Chronicle of the Middle East and North Africa

Christian and Muslim Zionism: Unlikely allies

Christian and Muslim Zionism contribute to the dehumanization of Palestinians where Zionist beliefs frame the violence as necessary for fulfilling religious prophecies.

Christian and Muslim Zionism
Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli airstrike the previous night in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip. Islam AHMED / AFP

Dana Hourany

Though Zionism is typically associated with Jewish nationalism and the creation of the state of Israel, it also has significant supporters in two seemingly disparate religious groups: Christians and Muslims. Christian Zionism, rooted in biblical theology, envisions the return of Jews to the Holy Land as a precursor to the Second Coming of Christ. Meanwhile, a lesser-known but growing phenomenon of Muslim Zionism supports the Jewish claim to Israel, often citing theological and historical reasons.

These ideologies have recently come to light due to the current genocide in Gaza where Israel has waged a fierce war since October 7, killing over 42,603 Palestinians and injuring at least 99,795 at the time of writing.

A Brief History of Zionism

Prior to the formation of organized Zionism, there were a number of initiatives that sought to bring Jews from Europe to Palestine. As early as the 16th and 17th centuries, the foundation for more organized political activity was created, culminating in Jewish migration movements, such Hovevei Tzion (The Lovers of Zion) in the 19th century, which encouraged Eastern European Jews to settle in Palestine as farmers.

During the 19th century, European racial anti-Semitism, exemplified by the Dreyfus Affair in France, significantly impacted Jewish identity and aspirations, leading many Jews to question their place in European society and seek national solutions. As a result, Jewish communities developed a profound fear of anti-Semitism. This fear, coupled with a strong aversion to their oppressors, spurred the creation of autonomous Jewish self-defense groups across various regions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Recognizing the potential of this dynamic, Zionism—a European colonial movement—merged the Jewish desire for safety and self-defense with elements of white supremacist, messianic, and fascistic ideologies. This fusion gave rise to a new nationalist Jewish identity that links Jewish security with the establishment of an exclusivist homeland in Palestine, often through the displacement of the region’s Indigenous populations.

Zionism’s institutional structure is generally traced to Theodor Herzl, an Austrian journalist who became disillusioned with assimilationist approaches owing to persistent anti-Semitism. In “Der Judenstaat” (The Jewish State), published in 1896, Herzl contended that Jews could only attain safety and normality by forming their own state. His goal was realized at the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897, when delegates set a defined agenda for establishing a Jewish state in Palestine.

In 1917, following World War I, and the annexation of Palestine, the British were granted a mandate by the League of Nations, which they interpreted to include the Balfour Declaration, issued in the wake of the Zionist Congress by then British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour. The Zionist movement saw this commitment, despite its ambiguous language, as proof that they had good reason to demand British assistance with immigration and land acquisition.

Following the end of World War II in 1945, and in light of the Holocaust’s unparalleled suffering of European Jewry, there was considerable pressure on Britain to permit an increased number of Jewish refugees into Palestine. But with the creation of the state of Israel, the Jewish question turned into the question of Palestine.

The Old Testament is frequently referenced as a divine mandate to legitimize claims to the land, overlooking the continuous presence of other populations since biblical times. This conviction, with references found in the Torah and other Jewish texts, is shared by 82 percent of white evangelical Christians in the U.S., where numerous churches emphasize that God promised Israel to the Jewish people.

Zionism has also given way to the dehumanization of Palestinians which was made worse during the current genocide. Experts add that both Christian and Muslim Zionists believe that the war on Gaza is a necessary prelude to future events described in their respective sacred scriptures and that, as such, should not be halted.

History of Christian and Muslim Zionism

Christian Zionism

British theologian Stephen Sizer argues that Christian Zionism is the dominant form of Zionism, predating the Jewish Zionist movement by at least 50 years. As early as the 1820s and 1830s, Christians were advocating for the restoration of Jews to Palestine. This momentum continued into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, culminating in the Balfour Declaration and the subsequent British colonization of Palestine after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Sizer contends that the British saw the Jewish presence in Palestine as serving their imperial interests.

