Book Description

What role have Zionism and Christian Zionism played in shaping attitudes and driving historical developments in the Middle East and around the world? How do Christians, Jews, and Muslims understand the competing claims to the land of Palestine and Israel? What steps can be taken to bring peace, reconciliation, and justice to the homeland that Palestinians and Israelis share? This publication of the Israel/Palestine Mission Network (IPMN, theIPMN.org) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is an examination of the role of Jewish and Christian forms of Zionism that have provided theological and ideological cover for the domination and dispossession of the Palestinian people during the past one and a quarter centuries. . Praise for the book: Zionism Unsettled is a monumental achievement. This comprehensive, compassionate, and fearless critique of Christian and Jewish Zionism should be taken up by churches, seminaries, universities, and community groups who are ready to move away from the destructive impact of Zionist ideology and theology. This is a true gift and invaluable tool for a church that today must follow its social justice calling, as it did in the struggle against Jim Crow and South African apartheid. Mark Braverman Executive Director Kairos USA The urgency of the Palestinian plight in the face of Israeli intransigence indicates that intentional, concrete, and sustained public action is necessary to respond credibly to the crisis. Zionism Unsettled is a welcome study guide. It will prove an effective vehicle for helping to mobilize public opinion so that both attitudes and policies can be transformed in the face of an imperious and exploitative ideology. Walter Brueggemann Professor Emeritus Columbia Theological Seminary Zionism Unsettled adds a much-missed factual basis to a long-overdue debate about the terrible dilemmas of the current situation in Israel-Palestine in both their practical and moral dimensions. The theological exegeses strike me as particularly informative and certain to engage the intended audience. Chas Freeman Former Assistant US Secretary of Defense Career Diplomat, US State Department Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, 1989-1992 The denial of the rights of the Palestinians is largely driven by the exemption of Zionist ideology and its real-world implications from any serious scrutiny.Zionism Unsettled explains accurately and concisely why it is essential to look at the theological roots of Zionism, and how it has appealed to both Jews and Christians, in order to understand the true nature of the long ordeal suffered by the Palestinian people, as well as the real roots of so much of the strife in the Middle East. Rashid Khalidi Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies Columbia University Zionism Unsettled is a well-timed and important study guide. I urge you to read it carefully and make it priority reading and study for all those you know. We must understand how the people of Palestine suffer injustice and oppression. With the wisdom and insight shared in this book we have an opportunity to take actions that are essential to bring long-overdue justice to the people of Palestine and Israel. James M. Wall Contributing Editor Christian Century magazine Former Editor (1972-1999)