Should Christians always support Israel?

from the old testament

• God established a relationship with Israel through His unconditional covenant with Abraham. Normally, a covenant requires two parties to each promise to do something. However, in this case, God put Abraham to sleep and did the entire covenant Himself (Genesis 15:12–21). That’s what makes it unconditional: it doesn’t depend on Israel to obey. Thus, the covenant is permanent and remains in effect today.
• The promises God made included land and descendants, which were promises of a national identity, as well as blessings, which included both physical and spiritual ones. They are described as eternal promises. See Genesis chapters 12, 15, and 17.
• During His first conversation with Abraham, God said, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3). This and other dual promises of God’s blessing or curses for how one honors or dishonors Israel are the foundation of the question as to whether this means that everything they do is to be supported.
• God Himself showed that this was not the case. Despite His special love for her (Deuteronomy 32:10) and promise of blessing, when they sinned, He disciplined them (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:15–68). We are not God and cannot discipline Israel, but that shows that Israel being special to God does not mean they are to be considered blameless in all they do.
• But, since the covenant is unconditional, even after all they did wrong, God is keeping His promise to establish them forever in a place of honor. Jeremiah 31:31–34 and Ezekiel 36:24–28 talk about a time when God will change their hearts and save them. At that time, “[God] will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10). This is speaking about a time yet to come when they will realize that Jesus was the Messiah and repent in sorrow for what they have done.
• At that point, the nation will be saved, and God will bring all her enemies down (Zechariah 14:3). The modern state of Israel is not that Israel. It may be the beginning of God preparing the world for the final nation, but right now, Israel is a sinful nation like any other nation. Discernment is required to balance supporting the Israel God loves and the nation committing sin that God hates.

from the new testament

• As the Old Testament section stated, Israel has a future. Paul, after lamenting the Israel of his day for rejecting God's Messiah, reminded his readers that God’s plan is still in effect. He said, “Has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew” (Romans 11:1–2). He then said, “all Israel will be saved … For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:26, 29). So, despite their rejection of the Messiah, Israel still has a future of blessing.
• Currently, Israel is partially hardened against the truth (Romans 11:7–10, 25). That is part of God’s discipline against them for their rejection of His Son (Romans 10:18–21) and is how He extended salvation to the Gentiles, with the ultimate goal of saving Israel through the Gentiles’ belief (Romans 11:11).
• Though Israel was given the Old Testament commands, their rejection of Jesus leaves them with only legalistic obedience, which does not save (Romans 10:1–4). Such attempts bring God’s displeasure (Galatians 3:10–11). So, even the most conservative corners of Israel are lost, being stuck in a works-based salvation.
• Christians, knowing Israel’s glorious future, are to pray for her as Paul did (Romans 10:1). We are to desire that all Jews be saved. We are also not to stand against Israel in any way that stands against God’s future for them.
• At the same time, the blessing/cursing principle does not mean endorsing sin. Christians can support Israel’s right to exist and to defend herself while also opposing specific policies or practices contrary to Scripture (Romans 12:9).

implications for today

Throughout church history, Jews have been persecuted seemingly simply for being Jews. In modern times, such discrimination has manifested in movements like Free Palestine. That doesn’t mean that Christians who support such movements are inherently antisemitic, but it does mean that there’s a growing lack of care or understanding within the church as to God’s eternal promises for Israel and His hatred of those who stand against her.

Israel is not a perfect nation and often makes policy decisions based solely on Israel's benefit, not for love of God. Sometimes such decisions are simply in the best interests of Israel as a national actor, and are similar to decisions made by any other sovereign nation. Sometimes their decisions may cross the line into sin, again, as happens in any other sovereign nation. Unfortunately, the complexities and messiness of domestic and geopolitical matters mean that, at times, believers will strongly disagree about when they have gone too far and what the implications for the nation should be.

However, we must recognize that God has set his electing love on her (Deuteronomy 7:7–8). That doesn’t mean we are to ignore her sins, but we are also to guard against falling prey to the satanically influenced idea that they don’t belong in the land God gave them. Instead, we are to pray for their salvation, grounded in the hope that they will all one day be saved (Romans 11:26). We are to be quick to defend their rights to exist and be in the land based on the fact that God caused them to exist and has given them the land (Genesis 15:18–21). And we must long to see them saved (Romans 10:1) and to let go of their rebellion against the God who has patiently loved them for thousands of years.