Sizer’s estimates suggest that for every Jewish Zionist, there are 20 to 30 Christian Zionists. This overwhelming support is particularly strong among the Christian right in America, Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands, and much of Europe. Consequently, Israeli leaders like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recognize the importance of this demographic in sustaining their political position and advancing the Zionist agenda in Palestine.

“Christian Zionism – is predicated on the idea that the Jews are God’s chosen people. They’ve been returned to the land in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies that the Messiah is going to return soon,” Sizer told TRTworld.

Mimi Kirk and Halah Ahmad explain in their article for al Shabaka “The Dangerous Exceptionalism of Christian Zionism” that Christian Zionists advocate for Jewish settlement in Palestine as a step towards their own salvation, rather than for the benefit of the Jewish people. They envision an end times scenario in which Jews and other non-Christians will be annihilated while they themselves ascend to heaven. This support for Israel is thus a facade for their pursuit of Christian salvation, often to the detriment of Jews.

Despite this, their ideological stance aligns them with Israeli governments and their aggressive and colonial policies towards Palestinians, Iran, and other adversaries of Israel. Ironically, the right-wing ethnoreligious nationalists who support Netanyahu’s government have also increased their antagonism towards Christians, both Palestinian and otherwise, adding a layer of complexity to this alliance. Nevertheless, Christian Zionists continue to back Israeli policies, driven by their theological convictions and eschatological expectations.

Kirk and Ahmad add that some forms of Christian Zionism, particularly those that emerged in Britain, were founded on the goals of Jewish conversion and Jewish settlement in and governance over Palestine. These perspectives regarded Jews in the diaspora as both a problematic group and a biblically essential population to influence in the Church’s pursuit of salvation. In the 20th century, these beliefs evolved among various evangelical Christian denominations, where the emphasis on Jewish conversion diminished and was no longer seen as necessary.

Kirk explains that although not all evangelical Christians in the United States—who make up about a quarter of the population—embrace Christian Zionist beliefs, polls indicate that a significant majority see the modern state of Israel and the gathering of millions of Jews there as “fulfillments of Bible prophecy that signal the imminent return of Jesus Christ.”

Understanding Christian Zionism

Kirk told Fanack that Christian Zionism is also supported by the prosperity gospel, which holds that if you bless Israel, you will be blessed, or your country will be blessed politically and economically.

However, she states that “evangelicals of color are much more likely to be more balanced in their views on Israel and Palestine, whereas white evangelicals are much more likely to be sort of more far right in their take on Israel and Palestine.”

She adds that certain aspects of the prosperity gospel philosophy was a tenet that aided in the growth of Christian Zionism in regions like Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

In Latin America, right-wing evangelical Christians have become a significant political force, with Brazil being a notable example. According to the Pew Research Center, evangelicals now make up about 27 percent of Brazil’s population, compared to 25 percent in the United States. The rapid growth of evangelical communities across Latin America has coincided with the rise of Christian Zionism as a political and cultural influence in the region.

Christian Zionists in Latin America, driven by religious motivations, offer unwavering support for the secular state of Israel. This support often overlooks and legitimizes Israel’s internationally recognized human rights abuses against Palestinians. The growing embrace of Christian Zionism poses a potential threat to marginalized communities in Latin America, mirroring the detrimental impact it has had on Palestinians.

Despite the abundance of social media footage showing the genocide unfolding in real time, Kirk explains that these humanitarian crimes often do not matter to those with Zionist beliefs who support Israel. Some even dismiss the footage as “Pallywood,” claiming it is all staged.

“On the other hand, they [Zionists] believe it’s justified, thinking those people need to be eradicated. The dehumanization of Palestinians is so stark and complete among this group in the U.S. that they don’t see Palestinians as human,” she said. “They see them as animals.”

Furthermore, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer suggested that Israel should prioritize the “passionate and unequivocal” support of evangelical Christians over that of American Jews, whom he described as “disproportionately among our critics.”

“People have to understand that the backbone of Israel’s support in the United States is the evangelical Christians. It’s true because of numbers and also because of their passionate and unequivocal support for Israel,” Dermer said in an onstage interview.

