Christian Declaration Against Antisemitism

We are Christian leaders from across the United States. We come from many different churches and denominations with differing theologies, yet we stand united today to denounce the plague of antisemitism that has spread across our great nation. Hatred of Jews is an unconscionable violation of the principles of justice, freedom, and human dignity, principles that all Americans and our institutions must seek to uphold and defend.

We condemn the fomenting of antisemitism in the United States unequivocally. We will stand peacefully against all those in this nation, regardless of motivation or ideology, who seek to demonize and dehumanize our Jewish fellow citizens. As Christians, we recognize that all are created in the image and likeness of God and that antisemitism is a gross violation of human dignity rooted in this truth about who we are as persons. Antisemitism is dangerous not just to Israel and the Jewish people, but to all people who share the values of democracy, truth and justice, and freedom—values that are God-ordained and God-given.

We recognize that there are intense feelings and different beliefs among Jews, Christians, and Muslims on the complicated issues of the Holy Land. However, there is no justification for the rising tide of antisemitic hatred that is spreading around the world.

We are compelled to act through our faith in Jesus Christ. We are Christians and confess Jesus Christ to be the Messiah. He is a Jew, and it is through His coming into the world and dying and rising from the dead for our salvation that we are bound to the Jewish people as the church of the Gentiles and so grafted on to the Tree of Israel forever. As Christians, we must still repent for past expressions of antisemitism in our churches. In that light and in support of this declaration, we affirm that the Jewish people remain God’s chosen people. The law and the covenants that God gave to the Jewish people, which we see as fulfilled in Christ, remain intact.

We will speak out for, and act peacefully in the defense of, the fundamental freedoms of Jewish Americans. As Christian leaders, we will oppose—through peaceful action and clear moral witness— anyone who promotes violence against Jews and Jewish places of worship, as well as Jewish homes, schools, community centers, places of business, or any identifiably Jewish institution. We will inspire our fellow Christians in our congregations to join with us in this endeavor. And so,

We declare to you, our Jewish friends, that in these challenging times, we are with you. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with you in defense of human dignity, justice, and freedom—these cherished American values—and we will turn back the tide of antisemitism in the United States together. As Christians, we will not simply speak but act peacefully in support of you, our Jewish friends, in the interest of all that is just and good. We will not abandon you.