Nearly 400 Christian leaders from 40 nations attend Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast to ‘stand in the gap’ for war-stricken Israel

THE KNESSET IN JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — “You’re here with a very important purpose,” Albert Veksler, CEO of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast, told the nearly 400 Evangelical and Jewish leaders from 40 nations who gathered at the Israeli parliament on Wednesday to stand with the Jewish state in its difficult time of war.

“You’re here to stand in the gap. Yes, and the very reason you are here is that I believe we have entered a new era, I think a red line has been crossed. Nations after nations have been abandoning Israel,” Veksler said in his opening remarks.

Knesset Member Matan Kahana, the host of the JPB event, warmly welcomed the guests from around the world with “Brukhim HaBaim BeShem HaShem, welcome all comers in the name of God.”

Reminding the gathered leaders of the fates of the Israeli hostages still in captivity, Kahana noted that the war Israel is now fighting has deeper dimensions.

“This is not political. This is no political struggle, it is simple Jew hatred. ‘Yitbakh al-yahud’ is their war cry – massacre the Jews. We are fighting, but you are their enemy also. This is an all-out total war, radical Islam against the enlightened world, against our shared values,” Kahana said.

Former U.S. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann reminded those present of the biblical promise of blessings to all the world while the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob live in the land of Israel.

She also highlighted the war for global public opinion: “There’s a media war that’s getting played out across the world right now. And it’s being played out by the father of lies, no less – the father of lies,” Bachmann said before concluding her speech with a moving prayer.

Former Knesset Member Yehuda Glick, a perennial crowd favorite among Evangelical friends of Israel, delivered a stirring teaching on Psalm 137 while occasionally breaking into song before, during and after his speech.

“There are times we have to turn our plowshares to swords so we can get to the time where we can turn our swords to plowshares… and then we will be happy and what will we do? We will be able to sing again the songs of Zion in Jerusalem and Zion,” Glick declared to the applause of the crowd.

In addition to several Israeli parliamentarians, two European politicians delivered messages of rare, unconditional support for Israel from countries that aren’t exactly known for it.

Alexander Christiansson, a Member of Parliament for the right-wing Sweden Democrats, said many right-leaning parties across Europe are increasingly supporting Israel.

In a recent report on support for Israel within the European Parliament, right-wing and conservative parties ranked highest, while leftist and Green parties ranked lowest, he noted.

“It’s easy to be a friend when everything is going great, but when hard currents come, it’s easy to betray. So that’s why I feel that it’s more important than ever to be here, to just stand up for Israel and the Jewish people and their right to defend themselves,” Christiansson told the JPB attendees.

“Friends, even though the elites and the left-liberals are very loud, we hear them scream in the media, you hear them everywhere – there are people around Europe that don’t like what they hear.”

Among them are conservative Italian leaders like former Senator Simone Pillon, who delivered a greeting from his party chairman Matteo Salvini, the head of Lega Nord and the current deputy prime minister of Italy.

Pillon emphasized Israel’s role as a vanguard in the fight against “the worst danger – the loss of values.”

During his speech, he blasted “woke” and left-wing ideology, which he considers an example of the kind of sins that caused the ancient Israelites much suffering, according to Leviticus 26:14-20.

“Our issue today is … that Israel and with you, all the peoples of the Western world will be able to rediscover their faith and their values,” Pillon noted.

“Then the prophecy of Psalm 81 will be fulfilled: ‘Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries.”

The Evangelical leaders were joined by several Members of Knesset, including Robert Ilatov of the Yisrael Beytenu party, and Simon Davidson and Tania Mazarsky, both active members of the Yesh Atid party.

Davidson told the JPB participants he was unable to smile for months after Oct. 7, until he traveled to Sweden and met friends of Israel there. “When I met this amazing group in Sweden I felt so much love, and it wasn’t one hug … I never felt so loved!”

“I came back to Israel and I said things can be different because we are not alone in the world and I’m here to say thank you,” Davidson added.

Knesset Member Ohad Tal of the Religious Zionism party, impressed upon the Evangelical leaders how unusual their support was in the eyes of the Jewish people and Israelis today.

“It doesn’t make any sense. I mean, really, what is wrong with you? Haven’t you heard about history and how people should treat the Jewish people? Haven’t you heard what is happening now in so many capitals in Europe, haven’t you heard what is happening on college campuses in America? What it means to be normal?”

“So I thought – and again, to be honest, I think most Israelis do – we always feel as if we are isolated, we are alone… Everybody wants to kill us, that’s the reality we have known for 3000 years, but you are here. You decided not to be normal,” Tal said.

In a moving conclusion, Veksler invited representatives from South Africa and Norway to take the stage. Despite recent hostility from their governments toward the Jewish state, these leaders vowed to stand by Israel and serve as its ambassadors while asking for forgiveness for the actions of their governments.