Christian Zionism: A Reading of "Christ in the Rubble"

On January 11, 2024, as I watched the International Court of Justice hearings broadcast live, presenting evidence of genocide in Gaza to the world, a quote from Reverend Dr. Munther Isaac's sermon "Christ in the Rubble" was cited. His book, released afterward, is a theological-ethical material inseparable from the political moment, directly confronting it. This book is not merely a religious reflection in wartime, but a call against "negative hope" and against the silence of churches when justice becomes a political burden. Isaac explains that Christian Zionism is not just a misreading of the Bible, but a political ideology serving the interests of major powers, and how the "theology of love" has transformed into a theology that justifies occupation, proposing that Christian Zionism provides a "divine mandate" for apartheid policies. The danger lies in sanctifying political crimes, making criticism of the occupation, in the eyes of some, "criticism of God's will." Reverend Munther calls for confronting this ideology not only through politics but by offering an "alternative theology." How can Palestinians (Muslims and Christians) work together to present a counter-narrative to Christian Zionism in international forums? And what is the role of "theology of the rubble" in awakening the conscience of the global church? Isaac begins by deconstructing Christian Zionism as an imperial theology, not an innocent religious reading. Christian Zionism, as he shows, has provided a theological cover for Israeli policies through the selective employment of sacred texts, granting religious legitimacy to occupation, settlement, and violence before a wide Western audience. In confronting this theology, Isaac presents a central metaphor: "theology of the rubble"; where the concept places the church before an existential question: How can one believe in a God who stands with the victim, while its institutions remain silent in the face of genocide? Isaac does not hesitate to approach the most sensitive questions: anger at God. In the context of genocide and collective suffering, anger is not presented as a loss of faith, but as a moral cry and a radical questioning of divine justice in a world that allows such injustice. Here, faith transforms from reassurance into responsibility, and from submission into spiritual resistance. The book also addresses the intertwining of religion with modern militarism, including military artificial intelligence, and the role of some evangelists in justifying this intertwining. When tools of war are clothed in religious discourse, and killing is presented as "moral defense," technology becomes an extension of the theology of violence, not merely a neutral tool. This analysis confronts the reader with a shocking truth: modernity has not abolished religiosity but has re-produced it with more lethal tools. The book is credited for not ignoring the human suffering of any party. The first chapter recounts the horrific stories of the October 7 attacks and the subsequent response, which reached the level of genocide. This chapter highlights the magnitude of the tragedy and the pain and psychological trauma it left on Israeli victims. Then I move on to analyze the genocide that unfolded in Gaza. In chapters two and three, it is explained in detail that this war did not begin on October 7. I review the broader context extending over seventy-seven years since the establishment of the state of Israel, along with the closer context of the siege imposed on Gaza for the sixteen years preceding that date. These chapters also explain the Nakba — the ethnic cleansing of Palestine that began in 1948 — and argue for the importance of understanding Israel as a settler-colonial entity and an apartheid system. Also, the siege imposed on Gaza as the necessary context for any accurate understanding. Chapter four delves into key factors that enabled this genocide and the continued Western support for it: colonialism in its political and economic dimensions and control over the narrative, racism, and theology — especially Christian Zionism. Chapter five details the positions of a number of influential pastors, Christian politicians, theologians, church leaders, and various denominations regarding the ongoing genocide. These positions ranged from calls for peace to justification of violence, or ignoring atrocities through silence, while some merely called for peace without any real pressure or concrete action plan. Chapter six highlights the voices of Palestinian Christians, especially the "Christ in the Rubble" initiative and the sermons delivered during Christmas and Lent, which confronted the silence of the Western Church. In chapter seven, he shares his experience in pastoral work during the genocide, explaining the theology behind "Christ in the Rubble," and offers a reading of the meaning of the cross as an expression of God's solidarity with humanity in its pain and suffering. Finally, chapter eight builds on the words quoted from his sermons, which were cited before the International Court of Justice, and issues a clear call to the church to act. This chapter also reviews the forms of solidarity that emerged from around the world, showing how a new interfaith community was formed, bringing together people from multiple faith traditions to call for an end to the war. Isaac identifies three factors that enabled the genocide and the continued Western support for it: colonialism in its political and economic dimensions and control over the narrative, racism, and theology, especially Christian Zionism. He exposes the silence of Western churches, their justification of violence, or their contentment with calls for peace without real pressure tools. The book culminates when it reclaims the voice of Palestinian Christians, not as a "forgotten minority," but as an authentic part of this place and its history. To be both Palestinian and Christian means facing double marginalization: from the occupation, and from a Christian world that ignores your existence. The presence of these Christians dismantles the narrative that tries to portray the conflict as a religious war between Jews and Muslims, and returns it to its true essence: a struggle over land, rights, and dignity. Christ in the Rubble is a brilliant work, and a moral, theological, and political call all at once. A book that does not leave the reader neutral, nor allows them to take refuge in silence. Reverend Munther Isaac, the father and the human, employs all his intellectual and spiritual tools to document crimes, and to address the world in the language of divine justice, not the language of interests. It is no coincidence that this work has garnered the attention of major universities and global public opinion. This is a book worth reading, not because it offers comfortable answers, but because it asks the questions that have long been ignored. For in a time when genocide is sanctified, silence becomes betrayal… and the word becomes an act of resistance.