I trust that Sabine Baring-Gould, an Anglican priest and scholar, will forgive me filching my title from his 1865 hymn. As it is based on a New Testament reference, II Timothy 2:3, whose theme is shared suffering, I thought it appropriate.
Indeed, a few verses further in that chapter, we read, “the word of God cannot be chained!” and that harmonizes with the essential shared message of both Jewish and Christian Zionism.
The support for Zionism is under a renewed attack of opposition and invalidation. One stream of vitriol, of course, stems from the ideology that Judaism and Jews have been replaced. A second flow of animosity essentially is structured on hard-core antisemitism. A third current of negativity is predicated on the neo-Marxist progressive politics of defining Zionism as “colonialism.” The fourth wave has been the development of a Christian-based “Palestine liberation theology.”
It is to this last category that I wish to suggest instruments of countering false and subversive thinking. I do so especially after the convocation at the ancient site of Shiloh on Dec. 5, when 1,000 American Christian leaders and influencers toured the area as part of perhaps the largest public-diplomacy mission in Israel’s history to pray, and express solidarity and support.
The event was initiated by Christian Zionist leader Mike Evans and the Friends of Zion. In his address before the assembly, he said: “The policy of the God who birthed America and the policy of the God who gave these people this land is, in fact, that Judea and Samaria is Bible land … in Shiloh was the capital of Israel. This is where the Samuel was, and the Tabernacle was. It was all right here … don’t pressure Israel to give illegal, radical, Islam, Jew-haters: Judea and Samaria.”
One of our major tasks, we who are Zionists—whether Jews, Christians, and others of all or even no faith—is to promote the idea that Israel’s sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, for so many reasons, is no less an option than any other. Moreover, it is better than an independent Arab state called Palestine.
Coming after the anti-Zionist and anti-Jewish social-media platformed onslaughts by the likes of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish podcasters and political commentators Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes, among others, all of whom avow a form of Christian justification for their dark messaging, it shows that there is yet hope.
John Munayer, among others, including Naim Ateek, Mitri Raheb, Munther Isaac (a guest on Carlson’s show), Salim Munayer and Rula Khoury Mansou, has been promoting a Christian faith, “Palestinian theology.” That approach accepts the religious-based reality of some nationalisms, and if it is appropriate to think of “Palestinians” in that matter, then it cannot be denied for the Jews.
In a mid-November discussion, I caught some revealing elements that should alert honest Christians that this approach to politics is wrong. For example, right at the start, he says, “Palestinians, whether they be Christian or Muslim.”
They cannot be Jewish? Is that a simple discrimination position, or is he intimating that Judaism is the problem? After all, God’s covenant with the Jews not only created a faith community with rituals and practices of a religious nature, but also imbued the Land of Israel with special sacredness.
Explaining the new generation of “Palestine” theologians (I admit, I do not know how one becomes a theologian), he says his goal in his new book is “to engage with people who care about justice and human rights for Palestinians … and how can we be better witnesses to the gospel.”
As I am not Christian, I am aware I should be wary of treading into philosophizing about another religion. Nevertheless, the Gospels is a body of work that anyone can read. In the New Testament, “Palestine” is never mentioned. The “Land of Israel,” however, is. “Judea” is. “Samaria” is. The “Temple” in Jerusalem is mentioned. So, when contemporary Palestinians talk about “Palestine,” the “West Bank” and “Jews storming Al-Aqsa” to conduct “Talmudic rituals” (rituals that Jesus performed), what witnessing is being done? Are they referring to the same Bible? Or are they faking and engaged in a grand hoax?
Moreover, it’s not only Jews who are confronted by this Palestinianism that has overtaken the masses. The situation of Christians in the area of the current Palestinian Authority and, indeed, throughout most of the Middle East, is sorrowful, to say the least. Christians are persecuted, killed and starved by Islamic forces and too many Arab countries.
And not solely in the Middle East: Christmas fairs and churches throughout Europe have been objects of both murderous terror attacks and, literally, assaults on altars and other sacred objects.
We Jewish and Christian Zionists should be satisfied with Vice President JD Vance finally stating forthrightly that “we should be firm in saying antisemitism and racism is wrong.” Yet it was disheartening that his invitation to celebrate Chanukah with him did not deserve its own Jewish-themed card and carried a Golden Noel logo on a green background at the top. All the wrong colors and phrasing.
There is much that has been accomplished since Thomas Brightman published “Shall They Return to Jerusalem Again?” in 1615 and founded the Restorationist stream of Christian pro-Zionism. There is much to be confronted. There is much to be achieved in Judea and Samaria.
Fellow Zionists, onward!
