The World Jewish Congress has co-hosted an event in Jerusalem in which 25 Christian parliamentarians and Congressmen from 17 different countries took part. The lawmakers endorsed Israel’s right to defend itself against existential threats such as those posed by the Iranian regime and its nuclear program. This third edition of the Chairman’s Conference of the Israel Allies Foundation, chaired by former Knesset member Rabbi Benny Elon, was held as part of the annual Feast of Tabernacles, the largest tourist event in Israel which this year drew more than 3,000 Christian pilgrims from over 100 countries. The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem also co-sponsored the conference.

Lawmakers from Brazil, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Portugal, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Uruguay, the United Kingdom and the United States participated in the gathering.

In a joint declaration, the politicians declared that Iran, with “its stated goal of destroying Israel,” presented a “clear and present danger” to Israel’s very existence. The signatories lent their support “to the government of Israel as acting within its rights and obligations to its citizens when it stands resolutely in defense of its sovereign territory and acts pre-emptively, if necessary, to ensure the protection of its citizens and the survival of its national existence.”

They also endorsed Israel’s position that the state’s capital city Jerusalem must remain undivided and called on taking parliamentary actions to raise awareness of the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab countries so that "refugee problem" includes both populations of refugees, not only Palestinians. To raise this issue, the WJC recently organized two major events in Jerusalem and at the United Nations in New York.

WJC Secretary General Dan Diker hailed the Chairman’s Conference as an important signal that Israel does not stand alone in the world. “This conference was ample proof that Israel has Christian supporters in parliaments and governments around the world on which it can count. The World Jewish Congress will continue to work on widening this important coalition and increase cooperation with our Christian friends,” Diker said.