Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant leaders in Israel have signed a document condemning Christian Zionism:
Christian Zionism is a modern theological and political movement that embraces the most extreme ideological positions of Zionism, thereby becoming detrimental to a just peace within Palestine and Israel.
The Christian Zionist program provides a worldview where the Gospel is identified with the ideology of empire, colonialism and militarism. In its extreme form, it laces an emphasis on apocalyptic events leading to the end of history rather than living Christ’s love and justice today.
We categorically reject Christian Zionist doctrines as false teaching that corrupts the biblical message of love, justice and reconciliation.
We further reject the contemporary alliance of Christian Zionist leaders and organizations with elements in the governments of Israel and the United States that are presently imposing their unilateral preemptive borders and domination over Palestine.
This inevitably leads to unending cycles of violence that undermine the security of all peoples of the Middle East and the rest of the world.
Now there are two immediate concerns here: (1) there is an element of liberation theology that – while the Christian leaders rightly condemn it insofar as the Israeli position is concerned – is not addressed when it comes to the Palestinian position, and (2) the question of Israel’s “right to exist” is never mentioned much less alluded.
If the statement is a document intending peace, then this is admirable. But if we are forsaking the good for the sake of peace, then where can there ever be justice?