In an age of polarization and strong opinions, a sizable share of American Christians are still “not sure” what they think about issues within the Israel-Hamas war.
A recent Lifeway Research survey, sponsored by the Philos Project, found significant convictions among self-identified believers: Strong majorities support Israel’s right of self-defense (83%), but also the Palestinian right of self-determination (76%) and the goal of a two-state solution (81%).
But many questions revealed uncertainties about the complexity of the conflict:
- 15% are not sure about the optimal outcome.
- 17% are not sure if Gazans are responsible for Hamas’s attacks.
- 18% are not sure if armed Palestinian rebellion is a natural response to mistreatment.
- 24% are not sure if Israel’s blockade of Gaza has oppressed Palestinians.
- 24% are not sure if Israeli control of the West Bank and Gaza is illegal occupation.
- 26% are not sure if most Gazans support Hamas’s fight against Israel.
- 31% are not sure if Israeli settlements beyond agreed-upon borders are illegal.
Furthermore, 41 percent hover between somewhat positive (25%) and somewhat negative (16%) in their overall perception of Israel, while 11 percent are not sure at all.
For each of these issues, of course, pluralities had an opinion on one side or another, as CT noted last week. To parse out the meaning of these diverse American Christian perspectives, CT asked four evangelical experts—two from peace-focused organizations in the US, and a Palestinian Christian and a Messianic Jewish leader from Israel—to describe what they found most surprising, concerning, and encouraging about the survey results…
This article was originally published at Christianity Today, on December 21, 2023. Please click here to read the full text. Contributions from:
- Robert Nicholson, president of the Philos Project (“promoting positive Christian engagement in the Near East in the spirit of the Hebraic Tradition”)
- Todd Deatherage, executive director of the Telos Group (“a pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian, and pro-peace movement seeking dignity, freedom, and security for all”)
- Dan Sered, chief operating officer of Jews for Jesus and president of the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism
- Botrus Mansour, Nazareth-based chairman of the Convention of Evangelical Churches in Israel, in his personal capacity as a Palestinian Israeli Christian writer and lawyer
Jayson Casper 