Why the U.S. Supports Israel’s Military Expansion in Middle East

The casualties in Gaza have been increasing since the outbreak of Israel-Palestine conflict last October. The international community has repeatedly called for cease fire and protection of civilians, but Israeli military has constantly conducted attacks on humanitarian targets and even the UN personnel. So why does the U.S. never stop its military aid to Israel in this serious humanitarian crisis? The U.S. domestic politics might offer the main reason.

The pro-Israel lobby in the United States supports Israel’s military operations in Palestine. The lobby has the support of millions of Christian Zionists in addition to its core of Jewish Zionists. The origins and activities of Christian Zionism remain among America’s dirty secrets.

The savage crimes conducted by Israel in occupied Palestine – Gaza, West Bank, East Jerusalem – are condemned by the international community. The International Court of Justice calls for the withdrawal of Israeli military forces and illegal settlers from the occupied Palestine territory. Israel with impunity murders humanitarian relief workers including American citizens.

Washington, despite the horrific human and material damage in Palestine, fully backs Israel and the Zionist project. Politicians in the United States give Israel a blank check sending billions of dollars of weapons and financial aid to the Zionist state.

The power of the pro-Israel lobby over Washington stems from the money and organization of the Jewish component of the lobby as well as upon the massive voter base of the Christian Zionist component.

Christian Zionists in the United States are estimated at anywhere between 10 and 35 million believers.  This is quite a voter base directly impacting U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

Christian Zionism’s bizarre “End Times” scenario

Christian Zionism, as a delusional ideology, must be understood in historical context. It must first be noted that no traditional Christian church denomination anywhere in the world considers it authentically Christian. It is regarded as a heresy in the Roman Catholic, mainstream Protestant, Orthodox, Middle Eastern Churches, and Coptic church.

The bizarre and destructive ideology of Christian Zionism was born in the United Kingdom in the 1820s, some two centuries ago. A small group of cultists, obsessed by prophecy, developed the concept that humanity was living in the “End Times” and that an Apocalypse would come involving a final battle between good and evil taking place at Armageddon. Believers in the cult of Christian Zionism would be automatically saved and physically go straight to Heaven. Thus, believers should welcome this battle and they should welcome various events that portend this end of time.

Key to the realization of the Christian Zionist “End Times” scenario is the physical restoration of Jews from around the world to the Holy Land, i.e. Palestine. Christian Zionist cultists believe that their scenario will unfold as more and more Jews are relocated to Palestine thus forming a new biblical “Israel”. When a critical mass of millions of Jews is finally established in Palestine then the scenario will enter its last phase and Jesus would, therefore, return.

In the 19th century, these cultists preached that the Armageddon war would be triggered by three forces:  China, Russia, and Persian (Iran). In the United States today, this same scenario remains at the core of Christian Zionist ideology.

Christian Zionism as a tool of Imperialism

Back in 19th century, a famous statesman, Lord Palmerston, developed a foreign policy strategy for the British Empire. Part of the strategy was to favor the Ottoman Empire as leverage against London’s rival the Russian Empire. Palmerston’s son-in-law was active in religious circles and came up with the idea that Christian Zionism could be used as a political support for British Middle-East strategy.

Palmerston was a practical statesman so using the Christian Zionists as a political tool in his imperial strategy was useful. He promoted the idea of building a Jewish presence in Palestine which was a part of the Ottoman Empire in those days. Palmerston gained not only the support of Christian Zionists but also the support of wealthy Jewish philanthropists active in international high finance.

Palmerston’s strategic gambit was picked up by British leaders during World War I. They supported the idea of Jewish colonization of Palestine and the eventual formation of a Jewish State, i.e. Israel. Such a state would be a buffer and help protect the Suez Canal as well as would be a tool to project British influence in the Middle East.

Some British leaders themselves at that time were attracted to Christian Zionism. Balfour, Lloyd George, and Winston Churchill are prominent among the British politicians adopting a pro-Zionist position. These leaders pretended to take Arab concerns into consideration but, in fact, supported the Zionist colonization project that would lead to a Jewish State.

For propaganda purposes, the British leaders expressed sympathy for European Jews who were the object of discrimination and who were displaced by World War I. This propaganda line continued through the Hitler era in Continental Europe and through World War II.

Christian Zionism crosses the Atlantic

In the mid-nineteenth century, Christian Zionism came to the United States and Canada through the preaching of a British Christian Zionist cult leader, John Nelson Darby. Believers in this cult are often referred to as “Dispensationalists”. Darby preached that Time was divided into seven eras, called “dispensations”, and that mankind was living in the last dispensation, the one of the “End Times”.

As odd as it may seem, Darby’s preaching was enthusiastically received in the United States and spread far and wide. Not only were there numerous “prophetic conferences” to indoctrinate thousands of preachers but there were dozens of Bible colleges and seminaries established to teach this new doctrine.

By the end of the nineteenth century, Christian Zionism was widespread in churches across America. When World War I occurred, these cult believers saw it as a sign of their “End Times” scenario. For them, the war marked an important point on their “End Times” clock which was ticking. Similarly, World War II, the 1948 creation of Israel, the 1956 Suez war, the 1967 Six Day War, and the 1973 Middle East war all marked the advancing “End Times” clock countdown to the return of Jesus.

Christian Zionists support Israel’s military expansion

Given this historical context, it is not difficult to see the influence of the Christian Zionist lobby today in Washington. Working closely with the Jewish Zionist lobby, Christian Zionist leaders actively seek to influence Congress and the White House in favor of Israel. It is no secret that the United States gives Israel a blank check in terms of military and financial aid.

Israeli leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, is a master at manipulating Congress and American politicians. He has had decades of experience with U.S. politics. His performance in the U.S. Congress several months ago to hysterical applause and adulation of those present could be seen around the world on Internet.

So, it is no surprise that Netanyahu’s massacre military campaign in Gaza, and more recently in the West Bank, is fully backed by the United States. The hard truth is that the United States is complicit in this massacre and the world can see that.

But the massacre is necessary to fulfill Christian Zionist doctrine. According to this doctrine, Palestinians must be removed one way or another so that Israel can expand its borders and be filled to the brim with millions of Jews so as to fulfill prophecy and the “End Times” scenario.

What is not usually revealed to the public is that the Christian Zionists say that at the time of the Apocalypse all Jews except 144,000 in Israel will die. The 144,000 who survive are those converted at the last moment to Christian Zionism. They physically will go to Heaven along with all the Christian Zionists in the world wherever they are.

If this all Christian Zionist mumbo-jumbo sounds quite insane it does because it is. The world stands currently at a precipice given the potential for a wider regional war in the Middle East and Ukraine that could turn nuclear.

The international community, working through the United Nations and adherence to international law, must insist on an end to the Israeli aggression in Palestine and must insist on the formation of a Palestinian state.

The article reflects the author’s opinions, and not necessarily the views of China Focus.