PNW - Over the last couple of months, everyone once again attempted to take sides in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Hamas, acting under insidious and aggressive tactics, used an emotionally charged court case as a reason to wage a large assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip.
More than 4,000 rockets later, of which many misfired and ended up hurting Palestinians, we are seeing a lull in hostility. However, as Israelis and Palestinians are clearing the rubble from this horrifying violence, there is an age-old conflict arising in the United States and around the world.
As the rockets were still flying, I was disturbed at how freely some advocated for more violence. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Anti-Defamation League recently came out with a preliminary report that shows a massive uptick in reported "possible anti-Semitic incidents."
As Christians, our commitment to a gospel-centered life often translates to keeping the "Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other," to cite the late Karl Barth. While some believers have responded to rising tensions by exercising the biblical mandate to pray for Israel, some Christians have taken up the banner of anti-Zionism.
In place of prayers for the protection of Israeli citizens from rockets and the liberation of Palestinians in Gaza from Hamas, anti-Zionist Christians respond by condemning Israel's right to defend itself. They spread conspiracy theories and condemn other Christians for standing with Israel.
Determined to promote false and outlandish claims, the greatest stretch of logic in these arguments is the idea that Christian Zionists are anti-Semitic. Though not new, this conspiracy theory makes the notion that Elvis faked his death seem tame. Anti-Zionists purport that Christian Zionists, and groups like Christians United for Israel (CUFI) "consider Jews useful only insofar as they trigger the end of days." A gross mischaracterization of Christian Zionism predicated on fabricated quotes and misinformation.
As John Hagee, the founder of CUFI had stated time and...READ MORE
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