The annual conference of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), one of America's most prominent pro-Israel Christian lobbying groups, is wrapping up in Washington. The three-day event featured discussions and speeches focused on continuing unconditional support for Israel under the justification of obeying 'the Biblical mandate to bless God's Chosen'.

A Palestinian-American Christian born in the West Bank argues that this approach is not only politically dangerous but also theologically distorted. He warns that once a political position is treated as divinely ordained, ordinary moral scrutiny becomes suspect.

The author emphasizes: 'The Jewish people, biblical Israel, the modern state of Israel, and the current Israeli government are not one and the same. Treating a political position as divine is reckless.'

According to a Pew Research survey, 60% of American adults now hold an unfavorable view of Israel. Among Christians, 48% of Protestants and 61% of Catholics expressed negative opinions. Even among white evangelicals, support for Israel is waning.

The author notes that many evangelical pastors and leaders have reached out to him in grief after hearing about the plight of Palestinian Christians. They recognize that Israeli military actions and settlement expansion threaten the very existence of Palestinian Christian communities.

Source: www.aljazeera.com