By, Marcus Dysch
1 min read
ByMarcus Dysch, Marcus Dysch
Judeo-Christian relations are going through a peculiar period.
Leading church denominations have found themselves at loggerheads with the Jewish community and supporters of Israel. Yet regular church-goers are among the strongest advocates for the Jewish state.
In 2010, the Board of Deputies broke off senior links with the Methodist movement after the church's conference voted to boycott Israel. A level of collaboration has resumed and the church has shelved any discussion of further boycotting for the next two years.
The Church of Scotland caused outrage 18 months ago when its members suggested that Jews' claim to the land of Israel could be invalidated by their treatment of Palestinians.
The Quakers run a West Bank project which has long been thought to promote hostility towards Israel.
But the archbishops of both Canterbury and York have led the way on interfaith work, regularly collaborating with Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
Israeli ambassador Daniel Taub is a popular speaker with congregations - earlier this year he appeared in front of 2,000 people at the Anglican Holy Trinity Brompton church in London.
Christian Friends of Israel, an umbrella advocacy group, is arguably one of the strongest lobby organisations in Britain. Its support for the Zionist Federation provides much-needed financial and logistical backing. Earlier this month, CFI helped lead a lobby of Parliament in support of Israel.
CFI's Sam Hailes said the different approaches were largely due to theology.
"Friends of Israel tend to believe that God was actively at work in the founding of the state of Israel in 1948," he said.
"Other Christians have adopted replacement theology where the church replaces the nation of Israel as God's chosen people. This opens the door for some leaders to take antagonistic stances." Mr Hailes said CFI had thousands of supporters, but that "misinformation" was being spread in many churches about the Middle East conflict.
Statements by church bodies were therefore often not representative, he said.