War on Gaza: Christian Americans mobilise for Gaza ceasefire and against Zionism
A coalition of hundreds of Christian Americans is mobilising on Monday across local congressional offices in 20 US cities to call on their elected officials to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Washington's arms sales to Israel.
The campaign is led by a group called Christians for a Free Palestine, and in addition to calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, organisers want to tell their representatives to reject Christian Zionism, an ideology that bases its political support for Israel on Biblical prophecies.
"Christianity should not be used to prioritise weapons of war over the peace and safety of people in our own local communities and across the world," Cicia Lee, an organiser with Christians for a Free Palestine, said in a statement shared with Middle East Eye.
"Christian Zionism and Christian Nationalism work side by side - both are ideologies that justify violence against others, fueling antisemitism and anti-Muslim violence, and currently enabling a genocide. We instead turn to the liberating path of Jesus, who fought against empire and proclaimed 'Blessed are the peacemakers'."
The group says that Christian Zionism is a "major political and financial force that supports the genocide of Palestinians".
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The coalition includes Christians from a range of backgrounds, including Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Orthodox and Lutherans, as well as allies including Quakers.
The action on Monday is one of several lobbying efforts that have been taking place in recent weeks to advocate for an end to the war in Gaza.
The war in Gaza began on 7 October, when Hamas led a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking at least 240 hostages back to the besieged enclave. In response, Israel declared war, launching a full-scale military operation that began with a devastating and indiscriminate bombing campaign followed by a ground invasion of Gaza.
So far, Israeli forces have killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, laid siege to and attacked hospitals, targeted other civilian infrastructure, including schools and mosques, and attacked medical workers.
While the Biden administration has fully backed Israel's war efforts, demonstrations calling for an end to both the war and Israel's occupation of Palestine erupted across the US.
The Christian-led action, however, is one of the few that is condemning Christian Zionism.
The ideology of Christian Zionism centres around the belief that the modern state of Israel is a manifestation of prophecies in the Bible - and that the very fate of the US is prophetically linked to Israel.
Christian Zionists, who number about 20 million in the United States, have poured millions of dollars over the past decades seeking an expanded Israel. Christians United for Israel (CUFI), founded by Pastor John Hagee, is one of the largest Christian Zionist organisations and claims to have over 10 million members.
Christian Zionists have sponsored the migration of thousands of Jews from Russia, Ethiopia, and other countries.
They have also contributed millions towards the construction of new settlements in occupied Palestinian areas to accommodate the migrants.
"Christian Zionism is not a fringe ideology of [a] minority of Christians. It’s a widely held position, and politically and financially powerful," Jonathan Brenneman, a Palestinian Mennonite on the national leadership of Christians for a Free Palestine, said in a statement shared with MEE.
"But as today’s actions show, there will always be those in our faith who speak out against this hateful ideology."
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