Should Black Christians Support Israel?
The Bible teaches that God’s true children are those who believe in Jesus Christ. Most Israelites are still scattered across the world, and the modern state of Israel does not represent the fullness of biblical Israel.
Across the world, and especially in the United States, many Jewish communities have been sounding the alarm about what they describe as rising antisemitism. But the loudest outrage today is tied to the war in Gaza, a conflict overseen by Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Since October 7th, reports have stated that more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military operations. Global protests have erupted, demanding a ceasefire, yet Netanyahu continues the campaign. The United States remains Israel’s strongest ally, providing military, financial, and political support, which has led many to question America’s role in the conflict.
Earlier in 2025, a controversial AI‑generated video posted by President Donald Trump depicted Gaza transformed into a luxury “Riviera of the Middle East,” with an ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, a gold statue of Trump, and Netanyahu, and Elon Musk depicted. The video sparked global outrage and renewed calls for Netanyahu to face war‑crime charges.
Some people compared the imagery to King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3, who built a golden statue and demanded that the world bow to it. This comparison has pushed many to ask deeper questions:
Who are the Jews of today? Are they the same Israelites of the Bible? And should Black Christians support the modern state of Israel?
What Does God’s Word Say About Israel?
The name Israel was given to Jacob in Genesis 32 after he wrestled with God, and his descendants became the twelve tribes of Israel. God promised Abraham that his offspring would inherit the land, and Deuteronomy 34:4-6 describes this land as the promised inheritance.
Under King David, Israel became a united kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital. After David’s grandson Rehoboam took the throne, the nation split into two kingdoms, Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Both kingdoms eventually fell to foreign empires, and the Israelites were scattered across the world. Even when some returned during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, many remained dispersed and intermarried with other nations. When Jesus arrived in the New Testament, Israel was under Roman rule. Jesus said He came for “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24), and He also said that at the end of time, angels would gather His elect “from the four winds” (Matthew 24:31).
Revelation places Israel at the center of end‑times prophecy, describing a woman symbolizing Israel, the sealing of 144,000 Israelites, and two Jewish witnesses who prophesy for 3.5 years before being killed and resurrected.
Are Today’s Jews the Same as the Israelites of Scripture?
However, the Israelites of Scripture and the Jews living in Israel today are not the same. The modern state of Israel is largely made up of people who identify as Jewish through ethnicity, culture, or language, not necessarily through faith in God. Many do not practice Judaism at all.
Israel today is multi‑ethnic, with Arabs, Druze, and others who are Israeli citizens but not Jewish. Scripture teaches that the twelve tribes of Israel are still scattered across the world and will only be regathered at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Why Do Christians (and the U.S.) Support Israel?
This raises the question of why so many Christians, especially in the United States, feel obligated to support the modern Israeli government. Many point to Genesis 12:3, where God tells Abraham,
“I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
But this promise was made to Abraham, not to a modern political state. The New Testament expands Abraham’s family to include all believers in Christ.
Galatians 3:29 says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.”
Romans 9:6-8 says, “...not all who are descended from Israel are Israel… it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise…” In other words, being ethnically Jewish does not automatically make someone part of God’s covenant family.
Some Christians believe that Israel’s founding in 1948 fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, especially Isaiah 11:11, which says God will gather His people from regions such as Assyria, Egypt, Cush, Elam, Shinar, and the islands of the west. But the ancestry of most modern Jews, primarily Ashkenazi Jews of European descent, does not match these regions. Isaiah 11:12 also says God will gather the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth, something that has not yet happened.
Others support Israel because Jesus was Jewish, but Scripture also says that Jesus was rejected by His own people (John 1:11), which led the apostles to preach to the Gentiles. First Peter 2:9 declares that all Christians are God’s chosen people. Galatians 3:28-29 says, “There is no Jew or Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Biblically, all believers in Christ, regardless of ethnicity, are God’s chosen people.
So Should Black Christians Support Israel?
The Bible teaches that God’s true children are those who believe in Jesus Christ. Most Israelites are still scattered across the world, and the modern state of Israel does not represent the fullness of biblical Israel. Christians should pray for all people, not just Jews, to come to Christ. Blind financial support for any nation, especially one involved in war, must be approached with discernment. The Bible calls believers to use wisdom, to judge righteously, and to avoid supporting sin. The land of Israel may be holy, but the people living in it today are not automatically holy. The modern state of Israel will play a role in the end times, but until then, it must be held accountable like any other nation.
