Here's why Christian nationalists are pushing a 'sweeping legal redefinition of antisemitism'

24 March

religious concert performed by a band on stage

For many years, far-right white evangelical Christian nationalists have had a complex relationship with Judaism.

On one hand, they believe that anyone who isn't a born-again Christian fundamentalist will be condemned to eternal damnation. On the other hand, they consider themselves stridently pro-Israel — which has a lot to do with their obsession with the New Testament's Book of Revelation and predictions of Armageddon. And as far-right as they are, Christian nationalists reject outright neo-Nazis because of white supremacists' disdain for Israel and anti-Zionist views. The white supremacist Christian identity movement (which sees white Anglo Saxons as God's chosen people) is separate from Christian nationalism.

In a lengthy think piece published by The Guardian on March 23, Itamar Mann and Lihi Yona — both law professors at the University of Haifa in Israel — focus on the redefinition of "antisemitism" being pushed by Christian nationalists, the MAGA movement and the Trump Administration in the United States. By attacking any criticism of Zionism as antisemitic, the law professors argue, Christian nationalists are making a concerted effort to bully opponents into silence.

"As attacks against universities and intimidation of Palestinian activists become ever more rife," Mann and Yona explain, "those who challenge Zionist orthodoxy — whether out of political conviction, religious belief or ethical principle — face exclusion, vilification and worse. This time, the main tool is a sweeping legal redefinition of antisemitism in American law and policy…. But despite what some will have you believe, two things are clear: first, this campaign does not protect Jews — it endangers them; and second, this redefinition plays into a larger Christian nationalist project."

The Christian nationalist push to label any criticism of Zionism as antisemitism, the law professors observe, was ramped up after Hamas' October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel.

"Following the horrendous Hamas attack of 7 October 2023, and the subsequent war and utter destruction of Gaza, two sharply contrasting positions have emerged," Mann and Yona observe. "On the one hand, many Jewish organizations and advocates have seen the emerging pro-Palestinian protest movement as a manifestation of antisemitism, a classic example of the over-scrutinization of Israel, and the denial of Israel's right to defend itself. On the other hand, many critics of Israel and of Zionism argue against this conflation and in favor of their right to support the Palestinian struggle."

The law professors add, "For them, labeling anti-Israel positions as antisemitic is a way to silence dissenting opinions and to prevent an honest discussion of Israel's actions in Gaza."

U.S. President Donald Trump himself is not an evangelical Christian nationalist — he was raised Presbyterian by his Scottish mother. But he has a close relationship with Christian nationalists. And Mann and Yona observe that Trump isn't shy about accusing Jews he disagrees with of not being Jewish enough.

The Haifa law professors argue, "In fact, just this month, Trump – our self-appointed arbiter of religious authenticity – announced that the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, is 'not Jewish anymore'…. Smearing progressive Jews as 'not real Jews' has ramifications that extend far beyond the Jewish community, serving a conservative Christian strategy to exploit religious liberties for the sake of suppressing progressive values."

Itamar Mann and Lihi Yona's full op-ed for The Guardian is available at this link.

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