Dozens of vibrant flags adorned the gates of Jerusalem’s Tower of David courtyard on Sunday, marking the arrival of one of the largest and most international delegations of Israel supporters since the October 7 massacre last year.
Over 500 Christian Zionist delegates from nearly 60 countries arrived in Israel last week for the annual event organized by the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ). The event marks the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, known in the Christian Bible as the Feast of Tabernacles.
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Christian pilgrim comforting elderly survivor of Kibbutz Be'eri massacre
(Photo: FOT24)
“Our presence here at this difficult time [is] meant to send a strong message of Christian support and concern for this nation and what the Israeli people have suffered,” David Parsons, ICEJ vice president and spokesperson, said at the event.
Each year, the event features a “Roll Call of the Nations”—an evening during which representatives from each country are acknowledged and wave their flags. When Feast of Tabernacles attendance was at its peak of 6,000 delegates, attendees nearly filled the stands of Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium. This year, a more intimate event was held in the Old City’s Tower of David.
The 2024 Roll Call of the Nations showcased 54 countries from six different continents. When an Iranian representative took the stage, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause, as they did again when the Israeli representative waved the final flag of the evening.
One delegate blew a shofar, while another shouted, “Am Yisrael Chai,” Hebrew for “the nation of Israel lives on.”
In addition to those at the Tower of David, representatives from more than a dozen countries watched and participated online.
The evening included speeches from several Israeli dignitaries and performances by the Or Lamishpachot choir, an Israeli singing group made up of family members of fallen soldiers. Renowned Christian artists from around the world also performed, including an Estonian choir.
Miguel Munoz, one of two representatives from Honduras, joined two representatives from Argentina, two from Bolivia, and one from Mexico in representing the Spanish-speaking world. He told The Media Line that he felt a “strong conviction that this is the right time for us Christians to be here with the Israeli people.” “For us, it is a privilege to show solidarity,” he said.
Munoz explained that Christians traditionally pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Since October 7, he said, many have been praying even harder.
The Feast of Tabernacles also provided an opportunity for attendees to “tell the truth” about what’s happening in Israel, Munoz said.
“I had the chance to visit the concentration camps at Auschwitz and then came to Israel and witnessed the tragedy with Hamas on October 7,” he said. “I’ve been speaking to people, letting them know that we are with them. You are not alone.”
Similarly, delegate Daniel Pandji of Indonesia told The Media Line, “I read the Bible, I believe in the word of God, and Christians and Jews have to stick together.”
Parsons, the ICEJ vice president, told The Media Line that many people who had hoped to attend the Feast of Tabernacles were unable to due to flight cancellations caused by the ongoing war. Some who did manage to attend had to fly through Cyprus or Jordan to deal with travel restrictions.
He said that the delegates wanted to pray for Israel while physically in the land. “I really think it speaks to the caliber of these Christians and their faith," Parsons said of the delegates’ willingness to travel despite the difficulty. “They’re not afraid to come, and they know now is the time to stand with Israel.”
“Israel is being pillaged and slandered around the world. There’s a huge effort to shame anyone who stands with Israel,” he continued. “We’re not going to let that deter us for a second. We feel no shame or guilt in our unwavering support for Israel.”
Other events in the itinerary included a day of worship at Kfar Nokdim in the Judean desert and a tour of the Gaza border area. As part of that tour, the delegates participated in a special remembrance ceremony at HaBsor National Park, honoring the 1,500 people who were killed or taken hostage during the Hamas terror attack on October 7.
They visited sites connected to the Hamas atrocities, including the Nova music festival site, Kibbutz Be’eri, and the “car graveyard” memorial, and heard first-hand testimonies from local security officers and community leaders. Delegates also planted hundreds of red and yellow tulip bulbs in memory of those who were killed or abducted as part of a project run by the Jewish National Fund. The flowers will bloom this winter at the new Nova memorial site, forming the shape of a red heart with a yellow ribbon.
On Monday, delegates participated in a flag march around Jerusalem’s Sacher Park. A planned march through the streets was canceled due to security concerns.
“We don’t have a lot of friends. That’s the truth. And the friends that we do have, we appreciate a lot,” MK Ohad Tal told the crowd in his speech on Sunday evening. “We are not taking your friendship for granted. And I can only tell you that the Jewish people will never forget the people who chose to stand with us during these difficult times.”
With the Old City as his backdrop, Tal discussed the distinction between the Muslim and Jewish relationship to Jerusalem. He noted that Hamas called the October 7 attack “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” a reference to the mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem.
“They didn’t initiate this war to improve the welfare of Gaza. They didn’t start this war to expand their swimming pools or their backyards. No, they did it to fight for Al-Aqsa, for Jerusalem,” he said. “That is their distorted vision of what Jerusalem should be: death and unspeakable violence.”
Jews, he said, view Jerusalem “as a city of unity, peace, and prosperity.” “Jews returned to Jerusalem after 2,000 years of exile—defying all odds, breaking the rules of history and physics—not just for our sake, but for the sake of humanity,” he said. “We are here to serve both God and humanity.”
Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat was the highest-ranking dignitary to address the delegation. He told the audience that Iran has been planning this war for over two decades, developing a strategy to choke Israel through the use of its many proxies.
“They tried to assassinate the prime minister of the state of Israel,” Barkat said, referencing the drone attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence on Saturday. “They could not have made a bigger mistake.”
He said that Iran and its proxies underestimate the strength and resilience of the Jewish people in Israel.
“They got it all totally, totally wrong, because you will never find people as strong, as brave, and as committed as the soldiers of the IDF,” Barkat said to loud cheers. “We must finish and win this war, and we will.”
Christian tourists usually make up more than 50% of visitors to Israel, but the situation has been different since the war broke out. According to the Tourism Ministry, only around 853,000 tourists have entered Israel since last October 7. Around 62% of those tourists are Jewish, and 29% are Christian, primarily Catholic and evangelical.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Israel welcomed about 4.5 million tourists annually, and the country was on track to welcome more tourists in 2023 than the record high in 2019. But the year closed with only 3 million arrivals, and this year is projected to see only about 1 million.
According to the ministry, Israel has suffered an estimated loss of 18.7 billion shekels ($4.96 billion) from the reduced international tourism.
Barkat, for his part, expressed optimism that Christian tourism would increase, telling the crowd Israel hopes to bring twice as many delegates in 2025.
“We want to see more and more of you here,” he said. “I will be happy to greet you then.”
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