The answer in brief
The broad mainstream of historic Christianity answers yes—with nuance. The New Testament never revokes God's covenant with Israel: Paul calls God's gifts and calling "irrevocable" (Romans 11:29) and insists God has not rejected His people (Romans 11:1–2). Scripture commands prayer for Jerusalem's peace (Psalm 122:6), and the gospel itself came to the world through Israel (John 4:22). But supporting Israel's right to exist in safety is not the same as endorsing every policy of any government. The biblical prophets loved Israel and confronted her leaders in the same breath. Christians can do both.
What the Bible says
The case does not rest on one proof-text but on the whole arc of Scripture. God's covenant with Abraham is called everlasting (Genesis 17:7–8). The prophets describe Israel's permanence in terms of the fixed order of creation itself (Jeremiah 31:35–37). Jesus said "salvation is from the Jews" (John 4:22) and wept over Jerusalem rather than writing her off.
Paul devotes three chapters of his most careful letter to the question. His answer: God has not rejected Israel (Romans 11:1–2); Gentile believers are grafted into Israel's olive tree, not planted in its place (Romans 11:17–24); and a mystery of mercy still awaits "all Israel" (Romans 11:25–26). He adds a warning Gentile Christians have not always heeded: "Do not be arrogant toward the branches" (Romans 11:18).
What "support" does and does not mean
Support, in the biblical sense, starts with prayer (Psalm 122:6; Isaiah 62:1), with refusing antisemitism in every form, and with honouring the debt Paul says Gentile believers owe Israel's spiritual heritage (Romans 15:27). For many Christians it also means supporting Israel's right to exist and to defend its citizens—the same right every nation claims.
Support does not mean silence. Nathan confronted David; Elijah confronted Ahab; Jeremiah confronted kings. A Christian who loves Israel may still grieve over Palestinian suffering, ask hard questions of Israeli policy, and insist that every human being in the land—Jewish, Muslim or Christian—bears God's image. That is not disloyalty. It is the prophetic tradition itself.
Where Christians honestly disagree
Christian Zionists hold that the modern return of the Jewish people to Israel carries biblical significance and that standing with Israel is a matter of covenant faithfulness. This view is widespread among American evangelicals.
Other Christians—including many in the historic churches and many Palestinian believers—caution that political support can crowd out justice, and read the New Testament's promises as fulfilled in Christ in ways that put less weight on the modern state. A third stream, replacement theology, teaches that the Church has simply taken Israel's place. GOD News rejects that teaching: it contradicts Romans 11 and has fed centuries of antisemitism.
Honest Christians land in different places on policy. What they may not do, if they take Scripture seriously, is hate the Jewish people—or despise the Palestinians among whom some of the world's oldest churches still worship.
What about Palestinian Christians?
Christianity was born in this land, and Palestinian Christians have kept the faith there since the first centuries. They are not a footnote to the question; they are family. Any Christian position worthy of the name holds both truths together: God's covenant with Israel stands, and every Palestinian—Christian or Muslim—is made in God's image and deserves dignity, safety and justice. Loving Israel and loving Palestinians are not opposites. The gospel forbids choosing one love by abandoning the other.
Faith reflection
Grafted in, not planted instead
The deepest reason Christians care about Israel is not geopolitics but gratitude. Our Bible is Israel's book, our Messiah is Israel's son, and our hope is Israel's promise opened to the nations. Paul pictures Gentile believers as wild branches grafted into a cultivated olive tree—nourished by a root we did not plant (Romans 11:17–18). Gratitude like that produces prayer, humility and solidarity, not arrogance. And it looks forward: the same chapter that warns against pride promises that "the Deliverer will come from Zion" (Romans 11:26). Christians who support Israel best are those who do it on their knees.
Editorial distinction: the sections above report verified facts and describe what the Bible records and what Christian traditions hold. This reflection is faith commentary. GOD News keeps the two visibly apart, here and in every article.
Key Bible passages
Open any reference to read the passage in your preferred Bible translation.
- Genesis 12:1–3
God's promise to Abraham: blessing for those who bless him, and blessing for all peoples through him.
- Genesis 17:7–8
The covenant with Abraham described as everlasting, including the land.
