Category Archives: Anti-Zionism

Church at the Crossroads:  Our Response to the Public Calls of Palestinian Christians

Christians gathering at the Church at the Crossroads conference in Glen Ellyn, Illinois in September, issued a vital and timely declaration. In it, they sought to respond to two public calls from our Christian siblings in Palestine and the Middle East: “An Open Letter from Palestinian Christians to Western Church Leaders and Theologians” (October 2023) and “A Collective Call to the Global Church from Middle East Evangelical Leaders” (August 2024). 

Unable to attend personally, I nevertheless wholeheartedly endorse the declaration and urge you not only to sign it, but pledge to share it and endeavour, with God’s help, to make it a reality.

Read and endorse the Declaration here

View resources and recordings from the conference here

Church at the Crossroads was held on September 11-13 in Glen Ellyn, IL.

It is a gathering of Christians who recognize that the church stands at a defining moment–Jesus is urgently calling us back to the narrow way of the cross. As violence escalates in Israel and Palestine, and some in the Church use Scripture to justify war, occupation, or silence, we must ask: Have we traded the gospel of peace for the false promises of security and comfort? 

At this crossroads, the Church must choose. Will we follow the political idols of our day—or Jesus, who disarmed the powers and made peace through His blood?

Rooted in Scripture and led by Palestinian Christian leaders—alongside pastors and peacemakers from across North America—this conference invites American Christians to engage in honest reckoning, prophetic reflection, and faithful action. Through worship, prayer, teaching, and fellowship, we are called to repentance, renewal, and courageous discipleship. This is a space to confront harmful theologies, rediscover the gospel of the Kingdom, and stand with all who seek justice in the land.

Jesus is calling the Church—not to comfort, but to faithfulness, peace, and costly love. 

Will we follow?

Annual Quds Day Rally in London

I am sure like me you are here because you feel you have no choice. It is a moral imperative to show solidarity with people in Gaza and Palestine. It is sobering to realise that for the first time in history, genocide is being recorded live on social media by the victims themselves. No one can say they did not know.

I am deeply ashamed of our government’s refusal to impose sanctions on Israel, to ban arms exports and support the ICC and ICJ investigations into genocide and war crimes, or even simply demand that Gazans be given immediate and full access to food, water, fuel, shelter and medical supplies.

But I feel anger toward so called religious leaders who are failing to give moral leadership and pressure the government to comply with UN resolutions and uphold the rule of international humanitarian law. Where are the Archbishops and Bishops today? They still refuse to acknowledge let alone condemn Israel for imposing apartheid, and perpetrating ethnic cleansing and genocide in Gaza and Palestine.They are false prophets crying ‘peace, peace’ when there is no peace. They have not only lost their voices but lost their moral authority also.

It is hard to comprehend the enormity of the indiscriminate death and destruction Israel has wrought on Gaza. More women and children have been murdered or injured in Gaza than are here today in this demonstration. 

What can we do? We can pray to the God of justice to bring an end to this evil, will punish war criminals and bring swift justice and lasting peace to Palestinians free in their own land. And we can act. If our political leaders won’t impose sanctions, we can boycott and divest from companies profiting from or facilitating the genocide in Gaza and the West Bank. And remember to use your vote wisely in the forthcoming May local elections.

I invite you to join me in a minutes silence to remember the bereaved, the injured and traumatised in Gaza and Palestine today.

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The Gaza Genocide and Spurious Allegations of Antisemitism

In November a journalist from Evangelicals Now wrote to ask about a series of photos posted on the Peacemaker Trust website taken at the September National March for Palestine: End the Genocide.

1. How can you/Peacemakers justify publishing pictures and slogans (for example) inferring that Hamas are ‘heroes’ and resistance is beautiful’ (presumably a reference to 7 Oct)? or the slogan ‘from the River to the sea Palestine will be free…’?
2. In your view, does the publication on social medial of these images and slogans amount to antisemitism (and spreading it)?
3. Would you consider removing the pictures that would be offensive and antisemitic?

I replied,

“Thank you for your enquiry which only reached me this afternoon. As a conservative evangelical you may know that in years past I was a regular contributor to EN when John Benton was editor and we both pastored neighbouring churches in Guildford. 

I see that my Zionist critics (we both know who they are) are trying once again to distract attention from the purpose of the post in question which concerns a peaceful national march involving tens of thousands of people challenging Israeli war crimes, ethnic cleansing and genocide in Gaza. 

May I ask you some questions too?

1. Has EN recently criticised (on biblical and theological grounds) the Israeli genocide in Gaza?
2. Has EN challenged the heretical teaching of Christian Zionists (including my critics) who defend Israeli supremacism, apartheid and ethnic cleansing in Palestine?  
3. Has EN challenged the weaponising of the discredited IHRA re-definition of antisemitism? 

I suggest these are more important issues involving the life and death of millions of people in Palestine today which EN should address…”

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Mardin Artuklu University: Courage Award

The 24th International Beth Al-Maqdis Academic Symposium was held at Mardin Atuklu University, Turkey, 18-20 April 2024. The conference theme was “Zionism and Academia: Pressures, Fears and Challenges”. Besides giving a presentation entitled, “A Biblical Refutation of Christian Zionism”, during the conference, I was also honoured to receive the Mardin Artuklu University Courage Award.

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