A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Donald Trump's picks for ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, uphold beliefs known as Christian Zionism. And that's causing some concern about what these appointments could mean for the Israel-Hamas War and the prospect for peace. Joining us to talk about Christian Zionism is NPR religion correspondent Jason DeRose. Jason, so let's start with some defining of terms. Christian Zionism - what is it?
JASON DEROSE, BYLINE: Well, in a nutshell, A, it's the belief that God gave the Holy Land to the Jews. And some Christian Zionists say the Bible prophesizes that Jews must control this land so that the second coming of Christ can happen. And more extreme versions of this theology teach that during an end-times battle, Jews will either be killed or convert to Christianity. But, A, Christian Zionism isn't just a religious belief. It's also a political one. And some in the U.S. use it to justify support for Israel and defend the country's actions toward Palestinians. For instance, they use the Biblical terms Judea and Samaria rather than West Bank. And many hold that the third Jewish temple will be built in Jerusalem on the site of what's now the Dome of the Rock.
MARTÍNEZ: So how do we know that Huckabee and Hegseth believe this?
DEROSE: Well, in a word, because of what they say. Here's Mike Huckabee in 2017, speaking to a group of reporters.
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MIKE HUCKABEE: There are certain words I refuse to use. There is no such thing as a West Bank. It's Judea and Samaria. There's no such thing as a settlement. They're communities. They're neighborhoods. They're cities. There's no such thing as an occupation.
DEROSE: And here's Pete Hegseth speaking in Jerusalem a few years ago.
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PETE HEGSETH: There's no reason why the miracle of the reestablishment of the temple on the Temple Mount is not possible.
DEROSE: Now, let's be clear here, A. Hegseth is saying a mosque should be removed, and a Jewish temple placed there instead. And I do not need to tell you how inflammatory that would be. Hegseth also has come under criticism for tattoos that involve symbols of the medieval Christian crusades, including the Jerusalem cross and the crusaders' motto, God wills it.
MARTÍNEZ: So Christian Zionism - I mean, Jason, how common is this belief?
DEROSE: Well, it's strongly held among many evangelical Christians, and that's a group that supports Donald Trump overwhelmingly. He rarely makes moves without considering what it means for his evangelical base. But that said, there are many, many Christians who do not believe in Christian Zionism.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. So then why are critics so concerned, then, about an ambassador to Israel and a secretary of defense who believe in it?
DEROSE: Well, you know, bringing in God into a political conflict tends to inflame tensions on all sides. And, of course, the history of the Holy Land is filled with battles over religion. A big concern is that this theology could lead to the erasure of the Palestinian people. I spoke with the Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian Munther Isaac. He leads a congregation in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.
MUNTHER ISAAC: When Huckabee says there is no occupation, I really want to ask him, then how do I explain the soldier pointing his gun at me every day I drive my kids to school?
DEROSE: And Isaac says Christian Zionism actually works against God's desire for peace.
ISAAC: Rather than really addressing what we know about the will of God to be - which is, blessed are the peacemakers - we engage in predictions about the future and trying to guess what God's will is. This is theological bankruptcy.
DEROSE: Isaac calls the ideology of Christian Zionism antisemitic. Remember, it says that the important people here aren't Jews but rather Christians. It's about Jesus and his second coming. And Isaac says Jews in Israel are just being conscripted into a Christian Zionist worldview.
MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR religion correspondent Jason DeRose. Jason, thanks.
DEROSE: You're welcome.
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