Thousands of evangelical Christian friends of Israel from around the globe joined a march through Jerusalem on Wednesday in a show of support for the Jewish state, according to the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.
The 68th Jerusalem March, which drew participants from over 90 countries, was organized by the ICEJ as part of its annual Feast of Tabernacles celebrations that run from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6.
The gathering, among Jerusalem’s largest annual tourism events, coincides with the weeklong Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Wednesday’s march started at 3 p.m. in Sacher Park, where marching bands, Israeli Defense Forces soldiers, street performers and dance groups kicked off the parade, whose route took participants past many of the city’s historic landmarks.
Participants came from nations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, and even from countries like Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, Iran and North Korea.
As part of its eight-day festival, the ICEJ is taking supporters on a pilgrimage throughout the country. The event started off at a Sea of Galilee resort, followed by six days in Jerusalem. Hundreds of participants will also take part in a gathering to show solidarity with Israeli communities along the border with the Gaza Strip.
“We are privileged again to welcome the nations to Jerusalem for Sukkot, according to the ancient vision of the Hebrew Prophet Zechariah,” ICEJ president Jürgen Bühler said last week.
“We trust that as they encounter Israel up close that they will return to their home countries with a deeper love for this nation and a fresh inspiration from God, in keeping with Isaiah’s prophecy that the word of the Lord will go forth from Jerusalem,” he added.
On Tuesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the organization’s Israeli Night at the Pais Arena in Jerusalem, reiterating the Jewish state’s commitment to religious freedom for all.
“We will insist on protecting all of the religious communities that make up the beautiful human mosaic of our country,” Herzog said in a video greeting, vowing to “safeguard every site, religious leader and human being from any vile expressions of hatred or intolerance.”
“This commitment goes to the very heart of who we are as a Jewish and democratic state,” added the president.
The event also included speeches by Israeli Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel; former public security minister Avigdor Kahalani; a Holocaust survivor; and Ukrainian Jewish refugees.