Since its founding, Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid, receiving approximately $310 billion in total economic and military assistance when adjusted for inflation and at least $12.5 billion in military aid to Israel since October 7.

In terms of correlation with Christian Zionism, Kirk defines this ideology as “we must do whatever we can to support Israel.”

Regarding the upcoming presidential elections in the United States, President Joe Biden has stepped down and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor for the Democratic Party. Harris will face Donald Trump, who, according to Kirk, caters to Christian nationalists and, if elected, may stifle any efforts to shift away from the pro-Israel and Zionist narrative, which is most prominently led by young people.

“I am pessimistic in general, but I am pleasantly surprised by what I am seeing. I wasn’t sure I would ever see that” she said, citing the example of university students across the country who set up tents and protested the current assault on Gaza despite facing police crackdowns and academic repercussions.

Muslim Zionism

Unlike Christian Zionism, there is little written about Muslim Zionism. One of the prominent speakers on the topic is Professor and co-founder of Zaytuna College, & Lecturer, UC Berkeley Hatem Bazian who, in his article “What is Muslim Zionism?” explains that Muslim Zionism involves efforts by Muslim individuals and states to normalize and establish relationships with Israel and the Zionist settler colonial project in Palestine or elsewhere, often framing these actions within an Islamic context using epistemological, legal, or theological justifications. This involves assembling a group of supporters who use selective and out-of-context Qur’anic verses or Prophetic statements to legitimize these actions, despite the fact that they support settler colonialism in Palestine.

Muslim Zionists are individuals who prioritize their connections with Israel and Zionism while marginalizing, ignoring, vilifying, and blaming Palestinians for the current situation in Palestine. They portray the Palestinians, who are victims of settler colonialism, as responsible for their own plight, presenting this perspective as a sign of their “sophistication” and “intelligence” in fostering relations with Zionism.

“The distinction between Muslim and Islamic Zionism is that there is no such thing as Islamic Zionism in the sense that there is no way that you could accurately articulate any aspects of Islam to legitimize occupation, colonization, and the dispossession of Palestinians,” Bazian told Fanack.

The Arab countries that maintain some sort of ties with Israel are Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Morocco, Bahrain, and Sudan.

“In these countries, there is a utilization of an Islamic discourse that, on one hand, calls for religious obedience and normalization with Israel but also utilizes Shia and Sunni divisions to do that,” Bazian said.

Understanding Muslim Zionism

Muslim Zionism’s impact can be seen articulated, Bazian adds, through many funding agencies from the United States and Europe that have always straddled their funding to various projects in the region, with both a backdoor and sometimes a front door to normalization.

He further explains that following the events of 9/11, when the entire World Trade Center Twin Towers were destroyed in a plane attack by al-Qaeda, US President George W. Bush at the time launched the “global war on terror,” which included devastating wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, therefore, creating “the good” and “the bad” Muslim.

“The good Muslim is the one that embraces Israel and every other part of their involvement via economic projects and programs is connected to Israel in some way,” Bazian said. While “bad Islam resides in Palestine.”

The professor goes on to say that, while the majority of the Arab and Muslim world’s population supports Palestine and the Palestinians, those with ties to governments, royal kings, and palaces are heavily invested in serving as spokespersons and mouthpieces for Muslim Zionists.

“And as a result, you can see them on social media platforms, In terms of media coverage, you can see that they are defaming Palestinians and holding them responsible because they are the ones who created this aggression, and they should be held accountable for starting the war, ” he said, stating that the example of the religious teaching in Islam, which states that anyone who goes against the ruler (in this case the Palestinian Authority and not Hamas) is committing sin.

Recently, the Saudi Minister of Hajj banned any political slogans during the yearly pilgrimage, which Bazian interprets as “literally saying to people, do not protest because protesting is a form of fitna (chaos) which dissuades people from supporting Palestinians in public.”

Although the tide seems to be slowly changing worldwide and people have turned their attention towards Palestine and Israeli Apartheid, Kirk and Bazian are not optimistic about a fast change given the current state of people in power. However, despite the horrific nature of the genocide, it has prompted people to examine the Middle East region more closely, delving into its politics and exploring ways to support the Palestinian cause.

user placeholder
written by
Dima
All Dima articles