Stand With Israel, or Don't...

Refusing to support the political actions of the modern nation-state of Israel is not the same as rejecting the Jewish people. Scripture itself differentiates between national/ethnic Israel and spiritual Israel — those who are children of the promise by faith. Understanding this distinction guards us from both careless accusations of antisemitism and from conflating earthly governments with God’s covenant purposes.

There’s a lot of confusion and heated rhetoric around terms like “Jews,” “Israel,” and “antisemitism.” A key issue is failing to distinguish between ethnic identity, national identity, and spiritual identity.

The term “Jews” can refer to:

1. An ethnic group or people (descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob),

2. A nation (the historical and modern state of Israel),

3. A religious community (those who practice Judaism).

When someone says they do not support the modern nation-state of Israel, that is not the same thing as saying they hate the Jewish people. Criticizing a government is not inherently racism or antisemitism. This distinction is biblical as well.

The Apostle Paul addresses this very issue in Romans 9:6–8 (ESV):

“For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.”

Here Paul draws a clear line between:

Physical Israel — those who are Jewish by birth, ethnic descent, or national belonging.

Spiritual Israel — those who are part of God’s covenant by faith, whether Jew or Gentile (cf. Romans 4:16–17; Galatians 3:7).

Understanding this biblical distinction is crucial:

Supporting the Jewish people (as an ethnic or religious group) is entirely compatible with critiquing or not supporting the policies of the modern Israeli government.

Opposing a government’s political decisions does not automatically equal antisemitism.

The Church must remember that God’s promises extend to all who are in Christ, Jew and Gentile alike (Romans 10:12; Ephesians 2:14–16).