Egypt’s evangelical leadership has issued a public clarification distancing the country’s 1.5 million evangelicals from Christian Zionism, responding to a recent Egyptian television report that linked global evangelical support for Israel with churches in Egypt amid the war in Gaza, which entered a fragile ceasefire in October.
Rev. Dr. Andrea Zaki, head of Egypt’s evangelical community, told Christian Daily International (CDI) that the country’s 19 evangelical denominations unanimously reject the use of the Bible to justify the war on Palestinians, stressing that Egyptian evangelicals do not share the politically motivated ideology often associated with Christian Zionism in the United States.
Zaki acknowledged that worldwide, dispensationalism includes a branch known as Christian Zionism, which blends religion and politics. “It is important to emphasize that all evangelical denominations in Egypt, regardless of their theological orientation, do not adopt or believe in this branch of Christian Zionism,” he said.
The statement followed a media report by Egyptian anchor Hind El-Dawy on Al-Qahera W Al-Nas, which detailed mass campaigns by Christian Zionists in the United States supporting Israel amid its war in Gaza.
Commenting on the TV report, Zaki told CDI, “The report blurred the lines between evangelicals in Egypt and those in the United States, which prompted us to issue this clarification.” He added that the statement reflects a clear position of Egyptian evangelicals: “All denominations that adhere to either Covenantal or Dispensational Theology do not embrace the concept of Christian Zionism but rather reject it entirely.”
Khalaf Barakat Fahmy, president of the Baptist Evangelical Assembly in Egypt, said the clarification was “necessary” to prevent political or ideological exploitation of the Evangelical Church’s name. “The statement was not a luxury or an unnecessary step, but rather a church and national necessity,” he said, noting the heightened sensitivity of public opinion in light of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict over the past two years.
Fahmy added that supporters viewed the statement as “a responsible and balanced stance that preserved the image of the Church and its moral and national witness,” while some critics saw it as “weak or unnecessary, arguing that the Evangelical Church in Egypt does not need to justify its patriotism, historically known for its support of the Egyptian people and the cause of justice and peace.”
He emphasized that the statement wisely avoided theological debates, noting that Christian Zionism is fundamentally “a political movement” that emerged in a Western context, supporting the modern state of Israel through literal interpretations of biblical passages.
“In Egypt, the Evangelical community encompasses a wide spectrum of denominations, which may differ in eschatological interpretations—such as the Millennial Kingdom or the nature of Christ’s return—but they all agree on the core of the Christian faith and on rejecting injustice, violence, and killing, whatever its source,” Fahmy said.
Below is the full text of the statement issued in Cairo on Dec. 20, 2025:
Statement from the Presidency of the Evangelical Community in Egypt
The Evangelical community in Egypt, in all its denominations, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Andrea Zaki, affirms that its ministry in Egypt is a national one, spanning nearly two centuries, through its churches and national institutions, in service to humanity and society.
The Evangelical community also affirms its categorical rejection of any association between itself and what is called Christian Zionism.
The Evangelical community reaffirms its commitment to defending the legitimate rights of all peoples and advocating for a just and lasting peace, founded on justice and the preservation of human dignity. We pray that peace will be achieved in Palestine, our region and the entire world.
Rev. Dr. Andrea Zaki
Head of the Evangelical Community in Egypt
