I believe it would be more appropriate to say that God used the Zionist Movement to bring European and Russian Jews to Israel (followed later by Jews from all around the world). Zionism itself was secular, and actually rejected the concept of Messiah. And Orthodox Jews rejected Zionism, since they strictly hold to the belief that their true Messiah has yet to come. Both groups rejected the Lord Jesus Christ as their true Savior.
At the same time 1948 was a very significant year in that the nation of Israel was created, in spite of the fact the Christendom had generally assumed that God was finished with the Jews, and that all the promises to Israel were now given to the Church. Indeed anti-Semitism was the default attitude of Europeans and North Americians , and Jews were persecuted and placed in ghettos because of this. Then Nazism raised its ugly head, and the Holocaust saw millions of Jews killed simply because they were Jews. Thus Replacement Theology was predominant in most denominations (and still is is many churches).
There are many Jews being converted as we speak who are believing on Yeshuah ha Maschiach (Jesus the Christ). But the Tribulation is yet in the future, and this will be "the time of Jacob's trouble (such as has never been nor yet will be). That will be followed by the Second Coming of Christ, and it is only then that a very large number (one-third of all Jews worldwide) will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. The prophecy of Ezekiel is significant in this regard, and there will be a fourth temple in Jerusalem, which will be the true temple of God for eternity.
God has an eternal plan and purpose for redeemed and restored Israel on earth while at the same time He has an eternal plan and purpose for the Church (which is the Body, the Bride, and the Building of Christ). Those plans run parallel to each other, since the Abrahamic Covenant will be fulfilled in both plans.