Pastor Abel Damina has sparked intense reactions online following his recent remarks about the identity of modern-day Israel and its biblical connection.
Speaking during an episode of the “The Honest Bunch” podcast hosted by media personality Nedu, Damina said the Israel that exists today in the Middle East is not the same Israel referred to in the Bible. He claimed that the modern state of Israel, established in 1948, was a political creation and not the fulfillment of any divine prophecy.
“Israel in the Middle East, the state of Israel is not Bible Israel. The state of Israel was a political and economic orchestration in 1948. That’s not Bible Israel. In the Bible, Israel is a person — Jacob. He wrestled with God. Towards morning, his tie was broken. God told him, from now your name will no more be called Jacob, but Israel. You have prevailed with God. Then the children of Jacob now formed the twelve tribes of Israel. But because they did not obey God and follow God, their enemies scattered them all over the earth. So that Israel was gone. 
In 1948, there was a political arrangement by the Rothschilds — if you know the Rothschilds. The Rothschilds actually created the state of Israel. Historically. So, the Israel you have today in the Middle East is not the Israel in the Bible. So, where is Israel of the Bible? It’s no more. Scattered. It’s no more. So, why now some people who say, ‘oh, we are the real Israelites, we are the Jews, we are the…’?
“Well, if you study the Bible very well, the coming of Jesus demystified Israel. The coming of Jesus retired Israel. Because when Jesus came, he put an end to the dichotomy between the Jew and the Gentile. Jesus took the Jew, the Gentile, put them together, and out of the Jew and the Gentile, brought out a new kind of humanity that never existed before, which is now the true Israel of God, which is not measured by circumcision in the foreskin, but circumcision of the heart.
That’s the way the Bible teaches it. So, today, the Israel of God are those that are born of God by believing in the gospel of Christ. It’s no more. It’s still somewhere in the Middle East.”
The comments quickly drew attention and divided opinion on X (formerly Twitter), with users either disagreeing or expressing agreement with his interpretation.
@esogbuna: “He should go to Israel and tell them with a megaphone, let’s see whether he comes back in one piece.”
@SHEAYI: “How can you say there’s no more Israel? How about this prophecy in Isaiah 43:5-6…”
@blochief: “Iron dome is enough reason for you to know they are the same people.”
@EdmundAkins: “Not true. The creation of the modern Israel state in 1949 was a fulfillment of divine promise.”
@Sire_Sammi: “Damina has a typical case of Dunning Kruger Effect. There was never a time in history when the Jews completely left the place they occupy now.”
@realuweez: “If you go to Jerusalem to make this claim dem go too beat you ehh… But yeah, by Christian faith, the Children of Israel are those who follow Jesus.”
@diipodipe: “The state of Israel was conceived by Theodore Herzl in Basel in 1897, funded by David Rothschild, and established by David Ben-Gurion in 1948.”
@edozepaul: “Many people in the comments section are loud with ignorance… No study of political and religion history.”
@Csmooth2012: “He didn’t want to say it, but yes Igbos, Bantus, diaspora descendants of slaves are the true Israelites.”
@cooldjgaba: “What we have in modern Israel is Zionism… created after WWII to concentrate Jews. This led to the Israel-Palestine conflict.”
@onwere_felix: “This man don wake up again.”
@Ameboibadan: “This one sha wan revive hin career back by bringing people to create controversy.”
@Smuphy_: “Unfortunately, most people — and most Nigerians especially — do not and will never know or accept this truth.”
@Iam_jbless: “Kind of shocking that most Nigerians that are so religious don’t know this.”
@Muwaness88: “Olodo. So much brain dead conclusions from this clip. Claiming that Israel of the Bible is no more… hilarious.”
While Damina’s take has earned both criticism and support, the discussion around biblical Israel and modern Israel continues to be one of the most contested and emotionally charged topics among believers and historians alike.
