If you’re curious about the driving force behind US support for Israel, it’s ironically rooted in Evangelical Christianity. Many Evangelical Christians believe they can hasten the “second coming of Christ” by bringing about the apocalypse. According to their interpretation of the Bible, this involves Israel reclaiming Jerusalem, Jesus returning, and ultimately eliminating all Jews. For numerous “Christian Zionists,” particularly influential evangelists aligned with the Republican Party, their support for Israel is deeply tied to its role in the supposed end times: Jesus’ return, a final battle at Armageddon, and Jesus ruling from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In this worldview, war is not to be avoided but embraced as something inevitable, desired by God, and even celebratory. The fate of Jews and Palestinians is, to put it mildly, seen as collateral damage.
Christian Zionists anticipate and hope for a war to end all wars, leading to a Christian-dominated world that they believe will bring peace by vanquishing evil. According to their interpretation, only those who accept Jesus as their savior will benefit from these predicted events, while nonbelievers—including Jews and Muslims—will not survive them.
The establishment of Israel in 1948 was seen as a fulfillment of end-times prophecy, specifically regarding the second coming of Christ. This message was often preached in churches, with the belief that end-times prophecy was unfolding before their eyes and that God required their assistance to accelerate the process toward an apocalyptic Armageddon, ultimately leading to Christ’s return. Those who opposed Israel were often viewed as aligning with “the Antichrist,” and according to biblical prophecy, their fate would be dire. This belief isn’t confined to fringe groups but is a widespread evangelical belief influencing real political events in the US and Israel-Palestine.
It’s noteworthy that many of these Evangelical Christians also played a significant role in influencing the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Currently, approximately 50 members of Congress convene weekly for a Bible study session. Previously, these meetings took place at the White House. Ralph Kim Drollinger, a former professional basketball player turned clergyman, spearheaded the “White House Bible Study Group.” This study group, sponsored by 10 cabinet members, held weekly meetings on Wednesdays during the Trump administration