The Latest Dark Crusade: Christian Zionism, the Israel Lobby, and the War on Iran

Mike Robinson speaks with former senior professional staff member at the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and author of Dark Crusade, Cliff Kiracofe, about the deep roots of Christian Zionism and its increasingly visible grip on American foreign policy.
Kiracofe traces the ideology back to its British origins in the 1820s (see Mike's earlier interview with Cliff for the background to this), when it was weaponised by Lord Palmerston to build public support for imperial Middle East policy. Two centuries on, he argues, the same playbook is running in Washington with Pete Hegseth, Paula White, Marco Rubio, and a network of Christian Zionist believers embedded at the heart of the Trump administration, alongside Jewish Zionist influence concentrated in the president's inner circle.
The conversation turns to the war on Iran: Trump bypassed normal National Security Council processes to override the advice of the Joint Chiefs and the Director of National Intelligence. Kiracofe also addresses the more than 100 lawsuits filed by US military personnel who object to religious coercion in the ranks, the resignation of National Counterterrorism Center head Joe Kent, and long-term prospects for political change with cautious hope placed in the 2028 elections and the rising generation of anti-Zionist candidates across party lines.
Cliff Kiracofe's updated edition of Dark Crusade: The Israel Lobby and Christian Zionism is available on Amazon, with a revised paperback due in May 2025.
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