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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.
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.