Invoking and Deploying Religion on African American Christian Solidarity Tours of Israel

In response to the seminar’s call on the theme of “Remember Amalek,” this paper offers a critical analysis of the ways that religion is used on African American Christian Zionist tours of the State of Israel towards the goal of bringing African American Christians and Black churches into the religious/political project of Christian Zionism. It draws on participant observation and interview data from two trips to Israel and Palestine with groups of Black clergy and lay leaders to show how a range of stakeholders invoke, deploy, and weaponize religion in the service of Christian Zionism. These stakeholders include Jewish and Christians trip coordinators, clergy, denominational leaders, tour guides, and others. More broadly, the paper considers the implications how race and religion overlap for African American Christians who get involved in Israel and Palestine and how the stakes of position-taking on that issue have changed since October 7, 2023.