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The Vatican did not recognize Israel until 1993, in which case it established diplomatic relations so it can play a greater role in stabilizing the region. Recently, the Pope visited Palestine and offered his support for a Palestinian state, and supported the struggle of Palestinians especially Christians.
There have been many incidents in the past which further strained relations between Israel and the Church, especially since a large number of Palestinians are catholic and orthodox. In 2002, the Israeli army attacked the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where Christ was born, killing 8 people including an Armenian monk. This further strained the relations. In 1948, many christian villages and churches were razed and destroyed by Irgun and Haganah, or the inhabitants were evicted. The Israeli government has not allowed the return of any of these. In 1967, following the occupation of Jerusalem, Israel removed the Coptic church from the city, and currently restricts Palestinian's access to Christian holy sites.
Most Christian denominations believe in the second coming of Jesus, and the new Jerusalem, although some branches interpret this more literally and physically than others. No Christian church supports Zionism, as it aims to diminish Christian presence in the Holy Land, and contradicts much of the inherent tenants of Christianity, such as rejecting Jesus as the messiah.
There have been accounts of mass burnings of New testaments in Tel Aviv along with other 'messianic literature'.
Ofcourse, many evangelical and protestant Churches in America believe the old testament more strongly than the new one. This can be seen in their strong implementation of the death penalty (an eye for an eye), and thus strongly support Zionism.
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What is the Eastern Orthodox Church's stance on the state of Israel, and does it supp
