Dangerous Trends in Jewish-Christian Relations

By Dr. Susan Michael, President of ICEJ USA

For the first time in centuries, Jewish-Christian relations have experienced a remarkable healing—fueled by access to the Scriptures, the impact of the Holocaust, and the miracle of Israel’s rebirth. Yet this progress is now under pressure. Anti-Semitism, long described as a mutating virus, has resurfaced in new forms across politics, the media, and even the church. These new expressions are rooted in old patterns that have continually plagued the Jewish people and now threaten not only the Jewish community but also the spiritual health and integrity of Christianity itself.

Understanding these dangers is essential if Christians are to defend the truth, stand with Israel, and safeguard the future of this vital relationship. Here are five troubling trends to watch out for—and fight against.

1. The Rise of Political Anti-Semitism (Anti-Zionism)

A new form of anti-Semitism targets the Jewish collective—the State of Israel—through delegitimization, double standards, and demonization. After October 7, 2023, when Hamas infiltrated southern Israel and massacred over 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in Gaza, political anti-Zionism exploded globally, fueling attacks on Jews and influencing young Christians who are immersed in social media propaganda. This increase in political anti-Semitism should alarm Christians because it risks aligning Christian voices with movements that delegitimize Israel and tempts believers to exclude modern Israel from the biblical narrative—which, ultimately, weakens trust in Scripture itself.

2. The Resurgence of Replacement Theology

While the church has made tremendous progress in its relationship with the Jewish people and the nation of Israel, replacement theology—the belief that God is finished with the Jewish people and now works primarily through the church—is resurfacing under new names such as “Fulfillment Theology.”

This false theology erases God’s covenant with Israel and is what historically laid the foundation for Christian anti-Semitism. Its return threatens to expose the biblical foundations of Christian-Jewish solidarity by reopening the wounds left by centuries of Christian theological hostility, fueling old patterns of anti-Semitism. Replacement ideas often appear in academic, nuanced language, making them sound biblical or sophisticated to uneducated Christians, ultimately undermining trust between Jews and Christians.

3. Growing Biblical Illiteracy in the Church

This generation is skeptical of Scripture as the foundation of truth and, as a result, is vulnerable to distorted teachings about Israel. Understanding God’s covenant with the Jewish people—which underpins the entire Bible—is crucial to understanding its narrative. Without a clear understanding of God’s work through the covenant, Christians lose the “key to the answers” ​​to what helps the entire Bible make sense. Such a vacuum leaves room for misinformation, confusion, and anti-Semitic ideas to spread unchecked.

The growing biblical illiteracy in the church has a significant impact on Jewish-Christian relations. As Christians lose awareness of the Jewish roots of their faith, it opens the door to misinterpretation, weakens empathy for Jewish history and experience, diminishes Christian support for Israel, and stifles constructive dialogue with the Jewish community. Ultimately, biblical illiteracy disconnects Christians from their spiritual heritage, the biblical story of Israel, and the theological basis for confronting anti-Semitism and for standing with the Jewish people.

4. Radical Postmillennial and Dominionist Movements

Radical postmillennial and dominionist movements also affect Jewish-Christian relations, especially at a time when trust between the communities is still relatively new and fragile. While not all postmillennialists or dominionists are hostile to Jews, the radical expressions of these movements introduce theological and political tensions that affect how Jews perceive Christian intentions.

The new Christian nationalist right promotes ideologies that deny the ongoing covenant of the Jewish people, reinterpret the Torah as a blueprint for Christian rule, and embrace conspiracy theories about Jewish influence. While not all postmillennialists share these views, this rapidly growing movement is introducing a dangerous theological hostility toward Judaism and Israel.

Dominionists tend to promote versions of Replacement Theology, and their activism blurs the line between Christian eschatology and political power. Jewish communities that have historically suffered under religiously enforced laws may interpret this as a threat to pluralism and religious freedom. And when fringe dominionist groups link their support for Israel to end-time strategies, including the conversion of Jews, it forces Jews to question the motives behind why Christians actually support Israel: Are they motivated by genuine love for the Jewish people or by a Christian prophetic agenda?

5. The Propaganda War and the Collapse of Trusted Media

Anti-Semitism today is spread through disinformation, activist journalism, fake images, artificial intelligence-generated content, and tightly controlled reporting on Gaza. Lies about Israel can go viral in seconds, while factual refutations often take months to reach the same audience. This information war is spiritual as well as political, and has become the “eighth front” of Israel’s struggle—and has the potential to negatively impact Jewish-Christian relations.

Christians exposed to this propaganda may accept these lies as truth, which not only weakens their biblical understanding of God’s purpose and role for Israel, but also fosters skepticism and suspicion of Jews—or worse, hostility. When these lies dominate the media, it alters public perception, making genuine dialogue and cooperation between Jews and Christians increasingly difficult.

Conclusion

These five trends in Jewish-Christian relations—political anti-Semitism, theological distortions, biblical illiteracy, radical ideologies, and propaganda warfare—pose a serious threat to the fragile relationship between Jews and Christians. However, the church is not powerless. Christians must return to the Scriptures, cultivate discernment, seek reliable sources, and oppose anti-Semitism in all its forms.