A Response
CMJ was established in 1809 with the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, among the Jewish people. From that has stemmed the need to support and encourage Messianic Jewish believers, and the need to educate the wider Church of the Biblical Jewish roots of her faith, as is clearly seen throughout the Bible.
Many people have asked this question of CMJ UK, but Zionism is one of those words with a variety of interpretations, so to respond to this question, we must first clarify what we understand it to mean:
CMJ UK is definitely not Zionist if Zionism means:
• Ignoring the plight and rights of Palestinians and Israeli Arabs;
• Believing the Palestinians and Israeli Arabs have no right to be in the Holy Land;
• Believing Israel is above criticism and can do no wrong;
• Ignoring the genuine examples of breaches of human rights and military over-reactions by Israel.
CMJ UK is proud to be Zionist if Zionism means:
• Standing with the Jewish people, as critical friends, after almost 2000 years of Christian anti-Semitism (some of it within the Church);
• Combating anti-Semitism;
• Thanking God that after all their suffering as the most persecuted people on the earth, culminating in the Holocaust, He has restored the Jewish people in their historic homeland;
• Rejoicing in God’s faithfulness to the Jewish people, preserving them for His glory;
• Believing the Church has not replaced or given up on the Jewish people; • Believing God still has a purpose for the Jewish people, namely, to bring them to faith in Jesus as their Messiah;
• Examining the many criticisms of Israel, to discern whether they are true or false and defending Israel, where appropriate;
• Condemning Palestinian terrorism.
