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Christian Zionism and Palestine

Christian Zionism largely grew out of Protestants in Britain and later those in the USA. In
1621, the British MP Sir Henry Finch wrote "The World's Great Restoration", a book in
which he encouraged Jews to reassert their claim to the Holy Land. Camped outside Acre
in 1799, Napoleon issued a proclamation promising to restore Palestine to the Jews. After
this the concept of Christian support shifted back to Britain. Supporters included Lord
Lindsay, Lord Shaftesbury Lord Palmerston, Lord Manchester, George Eliot, Holman
Hunt, Sir Charles Warren, Hall Caine and others including Disraeli (who was born Jewish
but was baptised in the Anglican Church at an early age).

It was Shaftesebury said "There is unbroken identity of Jewish race and Jewish mind
down to our times; but the great revival can take place only in the Holy Land." He is also
credited with the phrase "A country without a nation for a nation without a country," this
later become a Zionist slogan "A land without a people for a people without a land."
While recognising the right of todays Palestinians to a country along side Israel, it must
be recognised that historically, the Palestinians were no different from other Arab
people's within the Otterman empire. Later under the British Mandate of Palestine, some
of the people of the Mandate would be come Jordanians, and others would become
Palestinians... at the time there was no difference.

A follower of Lord Shaftesbury, F. Laurence Oliphant (1829-1888), an MP and an


Evangelical Christian, published a book entitled "The Land of Gilead" (1880), which
urged the British Parliament to assist Jews from Russia and Eastern Europe go to
Palestine (a plan Israel later persued), and advocating that Palestinian Arabs be removed
to reservations like those of the North American Indians (a plan never on the books in
Israel, a country that from independence promised freedom for all and today has an Arab
minority of 20%).

Christian Zionism combats Christian antisemitism


A significant amount of Christian antisemitism revolves around the theory of replacement
theology. According to this theory Christians replaced the Jews as the chosen people, and
Jews have no further role to play in gods designs. Replacement theology, described by
Zionism Israel.com as "a bigoted doctrine of the medieval church" is connection with
anti-Semitism and specifically the promotion of the charge of Deicide, that is the Jews are
blamed for the crucifixion. This charge from the medieval church lead to numerous
genocides against the Jewish people in various countries. The church has since
appologied and rejected this theology. Christian Zionists are at the forefront of exposing
places where this evil lingers.

What is a Christian Zionist?


Christian Zionism is a Christians belief that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and
the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, is in accordance with Biblical prophecy.
Millions Christians in the USA and else where have a committed belief in the importance
of standing with Israel and blessing the Jewish people. The verse most often referred to is
Genesis 12:3 in which God tells Abraham “I will bless those who bless you and I will
curse those who curse you and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

As Zionism is the belief in the Jewish peoples right to return to their homeland, a
Christian Zionist is by definition a Christian who supports the Jewish peoples right to
return to their homeland. Under this broad definition, many Christians qualify though
their reasons for this support differ. Just as Jews of all persuasions formed the Zionist
movement then Christians of all persuasion can also fall within this broad definition of a
Christian Zionist.

Read more at: Christian Zionism De

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