Holocaust, Israel and Canadian Protestant Churches

In: McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion

Abstract

The relative silence of Canadian Protestant churches during the Holocaust and their critical attitude toward the State of Israel stemmed mainly from Christian teachings about Jews and Judaism. The very existence of Israel contradicted a fundamental tenet of Christianity, and churches faced the difficult task of finding a way to reconcile the permanent existence of a Jewish state with their theology. In The Holocaust, Israel, and Canadian Protestant Churches Haim Genizi distinguishes between legitimate criticism of Israel and antisemitic attacks on its legitimacy and right to exist.