's address, only to be hustled out by Prince George's County police as attendees shouted, joyfully, 'Israel lives! Israel lives!' 5 The convention's enthusiastic audience waved both Israeli and American flags. CUFI That, too, was a stirring moment, considering how so many Jewish events get derailed by a clutch of keffiyeh-wearing hecklers. The only security breach this year was when two long black banners reading 'CUFI Kills' and 'No God Bombs Children' temporarily dropped from balconies in the hotel atrium before hotel security yanked them down. Hagee, undaunted, told attendees: 'Our security team ha s caught 30 hardcore protesters trying to invade this meeting. We are not afraid of you thugs who think you can muscle your way into this organization and distract us. If a line has to be drawn, draw that line around Christians and Jews. We are one!' The crowd roared. In response to surging antisemitism in K-12 schools and universities, CUFI has doubled the size of its youth outreach team to 11 people, who work to mobilize more Christian kids to advocate for their Jewish peers. That initiative is proving fruitful. More than 200 high school students and 300 university students attended the summit, an all-time high. 5 A security breach, in which banners reading 'CUFI Kills' and 'No God Bombs Children' were temporarily dropped from balconies, did not deter convention-goers and speakers. Provided to NY Post Israeli-American Uriel Appel, a junior at University of Maryland at College Park, came to thank CUFI students whom he said were instrumental in beating back student-led Israel-boycott resolutions. 'CUFI has been our best friends on campus,' he told me. CUFI kids say they're all in. 'Jewish students are scared on campus, and me, as a Christian, I'm their ally,' Texas Wesleyan University student Arianna-Rosie Bourgoin told me. 'We're not the same people back in the day, from the Holocaust, from the Crusades. We're different. And we're stronger together.' The brash Zionism at CUFI is refreshingly, well, unneurotic. Hot pink T-shirts with 'Zionist' in a big font sold out early. 'The Bible is proof of God's eternal, unshakeable love of Israel.' Pastor John Hagee 'Jews are lot more self-conscious. We don't want to offend anyone or say anything that could be deemed as radical because we don't want to be seen as religious zealots,' Appel told me. 'They don't have that concern.' Although there's no official tally, organizers and longtime Jewish attendees say more Jews attended this conference than ever before. Demand for kosher food was so high this year, a separate luncheon was held for about 100 attendees. Still, if pro-Israel Jews intend to meet pro-Israel Christians halfway, we have a long way to go. Ken Marcus, former Trump appointee and founder of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, told The Post after his CUFI speech, 'It's a shame that some in the Jewish community are reluctant to accept some of the warmest and truest offers of support we have.' 5 One of the panels at the conference focused on the families of hostages. CUFI Here's an idea: Let's show up for the people who show up for us. Let's push back against anti-Christian bigotry in Jewish circles the way CUFI pushes back against anti-Jewish bigotry in Christian circles. Let's put to bed old, inaccurate fears that every evangelical is out to convert or replace us. And let's converge — en masse! — at the 2026 CUFI conference. Tickets are on sale now for $75 through August before they jump to $200 — the Anti-Defamation League by comparison charged $550 for tickets to its conference this year. We will dance down the aisles to 'Shalom Aleichem' — peace be upon you — and sing the American and the Jewish national anthems with our very best friends. I'll bring my new T-shirt that says 'CUFI: Game changer, planet shaker, friend and defender of Israel.'
Leaders
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
Zionism Is No Longer a Winning Strategy: American Jewish Activist on Mamdani's Win
The American Jewish activist, Katherine Wela Bogen (Katie), commended the victory of the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who secured a stunning victory over former governor, Andrew Cuomo, in the primary election for the Democratic nomination on June 24, 2025. In a viral video on social media, the American activist said that Mamdani's victory sends an eye-opening message to politicians that Zionism is no longer a guarantee of electoral victory. Not a Guarantee for Victory 'What I like about Zohran Mamdani's win is that politicians are getting the message that being a Zionist is no longer a winning strategy, that is no longer a guarantee of electoral victory. It doesn't matter if you have AIPAC funding, it doesn't matter who endorses you. It doesn't matter which billionaires are backing your campaign,' Katherine Bogen said about Mamdani's victory. 'Being a Zionist is no longer a winning strategy because people are awake to human rights abuses of the State of Israel. People have compassion and empathy for all of Palestine, for Gaza, for the West Bank, for those who have been displaced,' she added. People Waking Up 'And I think that is a moral reckoning for our country. It is a moral reckoning for our political and electoral system. People are being mindful about who represents them and what that says to our neighbors on the global stage, what it says about the ethical core, the soul or spirit of America,' she said. 'I love that politicians are now getting the message 'you don't get a guarantee to success just because you align yourself with this fascistic ethnonationalist state and all of its money'. And I'm not saying Jews control all the money. I'm a Jewish girl; that's a very important caveat for me to offer here. I'm saying that AIPAC funding, CUFI (Christians United for Israel) funding, billionaire funding is no longer gonna win elections, if what you are touting is mass death,' the American Jewish activist noted. Short link : Post Views: 19
