In Jerusalem, leaders of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) addressed a large gathering of Evangelical Christians from around the world on the occasion of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles.
In a video message screened at Jerusalem's Payis Arena, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder thanked the 4,000-strong audience “for standing with the Jewish people, for standing with the Jewish state of Israel, and for standing up against the outrageous lies of the BDS movement.”
Making reference to the recent decision by UNESCO, Ronald S. Lauder went on to say: “A long time ago, God made a promise to the Jewish people. God gave them this land. God took Moses up to the heights of the Judean Hills and showed him the land from top to bottom, North to South, East to West. How do we know this? We read it in the Bible. It’s all right there in Deuteronomy.
“God showed Moses this land, and he made a promise that this land was for the Jewish people. You can argue with governments about this. You can argue with the United Nations. But who is so vain that they will argue with God?”
Referring to the Holocaust, Lauder added: “Jews learned what happens when the world is silent. We learned that lesson the hard way. And we will never be silent again.”
Robert Singer: ‘Jews stand up for embattled Christians’
In his keynote address to the gathering, which was organized by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, WJC CEO Robert Singer under line that Jerusalem was “a city that is holy not just for Jews, but also for Christians and Muslims.”
He went on to say: “Next June, it will be 50 years since Jerusalem was reunited during the 1967 Six-Day War. Ever since that historic event, Jews have been able to pray again at the Western Wall. Since 1967, the followers of all three Abrahamic religions have been able to pray at their holy sites. And that’s how it should be! Jerusalem should be a place that brings Jews, Christians and Muslims together.”
Singer also spoke about the ongoing conflict in Syria and Iraq and highlighted the plight of Christian and other minorities there: “Almost half a million people have been killed in Syria over the past five and a half years, and millions displaced. Entire Christian communities in Syria, in Iraq, and in other parts of the Middle East and North Africa have been wiped out. If this trend continues, the Middle East will soon have no more Christians – except for Israel.
He also pledged support for Christians. “We Jews stand with the embattled Christians, just as you stand up for Jews. We try to watch out for you just as you watch out for us. And let’s make one thing clear: An attack on a Christian, just because he is a Christian, is an attack on us, too. An attack on freedom of worship is an attack on our Western civilization, on the values we all share. It’s not acceptable, anytime, anywhere.”
For the past 35 years, Evangelical Christians from all over the world have come to Jerusalem each fall to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, sponsored by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. Highlights this year included an opening concert at the Ein Gedi oasis, the popular Jerusalem March through the streets of the capital, and a solidarity and cultural evening with some 1,500 Israelis. The ICEJ's Feast gathering is the largest annual tourist event in Israel.
