Christian Zionism Or, why Brian Tamaki gets on Israeli TV

The evangelical Destiny Church have emerged as the most vocal supporters of Israel in Aotearoa, but why?

Protesters in Ōtautahi Christchurch

For the past year, the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has held regular rallies in cities around New Zealand, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and drawing attention to the ongoing genocide. If you attended one the rallies in Ōtautahi Christchurch you may have encountered a small counter-protest, sometimes as small as one man- specifically, Destiny Church pastor Derek Tait- and perhaps a couple of hangers on. 

Destiny Church has emerged as possibly the largest faction of Israel supporters in this country. There are more Israel-supporting evangelical Christians than there are Jewish people in Aotearoa, and of course a significant proportion of the Jewish population, represented by groups like Dayenu and Alternative Jewish Voices, are opposed to the occupation of Palestine.

Destiny Church leader Bishop Brian Tamaki can usually pull a bigger crowd than Tait. At a protest he held outside parliament in December 2023, he described himself as a “spiritual Jew”. Destiny Church Pastor Nigel Woodley speaking at the same rally stated that “Israel’s right to defend itself includes the right to wage war until there is an unconditional surrender."

This was not Tamaki’s first protest in support of Israel, he had previously appeared on Israeli television, who showed Destiny Church members performing a Haka before the host asked Brian Tamaki how he decided that “the Māori tribe” would support Israel. Tamaki has been used by Israeli media to claim support for Israel’s actions by indigenous people. At the December rally Tamaki described himself as “a bit of a star over there”