British Israelism is a religious belief system that asserts that the British people are direct descendants of the ancient Israelites. There are numerous synonyms that can be used for this term, such as Anglo-Israelism, Israelism, and British Israelism Movement. Other variations include the Doctrine of Identity or Christian Identity Movement. This controversial belief system has been rejected by most mainstream religious groups. Despite that, British Israelism is still present in some religious sects and organizations. Some see it as a way to embrace their heritage and historical connectedness to the past, while others see it as a way to promote nationalist and xenophobic beliefs.