Netanyahu seeks evangelical support with religious allusions, says expert

By Faruk Hanedar

ISTANBUL (AA) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to gain support for the Israel-Palestine conflict by using religious references, specifically to Jewish and Christian theology, to create an image of an religious war.

After the armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, carried out an attack on Israel on the morning of Oct. 7, citing "continuous violations against the Palestinians and their sacred values, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque," Netanyahu became the target of criticism in the media and political arena.

Following the attack, the Israeli army began intense aerial bombardments in the Gaza Strip.

In the heavy Israeli bombardments, which also targeted hospitals, schools, and refugee camps, thousands of people, mostly women and children, have lost their lives.

Israel's killings of civilians have led to a growing international backlash against the Israeli government.

- Netanyahu's references to Jewish and Christian theology

Netanyahu and the Israeli government make speeches that contain references to Jewish and Christian theology to overcome domestic criticisms, secure international support, and legitimize civilian casualties.

Netanyahu initially said about the attacks on the Gaza Strip, "This will be a victory of good over evil, of light over darkness, of life over death ... This is the mission of our lives. It is also my life mission.”

Continuing his theological references in later statements, one of the most remarkable expressions of Netanyahu is, "With shared forces, with deep faith in the justice of our cause and in the eternity of Israel, we will realize the prophecy of Isaiah (against Hamas)."

- Appealing to US evangelicals

Doctoral student Ozgur Dikmen, who works on European Jewish history, modern Jewish thought, and Israeli politics at Stanford University, broke down Netanyahu's theological references for Anadolu.

Dikmen said that Netanyahu, who is not actually a religious politician, feels the need to address different groups because he is currently in a very tight spot in domestic politics.

On Netanyahu's reference to the Book of Isaiah, Dikmen said, "Rather than Netanyahu's religiosity, we should consider the audience he wants to address, and I especially think he is trying to appeal to evangelicals in America."

Dikmen said that Netanyahu turned to the base of former President Donald Trump, who may return to the White House in the 2024 elections, because he believes he has not gotten enough support from the Biden administration, and stressed that Mike Johnson, the new House of Representatives speaker, is also an evangelical.

While Biden made public statements in support of Israel, according to Dikmen, his private meetings with Netanyahu "did not go well."

"President Joe Biden tried to prevent Israel's ground operation in Gaza and ensure humanitarian aid access. He succeeded to some extent in this regard, but not entirely," he said.

Dikmen said: "We can’t say Biden is acting here out of humanitarian concern. Especially in recent times, America avoids getting involved in direct conflicts with Hezbollah and Iran in the Middle East, and so doesn’t want any conflict to occur through Israel."

- 'Netanyahu has lost a lot of support domestically'

Dikmen told how after Trump became president, he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2018, and after this, Israelis began to think that they had fully secured the support of the US and could do what they wanted against the Palestinians.

But the Biden administration is currently trying to return the US to its pre-Trump position, he said.

The US has always had a pro-Israel stance, but it has not wanted to lose its role as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, he added. He said all US presidents want to be the president who ends the crisis in the Middle East.

Dikmen explained that Netanyahu, realizing all of this, is addressing different groups as the elections approach and is seeking support from Trump supporters in the US with his statements.

"Netanyahu has lost a lot of support domestically. He was the most popular politician in Israel, and until recently, he was much bigger. His Likud party has been in power since 1977, even though there were interruptions. There was no erosion

“But now, support for Netanyahu has dropped to below 10%. This is a very surprising and shocking figure for him. So now he’s in a somewhat desperate situation. He is addressing those around him with this desperation," Dikmen said.

- 'Our enemies are trying to say that we want to commit genocide against the Palestinians'

Asli Nur Duzgun, who studies US evangelicals at Istanbul Medeniyet University, took a close look at Netanyahu's speeches, and Netanyahu’s reference to an ancient tribe, saying: "The Book of Isaiah is the first book in the Tanak (Hebrew Bible) that talks about prophets. It mentions the Amalekites. Actually, the Amalekites are a concept. They are a kind of concept in the Jewish lexicon, in the Jewish book."

The term Amalekite is used when referring to an enemy, and it is not specific to the Palestinians. According to Duzgun, these enemies are seen as trying to say that they want to commit genocide against the Palestinians.

In fact, she believes that Netanyahu started committing genocide because he is prone to preventive warfare, or rather because they have constant paranoid fears, and they are afraid of being killed and subjected to genocide.

- 'We're talking about a Christian-Zionist group'

Duzgun explained: "In America, there is a group called evangelicals, which accounts for 25% of the population. These are not a monolithic group but are divided into many subgroups. I called them 'Armageddon (End Times) enthusiasts' in my thesis, which was divided into many factions but can also unite under the title 'Israel'."

On new House Speaker Mike Johnson saying, "I know as a Christian where the Bible clearly tells us where we should stand on Israel. I know that God will bless the nations that bless Israel," Duzgun explained: "They believe that (God) will curse those who curse Israel. Germany, according to them, fell because Hitler persecuted the Jews, or Britain is no longer a hegemon because it didn't treat Jews well. They also believe that the strength of the United States is based on helping Jews."

- Judaism without Jews

Duzgun stressed that evangelicals are so influential that they can get Israel's requests approved by Congress. They believe that Israel should belong entirely to the Jews and that there is no such thing as a "Palestinian" society.

Duzgun argued that there is a hidden antisemitism in evangelicals' view of Jews because they believe that when the messiah comes, some Jews will rise to heaven by believing in him, but all the others will be doomed, as they do not see Jesus as savior.

On the origins of evangelicals, Duzgun said that when they came to North America from Europe, the “New World” was seen as a new Jerusalem by Puritans and other religious dissenters.

Evangelicals are heavily influenced by Kabbalah, a kind of esoteric Jewish mysticism, she said, but not by Jews themselves.

“In fact they don’t meet with Jews, they have no contact with Jews, but they constantly advocate Jewish rights or underline that Jews should return to their former lands, and they believe they are appointed by God for this purpose."

Duzgun added that she believes Trump thinks Armageddon “End Times” theology will accelerate if he wins the 2024 elections and that this belief has an important place in the American psyche.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas​​​​​​​