Remembering Christian Anti-Semitism
When discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the broader context and history of the issue is often not considered. Western Christians tend to mostly identify with shared religious beliefs when reflecting on their relationship with Israel and the Jewish people. However, it is the unfortunate history of Christian anti-Semitism that fueled the creation of Zionism and the strong desire for a Jewish state. For two thousand years, Jews experienced injustices and discrimination in Christian countries. Israel was born out of a necessity to ensure the security of the Jewish people because other countries failed to do so, including those who claimed Christianity. Christians should consider the past when discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so they are reminded of what Israel means to Jewish people. Historically, Christians have consistently proven to be unreliable and even harmful in significant situations for Jews. Remembering the Christian anti-Semitic past can help to prevent those failures from being repeated in during the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
