Christian Zionists ignore reality of West Bank living, Palestinian Christian leaders say

Palestinian Christian leaders have directly challenged American Christian Zionists, accusing them of disregarding the lived experiences of Christians in the West Bank. In an interview with CNN, they argued that the Zionist interpretation of biblical prophecy does not align with the daily realities faced by Palestinians.

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Our experience has been when pastors and lay people come to Palestine, see the walls, see the settlements, meet with families struggling just to survive in their land - that’s when their eyes are opened.

Father Munther Isaac, director of the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice, stated that pastors and laypeople often have their eyes opened to the situation only after visiting Palestine and witnessing the walls, settlements, and the daily struggles of families. He asserted that Christian Zionists, by focusing solely on the argument that Israel belongs to the Jewish people, render the experiences of Palestinian Christians invisible. "Theology has been weaponized," Isaac said, adding that these Christians are funding the primary threat to their existence in the land.

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Theology has been weaponized.

Father Bashar Fawadleh of Taybeh, the last fully Christian town in the West Bank, shared that his congregants live in fear, hesitant to harvest their olive groves due to Israeli settler violence. One parishioner expressed a desire to leave the town due to the lack of a future for themselves and their children. The leaders are also concerned about the significant funding Christian Zionist movements provide for Israeli settlement growth in the West Bank, with groups like Christians United for Israel and Christian Friends of Israeli Communities actively encouraging donations to support these communities.

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These are Christians who are funding and supporting the major threat on our existence in the land today.

Kimberly Troup, director of the US office for CFOIC, explained that being a Christian Zionist means following biblical scripture that designates the Land of Israel for the Jewish people, aiming to welcome the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. However, Isaac countered that this idealistic view does not reflect the reality on the ground, where settlers pose an actual threat to the lives of Palestinian Christians. "What this shows is, again, that we are not in their plan. They don’t think of us. They don’t see us," Isaac concluded.

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If I have the opportunity to leave, I would leave and not stay in this town, because there is no future for me or my children.