Following the successful 6th Berlin-Brandenburg Israel Day on February 20th, which attracted more than 400 participants and Christians Standing with Israel (CSI) together with numerous partner organizations and congregations, there was negative press coverage. A disparaging article in the taz newspaper was followed by a guest commentary in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). Both authors used the participation of Berlin's Chief of Police, Barbara Slowik Meisel, as the basis for their criticism. Meanwhile, the police received a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from a journalist. According to this law, every citizen has an unconditional right to access official information from federal authorities.
By Josias Terschüren
Christians believe in the Bible. That sounds simple, but it is the foundation of their faith. The Holy Scriptures—the Old and New Testaments—contain clear promises to the Jewish people: the land of Israel as their permanent inheritance (for example, Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; 17:8; Deuteronomy 1:8; Ezekiel 36–37; Zechariah 12–14; Acts 1:7). The God of the Bible reveals himself as the “God of Israel” and, through his prophets, records his irrevocable election of Israel. And he doesn't stop at mere words: Over the course of thousands of years and hundreds of pages of the Bible, God demonstrates an astonishing commitment to the Jewish people—in good times and in bad.
Those who take these texts seriously can see in the return of the Jews to Israel and the founding of the Israeli state in 1948, just a few years after the Shoah, the civilizational rupture of modernity, not only a political event, but also the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. And they recognize the hand of their God in it. That is precisely what we as Christians do, standing alongside Israel.
Christian Zionism – an enrichment, not a danger
Christian Zionism is not primarily a political ideology, but a theological consequence of the Bible. It is rooted in the understanding that God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants is enduring. In Germany, this stance has a particular moral dimension: After the Shoah and the failings of many Christians during the Nazi era, solidarity with Israel is an act of repentance and responsibility.
CSI lives out this solidarity in concrete terms: Based on the Bible and German history, we stand wholeheartedly and actively by the side of Israel and the Jewish people. We do so in a passionate and clearly visible way: We preach, pray, give presentations, write, and speak about Israel. We donate to social projects, organize trips to the Holy Land, and hold events both in and outside of churches. This stance is neither extreme nor dangerous, but simply Christianity lived within the framework of the Basic Law. One would think that all of this shouldn't upset anyone.
Outrage journalism as thought police
For Hanno Fleckenstein of the taz and Julia Hauser of the FAZ, it is nonetheless scandalous. Neither was present at the Israel Day event, but this did not deter them from issuing a harsh judgment based solely on online research. Fleckenstein's provocative headline reads: "From the river to the sea – with the blessing of the police." He is outraged that the police chief appeared as a guest of honor – after all, according to his interpretation, CSI holds the position that God granted the land "from the river to the sea" to the Jewish people and has supported projects in Judea and Samaria in the past.
For Fleckenstein, this is sacrilege. He even accuses CSI of "questioning the right of Palestinians to exist"—a baseless claim. In doing so, he plays into two of the taz's favorite bogeymen: the police and devout Christians. Since the end apparently justifies the means, Christians are summarily compared to anti-Semites and their modern battle cry, "From the river to the sea.".
What seems to give Fleckenstein a headache isn't the aggressively shouting and sometimes even violent mobs of radical leftists and Muslims responsible for the skyrocketing figures for antisemitic crimes in Germany (over 6,000 in 2024, with further record highs expected in 2025). He doesn't utter a single critical word about their trail of destruction across university buildings and city centers, or even their violence against police officers. Peaceful, law-abiding Christians, on the other hand, who pray, sing, and listen to biblical reflections in their own homes, drive him to write furiously.
In her guest article for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, "Christians Also Want a Greater Israel," Julia Hauser argues in a more moderate tone, but remains on the same track. She speaks of "evangelical conversion fantasies" that supposedly "have a lasting influence" on Middle East policy, and of Christian Zionists dreaming of a "Greater Israel." She mentions CSI in the same breath as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth. She links the latter to Crusaders and the Knights of Malta because of a tattoo.
The criticism of Police Chief Barbara Slowik Meisel is particularly absurd. She appeared at an event where prayers were offered for the Berlin police – at a time when police officers are regularly attacked at pro-Palestinian demonstrations. As Martin Luther said, "The world always defiles what should be praised and praises what should be defiled."
Media scandalization of religious freedom
Both texts scandalize the fact that Christians believe their Bible, draw political and moral conclusions from it, and even dare to stand up for their convictions. This scandalization is not only one-sided, it is incompatible with the spirit of our Basic Law. Article 4 of the Basic Law guarantees the inviolable freedom of belief, conscience, and religious practice.
Those who portray Bible-believing Christians as a threat simply because they take their holy scriptures seriously are putting the very freedom guaranteed by our constitution in the dock. This is not journalism; it is thought police. A democracy that brands the adherence to the Bible as a scandal has forgotten its own roots and values.
Christians under scrutiny, Islamists under a clouded lens
The double standard becomes particularly clear when comparing them to Islamic actors. Neither Fleckenstein nor Hauser have shown comparable severity when Muslim associations or imams meet with politicians and police chiefs. DITIB, closely linked to the Turkish state and its president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, regularly invites controversial speakers, even those from terrorist circles – without any comparable outrage from Fleckenstein and Hauser.
A search of both authors' archives reveals no comparably accusatory texts regarding meetings between DITIB, the Central Council of Muslims, or the Islamic Council and high-ranking politicians. Despite documented problems with antisemitism, adherence to Sharia law, and foreign influence, journalistic scrutiny remains clouded. This is selective outrage aimed at marginalizing unwelcome opinions.
The Basic Law protects not only majority opinions, but also those that deviate from them. Sensationalist journalism that selectively sensationalizes undermines trust in the media and further polarizes society. CSI will not be deterred by this. As a "staunchly Christian association" (Fleckenstein), the organization continues to stand by Israel with prayer, action, and a clear voice – whether the taz and FAZ like it or not. Those who apply freedom of religion only to their own agenda have already abolished it.
This article first appeared in our newspaper "Israelaktuell," issue 145. You can order the newspaper here . We would also be happy to send you several copies for distribution.
