Christian Zionism: Theology Fueling the Fire of Genocide

Christian Zionism—it's not just a religious belief, it's a political weapon. And it’s a weapon that’s been used for decades to fuel the fire of genocide in Palestine, all while being cloaked in the guise of theology. This isn’t just a minor part of American evangelical culture—Christian Zionism is a core component of how American foreign policy has been shaped in the Middle East. And its impact has been catastrophic for the Palestinian people.

Christian Zionism traces its theological roots to the belief in the Rapture—a concept based on a literal interpretation of certain Biblical prophecies. According to this theology, the second coming of Christ can’t happen until Jews are in control of Israel. This means that the establishment of Israel in 1948 was, to Christian Zionists, not just a political act—it was a divine mandate. For them, the Zionist project wasn’t just an ideological push—it was part of God’s plan.

The theology behind Christian Zionism is dangerous because it justifies the displacement, the oppression, and the outright genocide of Palestinians, all in the name of fulfilling prophecy. When you have a theology that literally demands that Palestinians be pushed out of their land to make room for the so-called “Chosen People,” you’ve built a foundation for extreme violence. And the rest of the world is supposed to accept this violence as some sort of righteous cause.

This belief isn’t some obscure religious niche. It has been mainstreamed in America, largely thanks to figures like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and the Moral Majority. These leaders didn’t just preach about the Second Coming—they preached about a divine alignment with the Israeli state. Falwell, in particular, went to great lengths to push the idea that the United States had to support Israel, because doing so was a direct reflection of Biblical prophecy.

It wasn’t just about supporting the Israeli state politically; it was about giving theological justification to the Zionist cause. It wasn’t enough that Israel was a colonial power occupying Palestinian lands; Christian Zionists saw it as part of a divine plan. They backed Israel unconditionally, no matter what it did, because to them, Palestinians didn’t matter—they were simply obstacles to the end times they eagerly awaited.

As this movement grew, so did its influence on American foreign policy. Think about it: when the most powerful evangelical leaders in America preach to millions of followers that God’s will is to support Israel, it’s no surprise that these beliefs would filter into U.S. politics. Politicians began pandering to Christian Zionists, giving them what they wanted in exchange for votes and donations. The Bush administration was a key example, where the evangelical agenda shaped policy toward Israel, and the occupation of Palestine continued with American support.

Christian Zionism played a direct role in justifying the genocide in Palestine. They have provided the ideological justification for the Israeli government’s actions, and in doing so, they’ve turned a blind eye to human rights violations and the massacre of Palestinians. How? By reducing Palestinians to mere pawns in a divine drama. The everyday horrors of ethnic cleansing, military occupation, and apartheid are ignored because, for Christian Zionists, it’s all part of a larger, inevitable narrative that leads to the return of Christ.

But this isn’t just theological ignorance or a misunderstanding of the Bible—it’s a dangerous, political force. The geopolitical importance of Christian Zionism cannot be overstated. The U.S. government continues to provide billions of dollars in aid to Israel, primarily because of the Christian Zionist lobby. The support isn’t about human rights, it’s about ensuring that Israel continues to expand and oppress Palestinians, all in the name of fulfilling prophecy. This support from Christian Zionists helps create an environment where Palestinians are dispossessed, displaced, and murdered, while the rest of the world is told to keep quiet because “this is God’s will.”

The worst part is how deeply entangled these religious beliefs are with American foreign policy. It’s not about finding peace or justice for Palestinians. It’s about empowering Israel to do whatever it takes to stay in power, even if it means committing genocide. Christian Zionism provides moral cover for the Israeli state to wipe out Palestinians, and the world looks away, or worse, endorses it.

But the ultimate truth is that this theology is based on a lie. Palestinians, like all people, deserve their land, their homes, their dignity. They are not part of a Biblical drama—they are real human beings. The constant destruction of Palestinian life, the turning of Gaza into an open-air prison, and the violent expansion of illegal settlements are not divine. They are the actions of a state driven by the political ideology of Zionism, supported by the toxic theology of Christian Zionism.

And here’s the thing—the last surviving Holocaust survivors see this. They see the parallels between the Nazi regime and the current Israeli regime. They saw the horrors of genocide firsthand, and they see it happening again in Palestine today. The irony? Many Holocaust survivors—those who lived through the worst evil humanity can muster—have rejected Israel and Zionism. They know what it means to be oppressed, to be dehumanized, and they can’t stand by and watch Palestinians go through the same thing. They’ve spoken out about the atrocities committed by Israel and have called for the world to stop hiding behind the shield of Zionism.

So where does this leave us? It leaves us with a movement that has perverted religion to justify genocide. It leaves us with a geopolitical machine built on lies, oppression, and racism. And it leaves us with a question: Are we going to stand with the oppressors, or are we going to stand with the oppressed? The choice is ours.

Christian Zionism isn’t just a religious belief—it’s a political force that’s helping to fuel genocide. The theology behind it has twisted the lives of millions, including Palestinians, into a biblical narrative they never asked for. But the truth is clear: Zionism is not divine, and it’s time for the world to stop pretending that it is.