Why Christians care about Israel’s Supreme Court

There are three Biblical reasons American Christians support their beloved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push for judicial reform and will continue even more firmly in standing up in defense of Israel’s government.

Since moving to Israel eleven years ago, I have never seen our government subjected to the level of hysteria currently being directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new coalition. The increasingly activist opposition darkly warns of a possible civil war, even as it dangerously incites just that – all in the name of “defending democracy.”

Conservative Americans are increasingly angry at liberals for moving the United States far to the left in the name of democracy and justice.

Israel’s tumult has been sparked by the new government’s goal of judicial reform, a complex legal issue that most pro-Israel Americans know little about. Nevertheless, conservative Christians are paying attention. While there are legal arguments to be made for both sides of the issue, the first question Christian Zionists and some Religious Zionist Jews such as myself are asking, is “what does the Bible have to say?”

There are three Biblical reasons that Christian Zionists, including Pastor John Hagee’s 11 million Christians United for Israel and Mike Evans’ 100,000,000 Friends of Zion will support their idol Benjamin Netanyahu’s push for judicial reform and will stand up in defense of Israel’s government.

1) “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122)

There is but one city on earth the Bible demands that believers care about. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” says the Psalmist. Hebrew Scripture tells the story of the deep connection between the Land of Israel and the People of Israel, and many Evangelicals recognize that they are the first since ancient times to witness the miraculous return of the Jews to their ancestral homeland. 

Christian Zionists believe that when Jerusalem is at peace, the whole world will benefit, but when Jerusalem is denounced and disparaged – as is happening now by the hysterical media and left-leaning governments around the world – its spiritual allies must increase their prayers and support.

2) “Appoint judges and officers in the cities that God has given you” (Deut. 16)

Evangelicals believe that the Jewish State of Israel must govern according to the eternal truths established in the Bible. The Bible establishes a balance of power between the king, priests, and prophets. The king led the nation to battle, the priest presided over the Temple and the prophet served as the conduit to God, reining in both kings and priests as necessary. 

Conservative Christians are reading that Israel’s Supreme Court is packed with unelected and unaccountable judges which is something they all can relate to. They sympathize with the Israeli right that feels Israel’s Supreme Court no longer represents the Israeli public and that it is the last bastion of progressive radicalism in an increasingly conservative country that regularly overrides the democratic will of the people.

3) “Zion shall be redeemed with justice” (Isaiah 1)

Finally, Christians care about Israel’s Supreme Court because it’s the opening battle of the first majority right-wing and religious government in Israeli history. Only 75 years old, Israel was initially governed by secular and often anti-religious Israelis who sought to distance Israel from God. Now, for the first time, a majority of Netanyahu’s coalition are Torah-observant Jews and an ideal partner for Christian Zionists.

With his proposed judicial reforms, MK Simcha Rothman and his Religious Zionist Party who hope to bring Israel one step closer to the final redemption are a match made in heaven for Evangelical Christians. Under siege in America against the forces of media censorship and questionable elections, Christians believe that the State of Israel is fulfilling God’s ultimate plan and they will insist their own democratically elected political representatives will support Israeli lawmakers who share that perspective.

To Religious Zionist Jews and Christian Zionists, the Torah makes it clear that we will only merit a truly perfect government in the end of days with the coming of the Messiah, who will reign from the place where God chose to establish His name, Jerusalem. Until that final day, like-minded Christians and Jews must all do their part to offer encouragement to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s democratically elected government.

This past weekend, more than 80,000 Israelis rallied against Netanyahu and his plan to reform the judiciary. In response, Israel365 is circulating a petition to Christian and Jewish supporters of Israel from all over the world who want to offer prayers and encouragement to Israel’s government, with a goal of 1,000,000 signatures to present to Prime Minister Netanyahu.