2004 Zionism and Christianity: Unholy Alliance Since September 11, 2001, there has been an explosion of Christian fundamentalist support for Israel in America. The Christian Right (there are approximately 40 million on this side of the political spectrum in the U.S.) has had some influence on U.S. policy over the last three decades. Presidents Carter, Reagan and George W. Bush all claimed to be “born-again Christians.” But, with Bush’s election, the Christian Right has gained extraordinary influence over American foreign policy relating to the Middle East in general, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in particular. The Christian Zionist project became political reality when Arthur Balfour proclaimed in his famous “Declaration” of 1917 that Palestine become the homeland for the Jewish people. He believed a modern state of Israel was part of the divine plan announced in Old Testament prophetic literature. However, the Arabs were basically excluded from God’s promise to Abraham: “I give you this land [Palestine] to your descendants” (Genesis 12:8). Palestinians were not permitted their own narrative or sacred myths. There are today over 200 different evangelical organizations committed to Christian Zionism in the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. Christian Coalition for Israel forms an umbrella organization. The most militant Christian Zionist group is the International Christian Embassy-Jerusalem (ICEJ), founded in 1980 to “comfort Zion” These groups have an immense combined pedagogical power, pumping their ideas and political strategies into American culture through church life, rallies, prophetic Bible conferences, tours to Israel, films, books, magazines, videos, pamphlets, websites, well heeled lobbies and insider political trading. During the 1960s, the Christian Right learned how to use modern media and marketing techniques to great effect. Christian Zionists resist every move of the U.S. government, international agencies and civil-society associations to press Israel for the implementation of UN Resolution 242 — that Israel leave the Occupied Territories. Inevitably, too, Christian Zionists applaud the settlement movement. Theodore Beckett, chair of the Christian Friends of Israel Community Development Foundation, initiated an “adopt-a-settlement” program amongst evangelical churches. Source: CounterPunch 21. 12. 2024 #news #usa #uk - @1948nakba.p2