Zion's Mirage: How Modern Israel Exploits African Faith and Pilgrimage

Zion's Mirage: How Modern Israel Exploits African Faith and Pilgrimage

Zion's Mirage: How Modern Israel Exploits African Faith and Pilgrimage

By Olakunle Agboola

Every year, tens of thousands of African Christians make long and costly pilgrimages to Jerusalem. They gather at the Western Wall, overcome with emotion, weeping in reverence for what they believe to be the land of their spiritual ancestors.

Prayers are whispered through tears, hands tremble against ancient stones, and hearts swell with a sense of holy connection. But beneath this spiritual passion lies a deeper, more troubling reality.

The Israel many Africans venerate today is not the biblical land of prophecy, but a modern political entity constructed through twentieth-century imperial negotiations.

Modern Israel: A Political Invention, Not a Divine Fulfilment

The establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948 was not an act of divine intervention but the outcome of political decisions driven by European and American interests.

Following the atrocities of the Holocaust, Western powers, particularly Britain and the United States, supported the idea of a Jewish homeland. This led to the partitioning of Palestine, the displacement of indigenous Palestinians, and the creation of a state rooted more in diplomatic convenience and power dynamics than sacred continuity.

The dominant population of modern Israel is not composed of descendants of the ancient Israelites but primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who are ethnically European. Their roots trace back to countries like Poland, Russia, and Germany, rather than to the deserts of Canaan or the hills of Judea.

Yet through generations of Eurocentric theological indoctrination and deliberate propaganda, many Africans continue to believe they are honoring biblical heritage when they support the modern Israeli state.

The Business Behind the Belief

Israel has turned faith into an economic engine. The Holy Land has become a well-oiled tourism machine. With elaborate packages targeting African Christians, the state benefits immensely from the influx of pilgrims eager to walk where Jesus supposedly walked.

Pilgrimages to Israel have transformed into a lucrative industry, siphoning scarce African resources into a tourism spectacle that delivers spiritual showmanship but no lasting benefits to local communities.

The sad irony is that many of the so-called biblical sites are modern reconstructions, dramatized and curated to satisfy tourists and spiritual seekers. What visitors experience is less a journey through scripture and more a theatrical performance packaged for profit.

African countries, many of which struggle with economic instability, pour hard-earned foreign exchange into these trips. Pilgrims return home emotionally charged but materially unchanged. Their communities see no transformation, no sustainable development, and no social or spiritual revolution. Meanwhile, Israel’s tourism sector flourishes, and African faith is monetized without consequence.

The DNA Dilemma and Identity Fraud

Adding another layer to this web of illusions is Israel’s controversial approach to genetic identity. Israel’s prohibition on DNA testing to verify Jewish ancestry raises serious questions about the legitimacy of its claims. If the connection were genuine, transparency would be welcome, not criminalized.

This raises important questions. If modern Israel were truly confident in its claim to biblical lineage, why criminalize genetic inquiry? The absence of scientific transparency further fuels the argument that modern Israel thrives on a fragile and constructed narrative.

Even more concerning is the widespread pride among African clergy who return from Israel and label themselves “Jerusalem Pilgrims.” The title is worn like a badge of honor, yet it often represents an endorsement of a falsehood.

Many influential African religious leaders unwittingly become promoters of a political agenda that exploits faith, turning ‘Jerusalem Pilgrim’ status into a symbol of misplaced loyalty rather than spiritual truth. These leaders, many of whom hold significant influence in their communities, become unwitting mouthpieces for a state that benefits from religious ignorance and misdirected loyalty.

The Africa That Could Have Been

Few Africans are aware that modern Israel’s current location was not the Zionist movement’s only option. Before 1948, several other regions were proposed for the Jewish homeland, including parts of Argentina, the United States, and Madagascar. Notably, Britain offered territory in East Africa, what is today Uganda, as a potential site.

The little-known Zionist proposal to establish a Jewish homeland in East Africa exposes the political flexibility behind Israel’s creation and challenges the notion of its divine inevitability. Had this plan materialized, Africans today might have been boarding flights to Kampala to re-enact biblical scenes and kiss holy relics.