- Psalm 122:6–9
The direct command: 'Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.'
- Isaiah 62:1
'For Zion's sake I will not keep silent'—watchmen for Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 31:35–37
Israel's permanence as a nation compared to the fixed order of sun and stars.
- Zechariah 2:8
Whoever touches Israel 'touches the apple of His eye.'
- John 4:22
Jesus: 'Salvation is from the Jews.'
- Romans 9:1–5
Paul's grief and Israel's privileges: the covenants, the law, the promises—and the Messiah.
- Romans 11:1–2, 28–29
God has not rejected His people; His gifts and calling are irrevocable.
- Romans 15:27
Gentile believers share in Israel's spiritual blessings and owe a debt in return.
- Ephesians 2:11–13
Gentiles, once far off, are brought near—into Israel's covenant story, not instead of it.
- Revelation 7:4–9
The end of the story holds Israel's tribes and the nations side by side.
Questions readers ask
Should Christians support Israel?
Christians answer this differently, but the mainstream biblical case rests on three pillars: God's covenant with Israel is described as irrevocable (Romans 11:28–29), Scripture commands prayer for Jerusalem's peace (Psalm 122:6), and the gospel itself came through Israel (John 4:22). Supporting Israel's right to exist in safety is not the same as endorsing every government policy—Christians can love Israel and still ask hard questions, just as the biblical prophets did.
What does the Bible say about supporting Israel?
Key passages include Genesis 12:3 ('I will bless those who bless you'), Psalm 122:6 ('Pray for the peace of Jerusalem'), Isaiah 62:1 (not keeping silent for Zion's sake), Romans 9–11 (God's ongoing covenant with Israel) and Romans 15:27 (Gentiles owe a debt to Israel's spiritual heritage). The New Testament never revokes Israel's election; Paul calls God's gifts and calling 'irrevocable'.
Does supporting Israel mean agreeing with everything its government does?
No. The biblical prophets themselves confronted Israel's leaders when they acted unjustly, and love that cannot speak truth is not love. Christians can support Israel's right to exist and defend itself while also caring about Palestinian civilians, including Palestinian Christians, and while disagreeing with specific policies. GOD News distinguishes between the people, the land's biblical significance and the government of the day.
What is Christian Zionism?
Christian Zionism is the belief that God keeps His covenant promises to the Jewish people and that the modern return of Jews to Israel has biblical significance. It became a major movement among English-speaking evangelicals in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Critics within Christianity argue it can neglect justice for Palestinians; defenders answer that covenant faithfulness and justice are not opposites.
What about Palestinian Christians?
Palestinian Christians are among the oldest Christian communities on earth and are brothers and sisters in Christ. Any honest Christian position on Israel must hold both truths: God's covenant with Israel stands, and every Palestinian is made in God's image and deserves dignity, safety and justice. Supporting Israel and loving Palestinians are not mutually exclusive.
Primary sources: check the facts yourself
Every factual claim above can be traced to a primary text or official record. These are the sources GOD News used—listed so you can verify them independently, including voices that disagree with each other.
The biblical texts themselves
- Romans 9–11 — Paul's argument on Israel's election
The central New Testament passage on whether God has rejected Israel—read it in full before reading anyone's opinion about it.
- Genesis 12:1–3 — the Abrahamic covenant
The founding promise on which the whole discussion rests.
The modern state: founding documents
- Israel's Declaration of Independence (1948) — full text
The founding document of the modern state, hosted by the Knesset.
- UN General Assembly Resolution 181 (1947) — the partition plan
The UN vote that recommended a Jewish and an Arab state—the international legal starting point of the modern question.
Where Christians disagree: read both sides
- The Lausanne Movement — global evangelical statements
The broadest global evangelical network; its statements show both support for Israel and concern for Palestinian believers.
- Kairos Palestine — a word from Palestinian Christians
The Palestinian Christian document every honest reader should also weigh—whatever conclusion you reach.
Related reporting and explainers
What is Christian Zionism? The explainerReplacement theology: what it is and why we reject itWhat does the Bible say about Israel?Who is Israel in the Bible?Temple Mount explainedIsrael and Bible prophecy hubAll Israel Explained guides