by Ron Jager
Since the Palestinian terror organization Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, Hamas and their supporters among the global forces of anti-Semitism have engaged in a coordinated campaign to encourage Christians to withdraw their support for Zionism and the State of Israel. These forces of Jew haters are well aware that the last major bastion of pro- Israel supporters are Christian Zionists. Therefore, they have embarked on a campaign to convince Christians that the Jews are the aggressors—even the persecutors of Christians themselves—in the cause of breaking the Christian-Jewish alliance. Despite Hamas and Palestinian aggression against Arab Christians living within Palestinian villages and cities, Hamas propagandists and their supporters among the legacy media, academia, the Democratic Party, and progressive forces everywhere have weaponized historical Christian prejudices. For Hamas and their supporters there has never been a more opportune time for Hamas-affiliated anti-Semites to plant seeds of doubt about Christian sympathy for Jews.
Sometimes it takes a non-Jew to remind us, the Jews, of something we are reluctant to face: who we truly are. In the United States, the two groups that most ardently support Israel are American Jews alongside Evangelical and fundamentalist Christians. Jewish support is relatively easy to explain, but why should certain Christians, most of them politically quite conservative, be so devoted to Israel? There is a second puzzle: despite their support for a Jewish state, Evangelical and fundamentalist Christians are disliked by many American Jews.
The evidence about evangelical attitudes is clear. In 2006, a Pew survey found that Evangelical Christians were more favorable toward Israel than the average American was—and much more sympathetic than either mainline Protestants or secularists. In another survey, Evangelical Christians proved much likelier than Catholics, Protestants, or secular types to back Israeli control of Jerusalem, endorse Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and take Israel’s side in conflicts that have erupted over the years in the Middle East.
Evangelical Christians have a high opinion not just of the Jewish state but of Jews as people. That Jewish voters are overwhelmingly liberal doesn’t seem to bother evangelicals, despite their own conservative politics. Yet Jews don’t return the favor: in one Pew survey, 42 percent of Jewish respondents expressed hostility towards Evangelicals and fundamentalists. In comparison, in a study of religious attitudes on a national scale, two scholars from Baruch College have shown, a much smaller fraction—about 16 percent—of the American public has similarly antagonistic feelings toward Christian fundamentalists.
So what is it about Christians and their support for Israel that makes some Jews at times uneasy? I can even imagine what makes Jews – especially Progressive Jews – nervous about this huge group of Israel lovers: their conservative values, an uncompromising stance on the Middle East peace process and support for Israel; the theological slant of their support for Israel. Christians love to love Israel unconditionally, and express love for Jews unconditionally. There is something almost non-Jewish about it. Jews usually do not talk about unconditional love. It’s not something that usually turns us on. We are more into debate, questioning, challenging and rattling the cage. Christians love to love. Jews love to kvetch.
So why do we find so little expression of unconditional love among Jews? Is it because we Jews confuse love with supporting official policy? That is, if we disagree with Israel’s policies, do we find it difficult – even impossible – to express unconditional love for Israel? Moreover, how many Israel supporters who disagree with Israel’s policies can honestly say that their love for Israel is, in fact, unconditional? When one considers the global movement to de-legitimize the State of Israel and the explosion of Jew hatred in recent years, that is, the enemies of Israel are not looking for a debate. Their aim is not to engage or interact but to demonize and eventually annihilate the State of Israel. Their opposition is not open to reason or good will. In short, their hatred is unconditional. This being the current geo-strategic reality challenging Israel, than why should some Jews be so uneasy by Christians’ unconditional love toward Israel?
How better to fight unconditional hatred than with unconditional love? What better weapon against the forces working to delegitimize Israel than a force that unequivocally expresses love of Israel? Of course, we Jews should never stop doing what we do best: argue, debate, challenge and unconditionally “Kvetch”. However, this must be conducted within a common consensus meaning that Israel must remain the national homeland of the Jewish people. For Israel supporters, unconditional love is the emotion that ought to trump all others; the emotion that fuels and gives meaning to our actions. I can challenge my child and rebuke him, but I can never forget to show him unconditional love. Many of our debates about Israel have become coarse and divisive. One reason is that in our zeal to express tough, critical love, we have forgotten about pure love, unconditional love so common among our Evangelical Christian supporters throughout the United States.
We have much to learn from our Christian supporters and how they express unconditional love for Israel. It is this unconditional love that can bind us together, Christians and Jews in our undivided support for the State of Israel and send a strong message of deterrence to the global enemies and supporters of the Hamas Palestinian terror organization,
“The lion has roared – who can but fear?” (Amos 3:8).
Ron Jager grew up in the South Bronx of New York City, making Aliyah in 1980. Served for 25 years in the IDF as a Mental Health Field Officer in operational units. Prior to retiring was Commander of the Central Psychiatric Clinic for Reserve Solders at Tel-Hashomer. Since retiring has been involved in strategic consultancy to NGO’s and communities in the Gaza Envelope on resiliency projects to assist first responders and communities. Ron has written numerous articles for outlets in Israel and abroad focusing on Israel and the Jewish world. To contact: medconf@gmail.com, Website: www.ronjager.com.
ADAM-
RE unconditional love….You must differentiate between the turbulent history of Torah Israel, battles, victories and defeats, (resulting in tributes and other negative services) , and the later-post Roman conquest- Ben Zakki and Javneh… and much more.
While it is true that many Evangelical Christians today show love for the Jewish people, it took many generations for this to come about for most evangelical Christians. On my opinion, most Christians belonging to other churches have still not got to this point. For nearly two thousand years, nearly all the Christian churches persecuted Jews, or at the very least discriminated against them. Christian secular rulers, such as kings and queens, also persecuted the Jews. Chistians even have a long record of persecuting each other as so-called “heretics.” as a result of differences of opinion about theological questions. Christians have always claimed that their faith is a religion of love. but their behavior has rarely shown this quality towards people who disagree with them about religion or politics.
Ron is wrong that Jews do not believe in unconditional love. In the Talmud and other authoritative rabbinic sources, Jews are urged to practice “groundless love,” meaning what is now called “unconditional love.” The rabbis wrote that it is the only antidote to “groundless hatred,” which they considered the primary cause of evil and injustice in this world. In general, in terms of actual behavior, Jews tend to be more forgiving of their enemies, whether personal or national, than Christians.
I love the Evangelicals in return. As for other Christian denominations, if they can so easily turn against us, they were never friends and supporters to begin with.