The fact that African leaders rejected this proposal was not due to a lack of generosity but because they recognized the dangerous implications of welcoming a foreign settler state with geopolitical ambitions.

This little-known episode reveals just how fluid and negotiable the Zionist project really was. It underscores the point that the current state of Israel is not a divine inevitability but the result of political strategy.

Palestine: Erased but Not Forgotten

Contrary to the popular myth, modern Israel was not established on vacant land. Palestinians had lived there for generations, with vibrant communities, culture, and history. The arrival of European Zionists triggered a series of displacements and demolitions. Entire villages were wiped out, families forced into exile, and a rich historical tapestry torn apart by the machinery of state formation.

Yet African Christians continue to pray for Israel, often turning a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinians, people whose history of colonization, displacement, and cultural erasure mirrors the struggles of many African communities. The reality in South Africa, with its own scars of apartheid, stands as a powerful reminder of this shared experience.

The weaponization of the Bible has led to the endorsement of a modern apartheid regime, even as those who suffer under it cry out for solidarity.

Colonizing the African Mind

Colonialism did not vanish with the exit of European armies; it merely changed its disguise. Today, African minds remain shackled by religious narratives crafted abroad, compelling believers to invest in foreign myths while neglecting their own heritage.

Colonialism’s end was merely a shift in strategy. Today, mental colonization drives many Africans to pour their last savings into visiting a reimagined Jerusalem while their own communities remain underdeveloped and overlooked.

Africa’s Hidden Heritage

There is growing evidence to suggest that the original Israelites may have African roots. Historical, linguistic, and anthropological studies point to connections between certain African ethnic groups, such as the Igbo in Nigeria, Ethiopian tribes, and various Bantu descendants and the ancient people of the Bible.

According to the Bible, the Israelites were scattered across the nations, a dispersion foretold as part of divine prophecy. This reality challenges the notion that modern-day Israel, established through twentieth-century geopolitical arrangements, represents the true and complete return of the biblical Israelites.

The formation of the modern state does not reflect the scriptural vision of a spiritual and global regathering of God’s people. Instead, it mirrors a political project shaped by Western interests and historical circumstances.

The High Cost of Blind Faith

Israel’s alliance with Western powers has enabled it to construct a highly profitable spiritual-industrial complex. With backing from American evangelicals and European political interests, it has positioned itself as a divine state beyond reproach. African preachers promote this narrative, congregations fund it, and the cycle continues unchecked.

Between 2022 and 2023, Nigerian state governors collectively spent approximately ₦14.84 billion to sponsor 4,771 pilgrims on religious journeys, including trips to Israel. In 2023 alone, ₦2.53 billion was spent on Christian pilgrimages, with specific allocations for states such as Imo, Enugu, Adamawa, Lagos, and Borno.

African governments and churches must reconsider pilgrimage funding, redirecting billions toward local development and cultural renewal instead of sustaining a spiritual-industrial complex abroad.

Despite this unwavering support, Israel does little in return. When Africans face genocide, famine, or natural disasters, there is no Israeli aid or military intervention. The covenant appears to be one-sided. Faith, money, and allegiance flow out of Africa, but compassion and solidarity rarely flow back.

Reclaiming Spiritual Sovereignty

Africa must awaken. The continent needs to reclaim its spiritual narrative and break free from the enduring grip of religious colonization. The path forward begins with education, equipping communities with a clear understanding of the political origins of modern Israel and exposing the constructed nature of its so-called divine mandate.

It is time to redirect African wealth, energy, and faith toward rebuilding indigenous knowledge systems that break the chains of religious bondage. The era of blind pilgrimage must come to an end.

Building Altars at Home

Africans have spent decades praying at a wall that offers no response, pouring devotion into a state that shows no reciprocal respect. The time has come to stop searching for holiness in distant lands and begin rediscovering it within. The true holy land is the altar of the mind.

The illusion must end. The narrative must be reclaimed. Africa must rise not as a servant of foreign myths but as a guardian of her own spiritual destiny.